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How often should you walk your dog?
Most adult dogs need to go out several times a day, with at least one longer walk. The right number depends on age, breed, health and how long your dog can comfortably wait. Here's how to work out what fits your dog, and how to keep track as a family.
A starting point
- Adult dogs: usually three to four times a day. Think a morning walk, a short break around midday, an evening walk and a last quick round before bed.
- Puppies: much more often. Young puppies can't hold it for long, so they go out after waking up, after eating, after playing and every few hours in between.
- Older dogs: often shorter but more frequent walks. Stiff joints prefer several easy rounds over one long hike.
These are general guidelines, not rules. Your vet knows your dog and can tell you what's right, especially for puppies, seniors and dogs with health issues.
A toilet break is not a walk
A quick round in front of the house lets your dog relieve itself, but it isn't exercise. Most dogs also need at least one longer walk a day where they can sniff, explore and burn energy. Active breeds such as herding and hunting dogs often need considerably more than calmer breeds.
Signs your dog isn't getting out enough: restlessness, chewing on things, barking at nothing, or accidents in the house.
How long can a dog wait?
Many adult dogs can wait six to eight hours between toilet breaks, but that doesn't mean they should have to every day. A long gap during working hours is exactly where a shared household helps: whoever is home or nearby at lunchtime takes the midday round.
Keeping track when several people walk the dog
Knowing how often your dog should go out is the easy part. Knowing whether it actually happened, when four people share the job, is harder. Agree on fixed walk times (see how to make a dog walking schedule) and log each walk in one place everyone can see.
In LeashTracker you log a walk with one tap, including whether the dog peed or pooed. The whole household sees it right away, and the Today strip on the Log tab shows which walk times are done, coming up or missed.
LeashTracker is free on Android. Get it on Google Play, or read how the app works.
More tips
- Who walked the dog? How families stop double and missed walks
- How to make a dog walking schedule with your family
- How to split dog care fairly in a family
- Use LeashTracker on iPhone, iPad or a computer
- Letting your kids walk the dog: when and how
- Choosing a dog walking app for your family: what to look for