How Much Do You Exercise Your Bc Pup?

[BC Crazy]

Interesting discussion. I appreciate your experience with the breed (somewhat - i am uncertain exactly what that is but you obviously have knowledge behind you); but by the same token I think you are absolutely wrong in stating categorically that a trained professional is absolutely wrong. This is someone who has had years and years of research, training and experience in animal health. Sure, its your prerogative to disagree with any opinion and justify why, but its not fair to state outright that she is wrong. I believe any vet should be fronted more respect than that. I mean no offence or disrespect - I am entirely grateful for your opinion. We are all products of our experiences, inclusive of studies and observations over time and obviously my vet has not seen detriment come from vigorous (but careful) exercising of pups. Obviously you have.

I believe there is a lot of misinformation at the moment, in that; if you have a problem with your dog - the remedy is supposedly exercise, exercise, exercise - and physical exercise at that. There's very little (if any) mention of mental exercise, from the sources of information I use anyway.

Anyway i'll see how he goes with these changes and will report back of course; I think its certainly going to see him much more settled through the night.

Well, if it helps any, my vet would say that your vet is absolutely wrong in prescribing gaiting beside a bike as good exercise for such a young pup. That goes double if the bike and dog are on hard surfaces.

Gaiting a dog with growing bones and joints is the fastest recipe for exercise induced OCD that I can think of... and I've seen a Border Collie that's had precisely that issue.

If you wouldn't expect a GP to know everything there is to know about fitness conditioning and training of young athletes, I wonder why you'd expect it of a small animal vet.

Free exercise means offlead exercise - walks etc.

Personally I think ball or frisbee for such young dog needs to be undertaken in moderation also. Slamming stops and landings after leaping can cause damage if done to excess.

Play with your dog offlead, find places where he can swim or walk offlead and exercise his brain as much or more than his body. :) And just as importantly, teach him that he can learn to live with a bit of boredom. Its all part of teaching a dog self control, and they all have to learn it.

Totally agree & very well said Haredown Whippets. There is a guy is our local area that has 2 BC's & from a very young age I used to see him running on the roadside with these 2 poor pups on leashes beside him.

Now at about 18 months of age both of these dogs have exercise induced OCD I did suggest to him one day early in the peace that he maybe shouldn't be doing this with ones so young as it is not good for their joint

but he wouldn't have a bar of it. Now both of these poor dogs have injured leg joints & are quite nutty to be honest. They have no 'off button' & it's just such a bloody shame

Edited July 21, 2012 by BC Crazy

[BCNut]

Thanks again for all the discussion. I appreciate all the input and experience being put down on these pages.

I'll certainly be having this discussion again with the vet when i see her again.

As far as Calvin goes, I've cut forced exercise completely and focusing on keeping him entertained during the day. Working on new tricks, trotting around the paddock (with me holding his tug - and him attached to the other end :laugh: ), throwing the ball/frisbee only a few times per session. When he wants to snooze, I let him.

I can see now how the 2 lots of vigorous exercise would've created a nocturnal dog - he was sleeping all day to recover from his morning exercise, then having exercise again in the evening and sleeping on his bed in the lounge while I went about dinner etc - so by the time I was ready to put him outside in his kennel; he would be primed for more action.

Just keeping his mind ticking over during the day seems to be yielding similar results to what has been happening previously - he is still obviously up and about at some stage during the night, because his toys have moved. He had a little barking session after lights out on both of the first 2 nights, but the 3rd night no barking. I imagine he will be a bit confused by the adjustments to his daily routine for a while then hopefully settle.

But its great to see he is at least just as relaxed from doing this as opposed to all that exercise - and there is no risk to his health this way. Jointguard has been shelved of course. Thanks again for all the advice everyone, really appreciated!

[persephone]

But its great to see he is at least just as relaxed from doing this as opposed to all that exercise

:)

[BC Crazy]

But its great to see he is at least just as relaxed from doing this as opposed to all that exercise

:)

:D +1

[Starkehre]

But its great to see he is at least just as relaxed from doing this as opposed to all that exercise

:)

:D +1

+ 2

Well done cd01. :)

[piper]

Pleased to hear the changes are working out for you and much safer for your little man's long term health. :)

[Decadence]

My two border collie pups keep each other busy with rough-housing and running in and out through the doggy doors. Then they will come up to us and pant all over us as we are lazing on the couch.

I keep them occupied with chews, toys, kongs, pigs ears, frozen treats, etc. They are only just 12 weeks so no walks as yet. But we have had plenty of leash practice and training sessions. They are so super smart that they have already learnt a lot of words and commands.

