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Just like humans, to stay fit and healthy, Labradors must have exercise.
Whether young or old, big or small, yellow, black, chocolate, from field lines or show lines, your Labrador needs exercise.
It will keep their heart and muscles strong, their mind stimulated and their weight under control.
But how much exercise does a Labrador need?
Labradors Are a High Energy Breed
The Labrador Retriever is a high energy working breed, initially bred for very physically demanding work retrieving game for hunters.
This would involve all day hiking, running and swimming in sometimes difficult conditions.
So Labrador Retrievers were bred to have lots of energy and be very active. And though their main role in life today is as a family pet, they still have those same genetics that made them suited to their original role.
This means they have a body built for and one that craves a lot of physical activity and if you don’t provide a way for them to release their pent-up energy, they may very well find a release for it themselves.
QUICK TIP: One of our favorite inexpensive toys for exercising our Labs is the Chuckit! Dog Ball Thrower. Yes, you can throw a tennis ball extra far with the Chuckit, but two reasons why I love it: 1. You don’t have to touch a slobbery ball and 2. You don’t have to bend over to pick up the ball (great for my old body).
What Happens If You Don’t Exercise Your Labrador Enough?
If you fail to exercise your Labrador sufficiently, they’ll become bored and absolutely bursting at the seams with pent-up energy.
In this state they will often resort to destructive behaviors such as digging and chewing…and will often be very restless, may bark excessively and try to escape your home and garden at every opportunity.
It’s now that many people start to use the words ‘disobedient and uncontrollable’ when describing their Labrador, when all that’s needed is to cater for their needs.
Insufficient exercise can also lead to weight problems with Labradors. They tend to put on weight very easily being voracious eaters and if they aren’t exercised enough they soon pile on the pounds.
Excess weight is a problem because it can lead to all sorts of problems such as damage to their joints (hips and elbows), heart disease, increased blood pressure and increases the risk of diabetes.
So a lack of exercise leads to behavioral problems, hyperactivity and possibly an assortment of health problems. So it’s very important to exercise them well!
So How Much Exercise Does a Labrador Need?
There’s no absolute concrete answer to this as it depends on your Labradors age, their overall health and even their genetics as Labradors from a working line will usually need more exercise than those from show lines.
However, as a general rule of thumb, a normally healthy adult Labrador Retriever will need 1 hour of exercise every day. The more relaxed Labs just 45 minutes per day, the more energetic 1.5 hours+.
This can be made up of running, swimming, playing fetch, jogging alongside you…anything that goes beyond a gentle walk.
But if the first consideration is your Labradors age, how much do puppies and the elderly need?
QUICK TIP: In our early days we would run with our Labrador Retriever mix, Linus. Yep, I used to run marathons…so long ago…Anyhoo, we liked using a hands free leash like the Tuff Mutts Hands Free Leash. Nice for long runs with your Lab.
How Much Exercise Does a Labrador Puppy Need?
A Labrador puppy doesn’t need any form of ‘structured’ exercise during its first 3 months as they’re only small, tire quickly and are sufficiently exercised with just their normal play.
During the first 3 months, it’s more important not to ‘over-exercise’ your pup.
If you have older dogs or children, the puppy may well try to keep up with them and over-exert themselves, playing to exhaustion and damage their developing joints.
So keep an eye on them and interrupt play if need be, to give them plenty of rest.
From 3 months and older, there’s a much spoken rule of thumb called the ‘five minute rule’ I found on numerous sites on the web during research, and seen in an article by the UK kennel club:
“A good rule of thumb is a ratio of five minutes exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown, i.e. 15 minutes when three months old, 20 minutes when four months old etc. Once they are fully grown, they can go out for much longer.”
-The UK Kennel Club
This means structured, deliberate exercise where you take time out to exercise your puppy properly and doesn’t include natural free play time.
It’s important to begin structured, planned exercise as early as 3 months in order to get your Labrador used to a regular exercise routine with you.
The 5 minute rule should be sufficient to keep your lab puppy fit, burn off excess energy yet not over-exert them and cause possible developmental issues.
Continue the 5 minute rule until your puppy is at least one year of age where you can then begin to exercise them more vigorously.
How Much Exercise Does an Elderly Labrador Need?
This is highly dependent on your labs overall health and can vary wildly from one Labrador to another.
Some labs may need to slow down from the 7th year onwards, while others remain extremely active beyond their 10th year.
As Labradors get older, many develop arthritis, dysplasia and other health issues that can prevent a Labrador from enjoying or needing exercise as much as they used to when young and healthy.
And exercise can aggravate certain health problems so please ask your vet for exercise advice if your Lab’s been diagnosed with any health issues.
For an elderly Labrador that’s slowing down with age and possibly suffering with stiffening joints, gentle walking and especially swimming that takes the weight off their limbs are the best forms of exercise.
Be mindful of asking less of your Lab in old age. They will likely still try to chase a tennis ball all day and hike mountains just to please you, even if it may be doing them more harm than good. Try not to put them in this position.
As your Labrador ages, you need to be more observant, looking for changes in their movement, excessive panting, slowing down, feeling tired. And during grooming sessions and massage, check for any painful spots indicative of sore joints or other problems.
QUICK TIP: As your Labrador gets older you might consider glucosamine for dogs to help relieve some of the stiffness in his joints. We noticed Linus was stiff getting up in the morning and decided to try adding glucosamine to his diet. We saw a noticeable difference a few days later and an added spring in his step.
Signs Your Labrador Isn’t Getting Enough Exercise
It’s relatively easy to tell when your Labrador isn’t getting enough exercise and knowing the signs will allow you to adjust accordingly.
If your Labrador tears around your home like a tornado. If they chew, bark and dig what seems like ‘all the time’.
If they don’t listen to commands they’ve been reliably trained to follow, then it’s fairly safe to say they aren’t getting enough exercise.
Also, if you Labrador’s putting on excess weight and you aren’t over-feeding them, including table scraps and treats, then it’s also likely they aren’t getting enough exercise.
However, if your Lab can relax around the home, isn’t destructive and follows your commands, looks athletic and not overweight, then it’s fairly safe to say they’re being exercised enough.
If your Lab displays any of the restless and destructive symptoms described above, try increasing their levels of exercise for a few days and see if their behavior problems improve. You may be pleasantly surprised :-)
QUICK RECOMMENDATION: Earlier we recommended the Chuckit! which we love. However, if you have money burning a hole in your pocket you might want to check out PetSafe Automatic Ball Launcher. We don’t personally own one, but we did see an adorable Golden Retriever demoing the launcher at a conference we attended recently.
Speaking of automatic ball launchers this is one of our favorites:
It’s great when your dog takes the initiative to exercise himself. :)
Conclusion
Labradors are energetic and need lots of regular exercise. If they don’t get it, then you, your ears, your shoes, furniture and flower beds will soon know about it!
Don’t over-exercise a puppy, and be observant of and mindful to an elderly Labradors ailments and needs. Over-exercising very young and elderly Labradors can do more harm than good.
For your adolescent and adult Labrador, exercise them well. They’ll be able to out-perform you so it’s unlikely you’ll exercise them too much, they can go all day.
As a general rule of thumb, aim for 1hr per day and scale this up or down depending on your Labradors individual needs.
This could mean 45 mins for the more sedate and elderly, or 1.5 hours+ for the more energetic and highly strung.
Particularly if they’re restless and destructive, try upping the amount of exercise you provide and their behavior should improve.
And at the end of the day, think of it like this: You have the best exercise machine to rival that of any gym to keep you fit and healthy yourself.
