# Puppy Walking: 5 minute rule



## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Hey

I'm always wondered about the 5-minute rule per month of age for puppies. I always thought that this was a strict rule that must be followed to prevent hip dysplasia. I followed it for my cocker spaniel when he was a puppy until he was around 12 months of age. His parents weren't hip scored. Was I too strict? Or is it better safe than sorry?

What evidence is there that exercise more than the 5-minutes-per-month-of-age rule causes hip dysplasia? Does it only concern puppies from parents with bad hips or unknown hip scores? If the parents have good hips, does it matter what exercise the puppy gets? 

Does size matter? Is it as important for a Chihuahua to follow this rule as it is for a Great Dane?


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## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

Common sense really.... Its 5 minutes of forced walking on hard surfaces until the puppies bone structure is properly formed. Which is going to be at different times depending on the breed. I only followed that rule for 6mths with my Chi's....I imagine it could be up to 2 yrs with a giant breed.


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## SpringerHusky (Nov 6, 2008)

I think it varies on breed and how much your doing like if it's per day etc

Luna is 7 months now and we went on an 8 mile walk now bear in mind it would have been no more than 2 hours max on lead as most of the walk is park, we also stopped and rested on pavement walking. Luna is a border collie and she has allot of energy and stamina for her age, the first thing she did when we got back was start play fighting with maya (who only wanted to sleep :lol: ).

If 8 miles was a daily thing then yes I can see it as bad for her being only 7 months but as it's a rare walk (or rather it was the first time I felt she was old enough to walk that far and back) I see it as no harm.

We met a newfoundland the same age as her on the walk and he was only out for about 3/4's of an hour as she wanted to be careful with him and with a dog that grows that large you have to be.


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## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

I sometimes think its a load of pants really. Very few pups will be walked by this rule, and turn out perfectly fine. I think some breeds it would be more risky not to, ie Labs, GSD's maybe, but others I really don't think require 5 mins per month of age.

I am not following it with Katy at all. Maybe I am taking risks, but she is not happy unless she gets a long walk, so I'm not going to restrict it. She walks the same walks as the big dogs. We do 45 minutes in the afternoon, and 30-45 minutes at night, with 2 hours at weekends. She is 6 months on Friday.


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## Blondie (Feb 27, 2011)

I dont walk mine to much as young pups, they get free run in the garden and in the field just up the road mostly and a little roadwork round the streets, and I will take them up on the C2C for short walks too.

Only after 12 months old do I start really increasing length of walks, building up to 5 mile walks by the age of two. I probably am seen as a bit too cautious by some folks, but I just wanna be careful with those joints in a breed such as mine, especially the bigger males, who take even longer to mature than bitches.

Over-exercise wont cause HD - but it is known to be a contributary factor in excurbating the condition, along with many other factors too. If I had a pup from parents with known HD (heavens above!!) I would be taking even more precautions with the exercise.


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## Helbo (Sep 15, 2010)

I don't know about the research behind it, but I've always taken it as a good guideline. 

Raising an energetic puppy it is so tempting to just take them for a walk for hours and hours so that they become tired and you get a quiet afternoon. But I've always though that its better to use their energy towards training, learning games etc.


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## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

I won't be following the '5 minute rule' with Biggles - I think it's more for large breeds where you have to be *so* careful that muscle growth doesn't outpace the bone growthh which is slow in larger/heavier breeds

I *will* limit his hard/pavement walking until he's a year as I don't like the 'pounding' type exercise on young bones and joints

otherwise I just will exercise to lightly tired, not exhausted - keeping things steady so muscle and body develop at same rate

btw there is *no* correlation between too much exercise causing hip displasia - however if the dog has already *got* it then too much exercise causes uneven bone/muscle development causing more pain and bringing the problem to light


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/214871-5-minute-rule.html


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

I'm following it to some extent with Spencer. He's 9 months which means 45 minutes. So I'll take him out for 30-45 minutes for a proper walk. Either to the field where he gets put on a long line (frozen pond at one end and apparently he's nuts about water) or up to camp where he stays on a regular leash. Then there are toilet walks as we live in a flat. Those are basically us mooching up and down on the grass outside the flats so he can do what he needs to do and have a bit of a run around and a play if he wants to.

I'm not sure how much exercise he got with his previous owners but they mentioned taking him up to the water so on at least some days he got more than he should have by this rule. 

Shadow and Wolf were taken down to the river as older pups though. A good 40 minute walk each way plus they ran around and swam so they got well more than they should have and didn't have joint issues.


