Too much walking?
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I've been walking a lot with my puppy rogue. We go on half hour to 1 hour walks daily. She's 15 weeks old today. She really seems to like getting out and moving around, and she's much better behaved when I walk her. We don't go very fast at all, and her paws look fine to me. What do you guys think?
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@roguecoyote - That is not too much walking.... keep up the good job!
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Ultimately you have to let your puppy tell you. If you think she's fine then it's likely she is. Good to check out the paws. We had one puppy who so loved to walk he'd want to keep going even after this paws were rubbed raw.
At her age nothing beats exploring the world!
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@roguecoyote I take mine (from about 8 months) on half hour walks 3-4 times a day in the summer. If it's hot I take bottled water and a bowl for a water break. By observing the dog you can get a good indication. They start by being super curious and energetic, while wanting to trot along fast. Then after a mile or two they will be much more laid back and walk more at my pace. A good tell is if they come back, sprawl out and take a nap.
Walking is so important to dogs, both physically and mentally.
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My neighbor takes my B for 1 and a half hour walks twice a week. Only dog who can go the distance. He also does 1 hour dog park on nice days and 30 minutes walks every MWF. She calls him a little athlete!
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@roguecoyote Rogue should be walking longer distances now but there is a difference - and a reason why I set a time limit rather than a distance limit for Kito, as I did for Mku. They run free and if I do a mile, Mku would definitely do four and Kito, as the moment, probably two.
I think you have it about right for on-the-lead walking. But you are not restricting her walking for the souls of her feet (excuse the deliberate spelling error !) but for the development of leg muscles. You don't want to strain them before they are ready. Dogs running free go at their own pace and it is easier on them.
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In the UK we are advised to only allow 5 mins per day per month of life until the puppy is fully grown at around a year and while joints are still developing, so a 3 month old would need 15 mins per day.
Although I don't know many people who have followed this and as others have said depends on the type of exercise and whether they are going at their own pace and stopping for breaks
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@jkent I have certainly never even heard that advice and would not have taken it if I had. It depends on the conditions underfoot, the breed, the size of the puppy (some breeds have very large ones !), off leash or regimented walking, stopping to admire the view / watch the puppy socialise with dogs he/she meets.
SO many things to take into consideration. I wouldn't pay much attention to generic advice from the KC. Our breed is 'different' !
