How Far/long To Walk A Lab?

[YoungBrit]

I have taken in (stray) a male labrador (7-10 months vets estimation) who is living outside (perfectly happily) in a fairly decent sized garden. By that I mean I can throw a ball and he can run and retrieve etc.

He sleeps most of the day due to the heat but early morning and evening he has a lot more energy. I have read a lot about how far and long to walk him and have seen a puppy should not be walked to much etc.

I was wondering what people would recommend because of the heat here how it differs from normal conditions?

Currently he is getting 10mins walk in the morning and about a 20min walk + play time (fetch) in the evening. On the weekends he is getting a lot longer in the late afternoon evening......40mins to an hour. If he is restless in the evenings I will also take him out for another 10mins before I sleep.

Just looking for advice/ thoughts on this?

Thanks,

YoungBrit

[joeaverage]

if it truly is a lab swimming is the best way to exhaust it.

A body of water, an old tennis racket and a couple of tennis balls.

whack, wait, repeat until the dog wont return the ball.

exercised.

Edited June 4, 2013 by joeaverage

[BookMan]

Waiting for it to reach old age will be your best bet

[YoungBrit]

if it truly is a lab swimming is the best way to exhaust it.

A body of water, an old tennis racket and a couple of tennis balls.

whack, wait, repeat until the dog wont return the ball.

exercised.

He is a labrador thai, been told mostly taken the lab side.

I will be taking him swimming. Thanks very much.

[Jasun]

I wouldn't walk it too far, it's owner might spot it.

[Mobi]

I think you're doing just fine.

We have 4 dogs, a lab (2 years old), a golden and 2 shih Tsuzs and we take them on a daily walk lasting about 15 mins. The Golden is old and just lumbers along, but we let the lab off the lead and he scampers around like crazy and wears himself out.

We also have a decent sized garden and all the dogs can run around and take exercise. Sometimes the lab goes crazy and races around the pool edge at very high speed. We don't let any of them in the pool as it will clog up the system with their hairs.

Check his weight - if he is in good shape with just a hint of his bone cage showing through his skin on the sides then he is about right.

The biggest problem with pet dogs here is overweight, and it is even more unhealthy in a hot climate - just like us....

Enjoy your dog - labs are great fun and very loving.

[YoungBrit]

I think you're doing just fine.

We have 4 dogs, a lab (2 years old), a golden and 2 shih Tsuzs and we take them on a daily walk lasting about 15 mins. The Golden is old and just lumbers along, but we let the lab off the lead and he scampers around like crazy and wears himself out.

We also have a decent sized garden and all the dogs can run around and take exercise. Sometimes the lab goes crazy and races around the pool edge at very high speed. We don't let any of them in the pool as it will clog up the system with their hairs.

Check his weight - if he is in good shape with just a hint of his bone cage showing through his skin on the sides then he is about right.

The biggest problem with pet dogs here is overweight, and it is even more unhealthy in a hot climate - just like us....

Enjoy your dog - labs are great fun and very loving.

Thanks very much for the help Mobi. Will keep going with what I am doing with adding swimming in a couple of times a week.

Thank,

Young Brit

[Cuban]

There is a rough guide that can be applied to most dogs of +5minutes per day per month of age of the pup/dog.

So at 7 months => 35 minutes walking per day at 9 months 45 minutes etc. up to an hour for mature dogs. Our timings and durations depend on the weather, heat and day of the week.

Active play around the house/garden does not contribute to this time.

The walking can be on-lead (good for control training and being used to being on-lead) or accompanied as we do when walking across the fields, river, Wat and back home. Starting and ending on-lead, free roam in the middle with the option to go on-lead depending on who/what we meet en-route.

The issue of concern is causing joint damage in a breed that is susceptible to various joint dysplasia problems (typically hip/elbow), Labradors are a breed that can often carry this inherited disease. I believe that incessant in-breeding of cousins has allowed breed specific diseases to flourish. more so in recent years, particularity where motive is puppy sales rather than health of the stock.

Canine Elbow Dysplasia=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbow_dysplasia

Canine Hip Dysplasia=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_hip_dysplasia

There are checks that a vet can carry out to see what the "Hip score" is, a rating of if affected and if so how badly affected a dog is. Mostly this problem becomes apparent in older dogs, but pups showing signs are not uncommon and their life-experience and treatments are not easy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever#Inherited_disorders

Part of the mix in limiting walking (forced exercise) is to reduce any physical injury that affects development of a pup's joints and so acts as a precursor to joint problems later in life.