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## troublestrouble (Oct 19, 2011)

i had never even heard of it before coming on here and couldnt even contemplate only giving a 3 month old GSD pup 15 mis, theyd tear your house a part!!!

i have read that it wont make any difference, if they are going to have problems they are going to have them. now if i had a pup who had bad joints (as there is a bordeaux Trouble plays with who does) then i wouldnt push it but Stark is happy to do the 2-3 hour morning walk that we do and although she isnt on the lead for long we dont stop (it's too bloody cold atm) and the frozen ground is as hard as anything. the walk there is 20 mins each way on the lead. Stark was 4 months yesterday and loving every minute!

id much rather give them a happy life than a safe life im afraid

(she still has plenty of energy to beat her big sister up when we get home so i dont thin it's causing her harm)


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## Redice (Dec 4, 2011)

troublestrouble said:


> i had never even heard of it before coming on here and couldnt even contemplate only giving a 3 month old GSD pup 15 mis, theyd tear your house a part!!!
> 
> i have read that it wont make any difference, if they are going to have problems they are going to have them. now if i had a pup who had bad joints (as there is a bordeaux Trouble plays with who does) then i wouldnt push it but Stark is happy to do the 2-3 hour morning walk that we do and although she isnt on the lead for long we dont stop (it's too bloody cold atm) and the frozen ground is as hard as anything. the walk there is 20 mins each way on the lead. Stark was 4 months yesterday and loving every minute!
> 
> ...


The larger the breed the more important it is to follow this rule. It is more to do with the fact that too much excericse at the critical time (between 3 + 8 months) can prevent the bones forming correctly and this in turn has been attributed to arthritis in later life.
I don't think occasionally breaking the rule does any harm but I think it is a good guidline to follow as much as is possible. 
I think this rule does follow a happy life rather than safe life scenario - as 6 months or so of being careful when a puppy can prevent years of discomfort in later life.


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## gsdlover1991 (Feb 7, 2012)

if its a gsd, its important to stick to those rules, as bad hips are a common problem with this breed, so when its a pup it cant be over walked or will get problems in future, what we find is good is to chuck her toys outside and let her run round for about half hour a few times a day, and then a walk every other day. and she is a very happy dog gets to play loads, and play fight with our other dog, she is pretty much always hanging off him haha.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

I didn't follow it with Kite, it just wasn't practical having to exercise Ziggy and take her too. I didn't walk her for hours on roads, just short walks to fields where she could run about if she wanted to. Sometimes I'd have Kite standing on lead while I chucked a ball for Ziggy. I was aware I was doing more than the 5 minute rule advised, and I did worry about the consequences.

Kite's parents weren't hip scored, but Kite has been and the results of 3L, 3R have put my mind at rest.


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

IndysMamma said:


> I won't be following the '5 minute rule' with Biggles - I think it's more for large breeds where you have to be *so* careful that muscle growth doesn't outpace the *bone growthh which is slow in larger/heavier breeds*


I don't see the logic in this statement - bone growth must be fast in large breeds mustn't it for them to increase in size as rapidly as they do? I had to look at Kilo's diet at one point as he was growing too rapidly. My understanding is the opposite of what you state - large breeds are more predisposed to skeletal developmental abnormalities as their bone density is decreased in comparison to smaller dogs of the same age, plus rapid growth can also cause structural defects and additionally means that the body weight increases rapidly, causing stress on the growing bones and joints.


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## sketch (Sep 19, 2009)

I dont stick to it, and have no hip joint issues here luckily xxx


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

I loosely follow it with any pup I have, but was a bit stricter with the Bernese, I stuck to it a bit more rigidly with him - although his parents had excellent hip scores (and he has since turned out to have a fab one too) - I didn't want to take any risks, and with such a large slow maturing breed as the Bernese, I thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

We live very rurally so never did any road working except for sociliastion - but I'd have him on the lead for the short walk down the dirt track to the fields, let him have a good romp around and wander around the fields off lead, and then back on the lead to go back. So we'd often be out for an hour or more, but only several minutes on lead, and we never walked more than half a mile, he'd just potter around and have a slow gentle wander.

