Puppies need regular exercise to remain happy and healthy. The amount of exercise needed varies depending on the dog’s age, breed and medical condition. Some breeds are referred to as ‘lap’ dogs and are bred to be calm and docile, requiring very little physical activity. On the opposite end of the dog breed spectrum are those which have been bred to be ‘worker’ dogs and require a lot of regular physical activity throughout their lifespan.
Research breeds before adopting a pet so you can pick one that best matches your lifestyle.
Regular Exercise
It’s important to be consistent with the exercise you provide for your puppy. A puppy will need daily exercise to keep them healthy and to prevent boredom. A bored puppy will become a mischievous and destructive puppy. Unfortunately, lack of exercise is often the reason why many dogs become unruly and destructive and taken to the pound.
Exercise Time
All puppy breeds will need to expend pent up energy every day. Some breeds may only need 15 minutes of playtime a couple times a day to satisfy them, while others may need a couple hours to meet their daily exercise requirement.
As a general tule, it is recommended that a puppy receive five minutes of exercise per each month of age twice a day. A six month old puppy should be getting 30 minutes of exercise twice a day.
Exercise Type
Exercise can and should be varied to prevent boredom for both you and the puppy. Play tug of war, fetch, take a walk or make up the exercise as you go, the important thing is too keep the puppy engaged and moving. Spending time with your puppy and giving him/her your undivided attention for a few minutes each day is vital for bonding with your pet.
Learning toys can be used to supplement the one-on-one exercise time. Use educational toys that hold treats and require your puppy to problem solve in order to get to the treat. These types of toys keep the puppy occupied and stimulates their thought process.
Don’t Over Exercise
Too much exercise can cause joint and muscle problems for young dogs. Large dogs breeds are susceptible to several types of joint problems, over exercising them when they are pups can cause joint pain to manifest earlier in the dogs life. Too much exercise is just as harmful as not enough exercise.
