How much walking is too much for my growing puppy at the park?

Hello! There is no precise answer for this. I tell people it's easiest to use common sense and let the puppy tell them what is too much. A long walk in the park or a short hike in the mountains (under 1 hour) should be fine. If you are expecting him to run behind your bike for even 20 minutes, this is likely too much. If he keeps up and seems happy and playful, that's just right. If he is lagging behind and seems worn out, too much! And make sure you offer water often especially when it's warm outside.

At this age your puppy can walk a couple miles but not run, you will be able to introduce him to distance running at the age of 6 months, you should do it very gradually though (every week increase up to half a mile.

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!

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.

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.

It really depends on the individual puppy but a few short walks is good for a 2 month old puppy. You can gradually increase the number of walks and the distance as the puppy ages. Do not over-exercise while the puppy is growing. Besides walking, you will need interact and play with the puppy multiple times a day. You can get various puppy toys to encourage play and let the puppy decide how long he wants to play. When he seems tired or not interested than stop and give him a break.

The average dog should be able to tolerate a 30 minute walk. Distance is relative because a 1 mile walk for a small breed dog will differ from a 1 mile walk with a large breed dog. If your dog will tolerate a walk of "several miles", then you can continue. If he comes up lame or slows down, then decrease the distance/time.