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Exercise tips for puppies
20th February 2019
Puppies are bundles of energy but if they exercise too much then they could become overtired or damage their developing joints. Here’s how to reign in their excitement and manage their exercise routine.
Puppy training
All puppies need training so that they understand boundaries and training can be a great way for them to gently exercise without overdoing it whilst having something for them to focus their minds on as well. Mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise.
Short walks
Puppies don’t have the stamina to take on long treks so keep their walks short to start with and build up to longer walks as the strength in their legs grows. Be aware of walking surfaces. Prolonged walking on hard surfaces can cause discomfort to your puppy’s soft pads, which will toughen up as they get older. Whilst they are still young, stick to softer ground as much as possible.
Exploration
Puppies need to learn about the world to taking them for a walk in different places is a great idea rather than sticking to the same route every day. Vary the types of location. A walk one day could be in the woods or on the beach while the next day you might take them for a walk through a town.
Puppy Socialisation
It’s very important to socialise your puppy with other dogs and people so that they develop a happy temperament. Puppies that haven’t been socialised from a young age could have behavioural issues when they’re older. Socialising is a great way to exercise too. Take your puppy to the park for a run around and to meet other dogs or take them to puppy classes which can combine training and socialisation with other puppies.
Introduce your puppy to other people to allow them to exercise through play and to encourage them to feel comfortable around different types of people. Give them time to play with children if you can so that they can learn how children behave differently to adults.
When your pet is socialising, be sure to step in if your puppy gets too aggressive as you don’t want them to think that biting behaviour is acceptable.
Puppy toys
Toys such as balls or tugs are great ways to exercise your puppy. Be sure to stop the game when your puppy starts to tire. Puppy teeth aren’t as robust as an older dog’s teeth so be wary of tugging toys out of their mouths.
