large breed puppies and walks/runs

[toby's tracy]

Tenderfoot wrote this reply to a post called 'pulling' (see post link below)
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=15977

First of all this large breed puppy does not need to go on walks for many months to come. His bones are growing so fast (please be sure he is on adult food) and his muscles can only support that heavy body for so long before they collapse and then you are grinding bone on bone and creating future damage. 2 - short jaunts a day are far better for him than one long one.

Ask I ask the question, I feel it sounds silly but - how do i know if my dog is a large breed puppy that falls into this category? Or is it all large breed puppies?

Toby is lab/rottweiller mix, though he seems quite 'dainty' compared to labs and rotts we have seen. He doesn't have that same square head and barrel chest. At 4 months he was about 24 pounds - that was almost 2 weeks ago.

Should we also be refraining from long walks?

One of our favourite games is taking Toby to a field before bedtime and having him run from one of us to the other. He loves it (especialy when there are treats and hugs and kisses at the other end!) and it also serves to tire him out for a good night's sleep!

Can we continue doing this? I sure hope so!

[Prin]

It's not as serious for dogs who will grow to be under 60lbs, but it's best to be cautious. You don't want your doggy to end up with arthritis early on in his life. I think as long as you don't overdo it, or if you stay on grass (never on cement), you should be ok. Also, if you are doubtful, you can try feeding large breed food to slow the growing process a bit so the bones don't grow faster than the joints.

[Lissa]

My dog is about a year old now and is approximately 70lbs. I was told that so long as I walked him on softer ground like grass and fields that he would be okay on his 2 hour hikes...he was hiking with me for a few hours a day by the time he was 5 months. But he is not one of the biggest breeds out there so I am not too worried.
If my only option had been to walk my puppy on pavement or gravel, I probably would have limited the walks and concentrated more on "free play" as exercise.

[toby's tracy]

We go for walks around the block, but the runs are always on grass - football field or backyard. He's a very active pup - gets the heebeejeebies once in a while and needs to run!

So, what I am hearing is that as long as his runs are limited to grassy areas, this should be ok?

[Prin]

Grassy areas, but also limit the amount of time. No overexertion.

[toby's tracy]

Originally Posted by Prin

also limit the amount of time. No overexertion.

How long is too long?

[Prin]

I'd say decide by the tongue in the summer. If it's out more than 2 cm (past the bottom teeth), it's time for a break.

[mona_b]

Hmmm,there was something in that quote that bothered me.It was the part that she said"this large puppy doesn't need to go on walks for many months to come"..To me that was a wrong statement.Doesn't matter the size of pup,they all need to go for walks.

I have raised GSD's.At 3 months old they were going for walks.Yes,even on cement.Only reason being is that they don't have grass on sidewalks...LOL...Walking them on cement won't harm them.Just as long at it is not super hot outside.My dogs never had problems with their pads from this.As for the running and playing,the grass is fine for this.

As for the walks,what you can do,(I did this)is you can spread out your walk for now.What I mean is shorten your walks,but go out more often..Hope that made sense...LOL

See the only thing I watched when my dogs were pups is the stairs.GSD's are prone to Pano(Panosteitis).My causins GSD had this when he was a pup.So I made sure mine didn't go up and down the stairs alot when they were pups.

Other then that,I had them on their walks,and they had their running and playing in the school yard.

And I agree,no overexertion....

[Prin]

Originally Posted by Mona_b

Hmmm,there was something in that quote that bothered me.It was the part that she said"this large puppy doesn't need to go on walks for many months to come"..To me that was a wrong statement.Doesn't matter the size of pup,they all need to go for walks.

I was wondering about that too, but I was too cowardly to bring it up... A fat puppy is probably worse for the bones than overexertion once in a while.. After all, he'll have to carry the weight around 24/7...

[mona_b]

Originally Posted by Prin

. A fat puppy is probably worse for the bones

Not just the bones,but the heart too..... :sad:

[tenderfoot]

Hi Mona B - actually I think you repeated exactly what I said - for puppies, a few shorter walks are better than one long one. Of course dogs need exercise but all things in moderation. Too many people think a large breed pup needs to run/walk miles a day - they don't think about the age of the pup or the consequences later in life. Infact many GSD breeders out here are adamant about their clients not over exercising their dogs until they reach 18 mos. I try to get people to equate the months of a dogs age to the years of a child. i.e. a 4 months old pup is like a 4 year old child - would you take a 4 year old child on a 2 mile run? I hope not.
Hi Prin - Puppies should only be fat when they still nursing off of mom. Once they are weaned they should be slim and trim for the remainder of their lives to be healthy. This means feeling the ribs but not seeing them. It's all about calories going in and calories burning off. Simple math. The challenge sometimes comes for people who are trying to make all dogs standard in their caloric needs. A Border Collie might have a very different metabolism than an English Lab. So everyone needs to be aware of their dogs needs and energy output and adjust accordingly. No matter what - diet and exercise should be balanced - a body isn't worth much if it isn't strong enough to get through the day.

[Prin]

Well said.

[toby's tracy]

Wow - thanks for all of the replies.

I am hearing that Toby's 10-15 minutes of hard running in the evening is fine because it is on grass and because we stop it before he is too too tired.

Other than that, he gets a 20-30 minute walk twice/day plus roaming around in the backyard.

At almost 4.5 months...does this sound about right for this 25 pound lab/rott mix?

[tenderfoot]

Your doing great and the best thing of all is that you care to ask. The fact that you are aware of his needs and limitations will make you a better mom.