Activity

"A tired puppy is a good puppy." How often do we hear this? But, is it true? More often, a tired puppy is like a tired toddler, overstimulated and in need of a nap! And, more importantly, puppy growth and development is not supported by a the repetitive activity we usually rely on, like leash-walking. Read on to learn more and begin (or advance) your learning journey!

Puppy's special needs

There are lots of reasons to educate ourselves about appropriate types of activity for growing puppies.

The growth plates at the end of puppy's long bones are not hardened until about 18 months of age (later, perhaps, for large breeds). Until they are hard, growth plates are susceptible to damage. In fact, all puppy's bones are softer than they will be when puppy is an adult. Keep exercise sessions short and safe!
Too little exercise, may be as harmful as too much. Puppies need appropriate weight-bearing exercise to support bone density, so resist that urge to carry puppy everywhere (except, of course, to protect puppy from parasites in new or unknown places before vaccinations are complete).
Another reason to avoid long walks: puppy's cardiovascular system is not ready for endurance exercise.
Lots of repetitive exercise can be harmful to puppy's muscular and skeletal growth and development. What's repetitive exercise? Things like long walks on leash, lots of retrieving, and even too many repetitions while training a new skill.
Jumping on and off furniture and going up and down stairs while puppy is still growing can be harmful.

(More detail on these guidelines and additional info may be found here.)

So what CAN we do???

So what ARE safe activities? Oh, there are so many! Here are a few:

Sniffaris on a long leash (See our section on Enrichment for sniffari instructions and lots of other tiring activities)
Kibble trails through the grass in your yard
Doin' their own thing in the backyard...sniffing, peeing, digging (you can fill in the holes, right?), rolling, running...all at puppy's own pace

It's important to take into consideration puppy's age and breed when planning activities, especially if you're hoping to have a sports dog. Here's a chart to guide you and help you navigate puppy's two years:

Some Resources

AKC information on exercising puppies

Another view on puppy exercise from Dr. Chris Zink

"How to Build a Puppy...Into a Healthy Adult Dog"...book on puppy physiology and exercise

Canine Conditioning Coach...a web site with lots of information on puppy and dog fitness and conditioning, offers a paid self-paced course for puppies