Exercise Time vs. Puppy Age

VonVix

So I'm planning on bringing a German Shepherd into my life sometime this year, so I'm wondering how long would be okay to bring one on walks (or exploration missions as I'd like to call them for a puppy) for at 3, 4, 5, 6 etc months of age? And how many times a day?

I would like to bring him/her out as much as possible at those ages for socialisation reasons (knowing how sensitive sheps can be) but I wouldn't want to wear the pooch down.

Hooked

You'll know if your pup is tired... But - the rule of thumb that I used was as follows.

5 mins of constant walking for every one month of age. We would go out twice a day. So 5 min in the morning, 5 in the afternoon/evening.

1 month = 5 min
2 months = 10 min
3 months = 15 min

And so on...

Your pup won't be out until fully vaccinated (12-16 weeks, vet depending) so you'll be working from a base of 3 months for walks.

Can I offer one piece of puppy advice?

Read up on crate training and proper toilet training (getting up during the night and NOT using pads or paper).

Stay the hell away from Done Deal and backyard breeders!

Best of luck with your pup

tk123

I did 5 mins per month of age with Lucy and it was all she needed - she'd be chilling out half asleep in the grass while the Hill's pups were running laps of the park!!! Plenty of times I had to carry her when she got to tired and went on strike too lol If you know St Anne's park - I had to carry her from the market at red stables all the way up the avenue - my arms were breaking and people kept coming over to pet her asking what was wrong with her - eh she's just tired? :pac:

VonVix

Hooked wrote: »

Can I offer one piece of puppy advice?

Read up on crate training and proper toilet training (getting up during the night and NOT using pads or paper).

Stay the hell away from Done Deal and backyard breeders!

Best of luck with your pup

Oh god yeah! I have been planning for no. 3 for the past three years and made the mistake of using puppy pads then, I know better now as it's one of the first things I looked into when puppy planning.

tk123 wrote: »

I did 5 mins per month of age with Lucy and it was all she needed - she'd be chilling out half asleep in the grass while the Hill's pups were running laps of the park!!! Plenty of times I had to carry her when she got to tired and went on strike too lol If you know St Anne's park - I had to carry her from the market at red stables all the way up the avenue - my arms were breaking and people kept coming over to pet her asking what was wrong with her - eh she's just tired? :pac:

I'm glad I've got the other half to drag around on walks for me, he can do the carrying of the big lump.

DBB

One thing I will advise, when it comes to GSDs you need to get them relatively young, as their Socialisation Period ends early compared to other breeds... you've more to pack into a shorter time period, so I'd rather have the dog away from the breeder at 8 weeks, unless the breeder is really, really pushing the boat out to socialise their pups really well.
You're also aware, I think, to tread very carefully on who you choose to buy from... when Sheps are good, they're fab. But jeez, when they're bad, they're a serious problem in terms of leeriness, shyness, and consequent nervy, fearful behaviour... a nightmare.
You're also aware of the frogdog/showdog problem. This is one breed, and I'm sorry to say this, where I'd be steering clear of the IKC for recommendations for breeders! Show dogs are physical disasters, working dogs are too drivey for many owners... it's getting a calm dog from working lines but who's too chilled out to work that's the trick!

VonVix

DBB wrote: »

One thing I will advise, when it comes to GSDs you need to get them relatively young, as their Socialisation Period ends early compared to other breeds... you've more to pack into a shorter time period, so I'd rather have the dog away from the breeder at 8 weeks, unless the breeder is really, really pushing the boat out to socialise their pups really well.
You're also aware, I think, to tread very carefully on who you choose to buy from... when Sheps are good, they're fab. But jeez, when they're bad, they're a serious problem in terms of leeriness, shyness, and consequent nervy, fearful behaviour... a nightmare.
You're also aware of the frogdog/showdog problem. This is one breed, and I'm sorry to say this, where I'd be steering clear of the IKC for recommendations for breeders! Show dogs are physical disasters, working dogs are too drivey for many owners... it's getting a calm dog from working lines but who's too chilled out to work that's the trick!

Yeah, I have had an opportunity to get a 11/12 week old but I wasn't feeling it because of the age, despite it only being a few weeks difference, they are such softies and I'd want to do right by one in raising it.

That's the thing! I think that is why it has taken me so long. I went down the show dog route for my current dogs and I can see how well that has worked out for me in terms of temperament/health as they came from good lines, but with show GSDs in this country versus backyard breeders it makes the search so awkward! It's like where are those people in the middle hiding. :P

DBB

Have you located a breeder yet?
Show-lines of sheps should be avoided at all costs, in my opinion they have little going for them... frogdog problems, serious health issues with skin and joints, temperament issues. All in one 35+kg package. One of the most successful show-breeders in the country routinely and regularly produces the above. He lives near enough to me, I can spot the dogs he bred from a long, long way away... all front end and no butt!
There are some breeders who reject this carry on, and who recognise the importance of producing dogs that are physically and temperamentally sound, but which don't have as much of the drive of the working dog.. in other words, they're producing pet GSDs.
I have one of these. She is a working dog, as it happens, and although she could do with more oomph sometimes, she's not required to have tons of drive for the job she does so she's perfect as a pet. Indeed, her line is renowned for being great pets, she's the 2nd I've owned from these particular lines.
Whilst I was lucky enough to get her 2nd-hand (!), I plan to buy a pup from the same lines in the next year or two. They are just wonderful dogs