Hi, Dexter is 14 weeks old on Saturday and was able to start going out for walks from last Saturday. My husband drove us to one park so that we could do Dexter's first off lead experience on day 1. Dexter was very good but it was quiete with only us there. My question is, we have a park that is about a 5 to 10 minute walk away and a few people and their dogs that Dexter and I have met on our lead walking close to home have said to take him there as there is a group of friendly people and dogs that would welcome us. Is it ok for me to walk Dexter (as I can't drive at the moment for hopefully only another 6 weeks, due to shoulder surgery) that far? The Happy Puppy book says about 5 mins per month of age daily. If I walk Dexter it would take longer as I'm working on him walking nicely on a loose lead outside of the house and garden but also feel that the sooner he gets to interact the better. Do I walk as quick as possible to the park to cut the time down? Is it still then ok for him to have a run around with new friends (if it seems safe to do so)? I need guidance and advice please. I was thinking that I could go on my own and have a look first to access the situation, there are, I've been told, other young pups and older dogs too.
No-one can tell you for sure what is ok, and what isn't ok. The "5 minute per month of age" thing is really just an indication that it's best to moderate exercise for a young puppy. There isn't any science behind it, and it's not possible to say if some dogs will be ok with more or not. And everyone has different interpretations of what it means - some people think it doesn't apply if the dog is on grass, or off lead, or playing. Other people think it's 5 mins per...once a day, others twice a day... I don't think it's meaningful to walk faster to use up less time, I'd be happier for a young pup to sniff slowly along. I personally think the guideline is just an indication - be careful about total exercise a puppy gets, so you probably need to be more concerned with the amount of boisterous play that he had when he gets to the park, rather than a slow 5 - 10 minute walk there and back. Best of luck with your decision making.
Thank you, Julie, that makes sense. I'll go and have a look around on my own first, so that I can see what's there. It's been many years since I've been that way and wouldn't hurt to check it out for myself. I appreciate your reply. Thank you.
Very good idea to go see what the other dogs are like first, for sure. I'm sure he'll love a bit of playtime - just be sensible about how much.
Our park will be the first place Twiglet has a free run (Wednesday next week - hurrah!) So I have been walking her through on the lead to get used to all the sights and sounds - every day. That way the walk to the place where she will be let off will be calm from day one as I will have trained it that way. It worked well with Gypsy - we'll see if it does with this one! We follow the five minute rule for lead walking - so, for Twiglet, it's 20 minutes per day (she's 16 weeks old)
It was quiet in the park this afternoon so I took Dexter in and he enjoyed a little free run with just me. There was an elderly couple with their dog, one of them had a walking trolley, we acknowledged each other from a distance and I made sure Dexter was back on his lead before he saw them. Little chap had fun and didn't go far from me. I will go on my own on Monday morning and take a look at the group and see how many dogs there are. I don't want to overwhelm him or myself. Tomorrow I'll save his walk for when my hubbies home from work so that we can drive to the beach again for a little stroll. It's great to be getting out and about even just up our road, people speak to me now or smile.
Ah good on you for thinking about getting him out and about ,meeting people,experiencing things and very importantly letting him off his lead whilst he's still young enough to want to stay close. It's great to read that owning Dexter Is getting you out and about to places you haven't visited for a while too....Ive met some lovely people through having our Dexter ...some of them have become really good friends x
I would definitely get Dexter out to meet other dogs. For various reasons my last Lab didn't have much early dog contact and I had some problems later with him being aggressive to other dogs in confined spaces. Consequently I went overboard to socialise Molly early with other dogs and its so lovely not to have to worry about meeting other dogs. Molly is my third puppy (4th dog) and I've never kept to this 5minute rule and none have had joint problems, well not till very old age anyway. From about 5 months of age I took Molly out for 3 half hour trips a day. We weren't walking all this time, some of it would be sitting on a bench watching t h e world go by and most of it was off lead so she could go at her own pace. After all some people have huge gardens for their pup to run around in, whereas for us the recreation ground performed that function.
