Guest belgian.blue Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 My Belgian pup Ivy (nearly 5 months old) is growing really well, good covering of fat but she needs more muscle around her shoulders and hips. Being in Melb she's be doing a lot more walking up and down hills nearly everyday.Normally she'd be on mainly raw and kibble (Nat Cal 21% protien per 121g of dry and she eats around 1.5/2 cups a day) but at the moment all she gets is dry, easy while on holidays. I was told .. correct me if I'm wrong .. that foods high in protien cause stinky gas. About a month ago she was on puppy RC (and raw) which was around 40% protien and wow her farts were horrid. Enough to make me feel ill. I stopped her on RC right away. Now when she gases on Nat Cal its a sweet normal farty smell. So what is the best way to boost her muscles? She's only really been having good walks while in Melb. Will more walking help her? Maybe jogging? ETA .. I don't feed dry and raw in the same meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 These are questions you should be asking your breeder . Muscle condition comes with age & no way would i even consider jogging her. Be patient she is only a baby & will be one for many more months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 Some dogs don't fully develop (fill out) untill they are at least 2 years of age. Many puppies go through a gangly stage when they are around 5 to 8 months old. Give her time. How often and for how long are you walking her? Asking because doing extra exercise with her wont put any more condition/muscle onto her but could do harm with her growing bones. You could consider swimming as an option. As for food some dry food doesn't agree with some dogs whilst others do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest belgian.blue Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 I don't see it as a problem at all ... just curious. She walks for around 10/12 minutes. Far too much thinking time while away from home She's doing extremely well on the Nat Cal .. her coat is amazing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 Yep, definatley stuff to ask your breeder. Be very careful with the amount of road work you do with a large breed pup, a lot of damage can be caused to young joints. fifi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 Puppies dont' accumulate muscle mass until after the age of 12 months. Be careful that you're not overexercising her.. her long bones are still growing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 she's a baby belgian not a bully breed, let her mature at her own rate. You dont see 4 year old kids but huge hunking muscles its the same for a dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahmadi Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 She is only a baby and I wouldnt be doing much walking with her at all. I am a believer that under 12 months of sge dogs should not have any forced exercise or you will have problems down the track. Just let her grow and play and have fun, and leave the road work until she is at least 12 months old Ian www.saluki.com.au My Belgian pup Ivy (nearly 5 months old) is growing really well, good covering of fat but she needs more muscle around her shoulders and hips. Being in Melb she's be doing a lot more walking up and down hills nearly everyday.Normally she'd be on mainly raw and kibble (Nat Cal 21% protien per 121g of dry and she eats around 1.5/2 cups a day) but at the moment all she gets is dry, easy while on holidays. I was told .. correct me if I'm wrong .. that foods high in protien cause stinky gas. About a month ago she was on puppy RC (and raw) which was around 40% protien and wow her farts were horrid. Enough to make me feel ill. I stopped her on RC right away. Now when she gases on Nat Cal its a sweet normal farty smell. So what is the best way to boost her muscles? She's only really been having good walks while in Melb. Will more walking help her? Maybe jogging? ETA .. I don't feed dry and raw in the same meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 (edited) She is only a baby and I wouldnt be doing much walking with her at all. I am a believer that under 12 months of sge dogs should not have any forced exercise or you will have problems down the track. Just let her grow and play and have fun, and leave the road work until she is at least 12 months oldIan www.saluki.com.au What Ian said but I'd be leaving it even longer for a larger breed. Wait until her growth plates close and that may be up to 18 months or longer. Who says she needs more muscle btw? The best exercise a growing pup can get BB is offlead play. Check and see if there was any soy in her old kibble - that's a very common source of gas. Does she get gas when she eats meat? Edited December 16, 2008 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 It's called the uglies and the ganglies and there's nothing you can do about it. Time is the friend of all maturing puppies and you just have to sit back and give the bloody dog a chance to stop growing up and then they start to fill out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shekhina Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 As everyone else has said, she is much too young to be jogged or worked to build any kind of muscle. The best exercise she can have is playing and having her stop when she wants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 What everyone else said :rolleyes: My Dally is 2 and still looking a bit gangly - he is from late maturing lines and I think another 12 months of filling out should do it Wouldn't have it any other way either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest belgian.blue Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Thanks for all the replies. She gets a walk around the block (less than 10 minutes) in the mornings just so she gets out of the house before I go to work. As I have to leave her indoors. If I don't do that she gets naughty. She also gets free play with my parents Pointer every few days. So I'm now limiting her exercise. Most days she prefers to lay about as its been warm here. This is my first pup I'm raising on my own and I want to do the best for her :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 (edited) Just remember she was bred to run BB.. she'd be lean and have lean muscles, not bulk. Why do you have to leave her indoors? Edited December 16, 2008 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest belgian.blue Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Just remember she was bred to run BB.. she'd be lean and have lean muscles, not bulk.Why do you have to leave her indoors? She cries when left outside for 8 hours a day and the damn neighbours complain. Apparently he's a shift worker. I hope to put in a doggy door when I move to a new place. I don't want them to complain too much and have the local council come around! But I will be moving soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Does she have the run of the house inside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shekhina Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 You could also get her used to being outside on her own for short periods of time so that she gets used to it I had a foster dog who was a right pain in the bum to be left outside on his own, he would cry out and scratch at my back door. It took a little while of lots of short periods of time and reinforcing to him that I was coming back, but he ended up just fine :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest belgian.blue Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Yeah I've been doing that and she's slowly getting the idea of it. As the days go on she is following me less and less. Becoming a lot more indendant. When I leave her outdoors with another dog she wonderful. Its just being left on her own, to which I really can't blame her! I leave toys, bones etc but no thank you .. she wants either human or dog company. I do plan on getting another dog but not till I have my own place. Renting with two dogs :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest belgian.blue Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Does she have the run of the house inside? Yeah except the computer room as she tends to poop in that room only. She's really well behaved 95% of the time. She and the cat amuse each other. If I have that room shut off she won't poop inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 yup sounds like a Belgian .. .put mine in the backyard and she has to let anyone that comes close know she's there (which is annoying for the bloke in the unit next door who has 3m of backyard ) unless I tell her not to so he is happy inside guarding the house, annoying the cat. it must be mandatory to have a cat with all belgians :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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