how long are you making this puppy walk? german shepherds can only do very light exercise as puppies (like half way down the block and back a day) the reason he keeps walking with you is because if he will stop you will walk away and he wants to be with you, you are forcing very strenuous exercise upon him which for a puppy is very bad for his joints and highly exercised GSD puppies have much higher chances of developing hip dysplasia and other defects. look into it.
@zevysaloff Thanks for your concern. This was just a little walking path near a playground. The real hikes (>1mi) didn't begin until he was about 10 months old. There is no history of hip dysplaisa in his family, and he comes from straight-backed working lines. It was important to establish off-leash heeling and recall at a young age for his safety. He's 18 months old now, and he regularly heels and recalls off-leash, even in areas crowded with people and dogs.
how long are you making this puppy walk? german shepherds can only do very light exercise as puppies (like half way down the block and back a day) the reason he keeps walking with you is because if he will stop you will walk away and he wants to be with you, you are forcing very strenuous exercise upon him which for a puppy is very bad for his joints and highly exercised GSD puppies have much higher chances of developing hip dysplasia and other defects. look into it.
zevysaloff 3 months ago
@zevysaloff Thanks for your concern. This was just a little walking path near a playground. The real hikes (>1mi) didn't begin until he was about 10 months old. There is no history of hip dysplaisa in his family, and he comes from straight-backed working lines. It was important to establish off-leash heeling and recall at a young age for his safety. He's 18 months old now, and he regularly heels and recalls off-leash, even in areas crowded with people and dogs.
KippTheKidd 3 months ago