kuriooo

Hey folks,

So I've been a member for over a year with no dog. I have 2 kids, 2 and 4, and providing enough exercise for my fantasy Spoo is the main barrier to my getting a dog ... tomorrow!

Most people I talk to with spoos have multiples who play together and wear each other out.

One breeder I'm not sure I trust told me 'you socialize them to have a certain amount of energy... if you raise them to expect a 3 mile walk 2x / day, that's what their energy will be..." I am wondering if she's trying to sell me a puppy instead of a nice adult that is done breeding.

Rescue folks usually have the more 'high energy' type, but I'm not sure (specifically) what that means.

I'm really trying to envision what I think I need to do every day for one spoo, and can I do it right now with active 2 and 4 year old boys and a park on the other side of my house.

Thoughts? Comments?

fjm

I would say the park is the clincher - although I would also wait until your youngest is out of diapers, having seen how long it can take friends with small children to get from deciding to leave the house to actually leaving the house!

A good rule of thumb is 5 minutes walk for each month of age, twice a day - so for a three month old dog 15 - 20 minutes twice a day would be about right. I would be more concerned about managing house training while supervising a toddler - but many mums seem to cope. (Although I suspect Skye will confirm the advantages of adopting a dog that is already housetrained!)

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To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden,
where doing nothing was not boring- it was peace.

~ Milan Kundera

Feathersprings

I am considering a second dog for just that reason. I just cant seem to get in the time ... and he really needs the exercise. plus it is a really good excuse to have another dog lOL! I can tell you that Hoolie is much easier on days when he has been busy

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Sherry
Feather Springs Farm

Curlydogs

I agree completely. Cosmo definitely needs more exercise than we have time to give him especially in the winter. I am not sure if he is average in terms of energy for a 3 year old spoo (he is our first), but two or three 20 minute walks a day does not seem to do the trick and I feel bad because I know that he is just bored and pent up. I think off-the-leash time is really important for him. We try to make up for it on the weekends by going to the dog park, and we go to an agility class once a week, but I think he would really benefit from the regular stimulation of another dog to play with at home. A fenced in yard would really help too.

Feathersprings

We have a large fenced yard and another dog but the other dog doesnt play :( She is quit a grump LOL! We go for several long walks during the week but not every day. Right now i cant actually leave home because i am waiting for my horse to foal so we are stuck until she does. As far as the fenced yard goes.. unless I am playing he doesnt make much use of it .. He will run up and down the fence with one of the horses sometimes but most of the time he just lays around out there and then comes in the house and runs like crazy , haha! I can see he is bored sometimes and like you it makes me feel bad.. i dont have the energy to keep up with him though!

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Sherry
Feather Springs Farm

kuriooo

Thanks for the replies. The exercise component is the biggest part of the picture that makes me wonder if I should wait another year.

We have a fenced yard, but I've heard a lot of dog people say their dog only plays in the yard if they do, so I don't really count that as 'exercise' but somewhere to potty when it's Feb and 10 degrees here in MI. We do garden a lot during the nice weather, though, so I'd hope that a dog would get some stimulation from being outside and hanging out with its gardening people.

Some of the folks in our neighborhood use the park to throw frisbees or balls for their dogs, I'd be hoping to do some of that, too, off leash.

Bella's Momma

Do you have squirrels? Bella gets TONS of exercise in our fairly smallish suburban yard...thanks to the squirrels and occasional birds.

And I know this wasn't your question, but I feel compelled to share that my youngest was 3 1/2 when we got Bella and it just didn't go well. She was too young. It was hard enough to train a dog, but to then "train" a preschooler how to behave around a dog, let alone the dog's specific commands so the dog could be learning, too, without as much confusion. I wouldn't do it over again. Now at age 5, I think it would have been more doable, of course that depends upon the child. My eldest was 7 1/2...he was *perfect* with Bella.

Maybe if your fantasy spoo was somehow older and already really well-trained it would go easier than a puppy.

kuriooo

Bella's Mamma,

I'm definitely considering the older spoo or older puppy, if/when I can find one that meets my picky requirements. And if I think we're ready.

It's great to be in charge of all of your dog's socialization from puppyhood, but I completely envision what you're saying about training preschoolers and puppies to behave at the same time.

poodleholic

Actually, it is true, in a sense! Poodles are very adaptable to the lifestyle of their humans. When I was unable to get out at all for 3 months (broken leg and ankle), Maddy and Beau were content to just hang out w/me. Although they had each other to play with, they would quickly do their business outside, and race back in to be w/mommy! Truth be told, they don't really play much with each other anyway. It was another 4 months before I could really move well (due to complications), but they were fine.


Getting a second dog doesn't mean that either one of them will get adequate exercise just because they have each other! You could end up with two dogs needing more exercise!

Walks with humans don't really provide much in the terms of exercise. Playing fetch, and other interactive games, along with challenging mental stimulation, helps a lot. My 3 are pooped and ready for a nap after one of our sessions!

Liz

That's a helpful guideline. My dog needed lots of playing in between actual walks. Like you, I live next to a park, and created a nice 5-10 min walk (it took us longer when she was younger) and a longer 40 min walk through the woods. These remain our two main routes.

My spoo occassionally enjoys hanging out in the backyard alone, but I rely on playdates with neighbor dogs and dogs from obedience classes to wear out my girl during the week, when I can't take her hiking. She also goes to doggy daycare 1-2 times/week. Just some ideas. (BTW - some people think it's weird when you ask them for a doggy playdate, but most are grateful because they worry about getting their dog enough exercise, too).