Hi,

I have a 9 wk old D/H lurcher pup (Sire deerhound, Dam Deerhound x greyhound)

should I restrict his exercise /play to avoid damage to his bones and joints
he is very keen to gallop about in the garden and climb things, but doesnt go for walkies yet. He seems to play quite rough at times and needs the exercise to wear him out. He's fed James wellbeloved Puppy Kibble on the vets advise.

Any thoughts on this or improvements in his diet?

Dave & Skippy

Hi Dave and Skippy and welcome to the site - you will find loads of knowledgable folks here and will learn a lot about your dogs.

I think that I am right in saying that you do have to watch their exercise levels quite closely when they are growing. There is a rule of thumb something like 30 minutes for each month of life - don't take that as gospel! Others will be able to be more accurate than me! You do have to be careful with exercise though as they grow rapidly. Can you see the growth plates in the legs of your puppy? Is puppy your only dog?

I have a deerhound, Murray who is now nearly 8 months old and I found the he enjoyed playing with my other dogs but got tired very easily so little and often seemed to suit him better. Wait and see what others here have to say..

deerhounds aren't as bad as the wolfies (who have to be kept on a lead until they are about 12 months I've heard), but it is a good idea to keep them from over doing it. We were advised not to do too much forced exersize, but if they want to run around by themselves thats ok. I also heard that they have to do a certain amount of exersize on hard surfaces to strengthen up their pasterns, but as houndy says I'm sure the more experienced members will have a lot more advice for you!

Puppy exercise..I'd err on the side of caution if I was you. Sighthounds are a slow maturing breed..in these breeds it is advisable to make sure that the first 2 yrs of life are handled with kidd gloves. This is why most if not all breeders do not recomend coursing until the dog is at least 2. Excesive exercise can permanently damage the growth plates. Hard surfaces can also as well as any fall, hit from another dog while playing..all these types of what most people consider normal bumps for puppies to go through. Large breeds, but esp. sighthounds have exceptionally high metabolisms..as well as the need to watch what they eat and how often .Small frequent meals over a large one...no free feeding...and of course no exercise right before and not after a meal for at 2hrs. In over 20 yrs of hounds..Afghans, Borzoi..and now Deerhound...I have been fortunate to never ever have had a an animal go down due to injury or bloat/ torsion. In part I like to think because of common sense (although sadly..not so common) and because I pay close attention to what the animal needs. Large hounds are special and have special needs. The pay off is tremendous...well worth the effort.
This is..of course..just my opinion.
Cassandra

Many thanks for the info,
I thought it best not to encourage him too much
but he is very keen on charging about and can bee very lively.
At present he is an only dog but not our fisrt sigthound.
He will have access to a labrador and Newfoundland when hes a bit bigger.


Dave & Skippy

it's difficult when they are so lively - I took mine up onto our local golf course during a break in the rain this afternoon. Murray DH went bonkers and ended up doing a spectacular somersault while he was chasing William lurcher. My heart was in my mouth I don't mind admitting but he just got up, looked round to see who had witnessed this embarrassing event and carried on as per crazy!

I let my puppies have as much exercise as they want, but not on leads, just playing around. I don't take them out for walks until they've had all their shots, and then only for short periods as a constitutional with the adults.

Calculating how far half way should be, so your pup can get back home pleasantly tired, rather than completely knackered, is a fine art. It's no fun carrying a Deerhound puppy who's run out of go! Having said that, it's a lot easier if you have more than one puppy - they exercise each other perfectly adequately just by playing, then they can collapse in their kennel for a sleep and get up and repeat the performance. That way, they learn to use their bodies properly.

I let Mac play and run in the confines of the paddock as much as he wanted. A bit difficult if you only have one dog. I did heel training on the lead, but that was it. Didn't do any proper lead walking until he was about 9 months old and then only around the village or into town to improve his socialisation. Only after 12 months did I start proper walks, and then waited until 18 months before doing full days walk or a nights lamping.

I've only ever had one DH, which is a pain sometimes, I have to play hide and seek with him just to get him to have a good run sometimes, God if anyone saw me! I hide in the bushes, then he panics if he can't see me and comes hurtling to find me!

When he was a puppy, I used to take him to the golf course every day (still do, luckily hubby is a member!) and he would run until he wanted to. Or we would do a bit of lead walking, you can over do them, but sometimes when they are so lively it is nice for them to be asleep! A bit like children really, lovely when they are asleep!

I would also think , with your puppy being an only dog , let him play by all means. Play and jumping also does stimulate bonegrowth and strengthens everything and stimulates the appettite - I can not imagine , that your puppy will overdo it , just running /jumping around in your backyard by himself . I am currently raising my 5th deerhound puppy - she is going onto 5 mth now and does a lot - active for 3 hours in the morning and 2-3 in the evening - inbetween she naps. No big walks yet , just about 45-60 minutes in the morning and somewhat less in the afternoon , without too much walking , more exploring - always off leash ( only when coyotes or bear are near by she will be leashed - as she wants to hunt with the 3 big deerhounds ) . Did exactly the same with my other deerhounds and all turned out just fine - the tallest and oldest ( a female , going on to 32" and rather spindly in build , close to 7years old ) just became Canada's top lurecoursing deerhound for the 3rd year in a row . Which is quite an accomplishment for her , as she really is not build for that - too tall , to stiff a back ( but a beautiful topline , which often comes with a price I heard : no flexibility ...), a " bad rear " ( the build is weak I mean - too narrow , not strong - but healthy , no dysplasia or similar ) and and and - still , she loves lurecoursing and is good at it . But I got sidetracked , go and enjoy your pup and please do post a pic for us !


Verena

Thanks all for the sound advice,

Skippy seems to have settled in better now and seems to play well within
everones guide lines. He's slowly exploring the edges of our fields and can get fair gallop on when he wants too.
Its good fun watching him explore new bits and is very interested in the birds.
Next week he has his second set of jabs and can start to meet my brothers labrador and newfie.
Hopefully he'll have a chum of his own in a year or 2 and we can do it all again!

Dave & Skippy