Time and duration of exercise

[SAujla]

I like Clover to have minimum two hours of exercise per day. With the weather being hot and my workings hours being in the afternoon until late evening, I've given her 90 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes after 10pm. Is that balance bad for her? She is an explorer so doesn't do much full running but I wondered if its too heavy in the morning.

When the weather calms down I'll go back to a more balanced approach. I'm just wary about her hips and elbows given her breed.

 

[Birker2020]

Beautiful dog.

 

[Widgeon]

If she's young and fit I can't see that 90 minutes of exercise a day is going to damage her, particularly if it's steady pottering rather than sprinting and sharp turns etc. She's not growing any more is she?

 

[maisie06]

Won't do her any harm at all.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Depends what you mean by exercise, it's usually about 45-50 minutes of walking for my youngest (just turned 2) and then the rest is training, which can sometimes be quite high impact and/or requires concentration/focus, which is equally tiring, she's as fit as a fiddle.
The oldies (10 next week and 12 in January) are retired/on benefits and get about 30 minutes a day each and are sound and looking well.
You can get her x-rayed at 12 months plus.
It's hard to damage genetically good hips and elbows.

 

[AmyMay]

My small breed dogs are often out for three hours a day. Nothing you’ve said makes me think that 90 mins for a young, fit, healthy lab is too much.

 

[SAujla]

If she's young and fit I can't see that 90 minutes of exercise a day is going to damage her, particularly if it's steady pottering rather than sprinting and sharp turns etc. She's not growing any more is she?

No she's stopped growing now she's 2.5 years old, unspayed. She doesn't do any sharp turns its more steady exploring

 

[SAujla]

Depends what you mean by exercise, it's usually about 45-50 minutes of walking for my youngest (just turned 2) and then the rest is training, which can sometimes be quite high impact and/or requires concentration/focus, which is equally tiring, she's as fit as a fiddle.
The oldies (10 next week and 12 in January) are retired/on benefits and get about 30 minutes a day each and are sound and looking well.
You can get her x-rayed at 12 months plus.
It's hard to damage genetically good hips and elbows.

So its normally an hour free exploring in a field in the morning (90 minutes at the moment) and street walk in the afternoon/late evening which is normally anything up to an hour

I don't want to x-ray her unless irs critical but one of her sisters was x-rayed and had 3/6 for hips and 0 for elbows.

 

[CorvusCorax]

With the best will in the world, I actually don't understand why you are wary about hips and elbows and the impact of exercise in a breed prone to ED/HD and yet at the same time not want to know what they actually look like/want proof that they are good. It is 'critical' to me, to know my dog is healthy.

If it helps reassure you, my own bitch was in and out of the vets in a couple of hours in May with no ill-effect. I've helped scores of owners/dogs through the hip and elbow x-ray process for over a decade with no problems. In fact I can't remember ever, there being any problem with a dog having health x-rays over my lifetime.

 

[SAujla]

With the best will in the world, I actually don't understand why you are wary about hips and elbows and the impact of exercise in a breed prone to ED/HD and yet at the same time not want to know what they actually look like/want proof that they are good. It is 'critical' to me, to know my dog is healthy.

If it helps reassure you, my own bitch was in and out of the vets in a couple of hours in May with no ill-effect. I've helped scores of owners/dogs through the hip and elbow x-ray process for over a decade with no problems. In fact I can't remember ever, there being any problem with a dog having health x-rays over my lifetime.

Forgive my ignorance but can I just request one if all I wanted was the results, just for my own information? I just assumed its only done for operations, breeding or if its required for competing and hadn't given the idea of x-ray much thought

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yes, you can go to a vet who participates in the BVA hip/elbow x-ray scheme, the dog is x-rayed in a particular position, the x-rays are sent to assessors and you get results.

https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog...kings-of-the-hip-and-elbow-dysplasia-schemes/
https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog...breeds-and-non-breeding-dogs-can-benefit-too/
https://www.bva.co.uk/canine-health-schemes/key-features/

 

[AmyMay]

Why not just look at the dog in front of you? You’re a sensible owner - just enjoy your dog…..

 

[Clodagh]

I don’t get any of mine scored. I know people that do, but most only do so if they are likely to breed or sell the dog.
Clover doesn’t do high impact stuff anyway so in your shoes, OP, I’d not bother.
I never have as what would I do if they were bad? I’d prefer not to have to decide ?

 

[CorvusCorax]

The OP expressed wariness about hips and elbows and luckily enough for him, there are schemes available where he can find out whether or not it is an issue and put his mind at rest.

If they're bad, you can choose not to make them jump things, get in and out of vehicles or up and down off furniture with no assistance, go up and down stairs, skitter around on slippy floors and you can make allowances for them in terms of bedding and medication to make their lives more comfortable, especially in later life.

