How much exercise does a puppy need?

In detail

Is there a rule for how long a puppy should walk?

It is often recommended to walk a puppy for only five minutes at a time per month of age. However, there is no sufficiently robust scientific basis for this blanket rule. It takes into account neither the breed nor the puppy’s physical development, the intensity of movement or its individual behaviour. What matters is therefore not just the duration but the type of movement. A puppy exploring its surroundings at its own initiative moves differently from a puppy that has to keep to a set pace on the lead for a long time. Exercise should be age-appropriate, varied and adapted to the individual dog.

Dr. Patrick Blättler Monnier also addresses these questions in LupoMove Puppy (in German). The book explains how the musculoskeletal system develops and puts common recommendations on puppy exercise into perspective from a veterinary point of view.

What does research say about exercise and joints during growth?

In a Norwegian long-term study, Krontveit et al. (2012) examined the relationship between housing conditions, exercise and the development of hip dysplasia in 501 dogs of four large breeds. They found that daily stair climbing in the first three months of life was associated with an increased risk of hip dysplasia diagnosed radiographically later on. Free exercise outdoors, on the other hand, was associated with a lower risk. One important aspect remained open: HOW the puppies managed the stairs. The study does NOT allow any differentiated conclusions as to whether the dogs moved slowly and in a controlled way or quickly and uncontrolled, whether they were accompanied and what specific loads they were exposed to. Based on their results, the authors recommended avoiding stairs in the first three months of life. However, as this is an observational study, it establishes neither a causal relationship nor a general ban on stairs. In practice, this means: not all movement is the same. Instead of keeping puppies away from everyday movement demands altogether, their exercise should be age-appropriate and attentively supervised. On stairs, for example, this means paying attention to a calm pace, secure footing and controlled movements.

How can I tell when it is getting too much for my puppy?

Puppies cannot always judge their own limits reliably yet. That is why it is important to watch how they move closely. Signs that a puppy needs a break can include:

• It lags behind, repeatedly sits down or lies down during a walk.
• Its movements look increasingly uncoordinated or unsteady.
• It loses interest in the activity or does not want to keep walking.
• It seems unusually exhausted or finds it hard to settle after intensive activity.
• It shows stiffness or a noticeable change in its gait after exercise.

Each of these behaviours can have various causes and is not a reliable sign of overload on its own. Persistent lameness, obvious pain or recurring movement abnormalities should be examined by a vet.

What can an early gait analysis show in a puppy?

A puppy’s movement patterns change continuously during growth. Differences between individual dogs or changes over time may appear that cannot always be reliably seen with the naked eye. With LupoGait Puppy, kinematic movement parameters can be recorded from around week 8 of life. These include, for example, temporal gait parameters and asymmetries between the limbs. In a longitudinal study by Blättler et al. (2024), dogs later diagnosed with hip dysplasia showed greater variability in certain movement parameters during growth. The results suggest that objective movement data could be relevant for research into early changes in gait. However, gait analysis replaces neither the orthopaedic examination nor diagnostic imaging. Nor can a single measurement currently reliably predict whether a puppy will later develop hip dysplasia.

Where can I read more?

How does a puppy’s musculoskeletal system develop? What role do exercise, growth and individual circumstances play? And why do blanket exercise recommendations often fall short?

Dr. Patrick Blättler Monnier addresses these questions in his book LupoMove Puppy: Wie viel Bewegung braucht der Welpe? (in German). The book combines veterinary fundamentals with practical recommendations for the healthy motor development of young dogs.

In Q4 2026, the series will be complemented by a second part (LupoMove Puppy II) on the theoretical foundations and practical support of puppies during growth.

Sources

• Krontveit RI, Nødtvedt A, Sævik BK, Ropstad E, Trangerud C (2012): Housing- and exercise-related risk factors associated with the development of hip dysplasia as determined by radiographic evaluation in a prospective cohort of Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Leonbergers, and Irish Wolfhounds in Norway. American Journal of Veterinary Research 73(6):838-846.
• Blättler P, Altermatt M, Röhrich M, Grütter N (2024): Serial kinematic analysis using inertial measurement units in growing dogs at risk of hip dysplasia. Veterinary and Animal Science 25:100385. doi:10.1016/j.vas.2024.100385