Help!! Question about Newf puppy?

Question

My neighbor is taking care of her "grandpuppy," an almost 5 month old Newfoundland because her son and daughter-in-law have had to travel overseas to deal with a family emergency. Gramma has food, a crate, toys, etc. and the number of our local vet for emergencies so all is good for the basics.

I have volunteered to help walk/exercise the pup with Gramma who goes on twice daily power walks.

How far is too far to walk a pup this age for this breed? I know we need to be careful with a large breed puppy to protect her joints. (She'll be walking on pavement.)

And we can't call the breeder (don't know them---owners just moved back here 2 weeks ago and now have to leave) and Gramma doesn't want to call the local vet about a puppy the vet has never seen before on a holiday weekend.

So I told her I would toss this onto Answers and see if any breeders/dog people with large breed experience could give us guidelines.

Answer 1

DO NOT WALK THE PUP ON PAVEMENT! You never walk a growing Newf pup on pavement. It is vey hard on their joints. I never walk my dog on pavement until they are 2 years. Of course they go on pavement sometimes, but taking them for a walk on pavement is OUT. A puppy this age should not be walked for long periods of time anyway, and it would depend on what exercise the pup is used to getting. A 15 min walk on SOFT GROUND three times a day is a safe plan.
Power walks on pavement is just NOT an option.

I have had and bred Newfs since 1991, and TRUST me....a Newfs bone structure IS NOT set by 5 months. I have a 8 month old that is still growing a LOT! Newfs can continue to grow and mature until they are 4 years old. A Newf at 5 months weighs about 60-70 pounds......they top out at 120-160.....so do YOU think the structure is set at 5 months?????

Answer 2

I would discourage you from walking this pup too much on the pavement, because he is a large heavy dog in the making the hard surface can jar and shock the developing joints causing problems later on, a good romp around the park should suffice. If you have no parks near by, and you really want to take him for a walk, keep it steady, short and gentle, or if you have any grassy tracks near by home go for a drive and walk on the soft surface.
good luck with it.

Answer 3

I breed and raise Saints and I never walk them for more than 10 or 15 Min's at a time. I will play with them at the park on grassy surfaces. Not on pavement. I really don't feel safe putting growing joints under too much stress. I wait until they are at least two years old to increase activities.

Answer 4

Well I don't have any experience with Newf's but I breed Akita's, another large breed. Generally by 5 months their bone and muscle structure is set. I would start out with one walk a day if you are nervous about it, and see how the pup takes to it. If he seems fine try two after a day or two. Pups at this age have A LOT of energy, regardless of the breed and they need exercise to help their muscles stretch and develop properly. Just keep a close eye on the pup and let his actions be your guide. Also, stop and let the pup rest and take a water bottle for him with you if these are longer walks. Good luck!

Answer 5

I wouldn't make it her walk more than about 10 minutes, especially if you are power walking. Large breed dogs usually hit a big growth spurt at about 5-7 months, and if she receives too much exercise during this time it could damage her joints.

The breeder of my Bernese Mountain Dog actually told me not to walk him at all until he is a year old (on hard surfaces) and to lift him up and down stairs (I could only do that for about a month though, he got too heavy).