When it comes to exercise and activity for your young Skylit Labrador, it is important to not over-exercise a growing puppy. But how do you know if it's too much or too little?

In general, if your puppy is OFF LEAD (ie just running around the section or house, playing), they will tell you when enough is enough by just laying down and ending play.

The trouble comes when lead walking. Your puppy may SEEM to be happy to continue the walk (due to all the smells and stimulation... plus YOU are still moving) but in fact, it may be too much. The rule of thumb is 5 minutes per month of age when on-lead walking. So for example, your 3 month old puppy should be able to go for a 15 minute walk. Your 4 month old puppy should be able to walk 20 minutes on lead. Etc.

This time limit also applies to activity where the puppy has difficulty controlling its excitement (and therefore ending play). Things like playing fetch or chase should also be limited to the 5 minute per month old rule.

The reason for minimising over-exercising is to minimise the NEGATIVE impact on their joints while they are growing.

Beware however of solving the on-lead over-exercising possibility by allowing your young lab considerable OFF-lead walks. Not only does this increase the risk of your young lab eating or getting into something they shouldn’t but it also does not teach them how to loose-lead walk. Families that do more off-lead walks with their lab than on-lead end up really struggling when their puppy reaches the teenage phase and decides to no longer listen or return when requested. They become the WORST lead pullers. So do your puppy a favour and teach them to properly walk on a loose lead when they are young. You’ll appreciate this extra effort when they are grown!

Harness Versus Collar

Labs are prone to being big pullers when it comes to walking on the lead. You won't take much note when your 10kg puppy is tugging at the lead as it won't likely pull you down the footpath. However, when that 10kg pup grows into a 35kg "teenager", your arms will really notice!

Pulling on the lead is not only uncomfortable for you, it is also very damaging to your Lab. The pressure that a collar places on the neck of a pulling Lab can actually damage your dog's thyroid gland, causing problems in the future. Pulling can also cause misalignment of their vertebrae, interestingly enough, leading to ear infections among other problems.

Walking your Lab on a harness helps to remove some of those dangers should they be pullers. But ultimately, it's best to teach them NOT to pull from the very start and some harnesses are designed for just that.

I carry what I feel is a GREAT harness for Labs in The Dog House Shoppe called the Freedom No Pull Harness. It teaches puppies from the very beginning that pulling is not comfortable and so they learn instead to stay at your side.

Yes my Labs wear collars too but only for looks and to carry their council tags(!). Even my adult Labs still wear a harness when out and about. In my opinion, walking a dog on a collar is not worth the risk of injury that can be done. Not to mention, collars can be "slipped" by a dog (ie they can be startled and manage to pull out of a collar). A properly fitted harness is almost impossible for a dog (or puppy) to get out of and thereby be loose.

Be sure to check out the Freedom No Pull Harnesses at The Dog House Shoppe.

Retractable Leads — WARNING!

PLEASE do not use retractable leads on your puppy OR adult Lab. They are dangerous in so many ways -- to the human holding them as well as to the dog on the other end.

Halties — WARNING!

Many Lab owners take to using a “Halti” to stop pulling on the lead. This is basically a head collar worn on the muzzle. The reason it works is because a dog’s muzzle is extremely sensitive. Take a look at the following diagram.

Dog nose vessels sensitivity halties.jpg

In my opinion, training proper loose lead walking or using a no-pull harness is a more humane option when you take into consideration the sensitivity of a dog’s nose.

Jumping

Jumping should be something that is minimised with puppies. Jumping down from something or jumping up (and landing back down) trying to reach something or in excitement is severe impact on growing joints and ligaments... something that can increase the risks of hip and elbow dysplasia in the future.

Do not let your puppy jump down out of the car or ute, off the couch, off the bed, off steps, etc.

Jumping and landing in the water (when they get that skilled!) is different and does not impact the joints like landing on a firm surface.

Chasing Balls and Sticks

It's awesome to watch a retriever run full bore after balls and sticks, skid (or tumble), retrieve the item and come bounding back to you.

However, when they are young and growing, this type of exertion can again lead to ligament damage which in turn leads to hip/elbow/joint issues in the future.

Avoid activities that could potentially have your dog skidding or tumbling.

Retrieving sticks is actually incredibly dangerous. In their desire to get the thrown object as quickly as possible, there have been many cases of sticks jabbing down throats and causing serious throat injury. Please beware... especially if you have a "crazy", full on, "retrieve-at-any-cost" retriever.

Water Play

Labs love water and puppies are often no exception. You can introduce water at an early age. Often I will introduce water play to your puppy before they will have left Skylit (depending on weather and age).

Always supervise water play... especially at rivers, lakes or the ocean. On lead is safest so that you essentially have a "life rope" to your young pup.

