How often should you walk your dog?

You can tell a lot about a dog from the way they walk. So it is normal to sit there with a leash in your hand and think,

“Am I walking my dog enough? Or too much?”

There is no one rule that fits every dog.

How often you should walk your dog depends on age, breed, health, energy, and your daily life. In this guide, we will go through all of that. You will see how many walks a dog needs, how long to walk a dog each day, and how to adjust things for your own pet.

How often should I walk my dog?

For a healthy adult dog, a good starting point is 2 walks a day, about 15 to 30 minutes each.

Veterinarian Dr Nell Ostermeier suggests this as a simple baseline for most adult dogs. 

For puppies, the rule is softer and shorter, about five minutes of walking per month of age, up to twice a day. So a four month old puppy can handle a 20 minute walk twice a day.

Puppies have soft, growing joints, so too much walking is not safe, especially for big breeds. Most adult dogs also need play time and sniff time on top of normal walks.

So when you ask, “how many walks does a dog need?”, the short answer is:

• Puppies: Several short outings, plus that five minutes per month of age rule.
  
  
• Healthy adults: One or two longer walks, plus breaks outside.
  
  
• Seniors: Shorter, gentler walks, more often.

Do you have to walk your dog every day?

In most cases, yes, plan for a daily walk.

Dog walks support heart health, joints, weight, digestion, sleep, and mood. They are also one of the easiest ways to meet your dog’s basic exercise needs.

But life happens.

If the weather is dangerous, your dog is unwell, or you have a real emergency, it is okay to skip a day. Just make sure they still have toilet breaks and some gentle play or indoor mental work.

What affects how often you should walk your dog?

There are a few big things that change how much exercise a dog needs.

Age and life stage

Puppies

Puppies feel like they could run all day, but their bodies say something different.

Growth plates in their bones close later, so long walks and hard runs can harm them. 

Good rules for puppies:

• Use the five minutes per month of age guide for real walks.
  
  
• Add many short potty trips.
  
  
• Use training games and sniffing for extra brain work.

Adult dogs

For a healthy adult, how long to walk a dog each day usually sits between 30 and 90 minutes total, split into one or two walks plus play. 

Working breeds, herding dogs, and high energy mixes tend to sit at the higher end.

Calmer companion breeds may feel fine with less, as long as they still get fresh air and mental work.

Senior dogs

Older dogs still need walks.

Movement keeps joints from getting too stiff and supports weight and mood. But dog exercise needs by age change.

Arthritis, muscle loss, and slower hearts mean you may swap one long walk for two or three short ones.

Watch for:

• Slowing down a lot before the walk is over
  
  
• Limping or stiff steps afterward
  
  
• Very deep sleep for hours right after a walk

If you see those, talk to your vet and shorten the walks a bit.

Breed and energy level

Breed is not everything, but it gives you a starting point. 

Dogs who usually need more exercise

• Terriers
  
  
• Border Collies and other herding breeds
  
  
• Australian Shepherds
  
  
• German Shepherds
  
  
• Labrador and Golden Retrievers

These dogs often need long walks, training, games, and sniffing to stay balanced.

For them, how much exercise does a dog need can mean an hour or more per day, split into pieces.

Dogs who usually need fewer or gentler walks

• Bulldogs
  
  
• Basset Hounds
  
  
• Great Danes
  
  
• Pomeranians
  
  
• Cocker Spaniels

Flat faced breeds, like Pugs and Bulldogs, overheat easily and can struggle to breathe in heat or during long effort. 

They often do best with shorter, cooler walks.

Health, weight, and exercise tolerance

Most healthy dogs can handle a 20 to 30 minute walk without trouble. 

Very fit dogs can go much longer, even hour long hikes. Overweight dogs may huff and puff after ten minutes.

A simple test:

• Go for a walk at a normal pace.
  
  
• Notice when your dog begins to slow down, sniff more, or look tired.
  
  
• Start heading home at that point.

If their pace keeps dropping, you went too far. Next time, turn around earlier. 

Also, watch what happens after the walk. If your dog drinks and sleeps for hours, or starts to limp, that session was too much.

Behavior and mental needs

Sometimes, how many walks a dog needs is clear from their behavior:

• Weight gain, as your vet points out
  
  
• Chewing things at home for no good reason
  
  
• Pacing, barking, or trouble settling after walks
  
  
• Peeing indoors without a medical cause 

Signs your dog may need shorter walks:

• Stiff or uneven movement
  
  
• Heavy panting early in the walk
  
  
• Signs of stress outside, like tail tucked and ears flat
  
  
• Hiding, slowing down, or refusing to move

What is the best time to walk a dog?

Well, there is no best time to walk a dog. That depends on you and your dog, but here are some considerations to help you build a dog walking schedule:

Leave some space after meals

Vets often suggest waiting about one hour after eating before real exercise, especially for large and deep chested dogs, to lower the risk of bloat. 

Watch the temperature

• In hot weather, morning and evening walks are safest.
  
  
• In winter, midday walks give a little extra warmth.

Match the walk time to your dog’s feelings

• If your dog is reactive and barks at everything, calmer times with fewer people and dogs around can help.
  
  
• If your dog is very social or a young puppy learning about the world, a busier time might be good for gentle, positive exposure. 

Keep a routine when you can

Dogs love knowing what comes next.

Many pet parents do one shorter walk in the morning and a longer walk in the evening. You do not need to copy that exactly, but try to keep your own pattern steady.

What can you do besides walks?

Some days, the weather simply laughs at your plans.

Too hot, too cold, too icy, or too stormy.

On those days, you can still help your dog burn energy and use their brain without long walks.

Ideas that work well:

• Short training sessions with sit, down, stay, and tricks
  
  
• Hiding treats around the home for sniff games
  
  
• Simple puzzle feeders or slow bowls
  
  
• Gentle tug or fetch in a hallway
  
  
• Teaching your dog to “find it” with a favourite toy

This does not replace walks forever, of course. But it helps on days when the street outside is not friendly. 

If you want to make inside play a bit more fun, we have a couple of toys that fit this mood:

• Our interactive rolling ball moves on its own, so your dog can chase it around the room without you doing much.
  
  
• And the pet treat launcher is a small, silly gadget where you press a button and a treat pops out for your dog to catch.

Both are simple ways to keep your dog busy when you cannot get outside as much as you hoped.

Before you head out with the leash again

So, how often should you walk your dog?

Most dogs do well with at least one or two walks each day, with the length and pace shaped by age, breed, health, and temperament.

There is no perfect number that fits every home.

The right answer is the one where your dog stays healthy, moves well, settles at home, and seems content.

If that means many short walks, that is fine.

If it means two long sniff adventures, that is fine too.

And if you ever want a little help on your walks, our Pet Walk Gear collection has small, practical pieces that fit real life with real pets.