Author Topic: Can you over walk a spaniel?  (Read 2579 times)

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Offline BentleyT

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Can you over walk a spaniel?
« on: September 17, 2018, 11:12:46 PM »
Hi, we have just been up Great Gable in the lakes and it was the dogs first big walk.
We did 9 miles and it's 800 meters of elevation. Bentley did not stop for 5 hours and probably covered more than 40 miles. He is now 21 months old and is walked every day for 10 min lead and 30 min off. We have done other long walks and he swims upstream regularly. Not gradients like this though.
I thought that he would be fine in the lakes, and was back to normal the next day EXCEPT for jumping. He loves jumping for his tug toy and gets to about 5ft, but now he only makes a half hearted attempt and then stops and quietly sits down. No wimpering or limping and he flies round the field as normal.
The walk was 5 days ago and i can only think it is due to that but find it quite surprising. Love to hear your thoughts!

Offline Emilyoliver

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2018, 11:20:23 PM »
He?s probably stiff. If his normal exercise is 40 mins a day, 5 hours all of a sudden is too much.  Add in the gradient and it would definitely be too much. It?s about being sensible. You wouldn?t attempt a marathon if your usual exercise consisted of a stroll to the local shop once a day.
Michelle, Emily and Ollie

Offline BentleyT

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2018, 12:33:41 AM »
Thanks. I see what you're saying but it does surprise me. I've been fine and it's a big walk by my standards. Granted i didnt do 40 miles but I thought a fit cocker would take it in his stride and be back to normal almost instantly.

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2018, 06:39:12 AM »
To be honest, I think its more likely to be the jumping than the walking, could be he?s  just strained a muscle. I know its common for dogs to jump for frisbees and balls etc but I tend to think it must put a strain on joints etc if they do it too much, maybe discourage it for a couple of days anyway and then see how he goes.
I agree though that a 9 mile walk, even with elevation and racing back and forth isn?t excessive, we?ve often done that and more with Humphrey and he?s been fine.
Hope he?s back to his old self soon!   :D

Offline BentleyT

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2018, 11:59:49 AM »
Yes, perhaps the long walk just weakend it a bit so next time he's jumped it's pulled something. I'll limit his running and jumping over the next couple of days.

Offline Patp

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2018, 02:37:53 PM »
And also just to add, I am yet to find a cocker that walks in a straight line (unless on a lead), so your 9 mile could, with zig zags and off route exploration, could add another 3 or 4 miles on!



Offline lescef

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2018, 06:03:32 PM »
A BIG mountain is Great Gable!!
 We walk as often as we can in the Lakes, recently doing Grisedsle tarn. Apart from the fact they cover more miles than us,  I think they probably do more jumping up rocks etc than we think. So maybe rest the jumping.
They would be ready to do the same again the next day ( but we're not!)
There is also the problem that if they get used to that amount of exercise they will want it every day!
Love the Lakes,!
Lesley, Maddie and Bramble

Offline Ambler54

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2018, 06:37:38 PM »
We have a motorhome and love walking so have weekends/ weeks away walking Rosie is great, somewhere new She is pulling on Her lead or if off lead running around like a lunatic but We have found We can do one big walking day and the next has to be gentler.Can still do a fair few miles but on lead and under control with definate periods of stop.When we get home from a week away the first few days are definately slow days more a mooch around rather than a walk.Spaniels were bred as beaters so moments of madness then rest so a long long walk isnt really natural for them.But Rosie loves it, the first big walk in a new place sends Her tail into turbo wag..

Offline pibbo1968

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2018, 10:12:16 AM »
Ah Great Gable my favourite Lakeland fell :shades:
Maybe it was just a shock to his system or as said possibly a strain?I don't know which way you ascended/descended but the terrain is quite rocky!We usually climb Sour Milk Ghyll then return Via Styhead Tarn..very demanding even for four little legs.Hopefully he'll be back to his usual self soon :shades:
We were in the lakes in February when Jura was 5 months old and did a circular loop of Latrigg.He was on his lead 95% of the time and we had a few rests.Luckily it was warm enough to sit on the summit and take in the views and we had 20 mins at the rather nice little Cafe/van(Bean on the Fells) that parks in the car park between Latrigg and Skiddaw so he had plenty of rests but we could see he was tired when we got back to our cottage!
He'll be 17 months old when we're next in the Lakes and we too had planned to do Great Gable or possibly Skiddaw :shades:

