Hello everyone. Sorry if this topic has been covered already, but nothing came up in a search for me.

I have a question about exercising my 6 month old Malinois pup.

The pup gets walked and then I alternate a run the next day. I will walk him and my other dog for a 2 mile course. I can’t run fast enough to challenge this pup, so I will ride a bike on the “run” days. I will ride at a pace averaging 6 mph for 3 miles. This run is in addition to his obedience training and bumper training. During the run, he will sometimes outpace me for a second, until I "heel" him back parallel with the bike seat.

Once we are back home, relaxing, he will rest for about 30 minutes and then be recharged. I will then use an orbee ball to work on his drive.

I have heard Ed say "just because a puppy can do something, doesn't mean he should be doing it".

Is this too much of a run pace for him? If not, what do you think would be the maximum pace/distance is safe for him?

As a side note, I think that this Malinois has an internal compass in his head. It doesn't matter where we are at during our walk, but as soon as we turn the corner and start heading back towards my house, he gets this burst of energy and picks up his pace noticeably. It’s as if he is telling me that he wants to get home right away and he knows we are heading in the right direction.

 Quote: Eric Erboe

Is this too much of a run pace for him? If not, what do you think would be the maximum pace/distance is safe for him?

This is way too much for a 6 month old pup. Bones and joints are still growing and changing and this could do some damage to them.
Even the walk may be too much, especially on hard ground (concrete, pavement and packed gravel roads)

I would stop all of that, go for short walks and find somewhere to play and let him run around on ground that is soft (grassy areas).

Not too much high jumping up or down from things either.

I would say 6 mnths is too young for so much forced exercise. His growth plates have closed yet and you could do skeletal damage.

That said, before I knew this, we always ran with our pups and no damage done. Still now I am "educated" to this fact I do not run with my dogs until they have reached maturity.

The fact your dog picks up the pace towards home is the oppisite of my dog. I have one of two runs I do and my dog knows the course and is visible happier when I pick the longer loop and tries to talk me into a small extra I sometimes do which is past my house a second time. If my dog doesn't want to go I figure her body is telling her something.

Thanks for your advice. I hope no one thinks I am forcing the pup to run this speed. He sets the pace, not I. But I will discontinue the runs until he is older. His energy level is just so high, that I have been trying to find ways to tire him out.

Eric,

No forcing thought of here......I have Mals too and they will go until they drop. It is up to us to monitor and control what they do until they are older because they will not....

Gotta LOVE 'EM.....

Running a 6 month old pup with 3 miles with a bike is way too much forced exercise (I say forced because the dog WILL keep running with you, even though no real physical force is exerted) If you were to take a 3 mile walk, I guarantee you the dog would not be moving at 6 MPH the entire time. he would stop to sniff and trot, and walk and run, etc.... this would be more at his own pace.

As a breeder, if I found out someone who had one of my pups was doing this type of exercise program with a pup before the age of say 18 months, I would void their hip and elbow guarantee.

When my last dog was 15 (yes that is fifteen) I would walk her and as we would approach the house she would go slower and slower. Once we got to the porch stairs she would just outright turn around and try to go again.

Because she was old (and cute) I would sometimes relent and we would go for a second walk. The pace *away* from the house was much faster, even the second time.

What you said about your dog speeding up toward home, tells me he's had more than enough. My dogs were always reluctant to go home, and I've always been told you should leave the dog wanting more.

It sounds like your puppy is exhausted, even though dogs like Malinois never show it. My puppy, not a Mal, also gets "wound up" after too much exercise. A 10-15 minute play session in the back yard will have him sleep for 2 hours, a 30 minute non stop run would wind him up and make him crazy for the next 30-60 minutes.

My dogs are NEVER biked until they are over 2 years old (or at least estimated to be over 2, since they're rescues).

To add to the points already mentioned, I think while high ENERGY is determined by breed/genetics, to a degree people "create" exercise-demanding dogs. Don't think that you have to always keep the puppy busy. You CAN'T out-tire a Malinois! But you can teach him to chill. Unless you want a frenzied dog for the rest of his life, make "down time" as much a structured part of his routine as exercise.

This isn't necessarily crate time either... It's simply time he must occupy himself and not "pester" you. JMO.

Do mind games with the dog, everybody has a thing that exercise is the only way to tire out a Malinois .. I agree any Young Malinois would be hard pressed to tire out by exercise alone. A Malinois will do anything anytime, we are spoiled by their drives and abilities. But you also need to temper that drive or else them doing anything anytime could be their long term health's undoing.

Try tracking for your pups meal, Do fun games that revolve around obedience, buy a cheap agility tunnel for the back yard. There is a lot of fun things you can do to tire out your dog that doesn't involve a 3 mile run. 6-8 years from now your dog will thank you.