Puppy Antics/schedule

[oakleysdad]

Okay so I have a few questions...we got our 8 week old brindle girl Oakley last week and its been a challenge but I think so far we have been pretty good. Oakley is a very good girl she just does the usual puppy stuff, little nips and fairly hyper. I was wondering if we have her on a decent schedule and if we are exercising her enough.

She is fed 4 times a day the recommended amount for our food, and seems happy with the amount not whining for more.

We usually get her up and she eats then we always play with her inside or outside with toys until she gets tired and naps. We basically repeat that process the whole day until night when she sleeps for the night.

I have started leash training and walk her a little bit each day.

I am asking if this schedule is okay and if I am doing things right. Am i over exercising her? Does she need to get tired enough to nap a couple times? If not then how do I keep her from bouncing off the walls? Is there a way to have her calm down, other than to play with her and her toys? Also she doesn't play with her toys by herself she gets bored and turns to stuff that she shouldn't chew on, is that just regular puppy stuff.

Thanks for the help, she has been an awesome puppy she even goes to the door to potty after only 4 days with us!!!!

 

[xJazerx]

It sounds like you are doing a great job. As far as over exercising, as long as it's at her own pace, and she can sit and take a short break if she wishes, you are fine. Tethering her to you while you go for a jog or even, a bike ride, and "forcing" the exercising, would be over-doing it. But giving her the opportunity to run around a play a few times a day is just what she needs. Unless she is so hyperactive she just plain can't stop on her own, then letting her do it at her own pace is perfectly fine.

 

[Caney Creek]

It does not sound like she is being over-exercised. You DEFINITELY need to wear her out enough for naps! Nothing wrong with that at all. And it's also normal for her to get "bored" with her usual toys and turn to other things. You can try and remedy this by, getting her a wider variety of toys :D, and supervising very closely during play to make sure that she does not have much of a chance to grab inappropriate items.

I'm assuming you were asking about over-exercising because you've heard that forced exercise can be bad for a pup's developing joints. That only applies to forced exercise. The term is somewhat misleading though; it doesn't mean that you're actually FORCING the dog to exercise. Actually forced exercise is anything beyond the normal play sessions in which a puppy is able run as hard and as long as it wants, and can also flop down on the ground and take breaks as often as it wants. Walks on-leash (or even off-leash walks, if you are constantly moving and the pup is trying to keep up with you) would be considered forced exercise, because YOU are dictating the amount of exercise and when to take breaks and for how long. But as long as you are keeping walks short (5-10 minutes at most) and un-structured (allowing for breaks and stopping to sniff the grass), then it is probably OK.

Overall sounds like you're doing great, keep up the good work!

 

[oakleysdad]

Thanks everyone for the replies, I had a feeling that everything was going pretty good and that I was on the right track. It is just nice to hear a little feedback on the training and stuff. She is doing well the only time she throws a bit of a fit now is when she is almost ready for bed or a nap and she has that last burst of energy before she conks out. She is 9 weeks and I took her on her first walk longer than 5 minutes today, she was a little slow the first couple minutes but afterwards she loved walking and was right by my side exploring and loving every second.

 

[fredsmum]

may i just commend you on your choice of name.... My boxer is called Fred, but my son is called Oakley haha x