Puppy exercise guide

Getting a puppy!

Getting a puppy for the first time is a wonderful feeling. You are gaining a family member and it’s a very exciting process. Everyone in your household is filled with joy when you first bring that puppy home. Us lot here at Happy Hounds agree that this should be a very special time. All that said puppies are also a lot of work. We feel that you should get as much knowledge as you possibly can so that you be the best dog owner. One topic we would like to talk about is puppy exercise. Getting a puppy is a big responsibility, there are rules and regulations on how they should behave in society. There is also information that you as dog owners should be aware of.

Puppy exercise

So were going to talk about puppy exercise. How much they should be getting and how important it is to not OVER exercise them. Puppies need much less exercise than fully-grown dogs. If you over-exercise a growing puppy you can overtire it and damage its developing joints, causing early arthritis. A good rule of thumb is a ratio of five minutes exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown, i.e. 15 minutes (up to twice a day). When three months old, 20 minutes when four months old etc. Once they are fully grown, they can go out for much longer.

It’s important that puppies (when they’ve had their injections) go out every day. In a safe environment to be able to socialise and explore. Having a decent sized garden is great but puppies need variety in their lives. They are highly intelligent animals that need stimulation and lots of exercise (depending on breed). Before letting any dog off lead make sure you know that their re-call is good and that they won’t run off. It’s also good to know that you shouldn’t exercise them on a full stomach as this can cause them to bloat.

The government recommends that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. This is something that everybody can achieve, and go beyond, on a daily walk. Dogs’ exercise needs vary according to the breed that you have but every dog should have at least one walk a day, often two.

Get walking

There are many social benefits for you and your dog. People who go walking with their dogs are often believed to be friendly and approachable by others. Your dog also gets time to have a chase and play with other friendly pooches. At Happy Hounds we believe that socialisation is very important and something that your dogs should be doing on a regular basis. This is great to start when their puppies, so they get used to it from an young age. This is why group walking or day care is a fun and great opportunity for your dog. They will learn socialisation skills and what it’s like to be around other dogs.

For your dog, walking is essential for its long term health and fitness – keeping the muscles strong and supple and ensuring that it doesn’t get overweight. With one third of our pets estimated to be overweight as a result of their owners’ sedentary lifestyles. Walking is an essential part of being a responsible dog owner. When out walking remember to always have poo bags and pick up after your dog. This will make all environments nicer for us to all be in.

Whilst walking your dog, it is important that you are aware of the Countryside Code to keep your pet safe. Protect the environment and show that you are a responsible dog owner. You are obliged by law to ensure your dog wears a collar and an identification tag stating your name and address (Control of Dogs Order 1992). In addition, cleaning up after your dog is one of the key areas of responsibilities for dog owners. Especially when in public spaces. You can face a considerable fine if you do not.

Don’t forget play and sleepy time

Play time is another important part of a puppies life, playing games is another way to teach commands.  Aggression can be fostered if you play tug of war. So make sure you don’t create a competitive environment between you and your puppy. Always remember dogs around children. They are likely to become aroused or frustrated with intense physical play. So ensure children and dogs are never left alone. Only use suitable dog toys that are safe for your puppy.

Sleepy time is also crucial for your pups development, they need a lot of it! They may whine when you first bring them home but it is important to ignore them and let them settle. If you never leave them you will create future separation issues.

Puppy Care

Puppy care

What’s best for my puppy?

Here at Happy Hounds we’ve done a lot of puppy care in East London. In our experience there are 4 definite needs for your puppy. Basic care, training, walking & socialisation. This is something our experienced pet carers can help you with.

Pre vaccination – puppy visits

Puppy visits break up the day for your puppy they have ensures they’re feed, have a toilet breaks / training, company and playtime and basic training. It’s good to use a proportion of their food for training purposes, so best to make sure at least some of their food is dry!

Visits are an hour long and we make sure they have love and cuddles as well as all the training, play, feeding and so forth. It also gets the puppy used to others coming into the home, which is crucial if you want to ensure you have a friendly happy dog.  This also gets them used to being left on their own which is essential in order to avoid separation anxiety going forward.

Post vaccination – visits, play and daycare

At this point we can start getting your puppy going out on short lead walks to familiarise them with this. We want to get them used to the lead as early as possible.  You can do this prior to going outside but just in the home.

At this point we would also suggest mixing up visits with puppy play and then when your pup is ready they can join group walks with the occasional day at day care. This is fantastic for socialisation and learning from other dogs. While it’s great for them to play with other puppies, we see how important it is for puppies to mix with older, friendly dogs in a safe environment. So they learn how to behave and understand boundaries.

Moving onto group walks

When the time is right and your puppy is old enough, and depending on the breed. We introduce them to group walks where they can have fun and play. We take it gently, making sure they aren’t over exercising, but increasing their exercise as they develop.

This programme ensures they become happy, friendly, well socialised, confident dogs that fit well into your life.

All grown up?

Going forward, clients tend to continue daytime group walks with their doggy friends, sometimes mixed up with some daycare depending on your needs. It’s great if you work very long hours, or you can always supplement daytime walks with an evening walk. Visit or dog boarding if you going to be home late or away for a night or going on holiday.  We’ll basically be there to provide what you need in terms of care going forward.

Puppy Care

If you have just got a puppy, but aren’t around during the day then we’re here to provide the support you need. One of our very experienced pet carers in the East London area, can come and visit your puppy during the day to help make puppy care a doddle. This is a tricky period for all new owners. We can help take away the stress, making life easier for both you and your new puppy.

Before your puppy is able to go out for walks. We can come and visit for an hour during the middle of the day to ensure his or her day is nicely balanced. This hour can be utilised to really help your puppy’s learning and provide stimulation and exercise.

What’s included in the puppy care?

• Assistance in toilet training.
• Lunchtime feeding.
• Basic training of key commands based on your existing training but covering STAY, SIT, COME and FETCH.
• Cuddles and play time.
• Cleaning up any accidents that may have occurred.

What do you do after my puppy’s had all it’s vaccinations?

Once your puppy’s had all their vaccinations and is able to go out, then we can start incorporating short walks into the visit. This is really great at helping with toilet training. It gets your puppy used to the big outside world and walking on the lead.

At this point, half daycare is a great option so they can meet, play and socialise with a variety of other dogs in a safe environment. Socialisation with other dogs and people is so important in order for them to become happy friendly dogs that fit into your life.  This also means they can have the socialisation and fun without the over exercise of group walks.Your puppy will quickly learn how to behave and interact with other dogs.

When the time is right, we can introduce your puppy to group walks. If they’ve already become used to other dogs at daycare, this is an extension of that, playing out and about with their doggy friends. We ensure they’re not over-exercising and can increase their play off lead time as they grow and develop.  it’s fantastic for training as they learn from their dog friends in this extended environment.  Walked dogs are friendly dogs and as they learn through play, they just have a wonderful time.

Puppy care prices:

We charge £15.00 per hour for visits. Please see our prices page for full details. (When your dog is brought into group walks then prices drop to £12 per day).

Please see our prices page for full details. (When your dog is brought into group walks then prices drop to £12 per day).

Areas covered:

Walthamstow, Chingford, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Homerton and surrounding areas.

What do I do now?

If you are interested in this service or would like any more information please contact us on 020 3743 9247 or 07957 585 175 or email at info@happyhounds.co.uk.

Alternatively you can contact us through our online enquiry form.

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