If your dog loves a walk and is more than happy being out and about, is there ever a point when it's too much?

[insan1tyscartching]

Eric loves a walk he is happiest when out and about exploring or chasing round after his friends or chasing a ball in the park. He currently goes for an hour and a half with me in the morning, some off lead, some chasing his friends or a ball and some walking on lead because of the roads.
He then comes home and sleeps, for a couple of hours, plays and performs for a while, potters round until dh takes him for another hour and a half in the evening, mostly on lead because it's dark now but more of the same when it's light.
He then snoozes much of the evening moving from one to the other of us to lie on our knees for a belly rub or a tickle behind the ears. Just before bed he goes for a stroll around the block for about twenty minutes for a last minute pee and sniff (he doesn't toilet in the garden) If ever there are emergencies or the weather is dire he manages with much less so it's not that he absolutely must be out as much as he is more that if the opportunity is there he is more than happy to go.
At weekends he might be out longer and go further but it's always two walks and a stroll regardless not least because of him needing to toilet.
Is this too much for a little dog? Knowing Eric he'd sit down and refuse to move if he'd had enough because he's stubborn as a mule. He's lean but not thin and the vet says he's in good condition so not worried that the exercise is making him thin just wondering if the exercise might make him prone to joint trouble later on really? Any thoughts?

[myfriendnigel]

No advice but watching with interest.i took mine out this morning for our usual hours walk and because I had a bit more time today and we were both enjoying it, we stayed out another hour and a quarter.he is fast asleep now but will take him again later for 40 mins or so this evening. He usually gets about an hour and a half worth of walk a weekday and bit longer at the weekends.
My mum told me I would do him harm taking him that far, but he wasn't exhausted by the end of it and seems fine.
Mine is only 8 months old so still a puppy really (JRT).
Did I take him too far?

[HarleyQuinzel]

You can walk a dog too much. That is a hell of a lot for any dog, it all depends on weight, breed etc. I'm assuming you don't have a garden which is the need for 3 walks a day?

Nigel you have to be extra careful with puppies as they are still developing.

[insan1tyscartching]

No we have a garden Eric doesn't use it to toilet though, he goes in it to lay in the sun, play with dd, or guard me when I peg out the washing but never pees in it hasn't really since he was a puppy, he's almost three now.
I should perhaps add I'm not into power walking so it's not walking at speed it's a gentle pace so distances aren't great I think we dh does about three miles, I do less but that's because a good part of it involves him chasing when he's with me.

[insan1tyscartching]

He's a poodle cross, small weighs about 6kg and he's almost three now.

[ExitPursuedBySpartacus]

I used to be quite anal about the amount of walks my spaniel got, but now he is older he is perfectly happy with less.

The only times I have seen him genuinely shattered is after a day at the beach.

But three hours a day for a small dog does seem a lot - but if you are both enjoying it, who cares!

[insan1tyscartching]

On Monday he always does less because on Sunday we go out in the Peaks so I think he sort of self regulates. We do lots of circular routes so there are plenty of opportunities for him to extend or shorten his walks and he very much leads the way so to speak. So on a Monday I know that he'll take one route that means it's shorter in terms of time and distance and at other times I know he'll take the longest possible route when he gets the chance when I disagree with his choice we get a stand off but the sausages in my pocket usually win him over anyway

[pigsDOfly]

Sounds like lot to me for a smalish dog OP.

My dog used to walk further than she does now - she's five now - and usually starts to look longingly towards the car after about 20 minutes running in the park, but she's small - 5 kilo - I can usually manage to stretch it out for another 10 minutes before she gives me clear signals she wants to go home. We then have another 30/40 minutes in the evening on lead but some of that will usually involve jumping and running.

She always falls asleep after a walk so I get the impression the walk has tired her out and she tends to sleep for most of the day. Sometimes she's awake most of the evening, sometimes she sleeps but that doesn't seem to be influenced by how long she's walked during the day.