Walking, hiking, throwing, swimming…A lab will relentlessly work you and make you go nuts if you don’t get outside for your 1hr+ of exercise together per day.
And hey, what fun!!! What better motivation and need is there to keep yourself in shape? :-)
Anything to add?
As always, we’d love to hear your feedback, comments and any thoughts you may have on the subject of “how much exercise does a Labrador need?”.
Do you mostly agree with the above? What are your experiences with Labradors you’ve owned yourself? Please let us know in the comments section below.
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92 comments
Roooo if Labradors are considered a high energy breed then I’m a dog with an extra turbo drive. I’ve never met a labrador I couldn’t out-run in the park! *waggy tail* Jokes aside though, Its not all about exercise – we both have clever brains that need to be entertained too *Waggy tail*
Hi Alfie! Thanks for stopping by on your walk.
Couldn’t agree more! Hopefully via other articles…most yet to be written!…I will give over that info, but maybe I should insert something into this post to be sure.
Thanks for your feedback…Keep that tail wagging :-)
My dogs tail is always wagging :)
I have 2 chocolate labs Charlie 5 and Bailey 4 . I use frizbies and chuck it every day but I believe I’m answering my own question as I type. I should break it up and not do it all at once. If I don’t stop they won’t and I worry when they sound like they can’t breath they are panting so hard. Is that a concern
My 6yr old black lab (namely Morgan) had put on some pounds this year and possibly due to his lack of exercise because we don’t have extra time. When we went to exercise him for atleast 30-60 mins. a day for the past few weeks, at first he was very energetic just by going out the gate of our house and he was pulling us with his leash (he isn’t trained) but then just after 20 mins, he just panted very heavily and when he was having a dump his poop was all watery. Also, when we were going into our secluded area, he would just stop and lay down and turn the other way around and it seemed like he doesn’t want to come home yet so we had to force him to.
Is this all normal for a lab to act? Is he exercising too much? By the way when we actually go home, we have a round drum filled with cold water and I bathe him in so he could be hydrated. Answer please. :)
Hi Shannon,
If he has watery poop for any length of time at all, even just a couple of days, then it would be wise to speak to a vet as there can be many reasons. Also a Lab that doesn’t like to exercise or struggles with it (short of breath) could also have an underlying health issue. I really do think you should seek professional help, hopefully if only to get the all clear but you need to be sure.
My Yellow Lab,Chloe, and I walk 2 hours every morning, 2 hours in the afternoon and 1 hour in the evening. She chases her ball and goes swimming. Our Vet said she is in great shape and has the perfect figure. Labs need more than 1 hour a day!!!
hi , have a 11 year old female lab she is over weight vet as put her on a prescription diet for weight loss , when i take her out she is panting and walks very slowely help
Hi Angela,
Does your lab enjoy swimming at all? This is a much gentler form of exercise well suited to older dogs. At 11 years old your Lab is becoming an elderly lady. Some labs can still go and go at that age…but not too many! A good number start to slow down at 8 and onwards. So being overweight and getting on in years, she may just not be able to exercise as she used to, may even have soreness in her limbs or diminishing mobility.
It’s quite usual for overweight dogs to pant heavily and for old dogs to slow down, so I don’t think there’s too much to worry about. However…please ask the advice of your vet (which it sounds like you already have!) A good vet will be able to give you exercise tips, or at least peace of mind if you describe the situation.
Stick with the weight loss plan, keep exercising her and I’m sure (and at least truly hope) that she will improve as the weight drops and her overall fitness increases. And try swimming if you can :-)
I’ve got a 1yr old and 6yr old lab but only recently started walking them. Is it OK to do interval exercises instead of the steady pace? Such as jog for 30 seconds and walk for 10.
I have found I enjoy walking them much more now that I bought different halters (Sporn). Much more enjoyable! They’re 70lbs each and can be a handful to walk myself.
Hi Amber.
As long as both your labs are fit, healthy, have no medical or mobility problems then absolutely you can yes!
I mountain bike a bit and often go through our local woods on a cross-country track and Monty runs alongside, behind or in front of me. I’m very fast…downhill! haha. But pretty slow uphill. So he’s forever changing pace, but always keeps up and loves it. I’m pretty sure you’ll find that no matter what exercise you do with your labs you will tire waaaaay before they do. Most are athletic machines!
So as long as they have a clean bill of health, go for it! Just be mindful of heat and hydration. Take water along for them and don’t run them into the ground in extremely hot weather.
Have fun and enjoy your exercise together :-)
hey amber, can I have your email address? I needed to ask a few questions regarding labradors.
Hi, I have a one year old male called Georgie. He’s a hunting dog. We take him for at least 1 hrs walk a day and try to do about 15 minute training in the garden as well. Our problem is at the moment (since hitting puberty) he can get a bit loopy around other dogs. We took him to dog training last week and he kept barking and pulling on the leash and jumping about, wouldn’t pay attention to commands. Georgie otherwise NEVER barks. Now Georgie is normally the sweetest, well bred dog a person could ask for. But without our special nose halter we now have to use, has turned into this pubescent mad teenager who is embarrassing the hell out of us both when amongst other perfect labradors who do everything perfectly on cue! Or annoys other dogs by making sure they know he is the best of the bunch (he gets snarled at with great, sad regularity). So I am getting a bit worried about letting him off the leash around other dogs, or his controllability in a pack. Suggestions welcome. Thank you.
Hi,
Was your dog socialised properly to other dogs of all ages when young? It sounds like he may not have learnt how to behave around other dogs?!
But anyhow, all dogs have to go through an adolescent period where their hormones are raging and their desire to challenge authority is somewhat heightened and they try to push and see how far they can go and get away with things. With their owners…and other dogs.
With Labs, being a large breed, so full of energy and very smart, this can result in what we see as nuisance behaviors. And this can last probably until 24 to 30 months of age before he’s truly over it.
Has your dog been neutered? This can help in controlling the hormones somewhat and is known to generally calm a dog down. Testosterone especially that flies around an adolescent males body can send them a bit loopy and neutering calms this.
Anyway…
I would say the two best things you can do is plenty more and varied training. This so it truly hits home that you’re boss and should be listened to so hopefully you can control him more.
But outside of training the only thing you can really do is to socialize your dog a lot more.
I know socialization is most important in the very first days and weeks of life, but a dog never stops learning. And in your case your Lab needs to learn a bit more respect around other dogs. The only way he will do this is to be around other dogs and learn their social code.
As you’ve said, other dogs are snarling and snapping at him, and although this isn’t nice, this is a good thing in some ways because he will be learning about the canine social code and how she should behave around other dogs. If he goes too far, he’s getting valuable feedback that he should and will remember.
It’s a bit like a teenager going out (human I mean) and learning about the real world, via work or whatever route. They hardly know how to behave and have to experience it and learn from it.
The same is likely true for your Lab. He doesn’t yet know how to properly behave around other dogs and needs to experience it more and learn from it. This needs lots of interaction, lots of fun playing with the other dogs when he gets things right, but (somewhat sadly) also lots of doggie tellings off when he gets things wrong.
Do you have any friends with older dogs that have a calm and balanced temperament? That aren’t too boisterous? If so, you could try to organize lots of time for your dog and theirs to spend together. Hopefully this time with other dogs in situations you can more readily control will create a good learning environment where the older dogs let him know how to behave and how to react around other dogs.
I assume you are walking your Lab very often, so you could offer to take friends dogs for a walk at the same time. They get a free dog walker for a short while and your dog gets socialized and spends time with other dogs so it’s a win win.
