Hello,
I have a 6-month old sprollie (collie x sprinegr spaniel), she has been with me for a month now, very energetic and tending to chew on things and getting bored easily...
She is very good at holding in, wouldn't pee or poo indoors at all... yet I wonder whether that doesn't make her nervous and uncomfortable...
Should I take her for a walk before or after her breakfast? What is best walking regime for a 6-month old? How many times a day?
Cheers everyone!

At 6 months old, she should be getting 30 minutes walks twice daily. (5 minutes for every month of age). You can walk her longer as long as she's off lead and is not being forced to walk on hard surfaces.

I walk Ollie 2-3 times a day (he's 3 years old) and I think an active dog, like a sprollie should get at least 2 walks a day. It doesn't matter if she's walked before or after breakfast, as long as you leave an hour before or after food for exercising. This will help to prevent bloat.

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I OWN A CHOCOLATE ROAN COCKER SPANIEL
RIP David xx Run free at the bridge. Love you always xx 19th February 2011
RIP Jack and Mickey xx Run free at the bridge. Love you forever xx 20th June 2011

i would say you are going to have one crazed dog whatever happens so walk her for as long as you can, lots of running if she is good off the lead, teach her to chase a ball as the collies round here seem to love that

lots of people on here are very fond of the 5 mins per month of age but i am yet to see any evidence as to why and the main expert on hip dysplacia says it doesn't matter what you do with them, if they are going to have problems they are going to have them, no set walking regime will make a difference

my two are 16 weeks and 27months and although we only walk once a day normally we are out for between 2 and 3 hours with a 20 min walk each way on the lead to the common before they can be let off.

do what feels right you for and your pup but from my memories a 6 month old tired dog is a myth

Hi,

My pup is also 6 months so i'm quite interested in this topic!
Is it ok to walk for longer than the 5 minute rule using a flexi or long line? Our usual walk is across farm land with maybe 5-10 minutes on the pavement to get to the start of the footpaths.
We don't have a reliable recall yet so keep him on a lead.
Thanks!

ps-i walk mine BEFORE eating breakfast as it means they really want to come back to me for a treat and i have never had problems with this possibly for that reason

someone i walk with has to feed her lab before she comes out otherwise her girl will just go wondering off looking for something naughty to eat

I would say so, as long as it isn't forced exercise, and she's allowed to rest if she wants to, then it is fine on a flexi or long line.

__________________
I OWN A CHOCOLATE ROAN COCKER SPANIEL
RIP David xx Run free at the bridge. Love you always xx 19th February 2011
RIP Jack and Mickey xx Run free at the bridge. Love you forever xx 20th June 2011

Thank you!

Our usual route takes about an hour and that seems about right for us at the moment but I always worry as our vets are really hot on the 5 minute rule!

Thank you all for replying so fast!
Yes, a crazed dog she is! I never take her for a walk with the thought it will be half an hour... From what I had already read about both breeds, I was prepared for long walks... so it is at least an hour in the morning, and an hour in the afternoon... yet in between, there is so much time indoors for her to get bored! I don't have a yard or garden, unfortunately, so I am trying to come up with games to play at home... it feels like a full-time occupation, otherwise she can e destructive! Wow, maybe today is one of those days...

You are walking a 6 month old pup for 2 hours a day you are placing their growing joints at considerable risk.

The 5 minute rule is for walking ONCE a day - so if twice a day you should be looking at around 15 minutes a time.

To wear a dog out, mental stimulation through training is far more effective than exercise.

The more you exercise a dog, the more stamina they build so the greater capacity they have for getting bored and getting up to mischief - this is a fact that seems to pass so many people by

How long is the pup left alone at any one time?

Mine are much more quickly worn out with a 20 minute training session than a couple of hours running on the beach and a day out at a show exhausts them - and these are fit dogs that will happily run all day given the chance and more than capable of getting up to mischief if ignored

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The thing is, I only got her a month ago and at 5 months of age she wasn't trained to walk on a lead, so now walking on a lead is a challenge and I feel like letting her off the lead for her to let the steam off... I will definitely try to reduce the duration, I never thought about her tender joints because she looks so strong! Training sessions... well, can you suggest something more than 'come, stay, sit' commands, I don't seem to ;grab' her concentration and jkeep it long enough for a 20-min training session, she wants frolicking!
I am determined to keep trying though, I want to make sure she is balanced and content... and me too
Thank you!