Exercise for puppies
I know with large breed pups you have to be careful they don't exercise for too long or too vigorously to make sure bone, joint and muscle development is ideal and not damaging. I have a fenced in yard, so my dogs love to romp and run like fools, but I limit the puppy in how long he is playing (to 30 mins or less each outing) My dogs are not left outside without me for any length of time, even though it is fenced, so their play time is with me and with each other. The only time they spend on a leash is for dog shows, handling classes, and the occasional walk so they don't lose their leash manners. With OES in particular muscle development is very important. They are a working breed, and if muscles are not in healthy toned condition they would not be able to do the job they were bred to do. Mine are not actually working dogs (as most of ours aren't), but I understand their needs as such. I've heard many people also "bike" their dogs (the person rides slowly on the bike so that the dog must go at a fast walk or pace to keep up) to exercise specific muscles and encourage a stronger reach and drive. Has anyone here done that? If so, how often and for how long and at what age did you start your dog? |
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| I think Val does with Maggie. The thought of Clyde biking is hilarious. Not because he couldn't do it, but I'm thinking of the dirty looks I'd get from him afterward for making him do it. |
We have a fully fenced yard also and I go out with Duchess for about 1/2 hour (by then I'm cold  ) and twice a day we have started going for a walk ,well a wee bit of walking a lot of jumping and grabbing of the leash
and that is about 30 min. ... 29 min stopping and 1 min walking  |
You have to have a WELL lead trained dog to do that, I have visions of being pulled off the Bike & airborne  LOL, yes great exercise for them, but personally would not do it till the rapid growth stage is over.
There is a lot of talk about enviromental dysplasia also with large breeds, with youngster bascially run into the ground by people overdoing it while they are shooting up in leg etc. Free play for a youngsters is always the best at a young age with lead training and walking also. Slightly more mature and out of the major growth stage then a gradual exercise program, building up there fitness to be able to go on bike rides then with them.  JMO 
I have friends that do this with there bikes & dogs, they have an attachment for the bike that holds the lead, but there dogs are very well trained on the lead firstly. Me have not tried it yet, but looks like a lot of fun for both dog and upright |
| I have the "walky dog" attachment and I've enjoyed biking with Maggie. If you are going to bike, it is much easier and safer with an attachment compared to holding onto the leash by hand. You definitely need to be very comfortable riding a bike and you need to build in additional commands -- slow down and stop being key. And you need to be very vigilant to see danger in advance (squirrels, ducks, whatever moves your dog) so you are not caught offguard when your dog suddenly lunges. But all that being said, it is alot of fun.
I don't know much about puppies, but I think biking would be really hard on a puppy. I have read that you don't want to do an exercise with them where they are compelled to keep up. During free play, they get to choose their intensity level as well as when to take breaks so that is much safer. |
| No of course I don't intend on doing that with him as a puppy...
I just find it an interesting idea.... I don't think that walky attachment thing would be good for me, I'd worry more with that, at least a leash I can let go of. The thing with show dogs is they do tend to be very well leash trained anyway... just seems to happen. |
| I am not sure what it is about the attachment that causes concern. The walky dog is great because it has a very firm spring that absorbs the weight of the dog pulling and keeps the dog perfectly positioned at your side instead of accidentally running in front of your wheels. Having tried both ways, I really advise against just holding onto the leash. The dog is much more likely to pull you over or to get in your way. And if you let go, the dog could be in a very dangerous situation (depending on where you bike.)
I also think biking is a different sensation than leash walking. They are in a harness, for one thing. So you would need to train to make sure the dog understands how to move with the bike. |
| That's the same type we have here Val, I think they are marvelous sort of has a bit of a shock absorber in it too with the spring to take a bit of a tug without toppling the whole bike over.
Fun Fun Fun it must be. |
lisaoes wrote: Fun Fun Fun it must be.
It is really fun! I love riding a bike and it is great to be able to bring her along. Plus, it is the only way I can keep up with Maggie.
Another thing about the attachment is that it keeps the weight of the dog centered and steady under your body and where it can easily be absorbed and counter-balanced, instead of at the handlebars, where you feel the slightest tug. |
| that sounds fun!! When Loki gets bigger... in a year or so maybe two.. LOL We'll have to do that!
Nic |
| Our Ollie was in wonderful shape his whole life. He was in and out of the house, and totally trustworthy when loose outside on our farm. He naturally paced himself throughout the day with his activities. He alternated working with the sheep in short bursts of energy, then would have rest breaks between.
So, I would say shorter, more frequent exercise periods are more natural than 1-2 more intense periods of activityduring the day. The closer you could get to the normal activity pattern, the safer it should be. I think walking or the slow "sheepdog jog" would be plenty of exercise, especially considering he has your other dogs to play with. Chewie spends lots of time playing with our other dogs throughout the day, and we got lots of positive comments on his condition at our recent show. |
| The bike thing is something Mr. J has always wanted to do! I hope he gets the attachemnt soon. Sounds like fun!
