Puppy Exercise?

[Guest MsBee]

My breeder is upset with me because she does not think I'm giving my grey pup enough free-running exercise. We spend a minimum of 2 hrs a day at the dog park, and occasionally visit my friend and her pup so they can play together as much as they like during a what are usually 4+ hour visits. For those of you who have raised puppies in the past how much additional free-running exercise should mine be getting?

Edited August 21, 2017 by MsBee

[cleptogrey]

felix came to us at 7 weeks. his exercise needs changed along with his growth and development.and yes, he acted like a puppy well into his 3rd year. before i can answer your questions i really need to know how old your pup is and what else is going on in their/your life. let's get some details before responses.

[Guest MsBee]

He's about 6 months old, and I work full time. He gets quick walks on my breaks and play time during lunch.

[cleptogrey]

i personally don't think that's enough exercise. as they mature their strength and power increases. yours is just about the age where their brains/coordination/power are not in sync. mine became very accident prone around 8 months and that continued for some time.

 

how about playtime before work,(cool down, feeding, utility walk),your dog will sleep while you are working. then a longer walk mid day- 1-2 miles with a dog walker (at least 30 min),this will result in another good nap. then playtime after work and training, dinner and then a good long evening walk. from what i remember we had many short fun playtimes and lots of long- 2-4 mile walks at that age. i used to wear felix out with a good game of catch before our meet ups with other greyhound and long walks in the woods. training for obedience classes daily and classes once a week. free running was playing soccer, tennis, frisbee or occasionally meeting up with his litter mate. i personally do not like dog parks-

 

having any pup is work, a sighthound is extra work since they have that added bonus- they are runners.

 

krissy is on her second gh pup and she does a remarkable job with her dogs. i hope she adds in.

Edited August 21, 2017 by cleptogrey

[greysmom]

FWIW, my puppy didn't run all that much. She *did* play a lot with our other adults and with me or DH. She ended up growing just fine - she's 33 inches tall and weighs 90 lbs!

 

I think it might only make a difference if you are planning on doing performance sports with him/her where conditioning is an issue. Then I could see wanting to do more straight out running - jogging with him/her or conditioning on a treadmill.

 

Normal, farm-raised greyhound puppies spend about 95% of their time running with their littermates in long runs designed just for that purpose, but, again, professional athlete-in-training there, not house dog couch puppy!

[NeylasMom]

That is plenty. Until they are older you do also have to be a bit more careful about certain activity until their bones have developed more. That's typically nore repetitive things like jogging and walking, or things that cause impact like jumping down off of things, but I do believe its possible to overdo it. If you feel she needs to burn more energy mental stimulation is as beneficial (see the other puppy thread in here for my specific suggestions). But I would let the dog dictate. If she's chewing stuff up and constantly getting into "trouble" then her energy needs are likely not being met. Otherwise I wouldn't worry. And frankly, unless I'm missing something like you're under contract to course this dog, I think your breeder is nuts. I would be thrilled if my clients offered half the amount if exercise you are providing.

[krissy]

I've raised 2 greyhound pups from 8 weeks for the primary purpose of agility (outside of just being a beloved companion). I always try to give them as much exercise as possible, but it is often broken up into short, frequent training/play sessions. We do lots of training in the backyard and longer running in other larger locations. I try to give my dogs a solid free run at least once a week, but the younger pups are generally daily. I basically allow my pups to determine their activity. The only real restrictions I make are on highly concussive or repetitive activities. No jogging until 12-13 months (with no real distance until 15-18 months), no jumping or weave poles until 13-15 months. Everything else I allow my pups to do as much as they want, but I enforce periodic breaks.