How many walks a day does a dog need?

What the sources say

PDSA, the UK vet charity, says walks should be part of every dog's day, and most dogs need at least one to two walks a day unless your vet says otherwise. The American Kennel Club adds that exercise needs vary with age, breed and health, so a young working breed and an old lap dog need very different amounts.

Puppies

For puppies, the AKC cites a common guideline from veterinary researchers: about five minutes of walking per month of age, once or twice a day. So a 4-month-old gets walks of around 20 minutes. Keep them short and gentle.

Older dogs and special cases

Older dogs usually still need a daily walk, just slower and shorter. If your dog has a health condition, is overweight or is recovering from something, ask your vet how much walking is right.

Getting the walks done in a busy house

The hard part is doing it every day around school runs, shifts and rain. What tends to work:

• Fix the times, for example 7:00, 13:00 and 19:30, so nobody has to negotiate.
• Give each walk a name for the week, so it doesn't fall to "someone".
• Have a backup for each walk and a swap rule ("ask, don't assume").
• Log it when you get back, so nobody takes the dog out again by mistake.

Our walk rotation guide has ready-made charts for two, three and four people.

On PupShift, whoever walks the dog taps Walked, and everyone sees who went and when. The "Whose turn?" line shows who's up next.