How Often Should I Exercise My Puppy? | Blue Cross

Exercising your puppy before they are fully vaccinated

During the stage where your puppy is not fully protected from disease and so can’t explore the world with all four paws on the floor, there are lots of things you can do to keep your puppy’s mind keen. Mental exercise, through play and socialisation, is just as important as physical exercise for dogs. Puppies of this age need lots of sleep, so keeping exercise within the boundaries of home will also ensure your new pup gets the right amount of shut-eye.

Play

• After ensuring your garden is puppy-proofed, it can become a great space for your pup to tear about and let off some steam. If you don’t have a garden, choose an area of your home that your pup can run about in instead, but make sure the area is separate from any areas you wish your dog to settle and keep calm in so they learn to understand what is expected of them. This can be a great time to practice recall, too.
• Feeding your pup their dinner by stuffing it in a Kong or using a food-dispensing toy will help them to focus and can make dinner time fun!
• Games such as tug of war, hide and seek, and retrieving games are all brilliant fun for your pup. Remember to keep sessions short, and if you see them flagging, stop. Read more about how to play with your dog here.

Mental exercise and socialisation

Mental exercise is really tiring for young pups, whose brains are like sponges. Now is a good time to get them introduced to daily life and experiences:

• Take them in the car. This early stage of life is an excellent time to introduce them to travelling. Start by getting in the car and giving some treats before getting out again so your pup associates the car with good things. Over time, slowly build up to driving round the block.
• Carry them round the local neighbourhood to introduce them to the sights, sounds and smells of where they’ll be living and get them used to everyday experiences such as traffic, people, buggies, trees, cats and other animals, people etc. Popping them in a buggy (that they can’t jump out of!) is another way of getting them out and about without exposing them to harmful disease.
• Introduce them to their collar, harness and lead
• Make a start on basic training, such as sit, lie down, and stay
• Having positive experiences with lots of different people early on in life will help your dog to be confident for a lifetime. Once your pup has settled in, invite friends and family round for fun introductions.

Remember not to overtire your pup. Keep interactions with people and play short and lots of fun. When your puppy needs to sleep, let them, and make sure they are not interrupted before they awake on their own terms.

Don’t forget your poo bags when walking your pup!