Nigel that sounds way too much for an 8 month old puppy. Puppies will tend to keep going if you let them and might not seem ready to stop even when they're worn out, and it's not necessary to wear them out on a walk. Also over walking a dog/puppy can make them a bit hyper and they can find it hard to relax and wind down.

[Whitney168]

For an adult dog that isn't being asked to do this as a one-off but is regularly getting a good amount of exercise, has presumably built up to it and is fit, it seems absolutely fine to me.

Obviously different for younger dogs, but if he enjoys it (and doesn't sound as if it's a route march anyway) I can't see why it would be an issue.

Keep an eye on his weight, obviously, and up food a bit if he started dropping.

[insan1tyscartching]

Yes it is a lot, I'll try and cut it back a bit, morning walks though he generally plays with some other dogs for a while and he is always the last to have had enough.He seems to have a lot of stamina probably because he walks a lot.
I did ask the breeder a while back about how much her dog does (poodle) and he walks and swims every day sometimes five miles at a time so maybe it's in his genes.
I see my neighbour taking their Yorkshire terriers and they are back in twenty minutes, Eric would never be satisfied at that tbh he's usually just getting going then.
He's just got back was gone about an hour and a quarter and he's curled up by my feet snoozing because he's got a full tum as well now.
I'll see how we go at cutting back five or ten minutes a day although if the weather takes a turn then it will cut back anyway.

[insan1tyscartching]

Whitney a different perspective and one I like too He is as fit as a fiddle tbh, he chases round with three springers and he is more than capable of matching them when some of the others give up after a while.
I think what happened was he loves it and I feel really sorry for the dogs round here who never leave the garden so probably over compensate a bit. He goes every day without fail, he needs no encouragement, the sausages in my pocket are usually to bribe him to take a shorter route if anything because he knows exactly where he wants to go and it's generally the longer route.

[chocolatebiscuit123]

For puppies we were told it's five minutes per month of age, so 15 minutes for a three month-old pup. Going by that Nigel yours is getting quite a bit more. I think our puppy would choose to go a lot longer but I believe it's really not good for his joints.
A vet I spoke to last week said they judge the ideal amount of exercise by how long the dog wants to sleep for when they get back. In their opinion an hour or so nap is fine, if the dog is sleeping for much longer they've overdone it, sleeping less and they've probably not had enough.

[Whitney168]

I do think it's quite interesting that people think a reasonable amount of exercise that doesn't sound at all OTT is 'excessive' for an adult dog, to be honest. Or that dogs only need several walks if they don't have a garden - I think walking dogs is partly physical exercise, but in huge part it is mental stimulation. Mine are always walked three times a day too, despite having a large garden that they have access to most of the day.

Regarding joints later, my dogs all have glucosamine and chondroitin on a daily basis to protect their joints. I know there are mixed views on whether this is a snake oil supplement, but given that placebo effects don't work on dogs and I have categorically seen improvement in an older dog when taking it, I continue with this. Maybe worth a thought?

[tabulahrasa]

There's no reason at all to limit a fit healthy adult dog's exercise.

[insan1tyscartching]

That's settled then, Eric will be pleased we will carry on as we are and look into the supplements too.

[StandardPoodle]

I think it sounds as though Eric has a fantastic life! Poodles in my experience can cope with a fair bit of exercise - especially the Standards.

[myfriendnigel]

Oh crumbs.will cut him down a bit then.Although he doesn't sleep that often in the day really-he did after the very log walk but not excessively.

[insan1tyscartching]

I like to think he has a happy life Standard we do love him and he is a lovely dog. Can't quite believe that as complete novices when it comes to dog owning he's turned out quite so well tbh.

[ErrolTheDragon]

If the little dog was a terrier, something like a Jack Russell, I doubt anyone would think that was excessive! Sounds to me as though Eric is having a happy, healthy life.