Limiting puppy's exercise.

[Fran101]

I always thought it wasn't really limiting as much as NOT forcing.
Like, running in play is good, but forcing a pup to run/job alongside you on a leash..bad.

As with the "no running jumping for 2 months" after spay/neuter rule lol It's one of those things I kind of played by ear lol

[Red.Apricot]

I would never have survived if I could only let Elsie exercise 5 minutes/month of age/day.

I just didn't make her keep up with me (on the bike is really the only place it came up) until she was about a year old.

[Doberluv]

I never bought into that stuff. I let them do what they wanted pretty much. But I never thought it was a good idea to take them on a leash and force them to do the same pace, the same gait for extended periods. But when Lyric, my Doberman was a pup, but already fairly tall...and I'd let him out the door, he was so enthusiastic, there was no holding him back. He'd leap off the front porch, 4 or 5 steps down and land on the concrete, then go zooming around the property. I'd cringe a little when he landed kind of hard on the concrete, but short of a leash, there was nothing at that time I could do about it. He leaped over logs in the woods when he was 4 months old, crash around through the brush, zoom all over. And he grew up to be very strong, very athletic and had NO problems with joints of bones. I figure if it hurts, they'll slow down or not do something that causes pain.

In agility, he was to do only very low jumps that the toy breeds used because he was younger than a year. It was sort of puppy agility and everything was pretty tame. But as he'd jump over these very low jumps, he'd jump way, way, way higher than needed. LOL. He was so joyful and already at home would jump over logs that were a couple feet off the ground at least.... so it didn't make much sense to me to have him jump over agility jumps that were only about 8" high.

[Kyllobernese]

I also think that 5 minute rule is not meant for free play and I think it gives the wrong impression. Puppies from the time they are up on their feet and running around, exercise longer than that. As long as you are not forcing a dog to walk for miles when they are young, any amount of free playing is fine.

I have never crated a dog after spaying, just let them do their normal thing, other than not letting them jump up on things.

[Greenmagick]

Just agreeing with everyone else. I have never heard the 5 min rule refer to free play, only to walks/forced activity. Free play...let them play!

[Saeleofu]

A puppy builds bone density with exercise, and with restricted exercise their bones will remain weak - and thus the joints won't be in their prime either. They need exercise, on their terms. I wouldn't confine a puppy just to prevent exercise, I feel like that does mroe harm than good.

I also would want a puppy to learn to use stairs safely sooner rather than later. Teaching an adult dog to use stairs doesn't sound like fun, and depending on the dog's reactions and the type of stairs it could even be dangerous.

To me it seems limiting exercise so much would only harm the pup. I'd let him exercise as much as he wants so long as it's not forced exercise.

[release the hounds]

limiting a puppy's movement to prevent injury down the road is a piece of advice I'd toss in the trash. Puppies are playful for a reason They learn body coordination, they explore their world, they build muscle and ligaments and tendons get stronger, movement stimulates the brain, everything good comes from movement as puppies.

Don't leash them up and go for a 10 mile bike ride, but if left to their own choices, they should move as much as they want.