For example: A family will enjoy watching a pup scramble to climb a staircase at home and then jump down the stairs in turn, oh what fun!

....pity that the shock pressure that is experienced by the pup on paws and shoulder joints is completely unnatural, pups generally do not live on mountains, and such activity will damage the pup. Larger the breed (weight) the greater the damage.

Even my Golden (about 18mth-2yrs and 37Kg) and Rottie-Cross (5Yr-40Kg) I don't left jump down from the back of the SUV, certainly not onto hard ground.

In all the treatment programs I've seen for CED/CHD include Glucosamine (often from sea-borne micro creatures), I see this is too little too late in the treatment of a condition that is not going to improve with a late change of diet and needs surgery that is expensive and generally not common in Thailand I understand.

So why not avoid the problem latter in life by feeding a diet that carries Glucosamine in a natural form that dogs would have eaten for thousands of years, namely chicken bodies etc. Animal joints (chicken legs/wings/backbones) carry Glucosamine in a form that is readily digested and is bio-available to the dog's system.

I also feed a small amount of vitamin C as I have read about this being a missing nutriment that plays a part in the whole scheme, we feed a little Papaya or Guava, sometimes as is; if I'm eating some from a plate the dogs will desire to share some of my food so it's an easy hit. Otherwise half a vitamin C tablet can be used when training your dog to accept medication or in left-overs that are also seen by the dog as a treat being shared food from the boss.

The other thing to consider during and after your walks is to carry out a paw/pad inspection. If your established daily pattern includes a walk your dog will move heaven and earth to accompany you on your walk/patrol/hunt and mark out your/his territory. So if he is suffering a cut pad he is likely to walk on it - how dogs can endure such pain is beyond me. One of mine suffered a cut that I choose to carry half a mile home, took a week to heal.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Cuban

[taotoo]

Your dog would probably appreciate longer walks than you are prepared/able to offer it. Any theorizing about measuring walks in tens of minutes is solely to make owners feel better about this.

[YoungBrit]

There is a rough guide that can be applied to most dogs of +5minutes per day per month of age of the pup/dog.

So at 7 months => 35 minutes walking per day at 9 months 45 minutes etc. up to an hour for mature dogs. Our timings and durations depend on the weather, heat and day of the week.

Active play around the house/garden does not contribute to this time.

The walking can be on-lead (good for control training and being used to being on-lead) or accompanied as we do when walking across the fields, river, Wat and back home. Starting and ending on-lead, free roam in the middle with the option to go on-lead depending on who/what we meet en-route.

The issue of concern is causing joint damage in a breed that is susceptible to various joint dysplasia problems (typically hip/elbow), Labradors are a breed that can often carry this inherited disease. I believe that incessant in-breeding of cousins has allowed breed specific diseases to flourish. more so in recent years, particularity where motive is puppy sales rather than health of the stock.

Canine Elbow Dysplasia=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbow_dysplasia

Canine Hip Dysplasia=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_hip_dysplasia

There are checks that a vet can carry out to see what the "Hip score" is, a rating of if affected and if so how badly affected a dog is. Mostly this problem becomes apparent in older dogs, but pups showing signs are not uncommon and their life-experience and treatments are not easy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever#Inherited_disorders

Part of the mix in limiting walking (forced exercise) is to reduce any physical injury that affects development of a pup's joints and so acts as a precursor to joint problems later in life.

For example: A family will enjoy watching a pup scramble to climb a staircase at home and then jump down the stairs in turn, oh what fun!

....pity that the shock pressure that is experienced by the pup on paws and shoulder joints is completely unnatural, pups generally do not live on mountains, and such activity will damage the pup. Larger the breed (weight) the greater the damage.

Even my Golden (about 18mth-2yrs and 37Kg) and Rottie-Cross (5Yr-40Kg) I don't left jump down from the back of the SUV, certainly not onto hard ground.

In all the treatment programs I've seen for CED/CHD include Glucosamine (often from sea-borne micro creatures), I see this is too little too late in the treatment of a condition that is not going to improve with a late change of diet and needs surgery that is expensive and generally not common in Thailand I understand.

So why not avoid the problem latter in life by feeding a diet that carries Glucosamine in a natural form that dogs would have eaten for thousands of years, namely chicken bodies etc. Animal joints (chicken legs/wings/backbones) carry Glucosamine in a form that is readily digested and is bio-available to the dog's system.