If you think he could react badly to doggie tellings off it is a good idea to muzzle him before doing so…but it sounds like you already are. And if he does start to get aggressive and reactive, you should speak to a professional behaviorist ASAP. This is not something you want to let continue at all for obvious reasons and the earlier a problem like this is addressed, the easier the cure. And only a professional should be allowed to try and help here. But if he’s just boisterous, try the above.
For some reading on the subject and a couple of interesting points of view, please read the following two articles also:
A 3 page article, be sure to read all three pages: how to handle an out of control dog
A reasonable article with some advice and other articles linked to for some reading and advice: Surviving our dogs adolescence
Hope this helps.
I have a one year old rescue lab who didn’t get much exercise. I have been walking her twice a day off lead and she runs and runs. She also has 2 walks on lead. She then worried me by being excessively tired. Was I doing too much ?
Hi Elaine,
It’s impossible for me to say on a case by case basis, the above is just guidelines. It’s always best to ask your vet, especially to rule out the excessive tiredness having another cause.
HI
I have a 3 1/2 mth old black lab who I love dearly already. I take him out twice a day for 30-45 mins most of which is off the lead. After reading the above I’m worried that I may be doing too much and am going to cause him problems in the future. IS this true? As for his behaviour he’s pretty good. He knows the basic sit & stay but doesn’t understand that I want him to do it at the kerb too. Also when off the lead in the park he generally doesn’t go more than 15-20ft away from me which is good but the more confident he’s getting the further he’s going. He comes when called but only because he thinks he’s going to get a treat as in the beginning that’s what I used. Once or twice he has ignored me so I don’t think he’s actually listening to me he’s just coming as he’s realised that he’s far away from me and just catching up. All in all I’m lucky as he seems to be a bright dog and doesn’t really give me any problems other than the usual puppy things. Chewing and digging the wrong things and pooping in the wrong place. But he’s getting better. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Mark,
30 to 45 minutes twice per day is certainly excessive for your puppy’s age, yes.
But the truth is there’s still debate as to how much exercise a puppy should get with many ‘believing’ that excessive exercise in Labradors can contribute to joint problems and there is some evidence, but it’s not irrefutable. There’s just not been enough study that’s resulted in concrete evidence (or at least none I have found) but it’s accepted that it’s better to ‘play it safe’ and just not push them too hard.
What is for sure is allowing them to run about on very uneven ground, up and down stairs for lengths of time or lots of jumping is definitely not good for them while still young and growing. So please avoid this. Try to keep all exercise and play on flat and even ground if possible.
Anyway, in your situation I would definitely cut the exercise down and try to stick to the rule of thumb in the article above. Google ‘how much exercise should a puppy get each day’ or ‘how much exercise does a Labrador puppy need’ and read the first few results to get some others opinions.
I would look at this way: Extra exercise when so young doesn’t offer any extra benefits but by providing too much exercise, there’s a ‘chance’ you could do harm. By sticking to the rule of thumb in the article above, you’re not losing any benefits, but but are avoiding that ‘chance’.
Nothing lost by cutting back, possibly something to lose by doing too much. So may as well stick the rule of thumb?!
Don’t worry, he’ll soon grow and be demanding hours and hours of exercise. There will be days you’ll miss these times when you could relax at home, haha.
Hi I have a 13 week old black lab girl and she is full of beans! If I don’t take her for a casual 30min walk twice a day she gets super restless. Chews everything and won’t stop bitting. I don’t want to over excersise her, but need a way to get out her energy. Any suggestions would be great!
Have you tried any form of mental stimulation in the form of puzzle toys etc? Something that stimulates her mind but not necessarily her body. Also a trainer advised us if our puppy was getting a little loopy to put her in the car and take her for quick walk around a retail park or somewhere there is lots of people. This excercise not only stimulates them mentally so tires them a little but it is also an excellent socialisation excercise
My 13 yr old male lab has recently started waking at 4.30 a.m. to 5.30 a.m with loud barks. He is going deaf and developing cataracts. I live in an apartment and have to take him outside to the street when he wakes. He does not seem desperate to pee but will not settle down until I have taken him out. Any suggestions? I have tried putting a night light on for him.
Hi Pat,
Usually for a change in behavior there will be something triggering it. Either something environmental, or possibly even health.
You say he doesn’t seem desperate for a pee, but has anything changed about his routine at all? Is he drinking more before bed at all?
Also, it sounds like it’s always the same time, between 4:30 and 5:30. So is anything different happening outside around this time? A milk float started a round? Or bin men with a noisy lorry? Or a new neighborhood dog stirring and barking loudly?
Is there anything you’ve noticed that is different around this time?
I have a seven year old golden lab and he has been running with me since he was very young and loves it. I live in rural Ireland and I run along the canal with him off his lead & he goes swimming in the canal regularly during the run. We run about four times per week, short runs during the week of 4 to 5 miles and then a long run at weekend of 8 to 12 miles. This has never been a problem for him. He does have a great sleep after the long run but shows no signs of exhaustion and has no problem keeping up. I would never bring him out in the middle of the day in summer, run mostly early mornings. Some people have been saying to me that 10 to 12 miles is probably too much for him now. I was just wondering what you would think? I love him so much and would hate to hurt him or shorten his life with overdoing it. He really is a great companion and looks so happy when he is out running with me, people always smile when they see the big happy head of him!
Hi Emma,
Basically you need to be observant, read, understand and react to your Labs body language in response to the exercise you are giving him.
It’s a fact that in their undying love for us and wanting to please us, also their love of consistency and routine, a dog will often ‘do too much’ to please us, and there is such a thing as ‘too much exercise’ but it’s up to us to recognize this and act on it. Some dogs will just go and go like they did as a 4yo, even if they are doing themselves harm when old and arthritic at 12.
So you need to watch for the signs of over-exertion, and that your dog may not be up to it anymore and know when it’s time to cut back. Some dogs may suffer joint problems from a puppy and not be able to enjoy 2 mile runs, others who have had a life of great care, high nutrition and regular exercise may be running 10 miles still at the age of 10. Like us, dogs are individual.
When running with your dog, some of the signs you need to look out for showing they may have over done it are:
Your friends showing concern do have a point. You should be mindful of your dogs advancing years and will at some point have to slow them down for their own good.
But you know you dog better than anyone. You should know how fast they can run, how far, how much they pant during a run, how long it takes to recover afterwards, how thirsty they get from exercise, how keen they are to get going, reluctant to stop and so on. When any of these things change in any way, you should spot it. And only you can spot it. And then you may need to make a change. That could be now, tomorrow, or 2 years from now. Who knows?
Also, make sure during your regular check ups with your vet you describe your situation and and ask them their advice on exercise levels as they will have the best advice.
Hope this helps :-)
Hi Mark
Thank you so much for the prompt & very informative reply. I will proceed with caution & be very observant ot my little running buddy
I have a female 4 year old labshe is very overweight and I take her on a 49 min walk and 20 min ball time is this enough for her to start losing weight she weighs 50kg vet said I need to get her to 35
Hi Lisa,
It’s hard to say without further information on your labs health and previous levels of exercise. It sounds like you’ve seen a vet, so if given any advice I would follow what they’ve said.
Some things to bear in mind:
If your lab was having little exercise, you want to build up slowly, much like a human would. Don’t go from half hour slow walking per day to running a half marathon without ramping up to that. You want to add just a few minutes extra per day to allow the building up of fitness, endurance and so on. Go for 45 mins slow walking for a few days, then 50 mins for a few days, and so on up to your target time. Then when some weight has been lost and your Lab is used to exercise, start to increase the difficulty, speed and how vigorous the exercise is by adding jogging for a few days. Then some running a few days. Eventually perhaps even some jumping.
