exercise - 8 month old working cocker

[SkyeSue]

For all  those of you who have, or have had puppies around 8 months....how much exercise 

Chloe gets about 40 minutes a day off lead...charging about  and about 10 minutes loose lead training. Not sure if this enough or too much, although she does look good 

What do you guys do or did?

[KatieJean]

Everyone (our breeder included) seems to advise 5 mins for every month but that can be more than once a day.

[SkyeSue]

Everyone (our breeder included) seems to advise 5 mins for every month but that can be more than once a day.

Yep, that's what I've heard too. But a full-on mad chase around the fields for half an hour (loads of ball throwing and retrieving included) is different to a gentle lead walk. Just wondered what other folk do.

[Oliver21508]

Ollie's 7 months and he get two walks a day, about 30 minutes each. Even when on long line, he doesn't run around madly, he's quite quiet and just sniffs everywhere. Is this a problem? Would I need to exercise more because he doesn't let his energy off?

[Helen]

at 8 months we were doing 2 x 40 minute walks a day, 1st thing in the a.m and later in the afternoon, and around 20 mins in the garden at lunch time mostly playing/hiding things for him to find/retrieving and just having fun really (which meant I could have 3 hours after lunch to fit in some work while he dozed...)

His morning walk was a 'social', 90 percent off lead and lots of other dogs to meet - on the afternoon walk we timed it well and had the run of the water meadows to ourselves so could whistle train, lead train, recall etc and do some gun dog training.

In the evening I would do about 10 mins clicker training too to wear his little brain out...  

that suited him well, one walk a day at that age didn't take him right through the day - but each dog is different  

[Karma]

Everyone (our breeder included) seems to advise 5 mins for every month but that can be more than once a day.

Yep, that's what I've heard too. But a full-on mad chase around the fields for half an hour (loads of ball throwing and retrieving included) is different to a gentle lead walk. Just wondered what other folk do.

Suprisingly, it's actually the "gentle lead walk" which is more potentially harmful than the racing around on soft ground!  Obviously, you shouldn't overdo either, but it doesn't sound like you are!  The 5 minutes per month rule is based around on-lead walking, which puts far more strain on young joints.  I think at 8 months Honey was on 2 40-45 minute walks a day - 10 mins on lead and the rest racing around like a loon!!! 

[Beth]

By 8 months Jarvis was already displaying his slightly nutty tendencies and the 5 minutes a month pretty much went out the window he'd get a 10 minute onlead walk to the forest then go offlead for about an hour then 10 minutes onlead home. He'd then have another offlead walk later on a local field for around 30-40 minutes. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but i take the guides as just that, guidelines, not strict rules. I would probably give her a little more running time, as long as you're not doing long hikes with her i wouldn't think you'd do much damage.

[SkyeSue]

Thanks for your replies...its really interesting to hear what other folk do! And reassuring   Two or three days a week, Chloe gets longer walks...one of the forestry tracks we go on with her lab pal, we've been out on for well over an hour, but when her pals with her she doesnt seem to charge around so much. Anyway, as I say, she's looking good, so hopefully I'm getting it right. Oh, I also do 10 minutes clicker training with her each evening, when she's in the mood...sometimes she just slopes off, so I gather she aint in the mood for training  

[Han]

By 8 months Jarvis was already displaying his slightly nutty tendencies and the 5 minutes a month pretty much went out the window he'd get a 10 minute onlead walk to the forest then go offlead for about an hour then 10 minutes onlead home. He'd then have another offlead walk later on a local field for around 30-40 minutes. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but i take the guides as just that, guidelines, not strict rules. I would probably give her a little more running time, as long as you're not doing long hikes with her i wouldn't think you'd do much damage.

I agree with this. According to the guidelines Darcey should only get 25 minute walks. Well after 25 minutes she is only just getting going and looks at you as if to say "what do you mean we're stopping now". She then tears madly round the house and garden for half an hour. A slightly longer walk tires her out so she doesn't race about when she gets home. We always walk her on soft ground (mostly offlead) and pavement walking is kept to a minimum anyway. If she does get a pavement walk it's limited to 25 minutes (and she is a nightmare all evening....).

I think like anything it's a matter of common sense. She doesn't get huge long walks every day but gets a good one every weekend. It seems to be working for us.

[supergirl]

Roly's 8 months, and gets approximately 1 1/2 hours a day.  We tend to do a long walk in the morning (then they have a sleep) and then about half and hour at lunchtime (usually its more).  Both times off lead.  As I have Misha as well, they both race around together which tires them out along with endless ball throws for them to retrieve.  Usually when Roly's had enough I found that he would walk quite closely to me just sniffing about - but thats not happening so much now.  I've just started agility training with Misha on a Sunday, so she just gets one walk on Sunday now.

[Angels of Fur]

hiya,

Well my lot - now 10 months, and 9 half months, get the usual 45 min walk on the evenings, sometimes a 15-20 min walk before work.
Depending on whho's home early or what set of parents are over, they will also get a off lead run about 30-45mins, It just depends on what we are up to and the time we have, they always get walked everday. If we cant get out for long walks they will get alot more in house clicker or obedience training to make them tired.

Some weekends they get  between 5 and 9 miles walking, combined on and off lead. Satursday walk was for 9miles, should have been 7 but last 2 bwe got lost, hahaha!!