How Much Walking Is Too Much?

[eschlachter]

Hi Guys,

I have an Irish setter, who will be 7 months old tomorrow. I also have a 2yr old Ridgy. I was really, really careful with the Ridgy, as she matured, with how much exercise she received as I was concerned about damaging her growing joints. She has matured to be 36kgs and has lovely strong legs, with no deformities or issues at all.

I did nearly 100% off-leash exercise with her, on grass and with swimming, chasing a ball/my other dog thrown in as well- on average for 30mins each day from 5-6 months old (some days double that, ie going to the park twice a day, maybe twice a week). About Oct last year we started walking a fair bit more, on the footpath/verge- usually for about 45 mins 4 times a week. I don't run at all (lol, if you saw me running, you'd understand why!).

With the setter, obviously damaging growing joints is also a concern. She won't mature to be as heavy as the Ridgy though. So, how much exercise is too much? This week we've been to the park (off lead, grass) 4 times, for 30 mins each time, and then yesterday and Wednesday we walked for 45 mins on each day. Is that too much? I would like to up that to walking 45 mins 4 times a week, if she can handle that much.

It's just that a tired baby setter is a much... easier (!) companion in the evenings, compared with an energetic and mischievous baby setter! The only info I could find was a rough guide of '5 mins per month' till they mature, so that would be 35 mins a day I suppose. Should add- after a 45 min walk baby setter relaxes for about 10 mins and is then ready to go the whole distance again, I think :)

TIA

-Emma

[Dory the Doted One]

If your objective is to tucker her out, I would think giving her some exercises to stimulate and tire out her mind would be more appropriate.

My puppy is a Rottie (she grows like a weed!) and I'm not that formuliac with her exercise routine. For Willow I might go to the dog park once, possibly twice a week. Avoiding times when there are other dogs there, especially other young dogs. We go to the beach about once a week/fortnight. She spends more time digging and wrestling Dory than walking. A couple of times a week we go for a short walk, which is more stopping and wrestling Dory than actual walking. That lasts about half an hour...it's not a long distance walk, largely because of the wrestling.

And then two to three times a week we are at tracking and obedience, she's pretty tired after that!

And ofcourse there is play time at home.

When I take her out, it is more about exposing her to new environments and situations and less about actual exercise. She's a fit looking puppy.

If after all that she's still bouncing around like a Loon, then it's 'busy bones', raw meaty bones that take her some challenge to chew on or are frozen.

I've found the more I give for her to think about, the more quickly she tires...which is good for all of us. :laugh:

[persephone]

Lucky dogs :)

I agree - the more exercise, the fitter the dog, and the more exercise is needed to 'tire' them ;)

Think of kids ... working hard at lessons , or having to be on best behaviour somewhere will result in a tired kid ..whereas zooming around with friends won't ;)

teach her tricks/obedience/house manners , etc in a couple of short sessions each day ..and see if that makes her more settled :)

[eschlachter]

Oh lol I did make it sound like exhausting her was my main aim- poor little baby setter! It's ok, she's pretty good at home really. She spends her day playing with the other dogs (very enthusiastically) bar the time she's out walking/ going to the park, playing with her (numerous) toys and bones, and sleeping, occasionally, of course!

The main aim (together with the other benefits from exercise) is that both girls are show dogs, and particularly with the Ridgy, need to be in really good physical condition. I don't like seeing 'marshmallow' dogs going round the ring :)

You can look at a Ridgy, with their thin skin, and see straight away how fit/muscly they are. Walking is the best thing (I reckon) to build up muscle, particularity in their hindquarters. You can really see the difference over a few weeks of regular walking- it doesn't worry me if they get fitter and fitter, that's kinda what I'm hoping will happen :D Just didn't want to over-do it with the baby.

[The Spotted Devil]

I do various dog sports so find myself doing a LOT of brain work with youngsters. And they are super high energy! Best. Exercise. Ever. It does make it awkward to get the older dog's exercise in sometimes but you could do a short walk with both and then drop the younger one home.

Plenty of years ahead to look fit and fabulous in the ring - I would substitute some of the walking time and turn it into 3 x 3-5 min training sessions for the show ring. Just my personal opinion though.

[Dory the Doted One]

Oh lol I did make it sound like exhausting her was my main aim- poor little baby setter! It's ok, she's pretty good at home really. She spends her day playing with the other dogs (very enthusiastically) bar the time she's out walking/ going to the park, playing with her (numerous) toys and bones, and sleeping, occasionally, of course!

