Hi Can anyone recommend the best age to start taking my dog wild camping in Scotland? He is just 8 weeks old just now and know I can't take him out before his 2nd vaccinations and tick and flea treatments and that I cant over-exercise him just now. I am working on training him just now so that when we go he will follow the basic commands. I am hoping to do it when he is around 6 months. Thanks Darren
Re: Wild camping with my dog I'll be interested to see what people say. I might want to do some running with my pup but I know I should wait until somewhere between 12 and 18 months to protect her bones. I suppose, for you, it might come down to how much walking your pup would have to do every day without it being harmful. I think I have read that it should be 5 minutes for every month of the pup's age. so, at 6 months that would be 30 mins a day. You'll get some more precise advice from a more experienced person shortly. ???
Re: Wild camping with my dog Camping??? ha ha ha.....no advice from me. Needs a luxury en suite to entice me. Where is your home base Darren?
Re: Wild camping with my dog Darren, that sounds fantastic. I can't advise - too new at this myself!- but I'll be watching this thread. Whereabouts in Scotland are you thinking of going?
Re: Wild camping with my dog We took Poppy on holiday with us at 5 months and again at 7 months, but we weren't camping. We certainly exercised her more than the suggested 5 minutes per month guideline. As long as you're not planning any long hikes, it should be fine by around 6 months - although we took a portable crate with us each time. That might be worth thinking about
Re: Wild camping with my dog Hi Everyone Thanks very much for all the replies. I live in Edinburgh but usually go camping and kayaking all over Scotland which is one of the reasons I got a labrador. Find my puppy very energetic already and he runs around the garden for longer than the guideline. Think I will go for it at 6/7 months and just do short treks and I know they can only carry 10% of his body weight now and up to 35% of his body weight when fully grown. Will stick to short hikes and wild camping until he is older.
Re: Wild camping with my dog Hi Darren , sounds really good, but running round the garden doesnt count at all as its a soft surface area , all my pups have had masses of garden play from quite a young age, have fun
Re: Wild camping with my dog Thanks Kate thats good to know as was worried he was getting too much! We will mostly be on grass when hiking and camping so that should be easier for him
Re: Wild camping with my dog I was worried about my puppy exercising too much (he runs round our big garden leaping through flowerbeds for about two hours every day!) but I think it is only 'on-lead' that is an issue. As long as he is free to rest when he wants then he won't be doing himself any harm. It is only when we're 'making' him exercise (either on a lead or by winding him up) that there might be an issue. So let your little boy enjoy himself to his heart's content! Rosie (and Pongo the puppy) - ex-Scot living in Wales
Re: Wild camping with my dog It is really tricky to interpret this "5 minute guideline" thing - it's such an informal guideline, with no guidance! I've always wondered, for example, why it would make any difference if a dog ran around in a circle in a garden because he wanted to do so (puppies not being known to be sensible or knowing when enough is enough), or he was encouraged to do so by an owner. And I've always been a bit dubious about the on-lead/off-lead, hard surface/soft surface thing. I can see why jumping on hard surfaces is bad, but not walking. I can see why on lead might "force the pace" a bit, but in which case it's forcing the pace, not being on lead, that's the problem (and the pace can be forced off lead too). Anyway, it seems to me that moderation in overall exercise is the main message! Very best of luck with it all.
Re: Wild camping with my dog We haven't braved camping with Mira yet! Last summer we curtailed our hillwalking activities as Mira was just too young to cope with long hikes, but we were able to take her on short walks where tracks weren't too rough and bouldery. That can be the problem with a lot of hillwalking - you have to do a fair bit of that before you get to the grassy, heathery hillside, so you just need to choose your walks carefully when he is young. Mira is coming up for 16 months now and we are starting on smaller hills, but hopefully she can bag one of our local Munros this summer
