Exercise

A young puppy does not need any formal exercise, playing in the garden will be sufficient. A puppy needs lots of sleep, so allow her to go bed whenever she wants to.

Once your puppy has finished her course of inoculations, start to take her for a short walk of about 5-10 minutes every couple of days or so to help her get used to traffic and other people and dogs. By the time she is about 4 months old, she should be having a 15-20 minute walk every day, then as she gets to 5 months gradually increase the distance and time to about 25 minutes every day. By 6 months she should be going for a 30-minute walk on the lead each day. By a year old you should be giving your dog a 45-50 minute walk a day. Once adult, your Dachsie will take any amount of exercise you care to give.

The general guidance is 5 minutes of “formal” exercise per day, per month of age.

The 5 minutes per day per month of age is a good, easy to remember, guide. If you over-exercise them before they are fully grown and the growth plates have closed you risk ending up with out-turned front feet and a very “stringy” dog. They need to mature slowly and build muscle-tone. Just because they will walk for miles doesn’t mean they should.

The 5-minute guide is “formal” on-lead walking. It excludes the playing and running around off-lead that they will get in your garden or if allowed off-lead in a park. If they are allowed free exercise, they will stop when they have had enough and tired themselves out. If they are walked on a lead, they don’t have the same freedom of choice to stop when they want to.

The exercise advice is particularly relevant for puppies that will be shown because too much exercise, too soon, will cause out-turned feet, poor toplines and poor body development.

Even with a non-show dog you’d be far better allowing the puppy exercise in the garden so she can decide when she’s had enough rather than any long walks where you risk over-tiring her. They are full of energy until they “grow up” (if they ever do), but you will have a far fitter dog in the long-term if you don’t over-exercise when young.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you of course, but do ensure she gets out and about so he is well socialised by meeting different people and experiences different situations.