This 5min walk for every month age business

[Notonaschoolnight]

Is that i.e. a 5 month old only walked a total of 25 min a day or each walk pup has during one day shouldn't be longer than 25 min? i.e. a 25min walk am and another pm.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

The current whisper at veterinary orthopaedics meetings is that recent studies have shown that it's a load of rubbish.

[Notonaschoolnight]

Ooh interesting, anything online about it?

[thegriffon]

I don't think it necessarily applies to all breeds, more important to be careful with larger dogs, such as labs. See lab forum discussion of 5 minute rule

[needastrongone]

Interesting Lonecat - I know you is a vet and explain our vets rather chilled attitude with our Spaniel puppy then!

Caveat - check with your own vet first though

[Lonecatwithkitten]

The whisper I heard was from the foremost orthopaedic practice in the UK and they don't recommend restricting the activity of puppies of any breed. The study found that genetics will happen regardless of exercise and the only thing that makes the genetics worse is dogs being overweight.

[ihatethecold]

I have been walking my 13 week old vizsla puppy for 15 mins 3 times a day.

What I don't understand is, he is running round the garden loads between his walks, obv off the lead..

Surely that makes a mockery of the 5 min for each month rule?

[FragileTitanium]

My 12 week old puppy runs around off lead in parks/country for at least 3 hours a day. Gets home, runs around back yard for another couple of hours at least....

I'd never heard of the 5 min rule.

[Whoknowswhocares]

I am using a common sense approach with a nod to the 5 minute rule with my 13 week old retriever pup.
Usually she has a couple of walks of up to 30 minutes max each day, although actual walking time is less than this as it is inclusive of socialisation with dogs, humans, watching the traffic etc and of course sniffing time, which takes up a fair bit!
She comes home and sleeps ATM so this is prob enough for now and is content and happy at home the rest of the time.
Once she seems to have too much energy to burn, I will gradually increase it
Hopefully that will be ok?

[LadyTurmoil]

It's interesting to hear that 5min rule may not be relevant anymore - sure mutts (and their owners) in the past never stuck to this rule and they didn't seem to end up with dodgy hips etc. interesting as I saw tiny, sweet 12 wk cockerpoo on a walk yesterday which was defo out for longer than 15 mins ...