Providing your puppy with enough exercise is important for several reasons.
For all dogs, exercise keeps them well-behaved and out of trouble. It also keeps them in good physical health. But how much exercise should a puppy actually get?
Naturally, puppies have exercise needs that are different from those of older dogs. We’ll discuss them in this article.
Table of Contents
How Much Exercise Should a Puppy Get?
You may have heard the saying, “a tired dog is a happy dog”. This is something a lot of dog owners say when they talk about keeping their dogs or puppies well-behaved.
A tired dog or puppy is a puppy that doesn’t have excess energy to get into trouble. When you give your puppy the right amount of exercise, you’re preventing him from trying to seek stimulation elsewhere.
With all dogs, but with puppies especially, it’s important to know how much exercise to give him. If it’s too little, then he’s going to try and entertain himself in other ways. And you might not appreciate those ways!
But if you exercise him too much, then that could lead to an overtired puppy—and that comes with its own behavior issues. Here’s a little more information on overtiredness in puppies:
- 7 Tips for Overtired Puppy Aggression
- My Overtired Puppy Won’t Sleep—What Can I Do?
- 10 Overtired Puppy Symptoms and What to Do About It
Rule of Thumb
First off: All puppies are different, and there’s no way to give an exact amount of time yours should be exercising during the day. Here’s how to make an educated guess, though.
There is a general rule of thumb you can use to determine how much exercise your puppy should be getting. For every month of his age, he should get five minutes of exercise per session. A six-month-old puppy, for instance, will need around 30 minutes at a time.
Even following this rule of thumb, keep an eye on your puppy to make sure it’s not too much or too little.
You can usually tell if your puppy is getting too much or too little by his behavior. Is he acting calm and listening to the commands you give him? If he is, he’s getting the right amount of sleep and exercise.
If he’s acting out, then you’re probably either giving him too much or too little exercise.
There are a few more pointers towards the right amount of exercise, which we’ll go over next. Let’s dive in!
Large breeds
There are several factors that will go into how much exercise a puppy requires. One of the big factors is his breed.
Larger breeds tend to have a little more energy than smaller ones. This means that your larger-breed puppy is going to need more exercise to burn off that trouble-making energy.
Now, this isn’t true across all large breeds. Some large breeds—like Labrador Retrievers—are super active, so they’ll definitely need more. But there are also a few large breeds that don’t quite need as much, like Saint Bernards.
Again, you can usually tell by your dog’s behavior if he’s getting the right amount of exercise. Well-behaved puppies are probably getting what they need. Puppies that are acting out or misbehaving probably need some change in their exercise routine.
Medium and small breeds
A lot of medium and small breed dogs will need a little less exercise than their larger counterparts. Because of their size, you might also find it a little easier to exercise them.
But that said, not all small and medium breeds are the same. Any fellow Poodle-owner will know that while toy Poodles are small, they can be highly active.
A lot of it just comes down to your dog’s individual breed. Some small breeds like Poodles are going to need a lot of exercise.
On the other hand, lots of small and medium breeds like Bassets Hounds or Pekingese dogs are much lazier, and will require less physical activity.
Physical vs. mental exercise
The type of exercise you’re giving your dog is also going to be a major factor. When we talk about exercising our dogs, we often focus on physical exercise.
It’s important to give your dog physical exercise. This is both to keep him tired and relaxed, as well as to keep his body healthy.
If you’re looking for ways to give your dog some physical exercise, these articles will help:
But physical exercise isn’t the only thing you should be giving your dog. You’re also going to want to work his brain too!
It’s just as important to exercise your dog’s brain as it is to exercise your dog’s body. So make sure that you’re providing him with enough daily mental stimulation.
One of the great things about mental stimulation is that dogs tend to find it more tiring than physical stimulation.
My 10 brain games for dogs to play at home will help you find something fun to do with your dog!
Mental stimulation can also be a wonderful training tool if used correctly. Check out Braintrainingfordogs to learn how to train your dog to be the best dog he can be by using mental stimulation! Or have a look at Dogpackr’s review first to see if it’s a fit for you and your dog!
How much exercise should those puppy breeds get?
Since a lot of your dog’s exercise needs come down to his breed, it’s important to get to know your dog’s breed.
These are a few common large breeds and how much exercise these breeds should get.
How much exercise should a German Shepherd puppy get?
German Shepherds are extremely active and intelligent breeds. Because they are both high-energy and really smart, you’re going to want to make sure that your puppy gets enough exercise.
This will keep him entertained and prevent him from getting into trouble.
You can use the general rule of thumb and give him around 5 minutes of exercise per month of age. However, you may find that your particular German Shepherd puppy needs a little more or a little less than that.
As always, your puppy is an individual. You should be monitoring his behavior to determine if he’s getting the amount of exercise that he needs.
How much exercise should a Golden Retriever puppy get?
Like German Shepherds, Golden Retriever puppies should be following the rule of thumb for their exercise needs.
