# exercise how much for a puppy



## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

So plans changed and I am now getting a puppy from geoff and sasha and Konnie and Juice, pick my puppy up in 3 weeks , I am sooo excited, 
so here is a weird question , it has been 9 yrs since i had a pup , I keep getting rescues and they are all adults when i get them , so my exercise program involves me taking my guys out for off leash bush runs that usually last about 2-3 hrs , about 4-5 times a week 
In the summer we do loads of swimming, we go out on the pontoon boat with like 10 dogs go out to a island and dogs swim on and off for the day , ( retriving) so my question is , I know a pup will not be physically able to do this , so how much off leash running can a puppy handle without over doing it , I dont want to over do it as i am sure the pup will want to go go go , 
so if you guys can give me estimation on age and how much off leash running you think would be appropriate, i dont run , the dogs are loose and they can run or walk whatever they want , 
so we are starting at 8 weeks, so like 10 min or so off leash walk ?
besides bite work or obedience work what type of non working exercise do you give your dogs , and how much ,,, I am big on excercise for dogs i think it helps my guys with alot of behaviour problems, i can feel some tension in my house between dogs if they have not got out in a couple days .thanks for advise


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Hi Tammy.... 

I suck at using the search function here, but there are many, many posts on exercising puppies. 

Here is a day in the life of Ash(hole) and although she is 15 weeks, this has been what we have done since she got here at 8 weeks. 

6:30am we get up and she goes outside for a potty break, terrorizes the cats (not really but she wrastles with my huge long hair and the cat likes it), we walk about a half a mile and then we go inside and she gets her breakfast and stays in her crate for about a half hour. 

7:45am....another potty break, some more OB work and then it is inside and she runs around while I finish getting ready for work. 

8:30am...we get to work (she comes with) and she runs around and greats all the staff and then we play tug, and do about a 15 minute session of OB. (used to be 5 minutes) She then goes in her crate until lunch. 

12:30pm...we go outside and walk about around the shop yard where she gets to climb, jump, go over, under and through all kinds of stuff, we stop over at the neighbors (who lives on our business property) and she plays with his lab for a bit, then we do OB work and then we walk another half mile and go back to the office and she goes back in her crate. 

5:00pm.....potty, in the car and back home where she runs around with me while I clean kennels, feed the big dogs and the cats. Go in, she gets her dinner and goes in her crate while I get supper ready. She also gets time in the day run with the Bloodhound as Max loves puppies. Keeps her out of my hair if I need to move something like straw bales and what not as she likes to try and play tug with them and I trip over her. 

Depending on what the weather is like, we go outside and play or we go out to the facility we have and work on bitework, agility and OB. 

So, she does A LOT everyday. I think the big thing is just knowing your puppy. This is what Ash NEEDS to be a tired, happy pup. She is still raring to go and so I have to schedule her rest time for her. I don't want to exhaust her all the time. Some puppies may need more or less, and I am lucky in the fact that I get to take her to work with me. 

Some days, she stays home, and when I do that she is a terror. About 5 minutes on the treadmill and a good long walk helps when I leave her home. 

I make sure that most of her time running around is on soft ground (meaning, not concrete or ashpalt). 

When I have handlers here over the winter, she does get more time inside running on the hard surface, so I limit that to 15 to 20 minute sessions. 

As she gets older I lengthen time and add harder things into her "program". 

Have FUN with your new pup.....


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

I'm with Carol especially ...


Carol Boche said:


> I make sure that most of her time running around is on soft ground (meaning, not concrete or ashpalt).


Another thing is jumping I'd try to limit big jumps especially hurdles (very hard on elbows) until the pup is closer to 14-18 months. Trust me just because they can jump 2m in the air (and they will) from a sit doesn't mean they should. 

They can run and be silly .. chase the cat and squirrels in the back yard but if you need to take your eye off the pup it should be in a *crate*. As Malinois will get in trouble i.e. chew things or antagonize other animals in the house. Especially since you have adult animals in your house you will have to be super mindful of that. Your crate will be your best friend, plus a Malinois will get more tired from mind games like search for the ball, tugging and progressively harder OB keep that in mind.


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## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

ya i know not to jump them , and know to have it in a crate when unsupervised, I have had puppies in the past, lol ,and i am a dog trainer so understand how dogs behave, but just was wondering about the loose running around for walks, no pressure just run if you want walk if you want, whatever, 
I do plan on starting Ob right away , fun stuff, but still work but that is not hard on their body , so that wont matter, I wont be starting any type of agility training till about a yr, besides putting the pup over some easy obstacles for different ground surfaces, and trust games, 
but nothing serious for a while, the dog will be under supervision at all times geoff so dont worry about that, I know my dogs and i know puppies , I GET IT, lol 
for the past couple weeks i have had a freinds ( students ) dalmation puppy coming for sleep overs to get her to understand more dog behaviour , my dogs are teaching her what she can and cannot do to other dogs, she had some dog aggression showing up very young like at 8 weeks so she comes here and on group walks for some socilization skills, it is good too though cuz it is getting my guys used to having a puppy around .


