An interesting point raised here, and I like Jules's view point most of all.
A pup wants to run around and play. If your puppy plays for 10 minutes int he house does this mean that you walk her for 10 minutes less outside? What if I am pottering around the garden and pup is outside with me. I spend 40 minutes pottering from garage to shed and back again. If pup follows me about and plays at the same time does this mean I don't have to walk her? That I've over-exercised her?
The 45 minutes puppy class I am going to take her too...is that too long?
If she walks about the house sniffing and playing with her ball...should I put her in the crate so she doesn't walk too far?
It seems an odd thing this 5 minute rule - and I kind of see the point to it, but where should one make the stand?
And Jules is dead right. My understanding is - if the pup needs a walk, it needs to go and have a walk. Not 5 miles, but a good 15-20 minute walk outside, and another one later in the day if needed too. Not everyday, but say 3-4 days a week.
Although I tried to make sure with both mine that they weren't marching around for hours, I never truely stuck to the five minute rule.
Like the pirate code, I used it as a guideline rather than a rule. Both mine were small, light, overly energetic working dogs who needed to be doing something and a longer sensible lead walk where we could do a little real world training was preferable to insane bum tucking round the house bumping into furniture and slipping on floors.
I think as long as you are giving a pup gentle excersise and stimulation you can be more flexible about how long you do it for.
My theory on this is, if you go on a longer walk than the pup can manage, then the return trip can be the little bit to far for them to enjoy if they are tired.
As we have all found out Lab pups do not always know if they have had to much, and will continue till they drop.
So it is up to us to decide if enough is enough, just as we would do with our kids.
Thats my opinion, we decide how much is good for them until they are mature enough to be able to do what they want.
Play in the garden for me is just that, they can go for a nap or rest when they like.
Im in a similar position having a 6 month old working cocker, 7 year old lab and 12 year old GSD. Honey has been coming out with the other two since she was 5 months old she has 30 mins every morning mix of on lead and off lead then weekends and my 2 afternoons off she has another walk or we do a longer one instead of the morning. She runs like a nutter but we did have a scare on new years day as she went lame at the beech we'd only been there a few mins and she wouldn't put her front leg down took her to emergency vet next day as she was still not using it and he started saying she could have elbow issues and would need surgery (he'd only looked at her ) anyways took her to my vet who treated as a sprain/strain which put her on restricted exercise for the next few weeks shes fine now but I am a little more cautious about how much hooling about she does, I think they biggest problem with some pups is they don't know when they are tired and will carry on and on. I put Honeys incident down to being at my friends the day before where she was chasing her cocker pup then bombing about at the beech she just over did it, but I will be getting her hip and elbow scored at 12 months as would like to do agility with her so want to make sure everything is how it should be as it seems elbow & hip dysplasia in cockers is on the increase.
I think the five minute rule can just be enough to stop make people stop and think a little about their puppy and it's exercise. Too many times have I seen a young puppy getting dragged round the woods on a Sunday afternoon or going round a game fair looking hot bothered and exhausted.
So as long as you are sendible the 5 min rule should more accurately be maybe a 5 minute guideline
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) anyways took her to my vet who treated as a sprain/strain which put her on restricted exercise for the next few weeks shes fine now but I am a little more cautious about how much hooling about she does, I think they biggest problem with some pups is they don't know when they are tired and will carry on and on. I put Honeys incident down to being at my friends the day before where she was chasing her cocker pup then bombing about at the beech she just over did it, but I will be getting her hip and elbow scored at 12 months as would like to do agility with her so want to make sure everything is how it should be as it seems elbow & hip dysplasia in cockers is on the increase.