Yuki can do a fast walk/light trot on the treadmill for a mile no problem. She hasn't done it in awhile though. It's my maltese that practically follows me any time I walk by it. She jogs for 10 minutes. |
A guy happened to contact me this past Monday looking for a free ad on oes.org for his scooter contraption... I suggested that he come here and tell everyone about it, but he has yet to show up. 
But since he was nice enough to ask not not just spam the forum, here is his link: www.dogpoweredscooter.com Tell him oes.org sent ya. |
| My goodness Ron!! You are up late.. or early.. depends I guess. LOL |
Wow... great idea!  |
| when panda was a baby, we took her for really short walks off leash...she followed us everywhere....sit on the grass and play/romp.....as she got older, we started taking her to the park across the street and letting her run....now its the main part of her day...waiting for the park.....she zooms back and forth between our legs, herding us in the direction that she wants to go....which we already know, because its the same every day....then go for a 45 min walk.... |
| I've dealt with this since we got Bingley because we don't have a fenced yard. He has boundless energy, so it really seems to be a fine line on what is too much or just enough. I love it when we have the time to go to the beach, because then he can be off-leash to play, jump, run, walk, or lay down.
When we go on leashed walks (all the other times) I usually judge it by the quickness of his step. As soon as he becomes less gung-ho and more interested in just relax-walking I usually turn around. I wish I knew a better way. I'm less worried about it now that he's a bit older, but when he was about 4 months it was a very tough call. |
| That all looks great, I would love to bike with Samantha, but in Florida, it really isn't possible. Even though it is January, we've had temps in the 80's. As summer approaches, we can't walk as much as we do now. So we play with tennis balls in the back yard. And then she goes in and rests on the cool tile and then we start all over again! |
got sheep wrote: He naturally paced himself throughout the day with his activities. He alternated working with the sheep in short bursts of energy, then would have rest breaks between.
So, I would say shorter, more frequent exercise periods are more natural than 1-2 more intense periods of activityduring the day. The closer you could get to the normal activity pattern, the safer it should be. I think walking or the slow "sheepdog jog" would be plenty of exercise, especially considering he has your other dogs to play with. . I agree 100%with this. I watch Bosley at the park and he jogs around , then spurts, then jogs, then lays down to rest, then gut up and runs, then jogs etc.. He does everything at his own pace. I hate to disagree with Val....sorry, Val!  , but I would not recommmend running a sheepie with a bike at all. I guess for a dog like Maggie, who is energy - plus, it can get the edge off of her, but whenever I see dogs running with their people on bikes the dogs are panting like crazy, lagging behind, and totally worn out....I would be afraid that many people do not know how to pace themselves and watch their dogs ......Dogs will often push themselve beyond their capabilities with drastic concequences..
I HATE seeing dogs being run along side a bike...absolutely hate it....and I would never do it with mine.. |
Bosley's mom wrote: I hate to disagree with Val....sorry, Val!
, but I would not recommmend running a sheepie with a bike at all. I guess for a dog like Maggie, who is energy - plus, it can get the edge off of her, but whenever I see dogs running with their people on bikes the dogs are panting like crazy, lagging behind, and totally worn out....I would be afraid that many people do not know how to pace themselves and watch their dogs ......Dogs will often push themselve beyond their capabilities with drastic concequences..I HATE seeing dogs being run along side a bike...absolutely hate it....and I would never do it with mine.. I completely agree that you have to be really careful about not over-exerting the dog and I don't know how good other people are at that. But Maggie has tons of energy and I am careful to keep her reigned in both in terms of speed and distance. The idea of her panting and lagging behind just didn't even come close to happening. In fact, the times we've gone, she was not particularly tired and was ready to play for hours at the park afterwards. I am starting to think Maggie might be a bionic dog. |
| For show dogs, what I am talking about is exercising the exact muscles they need to use in the show ring. In the ring they are not "running" but often a normal walk or a fast walk.
As I said in my original post, I mean me on a bike, going very slow, so the dog is at the pace he or she would be at in the show ring. It encourages development of the proper reach and drive we like to see. |
| Whe Tasker was younger we "biked" at the Fair Grounds for about 2 miles every day. I did not have the contraption but he was VERY good at trotting next to me on a lead. We used the race track so there were no cars and went at a "trotting" pace.
Recently, after Ty had his patella surger, the Vet told us that moderate wlaking on a leash is a better developer of muscle than running. Because we are out in the country now when I walk the dogs they aren't on leash but rather run ahead at will. The Vet said that the flat out running does not work the muscles as well. So now I walk Ty on a leash for part of the walk and then let him off leash to play. |
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