I have a three month old toy poodle. I currently walk her 3 times a day - for 10-15 minutes depending on how much I hae to coax her along with hot dogs. She also has time in the garden chasing balls and play in the house. How muc excercise does she need to keep her healthy? Any ideas. A freind suggeste puppies should only exercise for 5 mins per month of life per day - so she would only be walked for 15 mins - but she's got far more energy that that and would be bouncing off the walls if that was all she got.

The 5 mins per month of age applies to lead walking, or 'forced' walking as it's called. She shouldn't be walked on lead for more than 15 minutes per day (not per walk) at 3 months old - BUT, she can have as much off lead running and play as she likes, providing it's not excessive.

For example, you could be out playing and wandering at her own pace for an hour or more, providing she isn't being forced to keep up pace with you on a lead or whatever. When they're off lead they can flop down and chill when they've had enough, which they can't do on lead.

With any pup I’ve had I’ve walked them the short few minutes walk on lead down the lane to the fields (it’s a rural lane, no traffic and they could technically be off lead, but it’s a chance to practice good manners on lead), and then once in the fields, they'd go off and we’d amble around, play, sit and do some training, have another little wander etc, before pup goes back on lead and is walked back.

Mental exercise wears dogs out just as much as physical - so you could always supplement her physical exercise with mental games - hide and sneak, find the toy/treat, activity toys, food puzzles etc.

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Thanks SixStar. I'll try and incorporate more off lead and have less on lead - but its kind of tricky near the house with traffic etc.

Mental Exercise is just as tiring for a pup as physical exercise. When not walking, doing lots of training / tricks where the pup needs to think will tire them out almost as much as the walking. Use a combination of both.

We've got a little 3 month old cocker and she's beginning to understand various commands and tone. I will echo ChatterPuss's comment about mentally tiring your dog...Playing just 30 minutes whilst having TV on in the background or what have you, makes all the difference.

That's not to say that a decent walking route should be brushed under the carpet. I'm a firm believer that every dog requires regular walking regardless of age. If you think they're too young for the outdoor world, try planning a fairly quiet walking route, perhaps a park that's off the "family track."

Hope that helps!

Never heard lead walking called "forced" walking before. All the lead training I do incorporates walking and interaction with the owner/walker and is certainly not forced! I also use it as a good opportunity to teach good manners plus the chance for the dog to have some fun while on lead. Too much free play can sometimes have the wrong effect, so keep an eye on how tired your little one gets.

To be honest, I'd be taking her out for one decent walk a day and play with her in the garden the rest of the time doing some training sessions and giving her some mental challenges - after all Poodles are VERY intelligent. Plus she gets a time out in the garden where she's relaxed and happy.

Sounds absolutely adorable!
Sara.

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Hi,

You will get as many opinions as their are dog walkers here.

At three months it depends on if you trust her vaccination and how fit she is.

Socialization is absolutely vital between 3 months and 5 months if you want a well adjusted friendly dog. I would recommend off lead time with lots of dogs for at least one 45 minute play per day, preferably also doing some walking with her rather than just watching her play.

By six months you could work up to two 45 minutes sessions per day and keep this going for its life. If that sounds onerous, its what needs to be done to get the best physical and mental adjustment out of all dogs.

Yes just my opinion, but I have walked unsocial dogs and often it goes back to what they did as a puppy. Good luck!

I find your post a little puzzling. You say that your dog would be bouncing off the walls if she only got a little exercise yet you are having to "coax her along with hot dogs"?

Surely if your dog was that energetic this would not be necessary?

Anyway, FWIW I have large extremely energetic dogs and I do not worked up about exercise as they will get quite enough in the house and garden and when I take them to suitable places to run about.

I am obsessive about socialisation and habituation but the dog does not need to walk anywhere to achieve this, it can be carried or driven to a location to be exposed to these opportunities.

Lead walking is not physical exercise for me but a training exercise.

I suppose what I am basically saying is I think about what I want to achieve before I take my dog out, I do not just slap a lead on and go out to a venue where a dog can run about.

I may put a lead on and only practice going in and out of the front door. I may pick dog up and put in car and drive to a field; I may pick dog up and take it to shopping centre etc.


The rest of the time I am trying to exhaust them with mental problems.

I count the 5 mins per month of life as per walk, not per day, so if I'm visiting other people's puppies we'll do 10/15 walk per visit, so that could be 2 or 3 times a day, plus the owners too. The shorter walks are to protect growing joints and soft bones, but also because it can be just TMI for a young dog.

45 mins is quite a lot for a 3 month old pup in one go, a lot of the problems I see in my training are usually due to lack of sleep, so owners keep exercising the pup thinking it needs to burn off energy, when it's just got a bit manic due to sleep deprivation. A 3 month pup would still be needing pretty much 20 hours sleep a day (each dog is different, aim for 20 and see what your pup tells you).

Puppies who get enough sleep puppy mouth a lot less too.

Why not ask the product support team at the company that you are working for promoting these links in your messages?

You have registered at about a two dozen different pet related forums over the past two weeks with user profile links (or posts) to an American based pet food company.

Of the sites I look at you have been banned on at least three, I wonder why?

As you do seem to be in Ski Lanka, it's a fair bet that you are on a contract to boost their SEO rating and are just seeking to generate back-links by asking such a question as above, and then stuff the company link in. (Nice touch that you are trying to build profiles on these pet forum sites - but you are just not very good at doing it.)

Tell me, does 'Muffy' suffer an Identity crisis as you have him listed as German Shepherd, Poodle and Beagle in different forums??

Also, if you don't mine me asking a small question, why did you join the Basset Hound group as the primary language there is German? It seems at odds with your user profile over at the Singapore Pet's forum where your back-link was removed by a moderator.

You must think I'm stupid !