Walking A Puppy

[JERRY WHITE]

How far can you walk a four month old malamute puppy? Also any ideas on how to stop a puppy from wanting to play and chew on the lead while walking or training?

Thanks

[Kate]

Hi there,
Walking your pup short distances a couple of times a day would be much more beneficial than 1 big long walk. Because malamutes are large breeds they can prone to developing bone and especially joint diseases. The best way to avoid this is to limit the amount of repetitive pounding exercise your dog gets while growing. Diet is also important and I would give a reputable brand that is 'complete and balanced' so you can be sure that they are getting all the nutrients they need.

Short rather than long walks will also help with the playing with the lead problem. Puppies have a very short attention span, and it can take them a while to understand what walking on a lead is all about! Like with any behaviour that you don't want to see your dog doing, reprimand with a loud AAHHHH sound and take the lead from their mouth. Always tell your dog when they are doing well and make the walks interesting. This is the perfect time to bond with your dog and to work on obedience. Try getting them to sit and even stay periodically.

So I can't give you an exact distance that would be best for your pup, but start short and work on slowly increasing the distance as they grow.

Good luck,
Kate

[foxi7778]

Hi, a large breed puppy at 4 months old should only be walked for 20 minutes and kept on the grass as much as possible to avoid damage to the joints. As for chewing the leash I agree with the other post

[susan O]

we were advised by our dog trainer to soak leash in bitter apple-it did work