Another thing to consider is if your lab is 50Kg and should be 35kg, she is carrying an extra 2 1/2 stone! or to put it into perspective, going from 35kg to 50kg is an increase in weight of 43%. This would be the equivalent of me going from 85kg to 121Kg and carrying an extra 36KG / 80 pounds!
Vigorous and high impact exercise if I was carrying that extra weight could cause damage to my joints and bones. It’s the same for our dogs. So running, jumping and so on with all that extra weight could cause other problems.
So I would recommend helping her lose weight by simply controlling her calorie intake and slow walking until she has lost a good amount of weight and then increasing her exercise difficulty to include running and jumping once slimmed down.
Hope this helps.
My husband and I have an 8 month old chocolate lab named Koda. He is such a great dog! He knows what items are his toys and which ones aren’t, so we have never had any problem with him chewing. Not even while he was teething! He is crate trained, but we have been trying to leave him out for small lengths of time while we aren’t home. He was doing very well, any time we left the house we kept him out and he did great. It stayed like this for about 3 weeks, until one day I came home and a pair of my flip flops and sneakers were torn up. Then another day we left him out and another pair of my flip flops were destroyed. So we figured it was only happening while we were away. Well today, I am sitting here on the couch doing my work and he brought one of my sneakers into his crate and started chewing it. Could this possibly be due to lack of exercise and boredom? We live in an apartment so we don’t have a yard of our own. There is a small yard though, enough for him to have a good run around, but anytime we bring him outside to play fetch or anything he will play for a few minutes and then just lay down and forget about his toy and start trying to eat sticks or pinecones. Basically whenever we try to give him exercise he just lays down. Then we go inside and all he wants to do is run around. I’m at a loss. What are we doing wrong?
Thank you in advance for any tips or advice you have for us!!
Hi Alivia,
From your description, it sounds like you’ve had a very lucky and delightfully easy time so far with your Koda when it comes to chewing! :-)
Labradors are a very ‘mouthy’ breed as they were designed for retrieving, to carry things in their mouths. It’s what they are born to do. So not only is it in most dogs nature to chew, but Labradors can be the worst!
Not only because it rhymes do people say about labs they ‘chew ’til they’re two’. This is a good ball park figure to keep in mind.
Labs will chew throughout their adolescence, and this runs up until between 2 and 2.5 years old. So you should expect your Koda to be chewing until 2 to 2.5, and I mean he could chew ANYTHING! Anything you leave around that’s within reach is game to be a chew toy.
After adolescence, if you’ve done a good enough job of preventing him chewing things he shouldn’t by keeping them out of reach and intervening and re-directing his chewing to toys when you do catch him, you should then be able to trust him. After this though, don’t be surprised if he still likes to carry something, anything, around in his mouth for much of the th ime. So make sure he has plenty of chew toys around.
The thing with shoes and slippers is that they smell so nice to a dog, carrying the scent of their family. Also they’re a good size, shape, and with rubber soles…very chewy! So footwear is a common target.
To prevent any chewing, you and your family need to restrict your Labs access to the things you don’t want chewed. And the only way to do this is to get everything out of reach. And if you leave the home you need to restrict Koda to a single ‘dog-proofed’ room, otherwise it’s highly likely you will one day return to some destruction.
So Alivia, the chewing Koda has begun is perfectly normal, it’s nothing to worry about and isn’t due to anything you have or haven’t done. :-)
Regarding exercise, I don’t know how large your yard is so it’s hard to comment, but you should be venturing out further every day. From the limited info given it does sound like Koda could probably do with more exercise, in line with the article above. Try getting out further, to a park, wood or other area where he can run around more and explore. Or try jogging or cycling with him? He’s still a puppy and as he grows his exercise needs will increase so it would be good to get into some habits and routines now.
Also, too much fetch with a puppy can kind of kill their fetching drive. You should mix things up by playing fetch, then tug, then a short burst of a few training commands, a little jog…be random, and exciting.
Hope this helps.
Hi,
I have a 7 month old fox red lab. I’m worried I’m over exercising him. He never seems to stop when we go out, I can take him to the woods, beach and he never seems to tire. I ‘ve started taking him for aprox 1.5hrs a day most days, is this ok or will it cause him harm? We are in an apartment and he is fine when he is in and can be left for long periods on his own without problems. He is excellent at recall and loves playing with the children (though we messed up the lead training along the way somewhere as he constantly pulls ) if we reduce his walks to the 5 mins a month theory he comes home and is restless and is bouncing of the walls. Any tips on how to give him enough ex cerise but not to possibly damage his development?
Thanks
Hi Jake,
He never seems to tire sounds about right! Labs are athletic machines! In my life I’ve had three, also a lurcher-terrier cross, a lab-collie mix and so on, every single one of my dogs could go on and on, far longer than I could and never seemed to tire. Maybe I should work on my fitness? haha.
Anyway, I did a lot of reading before writing the article above and the truth of the matter is, nobody really knows if too much exercise will ‘definitely’ do damage, but it’s a safe bet that not giving too much definitely will not. So, it’s probably not worth the risk and better to be safe than sorry?
It’s definitely known that too much running up and down steep slopes, stairs, and too much jumping could cause damage to weak and growing bones and joints, so you should avoid too much of this at all costs. But with regard to duration of gentle exercise on flat ground it’s not so clear cut. I can honestly never find scientific research that says for sure how bad it is, if at all. It’s just generally accepted that too much is not a good thing.
The ‘5-minutes per month of life’ is a generalization that is a good guide, but all dogs are different so it will not suit all dogs. And in your situation, if your Lab has been receiving 1.5hrs, he will have gotten used to that and now expect it as his body is primed for it. So on the days he doesn’t get that much, he will have excess energy. Using the rule for a 7 month old would be 35 minutes of structured exercise. Stuff like running, jogging, playing fetch and so on.
What you’ve not said is what kind of exercise makes up the 1.5hrs? Gentle walking? Running? Playing fetch? This has a bearing as 1.5hrs walking isn’t as strenuous as just 15 minutes of playing fetch with all the explosive sprinting and what not. So what you are doing together for 1.5hrs matters a lot.
For instance, if you are taking a 25 minute brisk walk on leash, then a 5 minute rest, then 25 minutes of fetch / running, then a 5 minute rest, then a slow 30 minute walk home, I would say this is fine. Slow, gentle waking isn’t going to do much and you have a good 25 minutes explosive, structured exercise by playing fetch in the middle. Sounds good.
But if your boy is non-stop running, or non-stop playing fetch for 1.5hrs straight, I would say you should cut down on it to a more respectable amount as it would be excessive.
Sorry I can’t be completely clear and give you a definite answer, it’s just not that clear cut. I hope my thoughts help somewhat though!
I had been reading through all of your responses and this comment was the one that made me feel the best. I have a 4 month chocolate lab who is a very strong and big boy (Parents were 100 and 95lbs), and since we got him at 2 months, we’ve gone for about a 1-1.5 mile walk almost every day. In the morning he fetches 10x then i/s back in his crate and our house for normal indoor behavior.
I think we dont neccessarily push him, but he’s definitely whooped after his walks. He’s a Chocolate lab that is very built/stocky but i keep getting worried his joints are taking too much. Maybe I’ll slow down our walks through town to let him recouperate and grow. instead of an hour walk, I’ll try to throttle it down to 30 mins.
Thanks for the quick replies and great article!!
