Asked on the Dog Forum by akaspaddero on 8/1/03, 2:13 pm
Q: over exercising
I have read some articles that say you should be careful not to over exercise your dog, especially in his first year. Is that true?
I have a 5 month old lab who is so full of energy! We take him on long walks, to play with neighbor dog, and to off leash parks (yes, he has had all his shots). The only time he doesn't want to play is when he is sleeping! Did I harm him by giving him too much exercise?
Answered by Tviokh on 8/1/03, 2:24 pm
A: over exercising
> I have read some articles that say you should be careful not
> to over exercise your dog, especially in his first year.
> Is that true?
> I have a 5 month old lab who is so full of energy! We take
> him on long walks, to play with neighbor dog, and to off
> leash parks (yes, he has had all his shots). The only time
> he doesn't want to play is when he is sleeping! Did I harm
> him by giving him too much exercise?
Yes there is such a thing as over exercising; over exercising can kill a dog in extreme cases (usually via heart attack), can cause heat stroke, and can cause injury (sprains, broken limbs, hairline cracks in bones, pulled muscles, etc...).
You know your dog best, and know what his activity level is, so you just need to watch him carefully for signs of distress and don't force him to do more than he is able. If you notice him becoming sluggish, lagging behind or unwilling to 'keep up the pace', let him stop and rest or simply take him home. Heavy panting with the tongue extended as far as it can go can be an early indicator of impending dehydration; also if you notice his gums getting sticky or his skin losing elasticity, he is becoming dehydrated and needs to be moved to a cool place and given water immediately.
In hot weather, especially since he's a black dog, make sure he always has access to a supply of fresh cool water. This does mean you'll need to bring some along with you on walks and to the park.
Don't let HIM overdo it either; some dogs don't know when to quit, and you may have to make him take a break to cool off and relax.
Most dogs will indicate when they're tired out and have had enough by refusing to do anymore, stopping play, or simply planting their butt and refusing to move. If your dog does this, and he's previously been playing really hard, don't force him to continue, let him rest.
Answered by daneworship on 8/1/03, 2:52 pm
A: Additional Information
> > I have read some articles that say you should be careful
> not
> > to over exercise your dog, especially in his first year.
>
> > Is that true?
> > I have a 5 month old lab who is so full of energy! We
> take
> > him on long walks, to play with neighbor dog, and to off
> > leash parks (yes, he has had all his shots). The only
> time
> > he doesn't want to play is when he is sleeping! Did I
> harm
> > him by giving him too much exercise?
>
> Yes there is such a thing as over exercising; over
> exercising can kill a dog in extreme cases (usually via
> heart attack), can cause heat stroke, and can cause injury
> (sprains, broken limbs, hairline cracks in bones, pulled
> muscles, etc...).
>
> You know your dog best, and know what his activity level is,
> so you just need to watch him carefully for signs of
> distress and don't force him to do more than he is able. If
> you notice him becoming sluggish, lagging behind or
> unwilling to 'keep up the pace', let him stop and rest or
> simply take him home. Heavy panting with the tongue extended
> as far as it can go can be an early indicator of impending
> dehydration; also if you notice his gums getting sticky or
> his skin losing elasticity, he is becoming dehydrated and
> needs to be moved to a cool place and given water
> immediately.
>
> In hot weather, especially since he's a black dog, make sure
> he always has access to a supply of fresh cool water.
> This does mean you'll need to bring some along with you on
> walks and to the park.
>
> Don't let HIM overdo it either; some dogs don't know when to
> quit, and you may have to make him take a break to cool off
> and relax.
> Most dogs will indicate when they're tired out and have had
> enough by refusing to do anymore, stopping play, or simply
> planting their butt and refusing to move. If your dog does
> this, and he's previously been playing really hard, don't
> force him to continue, let him rest.
>
In addition to Tviokh's responce, I would just like to add that it is important during the critical 1st (and 2nd in very large breed dogs) year of muscle and skeletal development, not to allow your dog to jump (as in agility jumping or frisbee), or do what some do with their dogs like running alongside a bicycle, etc. You could compare it to, say, allowing your 5-year-old child to lift weights- not recommended and potentially damaging to a growing body.
Hope this helps.
