# Walking Distance Question



## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I walk my 6 month foster dog about 1/2 mile. The older ones go farther.


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

It probably was not the distance you walked--more the way it was walked. You did nothing wrong--please don't think I'm saying that. In a heel position he has no sudden stops, starts, turns to check it, etc...with his longer lead he just used different muscles in different ways and probably just aggravated a muscle a little. Once again---you did not do this--just a different set of muscles being used that weren't used to it.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

Steve, Thanks for your reply. That makes sense.

Is 2 miles for a 6 month old too far though...either on a loose lead or in a heel?


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

In my opinion----and please disregard it if you want----2 miles is a little far for a 6 month old --maybe. Depends on how they're maturing, how much weight they're carrying, paw development, rest stops during, etc......I walk Rusty between 1.5 & 2 miles every morning but that was for weight reduction and stamina issues---and I started out at 1/2 mile for the first month. I think on heel 2 miles might be OK--loose lead maybe a little less. Maybe two 1 mile walks would be the best answer.


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## Joanne & Asia (Jul 23, 2007)

I am also curious about this as the breeder I got Asia from said basically no alking type exercise until at least 9months and then short walks until over a year. This seemed excessive to me and I complied but as a result ended up with an overweight puppy. Have others heard of this limited exercise rule?


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

Joanne & Asia said:


> I am also curious about this as the breeder I got Asia from said basically no alking type exercise until at least 9months and then short walks until over a year. This seemed excessive to me and I complied but as a result ended up with an overweight puppy. Have others heard of this limited exercise rule?


Bones are still growin' a lot at this age---and **** little buggers RUN everywhere they go anyway so I think a lot of breeders err on the side of caution.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

Thank you so much Steve. Now I feel rather stupid because it seems like everywhere I have been reading how much exercise Golden's need.

I will cut his walks down to 1/2-1 mile.

Thanks!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Well all mine walk a couple miles pretty much right away, but I don't road work or jump my dogs until maturity. He should be able to go virtually unlimited distances on natural ground, ie, off leash in the woods.


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## Joanne & Asia (Jul 23, 2007)

I asked the vet about this after Asia turned a year and she said that some breeders don't realize the difference between walking too far on pavement for example and running free through a field and that exercise is good as long as you listen to your dog and don't overdo it. I see alot of really young large breed puppies at the dog park and some of the owners also do long leash walks in addition to long play sessions so I don't know. I do know that I wouldn't want to risk injury or hip problems etc...


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

norabrown said:


> Thank you so much Steve. Now I feel rather stupid because it seems like everywhere I have been reading how much exercise Golden's need.
> 
> I will cut his walks down to 1/2-1 mile.
> 
> Thanks!


A nice brisk paced 1 to 1.5 mile walk is nice distance--Exercise is a very key part to any dogs life and Goldens will sofasurf if you let 'em!!!!


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

Like ACC said--GOOD exercise is the key--jumping at an early age is not such a great idea--along with constant stairs--but thats just because of the way the g-forces are being absorbed by young bones. Good food, exercise of some sort, and love---perfect recipe for all pooches!!


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## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

I have an 8 month old and a 15 month old and they have always been fine on long walks. They let me know when they are tired. Just watch their body language. I would always make sure they walked on softer surfaces vs. concrete.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

Joanne & Asia said:


> I do know that I wouldn't want to risk injury or hip problems etc...


Absolutely! That's why I'm asking. I'm very confused by mixed information.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

Thank you all for your comments.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

exercise is vital- I think it is the number one SINGLE most important factor in a healthy dog, even more than diet. A dog can thrive on cheap food in most cases, but he will be very poorly indeed without adequate exercise. Your pup looks great in your siggie- nice weight and muscle tone.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> exercise is vital- I think it is the number one SINGLE most important factor in a healthy dog, even more than diet. A dog can thrive on cheap food in most cases, but he will be very poorly indeed without adequate exercise. Your pup looks great in your siggie- nice weight and muscle tone.


