Topic: How long should 3 walks a day be?

[cocopops]

I have two 9 and 8 month old male pups, and a 1.5 acre garden.  They have started to chew anything they can get near.  I was told they are probably bored and need extra walking and toys.  Got the toys and play with them when I can (not raining).  I have taken them for several walks each day , each 40 minutes, off lead and running through fields.  One is a border collie x spaniel, the other a lab x bloodhound.

I am loving the dog walking, but what does three walks 3 day  mean? I would have over two hours a day walking them.

Thanks for any advice.  :)

[star]

Oh heck cocopops.......you do have your hands full! I have had our two from pups and they have been fantastic really. But you are going through the worst period now. Maybe its not so much boredom as its pup excuberance.

You also REALLY need to set yourself up as leader. Im not in agreement with a lot of training or behavoural treatments....but I read Jan Fennels book, The Dog Whisperer (I think), and she does give some very sound advice. Also there was a programme called Wolfman on Animal Planet, bound to be repeated at some stage. Where you eat before the rest of the pack, plus lots of signals, or canine language as its called.

You dont stroke your 'pack' when they demand it, its all when you decide.

EG, When Im getting ready to walk mine, as soon as they start to get bouncy and whine ect. I sit down. I dont start the next stage till they are quiet, it took me 2 hours to get out of the house when I first started. Now its 10 minutes.

I think of it this way....if your kids yell and shout at you to take them to the shop for sweets, how would you react? I know I would say to them,' You get nothing till you ask properly and show some respect'.

Obviously a dog wont understand that, so we have to learn thier language which is action or no action.

You can with patience and kindness communicate on their level so they fully understand you, but it does take a lot of effort. I do recomend you get a book by Jan.......it has worked for us. the one thing Im still working on is barking far too much, but I guess one day I'll release I dont need to do that!! ;D  Good luck

[ipt8]

I am afraid they are coming up to adolescence and will be hell for twelve months. Dog bones from the butcher may keep them occupied for longer but just make sure they do not quarrel over them. The idea is to keep them busy with the bones rather than other things. Good luck.

[SnooziSuzi]

I agree with Star...

My sister in law has had dogs for a number of years and she does exactly what Star has said; ie no feeding the dog unless you've eaten, make sure the dog is greeted last when meeting people etc and it's worked a treat.  None of her dogs have ever been anything but perfect and they are a real credit to her.

Good luck!  ;D

[Trevor_D]

With meal-times, be very very strict. Dogs sit on their mats (They do have mats, don't they? A place of their own is very important.) until the meal is over. But they always get something as a treat afterwards. Our first meal with Timmy took an age, while we took it in turns every few seconds to put him back on his mat. But he taught Pippa and we've never had an ounce of trouble from her.

But when they're young they need a lot of exercise. It sounds as if your garden is great, and if you can walk them across fields even better. We've got endless woods at the back of us and we've walked them for an hour a time twice a day (but just a quick wee in the garden at night), but as they get older just once a day is fine.

It's good for us too. Some days - especially at this time of year - it would be very easy to stay in all day!

And we let the dogs greet people first. They vet them to see if they're safe to let in. But then they settle down & leave us in peace. Just establish your regime. Remember - you're top dog.

[bunjies]

hi hun!
1st up, your babbers are still teething the big ole molars at the back, and they hurt!
grab a couple of ragger toys and lob them in yer freezer, then give them to the beasters.
if they were mine, they would be crate trained. if yours arent i strongly recommend it!
with a crate (one per dog), you can teach them that the crate is the ONLY acceptable place for chewing to occur. once they are used to the crate (dont just get one and shut them in, let me know if you need help with preparing them for a crate should you choose to crate them) they will eat there, sleep there, chew there toys there. it becomes a safe haven and a place of security.
when you have to go out, they go in the crate (never crate a dog with his collar on!!!!). you come home and you KNOW they can not be any damage. the dogs learn to settle down and go to sleep when you are away. also more importantly to me, it meant that i knew my dogs were safe. no electrocutions from chewing wires, no intestinal blockages from eating the sofa stuffing etc etc!
you dont have to crate them forever, but till they have proved themselves to be reliable, mine get crated.

i dont agree that you dogs need more exercise. if you want to walk them more, feel free! they will love it i'm sure!  however unless you can run them till they are physically tired (young dogs = almost impossible) it aint going to help much on your return. teach them stuff. anything, teach them absolutely anything!!!
it is mental stimulation that will tire a dog out and let him settle. how is their basic obedience? if its not hot, teach it till it is. if its excellent, teach them tricks.
tricks can be anything from shake a paw, roll over, beg all the way to fetch the post, put your toys away, bring me the remote control etc.
when they are older i would suggest you try agility or flyball, but these are activities that need to wait till the bones have stopped growing, ie at LEAST 12 months.
i have border collies, and i can tire mine out with a good training session more than hiking the moors. yes they will sleep for a while after a hike, but as soon as they are awake they are ready to go again. after a trianing session they may not sleep, but they will chill out for hours! its all about teaching you dogs to have an off switch. they are all born with an on switch, but most need to be taught how to switch of and chill out!

one last thing, what are you feeding them?
if they are on puppy food, they may need to go to adult food now.
many people get sold working dog food for their bc's, spaniels and labs etc. but there is a difference between a working breed and a dog that works. unless the dog is in active work it doesnt need working dog food. the protein and carbs in working dog food are waaaaaaaaaay more than even an active pet usually needs.
its like giving a toddler a bag of sweeties washed down with pop, and expecting them to sit quietly!

i would also say you dont need lots of toys. they need something they can chew. but lots of toys around the house encourages rowdy play and demands of a game. i would keep all toys except the chewies out of sight, and only bring them out when I want a game, and then use it for training.
2 youngsters together doesnt usually make for easy training, perhaps you can do seperate sessions. having another pup to play with is great for them, but you need to make sure that they each bond with you more than they bond with each other ;)
if you need any help hun, please feel free to ask. puppies can be despairing and times (and at 9 months it feels like most of the time!)

i hope that has been of some use xx