August 24, 2012
How much exercise can a 5-month-old puppy handle?
Full Question:
Hi Cindy,All my training and rehab experience has been with dogs over eight months. I have the opportunity to add a 5-month-old working Malinois to our pack. My question regards standardized leash work and pack walks. We walk twice daily on average, a minimum 3.5 miles or 7 miles daily. With a pup under eight months, how much walking exercise can they handle? Not ruining growth plates, or hips in early development? I need advice on daily exercise.
Cindy's Answer:
There is no set answer to your question, every puppy is different. Walking is typically fine as long as the pup can go at their own pace.
Forced exercise (jogging, lots of long distance extended fetching games) is not recommended for growing pups.
I hike and snowshoe with all my dogs from the time they are very small but we don’t do any structured running or anything like that until they are skeletally mature.
Cindy Rhodes
Forced exercise (jogging, lots of long distance extended fetching games) is not recommended for growing pups.
I hike and snowshoe with all my dogs from the time they are very small but we don’t do any structured running or anything like that until they are skeletally mature.
Cindy Rhodes
User Response:
Thank you for your reply and help. That is what I have been doing, basing our distance and pace off the newest or weakest dog, building endurance, and muscle tone! Such a simple question and I basically already knew the answer.
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