How to Exercise Your Dog Based on Breed and Age Sources: Pickup et al. (2017), Lee et al. (2022), Bray et al. (2023), Degeling et al. (2012), Mondino et al. (2023), Roccaro et al. (2021), von Pfeil and DeCamp (2009), Roedler et al. (2013).

 

Exercise is Not Just About "Tiring Out a Dog"

A dog doesn't need to be tired. It needs appropriate stimulation.

In practice, exercise is often reduced to locomotion: duration of walks, distance covered, intensity of running.

This is an incomplete view.

Real exercise combines several systems:

• mechanical stress (joints, growth, impact)
• energy expenditure
• cognitive stimulation (problem-solving, learning)
• olfactory load (exploration, environmental analysis)
• emotional and social regulation

Two dogs that have covered the same distance can have totally different physiological and neurological demands.

What the Literature Really Shows

There is no scientific standard to define exercise duration by breed.

The available data show something else: intra-species variability is massive.

The study by Pickup et al. on over 12,000 purebred dogs highlights differences in activity between breeds, but above all a major influence of lifestyle, owner, and daily environment.

Data from the Dog Aging Project confirm:

• progressive decrease in activity with age
• strong influence of urban vs. rural context
• significant dispersion of activity levels within the same breed

The work of Bray et al. and Mondino et al. shows an association between physical activity, mobility, and cognitive functions in older dogs, without establishing a direct causal relationship.

Biological Limits of Exercise

1. Puppies: A Question of Mechanical Load, Not Movement

For puppies, the issue is not "should it move," but "what stress are we applying to a growing system."

Growth plates are still open, with late closure in large breeds.

Orthopedic data (Roccaro et al.) show that repeated stress and early impacts can influence the quality of joint development.

At-risk situations are not the outings themselves, but:

• repeated impacts
• forced prolonged running
• hard surfaces
• premature structured training
• repetition of high-stress movements

Puppies should move freely. They should not be trained like adults.

 

2. Brachycephalic Dogs: A Physiological Limit

For brachycephalic dogs, the main constraint is ventilatory.

The literature describes:

• increased work of breathing
• limited airflow
• less efficient thermoregulation
• prolonged recovery
• variable exercise intolerance depending on syndrome severity (Roedler et al.)

In this case, exercise is not just a question of dose, but of exposure conditions.

Exercise According to Functional Profiles

Working Dogs and Dogs Selected for Endurance

Border Collie, Malinois, Australian Shepherd, hunting dogs, search dogs.

Their behavioral physiology relies on a combination of:

• sustained locomotor activity
• high cognitive demand
• need for environmental interaction
• strong olfactory component

A simple long walk is not enough to structure their exercise.

Conversely, a shorter but functional activity (searching, commands, scent work, problem-solving) can produce a more coherent overall load.

Companion Dogs and Small Breeds

Size does not determine the necessary exercise.

Small dogs may exhibit:

• high sensory reactivity
• high vigilance
• significant curiosity

The difference lies in the form of exercise: less mechanical stress, more micro-behavioral and environmental variations.

Large and Very Large Breeds

The dominant constraint is biomechanical.

Critical points:

• repeated impacts
• hard surfaces
• growing joint stress
• weight management

For these dogs, the literature emphasizes injury prevention more than activity reduction.

Effects by Age

Puppy

Puppies need high activity but without mechanical constraint.

Avoid:

• forced long runs
• regular jogging
• repeated jumping
• endurance training
• repeated impacts

Prioritize:

• free exploration
• social play
• olfactory stimulation
• short and varied learning activities

The determining factor is cumulative mechanical load, not total duration.

Adult

In adulthood, individual variability becomes the main factor.

Two dogs of the same breed can exhibit:

• different endurance capacities
• different joint tolerance
• different recovery
• different cognitive needs

Adaptation becomes individual, not normative.

Senior

Aging is accompanied by a progressive decrease in spontaneous activity.

Available data support maintaining adapted activity for:

• muscle maintenance
• mobility maintenance
• cognitive stimulation
• limiting deconditioning

The goal is not to reduce, but to adapt:

• intensity
• duration
• frequency
• mechanical stress

Misconceptions

"5 minutes per month of age"

An empirical rule without scientific validation. It ignores the nature of the load and individual variability.

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"A tired dog is a balanced dog"

Fatigue is not a reliable indicator of satisfaction of behavioral needs.

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"Small dogs have fewer needs"

No direct relationship between size and functional needs.

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"Limiting a puppy protects its joints"

It is not the restriction of movement that protects, but the modulation of stress.

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When to Consult

Veterinary advice is recommended before any structured activity (running, traction, agility, endurance), especially for young, athletic, or orthopedically unassessed dogs.

Warning signs:

• lameness
• exercise intolerance
• abnormal recovery
• pain or stiffness
• sudden decrease in activity

Conclusion

A dog's exercise is not a duration, a breed, or a rule.

It is a balance between:

• mechanical load
• physiological capacity
• exploratory behavior

The goal is not to increase activity, but to calibrate the stress.

A properly exercised dog is not a tired dog. It is an organism whose demands are consistent with its structure, age, and lifestyle.

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Unsure how to adapt your dog's activity to its age, breed, energy level, or health status? Every dog has its own unique profile. Share your situation with us: our team reads every message. contact@canithermo.com

 

 

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Sources 

 

1. Pickup E, German AJ, Blackwell E, Evans M, Westgarth C. Variation in activity levels amongst dogs of different breeds: results of a large online survey of dog owners from the UK. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2017.
2. Lee H et al. Age and Physical Activity Levels in Companion Dogs: Results from the Dog Aging Project. The Journals of Gerontology. 2022.
3. Bray EE et al. Associations between physical activity and cognitive dysfunction in older companion dogs: results from the Dog Aging Project. Scientific Reports. 2023.
4. Degeling C, Burton L, McCormack GR. An investigation of the association between socio-demographic factors, dog-exercise requirements, and the amount of walking dogs receive. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. 2012.
5. Mondino A et al. Activity patterns are associated with fractional lifespan, memory, and gait speed in aged dogs. GeroScience. 2023.

Roccaro M et al. Limb development in skeletally immature large-sized dogs: a radiographic study. PLOS ONE. 2021.

von Pfeil DJF, DeCamp CE. The Epiphyseal Plate: Physiology, Anatomy and Trauma. Compendium. 2009.

Roedler FS et al. How does severe brachycephaly affect dogs' lives? Results of a structured preoperative owner questionnaire. The Veterinary Journal. 2013.

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