Walking Puppies?

[Jimmy from Cottage Grove]

Is it healthy to start walking puppies at a young age? Someone was telling me that it is unhealthy to walk a puppy untill they are six months old. He stated it had something to do with hurting there bone structure. Anyone ever here of that?? In other words I have a ten week old springer. And I am wondering if it is okay to take it on my daily one mile walk?? Or should I start at a smaller distance?

[2thepointsetters]

I start taking my dogs on small walks around the block when they are six weeks old. At 10 weeks 1 mile will be no problem. You will see if he starts to get tired.

[Ufatz]

Don't know where your pal got his information but it is nonsense. Walk your puppy until he gets tired. Usually they'll just sit down, as if to say "okay, that's it. I'm [PoorWordUsage]ed."

Walking will help BUILD bone strength!

[Powerstroke]

Daily walks (and sometimes twice daily with my springer) is great for a puppy. It teaches them many thing, you bond and begin socializations.

What is generally recommended against is taking your dog for a run. We're talking about the folks who run a couple miles with their dog and have them run beside a bicycle. Those things are hard on a puppy's joints and bones. You're not supposed to RUN a dog until they are 2yrs old.

Walking is fantastic for them. A tired dog is a happy dog. I know my springer would get into trouble and misbehave when he hadn't had a walk because he had so much energy.

[2thepointsetters]

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Those things are hard on a puppy's joints and bones. You're not supposed to RUN a dog until they are 2yrs old.

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where did you read or hear your not supposed to run a dog until its two?

Thats really crazy.

[Ufatz]

Okay. Lemme think about that.

[Powerstroke]

I got that from my vet and from books that I bought. LIke I said before though, the definition of RUN was you shouldn't be out jogging them and running full out for several miles.

Many people do this and its fine by me. I was just told to wait on those hard pounding activities until they are fully developed. I have a springer and he runs and jumps and I let him go all day in a field if he wants to, but its never a full out run for more than a few minutes.

[Powerstroke]

I'm just voicing what I've heard and read. I by no means am a dog trainer or a vet. I do think its sound advice though. Obviously the best person to answer your question is your vet. He will have the best picture of your dogs health and what it can and can't handle.

[LABS4ME]

Exercise has little to do with bone stucture or skeletal deformaties. It may "pronounce" them at an earlier stage, but it will not cause bone problems, or hip / elbow dysplasia etc.

Wild dogs run their whole lives, hunting dogs generally run MILES each day and every day we take them out hunting, it's a fact of life for these dogs. I'm not waiting till after 2 to do that. Trial dogs are run hard from 9 months on. Bred correctly, little should be attributed to the actual running process.

In old age you can start to see some breaking down of the joint tissues from very active dogs. I have an 11 year old ex-trial dog that more or less has a shot knee (hock). But remember this dog ran trials or trained 300 days a year from 10 months on. This would be on par with a pro athlete. I guess I will take those 10 years over sitting a dog off to the side for it's first 2 years, to buy an extra year of service in their latter years of life.

One thing that does impact a dog's joints (and I think it has a lot to do with 'Chug') is the jumping in and out of trucks. Watch a dog when it's tired jump down off the tail gate. The entire blow is going in their shoulder. And when they jump up, all pressure is transferred to the knee. I teach all me dogs to jump in and out of the truck, even the tall 1 tons, but have since begun to assist them (even a little helps).

With all that said, young pups need to 'build' into a running regimen, just like humans. I wouldn't start until the pup is fully developed for many reasaons, ie: obedience on a leash, coordination, stamina, cardio still developing, pads toughening etc. But as to the original poster's question, walking would be fantastic for him! I wouldn't start at the full mile, but bring him up to that over the next 3-4 weeks. Think of a little kid and how far they can go... it's the same with a puppy. Work in your "sit', 'stay', 'here' and 'heel' commands on you walks. This will give him several little breaks along the way. If you have a quiet area he can go off leash and investigate the world, so much the better. Do your obedience drills before the fun time though so he equates fun as his reward and you won't be battling a 'tired' pup.

Good Luck!

Ken

[311Hemi]

I think what many here are getting mixed up is regular exercise and the dog walking/running vs "roading" a dog.

Regulars walks and running would be fine for a puppy or young dogs....your not going to have a puppy or young dog that does not run. This would go also be the case with the running the dog does while running marks/retrieves that the FT dogs might do, or hunting scenario's.

What is not recommended is jumping on your bike and taking a 4 month old dog out running for extended periods/lengths, or "roading" the pup. This would also include "roading" a young dog using weights.

I personally would not "road" a dog until it's joints are fully developed, around 18 months up to two years old. I believe there is a difference between this and field trails and/or hunting.

Also...as Labs mentioned....jumping can also play a role into this. I will try to help the dog in/out of the back of the truck as often as possible. Especially young dogs. I would also recomend working into longer distances on young dogs.

[LABS4ME]

Good point Hemi... I guess I never think of 'roading'. I own labs... 'roading' is not in the cards!

I know owners of labs who regularily 'run' (jog) a couple miles with their 1 year old labs and have no health issues. They aren't running mini-marathons, just a 2-3 mile run for conditioniong.

Lots of swimming for stamina and lots of 'wind sprints' on retrieves for my pooches...

Good Luck!

Ken

[LABS4ME]

and oh yeah... for them to run would mean I'd have to too! Ummmm Yeaaahhh, riiiight!

Good Luck!

Ken

[311Hemi]

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and oh yeah... for them to run would mean I'd have to too! Ummmm Yeaaahhh, riiiight!

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LOL...I hear ya.

I am doing a couple miles (3-5 times a week) right now with my 2 yo lab.....but I am riding a bike and the fastest I go is an light easy trot for him. No running at all during this because he has joint issues.

I know some lab guys that road their dogs for 20-30 miles a day.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I'm not running unless a big mean dog is chasing me!!!

[tealitup]

Ok so I have been walking with my dog for about 1 mile in the morning - she is 8 weeks. Is this too much? She seems to "crave" the walks in the A.M. (I just figure since I am working this might help run-off her energy).

Also, since jumping is bad; is it bad for a little puppy to run up the stairs? She struggles once and awhile.

Sorry for the stupid questions.

[LABS4ME]

If she is handling the walks, I say go for it. You're right, it probably helps burn off energy for the time you're at work.

I don't think stairs are any prblem at all, it's the physical act of a true jump: IE: all your weight working agaist you. And for the record, I think the jumping down is worse than the jump up. The 'lunging' up and down steps probably helps build muscle... just like a stair climber.

Good Luck!

Ken

[311Hemi]

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And for the record, I think the jumping down is worse than the jump up.

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The one thing that worries me about the jumping up is an ligament issue...that being a partial/complete tear with the trust of the upward jump from the rear legs.

With that being said, I don't know anyone personally that has had this happen.

Now...I wont say I never let him jump in back...because he still does it once in a while.....but most often I am lifting in in/out. Again my dog has joint issues...so that is part of the reason why.

[Powerstroke]

Hemi, thanks for making that distiction. Roading is the term I was looking for. Thats what I was trying to explain but you did a much better job.

I know what you mean about the jumping in and out of the truck. My little springer can do it, but occasionally he slips or doesn't quite make it and I watch him hit his chest on the gate on fall onto the ground. One day he nearly hit my trailer ball and that was the end of that. Now I make him sit and I help him up. I'd hate to see him cut open or injured from slipping going in or out.