 

[SAujla]

The OP expressed wariness about hips and elbows and luckily enough for him, there are schemes available where he can find out whether or not it is an issue and put his mind at rest.

If they're bad, you can choose not to make them jump things, get in and out of vehicles or up and down off furniture with no assistance, go up and down stairs, skitter around on slippy floors and you can make allowances for them in terms of bedding and medication to make their lives more comfortable, especially in later life.

Well madam has quite the habit in that she happily jumps on the sofa and in the car but never jumps back down, never has done from day one, she won't go up the stairs either. She is regularly checked physically both at her swimming sessions and by her masseuse. She's on Yumove young and active and no slippery floors in the house.

I will have a think about it for sure, she is getting spayed in November so it's something I can discuss with the vet during her pre-op (obviously not to get her scanned and spayed at the same time). I made some mistakes with her as a pup so don't want to repeat them with her as an adult.

 

[AmyMay]

I made some mistakes with her as a pup so don't want to repeat them with her as an adult.

I’m sure that we’ve all done that ??

 

[CorvusCorax]

Well madam has quite the habit in that she happily jumps on the sofa and in the car but never jumps back down, never has done from day one, she won't go up the stairs either. She is regularly checked physically both at her swimming sessions and by her masseuse. She's on Yumove young and active and no slippery floors in the house.

I will have a think about it for sure, she is getting spayed in November so it's something I can discuss with the vet during her pre-op (obviously not to get her scanned and spayed at the same time). I made some mistakes with her as a pup so don't want to repeat them with her as an adult.

It was more a reply to Clodagh about what you do 'if they're bad'.

I'd do it before spaying but not anywhere near a season if you are doing it, as hormones can impact laxity.

Mistakes? Apparently I should have put a roof on an INDOOR pen, I'm glad I had hips and elbows done before Dora the fecking Explorer decided to climb a 6ft panel and drop onto a concrete floor the other day ??
(Not even a bit lame!!)

 

[SAujla]

It was more a reply to Clodagh about what you do 'if they're bad'.

I'd do it before spaying but not anywhere near a season if you are doing it, as hormones can impact laxity.

Mistakes? Apparently I should have put a roof on an INDOOR pen, I'm glad I had hips and elbows done before Dora the fecking Explorer decided to climb a 6ft panel and drop onto a concrete floor the other day ??
(Not even a bit lame!!)

If I want to do it I'll have a window of two months to be sure its well past her season.

Not sure a roof on an indoor pen would stop a dog that determined ? at least you knows she's well built and robust

 

[rara007]

To be fair I’ve seen a retriever puppy impaled on the stick between 2 puppy panels ?

 

[Clodagh]

Scout the other day was running round the garden, pinged the post and rail into the orchard, did a quick zoomie and leapt back up the 5’ bank with a rail on top. I nearly died, he seems fine. ?

 

[paisley]

If you have concerns, you could break up the 'free' hour to include some on lead walking making sure your dog walks straight and actually walks- mine is a monkey for trotting, but the footfall/ground contact of walking on different surfaces is better for muscles.
Swimming is also an option for non impact exercise. I found a canine pool where they showed you how to swim your dog the first few times, then you could book it and do 15min sessions when you wanted. It was surprising how tired it made my dog in such a short amount of time. Plus, dog washed in the showers after!

 

[Goldenstar]

I am very cautious with my labs when they are young I also keep them super slim I am completely obsessed with keeping their weight low .
I don’t think you what you describe is a problem work wise but if your dog was mine I would have her thinner .

 

[SAujla]

If you have concerns, you could break up the 'free' hour to include some on lead walking making sure your dog walks straight and actually walks- mine is a monkey for trotting, but the footfall/ground contact of walking on different surfaces is better for muscles.
Swimming is also an option for non impact exercise. I found a canine pool where they showed you how to swim your dog the first few times, then you could book it and do 15min sessions when you wanted. It was surprising how tired it made my dog in such a short amount of time. Plus, dog washed in the showers after!

I always put her back on leash if I see other people otherwise its generally exploring, most of the time she's next to me anyway

She does go swimming in an indoor hydrotherapy centre and loves it, but absolutely refuses to go in water anywhere else, including puddles. She's a quirky girl

 

[SAujla]

I am very cautious with my labs when they are young I also keep them super slim I am completely obsessed with keeping their weight low .
I don’t think you what you describe is a problem work wise but if your dog was mine I would have her thinner .

I would like her a little bit thinner. She weighed 23.7kg on Monday and she looks great under 23.5kg, seems small margins but it definitely shows. She has only put on a small amount during her season which I'm happy with as it was just 4 weeks of street walks