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Geoff Empey said:


> I'm with Carol especially ...
> 
> Another thing is jumping I'd try to limit big jumps especially hurdles (very hard on elbows) until the pup is closer to 14-18 months. Trust me just because they can jump 2m in the air (and they will) from a sit doesn't mean they should.
> 
> They can run and be silly .. chase the cat and squirrels in the back yard but if you need to take your eye off the pup it should be in a *crate*. As Malinois will get in trouble i.e. chew things or antagonize other animals in the house. Especially since you have adult animals in your house you will have to be super mindful of that. Your crate will be your best friend, plus a Malinois will get more tired from mind games like search for the ball, tugging and progressively harder OB keep that in mind.


Absolutely.....Ash does little jumps, like over a flat ladder and other low stuff. She tries to and wants to jump bigger stuff....LOL (that is not allowed)

We also play the mind games....putting a ball under something and letting her figure out how to get it out.....hiding her most favorite toy in the house and she searches for it and things like that. 

And YES, the crate is my best friend.


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

As long as the dog is running on it's own, let it run and build muscle. It will quit when it gets tired enough.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Don Turnipseed said:


> As long as the dog is running on it's own, let it run and build muscle. It will quit when it gets tired enough.


I really need to take lessons from you Don....nicely said. And I agree 110%


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

Tammy St. Louis said:


> besides bite work or obedience work what type of non working exercise do you give your dogs , and how much ,,, I am big on excercise for dogs i think it helps my guys with alot of behaviour problems, i can feel some tension in my house between dogs if they have not got out in a couple days .thanks for advise


Hi Tammy!
I do a lot of explorer walks with my puppies for exercise. I have a new barn, some old barns across the road, fields, woods, access to rubble piles, old state-owned buildings, etc. that are great, multi-purpose "playgrounds" for pups. I just walk, and let the puppy choose his/her own path through. They can run, walk, climb, jump, etc. all at their own pace. It's great for mental stimulation and physical exercise. The pup's behavior usually tells me when they are tired (some pups don't slow down, they just get cranky!) I try to steer clear of any repetitive exercise with my dogs/pups, although I do use a treadmill for adults when the weather is bad. I don't put pups on a treadmill, but a couple of minutes won't hurt anything.

I also would prefer my pup to be in a small run (with a natural substrate instead of concrete) vs. a crate, although I use crates too, especially at night (don't trust the coyotes!). That's just a personal preference, and I don't think it's necessarily bad or good to do it any other way. 

For my adult dogs, their training/work is their exercise (they get worked pretty much every day), although I take at least one of them with me wherever we go, including hikes in the woods.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

Don Turnipseed said:


> As long as the dog is running on it's own, let it run and build muscle. It will quit when it gets tired enough.


And God forbid a puppy hop. If I break a puppy doing things a body should be able to do...I think that tells me a lot about the breeding quality of said puppy. I mean do not work em' to death. But a young dog should be able handle a 1 meter jump. or getting in and out of a pick up. I see people lifing thier dogs up, and all this crazy shit...then when the dog is older, Then they wonder why they are not atheletic. I more on the side, if you want to do something special, if you have to take some risk. They guy who never goes and talks to the pretty girl at the bar, ends up masturbating.


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

Here is an email I received also yesterday on a male pup that just turned 5 mo on Mar 1st. The guy that bought the dog has been a hog guide for 30 years. This is exercise that could be detrimental to a pups health.

"My daughter went for a hike yesterday evening up behind our house. I told her to take the dogs just incase of a lion, a little while later I heard our female airdale baying up in the canyon so I strapped on my pistol and road the quad up the hill and found my daughter standing down off the side hill in the brush watching the female airedale and Duke working over a 150 lb boar across the canyon. Guess I need to keep a short leash on the little shit for a while until he grows up some more, or keep him and Barb, the female away from each other so they don't take off hunting pigs whenever they wish! He is a great dog and has not spent one day away from me since I bought him from you. Hope all is well with you and your pack. "


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Yeah but Don hawgs don't do hurdles


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

Geoff Empey said:


> Yeah but Don hawgs don't do hurdles


Your right, they don't, they just go through them. LOL I do know a 5 mo old pup is not coordinated enough to be trying his hand with hogs.


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