Is Your Puppy Under or Over-Exercising? (10 Signs +Vital Facts)

You wouldn’t expect a toddler to run a marathon, so what can you expect your puppy to need for exercise?

Is there such a thing as too much exercise for a puppy?

Why Do Puppies Need Exercise?

Physical activity is essential for your puppy for mental and physical health. Going for walks is how your puppy explores the world, learns to problem solve and socialize.

A healthy puppy has plenty of energy that needs a physical outlet to avoid bringing up a bored and destructive dog.

Your puppy needs daily exercise but not too much because over-exercising your puppy causes long-term health problems and poor development.

The 10 Signs Your Puppy Is Under or Over Exercising

Puppies are still young and developing their muscles and bones. Your puppy spends its time with short bursts of activity and plenty of time asleep.

As your puppy matures, it will be active for longer and require more exercise to keep it fit and happy.

How do you know if your puppy is getting enough exercise?

If your puppy is calm and contented and isn’t pushing to go out or play more by barking, whining, and chewing everything it can get its jaws on, it is probably getting enough exercise.

Signs your puppy is not getting enough exercise to meet its needs include:

Excess weight gain – there is such a thing as too much puppy fat.
Emptying your bins, chasing your cat, and inappropriate chewing – the extra energy finds an outlet.
Restless – constantly wanting to go out and needing attention, unable to settle to sleep during the day or night.
Barking and whining – your puppy is trying to tell you that it has needs you are not meeting.
Playing with aggression and teeth.
Constantly pestering people by jumping up.

On the other paw, too much exercise hurts your puppy, and signs you are over-exercising your puppy include:

Tiredness on walks – lagging, panting, and unwilling to go further.
Lameness – your puppy’s paws are soft, and excess walking will hurt.
Reluctant to get out of bed and hiding.
Stiffness and difficulty moving.

How Much Exercise Does Your Puppy Need?

There is no exact formula for puppy exercise because of the variable factors depending on breed and age.

The American Kennel Club and most vets recommend around 5 minutes per day for each month of age. Your puppy needs less exercise than an adult dog, and the aim is to provide the equivalent amount of activity to playing with its littermates.

It is best to split the exercise sessions into small sessions across the day like you provide frequent small meals.

Exercise covers activities such as – walking on a leash, playing games with you, and training activities.

When your puppy is exploring the house and garden or free playing with its toys does not count towards the exercise limit, but you still need a watchful eye to ensure your puppy is getting plenty of naptimes to recharge its energy levels.

Different breeds have different energy levels and appetites for physical activities.

Larger breeds need more supervision because their growth can outstrip their developing bones and muscles.

Some breeds like the collies and sighthounds need a lot of mental activity to keep them interested and alert. Flat-nosed breeds like pugs and bulldogs need gentler exercise because they find it difficult to breathe when they get hot and bothered.

When choosing a puppy to suit your lifestyle, it is best to match your puppy’s breed expectations for future exercise.

If you are a keen weekend hiker and want a small dog, the friendly Jack Russel terrier is an ideal companion.

If you detest exercise for yourself, choose a lapdog or a laid-back Basset hound, as these require less exercise than a super-active Border Collie or Catahoula Leopard Dog.

Can Too Much Exercise Hurt a Puppy?

Vets can’t stress enough how over-exercise leads to bone development problems.

A young puppy is still growing its skeleton, and there are soft spots in the legs and other areas that are prone to damage. Too much exercise can hurt your puppy by forcing its developing body to exceed its physical capabilities.

An over-exercised puppy is a stressed puppy and more prone to picking up infections.

As a result, your puppy may get sick because it has too much exercise and its immune system is too tired to cope.

Can too much exercise make a puppy sick or cause diarrhea?

Some people blame puppy diarrhea on too much exercise, but typically diarrhea results from something your puppy eats or drinks.

But an over-exercised puppy (especially the flat-nosed breeds) may gulp down a lot of air and saliva, add in higher stress levels, and some puppies may have runny poop as a result.

Still, there is no direct link between your puppy having diarrhea and over-exercise. If your puppy has liquid poop, check what it is eating; some surprising foods may be the cause.

How Should You Exercise Your Puppy?

For your puppy, exercise includes any physical activity like walking, organized games, and training sessions.

