Puppy Exercise

[Williesmom]

How much exercise should Willie be getting? He is 16 weeks old and after not a whole lot of anything just poops out :) I want to be able to take him for walks, but I totally don't push him to do more than 15 or 20 minutes of slow walking. Is this a normal amount of exercise? He also runs around in the back yard for about a half hour (sometimes less). Don't want a couch potato dog, but don't want to be unreasonable in my expectations either.
Thanks!

[brunie's mom]

That sounds about right for a 16 week old pup.
As he gets older his stamina will increase, and he will play a bit longer and walk a little further. Do not take him for big long walks or jogging till he is at least 18 months old. Their growth plates on the bones are still open and you do not want them damaged by excessive and heavy exercise.

Do some training also...mental exercise is also important. When pup and dogs are learning new things it seems to takeup so much of their energy.

Have you got him signed up for Puppy Kindergarden classes yet??

Thankfully Rottweilers are not a hyper breed...this is what makes them so loveable...cool, calm and collected.

Gina

[mrsgrubby]

mental excercise is as important as physical excercise, can you play a game where he gets both like hide and seek or begin teaching him to fetch?
Also in Puppy Kindergarten they usually let the puppies play with each other at the end of class and they get good social skills and get tired out.

[rhylmarova]

I do a short walk of about 15minutes every morning and evening. After walk we usually spent another 15minutes playing fetch and running around the house (our form of hide and seek or should I say chase and run:-)) My male is 18wks old and that is as much as he seems to like and manage fine. In the morning, we follow it still with 10minutes of training of sits, stays etc, which we repeat afternoon. If he needs more, he will play by himself, mostly swinging any toy in the sight.

I have found that the play time and training is essential (especially in the morning and before bedtime) as he would otherwise be really naughty after the walk. Like if it only gets him in the mood and than all that happy energy needs to go out.

And than he goes to sleep and I can finally do some work as well...:-))

Renata

[abhims]

>Thankfully Rottweilers are not a hyper breed...this is what makes them so >loveable...cool, calm and collected.

ha ha ha ..i must have a cross bred pup then :). He is cool,calm and collected at about 100 mph around the yard.

[Williesmom]

Thanks everyone, it is good to know that we are on track. Willie starts his training tomorrow, going for the evaluation. I have been looking into Puppy Kindergardens too - Willie is really ready for more than just "mom and dad" :)