Sam, Brooke and Louie the Lab
Thanks for the kind words, Sam. Sounds like you’re doing a great job :-)
I need to know if walking my 15 month old lab to the same place everyday will make her bored we walk three miles and then play tennis ball twice a day is this ok and why is she bored?
Hello I have a chocolate lab named Bella who never tires out and when she does she sits for a few mins and gets up in a hurry when I get her the ball. I try to take her to the park 3 times a week and we always walk there which is 30 mins there and another 30 back. I’m always doigg mg it for about 30 mins of sprints for her and she drops the ball but there are times where she can go on for two hours. I notice her sprints somewhat slowing down and she jogs back a lot slower and when she takes a break for a couple minutes she back at full speed. She is very healthy but I’m not sure if I’m overworking her body because she pants a lot while running and waiting for me to throw the ball. She can also go very long without water and at times don’t give her water right away because I’m trying to burn her out but am afraid I’m over-doing it.
Meant 3 hours and I’m the one who chooses to stop not her she would keep going if she can.
We have 2 fantastic labs and a calileau (cattle dog) that “rescued” my husband and me 4 years ago. All females. Our white lab VERY energetic, slim and trim.We started walking all of them over 6 months ago at least a mile or 2 a day. They all love it. My husband had a heart condition, and the black one definitely could lose some weight. She has always laid down to eat. Lately I’ve noticed when we walk she’s great. We get home and she starts limping sometimes. I give her dissolved 325 mg of aspirin and by the next day, she’s fine. I’ve also noticed the muscle above her hips area seems to be getting harder, but after reading about HD, I’m very concerned. . She was begging awhile to go for her walk, but I don’t know what to do. She ate large breed blue mountain puppy food until 2. Then Taste of the wild, but she was gaining so much, we switched her to Nutro lite. I have very limited funds, but want to help her. Due to weather, she’s put some weight back on. But did notice that with less weight, she was losing this hardness.
Hi Valorie,
I know you’ve said your funds are low, but you really do need to find a way to take your lab to the vet. If it is HD, arthritis, or another joint problem, then you need to know! Only a professional diagnosis and advice can tell what the problem is and it’s crucial you do find out as different medical issues require different treatment and care. The advice you would get from a vet isn’t something you can replace with others advice from the web I’m afraid…so please, really do find a way to get her to the vet.
Anyway, it can be a bit of a spiraling situation: If she has a joint problem, it will slow her down so she can’t do as much. But if she slows down she could gain weight as you’re finding now. And extra weight puts more strain on the joints, making it worse.
Regardless of the brand of food she is on, if she’s gaining weight you should cut back on the portion sizes. Extra weight is definitely not doing her any favors. You can be fairly sure cutting down on her food intake will do no harm because if she’s gaining weight, she must be consuming excess calories and the only way to stop that is to cut down on the food she eats or add in more exercise, likely a little of both. Feeding her less will be harder on you than it is on her. She will be fine eating less, but will likely give you those puppy eyes every time there’s anything remotely edible in view. Just don’t give in!
Some advice for exercise is to try and walk her only on unpaved / soft grassy surfaces, avoiding hard surfaces as much as possible. This will severely lessen the impact of walking and delay the onset of pain or inflammation.
If she enjoys running, playing fetch, jumping around etc. I’m afraid you need to drastically cut down on it and do less strenuous forms of exercise. Walking, light jogging only and if you can…and it’s highly recommended…swimming is good.
NSAID drugs (anti-inflammatorys) do work well for dogs with joint problems, the same as they do for humans. But you should definitely seek the advice of a vet before administering any. Although aspirin works, long term use can lead to bleeding (DISCLAIMER: Only that I’ve read…I’m not medically trained!)
Other things said to help are glucosamine and Omega-3 fatty acids, though the jurys still out on this and I’ve not seen any concrete proof they work.
Valorie, the only right advice is you really do need to get her to the vet for diagnosis and professional, specifically tailored advice. I know it’s an expense but any treatment and advice you get now could save you lots more money in the future, fending off or delaying possible problems that will require more expensive treatments or surgery later.
Hello
We have a two year old black lab who is slim and fit. She usually has a good one hour walk in the middle of the day plus two shorter walks at the start and end of the day, plus her ‘mad half hour’ in the evening with her toys. My husband and I are planning on doing a week long coastal walk with her in April where the longest walk will be 15 miles and the shortest about 7. We walk once a month on a Saturday with a group of friends on all types of terrain and she has no problem with this (about 7-8 miles on average), but I would just like to know your thoughts please on whether we are expecting too much of her to walk these distances with us every day for a week or whether this is well within her capabilities?
Thanks
Hi Hilary,
At 2 years old she has basically finished growing now so there’s no fear of damaging her growing joints, so that’s not a worry. And you say she is fit, slim and healthy? As long as she truly is and has no underlying health issues it will be absolutely fine and I’d have no problem with it at all. She will likely love the experience! Labs are working dogs ‘designed’ to work all day by retrieving, walking, running and jumping in all sorts of demanding terrain, so gentle 7 to 15 mile walks won’t be troublesome. A fit, healthy lab will be able to out-walk and out-run any human, speed or stamina wise, and it’s not even a contest.
It will definitely help to ramp up to that level of exercise, much as it’s advised a human should do. So if you are going on any training / practice walks yourself beforehand, take her along too. Going from no exercise to lots isn’t a good thing with dogs, the same as it isn’t for us. But it sounds like she gets plenty of exercise so should be fine. I would try to up her exercise levels for a couple of weeks prior if you can, ramping it up with a bit extra each day. This will help prime her for the change and will be a good thing.
Just couple of things to bear in mind are:
I don’t know where you are in the world or what the weather is like, but you of course need to mindful of how heat will affect her if the sun is beating down, making sure she doesn’t get heat stroke and has plenty of water.
You should also increase her calorie intake for the week to cover the extra energy she is using.
And as it’s a coastal walk, take advantage of the opportunity to get her in the sea for a swim! And don’t be afraid to take a dip yourself, haha.
I have a 11 year old black lab. This summer he’ll be 12. However, besides graying, he shows no signs of age. Looks and acts more like 5-6. I got him when he was 10 yrs old so I don’t know how much exercise he got previously. At the park he runs for hours so I tried roller skating with him. He seems to like it. But I’m not sure how long he can run. So far the longest we have done was about 1 1/2 miles because we’re just starting. But not I’m wondering if maybe that should be the limit. He pants but not excessively like he does at the park after playing fetch.
Hi Paty,
It’s great that you’re maintaining such a good level of activity for him, it will maintain muscular strength, keep joints moving and help keep his mind and attitude stay youthful too! Exercise is very important for older dogs.
Is the exercise you’re giving him too much? I couldn’t possibly say. But dogs are good communicators and he will let you know if you look out for the signs. Mainly he will be lagging behind, reluctant to continue and so on. I don’t mean when playing fetch because an elderly dog might just run themselves into exhaustion if you continually throw a ball for hours, some just don’t know when to stop. But on long walks, jogging and the like, they will often lag behind, show reluctance to continue and so on.
Can I ask you to please read a previous question from Emma and the answer I gave?…you can read that by clicking here: How to tell if exercise is too much. All the advice there applies to your question too.
Another good tip is a few hours after such exercise, give him a massage. This has all the benefits it has for humans, improving circulation and aiding recovery from exercise and so on, but you will also be able to pick up from his reactions any sign of soreness in his muscles and joints when you touch there as he will recoil / pull away if you massage a sore spot. If he is sore, it’s likely the exercise is getting too much.
