How much running is too much for my 4-month-old Boxer puppy?

What a cutie! I would follow his lead in the amount of exercise he needs. You are correct in that going running or prolonged jogging in a young dog is not a good idea, as their growth plates are still developing, so we recommend waiting until they are over a year old. Walks, however, and playtime outside with you are fantastic. If he is seeming like he is overly tired or not enthusiastic to continue walking, this would be a cue to slow down/stop. As he gets continued exercise his endurance will increase, just like a person starting to exercise.

Every dog will be a little different based on their own personal metabolism. At 4 months old Diesel is still growing and should receive around 900-1100 calories a day. You will want to monitor his weight, and adjust his intake based on how he is growing, giving a little more if you can see his ribs, and a less if you can no longer easily feel his ribs with a light touch. I give this link to clients as a starting place when calculating calories. Puppies over 4 months of age need roughly twice the recommended calories for their weight until they stop growing. https://petobesityprevention.org/pet-caloric-needs/

This is a great question! Yes, there is a concern that dogs who aren't fully grown shouldn't have too much exercise because it can have negative effects on their growth. The amount of exercise a dog of Oly's age should get is five minutes for every month of age; therefore, he should be getting at least 40 minutes of exercise twice a day. You can add on five minutes for each month of age to his exercise, and I would wait to do such long walks until he is fully grown (around 18 months of age). I would recommend scaling back on these long walks for now, and sticking to 40 minutes twice a day. I hope this helps!

A puppy should get five minutes of strenuous exercise per month of age twice a day. At two months of age, Blu can have 10 minutes of exercise twice a day. You can get him some toys he can play with himself, such as a Kong toy. They are practically indestructible, and you can fill it with treats that he needs to figure out how to get out. Best of luck.

At 60 minutes twice daily, you are doing a little more exercise than Sammi needs at the moment. Puppies do not require as much [exercise](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-start-an-exercise-routine-with-your-dog) as adult dogs. Over exertion may lead to lifelong [orthopedic issues](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-orthopedic-conditions-in-dogs). The general recommendation is 5 minutes of exercise per month of age twice daily until fully grown, which for most dogs is about 1 year of age, although larger or giant breeds may not be fully grown until about 2 years of age. I recommend cutting back to two 20 minute walks per day, increasing it by 5 minutes each when she is 5 months, and so on. Because she has a lot of energy, you can work on [obedience training](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-obedience-commands-every-dog-should-know) with her (teaching her to sit, stay, lay down, etc.). That will use up some energy, and have the positive effect of [training](https://www.petcoach.co/article/new-dog-survival-guide-tips-for-training) her.

It is important that Odie does receive daily exercise, and that can be in the form of playing. He should be exercised at most 20 minutes a day at four months old, but you don't want to overexercise him as that can have negative effects on his growth. Just getting that short amount of time in with him now will be enough.

Yes it is ok to run with your Mini Dachshund. Each pet is a little different in how much exercise they can tolerate, so the best thing to do is to monitor him for signs of overexertion which includes: stopping often, distressed face (grimacing), excessive panting, etc. However the general rule of thumb is to do light-moderate exercise with your pet twice daily for 20-30 minute intervals. Dogs that have not exercised much should take it easy the first few weeks until their bodies are conditioned, just like with people. And since he is a puppy he should be exercised around 20 minutes twice daily until he is an adult dog (over the age of 1), then he will be able to work out for longer periods.