Hiking with a puppy?

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

How many miles do you reckon I can walk with my 4-month-old puppy (a Bloodhound cross)? Every morning I take him for a walk of about 3.5 to 4 miles, but that doesn't seem to tire him out anymore, so we usually do a slightly shorter one in the evening of about 2.5 to 3 miles. Since he’s still growing, I’m worried about overdoing it.

Today, I've been invited on a 6-mile hike with a break (about an hour and a half to two hours) in the middle. I’d obviously be going at his pace. My vet told me to just give it a try... and said that if he starts lagging behind me, it means it's too much for him. But the thing is, if it actually is too much, I don’t know how I’d manage to carry him the rest of the way, as he weighs just over 3 stone (about 45 lbs). Do you think I should risk taking him? Or would it be a bit much for him?

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    • ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too... but since I’m no expert, I thought it best to ask :)

    Today’s walk was cancelled because of a problem with the coach that was meant to take us. He’ll come with us in the summer; until then, we’re going to stick to shorter walks. Mind you, my vet never told me that our walks were too long for him :( she just said I should go at his pace and not push him. And as he always seemed to want more after a short outing, I thought I was doing the right thing. I’m going to stick to shorter walks with him now, as I wouldn’t want to do him any harm.

    Thanks for your replies :)

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Whether it’s hiking or just a walk, 6 miles is way too far for his age—it’ll completely exhaust him! =) In a few months’ time it’ll be fine, but at 4 months old, it’s far too early for such a long distance!

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    It’s a walk, not a hike – I used the wrong word in the title of my post.
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    Elodie076
    Elodie076 Icon representing the flag French
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    No, you definitely shouldn't be going on hikes at that age!! He could get exhausted really quickly and might even end up quite poorly. So, I reckon you need to wait until he’s about 7 months old!! 😁

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    A puppy that age shouldn't really be going for walks longer than 20 minutes at a time, roughly every two hours or so... They can end up with growth issues otherwise... You should try and get a second opinion from another vet, but in my opinion 10km (about 6 miles) is way too far!
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I actually asked her about it yesterday and she just told me to give it a try... which doesn't really help me make my mind up.
    Translated from French

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