Greetings,
I have a 1 1/2 yellow female that is a very tall and big (72 lbs) yet lean machine. We live in Vermont and while I had a difficult time dealing with the cold weather this winter Abby thrived in it. I took her on a 5 mile hike in April where she did her “dolphin swim” in the snow for most of it. With that said, the temperatures are approaching the 80’s and Abby cannot seem to handle the heat. Even when on a slow and short walk she turns around with her leash in her mouth and is telling me that she wants to go home. When we get back into the house she pants excessively and breaths heavy for at lead 15 minutes. I realize that taking her swimming is her best form of exercise in the heat but it also means 1 hour round trip of driving for me and at the most I can only fit that in 3 days a week. Two questions: 1) Should I be concerned about her lack of tolerance for the heat considering her age and lean body make up and 2) What should I do with Abby on the days that I can not give her enough real exercise? We do walk 1 1/2 miles in the morning and 1/2 mile at night with very sort walks in-between …is that enough exercise for her?
Thank you so much in advance for your advice and for also the wealth of info that you have provided on this site!
Patti & Abby
Hi Patti,
In answer to question 1: For moral reasons I have to stay away from giving anything but the most basic of health advice. I’m not a qualified vet and besides this, I’ve not seen your girl to be able to give any kind of informed opinion. It would be horrific for you to receive incorrect advice from me (or anywhere else on the internet) that meant an underlying health issue went undiagnosed. So if you have worries that your girl isn’t dealing with the heat as well as she should be, please see and discuss this with your vet, to get the correct advice and hopefully to put your mind at ease.
In answer to your second question: 2 miles per day is on the low side but could be OK as you’re doing far more on other days with the swimming. You’re working in some smaller walks too during the day which adds up, so it doesn’t sound too bad to me. Are you also playing fetch while on these walks? It’s a great way to get a good run in for your girl meaning she will cover far more ground than the 2 miles you’re walking. Anyhow, it sounds to me like you’re doing a great job at trying to match her needs, so well done :-)
I should say that if the exercise she’s getting on some days isn’t enough, she will soon let you know with her behavior. She will have pent up energy, be restless, be attention seeking more than usual, possibly destructive and so on. The good news is though there are many things you can do beside getting outside for exercise. High amounts of mental stimulation can be just as tiring as physical activity as I’m sure you’ve felt yourself at times. So you can try indoor activities to mentally stimulate her, keep boredom at bay and use up some energy.
Of course, obedience and trick training is a good place to start. Also, please Google ‘indoor activities for dogs’ and find a few suggestions you like. The following should give you some ideas:
http://www.puppyleaks.com/easy-ways-to-keep-your-dog-busy-indoors/
I walk my daughters 2 year old lab male dog once or twice a week. On occasions we walk between 6 and 8 miles over 2 walks in a day. She continues to tell me this is too much for him but the dog and I enjoy the walk
Am I doing him any harm?
They walk him twice a day around 20 mins each more due to time restraints but I am semi retired and have the time.
Hi Janet,
At 2 years he has reached or is very near full maturity, so no need to limit activity like you would for a puppy. Therefore, so long as he is fit and healthy, 6 and 8 miles is truly nothing. Labs were bred to be walking, running, swimming and retrieving ALL DAY, over very harsh and rough terrain in the Scottish Highlands. If fit and healthy, he will be able to outperform any human in any physical activity. It’s not too much for him.
Had to pop back and edit to add one caveat – temperature and water intake. As long as this isn’t in 90 degree heat! :-)
I have an 8 month old black lab, i have been running with him approximately 5 miles per day in the morning, if he needs a break or sniffs around i let him do his thing and never make him do more than what he seems like he can handle. My question is that i have been told that i might be running him too much and never thought that it could be an issue. After we are done he does rest for around 45 mins but seems fine after that too. I enjoy running with him but want to make sure i am not placing him at risk.
Hi Doug,
5 mile runs for an 8 month old Labrador is too much I’m afraid. A few months of patiently waiting before enlisting him as a running partner could mean all the difference when it comes to his orthopedic health and mobility as an adult.
Puppies have soft bone areas called growth plates in their legs, where the bone grows from. Until they harden and are described as ‘closed’, they can easily be injured resulting in stunted or irregular growth. The most likely way to injure them is by continued repetitive movement such as by jogging (especially on hard surfaces), or hard impacts or twisting from, for instance, jumps and hard landings.
The plates are expected to close at ages between 1 and 1 1/2 years with a breed as large as Labs (with larger dogs bones maturing later than smaller breeds) with 14 months being the generally accepted age for labs.
So my advice would be to hold off for a few months to be sure there’s no chance you’re doing your puppy harm.
You can check with your vet who by way of x-ray can tell you when your puppy’s plates have closed, or after one x-ray be better placed to give an approximate time when they’re expected to close and when you’ll be able to begin running together.
For a bit more reading on this (sorry I’ve not been able to find a highly detailed explanation) please read the following articles:
http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/puppies-need-more-exercise-than-adult-dogs/
http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/pups-stop-growing-3027.html
I hope this helps!
Hi! My 9 week old lab is super hyper at home and loves digging up and being districtive. He barks and jumps and bites on us and I try to give him efficient exercise although when he goes outside he doesn’t do anything! He won’t walk on his leash and won’t run around the backyard or anything. Any advice? Help is needed dearly haha!
Hi Jiajing,
At 9 weeks old, don’t worry about it. He is what he is for now and is basically a baby – not even a child, but a baby – and you should have the same expectations.
You can start training, you should supervise and gently guide him into correct behaviors, but you can’t expect much from a 9 week old.
Any advice? Yes, everything you can find on this site and others. Read as much as you can, and put as much of it as you can into practice :-)
All the best!
I have a concern about a dog in my neighborhood. Is there someone I can contact specifically without putting the dog in harms way? Like They can help the dog be put in a better home if they see that they need it and not put them in the pound. Thanks.
Hi Cat,
This depends on where you live, what charities and organizations and so on are available in your area so it’s impossible for me to say. The best you could do is to google for organizations and rescues in your area to ask how they handle such things.
Thank you so much for common sense and straight forward approach to dog training. No new fangled or way out ideas. Like a breath of fresh air to read your good advice. I collect my 8 week old yellow lab bitch in couple weeks time and will definitely be logging in for tips on all aspects of puppy and dog training from your wonderful site. Over past 30 years I’ve been fortunate to have shared my life with 3 beautiful Great Danes, what a privilege that was. Now I’m returning to the first love of my dog life the noble Labrador and a bitch at that. I hope that I am up to the task of caring for her. Wish me luck. Thank you again for your sound advice.
Thank you very much for your kind words, Lesley. It’s always nice to hear our work is appreciated :-)
After months and months and MONTHS of denial, I’ve figured out that a lab really is the only breed that seems to suit me.
I want a dog that likes to swim and that I can train some cool tricks, and I need one that will do three things: Be a great companion for my other dog, give bark warnings, and that can handle hot weather, as I’m Australian and our summers can get to 45′, or around 113′
Easy to find was on the list as well.
The reason I was unsure was because while I’ve had lab x breeds before, I really like a dog with a higher chest, one that’s a bit leggier than a lab.
And while I don’t mind shedding or drool, and am considered to constantly smell of dog without noticing, the amount of doggy odour that a lab has is a bit much, even for me.
Possibly the biggest issue is that my other dog is 30cm tall the withers, and had grown up with dogs that literally weigh 1o or more times more than him, and to be honest, can be rough with dogs smaller than him. For this reason, a lab would be great for him to play with, but I would need to walk them separately, as my current dog is more playful than actually high energy, and a lab would need a lot more exercise than either of us do now.
