# A question about walks



## BearsMom (Jul 16, 2012)

Hi all,
This may seem like a basic question but I'd like to get some input. Bear is 4 months old...how far should I be walking him on our walks? My mom walked him to the end of our road (which is not far at all) and she said he seemed tired and turned around.
Just trying to figure out some routes with your ideas 
Thanks!


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

I find with Ted it depends on the weather. He really hates the heat. When he is in the sun and its hot he will hytail it for the shade or home. He won't walk at all. In the morning when its cooler we will walk about 15 minutes. He is 15 weeks.


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

I walk 5km every day with my pup and have since she was 5 months old. I go slower in hot weather and stop for water at the half way point.


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## Sparkle (May 17, 2012)

Good question. I was just wondering the same thing last night as I was walking Kallie. Just how far is too much for these little legs? Kallie's 16 weeks. I want to tire her out, but don't want to make her stiff & sore! I just keep going a little farther each time. Right now we're doing about 1/2 mile total.


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## BearsMom (Jul 16, 2012)

Thanks for your responses 

My thoughts exactly Pat! I think I'm going to shoot for 10 min and build from there. With all of Bear's energy in the house, I was surprised when my mom said he was tired at the end of the road....but I don't want to over-work the little guy.

Thanks again!


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

I have a nice little circle that Timmy and I have been walking since I bought him home at 11 weeks, it's about 1/4 mile. In the beginning it took us a while, now when he decides he wants to walk it's much faster and we either do several loops or go further out. When we walk with our neighborhood buddies we walk for an hour sometimes, Timmy is nine months old. I think a lot of how far you walk depends on the weather. I see your from PA too, and it's been brutally hot here. Sometimes we don't even get out for a walk and just run around the yard. Be careful of the street it gets really hot and can burn feet even when things cool off a bit.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

I don't walk Rosie. Since I don't go to the office anymore I don't have anyplace to walk her. I don't let her outside the fenced area because of fleas and ticks. But we go out every afternoon about the time DH comes in. That is Rosie and Josie Wales play time. They stay out an hour or so, running and jumping at each other. If Josie won't play, Rosie does the RLH until she is panting. So I know she gets enough exercise.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kodi has gone on long walks since he was fully inoculated. But then, he always had plenty of energy, and made it very clear that he LOVED walking. 

One thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of Havanese that do not come from the best of breeders, that do not have the best conformation. (this can occasionally happen with pups even from good breeders, though they do their best to avoid it!) Some Havanese (more than we'd like to see!) have twisted legs or bad patellas, hips or elbows. While these dogs may make wonderful pets, they may also have very good reason for not wanting to walk longer distances. So before forcing (or even trying to encourage) a pup to walk further than they want to, I'd check with the vet, and make sure that everything is where it should be and working properly.

And as Jen mentioned, be careful of pavement temps. This is actually MORE important than air temps with a puppy. their pads haven't had time to "harden up" yet, and can be VERY easily burned. If it's not comfortable for YOU to walk barefoot on the pavement, your puppy shouldn't be either. A walk in the woods, in the shade, is a much better option on a day like that, but even then, keep it short and make sure you offer water regularly. If they want to stretch out and cool their belly on the grass or moss, let them!

Kodi has had a long-time love affair with moss... Here is a photo of him "hiding" in the moss as a puppy, and a more recent one of him just enjoying the cool moss on his belly!


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

Mine looks just like Kodi sometimes. If she gets hot she finds a nice shady patch of grass and just lays down. I stop and wait until she cools down. I try not to walk when it's really hot, i either go in the morning or in the evening once it's cooled off. OUr city has put in these great doggie water fountains; Gemma can spot them from a distance and loves to have a drink during our walk. it's great on warm days.


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

*Kodi*



Tuss said:


> Mine looks just like Kodi sometimes. If she gets hot she finds a nice shady patch of grass and just lays down. I stop and wait until she cools down. I try not to walk when it's really hot, i either go in the morning or in the evening once it's cooled off. OUr city has put in these great doggie water fountains; Gemma can spot them from a distance and loves to have a drink during our walk. it's great on warm days.


Ted takes the same position when he is done. I just pick him up and bring him home, although he likes to be put down so he can run up the 3 steps to the front door! Yesterday in puppy class he took the same position when the trainer said "walk your dog" I just dragged him for a few feet and gave everyone a good laugh(slippery floor), Ted was too tired from all the rest of the class to care about walking! He is such a hoot sometimes!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

lise said:


> Ted takes the same position when he is done. I just pick him up and bring him home, although he likes to be put down so he can run up the 3 steps to the front door! Yesterday in puppy class he took the same position when the trainer said "walk your dog" I just dragged him for a few feet and gave everyone a good laugh(slippery floor), Ted was too tired from all the rest of the class to care about walking! He is such a hoot sometimes!


Just to be clear, though, Kodi wasn't tired in these photos, nor was he "done" walking. It was just a "belly cooling/nose hiding" break.. He was soon up and blasting off down the trail again in both instances.


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## Gabs (Apr 15, 2012)

your pup will likely show signs when his tired. I've always walked the same route with mine, but as a younger pup I'd sometimes pick her up part way through to give her a little break and then back down. It's great for them to get to know their neighbourhood. Always bring water and I never walk her in the heat, so this time of year it's early morning and evening walks. It's funny because we got on about a 45 min - 1 hr long walk and just when I think she's tired she'll come home and RHL


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

Oh I know his signs when he is done. He just puts the breaks on and lays down. When he is resting but not done, he sits, so I walk a little forward leaving a loose leash and when he is ready he catches up to me and continues walking beside me. There is only 3 streets in the development that I live in as we live in the country. We do many little 15 minute walks a day and my property is 3/4 of an acre also, so sometimes we just walk around my yard. I've had smallish dogs all my adult life but not quite as small as Ted. My Scotties used to just sit or lay down on the road when they were done too. We lived in the city then so my hubby and I may have really gone just too far for the little tykes. We picked them up and carried them home too!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Also, while I know it's not always possible, try, if at all possible, to gauge when your pup is likely to give out, and end the walk BEFORE then. If you frequently let them call the shots, stopping the walk because they have quit, you will TEACH them to quit. Instead, you want them to learn that YOU are the one who determines the length of the walks. Then you can slowly and intermittently ask them to go a little longer, praising them for doing so. That's how you build endurance.


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## Charleysmom (Dec 6, 2011)

Charley loves to be outdoors and we go for walks a few times a day. With the heat in Central Jersey it's sometimes impossible to be out for more than 5 minutes. I don't think he minds it as much as I do, but Charley loves to plop himself down in the grass for a cooling off. On the really hot days we get lots of play in the house/garage where he can run. This morning it was cool out so we went for a half hour walk with running. 

Thanks for the tips regarding the pavement. Hadn't thought of that but will look out for that right away.


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