The main aim (together with the other benefits from exercise) is that both girls are show dogs, and particularly with the Ridgy, need to be in really good physical condition. I don't like seeing 'marshmallow' dogs going round the ring :)

You can look at a Ridgy, with their thin skin, and see straight away how fit/muscly they are. Walking is the best thing (I reckon) to build up muscle, particularity in their hindquarters. You can really see the difference over a few weeks of regular walking- it doesn't worry me if they get fitter and fitter, that's kinda what I'm hoping will happen :D Just didn't want to over-do it with the baby.

:laugh: No worries. My little Willow is quite muscley for what we do. I let her guide me as to when enough is enough. She gets quite annoying and bitey (mouthy) when she's over tired and Dory cops the full brunt of it. When it's all about grabbing Dory, it's a clear sign that enough exercise has been achieved.

Some days, like today...she sleeps it away. I fully expect that when I weigh her on Monday I will be in shock at how much more she has stacked on.

PS...When I do training...there is a lot of exercise physically there as well. She really is quite well muscled and not rolly polly at all.

[Dogsfevr]

I have owned Setters for nearly 20 years & you need to teach your puppy to switch off .

At 7 months i would say way to much & keep in mind Setter maturity to Ridgie maturity is very different in body .

Some Setter lines are very slow & you won't get what you want sooner.

I would spend more time training for grooming at this age than anything else

[BCNut]

I overexercised my border collie and made him super fit at a similar age - he just got harder and harder to wear out which is a battle you're never going to win with a BC. With my new border puppy, i've come to realise how effective training is to wear out a pup. The only exercise she gets is short supervised frolicks in the yard with my other dog.

She is 6 months and hasn't been walked yet (apart from 5 mins here and there just working on loose lead at a conceptual level in different environments, slowly raising criteria) - and is just a pleasure to have at home. Use their breakfast/dinner biscuits and make them work for it. Theres lots of fun stuff to work on with a pup even if you're not planning on being obedience champion any time soon.

[eschlachter]

I do various dog sports so find myself doing a LOT of brain work with youngsters. And they are super high energy! Best. Exercise. Ever. It does make it awkward to get the older dog's exercise in sometimes but you could do a short walk with both and then drop the younger one home.

Plenty of years ahead to look fit and fabulous in the ring - I would substitute some of the walking time and turn it into 3 x 3-5 min training sessions for the show ring. Just my personal opinion though.

Ahh you found me out- yes, I've been trying to exercise everyone at once! :) Not always the best thing, even if it's the most practical. And I'm hopeless, I hate leaving one or two at home whilst the others get to keep walking or playing.

Will up the education and see how much brain training tires her out. Have to add though- that's not really the question I asked- I'm not actually looking for 'other' ways to tire her out. I was wondering how much walking would be too much walking for a dog of her age (regardless of how tired it makes her).

Does anyone know/has heard of- even anecdotally- of a dog that has suffered damaged joints or any other form of skeletal damage as a direct consequence of exercise (and I mean, completely independent of diet or any genetic condition)? It's only that I have read about it- online- but I'm a bit of a skeptic, and would like to hear what others' experiences have been. I completely accept the advice above, absolutely, but I'm still just a bit curious to know whether the information online is supported by any evidence from dog owners/vets themselves?

[luvsdogs]

Vet Dr Ian Billinghurst of Barf fame says in his 1st book Give Your Dog a Bone that the only exercise a puppy needs is play in the backyard & chewing & tearing at raw meaty bones. It's a long time since I read anything on this, but it used to be said that a puppy should only have 5 mins of walking per month of age or 5 mins the 1st 3 months & then 5 mins per month of age. Can't remember which way it was.

[Yonjuro]

5 mins per month of age is recommended for Huskies while the dog is growing and reaching maturity. I would think this is a pretty good rule of thumb for most dogs if you wish to avoid joint and hip problems for as long as possible in later life. It is also recommended that the walking is preferably on grass rather than bitumen. Avoiding stairs and too much jumping up on laps, sofas etc will also help to avoid future problems.

Many dogs unfortunately develop arthritis and other problems far earlier than they should and I believe that much of this can be avoided by being careful and moderate in walking/running during the growing period.