The Long Walk

As I myself am attempting to motivate myself to get out more and engage in some form of cardiovascular exercise daily, I figured it would be a good idea to take the new Lab with me for the benefit of us both. I normally try to walk at least 3 miles an evening, with 6 to 10 mile hikes on Saturday mornings, and figured since I did this same routine with my previous dog (a 7 year old Chow Chow), Jazz would get a kick out of it, and it would give her a chance to learn the neighborhood in case she ever got free. Our first long hike went without a hitch, 6.5 miles around the neighborhood on a not so hot Saturday morning, and Jazz, as predicted was thrilled to be able to stretch her legs, and explore new areas. I figured it would be good to try another route the next weekend, and about 1 mile into the walk, I notice I as I was walking, Jazz was not. I looked down to check on her, and she had laid down in the shade of a mailbox and refused to get back up.

Curious about her lack of energy for this walk and especially for her health, I got Jazz back home and immediately began researching walking techniques for puppies under 1 year old. I saw a good tidbit of information on The Labrador Site on suggested guidelines on how to properly walk a young pup based on the dog’s still developing body. After reading, I learned to cut back on the amount of long walks I took Jazz on, especially without sufficient hydration both prior to and during the walk. I also learned that it is actually a good thing for the puppy’s body to take long walks in moderation, and should tailor my scheduled walks to take her along.

Contact me via Twitter or Linkedin.