Hi everyone,
I'm posting again because I've got a bit of a... guilty conscience!
My little Conti (Continental Bulldog) will be 3 months old soon (on the 18th). The breeder I got him from at the end of December treated the puppies like they were made of porcelain and really drummed it into me that I shouldn't walk him for more than 20 minutes to avoid any arthritis or joint issues in the future...
But my little pup (carefully selected, Kennel Club registered, hip scores for the whole line – a real cracker! ^^) is full of energy (when he's not sleeping... which is rare! ) and I can only really get him to settle down properly during walks where he’s an absolute angel. If we just play indoors, he goes a bit stir-crazy! Even with a short walk, his indoor play gets quite rough as he gets frustrated and grumpy.
In town, whether it's getting to the car or the park, by the time we've gone there and back, the 20 minutes are up and all we've done is travel!
So a typical day looks like this:
7 am: quick wee out in the street, hardly any walking, just for the toilet.
10 am: a quick walk around the block, about 10-15 mins to do his business and have a sniff.
1 pm: big walk, usually about an hour, though today I lost track of time and it was an hour and a half... which is why I’m worried! We go at a very slow pace and I don't push him, but it's still walking (flat ground, pavement, dirt paths, and grass).
4 pm: walk around the block (same as 10 am but a different route).
7 pm: same again.
10 pm and midnight (if he's awake): just a quick toilet break like at 7 am!
Plus, during the long midday walk, I let him off the lead so he can have some fun, and he’s started jumping more and more. He’ll go up 3 or 4 steps before I can stop him and has started... jumping on and off benches (not very high ones, but still!).
Basically, Contis were bred to improve on the poor physical condition of English Bulldogs, and it’s definitely worked. But even though he doesn't show any signs of being tired after the big walk (he doesn't just flop down on his big comfy bed, he keeps following me around or plays quietly with his soft toys), I can't help but worry. I keep wondering if I'm ruining his joints. Mind you, he seems fine with the pace; he’s naturally quite lazy, so when he’s had enough or doesn't want to do something, he makes it very clear and I don't push him!
