Conditioning Questions and Activities

My Mia is 4 mos and 1 week old right now. At what age should you really start conditioning? (I mean conditioning to a really ripped dog) I'm guessing when the dog is more around its full growth potential.

Right now she just goes on lots of walks, plays fetch, tug of war with a rope here and there and jogs with me. Nothing TOO strenuous.

I condition myself and would not going to work my dog while I'm sitting around being lazy and out of shape. I mostly lift weights, which my dog can't do with me obviously, but she could try pulling weight when she gets older.

As far as activities that I can do with her when she's the proper age (whatever that may be) I have:
-walking/jogging on leash around the neighborhood
-fetch
-swimming in my backyard pool or the creek/lake in the summertime
-going on hikes whether its powerwalking or jogging through woods trails
-tug of war with a heavy duty rope
-both of us pull weight (she could have like a lawn cart loaded with X amount of weight, I could have a pull harness on me and be dragging something heavy while running) when we are on trail jogs
-biking if she will not pull me off my bike lol
-sprinting up hills

Anything else, activities or any tips on the age question to give me a hand?

Thanks everyone.

-c10

 

she is wayyyyyy to young to even be thinking about hard conditioning!! let her play and be a pup

 

Oh yeah I knew that. If she was worked hard, I'm sure it would be very detrimental to her growth.

My question is basically at what age can you start working hard? And, are there any activities other than the ones I listed to do that YOU and your dog can do?

Thanks.

-c10

 

ok some walking playing ball and such i wouldt start conditioning the pup till it is done growing

 

Wait until shes at least a year old.

 

I always let my young prospects be puppies but I do let them PLAY harder as they progress in age . Things like longer walks and swims when they are 8 months old as to when they were 6 months old that kinda thing. Once They get to be 12 months old is when I begin to step it up a bit, an example would be like going to the carpet mill instead of the slatmill but still very gradually, longer spring pole work etc.. Once they get 18 months I begin a strong routine if I feel like the dog is ready. Bottom line is this, noone will know better than you when your dog is really ready to get serious and his or her mind and body is ready for it but the most important thing I have learned is to let the animal be a puppy when it is a puppy and get to know everything about and it will be doing the same with you also. Good luck and I wish you well.

 

In my opinion you should wait til 15 moths of age.

 

I think you have named plenty of good activities do give your dogs. nice dog though

 

i would say around 1 1/2 years to 2 years u want every thing to be set in place as fare as joints bone growth and all here adult teeth are grwon in playing tug of war to early wiht your dog can pull her teeth forward so watch out for that but let everything grown frist u still have 13 years with your dog so there no hurry and with all that work u have her in for make sure your feeding a good food

 

-both of us pull weight (she could have like a lawn cart loaded with X amount of weight, I could have a pull harness on me and be dragging something heavy while running) when we are on trail jogs




doesnt sound very practical

 

You're right when I think about it. Maybe a backpack with some weight plates in it

 

one quick idea if you can contact who you got the dog from ask them when the parents body fully matured , that would be my starting point.. on a good gamebreed dog hard training 18 my opinion

 

At this young age, make sure that he plays with other puppies. This is the most and first important issue!

What I use for my dog right now is flirtpole! He enjoys it alot and there is nothing in this flirtpole game that will effect his growth!

 

Originally Posted by semo
-both of us pull weight (she could have like a lawn cart loaded with X amount of weight, I could have a pull harness on me and be dragging something heavy while running) when we are on trail jogs
doesnt sound very practical


You should not do any kind of weight pulling before his joints and bones are fully developed