We went for our beach walk around 6pm tonight. Dexter was being really good and had good meetings with other dogs. He was good off lead but then a tiny 6 month old terrier (very confident and boisterous) came up to him but as it started to get very excited, Dexter kept running away to hide, he would try coming to us when called but the other puppy wasn't giving up. Dexter went running to my husband and jumped in his lap. The other puppy then went to another couple of very large dogs and wouldn't leave off the one on the lead, he ended up getting a warning nip I think and his owner wasn't best pleased. Think the little one needs to learn some manners. On the way back, Dexter was very whiny and pulling, not matter what we tried, he was agitated, we took him on the grass and said 'get busy' as thought he may need a wee and we use these words in the garden but he didn't go. Created in the car on the drive home but as soon as we got in and let him in the garden he did a wee, he was busting. He has never done a wee or poop when out. We will have to work on this somehow.
He'll soon wee and poo when out and about, don't worry. Particularly if he is getting to be around other dogs. He'll soon be peeing on other dogs' pee.....
I was told that puppies don't like to wee and poo out and about as a defence mechanism so predators don't know they're about. How true that is I don't know Riley took ages to pee out and about Obi was happy to really early....that may reflect their personalities. If he's not happy just yet maybe a little garden to pee before heading out may be useful. Sounds like you're all doing really well and having fun
Successful walk in the park with other dogs, the chap I saw the other day recognised us and I waved from distance. I kept Dexter on his lead for a while and a a couple of others put there dogs back on lead before they saw Dexter and before Dexter saw them. Dexter was quite happy having a sniff around and not taking much notice as we approached. There were two big dogs and two small, it was one of the small ones that didn't like the other dogs or people paying attention to Dexter, he was eventually put on his lead after several goes at nipping at Dexter, who I must say was allowing the other dogs to greet him and he them by just sniffing. The lady said her little one is a bit persesive of her, not that Dexter was near her by this point. I let Dexter off his lead and he didn't make a bee line to any of the dogs but stayed with us and was happy to sniff about and be sniffed, more hesitant if the dogs wanted to be more boisterous with him but he was getting the hang of it. Was much easier when the lady decided it was time for her to go with her dog. I did offer to leave as I didn't want to be the one to spoil there usual walk but she said no, it was time for her to head home. The chap with the biggest and youngest dog of the group that I'd met the other day said his dog would only want to play but wouldn't let him back off lead yet as he would have been too big and boisterous for Dexter at the moment. If you were to see this dog and burly owner out, it would be easy to misjudge them, they are both actually gentle natured and I think Dexter and Hunter could end up the best of friends, which would be lovely. Dexter even went and had a WEE all by himself. He came back when I called his name and got a nice treat for that. We walked home in the rain, which didn't faze Dexter. What a good boy
That sounds like a lovely visit to the park, and how nice that the man with Hunter the big dog was so thoughtfulness!
He really is a thoughtful man, Karen. He was telling me the other day that Hunter had had three homes before he got him at around 5 months old, all because he's a boisterous large puppy. He had no socialisation skills but since being with this man and getting regular exercise and mixing with other dogs he's come on leaps and bounds. He also was telling me today about the temperaments of all the dogs and the old little that was there would put the bossy little one in his place if he got out of hand and the owner wasn't taking control or not seen the signs. I'm glad Hunter has found an owner prepared to give him the time and direction he needed to be a happy pup.
Another successful play in the park, met another lady with her two dogs who is with the group. Hunter also off lead at times. Dexter and the little one from yesterday had a play together too. It's really great to see dogs of all ages and sizes having fun. Dexter came when called but when it was time for us to go, I went to him as don't want to recall him away from fun, it's far too early for that and I've not got that far into his recall training. At the moment when out I just call his name, at home I'm working with a whistle and will add a word if I need to for close work. Don't want to poison my whistle and word at this stage. He knows some basic commands as is doing well with them. He enjoyed himself again today and is getting more confident. I give him a call every little while and treat him every time he comes back wether I called him or he just came back of his own accord. So far, a great start with the support of some really lovely dogs and there owners. And I'm still able to manage with the use of just one arm at the moment, just shows that he is really a very good puppy and all the early work I've done from day one has been worth it. Thanks to Pippa's books and everyone on this forum, sharing the ups and downs of life with a puppy, most valuable advice ever, thank you all.
