How long can you walk a puppy?

A puppy does not go on real walks until about 12 weeks old, and from 12 weeks the guideline is about 15 minutes of actual walking a day, with about 5 minutes added each month. At Stressless Dogs we count those walking minutes separately from the time your puppy spends outside, because sitting, watching and exploring close to home matters more to a young puppy than walking.

Whether a walk is getting too much for your puppy shows in his body language. Learn to read it in the free webinar.

In short

• Until about 12 weeks you do not go on real walks yet: being outside is mostly sitting, watching and discovering the world, often within about 50 yards (50 meters) of home.

• From 12 weeks the guideline is about 15 minutes of actual walking a day, with about 5 minutes added each month.

• Those walking minutes are separate from the time you spend outside.

• Distance hardly matters: 50 yards with full attention is worth more to your puppy than 500 yards with no room to process.

• If your puppy keeps sitting down, he is not being stubborn. Sitting and looking is his pause button.

How long should you walk a puppy at each age?

From about 12 weeks, a quarter of an hour a day, and about five more minutes each month. It is a guideline, not a schedule: always adjust it to your own puppy.

In summary: until about 12 weeks you do not really walk, from 12 weeks it is about 15 minutes a day, and after that about 5 minutes more each month, up to about half an hour around 6 months. During a growth spurt or in adolescence, you would rather take a step back.

What do you do with a puppy younger than 12 weeks?

You do go outside, but you do not walk yet. To a puppy the outdoors feels full of danger at first, so a walk with a puppy under twelve weeks looks like standing still or sitting and looking around.

Build up time outside in small steps: first the house and yard, then looking out through the front door, then the sidewalk or a small green, and only after that farther down the street. In the first weeks you often stay within about 50 yards (50 meters) of home, crouched next to your puppy while he takes in the world. Often ten minutes or so is plenty.

If you force the walking, you see stress: a puppy who stays sitting, pulls, bites the leash, yaps, jumps or starts scratching.

Keep potty training and learning to walk apart: in the beginning let your puppy relieve himself in the yard or on the balcony, because going out all the time is too stimulating. See also When is a puppy potty trained?

Does time outside count as walking time?

No. The 15 minutes are about actual walking minutes, separate from the time you spend outside. Sitting on a bench together and watching, pottering around the yard or a potty break: that is being outside, not walking.

That time outside is valuable: your puppy learns that the world is safe by watching and processing, not by covering ground.

How far can a puppy walk?

There is no right distance, because distance is not the point. It is far more valuable for your puppy to have walked 50 yards with full attention than 500 yards without being able to process what he saw and heard.

On top of that, a puppy’s body is vulnerable. The skeleton starts out as cartilage, and physical development is only complete around 24 months. From about 4.5 months your puppy can have growth spurts: his body grows unevenly, he may stand crooked and become insecure, and growing pains can play a part. Make walks shorter during such a period and ask less of him. With walking, too, less is usually more.

Why does my puppy keep sitting down on walks?

Because he is taking a break to look. Sitting and looking is typical, healthy puppy behavior: everything is new and his processing speed is still low.

Observing is learning. If you pull him along while he is looking at something, he may decide to be on the safe side that it was not safe. So stand still calmly or sit down next to him, and, when it is safe, let him decide how long the pause lasts. Sitting down is also a calming signal: a polite way for a dog to show that he is not looking for conflict. More on this in My dog does not want to walk or keeps stopping.

How do you make a puppy walk calm and enjoyable?

By keeping it short, calm and predictable, and letting your puppy set the pace:

1. A Y-shaped harness and a light, long leash. A puppy’s neck is vulnerable, so no collar or slip chain. Use a leash of at least 8 to 10 feet (2.5 to 3 meters), never a 3 foot (1 meter) one: being held back all the time is frustrating. The leash is a seat belt, not a correction tool. See also Harness or collar.

