Regular exercise is an important part of your puppy’s daily life. Learn how to structure their sessions in healthy moderate ways as your puppy continues to develop and grow!
Boundless energy and a love of play, puppies can be active and need physical exercise to help them expel some of that energy and stay healthy. But puppies are still developing so a lot of a good thing, in this case, exercise can be hard on their young bodies and may risk injury and deformation down the line.
Learn the dos and don’ts when it comes to moderating their activity so your puppy receives the best possible physical and mental stimulation they crave and need! We’ll help you understand when is a good time to start regular exercise, how to regulate the amount of exercise, and structure your puppy’s sessions!
At what age can your puppy start exercising?
If you have a new puppy at home, their age will really help you determine what is a good starting point for regular exercise. In general, your puppy can start as early as three months of age.
One common mistake new owners make, who have a high-energy working breed puppy like a German Shepherd or Husky, is thinking because they love to work or have a lot of energy, they need more exercise! The rule of thumb we're about to go over for puppies and exercise can be used across all breeds!
The Dos and Don’ts of Puppy Exercise!
Don’t: Go for high-intensity exercise sessions right away! High-intensity activities like jogging, bike riding, agility, or hiking are great, once your puppy has fully physically matured. The impact your puppy’s body sustains during these types of activities can cause damage and in some cases tears or fractures that contribute to deformation later on.
Do: Take into account that the vast majority of puppy breeds aren’t finished developing until they are about eighteen months of age. Your puppy’s joints, tendons, and bones need time to strengthen and become intact before they can take on exercise that may involve impact actions like climbing or jumping.
Don’t: Go on long, continuous exercise sessions with no breaks! Along with the intensity, the amount of time you spend exercising your puppy can also be excessive and harmful. As a rule of thumb, start on the conservative low end when planning your puppy’s session. Ten or fifteen minutes, doing low-intensity exercise such as going for a walk in the neighborhood.
Do: Give your puppy regular breaks. Even if you only go out for shorter walks, it's a good idea to give your puppy a few minutes in-between to stop and rest, especially depending on their age, breed, and the temperature outside! Warmer days equal more frequent shady breaks. This is also the perfect time to practice in some obedience drills like Down-Stays, which will help teach them to be more relaxed in the outdoors.
Don’t: Increase your puppy’s exercise sessions to “tire them out”. Again, too much of a good thing isn’t always good! Keep in mind that the more exercise you give your puppy, the more endurance they build! The misconception of “tiring your puppy out” is that more exercise is better. In reality, acclimating your puppy to one super long, or multiple long walks a day will only result in your puppy needing that same amount of activity when they are older, if not more.
Do: Remember that shorter, gradually increased sessions are better for your puppy physically and mentally. Give your puppy time to get accustomed to the regular short walks. Ideally, you will work them up to a level of activity that is both satisfying for their energy level but also manageable for you!
Don’t: Engage in super intense play sessions with a young puppy! Games like tug and fetch are great, but some of the motions involved, i.e. the tug and sweep motion, or jumping up to catch a toy, can be damaging to a young puppy’s developing teeth, jaw, bones, and joints if they're done with too much force and if pushing your young pup's limits too much, too soon.
Do: Moderate the intensity of playing. While your puppy is still young, remember to practice moderating physical play. Be gentle with tug games especially with younger and smaller breed pups with more delicate jaws, and instead of encouraging your puppy to jump up to catch a toy, try throwing it a few feet away lower to the ground. Learn how to play these games, while encouraging good behaviors such as letting go of a toy when asked, in our blog “Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners: How to Play with Your Puppy Pt. 1!”
Calm Your Puppy Down with This Easy Routine!
After playtime or an exercise session, some puppies still want to go, go, go! Overstimulation after certain activities is something that you may encounter and we have an easy-to-follow routine that you can use to help your puppy settle down!
For this routine, you’ll need your puppy on their leash and their place cot or bed, and use minimal food as a reward. Start to walk around the place cot or bed with your puppy next to you in small figure-eights. Give your puppy the “Place” command in between walking, then ask them for a “Sit” or to go into “Down” and just hang out on their place for a few beats. Give them a little bit of food as a reward and continue the process. As your puppy starts to get into the rhythm, gradually start slowing down the speed so your pup starts to slow down with you.
By doing this simple yet effective routine for a few minutes and repetitions, you’ll help to calm your puppy, lower their heart rate, and get them to settle down. This is a great routine to add to your normal puppy training schedule, after playtime, or right before putting them into their crate.
Tell us, did these exercise tips help you understand how to manage your puppy’s energy in beneficial ways? Join us each Wednesday at 1 pm PT on @thepuppyacademy Instagram for a live q&a where we’ll address your puppy training questions and concerns!
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Check out these blogs related to puppy training and more!
Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners: How to Play with Your Puppy Pt. 1!
Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners: How to Play with Your Puppy Pt. 2!