Exercise for 11 month puppy
My question is, is a 10-15 min run in the street going to hurt him? I know it’s ill advised to run a dog under 12-18 months, better for small dogs, mine is 40lbs slim dog. Hes nearly at a year and I’m feeling like the benefits outweigh the harm? I would never push him more than he wants and I very much follow his pace. I can tell he feels so much calmer and happier. When hes wound up he seems overwhelmed, stressed, and unfulfilled.
Here’s my reasons for why I think this is necessary:
My 11 month male in-tact pup is frustration-reactive and needs a lot of outlets. Hes very smart and obedient, we do plenty of mental stimulation, training new skills, words, sniff games, etc. we made immense progress with his reactivity towards dogs on walks over the past 8 months UNTIL the last month or two he has been so overstimulated just going outside, too many smells, dogs, people, and he won’t pay attention to me.
I’ve found if he runs and gets some energy out that hes able to settle better and focus on me, hold back his reactivity, and loose leash walk. I was advised to see how he’d do running next to a bike and boy did he LOVE it. He has so much gas in the tank, and I haven’t been able to find anything else that satisfies this drive.
Posted Sep 1, 2026, 4:41 PM UTC