As a rule, where physical exercise is concerned, other than free play with toys or with other pets, the average puppy who is still growing could do about five minutes for every month of their age, once or twice a day. For example, a puppy of five months old can do 25 minutes of exercise up to twice a day.
Modified 5-Minute Rule
One of the most popular answers to how long a puppy should exercise per day is 5 minutes for every month of age, twice a day. This means an two-month-old puppy should get 10 minutes of exercise twice a day. This is a good starting point, but not all dogs are the same.
Your puppy's exercise needs will change as she grows. When your puppy is very young, veterinarians recommend keeping exercise limited to short walks and multiple play sessions throughout the day, with plenty of time for naps.
Take your puppy outside frequently—at least every two hours—and immediately after they wake up, during and after playing, and after eating or drinking.
Puppies usually need to relieve themselves after eating, so give him another potty break. Spend 30-60 minutes of playing with him, socializing, and taking a walk. Nap time. He may sleep from 30 minutes to two hours.
The five-minute rule states, “for every month of age, your puppy can have up to five minutes of exercise.” This means your bouncy new 8-week old puppy is only allotted ten minutes of exercise per day.
Puppies need 18-20 hours of sleep a day for normal mental and physical development. Therefore, you should not interrupt their sleep.
Be Careful Not to Over-Exercise
Your puppy needs exercise, but walking too much can be harmful for growing dogs. Too much exercise, or “forced exercise,” can overtire your puppy and potentially damage developing joints.
What sorts of things count as 'exercise'? Exercise includes the more obvious things such as playing (with humans or with other dogs or pets), training, going for walks, sniffing to find things and swimming.
Younger dogs & puppies may benefit more from frequent short bursts of exercise rather than long, sustained activities. Most dogs should have at least 20 minutes of active stimulation each day along with 1-2 walks. Higher energy breeds/dogs will require more activity, but this should be determined individually.
The research found that a lack of play can cause up to 22 different behavioral issues. These undesirable behaviors include anxiety, aggression, pulling on the lead, whining, and not coming when called. Humans and dogs are two of the few species of mammals that continue to play well into adulthood.
Always use toys when playing with puppies, never your bare hands. This way you will have something big enough to guide into the puppy's mouth when he wants to bite and tug. Be careful when playing with young pups; don't tug hard enough to hurt them. They may be pretending to be fierce, but they are still babies.
Your dog should understand that their place is on the floor where they are not equal to you. For the same reason you are discouraged from getting on the floor with your dog to play in “their territory,” you should not bring your dog into your territory.
According to the American Kennel Club, puppies younger than 10 weeks cannot be left alone for more than an hour. From 3-6 months, they should not be left longer than their age in months (for example, 3-month-old puppies cannot be alone for longer than 3 hours).
You can generally know when your dog is lacking exercise when he or she becomes bored, lethargic, or frustrated. This can manifest itself as destructive behavior or aggression. How much exercise your dog requires depends on the breed, size, age, and other health factors.
But do schedule play and exercise time into your puppy's day: a walk around the neighborhood, playing with toys, and time spent bonding go a long way toward expending energy. Several shorter sessions are better for a puppy than one long one.
A general guide for exercising puppies is to allow them one to two sessions of five minutes walking for each month of age, so for example, a four month old pup could enjoy walks of 20 minutes at a time, once or twice a day.
Your Dog's Exercise Tolerance
Most dogs can tolerate a daily 20–30-minute walk if they have a relatively good body condition. Dogs in great physical health can tolerate walks for up to two hours or go hiking for hours at a time.
According to The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, a good good starting point is to aim for 5 minutes of exercise, twice a day, for each month of age. For example, 3-month-old puppies should have 15 minutes of exercise twice a day, then 20 minutes twice a day at 4 months, etc).
The “Witching Hour”
Many owners find that 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. bring out the worst in their puppies! If you know that a particular time of day prompts crazy biting, do your best to manage/prevent the behaviour and engage your puppy otherwise.
The instant you feel your puppy's teeth touch you, give a high-pitched yelp. Then immediately walk away from him. Ignore him for 30 to 60 seconds. If your puppy follows you or continues to bite and nip at you, leave the room for 30 to 60 seconds.
The phrase “Puppy Blues” refers to feelings of anxiety, depression, or both related to acquiring a dog under the age of one. Symptom severity may change daily, but overall, these feelings interfere with your ability to function daily. Nearly 70% of puppy owners reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, or both.