Walking · daily routine
How long should I walk my dog each day?
Most owners know how long their own walk takes and much less about whether it suits the dog on the other end of the leash. The right figure for a young Lab is the wrong one for a 13-year-old spaniel or a bulldog in July. This page sets out the starting points by age, breed and health, why a slow, sniffy walk is not a lesser walk, and what each of our three walk lengths is good for.
Starting points
Start from the dog in front of you: age, breed and health set the daily total
The AKC's answer to how much exercise a dog needs is that it varies with age, health and breed, and its articles give useful anchors rather than a formula. For an adult dog starting a walking routine, it calls a 10- to 15-minute walk a good starting point, to be lengthened gradually or done twice a day. High-energy breeds sit at the other end: at least an hour of intense exercise most days for dogs such as Labrador Retrievers and Border Collies.
Flat-faced breeds and older dogs need a different plan, not just a shorter one. The AKC notes that Pugs and Bulldogs may be content with a few short walks, and VCA says short-snouted breeds need different conditioning from a breed such as a golden retriever. For seniors the AKC advises a slower pace, and slow, frequent movement for dogs with arthritis. Puppies get several short outings rather than one long one, and our answer on how far a puppy can walk covers them in detail.
| Dog | Where to start | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adult new to regular walks | A 10- to 15-minute walk, built up gradually or done twice a day | AKC |
| High-energy breed, such as a Lab or Border Collie | At least an hour of intense exercise most days | AKC |
| Flat-faced breed, such as a Pug or Bulldog | A few short walks, with heat in mind | AKC, VCA |
| Senior or arthritic dog | A slower pace, with short and frequent outings | AKC |
| Puppy | Several short outings rather than one long walk | AKC |
| Overweight dog, or one with a health condition | A plan agreed with your vet, increased slowly | VCA |
Sniffing counts
Sniffing is part of the exercise, not time lost from it
Many people judge a walk by distance. Dogs get as much from what they find on the way. The AKC calls mental stimulation just as important as physical activity, and describes the sights, sounds and smells beyond your house as stimulation dogs need, which is one reason it says a backyard on its own is not enough. A walk that stops at every gatepost is working the nose and the brain while the legs rest.
In practice, let part of every walk run at the dog's speed. A brisk stretch for fitness, then a slower one where the dog chooses where to stop, gives most dogs a fuller outing than an hour at heel. Older dogs in particular, the AKC notes, benefit from new sights, sounds and smells to keep their stimulation up. Our answer on sniff walks explains how to make a whole outing nose-led when a dog needs it.
- A brisk section for the body
- A slow section where the dog picks the stops
- A new route, or the old one reversed, once or twice a week
- Water and a rest at the end, rather than more distance
20, 30 or 60 minutes
What a 20, 30 or 60 minute walk does for your dog's day
Our three walk lengths are tools for building that daily total, not a ranking. Twenty minutes, $25, is a bathroom break, a short loop and a change of scene: the right size for a puppy, a senior, a flat-faced breed or a dog on restricted exercise. Thirty minutes, $35, covers a neighborhood properly with time to sniff, enough to break up a long day for most healthy adults. Sixty minutes, $55, is a real outing for a young or high-energy dog.
Be honest about what a leash walk can deliver. For a Border Collie that the AKC puts at an hour or more of intense exercise, even 60 minutes on the leash may cover only part of the day's need; play, training games or a day in a playgroup fill the rest. Every Dogtown walk is solo, with a member of our staff, and ends with a photo and a short note, which over a few weeks shows you whether the length is right. Packs lower the price: ten walks for $225, $315 or $495, thirty for $637, $892 or $1,402.
When to ease off
Health changes the number, so build up slowly and watch for the signs to stop
VCA advises talking to your vet before starting any regular fitness plan and increasing time and intensity slowly, because a steady build helps avoid injury and is more comfortable for the dog. That matters most for overweight dogs, which VCA notes have a hard time cooling off, and for puppies, whose growing bones can be hurt by long runs. A dog that spent the winter mostly on the sofa should not start June with an hour a day.
Watch the dog more than the clock. The AKC lists limping, stopping, lying down, panting hard and trouble with curbs as signs that an older dog has had enough, and any dog showing them should head home. Heat changes everything on a summer walk: the AVMA's guidance on pets and heat explains why hot pavement and humid afternoons call for shorter, earlier outings. On Cape Ann, July and August are the months when the long walk moves to the morning and the shade.
- Limping or a change in the way the dog moves
- Stopping, sitting or lying down on the route
- Hard panting that does not settle with rest
- Trouble stepping up or down curbs
- Lagging behind on a walk the dog used to enjoy
Building the day
Spread the total across the day, and let us take the middle walk where we cover your address
Splitting the daily total works better for most dogs than one long outing, and VCA puts it simply: a 20-minute walk every day is better than a two-hour walk on Sunday. The usual shape is a morning walk before work, a midday break and an evening walk, with the longest one wherever your dog is freshest and the weather kindest. On Cape Ann the weekend walk often moves to the beach from October 1, when Gloucester's public beaches start taking dogs again on their set days.
Dogs new to Dogtown complete the free evaluation before their first walk, on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella on file and a current city dog license. After that, single walks are booked online or through the front desk, packs are sold in the Dogtown app, and whether a walker can reach you depends on your address and the season.
- 01
Pick the daily total that fits your dog's age, breed and health
- 02
Split it into two or three outings rather than one long one
- 03
Put a slow, sniffy section into each walk
- 04
Add a tick check after any walk through long grass from April to November
- 05
Book the free evaluation if you want Dogtown to take the midday walk
- 06
Ask us whether we cover your address for the days you need
At Dogtown
Walks and days out with Dogtown
Solo at-home walks of 20, 30 or 60 minutes, or a day in a matched playgroup when a walk is not enough.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Is one long walk at the weekend as good as daily walks?
Does playing in the yard count toward the daily total?
How long should I walk an older dog?
Can Dogtown walk my dog more than once a day?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AKC: how much exercise does a dog need?
- AKC: how often should you walk your dog?
- AKC: can dogs get all their exercise in the backyard?
- VCA: healthy exercise for dogs
- AVMA: pets and heat
- Gloucester beaches: detailed information
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Let us take the middle walk of the day.
Book the free evaluation on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, then choose a 20, 30 or 60 minute solo walk at $25, $35 or $55.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
