border collie 5 months old - how much exercise?

meesha

meesha

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We have a new addition to the family a mad (well normal by bc standards) 5 month old border collie. Our last one was slightly older when we got him and it was many years ago. Reading on internet it seems they shouldn't be exercised too much at this age but is this still true if its a border collie !! Lady we had her from claimed to have been taking her out with the horse but was vague on distance, I am hoping to take her out eventually with mine but wondered how long to leave it.

Currently she is coming down yard in morning and helping do horses then being walked on lane to meet other dogs and have a play (total an hour ish) and in the evening the same (up to 1.5 hours) and I have just started cycling up and down lane so she stretches her legs (only about a mile).

Don't want to increase this too soon but she is full of running.

Just been to aldi so goodies for all replies
 
Being a collie I would try to exercise her brain, use 'finding' games for ball play rewards, that sort of thing.
 
We have a 6month old Hungarian Vizsla pup and have been told he should only be getting 2 30-40 minute walks. It's the off the lead hooning about that damages young joints so try to keep this to a minimum. Our pup would go all day if he could but second the advice that working a pup's mind is preferable to putting excess strain on young joints.
 
It's so difficult to put any bounds on exercise for pups, and also it's difficult to be prescriptive. "As much as the puppy wants, and is comfortable with" is the answer, but I admit, that's rather meaningless! ETS, and thinking about it, I suspect that watching puppies at play, with experience, will tell us when enough's enough. With experience, you will get to read the puppy's body language, and see when she's tiring. That's the point when we cease what ever we're doing.

My pups do virtually nothing at that age. They're in the house, in the car, they'd go down to the shops and the beach, they'd come with me (as yours does with you), to the stables. They'd also come to the pub, or anywhere really. Rather than exercise, they'd be learning about me, and what I expect of them. They'd learn very slowly. We have a 9 month old lurcher pup in the house, the boy Dave, and when he first arrived, sending him to his bed was almost as a punishment, then it got to a whisper, and now with raised eyebrows, and cocking my head towards his bed he willingly goes there. I don't actually remember teaching him anything!

I wouldn't be thinking about exercise with a sheep dog, I'd be focusing on keeping the mind supplied with interesting topics!

It would be interesting to hear from Dry Rot what his regime was with working Pointer pups. He certainly had a great many, so he thoughts would be of use, I'd have thought.

Alec.
 
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Thanks guys - only had her since Monday but working on basic commands and tasks - she pootles about the yard at her own pace (helping me with the horses) and its only when with the bike she stretches her legs - trying to meet up with other dog walkers on the lane as well each day as they are all off the lead so can have a great time and its good education for her, we also pop next door when possible to friends yard again for more dog/people interaction.

She also comes with me if I am out and about in car which she enjoys - I do think collies are different to many other breeds though - the thought of only giving her a couple of half hour lead walks is unthinkable - she would be climbing the walls.
 
Mental stimulation will tire a BC out quicker. My pups get quite a bit of play time, but at 5 months old only about half an hour walk twice a day.
 
I would ditch the cycling - by 'forcing' her to run like that you may well be doing some damage to her growing joints. The exercise sounds perfectly sufficient but as has been suggested I think you need to do some more mental exercise with her.

Things like hiding balls or toys and teaching her to find them, teaching commands etc.
 
meesha said:
....... - I do think collies are different to many other breeds though - the thought of only giving her a couple of half hour lead walks is unthinkable - she would be climbing the walls.
Click to expand...

If you have such a puppy, now, then I suspect that you will have a serious problem in the future. Ignore my advice, by all means, but were I you I'd take on board the previous two posts. I have had a great many working sheep dogs over the years, and if your puppy of 20 weeks is 'climbing the walls', then the problem will probably not be one of physical exercise, or the lack of it, but one of mental stimulation.

Alec.
 
I think you are over doing it with her TBH, especially with taking her cycling! Two half hours walks should be plenty at the age she's at.
 
only took her cycling the once up and down the lane, have taken the advice on board and will ditch that for a few months - just hope the old owner didn't do too much with her as she said she took her out with the horse !!. She has now settled much more and has calmed down a little to normal puppyness - I think the change of home was too much for her and it may take a while for us to see the "true" personality.

She is now only waking once in the night compared to 3 times and is still coming down the yard twice a day but it is all at her own pace as I get on with things. We are teaching her new commands, she has a kong and we have started some "games" with her.

Thanks for everyones advice.
 
That sounds more appropriate to me - my collies have never done masses of exercise at that age, but have had loads of mental stimulation and have been fine to have around as pups and turned into brilliant dogs :)
 
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