When playing physical games with your puppy, be mindful of the need not to push it beyond its physical limits:

Don’t throw a ball too far because you don’t want your puppy to run long distances – wait until your puppy is grown up before using a ball launcher.
Allow your puppy to use its nose with scent games in the garden and gentle walks.
Avoid games that cause your puppy to jump too high – remember those bones are still soft.
Hold short daily training sessions but make them fun with plenty of rewards.
Don’t exercise immediately after a meal.

Although learning to sit, walk on a lead, or stay may not seem strenuous or trying to you, your puppy uses a lot of mental energy to work out what you want from it.

Short, fun, daily training sessions are excellent exercise and more likely to bring faster results than long, tiring, and frustrating weekly sessions.

Is Walking Enough Exercise?

Regular walks for your puppy after it is fully vaccinated and safe to go outside in public areas benefit your puppy by providing:

Appropriate bathroom breaks.
Gentle exercise.
Opportunities to socialize.
Sensory stimulation.
Bonding time.

Walking is part of the whole exercise package, and initially, you may need to spend some of your walks carrying your puppy with short sessions to explore some exciting smells.

Your walk needs to be at your puppy’s pace, although soon, your puppy will walk faster than you and need to learn to slow down to your pace.

How much walking does a puppy need, and how far should it walk?

A three-month puppy needs around 15 minutes of daily exercise spread across the day, and the length of the walk needs to match these timings. You may be better carrying your puppy to the park and spending five minutes exploring in the morning and afternoon.

Although most dogs will get by with one walk per day, more frequent walks are better for additional mental stimulation.

Establishing a regular pattern of short walks with your puppy will help fix a routine for your adult dog.

What About Running?

Forced exercise at a fast pace will injure your puppy and is not the best exercise for your adult dog.

Some breeds like Dalmatians and Greyhounds are born to run, but not as puppies. Sled dogs like Huskies enjoy running for miles as adults, but as puppies, they have the same need for reduced exercise to nurture their growing bodies.

If running with your dog is an essential part of your life, pick an appropriate breed and wait patiently for it to mature by giving it the best diet and providing appropriate exercise to nurture its development.

Before you start running with your mature puppy, check that it is physically well with your vet and start it on a gentle running program – you don’t get off the couch and run a marathon without preparation.

Plus, your dog will age faster than you, so keep a regular vet check-up as part of your schedule.

Some of the best breeds for potential running companions include:

Weimaraner.
Dalmatian.
Vizsla.
Short-haired pointers.
Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Doberman Pinscher.
Foxhounds.
Saluki.
Belgian Malinois.
Huskies – in cold climates.
Border Collies.
Catahoula Leopard Dog.
Standard Poodles.

There are dog breeds that detest running, other than for a short sprint in play.

If you plan to run with your puppy, avoid:

Basset hounds – not built for athletic running.
Small breeds like the Havanese or Maltese.
Flat-nosed breeds like the bulldogs.
Great Danes – all that bulk means plenty of naps.
Chow Chow – a thick heavy coat and a laid-back approach.

What About Puppy Sports?

Many popular dog sports have a puppy section to help your puppy train to perform and enjoy canine sports.

If you want to have fun while exercising your puppy, consider:

Agility – your puppy is too young for the full courses and competitions, but practice and training with a mini-course improve your puppy’s ability to follow commands while off-leash. You need to wait until your puppy is 12 months before training and 18 months before they can compete. But you get puppy classes to start learning the skills.
Fly ball – it’s a race, and your puppy gets to catch a ball. Although puppies can start to play around 5 to 6 months, you don’t get them started with the jumps until after a year.
Dog dancing – you and your pup learn to move to the music. You can start learning simple routines at six months, more complicated at nine months, and compete after a year.
Obedience competitions – your puppy will start to obey you from a couple of months, although many trainers prefer to wait until six months. Your puppy can compete in American Kennel Club obedience trials from six months but must be a registered pedigree.

A session a week at a club with other puppies for socializing classes or sports training is a fun activity for your puppy with expert guidance on age-appropriate physical activities.

Conclusion

Your puppy needs the best diet:

and the correct level of exercise to develop into a happy, healthy adult dog.

It is best to choose a puppy whose exercise and lifestyle needs match yours. There is a puppy to match every activity level (when grown-up), whether you prefer hiking, running, moving to music, or curling up with hot chocolate and a movie.

Remember your puppy is still a baby, and exercise at this stage is fun and short for best results.

Walking, gentle games, and puzzle toys will meet all your puppy’s exercise needs.