I’m worried what would happen if I didn’t keep up with this exercise, and frankly, I don’t think a 30 minute walk once a day and an hour long swim every week is enough.
I can provide lean food, I can provide plenty of play, and I can provide mental stimulation, but an hour everyday is something I can’t do.
The dog would never be alone more than 15 minutes in a day, I don’t live alone, but I want a very loyal dog, something that a moderately independent dog like a lab may not be able to manage.
Any advice on exercise or other easy to find breeds that may be compatable very, VERY welcome.
My Summer is a 2 year old yellow dudley. The best dog a person could ask for. Smart, obedient never chewed on anything but her toys. I exercise her daily, walking, fetching and swimming. Next week she is getting TTA surgery for a ruptured ligament in her knee. Now I feel guilty of all that exercising in her early years. I’m taking it easy now and also cut back her food portioning as the vet thinks she’s a little overweight. I admit my choice of dry food was a little higher on the calorie side. I’m keeping her under 1000 cal. with the odd treat or two. I made sure I was well knowledged on the breed but I never saw the knee coming. Hips maybe but they xrayed fine. Now I’ve got a 40% chance the other will blow. It’s too bad but again, she’s the best dog a person could wish for. She will get her operations and any others she needs to live a good quality of life.
Poor girl :-( But it sounds like you are and will do the best for her so I’m sure she’ll be happy and will have a great life :-)
Hello Mark my husband and I have two labs uncle and niece.Jack is now 4 and will be 5 in June,and his niece is now coming up for 8 months. Jack is very a very relaxed lab not overweight and although we take him out every day most days it is 45 minutes or just over, unless of course we go further afield and then it is 2 to 2 hours. His niece who is 8 months loves to go out and I personally can walk her for an hour on the lead and some of it off the lead.Are we exercising them enough? We think we are but I would like some advice. Although with the youngest Myfanwy ( Welsh for beloved) I do use common sense as she is still growing, bones eg.
Many thanks
Maggie Thomas Herefordshire UK.
Hi Maggie,
It sounds OK to me. 45 mins is about the bare minimum and the longer couple of hours now and then tops it up very nicely. If it’s not enough, then they will let you know by having pent up energy that will make them boisterous, restless, perhaps a little destructive (chewing), less obedient in following your cues and commands and so on. Believe me, you would know! So it sounds OK to me.
All the best!
Maggie Thomas here again forgot to ask. I run most days and would like to take Myfanwy with me,how soon can I take her?
Hi Maggie,
Generally speaking 18 months is about the right age to start running with a labrador, though it’s not a hard and fast rule and can vary from dog to dog, so you should really ask your vet.
The things that affect the age are: It’s best to wait until the ‘growth plates’ are closed (sometimes described as ‘bones are fused’) because until then the bones are still growing and developing and are susceptible to damage through exercise.
Large breeds mature more slowly than smaller breeds and with labs, this happens at a approx 18 months though can be earlier or later. Labs are also a bit more prone than a lot of breeds when it comes to orthopedic issues, so it’s wise to take extra care and wait this time out.
Until 18 months, you can exercise them still. Normal play, especially with other dogs / puppies, a bit of light fetch, swimming…but mostly walking. And then when at the right age start slowly, jogging short distances, before slowly increasing the distance and then the speed.
But your vet will be your best guide after looking at your individual pup.
I hope this helps!
Hello Mark many thanks for the information and advice on both topics . Yes this is a great especially the question about taking Myfi running with me. Will wait until she is that age 18 months. Great advice Cheers!
Kind regards
Maggie Thomas.
Hello, Mark,
I’ve read your blog a few times in the past year, and I really appreciate your common sense approach. You’ve had a big part to play in our dog’s being the sweet, good girl she is today.
You make it clear that we have to read our dogs and look for signals. We have a one-year old red fox lab named Scout, and she’s as clear as can be. We live in a residential area and have a medium-sized backyard; therefore, our game and exercise of choice is fetch. When Scout was 8-9 months old, she could do up to thirty retrieves in one game. Now that she’s a little over a year, she’s already slowed down to twenty on a good day.
At that point, she stops, sits, and pants. That’s usually her signal for “I’m getting tired, but watch me… I’m going to force myself.” After that, she’ll retrieve two or three more times, and then I’ll urge her to come inside to drink water. Then, she hits the horizontal, pants for ten minutes, and falls asleep.
I also agree with you around routine. Scout is beyond scheduled. She has her walk between 6 and 7 in the morning. She plays up-down (a game we invented for rainy days involving running up and down the stairs to retrieve her toy) after her walk. When we come home from work, it’s fetch time for a good twenty to thirty minutes. And then she eats at five. She falls asleep around 7, and we don’t hear from her until 5 the next morning.
Blogs like yours and the expertise of friends and family have contributed to this success. The results are clear: she’s been fully housetrained since she was 3 months old; she has NEVER chewed on anything of ours (rare for a lab puppy); she waits for our signal before eating or going outside; she is so friendly and sweet; and she’s just a good girl with lots of energy at specific points in the day. And those are the times to burn it.
Thanks for your work!
Hi Patrick,
Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad the resource we’ve built here is actually helping people, that’s really nice to hear!
Hi Do you think a 10 week puppy should wear a coat in the cold weather :-) thanks
Hi Cas,
Almost certainly not needed as at 12 weeks they won’t be going out far as they won’t have finished their vaccinations. I also cannot say as I don;t know how cold we’re talking about.
I am out at work for about 10 hours each day. I do have a yard with Vegetable garden and other plants. There is just plain grass and a patio area too. We are considering a lab for our home. However my work will be away from home. Do you think its wise to crate them for that long. If not if I leave a dog door on the back yard door, will the lab tear up the garden ?. We have 2 months of HOT summer here (talking a 100+). The winters are mild (30F or 20 F). Very concerned that us working away from home for that long will not be good for the dog. Would never want to torture them. If I do not crate them and leave them at home would they tear apart furniture etc?. Thanks so much – I know a lot of questions.
I have two Labrador retrievers, one is a 4 year old female who is overweight. My selmf one is a 6 year old male who is chubby. They both get 1 cup, 2x a day, (each dog gets 2 cups a day). Is this too little? They tend to gain weight easily, because access to excersice is sometimes difficult. How much should I feed them?
Hello Sir/Madam,
We welcomed home our Lucy, Lab puppy just a few days ago.
I had many queries regarding her health, exercise etc., we got many of our answers on your page.
So we and Lucy wanted to thank you for this great work that you’re doing.
Thank you.
Debu
I have a black lab pup that doesn’t like to go on walks, he will go about a block and a half down my street then sit or lay down then I have to carry him home. he will play with other dogs all day long, we will play with toys for 2 or 3 hours at a time ( pull rope, he loves fetch with the ball and his squeaky toys, ect…) he runs around the yard and in the house like crazy.
when I get home from work for the day we usually play for about 30 mins. after that he usually gets a chew toy and lays on the ground and plays with that, then we’ll go inside and he gets a drink and eats then he will nap for about 30 to 45 mins, this is after he’s been in his kennel most of the day.
his dog walker comes over for a half hour every day late morning for 30 mins. they don’t walk he gets let out and played with since he seems like he doesn’t like going on walks
after he naps he will get up in full energy mode and I will play tug of war and fetch and other stuff for about 2 hours alternating from the yard and house, then it’s time for me to rest…lol
I got him at 15 weeks old and he is 6 and a half months now.
he is not bothered by his harness or leash.
I feel he’s getting enough exercise for now as he is still a pup, but the walking thing has me concerned, should I be?
Hi Rich
Like you said he is still a pup, however it is good that he runs around to use up the excess energy. As he gets older start taking him for short walks around the yard.
