jpy
09-17-2000, 10:13 PM
This for the archives-a general guide (collected wisdom) on exercising growing giants & especially Danes.
DANE EXERCISE DOs & DON'Ts:
DANE PUPs (under one year) should not be leashed walked for any real length of time. They tire easily & yet will get excited to be out and then stoically try to keep up even when they are tired (& prone to injury). Best to give them free exercise in an enclosed yard & save leash walks for teaching about how to behave in public, for socialization & other trips outside the home, & let pups exercise themselves & rest when they will. If you must actually exercise your pup on a leash, then do so in short spurts (15-30 minutes) several times a day. It's still better to have them "play" in a park, for example,even on a flexi-lead than march down the concrete road on a 6' leash. A good rule of thumb is, if the dog comes home and goes right to bed & to sleep, the exercise period and/or distance was too long. If the dog comes home and is still wild & silly, it was too little exercise. "Just right" is when s/he is alert & content to be quiet after being taken out for exercise. Remember, too, this will change even week to week & certainly month to month as your pup grows. Also remember young pups should not spend too much time in a crate. If you must be gone for long periods, then plan a run or yard for the dog to get some fresh air & exercise during the time you are away. DANES kept crated most of day and all of the night will not be as fit and more prone to both injuries and bad behaviours.
DANE PUPS & JUNIORS (up to 18 months) should not be road marched or force exercised, to include jogging with the owner, bicycling, horsebackriding (at speed & distance), or running alongside or behind a car or truck. They also shouldn't jump over 12" (or anything approaching elbow height), or do any strenuous obstacle work. Stairs, especially steep and narrow ones & steps over 3-4 should be avoided as well, and Danes shouldn't be allowed to jump in & out of vehicles.
That all young Danes are growing rapidlly needs to always be kept in mind. They are often clumsy as they are actually physically different sizes from week to week & have to continually adjust to their bodies. They have soft bones which any little injury can escalate rapidly into a larger problem. They shouldn't be allowed to run wildly & mindlessly around (esp. around mealtime) & should be encouraged to free exercise themselves over varied terrain to achieve both fitness and agility of muscle & bone. Their weight should be carefully monitored to keep them trim & a bit on the thin side. Many outings to new places should be planned--at least one a week--so the young dog will know how to behave as he grows & you can identify and correct any problems before s/he gets too big to manage. Kept trim and well exercised your DANE pup should grow up to be physically & mentally fit and able.
DANE EXERCISE DOs & DON'Ts:
DANE PUPs (under one year) should not be leashed walked for any real length of time. They tire easily & yet will get excited to be out and then stoically try to keep up even when they are tired (& prone to injury). Best to give them free exercise in an enclosed yard & save leash walks for teaching about how to behave in public, for socialization & other trips outside the home, & let pups exercise themselves & rest when they will. If you must actually exercise your pup on a leash, then do so in short spurts (15-30 minutes) several times a day. It's still better to have them "play" in a park, for example,even on a flexi-lead than march down the concrete road on a 6' leash. A good rule of thumb is, if the dog comes home and goes right to bed & to sleep, the exercise period and/or distance was too long. If the dog comes home and is still wild & silly, it was too little exercise. "Just right" is when s/he is alert & content to be quiet after being taken out for exercise. Remember, too, this will change even week to week & certainly month to month as your pup grows. Also remember young pups should not spend too much time in a crate. If you must be gone for long periods, then plan a run or yard for the dog to get some fresh air & exercise during the time you are away. DANES kept crated most of day and all of the night will not be as fit and more prone to both injuries and bad behaviours.
DANE PUPS & JUNIORS (up to 18 months) should not be road marched or force exercised, to include jogging with the owner, bicycling, horsebackriding (at speed & distance), or running alongside or behind a car or truck. They also shouldn't jump over 12" (or anything approaching elbow height), or do any strenuous obstacle work. Stairs, especially steep and narrow ones & steps over 3-4 should be avoided as well, and Danes shouldn't be allowed to jump in & out of vehicles.
That all young Danes are growing rapidlly needs to always be kept in mind. They are often clumsy as they are actually physically different sizes from week to week & have to continually adjust to their bodies. They have soft bones which any little injury can escalate rapidly into a larger problem. They shouldn't be allowed to run wildly & mindlessly around (esp. around mealtime) & should be encouraged to free exercise themselves over varied terrain to achieve both fitness and agility of muscle & bone. Their weight should be carefully monitored to keep them trim & a bit on the thin side. Many outings to new places should be planned--at least one a week--so the young dog will know how to behave as he grows & you can identify and correct any problems before s/he gets too big to manage. Kept trim and well exercised your DANE pup should grow up to be physically & mentally fit and able.