How much exercise does a dog need?

Choose your dog's breed (or energy level and size for a mixed breed), age and health. You get daily exercise minutes, how many outings to split them into, and for puppies an honest take on the 5-minute rule.

Tim de JongUpdated October 2, 20266 min read

Breed

Age

Health

Exercise a day

90–120minutes

Split into 3 outings of about 30–40 minutes, plus some training or a puzzle toy.

Life stage: Adult
Outings a day: 3
Per outing: 30–40 min
Energy (AKC 1–5): 5 · Very high
Healthy adult range: 90–120 min
Fully grown at: ~1.5 years

Labrador Retriever: 90 to 120 minutes for a healthy adult, from our breed data (AKC energy 5 of 5).

Typical ranges for healthy dogs, not a prescription. If your dog has a health condition, is very overweight or is recovering from illness, ask your vet before increasing exercise.

How much exercise does a dog need a day?

It depends mostly on the breed's energy, not its size. The PDSA says most dogs need at least one or two walks a day, that some breeds need a minimum of one to two hours of exercise, and that working breeds need significantly more.

The calculator uses the daily exercise range in our breed database, which follows the AKC's 1-to-5 energy score for each breed, adjusted where the AKC breed page gives its own exercise advice. These are typical figures for a healthy adult, not measured requirements, so treat them as a starting point and watch your dog. For mixed breeds, it uses the typical range of all breeds with the same energy score:

Typical daily exercise for healthy adults, from the 162 breeds in our data (median range per AKC energy score).
Energy	Breeds	Minutes a day	For example
2 · Low	3	30 to 45	Basset Hound, Neapolitan Mastiff, Presa Canario
3 · Moderate	60	45 to 60	Affenpinscher, Collie, Mastiff, Tibetan Spaniel
4 · High	66	60 to 90	Afghan Hound, Bullmastiff, Norfolk Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier
5 · Very high	33	90 to 120	Australian Cattle Dog, German Shorthaired Pointer, Mudi, Wirehaired Vizsla

Exercise doesn't have to mean walking. Sniffing, play, swimming and training all count, and the PDSA calls training an essential part of every dog's daily routine because it keeps the mind busy. To turn the minutes into miles, use the dog walk distance calculator.

How much exercise does a puppy need?

You will often read the 5-minute rule: five minutes of exercise per month of age, twice a day, until the puppy is fully grown. It is usually credited to the UK Kennel Club. The PDSA is blunt about it: there is no scientific evidence behind the rule, and while it might work for some puppies, it isn't appropriate for most. We show it because people ask, as a rough ceiling for walks on a leash, not as a target.

Rule of thumb: 5 minutes × age in months, twice a day

The 5-minute rule of thumb. Not evidence-based: free play at home is extra, and your puppy can stop sooner.
Age	Per outing	Per day (2 outings)
2 months	10 min	20 min
3 months	15 min	30 min
4 months	20 min	40 min
5 months	25 min	50 min
6 months	30 min	60 min
8 months	40 min	80 min
10 months	50 min	100 min
12 months	60 min	120 min

The evidence we do have points to the type of exercise more than the minutes:

A Norwegian study of Newfoundlands, Labradors, Leonbergers and Irish Wolfhounds (Krontveit and colleagues, 2012) found that off-leash exercise outdoors up to 3 months of age lowered the risk of hip dysplasia, while using stairs daily in the same period raised it. The authors suggest soft ground in moderately rough terrain, and no stairs, for puppies up to 3 months.
The PDSA advises limiting high-impact exercise such as jumping, twisting and skidding, and not taking puppies running.
Most dogs are fully grown by about a year, but the PDSA notes that larger breeds can take 18 months to 2 years, so their gentle phase lasts longer.

How much exercise does an older dog need?

Older dogs still need to get out every day, but the PDSA's advice is little and often, because joints stiffen when they haven't been used for a while. The calculator keeps the breed's range for seniors but suggests starting at the low end and splitting it into three or more gentle outings. If your dog stops chasing a toy or lies down on a walk, they need to rest. Older dogs cope less well with very high or low temperatures, so walk in the cooler part of hot days, and ask your vet whether the amount suits your dog's health.

Exercise with health problems, and in hot weather

Heat is the biggest everyday risk. In a study of more than 900,000 dogs in UK veterinary records, exercise triggered 74% of heatstroke cases, more than hot cars, and most happened after fairly gentle activity such as walking. Flat-faced breeds had higher odds of every type of heat-related illness. On warm days, shorten walks, go early or late, and check whether it's too hot to walk your dog.

Overweight: build up gradually, and pair the extra exercise with a calorie plan from the dog weight loss calculator.
Joint problems or arthritis: little and often, on soft ground, with no sprinting or jumping. Your vet sets the limit.
Heart or breathing problems, or recovering from illness or surgery: the calculator doesn't give a number. The right amount depends on the condition, so ask your vet.

Is my dog getting enough exercise?

The PDSA notes that dogs with excess energy often become frustrated and stressed and find it hard to cope, and that a good exercise routine can help with unwanted behavior, though it is unlikely to fix it completely on its own. Restlessness, chewing and barking can all be signs of a dog with energy to spare. On the other side, a dog that lags behind, lies down mid-walk, limps or is stiff the next day has had too much. Adjust within the range and fit it into the day with the daily routine builder.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 30-minute walk a day enough for a dog?

For a low-energy dog it can be. For most breeds it falls short: in our breed data, dogs with the highest AKC energy score typically need 90 to 120 minutes a day. Pick your breed in the calculator to see its range, and add training or puzzle toys on busy days.

How long should I walk my puppy?

Short outings, several times a day. The popular rule of thumb, usually credited to the Kennel Club, is 5 minutes per month of age, twice a day, so 20 minutes twice a day at 4 months. The PDSA points out there is no scientific evidence behind that rule, so let your puppy stop when they want to and keep running and jumping to a minimum.

Can a dog get too much exercise?

Yes. Growing puppies can damage developing joints with too much high-impact exercise, older dogs stiffen and tire, and any dog can overheat: in UK vet records, exercise was the most common trigger of heatstroke, often during ordinary walks. Lagging behind, lying down, limping or soreness the next day mean it was too much.

Does playing fetch count as exercise?

Yes, and so do sniffing walks, swimming and training games. Fetch involves sprints, sudden turns and jumps, though, which the PDSA advises limiting for puppies, and which can be hard on dogs with joint problems.

Do small dogs need less exercise?

Not always. Energy matters more than size: 24 of the 50 toy and small breeds in our data have a high or very high AKC energy score. A small dog's legs cover less ground, so they may need shorter distances, but not necessarily fewer minutes.

Sources

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