Elphie is 12 weeks old and has taken her first steps into the big wide world, need some advice on the length of walk she should be doing and how often. I have been advised the walk should be 5 mins for every month old she is.
The rule about 5 mins per month of age is just a general one, so just see that as a very rough guide. At this age I wouldn't be too worried about trying to go on 'walks', but rather to give her exposure to new experiences on most days (shops, schools, birds, bikes, forests, different types of ground surface and floor surface, statues etc etc). Your goal in new situations can be to reward her for any kind of calm behaviour - being still, sitting, lying down, not jumping up, being quiet, not showing anxiety. Reward all these things very heavily with her favourite food treats - you can't give too many rewards for calm behaviour really If she is every anxious in any way move out of the situation immediately and try again at a quieter time of day or further away from whatever was worrying her. I'd also be working on her recall - basically at this age that means running after you for a lovely treat reward. Getting her to chase you (never the other way round) and generally follow you off lead in a safe environment is both great training and good exercise. Use lots of changes of direction and keep it really fun and reward heavily for her coming close to you. All of the above will exercise her brain too, which is the best way to end up with a calm and quiet puppy. If you haven't got it yet I'd highly recommend getting a hold of The Happy Puppy Handbook by Pippa Mattinson - it covers all this and so much more
When ours first went out (she was 18 weeks - last vaccinations at 16 weeks) we only went a short way up the path and back & gradually extended every few days. The sign for ours was she'd start panting a little when she'd had enough but most times we were on the way home anyway.
I roughly followed the 5 min rule when we were on lead walking somewhere. For example: 5-10 min walk to the park on lead, 30 mins sniffing, recall, getting her chasing me etc, 5-10 min walk home. We done this about 4 days a week, the other 3 we would do as above: drive to local shopping area and sit, get a coffee, go into pet shop, go near train station, building works etc.
Once a week I'd take Mabel to the puppy party at our local garden centre for one of her "walks" then pretty much did what both Rachel and Ternaya suggest above. Now she is two we go on the traditional walk in countryside etc but even so it is still more about being with my dog and there is always an element of training, and generally just enjoying her and having fun. Plus if I left her to her own devices goodness knows what mischief she would get up to.
I followed the 5 minute guide roughly too. Off leash right away as well, no leashed walks till he was safely past all his vaccinations at 18 weeks and then we paraded our small village. Till then we went to places there were few dogs, snowmobile trails (we are allowed on them) and one great find was a new subdivision with few houses yet but snowploughed roads.
