Puppy slowing down?

[Anne G.]

My puppy Murphy is now 1 year and 4 months old and we've noticed that she is really slowing down. She doesn't play nearly as much as before and rarely has the "zoomies" like she used too. While this is good in some ways I'm wondering if this is normal. She still seems awfully young to become "an adult". I know she is very healthy because she had her yearly checkup recently, eats well, and has normal stools. We give her 2 walks a day. I'd like to hear how your "older" puppies are doing. Thank, everyone.

[Bonne Bouche]

I'm in the same boat, and am curious how others are?

We've noticed a dramatic decrease in zoomies once we added 30 mins of "cardio" into his daily routine. BB gets 2 walks a day, and on lunch or after work he goes up to a park to play a vigorous 30 mins of Frisbee (on weekends we usually switch it up and go swimming or to a dog park). With all that exercise, his down time is much more throughout the day. He is about 18 months right now, and we did notice the decrease in activity when summer started and we were able to get him out in the evenings...

[peggy cordes]

Zen is almost 16 months old, and he is definitely slowing down.  I have noticed, however, that all the dogs at the dog park seem more mellow, so I can't figure out if its his age or the weather.  I don't know where you live or how harsh the weather is, but here in South Florida it is brutally hot and humid.  We have been limiting dog park time to before 9am and try to have evening walks around sunset, but he still comes home panting furiously and wants to sleep on the cool tile.  He still wants to play like a puppy after he's rested and is in the air conditioning, so I am waiting to see how things play out in the fall before I believe he is really more of a dog than a puppy.

[Anne G.]

I live is Southern California near the ocean so the weather is pretty mild. Just this morning Murphy made a liar out of me and zoomed around like crazy after we got back from the walk. LOL.

Zen is really cute. He's like Murphy where there's less Poodle and more Golden. It's fun to see how different they all look.

[Bonne Bouche]

How funny, I was chatting with my husband who was working from home today, and (completely unsolicited) he shared with me that BB had the craziest zoomies this morning, after their walk. He got a new toy last night, and apparantly seeing it again this morning excited him quite a lot. Sad I wasn't there, but also wanted to share...

[Anne G.]

How cute! Now I think I'll go out and get a new toy for Murphy. :-)

[Cherri Lynn Kading]

I just read an article that said dogs, especially long haired dogs, can get heat exhaustion as cool as 75 degrees. We live in Texas and I am very careful about the amount of activity we do outside. Jacki is 7 months old and the only time we can really go for a long walk is at 5:30am. Nightly walks are after 9:00pm and we are only out for about 15 minutes.I had her outside with us on the patio from about 8:00-10:00pm (she was basically just laying on the concrete) and when we brought her in she panted quite heavily for about an hour.

[peggy cordes]

You are right, Zen, like Murphy, is more Golden than Poodle but in my eyes he is the perfect blend.  I think the mix is gorgeous no matter where on the spectrum they fall.  He does still shed though, and I was hoping he'd be a non-shedder, but the good news is I don't have to get him groomed/shaved often.

Along with their striking good looks, I love the doodle personality.  They are smart, loving, and social.  If you looked up joy in the dictionary, I swear Zen's picture would be there, with the ever-present smile on his face. My sister just came from Virginia for a week (she is a Labrador mom) and she fell in love with him immediately.  She saw the zoomies and said "your dog was just doing doughnuts in the living room". 

Before Zen, I was a Rottweiler mom, and the difference is delightful.  I never worry about dominance or aggression with my doodle.  People don't fear him, and cross the street to avoid us, most people will approach him for a happy, wiggly hello.  If I ever get another dog, it will definitely be a doodle!

[Anne G.]

Yes, the doodles bring a smile to everyone they encounter! Murphy sheds too although it seems to be seasonal. She shed last fall but then stopped during the winter. Now she's shedding again, but not too bad. We got a tool called "The Firminator" and that thing really works much better than any brush we've used.

[Dawn]

I admit I am looking forward to Lucy (10 months) slowing down a bit.  She wakes up at 5:30 and wants to play play play.    I usually bring my coffee outside and play catch with her for about 1/2 an hour.  As soon as I bring her in she is right back at the door wanting more.  I feel bad when I don't play with her because that face is so darn cute but I can't keep up with her energy level.  She really only naps in mid morning and stays active the rest of the day.  

 

 

[Anne G.]

Yes I know that "cute look"...hard to resist! :-) All dog mature at different rates but she is bound to slow down some in the coming months.

[Bob Johnston]

I wish we had a like or love button. I can't wait for a slow down. It was 101 degrees outside and 76 inside with the ac on full blast. and you would have thought it was a cold winter day the way Sophie was flying around the house and yard. She would give the energizer bunny a run for his money.

[Anne G.]

Sophie is really cute, and red like Murphy. How old is she?