Exercising a puppy

[Coco H]

My puppy is now 14 weeks old - and has had all the vaccinations. We were given the all clear two weeks ago from the vet to go out and about. We have done a fair amount of socialsing with other puppies and dogs so far.
I am sure the vet said he shoudl have no more than 5 minutes exercise per month old. So he is 3 months old which should be a 15 minute walk. I have stuck to this. Though we have another training session inside in the evenings - working on commands such as sit, stay and heel.

I know other puppy owners of simiular large breed dogs in the village have been going for longer walks. (1/2 an hour plus at this age). I will admit to not finishing my walk in 15 minutes due to a good sniff around or something - but I should be back by 20 minutes at the latest.

Puppy is outdoors a lot for toilet training and has a crate inside.

Does anyone have any other tips on exercising young puppies as clearly 15 minutes isn't a lot.

[klimakool]

when we got our lab we were told the same by our vet but upon looking into it further with a lab book from amazon, (my wife works herself up untill she can read a book about everything) it turned out taht the 15 min walk was in every four hours or after napping/ sleeping

[nick_j007]

I often hear this guideline and I think it can be unrealistic for some dogs. I'm not so much into structured walks with pups, but rather the opportunity to scamp about in a field without following a set route. So on that basis with the dog and you just going in circles as it were, I think a 20-30 minute period outside would be fine.

Pay attention to the dog's energy levels, that it isn't beginning the shiver or sit down looking a bit lost/exhausted. Once you know what your dog needs you'll be able to judge things accordingly into the future.

Avoid prolonged walks and activities like following you on a bike for example or frisbee/ball flinger activities until 12 months of age.

Have fun, good luck.

Edited by nick_j007 on Tuesday 25th January 14:17

[XJSJohn]

what paddy says ... done this previously but with current dogs i could not (dog on leash laws, large muslim population etc) and even with smart dogs they just do not have this inbred in to them and as such i just dont feel as confident with these dogs as the ones we had back in the UK when off the leash.

[Coco H]

excellent. We back onto fields and I have found recall has been good so far. I dont' need to use a lead - he will walk happily without one - just sniffing away. It;s low intensity and just pootling about.
I think he might be quite sharp. He learns quickly and enjoys this type of interaction where I ask him to do things.

[Superficial]

I have always found it best to stick to the guidelines of five minutes per month of age, and then just tire my puppy out with mental stimulation. I would restrict physical exercise as per the vets advice as it can effect their physical development, then make use of lots of training, kongs, play and mental stimulation puzzles & toys.

[pikeyboy]

Best way to improve/teach recall in ayoung puppy is to find a quiet area, let the dog off. When they get distracted run in the opposite direction and use the puppys natural instinct to be with you to chase you (never chase it) when he is coming towards you use your recall command of choice and reward with treat when he arrives. This method works really well.