Mack is 11 weeks old and it's been ages since I've had a young puppy! How much exercise is a safe amount of exercise? Is there a chart/recommendation for certain ages? I know that there shouldn't be any forced or hard exercise until they're fully grown to ensure not damaging joints but I have no clue as to what's ok or not ok otherwise.
How much exercise?
- Thread starter Swise850
- Start date
Leanne
Sniffer Dog
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
Rule or thumb is 5 minutes per month of life per day 
At that age walks are all about socialisation and training!
Don’t forget the pictures !!
At that age walks are all about socialisation and training!
Don’t forget the pictures !!
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Yes, that's what I understand it to be 5 mins per month of age, but it's pretty fluid I believe. As you say , repetitive exercise which means they are using the same muscles and supporting structures are what can cause damage and weaknesses later on, but I don't think theres any limit on free play which means they use a bit of everything so development is even.
I hope that makes sense, it was my interpretation any way
I hope that makes sense, it was my interpretation any way
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
At eleven weeks a pup is going to get most of their exercise at home. Puppies are pretty mad at this age so go by your instinct. Has the pup had all vaccinations? If so then a ten minute lead walk won't hurt. Practice lead walking in your garden at first so that the pup gets used to being on a lead.
Naya
Moderator
- Location
- Bristol, UK
When Harley was that age we would walk on lead to the field (5 mins approx), be off lead sniffing, playing, practicing recall for 15 -20 mins, then onlead to walk back home. Practising lead walking at this age is invaluable. I didn’t as thought ‘let’s just get to the field’, but it came back to bite me when a 28kg lab was pulling me down the road!
We loved playing the ‘magic circle’ game in the garden when Kipper was tiny - you may well know it; you imagine a large circle stretching out on the ground from your foot (I started with left) and you walk slowly round your garden/outside space. Every time your pup comes into the circle area you click or use your marker (‘yes!’ Or whatever) and treat them. If they get sticky, throw the treat outside of the imaginary circle. Do this a few times a few day, upping the difficulty - turning in, out, next to barriers etc. They quickly learn that by your side is a good place. I think it helped with lead walking early on although not perfect yet
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
At 11 weeks, your puppy almost certainly won't be fully protected from parvovirus (even if he has had the complete round of shots, it's not to do with the number of shots, but about the maternal antibodies in his system which counteract the vaccine, and that depends on many factors, but largely time), so you need to take your vet's guidance on whether he should be out walking yet or not. It depends very much on the risk in your area.
In the UK, most people choose to carry their puppies in their arms when out and about until a week after their final shots, which normally means about 13 weeks of age. The Guide Dogs puppies have to be carried until they are 17 weeks of age, as that is what they deem safe.
The "five minute rule" is a bit of a common-sense guideline, but it isn't based in any scientific research, so people have very different interpretations of it. But we do know some things: impact is bad for developing joints. Repetitive movement is bad for developing joints. Unnatural movement is bad for developing joints. So we need to minimise those things. Of course, we also don't want to wrap our puppies up in cotton wool and we need them to be able to explore their environments, different textures, wobbly surfaces etc, all as part of their habituation programme.
Just be aware that walking on hard surfaces such as asphalt is very hard on the joints, as is walking at an unnatural pace, which the puppy will do when on lead. Restrict retrieving activity to no more than a handful of throws every few days, as the impact through the elbows is very high. Don't allow your puppy to run up and down the stairs; although an introduction to stairs at an early age is no bad thing, it's obviously very high impact, so you need to minimise it. Teaching your puppy to go up and down stairs slowly is a very useful lesson.
I would take my latest puppy out for an hour by the time she was about 18 or 20 weeks, but a lot of that time was sitting down while she snuffled around in the woods around me. We didn't go on "walks" per se, just enjoyed nature, played little games together and built the foundations of behaviours that I knew I'd want - recall, walking next to me, choosing to be with me etc. We probably went less than 300m from the front door, all told!
In the UK, most people choose to carry their puppies in their arms when out and about until a week after their final shots, which normally means about 13 weeks of age. The Guide Dogs puppies have to be carried until they are 17 weeks of age, as that is what they deem safe.
The "five minute rule" is a bit of a common-sense guideline, but it isn't based in any scientific research, so people have very different interpretations of it. But we do know some things: impact is bad for developing joints. Repetitive movement is bad for developing joints. Unnatural movement is bad for developing joints. So we need to minimise those things. Of course, we also don't want to wrap our puppies up in cotton wool and we need them to be able to explore their environments, different textures, wobbly surfaces etc, all as part of their habituation programme.
Just be aware that walking on hard surfaces such as asphalt is very hard on the joints, as is walking at an unnatural pace, which the puppy will do when on lead. Restrict retrieving activity to no more than a handful of throws every few days, as the impact through the elbows is very high. Don't allow your puppy to run up and down the stairs; although an introduction to stairs at an early age is no bad thing, it's obviously very high impact, so you need to minimise it. Teaching your puppy to go up and down stairs slowly is a very useful lesson.
I would take my latest puppy out for an hour by the time she was about 18 or 20 weeks, but a lot of that time was sitting down while she snuffled around in the woods around me. We didn't go on "walks" per se, just enjoyed nature, played little games together and built the foundations of behaviours that I knew I'd want - recall, walking next to me, choosing to be with me etc. We probably went less than 300m from the front door, all told!
- Location
- Essex, U.K.
At the puppy parties we attended at that age, I was told 5 minutes per month as many times as you want as long as the puppy has rested inbetween. So twice or three times a day would be ok. But that time is for on lead as far as I understand it, lead walking is repetitive and strains the joints and needs to be kept to a minimum, running and playing freely and snuffling about is ok.
Whenever I meet someone with a new puppy they always have a different opinion on this rule but I would go with what @snowbunny said.
Whenever I meet someone with a new puppy they always have a different opinion on this rule but I would go with what @snowbunny said.
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
My puppy had his first shots at seven weeks when his microchip was implanted at the breeders Vets , so his second ones will be at eleven weeks of age , next week in fact . He has been allowed to meet vaccinated dogs who have visited , he also sits on my husbands knee at the woodland café whilst I walk my other dog , he will have his first walk a few days after his second shots , but only for 10 minutes or so x
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Thank you for the concern over his vaccine status, parvo, walking on leash, and going out in public. I know these things and understand that, he is not my first puppy (Lab pup #4 amongst a few other breeds). I also did not state any where they we'd be out in public with him or walking on leash on concrete. We will be out walking our property with him off leash with our other dog. I was just unsure how far or long we could let him explore and burn off a little energy.
Thank you for the 5 minute per month recommendation!
Thank you for the 5 minute per month recommendation!
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
I do tend to stick to the ‘5 minute rule’ as a reminder for myself as much as anything else. If I go a little over some days I don’t worry, but for on-lead work I’m more careful.
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Puppy Culture by Jane Killion has an article and a chart which describes appropriate exercise:
Puppy Fitness That Fits the Puppy
NEW EXERCISE CHART
It's based on bull terriers, so a very different breed to our Labs, but it's a pretty "common sense" approach.
Puppy Fitness That Fits the Puppy
NEW EXERCISE CHART
It's based on bull terriers, so a very different breed to our Labs, but it's a pretty "common sense" approach.