How far should I walk my new puppy?

Question

Okay, he is a 3 month old min pin.

The night after we got him, my husband and I took him on a two mile walk and before we even got to the one mile mark he was whining and crying. I would pick him and carry him for five minutes or so and put him down and he would be crying within five minutes. After half way he did that the whole way home.

I'm asking a serious question, not trying to be silly. I know his legs are still tiny and he is young.. is two miles to far to take him? Or did he just get bored or what? I know he wanted to be carried, so I'm pretty sure he was just tired, which makes complete sense!

If we do need to cut our walks short when he is with us that is fine. When will we know when he is okay to take long walks? Just try it out and see how far he is making it comfortably?

Thanks for those responses. I thought he was too young after he started crying. (it is my first time with a puppy, so I had no idea)

We will shorten them down. And his is very playful.. with me and my kitty.

Answer 1

Well its good that you noticed he wasn't comfortable with the long walks and carried him a bit.. I've seen owners literally drag their unwilling dogs out for walks.
Speaking from experience, try short 10 min walks since he's only 3 months old. But by the time he's a year old, he should be active and more than willing to go for longer walks, maybe half an hour, to an hour or more. It also depends on the intensity of your walks too. For small dogs (min pin), its wise not to over-exercise them with long sprints, esp in hot weather. They tend to dehydrate easily due to their small size. Try bringing along some water and a bowl if you're planning on long walks in the future.
Go with the flow.. observe if he's enjoying himself (if he's uncomfortable he'll show it like he did).. Enjoy your pets and you'll do fine!

Answer 2

That turns out love it might be borderline too a ways for the sort of younger puppy. Most dogs can bodily make the trek, however the harm to their joints is whatever you will not see on the time. You maybe comfortable with only a mile, however I would not cross a lot extra for a at the same time. Even that might be overdoing it with the sort of youngster. Walking is extra forgiving than jogging or mountain climbing, the ones can fairly do a quantity at the joints.

Answer 3

2 miles is way too far for a young puppy to walk. You should cut them down to a 30 minute walk around the block or to the park. When he gets older, you can start taking him for longer walks. Don't make him walk for as although only a small breed, his joints are still at risk for major problems when he is older. Don't always give in to his cries to want to be held, just like with a young child, they always want to be held.

Answer 4

Forced exercise for a pup younger than 18 months can damage the growth plates of the skeletal system. These growth plates finish growing and forming by 18 months in most breeds. Pups can play all day with no problems though as they take "micro rests". It's ok to take your pup on walks as long as you stop to rest every few minutes or do as you and pick the pup up.

Answer 5

I'd say a block or two and increase your walk as your puppy matures. Measure walk by his size, a smaller dog should have at least 30 minutes of "walking exercise" per day. One other note: you do not want to get in a habit of picking your puppy up when he whines/ cries, etc... it will lead to other bad behaviors.

Answer 6

2 miles is too far for him. Start with short walks and increase them as he gets older.

Answer 7

Two miles is to long for a puppy. Perhaps a few blocks to start out with until he grows bigger.

Answer 8

You need to play with him as well a lot during the day, to build up his strength. If you do that often he will be able to walk further than you very soon.

Answer 9

Don't go too far because your dog has to start off easy.
Once your dog wants to walk further then it will.