Walking a Golden Retriever puppy

Cindouy
Cindouy Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

I adopted a little Golden Retriever puppy just over a month ago; she’s four months old now. My partner and I took turns taking annual leave, but we both went back to work this week and I feel like I’m not doing enough for her, but at the same time, I’m doing a bit too much for my own body. It’s only Wednesday and I’m absolutely knackered; I feel like I haven’t achieved anything with my days...

This is how the days are going:

- In the morning, I get up at 6:30 am and immediately go downstairs to let her out. I stay with her for 10 minutes, then head up to get ready. I give her free access to the garden, though she often just stays in the living room... I spend 40 minutes getting ready, then take her for a 30-minute walk where we play, she explores, etc. Then we head home, I get ready to leave, I don’t interact with her for about 10 minutes, and then I’m off.

- At lunchtime, I’m only home for 30 minutes, so I let her stay outside as much as possible, even though she’d rather be with me and gives me a huge greeting.

- In the evening, I get home at 6:00 pm. Quick toilet break, then I feed her, followed by a 30-minute walk. When we get back, she either stays outside alone for a bit or comes in. Then around 8:00 pm, it’s finally our turn to eat (at last!), and around 9:00 pm, we go for another walk (this time with my partner) for about 45 minutes. After that, I stay in the living room with her, and at 10:30 pm, it’s her last toilet break. I let her settle for the night! It’s only after 10:30 pm that I can finally have a breather, but that’s just to do a few chores and daily bits and bobs before getting into bed at midnight! And the next day, it’s the same thing all over again!

I just feel like I’m doing a bit too much; it’s only Wednesday and I’m already exhausted... and I’m starting to get stressed again because I tell myself she’s alone all day and I spend very little time with her. So when I am there, I feel like I absolutely have to make her play and move, and as soon as I sit on the sofa for 15 minutes or watch TV, I feel so guilty... What do you think?

I knew perfectly well that a dog would change my life and that it would take up a lot of time, but I thought I’d still have some little moments of respite... At the moment, the only time I have is between midnight and 6:30 am, and even then, I’m thinking about her when I’m in bed ^^

I don’t feel like other owners give this much of themselves, though. I feel like I’m only devoted to my dog—no more time for my partner and no more time for my cat 😔

Thanks

Translated from French
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9 answers
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    • Fannou95
    Fannou95 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, Ah, it looks like I might be being a bit too hard on my 3-month-old pup with her hour-long evening walk then. It’d be better to do 20 mins in the morning and 20 mins in the evening... Right, I’ll organise myself to do that then... 👍 Thanks for the post, Cindouy! 😁
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Okay, so I think I’ll stick to the two 20-minute walks a day because it’s not really about endurance; it’s just lots of sniffing and going at his own pace.

    I’ll keep that routine going. I do a bit of training with him but never for 10 minutes straight—well, I don’t think so anyway. As soon as I see him losing focus, I ask for something easy (like a 'sit') and then stop :)

    Thanks a lot :)

    That’s a brilliant approach, you’re doing a great job there.

    Since training requires so much concentration and mental effort, it’s actually a really good way to help an over-excited dog settle down.

    Translated from French
    Aureliie-L
    Aureliie-l Icon representing the flag French
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    Okay, so I think I’ll stick with the two 20-minute walks a day because it’s not really about endurance; it’s just plenty of sniffing and walking at his own pace.

    I’m going to keep that up. I do some training with him but not for 10 minutes straight—well, I don’t think so, anyway. As soon as I see him losing focus, I ask for something easy (like a ‘sit’) and then stop :)

    Thanks a lot :)

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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Personally, the idea is not to push him for endurance, so I stick to three walks a day (on top of quick toilet breaks). It's best to cut back the exercise all at once; he’s only three months old and needs loads of rest. If you still find him a bit too demanding—and be careful not to give in every time he nags for attention—try a short 10-15 minute training session. That should really settle him down.
    Translated from French
    Aureliie-L
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    I'll just jump in on Cindouy's question, as I also made the mistake of over-walking my puppy. At the moment, I'm doing two 15-20 minute walks a day, plus toilet breaks at midday and before bed. I haven't cut back any further. Firstly, I’d like to know if when people say "20 mins", do they mean per day or twice a day? The thing is, my little lad still seems quite demanding, so it’s not easy to suddenly cut his walks down. How do I get him back into a "normal" puppy routine? Should I reduce them gradually or just stick to my guns and wait for him to calm down on his own?
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    The routine is good, but you're right, the length of each walk should be reduced. Puppies are very demanding at the start; you shouldn't give in to every single demand for attention, but by having regular, playful interactions, you'll build a wonderful bond with her. Make the most of this puppy stage; in a couple of months, she’ll start to get more confident and independent, and you’ll actually miss the days when she was constantly following you around.
    Translated from French
    Cindouy
    Cindouy Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for shedding some light on that! You're right, if she ends up needing twice as much when she’s fully grown, I won't be able to keep up! I’ll probably cut back a little. Just to clarify though, when we’re out on walks, we usually stop in a field and I let her do her own thing because my garden is tiny... So the walks last a long time, but we aren't actually covering long distances! I take her out so much because I’m worried she’ll get into mischief when we’re out... She hasn't done anything yet, but you never know!
    Translated from French
    Aureliie-L
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    Hi there, your pup is lucky to have such a dedicated owner.

    However, your puppy is only 4 months old, so the more you do with him, the more you'll feel like he wants more, but in reality he's just getting over-stimulated and wound up.

    A puppy should only be walked for 5 minutes per month of age.

    At 4 months, that means walks of about 20 minutes, plus toilet breaks of course :)

    He’ll definitely still want to play when you get back (at least mine does!), but it’ll be a big change from those 30 to 45-minute sessions :)

    I also think letting him have access to the garden while you're around is a good idea.

    I'm no expert, but I hope this helps a little :)

    Some friends of mine have a Golden Retriever; I think they take him for 30 minutes in the morning and an hour off-lead while jogging in the evening... Other than that, I don't know much about the energy requirements for these pooches :)

    Translated from French

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