How much Exercise?!

[ouzo05]

Hello All,
I have a 24 week old min called Otto and i was wondering at what age ill be able to walk him up hills and runs?
In particular scottish munroes!

I know you've not to give them too much exercise at young age so that their legs don't end up dangle but would be great to know at what age ill be able to take him out with me on hikes?!


Any pointers are greatly appreciated.

many thanks
ross

[ChillPepp]

I believe a rule of thumb is 5 minutes of exercise per session per month old they are, so at 24 weeks it would be 30 minutes at a time. Strenuous excercise like alot of running should be avoided until they are 1 as well so that their joints/bones have time to fully develop.

I'm sure more knowledgable people will be in to let you know how wrong I am.

[pammeek]

How do you stop them running ? I take Ruby to the park and when she is off lead, she runs around all the time ? She is now just 6 months old. Also in the garden she runs around chasing squirrels, her tail, her shadow etc. Surely this can do no harm ?

[zeta1454]

I agree with ChillPepp that it is important not to over exercise a young dog as this can damage the joints and lead to arthritis in later life. The recommendations are usually as said - 5 minutes per month of the dog's age per day (this could be in 2 sessions). It is always difficult to limit a puppy from running around and you don't want them to under-exercise their muscles but I think the guidelines are to give an indication. No hiking or hill-climbing etc and if possible try to limit how often the puppy has access to large open spaces where they can run unchecked. Preferably keep them on-lead in the early days when they are in large open spaces such as parks. By the time they are a year old they should be fully grown and can be given an hour or so and build up to strenuous exercise gradually. It may sound drastic but it is better to be cautious in the first 12 months than end up with a dog that may have arthritis or joint problems that mean it cannot go with you on hiking expeditions etc.

[countrygirl]

It is interesting the different information you get on this.

One of my trainers said the 5 minutes per month per day, not per session and that was to include running around the garden. My other trainer was more relaxed and said not to regularly do long walks whilst under a year and she led puppy walks for puppies from 3 months which could be up to 45 minutes, although you didn't have to stay for that long. I also asked my vet his opinion as I'd had the conflicting advice from trainers and he said just to be sensible and not over do it, he didn't want to give a time limit.

[countrygirl]

would be great to know at what age ill be able to take him out with me on hikes?!

This may help answer the original question

Exercising Growing Puppies
It's important to remember that, although most puppies have lots of energy, their bodies are immature and not ready for exercise that causes sharp or repetitious impact during the first year. Large and giant breeds should be 18 months or older.

The leg bones grow from areas located near their ends. These soft areas of immature bone are called growth plates (also epiphyseal plates or the epiphysis). At about 12 to 16 months, the growth plates “close” as calcium and minerals harden the soft area. When the hardening process is complete, most growth stops and the growth plates are said to be closed. Before they close, the growth plates can be injured or fractured more easily than mature bone. An injury to the growth plate can cause the bone to stop growing or to grow incorrectly.

To protect your pup against damage to the growth plates, postpone high-impact and leg-twisting activities until you're sure the growth plates are closed. Leaping after flying disks or over jumps, jogging (especially on hard surfaces), and similar activities should be avoided until the pup matures. If your puppy is going to mature at 25 pounds or less, she can begin to take part in “grown-up” exercise at 9 months. If she'll mature into a medium to large dog (25 to 95 pounds), wait until she's at least 14 months old. If she's going to be a really big girl of 100 pounds or more, wait until she's at least 18 months old. If you're really impatient, you can have your puppy x-rayed to determine whether the growth plates are open or closed. Whether you do that or not, it's better to err on the side of safety—a few months of patience could make a lifetime of difference for your dog.

http://life.familyeducation.com/dogs/ex ... 45655.html

[zeta1454]

Useful detail in the post about the growth plates. I'm sure there are a number of different views on the exercise regime and it makes sense that different sized dogs have differing needs. The Kennel Club advice is the 5 mins per month per day (split into 2 sessions) but I think as with most things guidelines are just that - hope they've been of help to Ross

[Caramomo]

The guidelines are just that. There is no research to say that the 5 minutes per month is the limit or target. The research that has been done was on puppies that were walked/run for hours and this is how we know that excessive exercise is bad for a dogs bones and joints. We just don't know where the line is between enough and too much, and we probably never will. Different breeds, and even different dogs in the same breed, grow up at different rates, other environmental factors can have an impact such as food and general health and so every dog will have different factors affecting how much is too much, hence the guidelines. Throw in different people's different ideas of 'gentle exercise' (a beach stroll, bike ride or light jog could all be classed as gentle exercise but I'm not fit enough for the last) and thats how you get different peoples interpretation of those guidelines.