Cheers
My chocolate English lab is 6 months old. She DOES tear around the house never resting until she drops. Chews everything all the time. Digs, destroys anything. Bites us all the time, 100% almost. It does hurt, too, even though it is play nipping (and we have spent 5 months working on this with trainers, too). I am giving up! Runs all over the couch no matter how many times we say no and pull her collar to get her down (it is a pinch collar they use in training). With this she walks well outside. Without, she cannot be walked at all.
So when does the dog stop biting the kids and us and jumping on us? The trainers say she has to be on her leash so can be controlled, but she is, and we pull her down but it does no good. I also always hold her mouth closed like taught if she bites and say no bite. She lunges at me then all happy to bite and play some more.
I should add that to increase her exercise we even do a special dog school often and those days she is WORSE.Even though she gets more exercise those days. They said it is because she is overtired, like a kid gets…
I have a 8yr old male lab, he gets very excited when going on walks but after 5 minutes he tends to pant alot, I dont now if that is his age or not but should I bring water with me so he can drink if he needs to? I have only just started walking him again because he had to go to the vets because he couldnt walk, he always pulls which scares me because he could hurt himself again, is there anyway to stop him from pulling? I just dont want him to hurt himself again.
I enjoyed reading your article. I resued a Black Lab in September. She ‘failed” her retrieving training, She is almost two and has a ton of energy. I get her out 3-4 times a day for fetch and she can go non stop. My question is: because of this can I over exercise her ? There are times that it takes her 20 to 30 minutes to stop panting and “cool down”, after say 30 minutes of non stop fetch.
Hi there! Around a year ago I adopted a two year old black lab (who turned three in May), who needs work on training. He is very athletic and lean appearing, an is quite a large (heightwise) Labrador. Most days he gets about 30-45 mins of non-stop fetch play, and generally always comes back luffed out by this. This game is only ever ayed in our back yard though, as he never got training from his previous home and his brain seems to switch off when you leave the house! We had been trying for months to get him better but simply cannot, and we couldn’t ever take him off lead or to a dog park! Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)
My lab has a ton of energy and he just loves to play all day long. Thank you for sharing the article.
Wow didn’t realize this was an old post but still very relevant and useful! Thank you!
My Lab puppy is 18 weeks and I can say for certain that 20 mins walk is not enough for her. She is very high energy and unless walked at least 30 mins twice a day she goes crazy at home, ignores commands and naughtiness increases. I think the 5 min rule is very much general and if you have a Yorkie or other similar small breed the rule will probably be right but for a breed such as a lab, I’d stretch it to 8-10 mins per month.
We have as 3-month-old lab and he is very aggressive and chews on each and everything, to a point he will come and grab our dresses and clothes. We have tried many times to divert his mind with his toys but he comes back to chewing and biting anything and everything. He keeps biting on his leash and goes crazy in the apartment, running from 1 end to another for no reason and is super hyper and uncontrollable.
Please advise!!
Thanks in advance :)
You are so right! I adopted a beautiful labrabull. Shes pitbull and vhocolate lab and she is gorgeous! All tje goood traits of a pit and all the good ones from the lab. She almost begs for our morning “walk” around the same time every morning. It includes swimming amd water fetch. Long distances. She loves being unleshed around a body of water! She LIVES for this. I dont know whp rescued who❤❤
I am planning on getting a lab puppy in a few weeks. She will be 8 weeks old when she comes home. I was planning on taking her on 2 short, 15 minute walks per day, plus play outside with her for about twenty minutes. Is this too much exercise for a young puppy? However, this was the schedule I was planning on keeping throughout her lifetime. Will this be sufficient exercise for my lab once she is an adult? Please let me know. Thank you!
No way is an hour enough for a young field lab. These dogs are meant to go go go. They want to run, hike, swim (and many times hunt). Hope people out there aren’t getting this line thinking a nice hour walk a day will suffice, it will not. Minimum two hours a day, they often want longer if on leash hikes. And they need a place to be able to free run once in awhile too.
Have fun with your beautiful dogs, we sure love ours.
I didn’t take ballie on our walk this morning because id read throwing ball for your lab is bad for them. We went on a so called mindful walk instead. I am so pleased to have come on here to find this page. This is my third Labrador the first from working lines and we walk play fetch & swim for at least 2 hours a day. I love seeing her run jump and search bushes for lost ballie she has a lovely time & so do I! We will be back on it this evening so thank you very much for this article.
I have a question that I’m not too clear on… we have a 4 month old puppy. The last couple of days his crate training has gone backwards and i read he isn’t getting enough exercise! I don’t want to overdo it so could i just check… if i took him for his 20 minute walks twice a day – does this exercise include free running at the park, off leash? And if i can do that as well as his walks, how long do you recommend i let him run and play? He is very energetic!!!! Such a cutey
Hi
We have a 8 1/2 month lab, my partner is running 4 miles every morning with him on even ground. He loves it and comes back alert and happy and I’m doing mental games with him then to settle him for the morning while we are out. Are we overdoing it with the run? He was training as a gun dog but is too laid back, we’ve only had him 2 weeks and already love him dearly. The trainer said this distance was fine but after reading these threads I’m in need of reassurance or warning!
Thanks very much for all that you do, Philippa
We recently bought a 5 month old lab from a breeder, she said it was about medium energy. We have brought her home and have been trying to get her to play fetch or run circles or just get excited to play. She seems to be more of a couch potato and show no interest in anything except eating breakfast and supper and sleeping. Is she just too young to want to play with us or the kids? The reason we wanted a lab was to have the energy they would bring to our family. Please let me know your thoughts.
Thank you
All of the Labs we’ve ever worked with or owned had good amount of energy at 5 months old. It sounds like you got a very low energy Lab. You might want to talk to your vet to check for health, the breeder to see if this is normal behavior, and a trainer to work with you on things you might be able to do to get her energy level up.
Labs are the best dogs EVER. It’s a good thing they need extra exercise because so do I! :)
Great article. We have a 2 1/2 year old English lad, Stanley. He is very energetic and loves to play. We take him to day camp 3 days a week for about 7-8 hours. He plays ALL DAY……….. there is about 10-20 dogs there at any given time and separated by size, age, energy levels and social levels. Judging by your article, this seems way more exercise then he may need? Having said that, if he doesn’t go, he gets all crazy and looks at us like “why am I not going to camp today”? Hahaha We don’t notice anything unusual in his mobility. We also play with him a lot at home as well, it is just not that intense as dog camp….. we are very aware of their possible hip issues. He weighs around 100 lbs, but he is built like a tank. This is one of the only dogs that looks like they work out. He has actual muscles showing. His legs and paws are very large and he doesn’t have a belly(like I do:() should we still lower his weight?
I am a senior who rescued a tiny puppy 4 years ago. He is now showing signs of weight gain and unacceptable behaviors. I am not able to walk with him I do have a yard that he runs around in period there are no children in the neighborhood to walk him and we rarely go to the dog park because he pulls me and he can make me fall. I have taught him to not jump on me because he has knocked me down and broken my ankle. He just needs exercise, any suggestions? The Vet says he’s a lab mix so I don’t know what other breeds behavior he may be manifesting.
If you’re only walking your lab then you’ll need to spend many hours every day doing so but I find if I get my lab off leash and really RUN him after balls and sticks—an hour works well. As often as possible I also take him swimming for another hour in the afternoon. Beau is 7 months and in great shape. This is how I worked my old lab as well, Wizard. He lived a good life until we lost him to cancer when he was 12. He was active and in great shape right up until he died.