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How long should 3 walks a day be?

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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

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