Hi, Smoop
I've been taking my YT to puppy training classes (she's 16 weeks old now). One of the things that the trainer stresses is that puppies should not be over-exercised. The reason for this is that they may be balls of fun, but most of their calorie intake is needed for growth of healthy bones, coat, teeth, etc. If they're over-exercised, they can lack nourishment and end up with problems at a later stage. By all means don't take my word for it - I'm no expert, but our trainer is! (and she's also a vet).
She recommends building up exercise a little at a time, starting with maybe 10 or 15 minutes, and then increasing by maybe 5 minutes a day. I got my knuckles sharply rapped because I'd had Lucy in the park, followed by the beach, for almost 2 hours.
In addition, at a very practical level, the trainer says that if you start out exercising a puppy for an hour a day when it's young, as it grows, you'll need to increase the amount - perhaps dramatically - which can certainly have a big impact on your life.
Hope this helps?
Best wishes,
Lesley x |