How much walking per day is enough?
Hi: I've been walking my 10 month old Pembroke Corgi twice a day, for about 20-30 minutes each walk.
Now that there is so much frozen snow I can't let her do much running, but when the weather was nicer I did, and when it is again I do plan to let her do a lot of running around in the grass (2-3 x per day, about 20 minutes ea time).
She runs around the condo a bit each day, but is in a playpen ( a playpen made just for dogs) the rest of the time, with a bed and bones and toys, because she gets into a bit of trouble if loose for too long!
For now, is 2/ 20+ minutes of walking time per day enough, do you think? Thanks.
Here is her playpen:
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Susan Marie Kovalinsky on
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(sorry i put this twice- did not realize I could upload on the post )Here is a pic of her playpen, by the way....
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dog-playpen-white.jpg, 60 KB
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Permalink Reply by susan on
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I'm not an expert by any means, but I've had two corgis and I know that they are high energy, very smart dogs. Just taking a 10 month old pup for 2 -20 minute walks a day and then sticking it in a play pen the rest of the time sounds awful to me. Sorry to be so harsh. Lengthen the walks to an hour and only put him in the play pen when you absolutely can't watch him- like when your are cooking or something. Yes they get into trouble, but the only way they learn not to is to train them. And, if your pup is bored, he/she will just get into more trouble. They look for stuff to occupy themselves and it usually isn't what a human thinks is a good idea. Do trick training, play fetch, take him to obiediance class. Your pup needs to be able to interact with you to learn what behavoir is acceptable and what is not. The play pen or a crate is great at night and when you are away, and for short periods when you just can't keep an eye on him. Otherwise, let him loose and play!
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Thank you - and I agree with you. The playpen was basically to keep her safe when she was very young, but I agree she needs to be loose now. I will simply have to put the cats in another room when she is out. (she goes crazy chasing the kitties). I must add that she spends much time sitting on my lap and cuddling while I am watching TV, etc., and she is very loved and interacted with. The playpen is right in the middle of the living room and she is there with us when we are watching tv, etc.---she is not off alone at all. She also takes a lot of car rides with us. I bought her a big ball to play with and will use it when she is out in the warmer weather, too. But I do agree with you that at this age more time out is needed. Thanks so much for your input.
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Permalink Reply by Anya Q. on
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Did you have your pup when she was younger? How much time did you spend with her then?
I've had a few dogs in my life and know that even the ones who don't need that much exercise still like to interact with their humans, leaving the dog for basically the whole day doesn't sound like a very good idea.
I just got a new puppy who is almost 12 weeks and at this age you shouldn't walk/run them too much as it is not good for their joints but we still spend at least(!) 3 hours total with him whether it be walking outside, playing/training in the house or just hanging out and bonding with him. We both work full time and knew that getting a dog was a big commitment so we prepared ourselves for very little free time once the dog arrived.
I also agree with Susan that the only way a dog will learn not to get into trouble is by you putting in a little extra effort in the beginning, otherwise she'll never learn.
I wish you best of luck and hope you can work on a better schedule for your and your baby's sake :)
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Thanks. Yes, I have had her since she was 4 months old, and have spent a lot of time with her but she is quite hyper and a bit hard to train. I am working on it and she is improving. I do intend to work things out so that she spends less and less time in the playpen. I do work from home so she is never alone - never in an empty house. Thanks again. :)
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SMK, just saw your reply to Susan :)
I have a cat too and my pup LOVES to chase her around and bark at her but the cat was in the house first and I am trying to teach the puppy to respect her space because otherwise one of them will always have to be locked up and that just complicates things for everyone in the house.
Maybe do a little Googling about cat/dog introduction and interaction and what you, the owner, should do. I always read a lot of articles and blogs to help me give a better, more stable house for my animals. You want everyone to co-exist in peace, or you'll have a very stressful environment.
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Yes. I do agree! In the past , my husband and I had an American Eskimo and as he got beyond the puppy stage, he became much calmer with the cats. I am hoping the Pembroke, Ella, will be the same. I do try and let her and the cats look at each other and be near each other (the playpen is a big help in this sense) but she does become excited and tries to play and roughhouse with them when she is free, which they don't like. :( She is such a sweetie so I am hoping she will be a bit calmer as she gets older as my other pooch was. In the mean time, I will indeed research or ask my vet group for suggestions. Thanks once more! Most appreciated.
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Permalink Reply by Nicole Edwards on
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I have a super busy corgi as well. When she was a puppy she never stopped. It was go go go go all the time. And she loved to chase the kitties!! It's better now that she is older and can settle down for quiet times. However I found one of the best toys to keep Selkie occupied when she was little (and still does) was the IQ treat ball. I would put some kibble in it as well as some high value treats like chopped up hotdogs. Hotdogs won over chasing kitties every time!!! Selkie also responded to clicker training really well. I taught her had signals for different tricks so that I could just sit there and motion with my hands and she would constantly watch me to get that click and treat. Good luck and remember it will get better:)
As far as walking, you are the best judge of how much is too much. Your pup is just about to the age of full grown so you don't need to be as concerned for joint issues and problems. Do you have any hiking trials you could take her on with softer ground? or a dog park and let her run around crazy for periods of time and interact with other dogs? The more stimulation that she gets the more relaxed she will be at home and not chase the cats so much.
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Yes, Nicole, there are hiking trails and as the weather gets warmer I intend to use them. She gets "play dates" with a few other poochies as well, and this again has only been curtailed due to the awful snow and ice these past 3 months.
I will get the IQ ball- it sounds wonderful! Thanks so much
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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on
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Susan MK, the problem is not with the amount of exercise, the problem is the play pen. not only is it too restrictive at her age, more importantly she learns nothing when in it. She needs to be out and learn what is acceptable behavior in the house and that these rules you have taught her apply at all times. There have been many discussions here on how to deal with dog-cat interaction and a search of the site will be quite fruitful on that topic. You need to give her progressively more supervised freedom and training so she can progressively earn your trust. Confinement should be for when no one is home, or at night.
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I agree, Anna. I have been worried about it and that is what propelled me to make this post. I don't feel it's right for her to be in it, and the cats are really the only reason she is.
Right now, she is out and is chasing her big ball in the kitchen and living room. I have been lengthening her play times out of the pen and she seems to be doing better and better. The cats run upstairs when they hear her out.
I will do a search now on the cat/dog issue. Thanks so much for your informative and helpful input.
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She will become better as being out becomes the normal thing for her. Make sure she has a place where she can choose to go when she is ready to settle down, so she can get into a new routine.
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