How often and how long should you walk your dog?

What changes the maths

• Age: puppies need to go out often (after eating, sleeping and playing), but on short walks. A widely used rule of thumb is about five minutes of walking per month of age, twice a day, until the dog is fully grown.
• Older dogs: shorter, more frequent walks, at their pace. They still need to go out every day.
• Breed energy: working, gun and herding dogs (border collies, German shepherds, pointers, young labradors) want one to two hours of activity a day. Small and companion breeds are fine with less, but still need their walk.
• Short noses: bulldogs, pugs and other flat-faced breeds overheat and tire quickly. Short walks, in the cool hours.
• Health and weight: an overweight dog, or one with joint problems, needs regular but moderate walks. Ask your vet how much is right for yours.

Heat and tarmac

From June to September, walk early in the morning and in the evening. If the tarmac burns the back of your hand within seven seconds, it burns your dog's paw pads too. Always carry water, and pick shade and dirt paths over sunny pavements.

Rules on the street

In public places a dog must be on a lead and wear a collar or harness with a tag showing the owner's name and contact. It must be microchipped and registered on SIAC, the national pet database, and rabies vaccination is compulsory from three months of age.

Dogs of breeds classed as potentially dangerous go out only muzzled and on a short lead, handled by someone over 16. And whoever walks the dog always picks up after it.

When a dog walker helps

If you are out at work all day, the midday walk is what is missing most: a 30-minute solo walk breaks the day in two. Energetic dogs that like other dogs do well on an hour-long group walk. For a very young puppy or an older dog, a home visit with a short toilet break outside may be enough.