I’ve been trying to take Starbuck for a hike every 2 or 3 days in the hills by our house. We usually hike for about an hour and she runs all over the place. By the time we get home she is ready for a nap.

The last couple times I found a “loop” that I like to take. I think the loop is about 3.5 miles with uphill and downhill parts. Friday it took us right about 1.5 hours to complete the loop.

When we went for a hike today she ran into more rabbits than usual. Most of the time we see 2-3 rabbits; she will chase them for about 100 yards before they are out of site. Today we ran into 3 rabbits before we completed half of the loop. The 3rd rabbit was in an open area and she must have chased him close to 200 yards. When she came back she was visibly tired and looking for a shady place to lie down. We found a spot in the shade under a small tree/bush. After about 5-7 minutes of panting and some water she was willing to start walking again. We took another short break before we got back to the house. During the end of the walk she was still looking for stuff to chase and was trotting around (not just following the trail home).

Starbuck is about a week short of 8 Months old. I don’t “force” any exercise. I figure if she is tired then she won’t continue to chase things.

How much running is too much at this age? If I stop and let her rest, is 5-10 minutes enough down time? Are there any key signs that a dog has recovered from a good run?

I carry a 20 ounce bottle of water on the walks and I give her a chance to drink while we are out. We usually run out of water near the end of the walk. I estimate that she drinks about 20% of the water given based on how much she slops out of my hand. Is there a proper way to give water while on walks (before, during, after)?

I also carry a bag of treats to reward things like a “Come” or “Leave it”.

Hi, Keith-

I can't answer all of your questions re: down time, etc, but I wanted to mention that you can buy a "dog canteen" w/a water bowl attached at most pet stores. They are pretty compact (the canteen snaps "into" the water dish). The one I have has a strap attached, so you can carry it over your shoulder or attached it to a backpack if necessary. That way you don't have to waste water, you can just pour it into the bowl. Just a thought.

I'm so jealous - my pup isn't old enough yet to go on those long hikes. He's poop out in a few minutes (only 3-1/2 mos old). LOL!

Letting her set her own pace off leash, as you are doing, is the best way to go from everything I've read. She'll run as much or as little as she wants and you're doing the right thing by paying attention when she needs a rest.

This will sound silly but I judge how tired my dog is by how hard he is panting and by the length of the tongue hanging out of his mouth. When it's reached the length of a neck tie we take a good rest and slow down.

Water is good for her on a warm day while she's exercising so I'd continue to offer it during the walk. She'd have to consume a fair amount (probably more than you could carry on you) for there to be any worries about bloat.

Keith, get a cloth bowl that holds water. Ed sells them here: http://www.leerburg.com/dogdishes.htm
Folds up and goes into your pocket. Open it to pour water in.
The 3 mentioned at the top of the page would work great. Each holds water and/or food. The sizes vary so check for best size for you.

As far as how long it takes the dog to recover while resting from the walk, I would go by when your dog gets up on her own and stays up, walking or sniffing, showing she's ready to go again. If the time is shorter than you think it should be, if she only stays down for a few seconds, I'd have her stay in a down for a few minutes longer.

Edited to add: Ditto what Sarah said re: if she's panting hard.

I have a cheap nylon bowl, but the fabric absorbs too much water. Once I put water into the bowl it won't dry out for 30 minutes or more.

For these short walks I think cupping my hand with the water bottle will work. I am keeping an eye out for a large capacity water system.

This one looks interesting:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16753&cmpid=aff-_-ls-_-Dogs-_-Hydro-Go%20Pet%20Water%20Bottle%20and%20Bowl&ref=3665&subref=AA&GCID=C12188x007