Once he turned one year old, I stopped following the rule, but was still sensible with exercise - he'll be two in April, and to be honest, only in the last couple of weeks am I really not monitoring and limiting his exercise - some may think it's a little over the top, but I'd rather play it safe.



troublestrouble said:


> i had never even heard of it before coming on here and couldnt even contemplate only giving a 3 month old GSD pup 15 mis, theyd tear your house a part!!!
> 
> i have read that it wont make any difference, if they are going to have problems they are going to have them. now if i had a pup who had bad joints (as there is a bordeaux Trouble plays with who does) then i wouldnt push it but Stark is happy to do the 2-3 hour morning walk that we do and although she isnt on the lead for long we dont stop (it's too bloody cold atm) and the frozen ground is as hard as anything. the walk there is 20 mins each way on the lead. Stark was 4 months yesterday and loving every minute!
> 
> ...


Each to their own - but to be honest, I think this is quite irresponsible - allowing a 4 month old puppy to walk for 3 hours, and on frozen ground too, is just too much. Especially a GSD, who, like Bernese, are prone to serious joint problems - which are *not* always apparent in pups as you say.

A puppy receiving short sensible walks with not ''tear your house apart''. Mental exercise is just as tiring as physical - so you can wear them out with training, obedience exercises and puzzles - and indoor/garden play can be unrestricted.

The more you walk a puppy, the more stamina they get. So at 4 months if she is up for 3 hour walks, by the time she's a year or more you can expect to spend half your day out walking her before she tires!

You say you'd rather give her a happy life than a safe one - but you can do both. She won't be happy *if* (not saying she will) she develops painful joint problems in later life.


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## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

Dogless said:


> I don't see the logic in this statement - bone growth must be fast in large breeds mustn't it for them to increase in size as rapidly as they do? I had to look at Kilo's diet at one point as he was growing too rapidly. My understanding is the opposite of what you state - large breeds are more predisposed to skeletal developmental abnormalities as their bone density is decreased in comparison to smaller dogs of the same age, plus rapid growth can also cause structural defects and additionally means that the body weight increases rapidly, causing stress on the growing bones and joints.


I meant the slower maturation - ie a large breed won't be physically filled out/mature until around the 2-4 year mark depending on breed where as a springer or lab (medium sized) are fully mature physically by around 18 months in my experience and the information we were given on my course

they grow faster lengthways because of their big size but for longer to their full bone -thickness-/muscle development and it varies even between the large/giant breeds

the only physical evidence I have seen was a mastiff with deformed humorous and scapulas as his owner had given him the same exercise as a 2 year old lab - he was only 18 months and still growing - the sheer strength of his shoulder muscles had deformed the bones leading to a painful condition that was only cured by breaking and pinning his legs one at time and putting a plate in each shoulder blade


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## Redice (Dec 4, 2011)

sketch said:


> I dont stick to it, and have no hip joint issues here luckily xxx


I think following the 5 minute rule for large breed puppies is precautionary but there has to be a balance. It is given as a guideline but with some flexibility and common sense to be applied.

At the puppy stage their bones and joints are vulnerable to trauma and stress. Cartilage especially, has limited regenerative capability and can be damaged by shock associated with excessive exercise which can dirsrupt growth at this critical stage.

I suppose some will be fine by not following the 5 minute rule and others will not and it is up to the puppies owner to weigh up the risks. I on the whole stick to it within reason although may relax the rule on the odd occasion (but not excessively)


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

IndysMamma said:


> I meant the slower maturation - ie a large breed won't be physically filled out/mature until around the 2-4 year mark depending on breed where as a springer or lab (medium sized) are fully mature physically by around 18 months in my experience and the information we were given on my course
> 
> they grow faster lengthways because of their big size but for longer to their full bone -thickness-/muscle development and it varies even between the large/giant breeds
> 
> the only physical evidence I have seen was a mastiff with deformed humorous and scapulas as his owner had given him the same exercise as a 2 year old lab - he was only 18 months and still growing - the sheer strength of his shoulder muscles had deformed the bones leading to a painful condition that was only cured by breaking and pinning his legs one at time and putting a plate in each shoulder blade


I agree with you in terms of exercise and the larger breeds taking longer to fully physically mature and have been very careful with Kilo in terms of 'forced' exercise / surface etc. I just couldn't agree with the slower bone growth statement as it defied logic - takes longer to achieve as high a bone density as smaller breeds certainly but it is the rapid growth that seems to be at the root of their problems.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

rona said:


> http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/214871-5-minute-rule.html


I thought it all sounded familiar 

I think it is a load of rubbish and have only heard of it on here. Working dogs, sheep dogs etc, are working for long periods while still pups. If you have an adult dog your pup is going to join in your walks.
Giant and large breeds have to be limited and not do too much forced walking but smaller breeds should cope with anything within reason.


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