Advice needed with a couple of questions...

Fellow members.

I need advise on a couple of things. All opinions would be appreciated.

First - some people have advised not to walk Tommy (15 weeks) for more than 30 minutes or so as it might affect his joints as they are still developing. I have walked him for an hour or more and he loves being out. I don't run him into the ground and he enjoys it. Should I change his exercise regime?

Secondly - how often should I be worming him. For the first 12 weeks he was being wormed fortnightly with Drontal Puppy. I have heard conflicting advise, some have told me to continue with fortnightly treatment while others have said to reduce it to every 4 weeks until he is 12 months old? What's the general consensus?


Cheers, Mike and Tommy

with a pup you should walk them for 5 minutes for every month of their age, but that applies to on lead walks, they can run off lead really as long as they want

I don't use conventional wormers so mines different so i'll leave that for someone else who does

Thanks Ella. He is rarely on the lead. IF I'm out for an hour I'd say he is off the lead for 50-55 minutes. Just out of curiousity why is it fine to be off the lead for as long as you want but only 5 minutes for each month on the lead?
Cheers

Hi, we worm tash every 4 weeks with advocate and when she was 6 months also did drontal which will be every 6 months as per vets instructions

As for worming your puppy this information should answer your question, taken from Dog Channel.com:

The deworming doses should start at 3 weeks of age, and be repeated every two weeks until 16 weeks of age. At that point, all dogs should be started on a monthly heartworm preventative that also prevents roundworms and hookworms.



Rocky is 3 years old and wormed every three months with Drontal tablets.

Bloomooner wrote:Thanks Ella. He is rarely on the lead. IF I'm out for an hour I'd say he is off the lead for 50-55 minutes. Just out of curiousity why is it fine to be off the lead for as long as you want but only 5 minutes for each month on the lead?
Cheers

When they run around, they can stop and rest whenever they feel tired. If they're on the lead, walking, then they have to walk with you. At least, that's what I heard, someone can correct me if I'm wrong. The running around he can do as much as he wants, but the structured walks where he's next to you, they're the ones that are meant to be five minutes per month of their age.

The 5 minute rule only applies when on lead. The running around is okay and doesn't count, although it shouldn't be done on concrete or other hard surfaces.

Bloomooner wrote:Thanks Ella. He is rarely on the lead. IF I'm out for an hour I'd say he is off the lead for 50-55 minutes. Just out of curiousity why is it fine to be off the lead for as long as you want but only 5 minutes for each month on the lead?
Cheers

as the others have said, when he's running around off lead, it's at his pace and he can stop whenever

On lead he has to keep up with you can can't just stop when he wants, plus normally lead walks are done on pavement so more stress on their joints

at 15 weeks which is practically 4 month a 20 minute ON lead a couple times a day is enough

this really does'nt make much sense, so he can run free for 1 hr but is limited to 20 minutes on a lead at 4 months?
don't really add up for me, my dog will go mad with my son's 2 staffy's for an hour, so i don't see how a 20 minute easy pace walk is going to harm him???

As mentioned, it is because generally they are walked on hard surfaces ie. pavement and play off lead on soft--dirt, sand or grass.

still not having it, sounds like cobblers to me, any serious /medical/scientific links?

This is the sort of advice most vets here give:

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/purelypuppy/2011/june/how_much_exercise_is_too_much_for_my_puppy

forced excercise, no mention of 5 minutes per month of age limit.
i will try and stick to it, but i will get some stick from noah when i cut his exercise down

astubliffhacked wrote:this really does'nt make much sense, so he can run free for 1 hr but is limited to 20 minutes on a lead at 4 months?
don't really add up for me, my dog will go mad with my son's 2 staffy's for an hour, so i don't see how a 20 minute easy pace walk is going to harm him???

you can do alot of damage by forcing them to walk at your pace for to long on hard surfaces.

It is a well known guideline to walk 5 mins for every month of their age when they are pups.

It makes alot of sense

astubliffhacked wrote:forced excercise, no mention of 5 minutes per month of age limit.
i will try and stick to it, but i will get some stick from noah when i cut his exercise down

yer and alot of dogs end up with damaged joints by being forced into walking to much at young ages happens everyday, surprised you've never heard of it before

Also causes alot of hip displasia in younger dogs as well

i don't force him to walk!!!
he takes me! my pace is tired old man pace for 30/40 minutes
seems as though the p.c. brigade as copped hold of the dog world.....

Kathy wrote:As for worming your puppy this information should answer your question, taken from Dog Channel.com:

The deworming doses should start at 3 weeks of age, and be repeated every two weeks until 16 weeks of age. At that point, all dogs should be started on a monthly heartworm preventative that also prevents roundworms and hookworms.

That's an American site. In the UK a dog doesn't need heartworm treatment, but should be wormed every 2 weeks until 16 weeks, then monthly until 6 months & then every three months.

astubliffhacked wrote:this really does'nt make much sense, so he can run free for 1 hr but is limited to 20 minutes on a lead at 4 months?
don't really add up for me, my dog will go mad with my son's 2 staffy's for an hour, so i don't see how a 20 minute easy pace walk is going to harm him???

astubliffhacked wrote:still not having it, sounds like cobblers to me, any serious /medical/scientific links?

astubliffhacked wrote:i don't force him to walk!!!
he takes me! my pace is tired old man pace for 30/40 minutes
seems as though the p.c. brigade as copped hold of the dog world.....

On lead walking is 'forced' walking. A pup won't stop & rest because it is being lead, on a lead, by you. It's too much for young joints & the growth plates to do more than 5 minutes per month of age, per walk. Off lead, on soft ground such as grass or sand, you can let him have a good play & run around as long as he is allowed to stop & rest whenever he feels the need, and for however long it takes for him to recover.

Whether you believe that or not is up to you, but you should think long and hard about whether you want to damage your pup's joints, tendons & growth plates.

think long and hard about damaging my dog!!
of course i don'y want to damage my dog, i just think this rule is tosh, nothing to back up the claim.
i get great advice from this site and looking at the problems some people have on here i am blessed with a top dog, but without more facts i can't see this business about 5mins for every month of age being legit.

As I said. Believe it or not, it's up to you.

I am so glad you asked these questions, I didn't know about the 5 minutes per month rule, last weekend we walked Charlie to the park, spent an hour and half there and walked back, out for about 2 hours in total. Also, last week husband took Charlie for a run round the park at night so was out for about 40 minutes. We'll definitely not be doing either again. We left him home when we went to the park today and walked him when we got back

astubliffhacked wrote:this really does'nt make much sense, so he can run free for 1 hr but is limited to 20 minutes on a lead at 4 months?
don't really add up for me, my dog will go mad with my son's 2 staffy's for an hour, so i don't see how a 20 minute easy pace walk is going to harm him???

dogs pull more on a lead, so they are using their joints more. they have nothing pulling them back when they walk themselves. Get yourself on a lead and pull on it for 20mins and see how much your hurt after it compared to walking normally. And actually do it, because believe me it is a big difference. Think how much your arm hurts after a walk with a pully dog, then think how much theyre whole body will hurt pulling YOU along.

Dear all,

thank you all for your input and help. It seems that my questions have raised some good debate and this can only be good.

Hayley, you explain the 5 min per month of age quite well. I'd never really thought that a pully dog would ache but it makes sense.

Cheers folks

i also didn't know that only wend i saw my max that is legs hurt him..we take him to vet and told us that we walk him to much on lead...and he was give some pain killer and rest for one month walk only 20 mi per day...anyway that was 4 months ago now is great can walk hours