# Exercise



## Scootash (Apr 6, 2010)

Hi
My four month old pup (male) is currently being walked for about 20 mins a day according to what I have read and been told about not walking a puppy too much whilst their bones are developing. However, I feel this is not enough.
He has so much energey, I have started letting him run off lead in enclosed parks and so far he has a great recall (as long as I have some chicken in my pocket!)

I wondered also how I get a puppy to be calm before a walk as he pulls like mad on the lead and I have tried following advice about stop/starting and turning around etc. He just jumps up and tries to bite the lead and chases leaves/ everything that moves when we start our walk. I currently use a slip lead as this does seem to help a bit with the pulling but I worry it is hurting his throat when he pulls. I have ordered a martingale collar to see if that will help. 

I want him to get more exercise and have tried tiring him out in the garden first but that just seems to make him more excited. 

Any tips would be appreciated as I think he is going to be a big dog and I dont really want one that pulls me and my family around. I am reluctant to start using a headcollar but think the time is approaching that I may need to try it if I can get him under better control. I need to exercise him to drain the energy but need him to be under control and not pull me to where we exercise (if you know what I mean).

Any tips would be appreciated. I also have a three year old son to contend with so even more reason to have a well behaved dog!


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## CutieCocoaCockapoo (Jan 1, 2010)

I've never heard that you aren't supposed to walk dogs a lot when they are still developing. I would think that they would need a lot of exercise when they're young. I have also heard that you are supposed to walk your dog for at least an hour a day. Since your dog has a lot of energy, I would say that it's a good thing that you let him run off-lead at enclosed parks. As for trying to calm him down before walking him, I don't think that trying to tire him out in your garden will work too well, because when you exercise, it gives you more energy. Cocoa, used to pull a little bit when he was walked too, but now he doesn't. 

I don't know if you've ever heard of Cesar Millan The Dog Whisperer ? But he's really good with training dogs. He says that when you're walking your dog, they should be either walking behind you or next to you. The way we stopped Cocoa from pulling was that whenever he tried to go ahead of me, I would stop walking, and pull him back (not hard), so that he would be next to me. Every time he tried to pull, I just did that same thing. Eventually he got the hang of it & now he's very good walking on a leash.

While your puppy is still learning how to walk good on a leash, you might want to hold the lead in a way that it's shorter & there's less room for him to pull. Cocoa used to chase every movig thing that he saw as well, but he's gotten better. When he would try to go after something, I would do the same thing I did when he tried to pull ahead of me. Though sometimes he'll still try to go after a bird or a squirrel. As for draining his energy, do you have an enclosed yard? If you do, you can let him run there or you can try playing fetch with him, etc. It's important for dogs to get lots of exercise. I hope this can help you!! Good Luck!


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## Scootash (Apr 6, 2010)

Hi Alyssa

Yes I have heard of Cesar - in fact I was lucky enough to go and see him at his live show in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. He is amazing! I'm trying to work on getting my pup calm and submissive (ha ha) so we can start the walk in a calm manner to avoid the pulling. I have taken some dog training advice and have been told to drop the lead or walk away if he tries to bite it when I put it on. This of course will take time and practice. If I need to go out in a hurry then it becomes harder as my son doesn't get the idea of waiting for a calm puppy - the opposite in fact ! 
I do pull him back on the walk and correct him . I think basically he needs more time and training. I also think he needs mental stimulation so I'm going to try some obedience before the lead goes on - like still, down, stand etc for about 5 minutes to get him the the training mood! I'll see if that works. Longer walks - well I have been told by several people not to take pups on walks that are too long until they are over 6 months. It is something to do with their joints not being overused before fully grown. But everyone seems to have a different opinion on it so I'm just going to try walking him twice a day for around 20-30 mins to start with and see if that and the off lead running around improves him.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

haha i was at the ceaser show aswell lol. 

the over walking thing is more for larger dogs, they are more to grow into, we are watching my friends 14 week old Grerman Sheperd Dog, even though she is a pup she still goes on the same length of walks as her mum and dad, and her dad was the same when he was a pup. 

so id say go for it, you wont do him any harm.

the lead biting, get a nilon lead hold it in both hands with space inbetwieen, encorege him to bite it then pull it sharply to the side, this gives a wee burning sensation on the tongue. this should after a couple of times discorege him from waning to put the lead in his mouth. 


my girls all walk perfectly on the lead on theor own, but sometime when they are all togeter it is likt Inca and Echo compeat to get infrount. i use a prong/pinch collar. looks nasty but the dogs dont bother about it, they all hated the haltie head harness, and would run away from me when it came to walk time. not they get allw exsited when i pick them up. 


do you get him to sit before you go out the door. another god thing to do (when you have time) is to put on you coat pick up keys(or whatever it is that normaly triggers his exsitment) then take them off ond go sit down. once he has calmed down do it again. repeat this till he doesnt react, then work up to putting his lead or collar on then taking it off and sitting down. the aim is to stop him sing all theas actions as a cause for exsitment.


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## CutieCocoaCockapoo (Jan 1, 2010)

Scootash said:


> Hi Alyssa
> 
> Yes I have heard of Cesar - in fact I was lucky enough to go and see him at his live show in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. He is amazing! I'm trying to work on getting my pup calm and submissive (ha ha) so we can start the walk in a calm manner to avoid the pulling. I have taken some dog training advice and have been told to drop the lead or walk away if he tries to bite it when I put it on. This of course will take time and practice. If I need to go out in a hurry then it becomes harder as my son doesn't get the idea of waiting for a calm puppy - the opposite in fact !
> I do pull him back on the walk and correct him . I think basically he needs more time and training. I also think he needs mental stimulation so I'm going to try some obedience before the lead goes on - like still, down, stand etc for about 5 minutes to get him the the training mood! I'll see if that works. Longer walks - well I have been told by several people not to take pups on walks that are too long until they are over 6 months. It is something to do with their joints not being overused before fully grown. But everyone seems to have a different opinion on it so I'm just going to try walking him twice a day for around 20-30 mins to start with and see if that and the off lead running around improves him.


Well, you know what they say, Practice makes perfect  I think that eventually, he'll get the hang of it & do a lot better on walks  Good Luck!!!


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