Walking after eating

[suzsmile]

After walking all over Germany for 3 weeks, I want to continue to walk. And I want to get in better shape for my son's wedding in June. Unfortunately, we live on a rural road, but have several county parks only minutes away by car. I get home around 3 PM and feed Bogie and Maddie right away. After they finish their dinner and go out again, would it be okay to take them to the park for a walk? Or do I have to wait at least an hour? We are very careful to not let Bogie play with his retrieving dummy for at least an hour after he eats because he will run like a maniac for 10 minutes non-stop. Maddie just noses around the yard looking for the ever popular delicacy, deer poop.

 

[suse]

I'm no expert, but I do remember reading somewhere that you should not walk your dog for 30 mins after feeding, nor feed them for at 30 mins after walking. I hate our rural road and drive Seamus to a park and bike path to walk, also! He loves it so much that he hates to walk around here!!!

If they eat, then you have to get them ready to go, then drive, then get them ready to walk, that's almost 30 mins, right? :nod:

 

[anya]

If they eat, then you have to get them ready to go, then drive, then get them ready to walk, that's almost 30 mins, right? :nod:

That's kind of our routine. After I get home and feed my crew, they go outside and do their business...I check my mail, change my clothes, etc. Then I get the dogs in the car. The park is on the north side of town but going through town takes a good 15-20 minutes to get there. So far, so good!

 

[NessaM]

I always wait at least an hour. I think after a half hour a gentle walk wouldn't be a problem, but my guys always trot/gallop a lot of their route, so I let them digest for a bit before we go out and exercise.

 

[Bojie]

I always wait an hour after exercising to feed and an hour after feeding to exercise. Can you just throw them in the car and go to the park and feed them dinner later? otherwise it will get too dark for you probably if you wait the hour after feeding them to go for a walk.

 

[eckybay]

I prefer to wait an hour, but if they're being too crazy and need some exercise I'll walk them after 30 minutes.

 

[R Taft]

I always wait an hour after exercising to feed and an hour after feeding to exercise. Can you just throw them in the car and go to the park and feed them dinner later? otherwise it will get too dark for you probably if you wait the hour after feeding them to go for a walk.

I usually exercise mine and feed them an hour to two hours after.........I feed my dogs two meals a day, equal size, one at about seven am and one at about seven pm. So far I been lucky and have not had a bloat incidence. Cross my fingers and toes as I speak..Ronnie

 

[pabusinesswoman]

We feed twice a day also. Did you think of feeding them after the walk?

 

[suzsmile]

Our Lab is conditioned to want his dinner as soon as we get home from school (think Psych 101 and Pavlov's dogs!). But I hadn't even thought of that. That would definitely work. I told DH that he and I needed to get more exercise and lose weight before our son's wedding in June and that more exercise would not hurt the dogs!

 

[KS Newf]

I make sure Gloria has been calm 1 hour before (not really a problem, here ), and then I wait 1 hour after eating. I read that is one strategy to avoid bloat. I walk then wait the hour before feeding if dark is going to be a problem.

 

[charityd]

I always heard to prevent bloat you should wait one hour after exercising to feed and two hours after feeding to exercise, but maybe a calm walk would be ok.

 

[suzsmile]

We had read the one hour thing too and have always been very careful with feeding and exercise. Today, we took both Maddie and Bogie to a new local park for a walk and it was a really great experience. Maddie actually really enjoyed herself and Bogie just loves walking anyway. DH finally figured out how not to have Bogie pull him all over the park. So hopefully tomorrow, we will come home from school, take the two to the park and then come home and wait to feed them. I'm hoping that we can start slow and do this 3 or 4 times/week.