Golden Retrievers tend to also be very active dogs. You may find that your Golden Retriever puppy needs more exercise than lower-energy dogs.
Just remember to be mindful of your puppy’s body when you’re giving him exercise. At this stage, your puppy’s growth plates have not closed yet. High impact exercises can cause damage to these growth plates and harm your puppy’s development.
How much exercise should a Border Collie puppy get?
Border Collies were bred to be herding dogs. They would herd and protect livestock like sheep and cattle.
To do this, they needed a lot of energy. This means that your Border Collie puppy is going to be a pretty active dog!
Start out with the rule of thumb, but know that these dogs might need a little extra exercise.
How much exercise should a Husky puppy get?
Like the above breeds, Husky puppies tend to be very energetic. Huskies were bred to be able to cross large distances, and they would need a lot of energy to be able to do this!
So, you’re likely to find yourself with a puppy that needs a lot of daily exercise if you’ve got a Husky.
If you want your puppy to be healthy and well-behaved, then make sure your Husky is getting the exercise he needs. You should also remember to work hard to prevent your puppy from becoming overtired.
How far can a puppy walk at…
One really great way to exercise your puppy is to take him for walks.
Not only is walking good for your puppy, it’s healthy for you too!
But it’s also important to understand how to walk your puppy right. If you walk him too much or too early in his life, this could cause some problems later on.
Here are a few articles about walking dogs to check out:
- How Many Walks Should a Dog Have a Day?
- Here is How to Tell If Your Dog Is Tired of Walking
- Why Is my Dog Eating Everything on Walks, And How Do I Stop Him?
How far can a 12-week-old puppy walk?
Before you can even start walking your puppy, you are going to need to make sure your puppy is vaccinated.
Vaccinations are important for your puppy’s health, as they prevent him from getting sick from severed illnesses like parvovirus. Vaccinations are also important for the other dogs in your neighborhood.
It’s important to speak to your vet about your puppy’s vaccinations schedule. You can also learn more by checking out: Puppy Vaccinations Schedule, a Complete Guide.
By around 12 weeks, your puppy should be able to start going for walks. By following the rule of thumb, we can determine that a 12-week old puppy can go for a walk of around 15-minutes. Just remember to keep an eye on your puppy to make sure he isn’t getting too tired.
How far can a 4-month-old puppy walk?
By the time your puppy reaches 4 months old, he can go for a walk of approximately 20 minutes.
Of course, bear in mind that this is simply a rule of thumb. Some puppies may be able to go for a little longer, while others should be taking shorter walks.
Remember to consider your puppy’s behavior. If you’re wondering how to tell if your dog is tired of walking, there are some pretty easy ways.
Most dogs who are being over-exercised will start acting out. You might also find that your puppy simply refuses to keep going on walks.
If your puppy is showing any of these indicators, it’s time to shorten your walks.
How far can a 7-month-old puppy walk?
By following the same rule of thumb, we can determine that at 7 months, a puppy can go for a 35-minute walk.
As always, keep an eye on your puppy while you’re walking him. If he’s showing any signs of becoming too tired, you should probably cut your walk short.
This age is also where your puppy’s teenage phase might start kicking in. It’s super important to keep up with training for this reason.
If you’re looking for some more information on training your puppy or dog, these articles might help:
- What Is Positive Reinforcement Dog Training?
- 7 Most Common Types of Dog Training and How to Choose the Right One
- 11 Easy Dog Tricks for Beginners
Puppy exercise specific questions
We’ve gone over all the basics of exercising your puppy, but you might still have some questions.
These are a few common related questions and their answers.
Can you walk a puppy too much?
Walking your puppy is important, and your puppy probably loves getting out of the house and exploring the world.
But you might be wondering if it’s possible for your puppy to have too much of a good thing.
The short answer to this question is: yes!
It is totally possible to walk your puppy too much. And it’s incredibly important to understand what walking your puppy too much can do.
Puppies who become overtired are likely to experience behavioral problems. This might make it difficult for you to get your puppy to listen to commands.
Too much exercise can also have a negative impact on your puppy’s physical health.
When should I start walking a puppy?
Walking is low-impact exercise which makes it good for young puppies whose growth plates have not yet closed.
But you are not going to want to walk your puppy until he’s had his vaccinations.
This is for your puppy’s safety, as well as for the safety of the other dogs in your area.
In general, puppies are able to start going for walks around a week after their first round of vaccinations. So spend some time practicing walking with your puppy indoors until then, so you’ll know he’ll be good on the leash!
When can you start hiking with a puppy?
One of the great things about having a dog is going on adventures with him.
If you’re planning on hiking with your puppy, you might be wondering when you can start.
There are some important factors to consider. These 10 things you need to know before hiking with a puppy will help you determine if your puppy’s ready to hike.
Conclusion
If you want to make sure your puppy is healthy, safe and well-behaved, knowing how much exercise to give him is important. So remember all the factors we discussed and start having some fun with your puppy!
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