# How much exercise for an 11 week old puppy?



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Puppies vary but I would rig up a long line 20-50' to let him play in a grassy area. Hard pavement can be hard on growing puppy joints. With a long line you will be able to practice recall and retrieving.


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## mfreib1 (Apr 8, 2011)

we go out to a neighborhood park, i get on one side of the field, and my fiance gets on the other and we let her run back and forth between the two of us (with a treat waiting on the other end) until she tires. Usually she makes about 8 trips total, we then walk her about a quarter to half a mile. She is tired for about an hour after but is back to her energetic self not to long after


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

I was told,no more than 15mns walk and free playtime.
To avoid stairs and hard roads cos tough on their joints.


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## MPHW (Apr 16, 2011)

We don't have the option to take him to a park right now because he hasn't had all his shots. But we need to exercise him, so I'm back to square one. I wonder what people in apartments or condos do for exercising their puppies when they aren't fully immunized and walking on concrete is bad.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

When Tess was that age, I would only take her into the garden and have her potty around the house. I played a lot with her inside, because it was December and very cold. Things that she loved: have a long piece of rope, sit on the ground and 'snake' the rope over and around you and have him follow that. Make him sniff a treat and hide it somewhere. First stay close, then go a little further. Have your partner hide in the apartment and make him search. Roll a ball between the two of you and have him get it. Teach him to 'sit' and 'down' and 'shake', things like that will tire him out. Get a Kong and fill it up with frozen yoghurt and kibble. Have him follow you around in the house...Things like that...Good luck, I'm sure you'll manage!


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## mfreib1 (Apr 8, 2011)

MPHW said:


> We don't have the option to take him to a park right now because he hasn't had all his shots. But we need to exercise him, so I'm back to square one. I wonder what people in apartments or condos do for exercising their puppies when they aren't fully immunized and walking on concrete is bad.


 
We are in the same boat as you, she is not fully immunized and we live in an appartment. We still take her to the park and let her run around and walk her on the sidewalk. Walking on concrete is fine i believe, its when you get to running and high impact activities that it becomes a probelm for their joints on concrete.....even then i dont think the puppy running by his his/her own will on concrete a little will hurt. The vet told us she could be around other dogs and out in the park as long as we make sure any other dog she encounters is up to date on their shots, which has been the case. I understand you want to be careful but remember she is an animal and resiliant, having her in the park should not be a problem.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

At this age the risk of picking up a nasty bug is greater than the need for exercise. If you need to stimulate him play games that stimulate his mind...get a food dispensing toy, play "find the treat under the flower pot", ask him to guess which hand has the treat, start training sit, lay down, come....asking him to use his mind will get him just as tired and less keyed up than a 15 minute walk.
Once the shots are complete playing on a park is OK but I'm still hesitant, there are so many stories of dogs being attacked by random murderous beasts running loose with no control. The puppy day care where I go is running a collection for a little Maltese who was so badly attacked that they had to literally reinsert her stomack and staple it to the abdominal wall, all because a raging animal (won't say the breed) came running and viciously, viciously attacked her within an inch of her life.
Max hasn't gone to a public park yet. Probably won't, unless it's related to a doggy event.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Formal exercising on a young puppy can damage growing joints. Play and mind stimulation are best, I think.


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## mfreib1 (Apr 8, 2011)

Lilliam said:


> At this age the risk of picking up a nasty bug is greater than the need for exercise. If you need to stimulate him play games that stimulate his mind...get a food dispensing toy, play "find the treat under the flower pot", ask him to guess which hand has the treat, start training sit, lay down, come....asking him to use his mind will get him just as tired and less keyed up than a 15 minute walk.
> Once the shots are complete playing on a park is OK but I'm still hesitant, there are so many stories of dogs being attacked by random murderous beasts running loose with no control. The puppy day care where I go is running a collection for a little Maltese who was so badly attacked that they had to literally reinsert her stomack and staple it to the abdominal wall, all because a raging animal (won't say the breed) came running and viciously, viciously attacked her within an inch of her life.
> Max hasn't gone to a public park yet. Probably won't, unless it's related to a doggy event.
> 
> Anyway, I'm rambling. Formal exercising on a young puppy can damage growing joints. Play and mind stimulation are best, I think.


 
Wow, what scary area of the world do you live in. We take ours to a small neighborhood park where we are almost always the only ones there. Sometimes there are people playing on the basketball court, but never any other animals.....


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

mfreib1 said:


> Wow, what scary area of the world do you live in. We take ours to a small neighborhood park where we are almost always the only ones there. Sometimes there are people playing on the basketball court, but never any other animals.....


I'm in a quiet area, but it is urban. When I lived in Los Angeles I had one of my border collies attacked when she was six months old in a dog park. There was recently a dog who was shot to death at a dog park by a cop.

I don't go to dog parks, except for the one that is adjacent to the doggy day care and hospital where my dog goes. It is not public. 

I prefer to be ultra safe than terribly sorry.


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## mfreib1 (Apr 8, 2011)

Lilliam said:


> I'm in a quiet area, but it is urban. When I lived in Los Angeles I had one of my border collies attacked when she was six months old in a dog park. There was recently a dog who was shot to death at a dog park by a cop.
> 
> I don't go to dog parks, except for the one that is adjacent to the doggy day care and hospital where my dog goes. It is not public.
> 
> I prefer to be ultra safe than terribly sorry.


 
Most certainly understand that, like i said we take ours to a safe park and only let her off her collar if no other animals are around


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

mfreib1 said:


> Most certainly understand that, like i said we take ours to a safe park and only let her off her collar if no other animals are around


I wish we had a place further away from the urban areas. Or even like the UK. It's so different when you're out of the city.


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## mfreib1 (Apr 8, 2011)

There is a trainer in town that hosts open field socializations where anywhere from 10-20 dogs go in a large open, gated, field to play and socialize. The dogs have to have gone through the training program and be approved prior to attending the event.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

That is perfect. Max goes to doggy day care - started out as a means to not have him be in the house without a human while we're at work and it's turned out to be something he just loves. The whole staff just loves him, they even call him by my nick name for him, Maxy-Max. Sometimes they have him at the front counter when I get in to pick him up, visiting the staff. 
So he goes there for day care on the days I go to work, he stays home with me when I work from home. His vet is right there, he gets groomed there, and he goes to the private dog park there. He's even got his best doggy friends!

A secure environment where you know the dogs and their people is safe. These places where people walk off the street and who don't even look at what the dogs are doing is a recipe for disaster.


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## mfreib1 (Apr 8, 2011)

If you dont mind me asking, how much does a day of doggy day care run?


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

mfreib1 said:


> If you dont mind me asking, how much does a day of doggy day care run?


It's $25 per day. He has turn outs with other doggies his same age/energy level, and he also has indoor play rooms. The handlers are awesome, and the most important thing to me is that Max RUNS to them, tail wagging, every single morning!
My older dog, Billy, is also going since we lost Dru. But he goes twice a week. I think four times would be too much, he's nine.


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