I Have a 12 week weimaraner x gsp puppy, just not sure how much exercise she should be getting? As  I know both these breeds require lots as adults. I have a 7yr old weim x lab/lurcher who can go on and on. I've only taken her out with him on lead walks as don't want her running and  damaging growth Plates etc. Thanks in advance :)

The general rule to go by is 5 minutes for each month  - so 15 minutes maximum at 12 weeks .  This can be more often than once a day though so 2 or 3 short walks is far better than one long one.

Thanks for that! :)

The rule of thumb is 5 minutes formal exercise per month (that is two and a half out and the same back) but as your pup is only 12 week she will only just have finished her inoculations so I would start with less than that and build up over a few weeks

I got the rule of thumb I found most useful on this board but I don't see it mentioned above, not exactly.

So, 5 min. per month of age of forced exercise allowed twice a day on a hard surface.  Forced being on leash, straight line, compelled to keep up to you.  Any one or combination of.

Free play on soft surface allowed unlimited.  The idea being that puppy can change speed or direction or lie down and rest as need be and thus repetitive strain is far less likely.  Except I found I did have to limit free play as my boy did not know when to stop.

I understood the 5 mins per month age is once daily not repeated in the same 24hrs, so your pup would be 7.5 mins out and 7.5mins back, you could walk somewhere and sit and watch for socialisation needs and then walk home.

At home then exercise can continue off lead provided it is not too repetitive or involves lots of jumping, brain work tires quicker than physical exertion.

See KC recommendation below.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/395

15 mins per month of age from 12 weeks, twice per day, on lead, out in the environment for socialisation. 

Agree Rhodach, I do twice a dog but like food take the amount allowed and divide by the number of times so at four months two formal walks of of ten minutes is OK. Play in the garden on grass is fine and in the house but no jumping or climbing up stairs or on and off furniture.

BUT - if the pup is just starting going out after completing their inoculations then I would ignore the age rule and start with a max of 5 minutes and increase so that by four months he is doing between 10 and 15, continue to increase until by 5 months the pup is walking between 15 and 20.

Meant (twice a day not dog) Doh!

>I understood the 5 mins per month age is once daily not repeated in the same 24hrs

No, it's per walk, not per day. :-) 5 mins per month twice a day (or shorter times if you're doing three outings) is fine. Keeping a young dog on its own premises rather than out experiencing the world and learning is a mistake.

FIVE minutes exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown, i.e. 15 minutes when three months old, 20 minutes when four months old etc. Once they are fully grown, they can go out for much longer

copied direct from KC link above.

Don't forget to highlight the (up to twice a day) bit. :) At three months old 15 minutes twice a day (totalling 30 minutes daily) or 10 minutes three times a day (totalling 30 minutes daily) is fine: they're saying that 15 minutes three or more times daily (totalling 45 minutes or more) is too much.

Don't know if it's possible with ( I presume ) a gangly puppy, she may already be too big, but when my Staffords were puppy's, I took them out in a Huggababy, which is a sling type baby carrier. With a bit of foam in the bottom to give it a bit of firmness, they were able to sit or lie down as they pleased, it made doing things like going on trains or buses much easier, and meant I could stick to the 5 minute rule, but able to be out a bit longer.
There are cheaper alternatives available now, but at the time, that was the only brand I came across.

I don't know how this is organised - I take my pup out for a 20 minute walk in the morning and a slightly shorter one in the evening.  Meanwhile he is tearing around the place, chasing balls or my other dog etc.   How can anyone limit a pup to so little exercise - shut them in their crates all day?  My pup is 5 months now - he does get a run down on the beach once a week - where he will run himself ragged given half a chance - if you don't throw a ball for him he is under our feet tripping us up.  It is very very difficult to gauge how much exercise to give him - timing is misleading because it depends on what they are actually doing in that time. 

Free exercise is different to walking a puppy, when a puppy is having free exercise it will lie down & stop when tired, if taken for too long a walk it will continue until the owner stops, that is what causes the damage. My dogs have very few walks, but have a huge exercise area & lots to do as well as outings to socialize.

The 5 minute idea is for walks not total exercise

The timing is for formal walks when the pup has no option (other than to be carried if small enough) than to keep walking; it doesn't apply to free play in the house and garden.

Thanks everyone for your advice i think i'll do 3 x 10 mins walks a day as she gets bored easily & that's  when my older dog gets annoyed with her, as for carrying her she's already 20 odd lbs, going to be a big girl i think, all ears & paws! :)

Remember that a few minutes simple training a couple of times a day will also help tire and settle her. :-)

See KC recommendation below.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/395

15 mins per month of age from 12 weeks, twice per day, on lead, out in the environment for socialisation.

Sorry, 15 mins per month is a typo!  If you read my first post, which  the link above in my second post confirmed, you will see it should read 5 mins per month of age ......

See KC recommendation below.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/395

15 mins per month of age from 12 weeks, twice per day, on lead, out in the environment for socialisation.

Sorry, 15 mins per month is a typo!  If you read my first post, which  the link above in my second post confirmed, you will see it should read 5 mins per month of age ......

See KC recommendation below.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/395

15 mins per month of age from 12 weeks, twice per day, on lead, out in the environment for socialisation.

Sorry, 15 mins per month is a typo!  If you read my first post, which  the link above in my second post confirmed, you will see it should read 5 mins per month of age ......

See KC recommendation below.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/395

15 mins per month of age from 12 weeks, twice per day, on lead, out in the environment for socialisation. 

Sorry the 15 mins per month is a typo.

If you read my original post, which the link in the second post (above) confirned, you can tell this should be 5 mins per month of age.

See KC recommendation below. . . . . .

15 mins per month of age from 12 weeks, twice per day, on lead, out in the environment for socialisation. 

Sorry, 15 mins per month is a typo!

If you read my first post, which the link in the second confirmed, you will see that this should be 5 mins per month of age  ....duh.