When and how much exercise for your puppy
Sheepadoodles are a medium energy cross-breed. Sheepadoodle puppies need exercise to stay healthy and happy. A wise man once said, "Every puppy needs exercise, discipline and affection in that order." and "A tired puppy is a good puppy." The best exercise, especially before your puppy turns 6 months is playing games. Fetch, tag, chase, etc. are all excellent games and will be better exercise for your puppy than a walk or a run on their leash. Dogs naturally don't run in straight lines, they like to cut, turn and pounce. Puppies also shouldn't hold a sustained run for long periods of time. There's a lot of discussion over how much and how often to exercise your puppy. Always consult your veterinarian first. Most recommend to start running one mile with your puppy when they turn six months. Then you can run between one and three miles the older she gets and after she turns one year old you can increase your mileage to over three miles. Always consult your veterinarian to make sure that your Sheepadoodle is healthy and able to run your desired mileage. We've ranked the following three exercises in order of the most bang for your buck when wanting to efficiently wear your Sheepadoodle out:
1) Off Leash Dog Park or Area: this is the very best way to exercise your dog for so many reasons. An off leash area will provide lots of physical exercise for your dog as she will chase, run, pounce and wrestle with other dogs. It will also give her emotional exercise as she socially engages with other dogs and figures out how to best play with others. She will also have to be aware of where you are and make an effort to stay with you as you walk throughout the area. This kind of physical and emotional exercise will wear your dog out much quicker than walking them the same distance.
2) Fetch or another running game: is a great way to work your pup and give her great exercise. Fetch provides lots of quick burst uses of energy and most dogs love it. It's an easy way to give your dog exercise and a great way to bond with her.
3) Running/walking on a leash: is the least tiring for a dog. It's probably the first thing a person thinks to do when they want to exercise their dog. Walking/running is fabulous exercise for the human, but not so much for a dog. Sheepadoodles are part herding dogs and are used to working and getting a lot of exercise. They are also great at sharp turns, quick accelerations and immediate stops. Walking/running on a leash provides exercise at a constant, steady and slow (compared to top speed of a Sheepadoodle dog) rate. That's why we rank this as the inferior way to exercise your Sheepadoodle. But remember, a walk/run can provide you with wonderful and important exercise and can be a great way to bond with your pup. Just don't expect her to come home as tired as you do!
1) Off Leash Dog Park or Area: this is the very best way to exercise your dog for so many reasons. An off leash area will provide lots of physical exercise for your dog as she will chase, run, pounce and wrestle with other dogs. It will also give her emotional exercise as she socially engages with other dogs and figures out how to best play with others. She will also have to be aware of where you are and make an effort to stay with you as you walk throughout the area. This kind of physical and emotional exercise will wear your dog out much quicker than walking them the same distance.
2) Fetch or another running game: is a great way to work your pup and give her great exercise. Fetch provides lots of quick burst uses of energy and most dogs love it. It's an easy way to give your dog exercise and a great way to bond with her.
3) Running/walking on a leash: is the least tiring for a dog. It's probably the first thing a person thinks to do when they want to exercise their dog. Walking/running is fabulous exercise for the human, but not so much for a dog. Sheepadoodles are part herding dogs and are used to working and getting a lot of exercise. They are also great at sharp turns, quick accelerations and immediate stops. Walking/running on a leash provides exercise at a constant, steady and slow (compared to top speed of a Sheepadoodle dog) rate. That's why we rank this as the inferior way to exercise your Sheepadoodle. But remember, a walk/run can provide you with wonderful and important exercise and can be a great way to bond with your pup. Just don't expect her to come home as tired as you do!