Could anyone tell me the amount of excercise a puppy should have I read it on here when we had are last puppy it was something like 5 minutes for every month ie no more than 15 minutes per day at 3 months old. If this is correct is it standard for all breeds or does it differ from smaller to lager breeds

This is the amount of formal exercise suggested not the total of all exercise, puppy initiated exercise does not count it is the amount of time lead walking that should be kept to the suggested amount that you have read about.

Personally I thing the main difference between large and small breeds is that you have to be more careful with large breeds and continue this care until the dog is older. If your dog is a BT then by the time he is 9 months restriction on exercise is probably not needed as long as common sense is applied no dog should be totally exhausted by it's enforced formal exercise. If on the other hand it is a Border Collie you would need to continue the care until the puppy is fully grown.

Think perhaps that is the rule of thumb, care needs to be taken until the dog is fully grown and that one should never on a regular basis walk a dog till it is exhausted.

Well put Nova.

I agree

I let puppies have as much free exercise as they want, but only a small amount of lead exercise, they need to build up muscle, heartroom.

I tend to vary that rule with my medium size breed to occasionally twice a day if the pup is pinging off the walls (not often likely as I have other dogs for a pup to play with).

I understand the formal exercise rule of 5 mins a day per month, would you restrict the amount of play between pups/ pups and older dog. Had a pup who was tireless when it came to playing with older dog - he just never gave up.

Yes, I restrict the amount of play between pups and older dogs, and it is always supervised as our breed, the adults, are notorious for their mad ways, and not to supervise has been known to have led to the older dog bashing into the pup and consequently causing damage to the growing skeletal frame.   For this reason the pup is not allowed to free run with the adults, they have to be taken out by themselves to minimise the risk of accidents.

Depends on how sensible the older dogs are, mine won't play with a puppy too long, and are excellent at teaching them to chill out, and insisting on quiet time.

We over exercised our BC and he has radical surgery for OCD at 8 months basically we wrecked his sholder letting him race around after a ball.

Never again, I will stick to the required exercise rule of thumb. Rough and tumble between pets is ok but no bull chuckers or other running stuff their bones arent strong enough and joints when they are still growing. - Learn by our costly (emotional and moneywise) experiance, we will never ever forgive ourselves for hurting Jake.

Whistler many thanks for the post, I can relate to your experience. All the professionals that have seen our younger dog (and there have been too many)have always said that his problems were 'not' related to us or exercise, but I have always felt quilty. Growth plate problems in both front legs, hip dysplasia, severe arthritis in both knees the list goes on - he is 5 going on 90. He was indefatigable with his older cousin and we did always intervene and contain him, but I still wonder.

Thanks to you all for your very useful comments and words of advice I will take all of them on board just to add my dogs are Border Terriers Kind Regards Pete

<<the pup is pinging off the walls>>

LOL! I have a 10 month old who has just started a dog variation of hopscotch, leaping through the air from armchair to sofa--looks like a giant flying squirrel. I have to stop myself crying with laughter at his expression and remember to be a bit *stern* to calm it all down.