At night they are kept in their 2 metre square puppy pen in the loungeroom, where they sleep all night. I give them a few chewy treats and they put themselves to bed when they are tired enough. They sleep all through the night.

[BCNut]

Yeah i'd love to get a little girlfriend for Calvin to keep him busy all the time - but going to wait until he is all grown up and (somewhat) matured hopefully :)

I imagine having 2 pups of the same age would be challenging...

[BC Crazy]

I have a 2 year age difference with my 2 BC's & I am so glad I waited until Sonny matured before I brought Stella home. Certainly don't think I could have managed otherwise. I am exhausted by 9 pm most nights as it is LOL

[Decadence]

My guys are just so good and well-behaved that I'm not finding it difficult at all with two, but the opposite really. I think I was really fortunate to get a really laid-back boy and the girl is just the sweetest, gentlest bc you could meet. It's really funny at puppy pre-school. There are two other bc puppies there and our they are totally hyperactive, running around like crazy furballs. Whereas my two will sniff them, but then go up to the humans to smooch. They are, at this stage anyway, a lot more into getting pats and treats from people than playing with the other pups. At home they will play with each other and love playing fetch and tug-o-war with us; all in all they are just really good dogs.

I've always had two puppies growing up together. In the past it was a bc and a kelpie. Maybe I am just a sucker for punishment

[Guest Clover]

Thats great that Calvin has settled into his new routine, good work :).

My 10 month old pup gets off lead walks so she picks her own pace and training sessions. It would be rare that she gets onlead walks and never very long if she does. I guess being involved in dog sports i am paranoid about joint issues from over exercising young pups and dogs so am very wary.

[Podengo]

I sometimes worry that Elsie is getting too much exercise, she is a 9 month old BC x JRT.

Monday AM we go to the park where she plays off-lead for about half an hour

Monday PM we walk to agility club (half hour walk, I don't drive) and she plays off-lead for awhile, then we work on obedience stuff, and sometimes some puppy jump bumps, ladder work, wobble boards etc. then get a ride home

Tuesday we walk half an hour to my friend's house (about half of that is off-lead walking) so I can walk her puppy, and jog with her older dog (Elsie is crated during this), then we walk home the same route.

Wednesday is same as Monday

Thursday is same as Tuesday

Friday we either go with a friend for a forest walk for a few hours, or go to the park and she plays off-lead for an hour or so

Saturday is much the same as Friday

Sunday we have obedience class, then go for a forest walk.

If she needs to get her nails done, or we need to get food for her we walk to the vets (about half hour) and play in all of the parks along the way and on the way back... Since I walk everywhere I like to take Elsie with me, I hope I'm not doing any damage to her, but I would feel so awful leaving her at home and catching the bus places instead... It's just so nice to amble along on a sunny winter morning to places with her!

All up she gets around

1.5hrs on-lead walking a week

1.5hrs training

5hrs off-lead doing what she wants

Plus we do a bit of training at home, and she plays tug/fetch most evenings in the house with my partner and flatmates.

[BC Crazy]

DiscoDobe, thanks for letting me know where I can get one of those lovely leather collars for my girl. Will look into them but am not a member of face book. See how I go.

I don't think that amount of exercise for Elsie sounds excessive. I think that is about what my girl got at that age, maybe even a little more walking. Elsie isn't made to run

or jump up & I think that is where the damage is done. With all the jarring on the joints of a young dog.Off-lead stuff is all at their own pace.

Sounds like Elsie have a lovely full,stimulating & healthy life actually

[BCNut]

Hi all

I wanted to bump this again as there has been some developments and wanted to get opinion; and if nothing else raise awareness of the potential problems caused by over exercise as this topic has been getting more discussion of late.

Calvin went in for a vet checkup day before last on a completely unrelated matter where he was found to be quite tender in the hips on palpation. I explained to the vet how extensive his exercise regime had been at one stage - and it is clear now that I completely misinterpreted what she had recommended in terms of exercise.

Vet believed his discomfort is probably being caused by this period of over activity. However this overactivity was eliminated completely about 4 weeks ago. We explored other historical and environmental factors and determined Calvin has not been and is not currently exposed to any other risks with regard to his hips. He is otherwise asymptomatic.

I have emailed his breeder just now requesting hip and elbow scores for his parents as I do not have them, and am unsure if they have ever been obtained - in order to rule out a genetic predisposition.

