how far can our 5 month puppy go?
Attachment 1725
This is Misty at just under 6 months on Boxing Day on our way from Hayfield up via Edale Cross to the Woolpacks and Crowden Tower, over Kinder to the Downfall and back down Sandy Heys. That's about 8 miles but walking with the kids whose main aim was to get very dirty so it took quite a few hours!
He's been walking this sort of distance since about 5 months old about once per week but only occasional days with as much climb. He gets about an hours walk most days and often about 20 minutes chasing a ball and training.
He came out on Pennine training last night for the first time - about 6 miles out of Hayfield.
Nothing seems to tire him out so it is tempting to do too much - he's quieter around the house if he's been out plenty.
He never goes more than about 200yds on the road or other hard surface.
We have been told things like not more than 15 minutes until they're 6 months old then build it up gradually but I think that applies more to some of the more pet type breeds. Our older collie Gem is 11 yrs old and is happy running 14 miles still, although she does lag behind on the downhills if I'm running quickly. She'll go all day at walking pace and would chase balls/sticks all day. We did similar amounts of walking and running with her from about 8 months.
Two different shepherds that I've spoken to have said that between 6 and 10 months old they will increase from an hour, twice a day walking to going out with them for a full days work. One of them said that she took them round the perimeter of their farm's intake fields in the Lakes following the quad bike most days from around 8 months to get them ready for work. They both expected their dogs to retire from working at about 12 to 13 yrs old.
Iain's advice re-sheep seems to be working for us; it worked with Gem.