2. Let him look and sniff. Sniffing is calming and part of the walk. In the Dog Field Study by Cristina and Aurélien Budzinski, dogs on a long leash sniffed almost three times as long as on a short one, with a falling heart rate. See also Stress-free dog walks.

3. One impressive activity a day is enough. Walk in your own neighborhood every day and save a new place for about once a week, with quiet days in between. A fear period also often falls between 12 and 16 weeks; read more in Fear periods in dogs.

4. Do not lure and do not pull him along. Luring with food is also a form of forcing, and in an insecure puppy it makes the fear grow. Let him choose whether he investigates something.

5. Plan rest after the walk. A young puppy needs 16 to 20 hours of sleep and rest a day. Too little sleep leads to stress, more biting and overstimulation. See How much sleep does a dog need?

If it was too much after all, you often only see it at home: hyper behavior, more biting, chewing things up or restlessness. Then the next walk can be shorter and calmer. How to introduce the harness step by step, how to bring your puppy to a stop without a jerk, and how to ask him to come along without pulling are things we practice in our course.

From our practice

“How long and how far can I walk my puppy?” is one of the questions we hear most from puppy owners. Almost always it is followed by the question of whether it is stubbornness that the puppy keeps sitting down. The answer to both is the same: it is about the experiences he gains, not the distance. You do not have to finish a loop: your puppy learns at his own pace that the world is a safe place. More than 30,000 dog parents have taken a Stressless Dogs course.

When to get help

If your puppy limps or moves stiffly, suddenly refuses to go on, or pants a lot during or after short stretches, see your veterinarian first. A short checkup does not always rule out pain. If your puppy freezes outside or panics, never force him, and have a welfare-focused behavior professional take a look. If he genuinely bites or lunges aggressively, which is different from normal puppy biting, bring in a qualified behavior professional. Not sure? Email amee@stresslessdogs.com and we will look at what your puppy needs together.

Frequently asked questions

Should my puppy learn to walk neatly at my side?

No. Walking can be practical and functional, with a balance between letting your puppy choose and giving direction yourself. Walking calmly on a leash is a difficult skill; for most puppies it takes months to learn.

My puppy wants to walk much farther than 15 minutes. Is that okay?

Better not. A puppy who still seems to have energy may already have taken in more than he can process, and his body is still growing. Stick to the guideline and give him calm activities on top of it, such as sniffing or chewing.

Can I walk my puppy and my older dog together?

Yes, but also walk them separately on a regular basis: your puppy needs short outings, your older dog his normal walks. If you take them together, a carrier bag or stroller for the puppy helps, and different leash lengths and colors keep things clear.

My puppy is in a fear period. Should I stop walking?

You do not stop, but you keep it familiar and calm. Walk in your own neighborhood, introduce nothing new, do not lure, and let your puppy choose what he is ready for. Calmly watching from a distance is often enough.

Sources

• Rugaas, T. (2005). On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals (2nd edition). Dogwise Publishing. On calming signals such as slowing down, stopping and sitting down.

• Budzinski, C. and A. Dog Field Study, pulse study “At the heart of the walk”: 61 dogs, short leash versus long leash versus off leash; sniffing time and heart rate measured.

Read next

• My dog does not want to walk or keeps stopping: what is he saying?

• Stress-Free Dog Walks: 3 Concrete Tips

• How much sleep does a dog need, and what if he sleeps too little?

• Fear periods in dogs: when do they happen and what do you do?

• Harness or collar: which is better for your dog?

A puppy who stops is learning

Walking a puppy is not about distance, but about whether he feels safe outside. Your puppy shows you that by sitting down, looking, slowing down or getting wild. Behavior is communication, and learning to read that language is the first step everything else in raising him builds on. In our free webinar on communicating with your dog you see those signals on video.

Do you want to understand what your puppy is telling you on every walk, from the first loop outside the front door to the fear periods? Start with the Stressless Communication Course.

Thank you for reading, on behalf of me and all the dogs.

Amee de Bruijn

Dog Behavior Consultant & Natural Dog Trainer