[ouzo05]

Thanks for all the info folks..Its something ive had different
thoughts from trainers at my local club and from experienced owners.

At the moment he gets 3 walks a day no more than 40 mins and not covering major distance.
the odd run out the back.. At weekend he gets a slightly longer walk in a different park and off the lead where he gets
a good run around for 40 mins. I dont think that's too much for a pup. i may be wrong!

Will stick to the general rule of 1 year before anything strenuous but i look forward to he day i can take him up in the hills!!!

Thanks again,
R

[LouiseH]

At the moment he gets 3 walks a day no more than 40 mins and not covering major distance.
the odd run out the back.. At weekend he gets a slightly longer walk in a different park and off the lead where he gets
a good run around for 40 mins. I dont think that's too much for a pup. i may be wrong!

That's pretty close to what Kili (4 months) gets. Two walks of about 30 and 40 min. both about half off-lead, then he usually spends about half an hour in the evening playing with the other dogs in the park but he gets a lift back in the bike trailer after that.

I spent a lot of time online looking at the vet and science side of joint problems and I couldn't see anything that went beyond "don't give them ridiculous amounts of compulsory walking", particularly for small dogs. All the actual vet manual detail online on hip dysphasia I found, for instance, doesn't mention exercise as a factor at all (except for dogs already having problems); the main risk factor seemed to be allowing large dogs to grow too fast. I don't know where the 5 min a month guidelines originally came from but they don't seem to be evidence based and they certainly don't take into account the different risks for different breeds.

I don't tire Kili out, he's always bouncing on the way back and ready for the next walk a few hours later, but I'd rather have a fit and exercised puppy with plenty of experience of everything he can meet outdoors than try to keep him occupied and out of trouble inside all day. It will be a long while before I can take him hillwalking properly but we'll work up to it gradually.

The only time I've had to carry him home was in the hail/rainstorm yesterday; he got thoroughly cold and wet and started to shiver so he went under my coat! 6.3kg of very wet puppy!

[jentucker]

Flint is 1 in a couple of weeks & we've only just started to take him on longish hikes. We have slowly built the distances/elevations up & then the day after the big walk, we've only lightly exercised him, concentrating on mind games instead to compensate for it & to give his body a chance to recover (tbh he's still ready to do it all again about an hour later tho!) We've gotten as high as 600m with him, Hubby & the kids went up Shining Tor with him last weekend, so a wee while to go yet before he's ready to ascend any Munroes or even Corbetts!

[Dee sharp]

Just one more thing to add from Monty, aka "The Confined Schnauzer". Yes, he of the fractured growth plate! Don't let them jump up and down like loonies! Even a simple thing such as jumping on the sofa can lead to problems.... (only 24 more days to go.....)

[PeggieO]

Hiya folks,

Realise this is an old topic but came across it when looking for some advice through Google. Would be interested how everyone got on now we are six years down the line and if anyone's views on the subject have changed? Particularly interested in how Otto, Flint and any others have got on in the hills!

My pup Peggie is a Standard Schnauzer and is around 7 months old. She currently gets three walks a day for a total of around two hours. I have been taking her out for up to 90 minutes recently at weekends but not taking her for a walk later on. Reading the responses above I may be pushing her a bit with these longer walks and will think about reigning it in a bit.

Like the OP I am looking forward to taking her up Corbetts and Munros when the time is right - hopefully we get as good a summer next year as this year!

[zeta1454]

Hi Scott and welcome to the Forum

We follow the Puppy Culture Protocol with our puppies and there is a link here to explain about appropriate exercise and a chart:

https://www.puppyculture.com/new-approp ... rcise.html

https://www.puppyculture.com/new-exercise-chart.html

It is very important not to do too much with a dog that is still developing physically and to build up gradually towards your goal of the Corbetts and Munros which I am sure she will love when the time is right.

[PeggieO]

Thanks Zeta, that's interesting.

The majority of our walks would fall into the Sniff n Stroll category I think. No doubt however that we have been overdoing it a little bit and will calm it down with the walks for now.

The advice given in some of these guides does seem a bit OTT to me - for example in that chart - Dogs up to 2 years old shouldn't chase a ball if they tumble head over heel to get it. When she is with other dogs they are all over the place jumping, running and playing. Surely some rough and tumble should be expected for dogs of any age.

Then again, I don't know anything about dogs skeletons etc. and should probably just listen to what I'm told!!