# General > Pets Corner >  Advice on puppy walking.

## b3n

We have a 12 week old Labrador, i started taking him for walks a few days ago which he loved and was really keen, the last few days he's just not interested in going for a walk, i get half way down the street then have to come back!! Has anyone any advice please??

----------


## _Ju_

12 weeks is very young. They tire quickly and noises can be intimidating. At 12 weeks I doubt he has completed his shots and should not be walked in public areas. All you need is a bit of bad luck with parvo and you and your family will be crying for your puppy.
PS: If he had his booster shot in the last couple of days, it still has not had time to work.

----------


## b3n

Thanks for your concerns. He's had all his injections and is fine to go outside. I am not planning on taking him on long walks just yet. I just wanted some tips on how to get him used to walking on the lead as he's gone off the idea.

----------


## _Ju_

First shot at 8 weeks at the earliest ( earlier than that and maternal antibodies neutralize the vaccine, so it has no effect). Second shot 4 weeks after that ( ie: 12 weeks). Then 2 week wait for the vaccine to have been effective takes you to 14 weeks. And that is if you have had a polivalent vaccine that covers the four major diseases dogs are vaccinated against in one shot. If you  had a different schedule it can only have taken longer. 
I am not trying to be picky or mean, but when you get parvoviroses in a young pup it is a killer. Not only that, it is a painful disease for the family and, especially, for the dog.

----------


## Loganberry

It's me or the dog has a few good tips but I think the main thing is not to make a fuss like traffic is an issue/scary/something to get worked up about.  Don't fuss but do distract with positive reinforcement.  You could take him a very short walk to a road and whilst there just ask for a few simple requests (i.e ask for a sit or a few steps walking towards you on a come command, even just paying attention to you) and each time he does something good reward with something yummy like cheese or chicken.  Even a quick 5 min walk a few times a day to start with is more beneficial than one 20 min session.  Once he realises that a walk is something to look forward to, you can make them a little longer.  Good luck!

----------


## b3n

Thanks again for your concerns!! I obviously should of been more accurate with my dates, We got our pup at 12 weeks with all his injections up to date and have had him 2 weeks on Monday. So he's slightly older than i first posted. Have you any advice on training a puppy or not??? 
Thanks Loganberry for the tips. i just need to take my take with him and will try the advice.

----------


## Logical

> I am not trying to be picky or mean, but when you get parvoviroses in a young pup it is a killer. Not only that, it is a painful disease for the family and, especially, for the dog.


Straight in with the emotional blackmail there.

Thankfully it seems the pup is cleared for the outdoors and was cleared by the vet.

----------


## neepnipper

Hi - I've sent you a pm.

----------


## annemarie482

you have to be careful with lab pups the first few months, if you walk them too much you can increase the risk of hip displacia in later life.
you should keep the exercise short but often the first few months.
(i'm on my second lab)

pm crusty roll or egregory as they breeds labs.

----------


## crustyroll

At 14 weeks of age the puppy should only be getting a maximum of 10-15 minutes of WALKING PER DAY.  This doesn't include all the play time he will have had at home, so if he's had a really busy day running around, don't walk him as well, it's too much for his young body to cope with.  No fast running on hard surfaces or jumping, all of this affects their joints.

A Labradors bones do not harden until they are about 18 months old and most damage is done before the first 9 months of age.  As it's a dog they are more prone to OCD in the shoulder and this usually happens when they are really young due to too much exercise or leaping about.  Hip Dysplacia is actually more environmental than hereditary so please be very careful with him over exercise at this young age.  You will have him for another 14 years hopefully so don't rush this bit.  

Take him out on the lead for 5 minutes a few times a day and make a really big fuss over him and tell him how good he is when he behaves well.  Don't get stressed out over noises, traffic, people etc as he will pick it up from you.  You don't need to walk very far, just wander and let him be relaxed with you, my own puppies got walked around the front garden when loads of traffic went past and I have no problems with them walking on the lead.

Being careful at this stage of his exercise will pay off in leaps and bounds when he's an older dog, don't rush him, you wouldn't rush a toddler to run and fall over and hurt himself would you?

----------


## _Ju_

> Straight in with the emotional blackmail there.
> 
> Thankfully it seems the pup is cleared for the outdoors and was cleared by the vet.


The puppy was 12 weeks and then later became 14 weeks of age. It is very nice to show a puppy off to the world, but the majority of puppies who catch parvo die. Fact.

----------


## GruesomeTwosome

> First shot at 8 weeks at the earliest ( earlier than that and maternal antibodies neutralize the vaccine, so it has no effect). Second shot 4 weeks after that ( ie: 12 weeks). Then 2 week wait for the vaccine to have been effective takes you to 14 weeks. And that is if you have had a polivalent vaccine that covers the four major diseases dogs are vaccinated against in one shot. If you had a different schedule it can only have taken longer. 
> I am not trying to be picky or mean, but when you get parvoviroses in a young pup it is a killer. Not only that, it is a painful disease for the family and, especially, for the dog.


I can not agree more strongly.  Parvo is a killer to young and older dogs.  I used to take my dogs to all the shows but I see too many teeny weeny pups now that can not possibly be old enough to have cleared the vaccination period putting other dogs at risk.  Its a shame as these owners are only putting other dogs at risk.

I know this thread was not for this reason but I can not speak loudly enough about the dangers our beloved pets face.

b3n - you will get some great advice on here, good luck with your pup.

----------

