Puppy walking times

[catsbeensickagain]

Hello, I keep seeing the idea that puppy walks should be limited to 5 mins per month of life eg 20 mins walking at 4 months. When should you extend beyond this and consider their joints “safe”? Also when did you allow you pup to do steps- catsbeenpup faces big steps up to our garden?

I think it depends on the breed, Irish wolfhounds can take up to 18 months for their joints to fuse I've been advised a year but have a particularly lively breed so its very frustrating.

Also we may be 'out' for ages but only physically walking for very little of it. Lots of brain games and sniffing as well help to exhaust them. I think I was told 5 mins sniffing is better than 20 mins walking.

I think my pup is half pup half Dalek. She's done some little flights 6 steps or so a couple of times but very slowly and she is always carried down. I think here they don't want them bounding up and down the stairs chasing balls etc. I don't want her doing stairs as the cats want a dog free zone.

It depends on the breed - I think for larger dogs it's up-to 18 months old but for smaller months about 10-12 months or so.

We did a bit more than the 5 minute rule as most of our walks were off lead. I let him do stairs when he started to jump over things naturally himself as I didn't see the point in stopping him then (he would launch himself across fallen trees or large gaps etc in the forest).

My vet told me that the 5 minute rule is for onlead only walks :) As off the lead a pup can self regulate, ie stops to sniff and can sit and lay down when they want too.

Billy it can take up to 2 years for wolfhounds.
Totally depends on the breed.

The 5 minutes is on lead or activities they’re likely to carry on doing without pacing themselves because they’re exciting.

Usually you’d do that until they were about a year - 18 months, some breeds won’t have finished growing by then, but you’re not likely to be walking them on lead or playing fetch or whatever for over an hour at a time anyway.

Stairs are a bit of a balancing act, you don’t want them running up and down stairs all day, but you also don’t want them to have to avoid them.