I also feed a small amount of vitamin C as I have read about this being a missing nutriment that plays a part in the whole scheme, we feed a little Papaya or Guava, sometimes as is; if I'm eating some from a plate the dogs will desire to share some of my food so it's an easy hit. Otherwise half a vitamin C tablet can be used when training your dog to accept medication or in left-overs that are also seen by the dog as a treat being shared food from the boss.

The other thing to consider during and after your walks is to carry out a paw/pad inspection. If your established daily pattern includes a walk your dog will move heaven and earth to accompany you on your walk/patrol/hunt and mark out your/his territory. So if he is suffering a cut pad he is likely to walk on it - how dogs can endure such pain is beyond me. One of mine suffered a cut that I choose to carry half a mile home, took a week to heal.

Thanks very much for this excellent information, some great points that I will be in mind.

YoungBrit

[Cuban]

Your dog would probably appreciate longer walks than you are prepared/able to offer it.

Any theorizing about measuring walks in tens of minutes is solely to make owners feel better about this.

The "5 minute rule" as some call it (there are many Google hits if you can be bothered to look) is about providing a guideline for new owners of pups/dogs that do not have the knowledge or experience from other sources.

I have read on other forums about new puppy owners walking their new pride an joy for over two hours and then seeking answers as to why the pup is despondent and had trouble walking that evening, no thought about the distance covered in terms of the pup's perspective nor to look at the pups paws for swelling or blisters. A pup still has soft skin on their pads rather than an older dog's harden scaly skin.

Not every dog owner can be bothered to carry out any frequent inspection of their dog nor extend their canine education beyond learning the name of the breed. It is the responsible owner that asks such questions and researches beyond their assumptions.

Looking at the walk as a process that makes sense from the dog's perspective is wise, it's about the establishing of a territorial claim (scent marking) looking for food in the hunt (most dogs have the prey-drive even if fortunately there is no kill) and the exercise/explore element. A dog will happily follow it's master well into the pain exhaustion zone because that what a loyal dog does. I wise owner will consider what is enough and not test the limits.

For the record our average walks are 45 minutes to an hour, longer walks once in a while will be two hours depending on the state of the fields and weather (cool season) but they will include a sit down rest. But when we take the pup (6 months) it will be about ~20 + ~15 minutes per day for her - but her inclusion in these mini-walks with the other older dogs is part of the pack bonding.

Exact walking schedule depends on your dogs, your situation and yourself, the "5 minute rule" is a guide not an Excel spreadsheet!

Edited June 6, 2013 by Cuban

[Big Guns]

I walk my lab and English bull terrier together with their leads for about 35 minutes every day at about 4.30/5pm. I know many experts recommend 2 30 minute walks per day but my job means I can't do the early morning walk. Also you must walk them before a meal. My lab is 8 years old and my bull terrier is 6 years old.

[isanbirder]

I walk my lab and English bull terrier together with their leads for about 35 minutes every day at about 4.30/5pm. I know many experts recommend 2 30 minute walks per day but my job means I can't do the early morning walk. Also you must walk them before a meal. My lab is 8 years old and my bull terrier is 6 years old.

I take my four toy poodles for 1 1/2 to 2 hours soon after dawn. Sometimes the 8-year-old GSX comes with us, but he's never been a good walker. I walk slowly, because I'm often stopping to look at birds, so the distance I cover is not all that long. The distance they cover, if they feel like it, is much longer. The two most energetic ones 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old respectively, chase each other backwards and forwards, and cover much greater distances. They decide how far they want to walk. If one dog doesn't feel like joining us, there's no compulsion.

[taotoo]

I walk my lab and English bull terrier together with their leads for about 35 minutes every day at about 4.30/5pm. I know many experts recommend 2 30 minute walks per day but my job means I can't do the early morning walk. Also you must walk them before a meal. My lab is 8 years old and my bull terrier is 6 years old.

I take my four toy poodles for 1 1/2 to 2 hours soon after dawn. Sometimes the 8-year-old GSX comes with us, but he's never been a good walker. I walk slowly, because I'm often stopping to look at birds, so the distance I cover is not all that long. The distance they cover, if they feel like it, is much longer. The two most energetic ones 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old respectively, chase each other backwards and forwards, and cover much greater distances. They decide how far they want to walk. If one dog doesn't feel like joining us, there's no compulsion.

Sounds like you've got a good system going there, and I'm sure your dogs appreciate it.