Beware of ingestion of too much water — fresh OR saltwater. Believe it or not, water is toxic in large quantities so while it is cute to see a puppy gulping at a spraying hose, drinking water furiously while swimming, or even drinking tons of water after exercise, this is actually VERY dangerous.

Water intoxication can happen quickly and can be life threatening. The first signs are often too late to save your puppy.

Please read about it here and always have it in mind when your Skylit Lab is playing in or with water.

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/10/28/water-intoxification.aspx

Training — When is the Right Time?

Plan on signing your puppy up for puppy class as soon as you can. Even if you've had a puppy before, it's a great opportunity to brush up on your puppy training skills, learn new ones, and allow your puppy to socialise with other pups.

Training classes are as much for learning HOW to teach your puppy/young Lab a skill as they are for encouraging a consistent, focused time to WORK with your Lab. I often say that it doesn't even matter WHAT you are learning those first two years but continued training/learning is key to having a well adjusted Labrador. Each class gives you opportunities to work with your Lab, reinforcing good behaviour and further establishing a good solid bond with your young Lab that you are the leader, they are the follower.

Don't wait until problems start cropping up. Stay active in training your young pup. Training at home is great but working on having your Lab focus on you when surrounded by other dogs and other people is extremely rewarding and good practice for your Labrador.

Types of Classes

Take advantage of whatever training clubs you may have around you. Skylit Labs excel at obedience, scent/nose work, rally-o, and some OLDER Labs have even tried their paw at agility, flyball and more!

Here at Skylit, I prepare puppies to sit their Canine Good Citizen evaluations. This is a multi-level training curriculum that will help ensure your Lab is a well-rounded, obedient dog in common everyday situations.

Canine Good Citizen training is also an excellent foundation for preparing your young Lab for Therapy Dog, Service Dog or other Community Service Dog involvement in the future.

Start them on gun dog training if that is your passion or perfect their dock-diving skills.

There are many great training opportunities for children to take the lead in working with your Lab as well. This helps your child become more confident and also helps to reinforce in your Lab's mind that they are to listen to young people giving them commands as well.

The sky is the limit! Find what both you and your Lab enjoy... and keep at it!

Be sure to ask on our Skylit Puppy Families group for recommendations for Training Facilities, Classes, Activities, and more for your area.

Doggy Daycare — BEWARE

Doggy daycare sounds like an IDEAL solution to the modern day family's busy schedules but that solution comes with a BIG cost too. And I’m not talking financial cost.

Much like daycare for children, remember that the facility or person that you are entrusting your puppy to is TEACHING your puppy... both by NOT reinforcing your rules with your puppy or by following a different methodology regarding reinforcement, correction, etc.

Many doggy daycares that have cropped up are "free for alls"... dogs of various sizes, ages, etc. run around playing rough and tumble in a full-on environment. This can be overwhelming for a young dog -- in either a traumatic way or in an over-stimulation way. It is also incredibly dangerous for young dogs as the potential for injury (whether you are aware of it happening or not) and adrenalin-induced BAD behaviour can quickly develop.

Yes your pup comes home thoroughly exhausted. They must have had SUCH a good time... or did they? Exhaustion can just as easily have been triggered by the continual over-excitement and stress that exists at daycare.

If you feel you have found a GOOD Doggy Daycare, I would encourage you to use it no more than 1x/week. Do not fall into the trap of "oh he has too much energy today so I'll send him to doggy daycare tomorrow".

One of the real dangers with young Labs that frequent doggy daycares is that they LOSE their "middle" speed. What you find is that you have a young Lab that is either full on/out of control with energy or they are exhausted/sleeping. They have no middle ground.

I had a young Lab returned to me who suffered just this. The family started off sending him 2x/week to doggy daycare to help "burn off" his excess energy. It worked so well that when they started to see signs of excess energy, he was again sent off to doggy daycare. It seemed the more they sent him, the more they HAD to send him and he was becoming more and more out of control at home with their other dog. All he wanted to do was play fight -- HARD -- and would do this all day and then sleep for a bit and start again.

This is the behaviour that is taught with doggy daycare and a risk you take sending your pup there.

It took 6 months of not allowing ANY intensive play to "retrain" that young Lab that there was a "middle" speed... that lovely speed of just pottering around, enjoying life.

Dog Walkers and Pack Walks

These can be EXCELLENT sources of adventure for your Lab but it is CRITICAL that you utilise a service that comes highly recommended.

It is unfortunate but there are many people out there with no qualifications and limited experience who see the dollar signs of being able to take multiple dogs out at the same time for walks/adventures. Often times these "businesses" are a disaster waiting to happen. I have heard horror stories of dogs being lost, left behind, run over by the business's own transport van, attacked by other dogs, drowning, and even being beaten into submission.

Do your homework before letting ANYONE take responsibility for your Lab. You can always ask on the Skylit Puppy Families group for recommendations in your area. I personally can recommend several EXCELLENT dog/pack walkers in the Auckland area for starters!