# Puppy Play/Excercise/Feeding Routine



## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

Hi GS Folks,

It's been 13 years since I had a puppy , so forgive me for asking! I am trying to figure out a feeding excercise routine before i get the puppy this summer/fall. I work and have senior parents at my home (when I'm at work). I was thinking something like this....I will factor in age and endurance depending on if the pup is 12 weeks or 5 months.

5:15 am wake, potty break, play, take for 30 minute walk, feed at 630 and take out again for break.

700-715- I leave for work and crate pup for 1-2 hours? Parents take pup out for water, pee break, play , controlled long lead( 30 minutes)from 9:00-930

930 am-crate pup 1-2 hours repeat above 1130 am 30 minute play.


Same plan above repeated until I return from work about 430-500 pm. Play with pup when I come home and take for walk( 1 hour).Feed pup two hours after walk, anout 8pm and after I have eaten.

I'm pretty sure this was a similiar first year schedule for my pup....after he was 6 or so months, he could be left out of his crate supervised in home and in backyard through out the day. I kept my dog on a long lead around the house and backyard his first year of life until his recall and obedience were stronger. I crated my previous dog until he was 5 months old at night ( after that he slept soundly on a dog bed in my room or on a rug at the front door)...and woke me once a night to go outside.


Any and all excercise/eat/sleep/play routines are welcome and appreciated.


Thanks in advance everyone!!!


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## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

Anybody out there? Was really hoping for some suggestions with feeding exercise schedule for your pup and what you have done.Thank you!!!


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

Congrats on your new puppy!

Your plan sounds like it should work just fine ... only thing I might suggest is feeding 3 smaller meals for the first few months if possible. I like to give 3 meals a day, when possible, until 5 months or so.

They adapt to your schedule pretty quickly. How old will the puppy be when you bring it home?


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I assume you're getting an 8 or 9 wks old puppy, right? If so he'll have plenty to do just adjusting to your house and schedule, and learning to go potty outside, at least for the first week or so. From my perspective the key points are plenty of play time and frequent potty breaks. Beyond that, I'm not so structured or scheduled. For example, I don't feed my pup at a certain time every day, it varies with my schedule/activities. When my puppy was that little she would frequently sleep for 2 or 3 hours after playing, so taking her out to potty every hour or two might be a bit much... If your yard is fenced, I'd recommend ditching the long line for now and just letting the puppy free roam. Congrats on the new puppy!


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

Don't worry so much about the schedule. Yes, dogs love having routine and it is good for everyone, but things happen and schedules change. It will be good for your puppy to learn to be flexible as well. If you are able to adapt to the moment too, what you have planned already sounds good to me.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

With my pup, I was most concerned with feeding schedule. I needed to make sure that he got fed at specific times so I could plan his potty breaks. 

Every puppy is going to be a bit different. And with any baby dog, we have to learn to adapt because they don't do things by the book. Fir example, I found that my new puppy needed to go out to potty then get about an hour of house time/play time before he wanted to eat breakfast. So I had to adjust my schedule a bit. 

But I was like you. I wanted everything just so. I overthought everything. But then I got my boy home and it all flew out the window! 

So I would worry less about a set schedule and focus on just being in the moment with your baby dog. They grow up so fast and are sponges when they are little. 

Congrats on your puppy. It is super exciting and scary all at once.


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## Rubyjane77 (May 27, 2018)

1 hour walk might be too long for a young pup. 

Puppies need much less exercise than fully-grown dogs. If you overdo the exercise of a growing pup you can overtire him and might even damage his still developing joints. A good rule of thumb is a ratio of five minutes exercise per month of age until the puppy is fully grown: 15 minutes 2x daily when three months old, 20 minutes when four months old etc. 

Big dogs like GSD is prone to elbow and hips issue, so try to take care and not overdo things. 

But love that you are preparing for a pup so well. And GSD experts feel free to correct me if I got this wrong i’m Just a newly inducted GSD owner. My previous experience are Labs so I could be wrong when it comes to GSD.


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