As she explained, puppies, especially large-breed puppies, should not be exercised too much, as over-exercising could cause joint and bone problems, and two miles was definitely too much for my three-month-old dog.
What will happen if I over-exercise my puppy? Just like a human child, your puppy's bones and joints need time to mature. If you over-exercise your puppy while they are growing, they might damage their growth plates and joints, which can lead to conditions such as early onset arthritis and hip dysplasia.
You'll know your dog best, and the amount of exercise a dog can manage will vary between breeds and dogs, but a good rule of thumb is a ratio of five minutes of formal exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown i.e., 15 minutes (up to twice a day) when three months old, 20 minutes when ...
Watch out for signs of fatigue, such as your pet panting, slowing their pace, or lagging behind you or stopping. If you notice this, allow them to rest. Watch for overheating, such as your pet panting excessively, drooling, showing signs of agitation/confusion or vomiting.
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.
A 12-week-old puppy can walk about 15 to 20 minutes. Again, allow your puppy to choose the speed and take plenty of breaks for sniffing. Avoid trying to pull the puppy. Puppies are still developing their muscles and bones, so long walks can be too hard on their bodies.
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 puppy's age
What is this? A rule of thumb is a puppy can walk five minutes for every month of age starting at eight weeks. So a two-month-old puppy can walk about 10 minutes. And a three-month-old can walk for 15 minutes; and a four-month-old for 20 minutes.
You can feed them before or after a walk, but you have to ensure that the walk or exercise takes place at least one hour before or after the meal is eaten. Any exercise performed within that hour can result in an increased risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus, which is something just not worth risking for your pup.
A single walk in a day can be perfect for smaller dogs, but large, high-energy dog breeds may require more walks per day.
Spend 30-60 minutes of playing with him, socializing, and taking a walk. Nap time. He may sleep from 30 minutes to two hours.
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.
If they are not used to more than a 10-minute walk or playtime, suddenly expecting more than an hour of activity can set them up for injury and medical problems. If they're over-extended, they may be resistant to exercise or develop mobility issues, anxiety, and exhaustion/lethargy.
"You know your dog best so take walks at their pace and never push them too hard. If they appear to be excessively panting, struggling for breath, appear to be stumbling or lethargic, then it could be a sign that they've walked too far or are struggling in the heat.
Daily walks on concrete are not recommended for young puppies because you may create a problem with their skeletal development. Walking or playing on a concrete surface is tough on soft, young joints and can lead to early arthritis.
“An hour-long walk every day is generally a good recommendation — preferably all in one session,” she says. “A long walk benefits a dog's physical body as well as their mental health.
By 3 months old your puppy is ready to start learning basic commands, the training foundations you instill now are going to carry on throughout your puppy's life.
While it's important to exercise your dog, it's equally important to make sure they get enough rest to allow them to recover and avoid injuries. This is particularly true after an active day where you've been on a long walk or cani-cross, for example. The occasional rest day can be greatly beneficial for your pup.
Also, a general rule-of-thumb is that your dog should spend between 30 minutes and two hours being active every day.
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.
After your pup's second round of initial vaccinations, he will be able to go out for walks with you one week later. Although it's tempting to take him out earlier, it is incredibly important to listen to your vet's advice.
In most cases, puppies should be able to climb stairs safely once they are about 12 weeks old. At this age, they have become fully confident in their legs—less to no wobbliness or clumsiness. It means they are less likely to accidentally trip and hurt themselves, though they should still be closely supervised.
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).
Do not let your puppies walk outside as the risk of parvovirus and leptospirosis with unvaccinated puppies is high.