8 Month old Boxer on a 3 hour hike?

[PrincDenmark]

Hi all!

I have a beautiful 8 month old boxer, he's healthy, active and strong, but I was wondering if perhaps a 3 hour hike or so in a mountain nearby would be too much for him still?
I've wanted to take my dad (an out of shape 50year old) and my younger brother (a more less in shape 10 year old) hiking for a while, I'm in very good shape but we'd be going slow and taking lots of breaks, so my dog could catch a breath too...

Is he too young still? what is a recommended age before I can start taking him with me too?
What about training? he gets most of his exercise playing, goes to the park daily and is let loose for 30 minutes or so at least and he plays a lot here at home too, so he's not fat and out of shape by any means, but maybe not used to longer hikes and climbing...

Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks!

 

[AnnasMom]

From what I've read and what I've spoken to my vet about, a 3 hour hike would definitely be too much for an 8 month old. Boxers don't really even fully mature for a couple years, which is longer than most dogs, and your puppy's bones are in critical growth stages. A puppy that age should be limited to no more than an hour of straight exercise a day, and shouldn't be allowed to engage in extended running/jumping. These are the same reasons you shouldn't try to do any agility training with a puppy until they are at least 18 months old. This is hard, because boxers absolutely DO NOT know their limits! LOL, I'm sure you've noticed that. They will literally play until they can't walk anymore. They will do anything for you, including play through pain. It's so sweet and adorable, but unfortunately it means you have to look out for them, because they won't necessarily tell you when they are tired.

My girl is 13 months, and we took her to her first play group a couple weeks ago. It was only an hour long, but she played HARD for the whole 60 minutes. The supervisor said she never stopped playing, jumping, and "boxing" with the other dogs. It completely exhausted her, to the point that I really worried. She flopped down in the grass the second we got her out of the car and refused to move for a few minutes. Since then I've been much better about monitoring her activity. If they lay down like that, they are definitely overtired, and pushing them more could be really bad for them. I love to hike too, but it would be terrible to be out in the middle of a trail when they tire themselves out. Unless you're comfortable carrying your dog the rest of the way, I'd definitely wait until your dog is A) several months older, and B) slowly acclimated to endurance walking.

 

[Jan]

Boxers should be at least 18 mths old before any forced exercise. Your pups desire to keep up with you, will keep him going when he normally would take a break. Even if you go slow, I don't think it would be a good idea. Sorry!

 

[TwoDogs]

I've wanted to take my dad (an out of shape 50year old) and my younger brother (a more less in shape 10 year old) hiking for a while, I'm in very good shape but we'd be going slow and taking lots of breaks, so my dog could catch a breath too...

Well, this doesn't sound like forced exercise to me. With an out of shape middle-aged person and a 10 year old kid in tow, you're going to be doing less "hiking" and more "meandering through the woods". I know that when I take my 10 year old son out hiking, he stops to look at every mushroom, splash in every stream, and peek under every fallen log. My husband (not much younger than your dad) stops to take nature pictures, listen to the birds, and look for animal tracks at every turn. If that's the kind of hike you're going on then your 8 month old dog is going to be begging you to keep up with him!

Yes, vets recommend no forced exercise until the growth plates close, but I don't see a hike as being forced exercise. You definitely want to stay away from any repetitive, impact activities (jumping over agility jumps, leaping to catch a Frisbee) where the dog's body is experiencing a physical stress in the same way over and over again. You also want to avoid repetitive, long duration walking or running on hard surfaces like pavement. And of course you want to ease your dog into an exercise plan the same way you would ease yourself into one. His desire to keep up with you might cause him to push himself past his limit, but only if your pace puts him there. The cool thing is that humans are smart and can make themselves slow down for their dogs (and slow fathers and little brothers).

Take your dog and out-of-shape father and little brother on a hike. Bring plenty of water but don't let anyone gulp it down. Take plenty of breaks in shady areas so that no one overheats. Make sure everyone has rested and caught their breath before moving on. Avoid rough terrain and steep inclines. Instead take the easy trails with the least elevation changes. Remember that if you are hiking at an elevation that is substantially greater than what you are used to that you will tire quicker and need many more breaks. Boxer's aren't efficient breathers (it's that smooshed face) and the thin air at higher elevations can exacerbate that so take that into consideration when planning your hike. Pick a trail that is easy to double back on or has a by-pass in case you need to cut the hike short. Go slow and turn back BEFORE everyone gets tired--everyone will thank you for it.