Walking dog too young.

Q.Question.
Our staffy is 7 m.o. and has been going to the leisure centre where it gets walked twice or three times a day, with our two other shi-tzu dogs. The breeder of the dog kept the brother of our dog, and the last time i spoke to him he told me his dog had only been walked outside two or three times.Therefore is it better for a pup to be walked regulary or not,and would too much exercise at an early age lead to bone structure problems ie omd or is that just a gamble with getting the breed.

It's true that excessive exercise as pup can lead to problems in later life. Unfortunately, at time I was quite guilty of this with Logan

However, two or three times in 7 months is the other end of the scale in my opinion. That's not enough. The rule to work by is 5 minutes for each month of age, per day. But as much off lead play as the dog may want, as long as there are breaks for rest and water etc.

Didnt know about the 5 min rule tbh. The wife would drive them to the l.c. so almost all the exercise is off lead. Iasked the vets opinion when getting her a wormer and he agreed that it was good for the dog as long as it wasnt excessive. Just wondering if this is what led to the dog becoming laim or would
the problem still have occoured if she hadnt have been exercised as much. p.s. thanks for the reply.

I really don't think you have caused your dog to be lame. I just read your previous post about your issue. You have just been walking your dog. As long as it isn't "forced exercise", in other words more than the pup is able to do, I can't see there being too many issues.

I seriously broke the five minute rule at times when Logan was young but I never felt like I was pushing him at all. It's more of a general guideline in my opinion, as certain breeds need more exercise than others.

Don't beat yourself up or self diagnose problems. Too little exercise creates many problems too.

Thanks for your replies Matt. The dog wasnt exercised excessively. Just have mixed feelings about the wee dog when you see her walking slow and you would think she has arthritis. On the other hand the postie nearly had a brown trouser moment when she sailed stright over the wall into next doors garden. Just as well shes friendly.

It's not a bad thing to care a lot about your dog. But over thinking can make things seem a lot worse.

My girlfriends Stafford has arthritis and she's only 4. It had nothing to do with exercise, it was just the way she is. I got her on supplements and a better diet and it has helped. All you can do is your best for them.

Can only agree with Matt

I did over walk Tilly (only by a little) as I didn't know the facts when she was a pup but she is absolutely fine for it , Tommy I stuck strictly to the guidelines.

You haven't caused the problem by the sound of things , you don't really take a gamble with the breed Staffs are generally a very health lively little ball of fun but there are some inherent problems which is why it is so important if you are looking for a pup to go to the better breeders and make sure the dogs have been health checked

Here's a couple of things for you to read

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/health_concerns

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/guideline_for_buying

Hi Dave thanks for your reply. Got the dog of a repuatable breeder. paid £400 had the pick of two bitches kc registered and breed line back 4 or 5 generations with irish champions in her line. Just goes to prove spending a lot of money dosnt guarantee trouble free dogs. Makes me wonder if i would have been better getting a rescue dog. Just hoping the vet bills dont end up more than the price of the dog too soon.

you should really speak to the breeder anyway so they are aware they may have problems

As already said, the general rule is 5 minutes per month of age, per walk. So you can give her 35 minutes on lead walking two or three times a day, plus some off lead running around & playing on soft ground (grass/sand etc) as long as she is allowed to rest whenever she wants.

Once she gets to about a year old you can start to gradually increase her exercise to suit both you and her!

Thamks Caryll and the other members for your help and advice. Maybe worrying too much about the wee dog, but better than not worrying at all. Great forum by the way, loads of info and advice.

Have I missed all the pics?

No Caryll you havent missed all the pics. Im trying to get some up. I got a new pc and it wont let me transfer photos from my iphone. Downloaded itunes thinking that would work. No such luck. Ill keep trying.