Conflicting Opinions on Workout: 2.5 month old Puppy

[champion510]

Hi Guys,
I have 10 weeks old Corso puppy. He was the Runt of the pack and he is slowly growing strong.

Named him "Tank".. Let's see if he lives up to his expectations.
He is about 18.5 lbs (little under but I'm sure he'll catch up)

I'm feeding him "Taste of Wild" at the moment
Exercise is one area where I have heard mixed opinions:
I have been told, You can't run your dog even for a mile until they are 2 as it will affect their growth and joints.
At the same time, I have read that if you don't exercise your dogs early enough, they are more likely to turn up to be lazy.

I play plenty with him throughout the day, Flirt pole, tug of war etc and he enjoys it..
What are your recommendations on this subject?

Goal: I want nice healthy looking dog who is also FIT

 

[champion510]

I guess the question is how much exercise should a puppy be getting?
I am a pretty active person and would love to take this guy on hike or long walks/run with me.. but need to know that I'm not burning him out.

 

[musicdeb]

I hear ya, many opinions. On this forum, I believe the general consensus is to not overly exercise a young pup until about 1-2 yrs old. Overly exercise meaning long walks (over a mile), excessive running and excessive hard jumping can potentially harm their joints and hips. Another concern is overheating. Mastiffs can overheat rather quickly.

It is true that mastiffs need exercise but it should be exercise within reason.

I'm not sure that helps but there it is IMO

 

[raechiemay]

I think I've read 10 minutes for every month that the puppy is in age? So a 10 week old puppy should be getting about 25 minutes of exercise per day. If this is incorrect someone please correct me! I won't be offended.

 

[kevinmuaythai]

Playing with a pup is exercise for them. When they're older you can think of something more like actual exercise. As long as you feed the right amount a corso will always be in shape. They're athletic active dogs.

 

[DMikeM]

I have found out some interesting stuff from some Boerboel breeders recently. The ones theat live in places like Greece and South Africa DO allow the pups to go on long walks as long as it is in the dirt and hills, just not on hard ground like pavement roads or hard packed ground. The dogs these guys have are amazing with difenition like you have never seen in a mastiff dog. They say just let them play and romp until the drop. It's natural and develops strong bones and connections.

 

[DMikeM]

Example Crespo Lion Dog of Boerboel Greece

 

[CeeCee]

I recently read an article saying that natural movements and free play were good for large breed puppies. So running, stretching, playing on soft surfaces i.e., grass and dirt is actually healthy and good for their developing bodies. Also, they need to be able to pace themselves.

Structured exercise/play on hard surfaces and where they don't have they ability to pace themselves is where you need to be very careful.

If I can find the article, I'll post it here.

 

[DMikeM]

I recently read an article saying that natural movements and free play were good for large breed puppies. So running, stretching, playing on soft surfaces i.e., grass and dirt is actually healthy and good for their developing bodies. Also, they need to be able to pace themselves.

Structured exercise/play on hard surfaces and where they don't have they ability to pace themselves is where you need to be very careful.

If I can find the article, I'll post it here.

This^^^ Is the same as I read.

 

[champion510]

Good .. Great feedback guys.. Keep it coming.
I do have other issue that he is starting to become finicky eater ever since I've introduced chicken (raw food) one time.
he is ignoring dog food more and more.. (duh..for obvious reasons)
any idea how I can get him to finish his dog food.. I have tried waiting and giving him rewards..if he finishes.
Sometimes if i pour it in his crib instead of bowl.. he'll wlak around for 2-3 hrs and finish it.. maybe he has issues eating out of bowl?
thoughts?

 

[champion510]

Example Crespo Lion Dog of Boerboel Greece

That is one mean looking dog! Well-muscled also! Thank you for posting.

 

[musicdeb]

Good .. Great feedback guys.. Keep it coming.
I do have other issue that he is starting to become finicky eater ever since I've introduced chicken (raw food) one time.
he is ignoring dog food more and more.. (duh..for obvious reasons)
any idea how I can get him to finish his dog food.. I have tried waiting and giving him rewards..if he finishes.
Sometimes if i pour it in his crib instead of bowl.. he'll wlak around for 2-3 hrs and finish it.. maybe he has issues eating out of bowl?
thoughts?

When the pup does not eat within 20 minutes of giving the food to the pup, pick it up. Feed the remaining food with the next meal.

You can add high value extras to the kibble, i.e. cooked or raw chicken, gravy, yogurt, eggs, etc. Pups can also become bored with the food and changing the food can help. If you change their food, remember to do a slow transition to the new food to prevent diarrhea and it is easier on their digestive system.

 

[musicdeb]

Example Crespo Lion Dog of Boerboel Greece

What an awesome looking pup!

 

[champion510]

I easily play with this guy for 2 hrs each day and he still has energy.. lol
I guess this really qualifies as working breed!

 

[Kahuna]

Or just switch to 100% raw!

 

[CeeCee]

This^^^ Is the same as I read.

Where did we read that article?? It's driving me nuts! ...I swear I need to start a file.

 

[DMikeM]

Where did we read that article?? It's driving me nuts! ...I swear I need to start a file.

It had been posted on FB and I did not save it.

As for Crespo the BB his name means Lion of Rome I think. he is 11 months old lives on a ranch like area in Greece, this dog looks more like a lion than most lions. One more pic hope you don't mind.

 

[ruthcatrin]

You want to avoid serious jumping, and play that'll result in his rear end being snapped around.

Exercise on grass is way better than on pavement.

Otherwise....exercise him till he's tired! He'll drive you nuts if you don't. But yes, at this age plain play works just fine as exercise. And don't be afraid to play mind games as much as physical games!

 

[ruthcatrin]

Where did we read that article?? It's driving me nuts! ...I swear I need to start a file.

And now you know how my links library started.....

 

[DennasMom]

That lion is AWESOME! Those are some major muscles showing through. WOW!

As for exercise - I just followed Denna's lead... we did most of our workouts in the back yard as play, but we did start walks around the 'hood pretty early - but only as far and fast as she wanted to go. Early on, that meant maybe 10 minutes down to the end of the block and back. By 1 year old, she wanted to jog 1.5 miles (her easy trot, my jog). Yesterday in the "heat" of 72F at 11am (Seattle area)... she started drooping at about the 1.2 mile mark... and that was a walk in forest shade with her off leash... so, the season definitely plays a part with Denna (EM).

She got hosed off when we got home, with a fresh baby pool to wade in... which always perks her up.

I do try and get as much off-leash dirt/grass walking as we can, with less hard pavement structure - we have some trails around the 'hood that are good for that.

We have a flirt pole... but I have a hard time getting it going straight long enough... she always takes hard, sharp turns to keep up with the target... and that makes me nervous. I can just see her hind end slipping out on one of those turns at a bad angle... she's good when she catches it though - makes me think I'm lunging and horse around me in the yard. HA!