Cross Breeds

How long should I walk my golden 8 month old golden retriever puppy for daily?

Whats the recommended time for an 8 month old male golden retriever puppy? He gets walked once daily and he likes to swim? Thanks! As a breed they are pre disposed to possible joint problems and I am worried that by walking him for too long now while his joints are developing I will do him long term damage. I have plenty of time and we both really enjoy our walks. Most days I walk for around 40 minutes - sometimes once, sometimes twice per day but today we walked for about 1 hour and 45 minutes (at least 75 mins off the lead) as it was a glorious morning and we have a fab lake close by to walk around (lots of nice smells and the odd little swim for Donut!) He really wasn't tired at all during the walk but obviously had a lovely long sleep afterwards. We both LOVE walks like this but I really don't want to set up poblems for his later life. I feel he needs more exercise than the 5 minutes per month of his age that our breeder recommended but his health and development are important to me and I really don't want to compromise that! Any suggestions would be welcome

Public Comments

1. At 8 months, the puppy will probably last longer walking than you will. I have always walked my dogs until they start to tire. Also, you'd probably do better to walk him at least twice a day.
2. you should walk your dog after every meal so they can do their business outside and not indoors
3. Puppys love to go for walks and explore the neighborhood. Pay attention to your puppy and notice when he/she starts to get tired. You may want to start on a relatively short walk (around a block or two) and gradually build up longer walks every week. Also, spend some time in your yard playing with the puppy and notice about how long it takes to wear him out. That will help you to get a good idea of how long your walks should be. In addition, with summer and hot weather here, be sure to bring water on your walks and try walking early in the morning or at dusk when its not so hot out.
4. you should walk him 3 times to an interesting place like a beach or park to let him have fun, and play catch with him to make him tired but not too tired
5. I walk my 9 week old pitbull for bout ten minutes in the morning and a half an hour at night when it isnt that hot out!
6. I walk my Siberian Husky, also 8 months of age, 30min - 45min in the morning then about the same length of time at night to get all his energy out from being in his cage during the day and sleeping all night!
7. All dogs are individuals so there is not set time for an 8 month old pup. Leash walks are not really exercise so as long as you are willing to go is great but a dog park is better. Jogging or jumping is not recommended until 18 mos for joint safety. Swimming is a terric form of exercise for people and dogs. I take my 1 yr old Dobe and 2 yr old Lab to the dog park for at least 30 min and most of the time 1 hour 5 days a week. I have a tennis ball thrower so the Lab runs his butt off and the Dobe plays with other dogs. At home the 2 big dogs play for an hour outside once or twice a day. I have a big yard. Possilby if you have a fenced yard a nice dog could come over for a playdate or you could go to a neighbors? We are lucky enough to have a doggie beach that I go to with the big guys but the Lab loves it and the Dobe says ick. Since the Lab swims out for his ball I usually only stay 30-45 mins as he gets lots of exercise that way.
8. HI! At 8 months old your Golden can probably out walk you! A good 1/2 hour to 45 minute walk each day is great. I found that with a walk and outside play like fetch and swimming then get more than enough exercises. The only thing to be care of is the summer heat and not over doing the swimming. They dont know when enough is. My goldens would swim or jump in and out of water all day long if I let them. Some times you just have to say enough, for their own good. Have fun with your Golden boy! I have 2 of them. NOTE: If you have him off lead on soft ground and not on hard pavement than I see no problem in what you are doing right now. I do agree with Pat B about safe guarding developing joints and hip issues. Hopefully his food doesn't contain a protein level higher than 24%. Golden's do not stop developing until 2 years of age so being care until them is not unreasonable. Long walks on hard pavement is not advisible for any large breed dogs prone to hip problems. Swimming is one of the best things for developing joint. There is no strees on them at all. It also does poop them out quite a bit.
9. He'd love a mile. -MM
10. I would say that is far too long for a Golden of 8 months. Rule of thumb is 1 minute for every week of their life, e.g 3 months - 12 minutes. etc. My 9 month old has between 25 and 30 mins walk per day. If you don't want joint problems in your dog then please be very careful with him. Goldens are very prone to hip dysplasia and osteochondritis and it is not always due to heriditary factors. Over exercising can also cause many of these joint problems. Natural play is fine but very long excessive walking under the age of 12 months is not a good thing in my opinion. Swimming is excellent for helping to tighten up the joints. I never let my Goldens off the lead until they are 6 months old because I am paranoid about hip problems. I have seen dogs with hip dysplasia and it is quite pitiful to watch them. Enjoy your Golden boy. They are a wonderful breed. I have 9 myself.