Hello,

I know I've sent this kind of message before, but it's gone onto the next page and most people don't bother with the next page do they?!!! Anyway, My 12-13 week old Labrador has finished having all her jabs last week, she's been going for walks for a week now. How long should they be? Could you possibly tell me how long the walk should take without the puppy, just mew walking and then I should be able to work out which route to take. Oh, and also, could anyone tell me when I should increase the walk time etc.

Thanx

Dear Visitor
Your puppy will get most of the exercise she needs playing round in the garden, if you've got one.
I would take her out on on the lead for a maximum of 15 mins twice a day at the moment. That's just walking gently, not running or chasing balls. I know it's really tempting to take her out for massive walks but I'm sure you know it's bad for her hips and joints. At 6 months 30 mins twice a day is enough, maybe with a bit longer off the lead. You can gradually increase it until she is 12 months old when she should be Ok doing as much as you want to do with her.
Don't let her jump too much, or go up and down stairs.
What colour is your puppy and what's her name?
I've got a 16 month old yellow female lab called Thistle. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy Thistle. It's great fun having a puppy isn't it?
Jane

Hi,

Yeah, it's really fun having a puppy, but there are some hard times as well, but I have no regrets, At ALL! Thanks for your information, it's been really helpful. My lab pup is yellow, and she's called Molly. She's 12, nearly 13 weeks old. I'll stick to your great information! Thanks!

Jessie

I would agree with Jane. For my part I want to get my puppies off the lead as soon as possible so I put them in the car, take them to somewhere where it is really safe then let them have a very short walk off lead (but still under my control). The object of this is that before they have got old enough to be over bold they wont go too far from me. This way I'm starting to build what I want for the future. I dont take them off the lead too often because again, I want good heel work and this should be started straight away.

Never allow your puppy to start to pull you along on the lead and you will never have to stop it pulling. OK, I know it's not quite that simple but believe me, it is almost! What it means is that every single time you take your puppy out it's a training session. Think of it like this, the first time you allow your puppy to pull you must correct it so you should be concentrating 100% all the time to make sure you anr never in a position to have to correct it!

Regards, John

Oh dear. I let my Border collie (6 months) go on long walks and run offlead as he wants. So what does that mean?? When will he get bad hips?

I'm not too sure - so somebody will probably put me right but I think it's mostly only retrievers who are more prone to hip problems, but everyone makes mistakes, just look out later on for any signs!
Jessie

Any puppy that gets to much 'leg work' before their bones are formed properly is vulnerable to problems later on. To much exercise, jumping on and off of furniture and running up and down stairs should be discouraged if at all possible. All these things put pressure on growing bones/joints :-)

This is something I am verging on paranoid about, when Cava as young I kept his outings very short and did lots of short play training sessions in house and garden. I was carying him up and down stairs until the night I tripped going up because he was so heavy and fired him up the last 3 steps and bang into the wall. Then I though he was prob in more danger from me than going up stairs twice a day, come to think of it he is a bit nutty at times- I wonder?
Anne

He won't automatically get bad hips.It isn't ideal to give them so much exercise very young but you will find that you have also built up muscle which will help.I do free run my 9 month old pup but alot less than my older collies after all they do have an enormous amount of energy.Gillian

I don't think collies are so prone to hip problems as labs, but all the same maybe you are over-doing it a bit. Don't feel guilty, I'm sure your dog will be fine, but maybe cut down a bit until he is older.
Jane

Adding my thrupennies worth......

I have been a tad paranoid about the amount of exercise I give my puppies until I spoke to the owner of the stud dog I've used and her pups are taking to the moor with her adults, ok she doesn't let them fanatically run, but they still get to use their noses, she is coming back with good below average hip scores.

I have a photocopy of a US Viszla study on hips and it recommends only walking & running on the flat for pups, swimming, low protein 'adult' diets to eat and 1 gram of Vit. C a day.

Whether or not it's coincidental or not but I followed this through with the first pup I kept from a litter I bred. At the age of 5, she was hip scored....2,5=7.

Christine