Hi I love walking and could easily walk for hours and I think so could Bruce, but I keep to the 5 mins per month rule. Who else does ? I’ve read lots on the mater some advise it and some say there is no real proof. I met an old guy on one walk who said he had labs all his life and he had walked all of them for miles and miles as pups and never had a problem, whats everyone’s thoughts on it?.
Hi @leemyka i vote in favour of patience for the first year. I realise it's frustrating but the uncertainty principle speaks in favour of caution. In due course, you can go walkabout with your four-legged companion.
It's annoying, isn't it! But as Michael has said, it's probably better safe than sorry here. You can find more information on puppy exercise in this article.
I try to stick to it as much as possible, but say when we have to go to the shops for example it might take 25 mins when he should only do 20 a day, there's no other choice at the moment though as we haven't left him alone yet, for more than a minute here & there. Also at night we put him on a lead when he needs to do his business but that's literally out, business & back in. My last 2 labs I took over caring for from my brother & they were walked everywhere as puppies but none of us knew any different them. I prefer to err on the side of caution though
This is quite a controversial one, really. As a breeder, I use both Puppy Culture and Avidog breeding and puppy rearing systems, and this is one issue they disagree on - with Avidog recommending far more exercise than PC does. You can read and compare the guidelines for the two systems here: PC: https://www.puppyculture.com/new-exercise-chart.html Avidog: https://www.avidog.com/how-much-exercise-do-puppies-need/?mc_cid=6e93b47736&mc_eid=4658ca11ea So - even the experts are out on this one. I think it is wise to reduce FORCED exercise. Which means any exercise the dog doesn't have a choice in - like walking excessively long, on leash. Or very long off-leash walks where the pup is tired but just feels they have to keep up with you. Try and keep an eye on your pup and when you see signs of tiredness, take a break or call it a day. Also try to minimise CONCUSSIVE activities, like jumping, running hard for long - and also sudden changes of direction, like agility weaves, leaping to catch balls or frisbees... I think the best solution is a bit more complex than just '5 mins per month of age', but it is hard to get the complexity across to most new dog owners.
