09/03/2022
https://www.facebook.com/132190041690106/posts/474998590742581/
WE HAVE BEEN ASKED to repeat this expert feature on exercise requirements for BC puppies, and how to best manage their mental and physical development:
WARNING – DON’T OVER-EXERCISE THAT PUPPY!
As anyone knows who has owned one, Border collies pups can be extremely energetic and boisterous, to the point where some owners may think they can never fully “tire them out”. And such thinking is actually where everything can start to go wrong.
Mostly because your mission, as an owner, should never be to ‘tire a Border collie puppy out’. Your mission, instead, should always be to better protect, and guide, your young dog’s developing brain and body safely into adulthood. And a place where both will then be, hopefully, not only in perfect working order but also a lot more resilient. Because Border collie puppies, if left more to their own devices, living in the moment and ricocheting from one immediate impulse to the next, will not be able to do this by themselves.
THE DEVELOPING MIND
First, the developing brain: With better focus and impulse control training, as well as a far better awareness of both ‘up’ and ‘down’ times in their daily schedule (see end of this feature), you can teach a young collie to progressively evolve a far calmer and more disciplined mind.
THE DEVELOPING BODY
Second, the developing body: A Border collie skeleton can take up to two years to achieve maximum growth, and even a year or two beyond that – especially in males – to establish full muscle development and density of bone. Before this happens the dog will be far more vulnerable to injuries which damage the developing spine, joints and growth plates; of a kind that can so often turn into bigger or more chronic problems later in life. And the younger the dog, the more vulnerable he or she may be to the dangers of over-exercise.
A common view is that young Border collie puppies should have five minutes exercise for every month of their age, twice a day. Thus a three month old pup will need 15 minutes exercise twice a day and a six month old pup nearer half an hour twice daily. But to me it is less about the LENGTH of exercise puppies have, but the TYPE. In other words, five minutes of chasing a ball non-stop, and twisting, jumping or sharply braking after it risks doing far more damage to a puppy’s developing body than 20 minutes of walking or running along a softer surface like sand or grass.
RISKIER PURSUITS
Climbing up and down stairs, jumping in and out of a car, or jumping on and off furniture, are all things that can place a strain, or more impact, on a puppy’s developing joints. So keep stair climbing to a minimum and lift puppies in and out of a car or off furniture until they are a lot older –i.e. at least ten months old, if not older.
Another danger area can be puppies playing more roughly, or boisterously, with other dogs, especially those of a greater size. And while play remains highly important for their social development, it is also necessary to ensure these sessions are not so lengthy, or over-boisterous, that a serious injury could then occur.
Even when dogs are older, pursuits like jumping, twisting, landing more awkwardly or braking at speed are those more likely to cause them injury, which is why I always prefer distance and gradient climbing work for my own dogs to keep them fit, plus swimming in the summer. Whereas balls/chase toys are only used for training.
Also remember a dog has to already be pretty fit (in terms of overall muscle/joint strength and flexibility) to undertake more active pursuits like jumping, twisting, landing and braking with a lower risk of injury. It does not get fit simply DOING THEM.
I have a friend – a top sheepdog trainer - who goes spare whenever he sees YouTube videos of very young Border collie puppies allowed to hare around sheep, slipping, skidding, twisting and turning, long before their joints have fully developed. I feel the same when I see very young puppies taken on far too long walks, especially on harder surfaces, or endlessly chasing after balls.
Ultimately our dogs do not realise their bodies have got to last them a lifetime, but we do. Which is why it is so important to look after them during their most formative stages of development. For so often injuries incurred when young, which seemed pretty insignificant at the time, can come back to haunt them in later life.
Meanwhile everything you need to know about raising Border collie puppies, including exercise requirements and focus and impulse control training, appears in the SECOND book in my BREED APART trilogy: https://performancedog.co.uk/.../border-collies-a-breed.../
All text © Carol Price 2022
