Exercising a puppy?

[ladyfreckles]

I know it may seem like a silly question, but I have a lot of experience with dogs and not much experience with pups.

With kittens, you usually focus on getting them comfortable in the house before you start letting them have free roam and exercising them. With dogs I was wondering if there was a wait period after you get your puppy before you start walking it for exercise? How would you gradually work up to that with an untrained puppy? Thank you!

[Anthony8858]

IMO, a tired puppy, is a much more manageable puppy.

Taking puppy for a walk is not only good exercise, but also a good time for some bonding.

To answer your question, I suggest walking as much as possible, and using that walk time to bond.
I'm 100% certain, that a good walk will result in a puppy that a lot more relaxed, and wouldn't require as much attention in the home.

[jocoyn]

Depending on what you wind up with you may need a lot more than walking. We are at about 45 minutes of ball play a day plus about a 40 minute offlead walk daily. But that is a high drive and high energy working line. 18 weeks. We started doing the offlead walks at 11 weeks when I got him and ball play in the long carpeted hallway at that stage.

[ladyfreckles]

Originally Posted by jocoyn

Depending on what you wind up with you may need a lot more than walking. We are at about 45 minutes of ball play a day plus about a 40 minute offlead walk daily. But that is a high drive and high energy working line. 18 weeks. We started doing the offlead walks at 11 weeks when I got him and ball play in the long carpeted hallway at that stage.

Well, I was already planning to do ball play. My question was about taking the dog for a walk outside. Inside I have plenty of room to play fetch. I just don't know if there's a right "age" to start walking the pup.

[afirefly]

Generally, you don't to over-expose a pup, (to out-door elements) until they have completed their complete round of shots. I think by 8 weeks you want to start getting use to a collar & leash inside and then a little walking ... increasing it as they seem more comfortable.

I agree with the others, walking and socializing a pup is ideal for bonding. By 12 weeks, a pup is usually ready for extended walking and exercising.

[ladyfreckles]

Originally Posted by afirefly

Generally, you don't to over-expose a pup, (to out-door elements) until they have completed their complete round of shots. I think by 8 weeks you want to start getting use to a collar & leash inside and then a little walking ... increasing it as they seem more comfortable.

I agree with the others, walking and socializing a pup is ideal for bonding. By 12 weeks, a pup is usually ready for extended walking and exercising.

Ah this is what I was looking for. Thank you, that cleared that up for me.

[jocoyn]

Those shots may not be complete until 17 weeks or so. Many folks feel that the risk of not socializing (not talking dog park stuff or boarding or puppy classes, but the whole big world) is greater than the risk of disesase and usually start well before then.

[Emoore]

Originally Posted by jocoyn

Those shots may not be complete until 17 weeks or so. Many folks feel that the risk of not socializing (not talking dog park stuff or boarding or puppy classes, but the whole big world) is greater than the risk of disesase and usually start well before then.

Yeah, there are definitely different viewpoints on this. I exercised Kopper off-leash in fields and woods where dogs don't generally hang out. I took him to Starbucks and Panera and any other outdoor cafe I could find. I didn't walk him in the street much because we tend to get stray and unvaccinated dogs running around in my neighborhood. Of course I didn't take him to Petsmart/Petco or dog parks.

[jocoyn]

Originally Posted by Emoore

Yeah, there are definitely different viewpoints on this. I exercised Kopper off-leash in fields and woods where dogs don't generally hang out. I took him to Starbucks and Panera and any other outdoor cafe I could find. I didn't walk him in the street much because we tend to get stray and unvaccinated dogs running around in my neighborhood. Of course I didn't take him to Petsmart/Petco or dog parks.

That was my approach as well. And even the woods I knew were not frequented by coyotes (maybe some foxes but I have not seen any fox dens and I am all over those woods) .... other than rabies and lepto and tick diseases, I don't think too many diseases they can get cross species.

[RocketDog]

Parvo can live in the soil for up to 10 years, so it IS a risk. However, the risk of an unsocialized and unexercised pup was too much for me. I think after he had his 2nd or third round (I can't remember) I started walking him on a leash, and the off-leash stuff I started I think around 13-14 weeks. Sheesh. Already it's gone by fast!

I also started leash manners from the MOMENT I put his leash on. If he pulled, we stopped. Needless to say, it took an hour to go anywhere, lol. But now, at the ripe age of 22 weeks, he walks beautifully by my side in an almost perfect heel, only time he pulls is if he sees a dog he knows on his side of the street and coming, or if there's horses.

I did about an hour of good exercise in the am, and a couple in the afternoon. He sometimes was hard to tire out, but he was so much better behaved. If you can do the off-leash hiking, it is the BEST.