Calvin is now to be rested for 6 weeks and vet also instructed me to recommence jointguard immediately which I have. Currently the most strenous exercise he gets is a few ~10 minute fetch sessions a week with no jumping. The rest is just trotting around the block on grass. As mentioned earlier there has been no forced exercise for 4 weeks. Vet advised to continue at this level of exercise for now.

I am considering seeing another vet for 2nd opinion. Not because I disagree in anyway with vet's assessment and management plan, but simply because I want the best for him and want him to grow up happy and healthy and rule out any serious health problems.

I would be interested to see other's opinions and perhaps what they would do if faced with the same/similar situation.

Thanks in advance

Edited August 26, 2012 by caind01

[ness]

Caind01 if you want another opinion (from a different view point) try Dr Matthew Condon at chiropet (http://www.chiropet.com.au/contact.html). He use to work as a vet but now does acupuncture and chiro and is very useful as far as second opinions go. I take my two BC girls to him and he was the one that found Kenz's patella luxation when nobody else had.

[dancinbcs]

Hi all

I wanted to bump this again as there has been some developments and wanted to get opinion; and if nothing else raise awareness of the potential problems caused by over exercise as this topic has been getting more discussion of late.

Calvin went in for a vet checkup day before last on a completely unrelated matter where he was found to be quite tender in the hips on palpation. I explained to the vet how extensive his exercise regime had been at one stage - and it is clear now that I completely misinterpreted what she had recommended in terms of exercise.

Vet believed his discomfort is probably being caused by this period of over activity. However this overactivity was eliminated completely about 4 weeks ago. We explored other historical and environmental factors and determined Calvin has not been and is not currently exposed to any other risks with regard to his hips. He is otherwise asymptomatic.

I have emailed his breeder just now requesting hip and elbow scores for his parents as I do not have them, and am unsure if they have ever been obtained - in order to rule out a genetic predisposition.

Calvin is now to be rested for 6 weeks and vet also instructed me to recommence jointguard immediately which I have. Currently the most strenous exercise he gets is a few ~10 minute fetch sessions a week with no jumping. The rest is just trotting around the block on grass. As mentioned earlier there has been no forced exercise for 4 weeks. Vet advised to continue at this level of exercise for now.

I am considering seeing another vet for 2nd opinion. Not because I disagree in anyway with vet's assessment and management plan, but simply because I want the best for him and want him to grow up happy and healthy and rule out any serious health problems.

I would be interested to see other's opinions and perhaps what they would do if faced with the same/similar situation.

Thanks in advance

The worst time to over exercise a puppy or damage joints is between 4 and 6 months and any damaged caused may be permanent. Cutting back on the exercise now will prevent further damage but won't undo any that has already occured.

It is disappointing that you were not provided with copies of the parents hip and elbow scores, along with his other papers. I hope you have copies of their DNA results for CL, TNS and CEA. All of this should be a puppy pack with a Border Collie puppy.

I would rest Calvin as advised and get a second opinion as recommended by Ness.

[BCNut]

Yes I'm just hoping they have actually been scored. The rest of the papers were all there. Thanks for the opinions and recommendations.

[Tassie]

To be honest, I would not be playing fetch with this pup at all while you are generally resting him. Even my adult BCs only play fetch for less than 5 minutes at ta time - and only hand thrown things.

To keep him moving gently, but also amused - consider playing some scent games/hide and seek - hiding objects for him to find - start off easy, and then gradually increase the difficulty. No stress on the joints but plenty of exercise for the brain.

There are some great articles and ideas in the articles Here.

[BCNut]

Thanks Tassie i'll check it out :)

[BC Crazy]

Great link Tassie. I've book marked it to read when I have a bit more time. Have to agree I wouldn't be playing fetch either with Calvin ATM. Sorry to hear about his injuries Such a handsome boy.

Caindo1, I play this very simple game with Sonny as he loves scent work. Sonny's absolute favourite game. I put him in a down position & get a small stick ( don't throw it & I certainly don't

advocate throwing sticks) as they can cause injury, break the stick up into tiny pieces all the while rubbing the scent off your hands on them. Randomly scatter them around the yard or in your case paddock I believe you lucky

thing :laugh: Then give the release cue, "go find". This funny little game can keep Sonny on the hunt for all those tiny twigs for hours, till he finds every single one. He picks them up then drops them, all the while

he tail is swishing constantly & his nose is to the ground. His brain is totally engaged. This is just a suggestion & this type of game may not work for Calvin. The clue is to find a game or 2 like this with no physical exertion

involved. But is mentally very stimulating for him. Hope I was of some help :)

Edited August 29, 2012 by BC Crazy