In fact, when it comes to continuous puppy walking a good rule of thumb is that puppies should have no more than 5 minutes of exercise for each month of age, two times a day. So a five-month-old puppy would have no more than 25 minutes of walking twice a day – and this should be decreased in larger breeds.
A general guide for exercising puppies is to allow them one to two sessions of five minutes walking for each month of age, so for example, a four month old pup could enjoy walks of 20 minutes at a time, once or twice a day.
A 12-week-old puppy can walk about 15 to 20 minutes. Again, allow your puppy to choose the speed and take plenty of breaks for sniffing. Avoid trying to pull the puppy. Puppies are still developing their muscles and bones, so long walks can be too hard on their bodies.
You can start walking your puppy after one to two weeks of them being fully vaccinated. This is usually around the 8-week mark. However, make sure you keep a strict eye on them and ask your vet to confirm when they're allowed out on a walk.
When Can Your Puppy Go on a Walk? Wait to take your puppy for a walk until he's fully vaccinated—typically around 18 weeks of age. Again, most vaccines take two weeks to take effect (except for the rabies vaccine, which takes 28 days to take effect).
Do not let your puppies walk outside as the risk of parvovirus and leptospirosis with unvaccinated puppies is high.
Teach your pup to potty on a designated spot outdoors, making him think. After you bring home your new puppy the first thing you need to teach the pup is to walk to the door. Do not carry it.
As long as your puppy is 10 weeks old or older at their second vaccination, they will be immune to distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus one week after this vaccination. So, one week after their second vaccination, your puppy can be walked in public areas, and usually attend puppy classes.
Your puppy's age
What is this? A rule of thumb is a puppy can walk five minutes for every month of age starting at eight weeks. So a two-month-old puppy can walk about 10 minutes. And a three-month-old can walk for 15 minutes; and a four-month-old for 20 minutes.
If your puppy doesn't want to go for a walk, there can be several reasons. Either he is lazy, afraid or the weather is too hot or too cold for him. He could also be sick or ailing.
Remember, dogs and especially puppies need to urinate often. As a guideline, new puppies up to 10 weeks old typically can't hold their bladder for more than an hour. Dogs between 10 to 12 weeks old can usually hold it for around two hours.
In most cases, puppies should be able to climb stairs safely once they are about 12 weeks old. At this age, they have become fully confident in their legs—less to no wobbliness or clumsiness. It means they are less likely to accidentally trip and hurt themselves, though they should still be closely supervised.
It's best to wait 10 to 14 days after your puppy has received their final vaccinations before taking them on outdoor walks and exposing them to environments and other dogs.
When your puppy finally does come home, supervise as they explore. Be sure to not let them run around the entire house for the first few weeks to avoid any unwanted behaviors. Baby gates are a great way to block off a smaller area of your home for your puppy to explore.
Going Out in the Yard
In mild weather, even newborn puppies can be taken out to your own garden or backyard, as long as they're supervised and confined to a small, safe area.
From 1 week after the first C5 vaccination (at 12-14 weeks old) – puppies can start going for walks on sealed surfaces but should not go onto public grassed areas especially dog parks. They may also start socialising with adult dogs that are fully vaccinated (and up to date).
A rest day is free from any walks – no interaction with the outside world at all. It allows our dogs to relax and have calm experiences for a day. This, in turn, means no further cortisol is being produced, as well as allowing the already existent levels to deplete.
According to the American Kennel Club, puppies younger than 10 weeks cannot be left alone for more than an hour. From 3-6 months, they should not be left longer than their age in months (for example, 3-month-old puppies cannot be alone for longer than 3 hours).
“An hour-long walk every day is generally a good recommendation — preferably all in one session,” she says. “A long walk benefits a dog's physical body as well as their mental health.
Typically, it's not recommended to take your dog for walks until they are fully vaccinated. Puppy vaccinations help protect your dog against diseases, making them essential when puppies go outside. Pups in particular are vulnerable to serious diseases, such as parvovirus and canine distemper.
Puppies should be at least 10-12 weeks old before they're ready to start socializing and going outside in public places. This allows them time to get all of their vaccinations and build up their immune system so that they're not as susceptible to illness from another animal or person.
Puppies require a vaccination course of two injections which can start from six weeks of age. We normally give the second vaccination four weeks later. We advise that your puppy is not allowed out until after the second vaccination.
In the beginning, we suggest covering a wider area with 3-4 potty pads until your puppy learns how to target the pad more precisely. Important note: Although you can leave potty pads in your puppy's playpen to absorb any accidents they may have, this on its own won't potty train your puppy.
Don't punish your puppy for eliminating in the house. If you find a soiled area, just clean it up. Rubbing your puppy's nose in it, taking them to the spot and scolding them or any other punishment will only make them afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. Punishment will do more harm than good.