How long or far to walk a lively 5 month old pup?????

[subeeloo]

.........everyone seems to have different ideas about it! We do around 2-3 walks per day, 30-50mins around our local park, depending on weather or what time we have, and the occasional walk around our local lake which takes around an hour. He loves it, and you can see he does by his face, you just know he's smiling :!:  I did think his paw pads looked a bit rough, but I was told that they were 'normal', not that I know what 'normal' is  :roll:   Just read on here that it should be 5mins. per month.... :?  What do any of you reckon :?:  Me personally thinks that it depends on what type of personality the cocker has and what energy YOU have :!:                    

[PennyB]

I think while they suggest short walks play is fine which is how I got rid of my 2's energy. Where I live you'd just walk to the bottom of the road on to the park and there were always other dogs around so I used to stand there and let them play then take them home                    

[lizzy]

That's what I do with mine. We walk up the lane , by a river and into a field, where they just play and run about. We see lots of other dogs, too.

I think 50 mins a day might be a little overdoing it at 5 months, they are still developing their bones, so it needs to be nice and easy till they are at least 12 months, really.

Like Penny said a good play in the park with other dogs will suffice at the moment.

Lizzy Molly and Evie                    

[dsmandspanna]

hi there subeelou,,,

love your avatar...is this your pup??gorgeeeoossooo

i was taking spanna out 2/3 times a day for as much as an 45 mins each time.......because until i did that she was going mad with boredom....

then i read the 5 mins/per month post on here....and have reduced to 2 walks of 30 mins each..........

she has already started to gain weight....which is great ..(.see my post on "underweight" in health)

so maybe this is the reason for the rule.......and i guess not to strain their hips...... :?:

i have to put even more effort into the games we play in house.....

but weve been learning   search, and retrieve type things     and spannish !!!!......she's better than me.........very vocal

luv dawn and spanna                      

[Katina]

My three month old walks 45mins/day (at least   )..                    

[Jane S]

Me personally thinks that it depends on what type of personality the cocker has and what energy YOU have :!:

Well no, not really :wink: The reason advice is given to limit puppies' exercise is because damage can be done to bones & ligaments if pups are overwalked before they are mature enough to cope. I would say 50 mins exercise 3 times a day is overdoing it a bit for a 5 month old - you can tire a pup just as well by playing games & doing training exercises in the garden but that's just my view :wink:

Jane                    

[JoHarborne]

Woody is three months and we tend to take him to the park by car and then walk for around 20 mins or so.  Then we sit with him and let him watch the world go by - experience sights and sounds - and play with any dog that passes.  If he has a long session on one day, we tend to do a bit less the next.  I do worry that we're doing too much but it's hard because like yours, he seems to really enjoy himself.                    

[*-Nikki-*]

Subeeloo, I would agree with Jane :wink: ; you have to remember they are just like babies - you cannot afford to over walk/exercise. As their bones are not fully developed, and if you over do the exercise when young, they is a chance that they may face problems in their later life.
Also have you thought about maybe just allowing your boy free exercise in your garden  - that way it’s not force exercise. You would then maybe find that he will find the right amount of exercise that suits him (for his age). You can still play games to stimulate him like throwing a ball etc :wink: .
HTH                    

[lizzy]

I was discussing this topic the other day with a friend of mine.

She has a border collie who is 12, she said that she walked him plenty from being tiny as this is what she thought was right him being a border collie, but now he is very stiff and has bad legs, it's a real shame, I don't know if there is a connection but it's something to bear in mind! :wink:

Lizzy Molly and Evie                    

[bluesmum]

Bailey who is 14 weeks old has free access to the garden all day and a 15 minute walk in the morning and 15 minutes off lead play on a field in the evening                      

[Sheila]

I agree that they seem to relish the walks.

I had been very good and then today met the lady who looks after Goldie when we are away from home. We got chatting, the dogs were having great fun and we ended up walking for 45 mins :shock:
Lucy had already taken Lottie out for ten minutes this morning.

I now realise that I have to be much more careful and restrict the walks a bit.

I wont take her far tomorrow to give her a more quiet day.

My breeder had said to keep her walks down to short ones for a few months, because she is little otherwise she might get a bit skinny and long legged.

So having read this, I'm going to be more sensible                    

[dsmandspanna]

hi there,,,

interesting...sheila.......about long skinny legs....and over walking....this explains   why spanna looks like  she does.....that and the fact she part giraffe  :shock:

actually...i dont think she's full cocker.....i got her from  a local pet shop...so i doubt very much she's kosher..........but i wouldnt swap her for the cruffs grand champion

luv dawn and spanna.....                      

[subeeloo]

.........hi everyone, thanks for all of your comments. I have taken them on board. The reason for this post is that me and my husband tend to disagree with the length of time he goes out. He took him out at 7.20pm and they are still not back! Maybe he has got chatting to one of Sammy's friends Mummy's or Daddy's, he has a great friend in a bisjon frise, they chase each other all over the playing field, we have to pull them apart when it's time to go. Anyway, my other arf seems to think that the walks will do him good and not the opposite, where as i am a bit cautious, as I'm sure alot of you who have read my posts have begun to realise that  :roll:  :!: My hubs works away offshore for 2-3 weeks at a time, so when he's not here, I tend to only walk him for 20-30 mins a day. It was like this when we had the kids, I said no to sugary stuff etc, & him and his parents said it won't harm them  :x ....thankfully their teeth are ok, but it seems there is always too many cooks etc. in this family.... :x ...Anyway, thanks again for your comments and after the weekend he will be back to a more leisurely way of life  :wink: p.s they have just returned :roll: thanks dsmandspanna, yep that's our baby... :wink: