How much exercise does my dog need?
It’s not surprising that each breed is going to have different exercise requirements than others. Big, active dogs naturally need to work off a ton of energy and keep their bodies healthy and limber, while some toy breeds can get their steps in with an active day around the apartment. But not all small dogs are couch potatoes, and not all big dogs need miles of zoomin’ to get in their daily activity requirements. For example, greyhounds are known for their elite speed, but they’re actually more on the couch potato side at heart.
How much exercise does a puppy need?
It’s very important to recognize that puppies need a lot less exercise than adult dogs, especially in their very early months. Too much early strain on their puppy joints can lead to orthopedic disease, according to AKC. Experts debate on exactly how much exercise puppies should get, especially since each breed is so different and there’s so much change from month to month. As a general guideline, according to The Kennel Club, get your puppy 5 minutes of exercise for each month of age, once or twice per day. Follow this table as a general guide. Use your best judgment to gradually work up to their adult exercise needs, which you can find for each breed below.
| Puppy Age | Daily Exercise Need |
|---|---|
| 2 months | 10 minutes, 1-2x/day |
| 3 months | 15 minutes, 1-2x/day |
| 4 months | 20 minutes, 1-2x/day |
| 5 months | 25 minutes, 1-2x/day |
| 6 months | 30 minutes, 1-2x/day |
Daily exercise needs for adult dogs, by breed
The table below outlines the exercise needs of each breed. If you have a hybrid or mixed breed, look for their dominant breed(s) below and go with that. Naturally, you’ll want to err on the high side of exercise if you can.
Keep in mind, daily exercise level can affect how much you feed your dog. A healthy, highly active dog should eat a bit more food to keep up with calorie burning. If your dog doesn’t quite get the recommended daily exercise, make sure he or she isn’t eating like an active dog. The inactivity will likely allow those spare calories to turn to unwanted (and unhealthy) weight. If you’re not sure if your dog is overweight, or how to help your dog lose weight if they are, we’ve got resources to help there too.
| Breed | Daily Exercise Need |
|---|---|
| Affenpinscher | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Afghan Hound | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Airedale Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Akita | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Alaskan Malamute | 60 to 120 minutes |
| American English Coonhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| American Eskimo Dog | 60 to 90 minutes |
| American Foxhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| American Hairless Terrier | 30 to 60 minutes |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 30 to 60 minutes |
| American Water Spaniel | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Anatolian Shepherd Dog | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Australian Cattle Dog | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Australian Shepherd | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Australian Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Azawakh | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Basenji | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Basset Hound | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Beagle | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Bearded Collie | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Beauceron | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Bedlington Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Belgian Malinoi | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Belgian Sheepdog | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Belgian Tervuren | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Bergamasco Sheepdog | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Berger Picard | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Bichon Frise | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Black and Tan Coonhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Black Russian Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Bloodhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Bluetick Coonhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Boerboel | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Border Collie | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Border Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Borzoi | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Boston Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Bouviers des Flandres | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Boxer | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Boykin Spaniel | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Briard | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Brittany | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Brussels Griffon | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Bull Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Bulldog | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Bullmastiff | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Cairn Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Canaan Dog | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Cane Corso | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Cesky Terrier | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Chesapeake Bay Retriever | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Chihuahua | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Chinese Crested | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Chinook | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Chow Chow | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Cirnechi dell’Etna | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Clumber Spaniel | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Collie | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Corgi | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Coton de Tulear | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Curly-Coated Retriever | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Dachshund | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Dalmatian | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Doberman Pinscher | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Dogues de Bordeaux | 60 to 120 minutes |
| English Cocker Spaniel | 60 to 90 minutes |
| English Foxhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| English Setter | 60 to 120 minutes |
| English Springer Spaniel | 60 to 120 minutes |
| English Toy Spaniel | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Entlebucher Mountain Dog | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Field Spaniel | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Finnish Lapphund | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Finnish Spitz | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Flat-Coated Retriever | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Fox Terrier Smooth | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Fox Terrier Wire | 60 to 120 minutes |
| French Bulldog | 30 to 45 minutes |
| German Pinscher | 60 to 120 minutes |
| German Shepherd | 60 to 120 minutes |
| German Shorthaired Pointer | 60 to 120 minutes |
| German Wirehaired Pointer | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Giant Schnauzer | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Glen of Imaal Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Golden Retriever | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Gordon Setter | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Great Dane | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Great Pyrenees | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Greater Swiss Mountain Dog | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Greyhound | 45 to 70 minutes |
| Harrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Havanese | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Ibizan Hound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Icelandic Sheepdog | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Irish Red and White Setter | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Irish Setter | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Irish Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Irish Water Spaniel | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Irish Wolfhound | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Italian Greyhound | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Japanese Chin | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Keeshonden | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Kerry Blue Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Komondorok | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Kuvaszok | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Labrador Retriever | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Lagotti Romagnoli | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Lakeland Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Leonberger | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Lhasa Apso | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Lowchen | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Maltese | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Manchester Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Mastiff | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Miniature American Shepherd | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Miniature Bull Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Miniature Pinscher | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Neapolitan Mastiff | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Newfoundland | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Norfolk Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Norwegian Buhund | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Norwegian Elkhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Norwegian Lundehund | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Norwich Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Old English Sheepdog | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Otterhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Papillon | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Parson Russell Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Pekingese | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeen | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Pharaoh Hound | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Plott Hound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Pointer | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Polish Lowland Sheepdog | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Pomeranian | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Poodle | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Portuguese Podengo Pequeno | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Portuguese Water Dog | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Pug | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Puli | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Pumi | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Pyrenean Shepherd | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Rat Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Redbone Coonhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Rottweiler | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Russell Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Saluki | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Samoyed | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Schipperke | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Scottish Deerhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Scottish Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Sealyham Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Shetland Sheepdog | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Shiba Inu | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Shih Tzu | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Siberian Husky | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Silky Terrier | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Skye Terrier | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Sloughi | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Spanish Water Dog | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Spinone Italiano | 60 to 90 minutes |
| St. Bernard | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Standard Schnauzer | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Sussex Spaniel | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Swedish Vallhund | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Tibetan Mastiff | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Tibetan Spaniel | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Tibetan Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Toy Fox Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Treeing Walker Coonhound | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Vizsla | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Weimaraner | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Welsh Springer Spaniel | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Welsh Terrier | 60 to 120 minutes |
| West Highland White Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Whippet | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Wirehaired Pointing Griffon | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Wirehaired Vizsla | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Xoloitzcuintli | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Yorkshire Terrier | 60 to 90 minutes |