Thank you ACC! Samson does have great muscle tone and to be honest, he is more gorgeous than the pictures show. For some reason his coat does not show up like it really is. He has multi shades of highlights and lowlights running throughout his coat. I wish it were my hair. :doh:

We were usually walking 40 minutes or there about. We found that he really needed a long walk after I started working. Before I got my job I could walk him in the morning and again later in the day. But now that I'm working, we really only have time for one walk. If he doesn't get a good walk he is actually quite obnoxious. He is much easier to work with on training and better behaved when he has a good, tiring walk. 

Without a walk, Samson tries to take command of the house. He barks (which is not okay) at my 12 year old Black Lab and snaps at him trying to get him to play. My lab is very sick with cancer, so this is not allowed. When that doesn't work, then he begins on me....biting at any loose clothing or just snapping all those new shiny teeth. He is really just trying to play, but it is in a very aggressive manner. A child would probably be frightened. But...with a walk, he is calmer and listens to commands and plays in a much more acceptable way.

I guess I need to find the best of both worlds. Obviously I don't want to cause any physical damage to my dog. But I also want him to be a loving, tolerable member of the family. 

Thanks for sharing and thanks for letting me vent a bit. It's frustrating when there is so much conflicting information out there.

SAMSON IS OFFICIALLY 6 MONTHS OLD AS OF TODAY!!!!


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

Happy 1/2 birthday big boy!!!!!! I was thinking about Samson this morning so I timed myself vs. distance walked and came up with this:

Rusty and I walk a 13 minute mile which equates out to 4.61 miles per hour average speed. Average walking speed for women is 3, men not quite 3.5. Power walking is between 4.5 and 5mph so Rusty and I are considered Power Walkers by that standard. We walk for approx 25 minutes at this pace which means we cover approx 2 miles (including the goofing around checkin' out the trash cans & skunks on the golf course) Rusty was 98 lbs when I adopted him on May 26th and now weighs in at 81 lbs. We been on this routine for 96 days (but started out at a lower distance) so I'd say ol' RustyBoy and I have walked, talked, joked, got skunked, etc........about 155 miles together so far.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

That's great exercise! He looks awesome.


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Nygel just turned 6 months & he lets me know when enough is enough. We normally walk on trails in the forest and the boys are off lead. When he starts to get tired he puts himself in the heeling position & then I know that it's time to go home. And, boy, does he sleep then!


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## Bailey's Mom1 (Sep 7, 2007)

I was wondering the exact same thing! Our Bailey will be 6 months next week and we have been walking Bailey since she was around 12 weeks or so. We worked up to about 1.25 miles (twice a day) at a slow and relaxed pace. She has so much energy and we don't have a fenced in yard. If we don't walk her, she gets so wild and zooms around the house like a lunatic!!! While reading through the forum, I read that walking puppies is bad for their joints. I felt so guilty and upset, I was literally sick to my stomach thinking that we could have harmed our little puppy! I immediately called my vet and she reassured me that as long as the pace was slow, and that we were not jogging, the walks were fine.
I hope Samson feels better.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

If any of you have the option of letting your pups play on a baseball or school field, do not ever worry about having to limit that- free off leash play on grass is at the dog's discretion.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

Samson was totally fine by the time I got home from work yesterday. And I also wanted to say....I only work a 4-5 hour day. But for me, after not working away from home in years, it's been a major adjustment.

Steve, Yup....3 miles an hour is exactly what I walk. A 20 minute mile. I'm very tall with long legs, so this is not a fast walk. This is just walking.


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## Ari69 (May 1, 2014)

*Advice from a Golden Retriever Breeder of 42 yrs.*

Rule of thumb for walking puppies, particularly large breeds who are prone to joint and hip problems, up to 12 months is 1 minute for every week of their life so at 5 months your puppy should not be having more than 20/ 30 minutes exercise per day. Free play in your own garden is absolutely fine but if you want your puppy to grow with healthy bones and be free from hip problems the answer is not to overdo the exercise. 

People seem to think that if they exercise a puppy until it drops then the puppy will sleep with exhaustion and not cause them any trouble for the rest of the day. What they don't take into consideration is the untold damage this is doing to their joints and this can result in problems later in life.. 

The long walks can come later once the pup is fully grown.


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