Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:16 am Post subject: Bit confused. - puppy exercise & 5 min rule
Going to take Truly out for a walk this morning, and I know about the 5 minute rule. Shes 11 weeks so Im assuming I count that as 2 months so she gets ten mins? So that is her lot for the day? Its about a 5 min walk to the park, I think we'll have to get to the gate then turn round and come home lol!
Is this Truly`s first trip into the big wide world on lead?, if so you won`t make the park in 5 minutes , she`ll either be sitting down refusing to move or sniffing everything in sight
The 5 minute rule is a guideline, if you make it to the park you can have a quick walk into it to allow Truly to have a sniff at shrubs etc, then bring her home, you could also just walk her round the block and leave out the park for now
The 5 minute rule apples to forced exercise we give them, therefore a slow stroll to the park, to me, I wouldn't even count with the exercise. Five minutes (or ten in your case) of free running in the park would count, then have a sit and breather (to watch the world going by) then a slow stroll back is what I would do. There is no way in this world you could do any training (lead and off lead training) if you started a stopwatch from the moment you set off!
edited to say, that if you had to walk 30 mins to get to the park, then I wouldn't do that. But if it is only a walk away then I would stand ny what I say. Besides, going by car isn't very environmentally friendly is it? And what if you can't drive? What if you can't carry your pup?
There is no need to get fixated on split seconds, but look at it this way, your puppy has only been in this world for 11 short week. How much forced walking would you give a one year old child? Remenber, a puppy on the lead cannot stop and rest unless you do. Also remember, a puppy of this age gets all the exercise she needs playing in the garden. You are taking her out for two reasons, and two reasons only. 1/ Socalising, seeing all the sights and sounds so she grows up confident and well balanced. And 2/ Training. Teaching her to walk nicely, to come when called and to do all the other things a well trained dog needs to be able to do. All the time spent sitting and watching the world go by is not part of the 5 minutes, but is time well spent socialising.
Plan your outings. Slowly scale up the "Stress Levels" Quiet short walks to start with. Maybe later find a path which runs beside a fence where there are horses or cattle on the other side of the fence. A trip to where there are other "Nice" dogs to see. Working up to a walk beside a busy road, a noisy road works and the like. That's over a time scale of probably 6 months! I continue the 5 minute rule up to around a year old, by which time the bones are firming up nicely.
I live inner city, I don't drive and it's 15/20 walk to the local community field.
I take Alfie out in the afternoon and just stroll the streets and let him sniff, etc (he is just getting used to our area). OH gets in the car in the evening and takes him to the park or field which are equal distances away in opposite directions. Let him sniff, stroll or run a little on his lead. He starts each one off with a couple of stays, sit, come and down.
I also do 3 X 5 mins training too. He also has garden play, etc. Hope that helps. There is no way I could carry him either!! Although I appreciate 11 wks is different to nearly six months.
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, she`ll either be sitting down refusing to move or sniffing everything in sight 
or carry her? if she's not too much of a heavy puppy lump already? 