BTW did you notice just how many Cocker Spaniels there seems to be in the Lakes?We stay in Keswick and it was like a CS meet up :lol2:

Offline lescef

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #9 on: September 19, 2018, 02:50:45 PM »
Ah Great Gable my favourite Lakeland fell :shades:
Maybe it was just a shock to his system or as said possibly a strain?I don't know which way you ascended/descended but the terrain is quite rocky!We usually climb Sour Milk Ghyll then return Via Styhead Tarn..very demanding even for four little legs.Hopefully he'll be back to his usual self soon :shades:
We were in the lakes in February when Jura was 5 months old and did a circular loop of Latrigg.He was on his lead 95% of the time and we had a few rests.Luckily it was warm enough to sit on the summit and take in the views and we had 20 mins at the rather nice little Cafe/van(Bean on the Fells) that parks in the car park between Latrigg and Skiddaw so he had plenty of rests but we could see he was tired when we got back to our cottage!
He'll be 17 months old when we're next in the Lakes and we too had planned to do Great Gable or possibly Skiddaw :shades:

BTW did you notice just how many Cocker Spaniels there seems to be in the Lakes?We stay in Keswick and it was like a CS meet up :lol2:

Ha! When we did Great Gable we ended up screeing down ( I know tut tut) otherwise we would have been in the wrong valley! ( no dogs at this time)
We did meet a lot of c?ckers in Keswick too. We don't see so many in other places. In  Bowness the foreign tourists stare at them as they've never seen such ears before! In fact they have offered to buy them  :005:
Lesley, Maddie and Bramble

Offline pibbo1968

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2018, 09:23:38 PM »
Ha! When we did Great Gable we ended up screeing down ( I know tut tut) otherwise we would have been in the wrong valley! ( no dogs at this time)
We did meet a lot of c?ckers in Keswick too. We don't see so many in other places. In  Bowness the foreign tourists stare at them as they've never seen such ears before! In fact they have offered to buy them  :005:
We had this on Latrigg but not from Foreign Tourists!
We met an older couple on the way up(I'm 50 and they were older than me but I don't want to label anyone) and they really took an interest in Jura.Whilst chatting they told us they'd just lost their old boy at 15 and Jura was born the day theirs had passed and he was it's double :016: They asked us there and then if we'd sell him to them  :huh: We declined and carried on to the summit.As we were sat having lunch they caught us up and again came over to fuss Jura.In no way were they pushy or weird but the chap again said "we'd really love to buy him as we believe it's fate" again we declined and went our separate ways.
It wasn't until my wife and I were chatting later that evening that it dawned on us that this poor old couple had lost their little Blue Roan at 15 years old on the same day Jura was born and they were still grieving :'(
On reflection should we have spent a little bit more time with them?I'm not sure but it makes you realise just how important these little bundles of joy are :luv:

Offline BentleyT

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2018, 09:33:22 PM »
We went a bit wrong in that we went the other way and came down sourmilk... not great as my dad is now 72 and going up that way would have been better for him! I'll test his jumping at the weekend. We'll be back in the lakes soon, Bentley really suited it. So much so we might buy a caravan for these excursions!

Offline pibbo1968

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2018, 10:12:20 PM »
We went a bit wrong in that we went the other way and came down sourmilk... not great as my dad is now 72 and going up that way would have been better for him! I'll test his jumping at the weekend. We'll be back in the lakes soon, Bentley really suited it. So much so we might buy a caravan for these excursions!
Hey!There's no right and wrong way up The Gable :shades:  I've ascended/descended every which way but...over the years and it's still the same beautiful big lump which ever way you choose  :shades:
Kudos to your dad at 72...I hope I'm still fit enough/Compos Mentis to get up there when I'm his Vintage :shades:

Offline Gazrob

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Re: Can you over walk a spaniel?
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2018, 09:08:56 AM »
Hi it's sounds that he's just stiff from that very long walk. Also 30 minutes off lead a day doesn't sound enough to me. My spaniel gets around 2 hours off lead everyday and this barely slows him down. Increase his daily walks time and he will get used to longer walks easier.