There’s a lot of confusion about safe exercise for puppies with a long held ‘rule’ that you should only walk a puppy for 5 minutes for every month of their age. The truth though, is there’s no real conclusive science for or against this.
In reality, the type of exercise your puppy has is likely to not only have an impact on their physical health but on their behaviour too.
In this blog, I’m going to walk you through all things puppy exercise, so you can enjoy time with your puppy rather than worrying about getting things right or wrong!
Puppy walking chart by age
There are a ton of sources that will advise you to walk your puppy for no more than 5 minutes per month of age, but if you search for scientific evidence to support this, it’s hard to find any firm evidence.
It’s suspected that this ‘rule’ came from a study undertaken back in the 1970’s looking at canine hip dysplasia. However another study undertaken in 2012 found that while climbing stairs before 3 months of age was potentially harmful, off lead exercise from a young age actually reduced the risk of hip dysplasia.
A 2022 study found that commonly, 16-week-old puppies spent ≥75% of total walk time on lead, whereas the older dogs mostly spent < 25% of total walk time on lead on weekdays and weekend days.
If you’re not yet confident walking your puppy off lead, then start with a long line training lead while you work on training your recall.
How long should you walk a puppy?
It’s less about how long you walk your puppy and more about the type of exercise your puppy has. Fast paced pavement walks on lead are more damaging to a puppy’s joints than a longer period of mooching around off lead on grass.
An on lead walk that’s focused on going a specific distance is likely to teach your puppy not to stop and sniff or to soak up all the stimulation and socialisation experiences that are naturally occurring in their environment.
This can result not just in a puppy overdoing it physically but in a dog who’s learned to be overstimulated and wired on walks… and we don’t want that!
Left to their own devices, a puppy will have a natural desire to sniff which is calming for them, enriching and excellent mental stimulation. Let your puppy sniff and resist the urge to keep marching forwards!
Also consider the terrain you’re walking on and let your puppy enjoy doing natural puppy things. Typically they’ll have a wee zoom around here and there – but spend the rest of their time sniffing and soaking up all the novelty in their environment.
Can you overwalk a puppy?
Yes, you can overwalk a puppy. There’s a big difference between a 45 minute walk where you stop frequently and your puppy isn’t walking the entire time and a 45 minute walk where you go full steam ahead the whole way!
Take regular rest breaks and walk at a calm pace. Often with a puppy you’ll be stopped every 5 minutes by someone wanting to admire them – this is a great opportunity for a pit stop!
Signs you’re over exercising your puppy
- Mouthy – biting lead / biting you
- Drooling
- Panting
- Limping
- Hyperactive or zoomie behaviour
- Slowing down or refusing to walk
Puppy biting the lead?
Puppy biting is often the result of overstimulation, so if you find your puppy is biting their lead and jumping up – chances are they’re a little tired and wired!
Puppies need a lot of sleep and can become overtired very easily. What looks like a short or boring walk to you can be packed with a lot of sensory stimulation that your puppy is trying to process.
The world is all new to a puppy so even meeting a few new people/dogs, while experiencing lots of new sights, smells and sounds can be a lot for them to take in.
If your puppy starts ragging on the lead, it might be time to head home for a nap! Alternatively, you can try some sniffing games to help them regulate and calm down.
Protecting your puppies joints
While your puppy’s growth plates are still developing and knitting together, excess pressure on them can cause problems.
A puppy is fully grown between 1 to 2 years old typically. This will vary by breed, but as a general guide smaller dogs will be fully physically developed by around 12 months of age and larger breeds will mature physically between 18-24 months.
It’s not just walks that you need to be mindful of. Consider slippery surfaces like wooden or laminate floor at home and activities that are high impact such as jumping or twisting and turning chasing a ball.
And don’t forget garden exercise! Your puppy isn’t just exercising when you go out for a walk – running around in the garden counts too. Try to avoid ball games that encourage your puppy to brake suddenly and twist their bodies suddenly (more info on ball throwing risks here).
Everything in moderation
The best way to look after your puppy’s joints in respect of exercise is to do things in moderation! We don’t want to be killjoys who spoil all their fun or worry so much that they don’t get to experience anything.
Just try to be mindful of some of the things that can put excess strain on your puppy’s growing joints and opt for encouraging gentler alternatives where you can.
Things to avoid
- Going up and down stairs
- Jumping in and out of the car
- High energy, fast paced walks (if they choose to do it themselves it won’t last long)
- Giddy meet ups with other dogs where your pup overexerts themselves
- Throwing balls – more info on what’s wrong with ball throwing here
- Slippery surfaces (mud, wet grass, ice and wooden floors)
- Rocky or stoney terrain / dry sand can be hard work on puppy joints
What to do instead:
- Let your puppy set the pace
- Play hide and seek games
- Go for sniffy walks – visit beaches and woodlands which are packed with interesting smells
- Play games like tug on a surface with traction like rug or carpet
How to tire a dog out without walking
We all equate a tired dog with a happy dog, but exercise isn’t the only way to tire your puppy out. If you have a busy breed like a Spaniel or a Collie, the temptation to over exercise them is strong!
But mental stimulation is just as tiring if not more so (and it won’t harm your puppy’s joints). Spend time training your puppy for short bursts and your puppy will work their brain learning new things – and it helps grow your relationship too.
Playing games together is also a brilliant way to give your puppy an outlet for their energy. Play will also help you develop your bond and build trust – which is super important.
For more help training your puppy, take a look at my online puppy training and my puppy classes in East Lothian.
Read Next:
How to stop your dog jumping up
Successful puppy socialisation in 3 easy steps
Dog development stages explained
