If you receive your puppy at 8 weeks, you can safely take him outside, but with precautions. Once your puppy has had his final round of vaccinations (typically 14-16 weeks), you can extend the areas and dogs that he is exposed to. Overall, your puppy can go outside as soon as you bring home.
Typically, it's not recommended to take your dog for walks until they are fully vaccinated. Pups in particular are vulnerable to serious diseases, such as parvovirus and canine distemper. Puppy vaccinations start from around 8 weeks old and they will need two sets of injections before they are fully protected.
If you have a new puppy you may be tempted to start things off with a running routine to burn off all that extra energy of his; but don't start too soon. Jogging can be harmful to puppies. Puppies should not engage in rigorous activity before their bodies have had a chance to mature.
As a rule, where physical exercise is concerned, other than free play with toys or with other pets, the average puppy who is still growing could do about five minutes for every month of their age, one or twice a day. For example, a puppy of five months old can do 25 minutes of exercise up to twice a day.
Puppy Vaccination Schedule
| Puppy's Age | Recommended Vaccinations |
|---|
| 6 — 8 weeks | Distemper, parvovirus |
| 10 — 12 weeks | DHPP (vaccines for distemper, adenovirus [hepatitis], parainfluenza, and parvovirus) |
| 16 — 18 weeks | DHPP, rabies |
| 12 — 16 months | DHPP, rabies |
In your puppy's third month you'll see a resurgence in the confidence he had as a wee pup, wiggling about and exploring everything in sight. Your pup's brain is now at the stage where is he ready to learn his name and the most basic of commands. He's also more interested in earning your attention and affection.
Puppies Start to Walk at a Very Young Age
This curiosity propels them to stand and walk. By the time puppies are three weeks old (or around 21 days of age), they start to stand and look around. They may even try to climb out of their pen. By the time they're four weeks old (about 28 days of age), they're walking.Around 5 weeks old, your puppy will start to explore the area of your home outside of his nest box, so you'll need to supervise him and his littermates, according to the website of Austin, Texas. When he reaches 6 to 7 weeks of age, he'll be able to walk, run and play with confidence.
Steps for Housetraining Your Puppy
- Keep the puppy on a regular feeding schedule and take away their food between meals.
- Take the puppy out to eliminate first thing in the morning and then once every 30 minutes to an hour.
- Take the puppy to the same spot each time to do their business.
If you're wondering when can puppies go outside away from home, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) recommends that pet guardians begin taking puppies on walks and public outings as early as one week after their first round of vaccinations, at about seven weeks old.
"At four weeks, all of the puppies should be able to walk, run, and play." Puppies should begin eating solid food about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 weeks of age.
Vets tend to recommend not taking your puppy into public places until about a fortnight after your puppy has had its second vaccination, at around 14-16 weeks. This is because they can easily pick up nasty viruses like parvovirus and distemper.
In this guide, we're sharing seven places you should be socialising puppies before vaccinations, including:
- Your family and friends.
- Vaccinated puppies and dogs.
- Other animals.
- The park.
- Bus and train stations.
- Your daily errands.
- The vets.
It's good to be cautious when walking a puppy, but don't be afraid to walk your puppy! But you should be safe walking your 10 week old Lab puppy for 30 minutes at least once a day, for example. A half-hour is a safe distance for most puppies at 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 16 weeks, etc. It comes down to common sense.
Exercise needs vary among breeds, but all dogs should have at least one to two walks per day. Puppies should increase exercise by 5 minutes per month of age up to twice a day. For example, 3-month-old puppies should have 15 minutes of exercise each day, 20 minutes at 4 months, etc).
Your puppy's ageThey shouldn't be walked too far. A rule of thumb is a puppy can walk five minutes for every month of age starting at eight weeks. So a two-month-old puppy can walk about 10 minutes. And a three-month-old can walk for 15 minutes; and a four-month-old for 20 minutes.
Play with your puppy for at least 20 minutes a day, in addition to giving him 20 to 30 minutes of exercise. A bored puppy is a destructive puppy. Playing is also a great way to bond with your puppy, and it helps her to interact with people in a positive manner.
5 Signs Your Dog Is Getting Too Much Exercise
- Wear-and-Tear on Paw Pads. For some dogs, playing is more important than painful feet, says Dr.
- Sore Muscles. Muscular pain and stiffness is another sign your dog may be getting too much exercise, Downing says.
- Heat Sickness.
- Joint Injury.
- Behavioral Changes.
In fact, when it comes to continuous puppy walking a good rule of thumb is that puppies should have no more than 5 minutes of exercise for each month of age, two times a day. So a five-month-old puppy would have no more than 25 minutes walking twice a day – and this should be decreased in larger breeds.
Your puppy needs exercise, but walking too much can be harmful for growing dogs. Too much exercise, or “forced exercise,†can overtire your puppy and potentially damage developing joints. When your puppy is fully grown, between 8-12 months old, you'll be able to take much longer walks together.
Your puppy needs exercise, but walking too much can be harmful for growing dogs. Too much exercise, or “forced exercise,†can overtire your puppy and potentially damage developing joints. When your puppy is fully grown, between 8-12 months old, you'll be able to take much longer walks together.
We've already touched on how over-exercising can cause problems, but weight is also something to be mindful of. Dogs carrying excess weight will put greater force through their joints, putting them at higher risk of hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis.
Most puppies will go through a very trying stage when they turn about 5 months of age. Dogs often don't out grow that teenager phase for 2-3 years depending upon the breed. Many experts agree that the most challenging time is between the ages of 8 months to about 18 months.
15 hours a day should be a healthy 3 months old puppy sleep schedule. During a long nap, they can recharge their little body and keep going with all that puppy fun stuff later. Encourage your puppy to take a few daytime naps after lunch or intense playing outside.
