Since getting my lab I have been following the 5 minute rule.  She is now 20 months old and I am giving her a 50 min walk twice a day.  She does have mild left hip dysplasia which seems to be so much better now that she is on glucosamine.  She does not even limp anymore.  But what I really am not sure about is up until what age does the 5 minute rule apply?  I am very strict with it and time her walks every day - if she plays with other dogs I cut her walks back a little also.  What is an acceptable amount of time to be walking a 20 month lab and then at 2 years old is the 5 min rule still followed? 
Thanks

Usually by 18 months of age the 5-minute rule can be dispensed with and the dog should be able to cope a normal day's activity. At this age a working lab would be getting plenty of training - but of course a day shooting involves a lot of sitting around too!

Hi Goat,

I have been walking my Lab (who is now nearly 3)from 2 years of age,(I did walk her before this  :D) the same as you are doing now, 50 mins twice a day.Sometimes we have done a 2 hour walk and another time 20 mins, but we don't have H/D to contend with.

I personally don't think any dog should be walked 'til they drop and my own is very content with whatever exercise she gets, be it a short walk or a much longer one.

I would think the 5 min rule wouldn't need to be applied but be wary of how much exercise you give her so as not to jeopardise the H/D.

If she has HD I would be careful about the amount of free runnign she gets as this puts much more strain on the joints. Lead walking and swimming will help develop the muscles that keep the hip joint in place, reducing the strain on it.

Hi
So basically I don't have to stick to the 5 min rule anymore does this mean I can give her an hour and a half or 2 hours twice a day?  Also we are planning to go to Dorset soon and there are some great walking tracks but we would be out most of the day stopping for lunch/picnic time and breaks would she be ok to cope with that?

When I went to a talk on HD the Vet there who had an interest in working Gundogs had a dysplastic bitch felt that the effects of HD could be minimised by steady frequent excersise, and after building his bitch up this way she could do a days work. 

His view was that half an hour to 45 minutes per walk was best and as he built up to work he built up the number of walks, and not the length of each one.

Yep as brainless says it is much the same as for a human, if you never walk anywhere and then suddenly do a 20 mile hike you will feel it the next day but if you have been doing lots of shorter walks and building up stamina she should be fine. I would say that it is good for everyone to have a days long walk followed by a quieter day to recouperate.

Oh and dont forget that gundogs are not good at pacing themselves so we tend to start off on the lead then when they have got over the initial excitement, if possible and appropriate, we let them off to mooch (or zoom) along at their own pace.