The Exercise Guide For Labradoodles – From Puppies to Adult! (2024)

The Labradoodle Exercise Guide

Labradoodles have a natural tendency to be more energetic, are generally friendly in nature, and desire to please their masters at all times.

These likable traits can get these pups in trouble if their owners are not providing the necessary amount of exercise!

Believe me, I’ve learned from experience with my own two Labradoodles. I compiled all of what I’ve learned through the years into our complete owner’s guide.

It not only covers exercise but also tips on working with a breeder, basic care, training, grooming, toys, necessary supplies, and so much more.

You won’t find a more honest, comprehensive Labradoodle book anywhere else!

That said, the volume and types of exercises will change from a puppy to a full-grown adult dog.

The right amount not only helps with fitness, it also has positive effects on anxiety reduction and curbing naughty habits like chewing and barking excessively.

So what is the right amount? What is enough and what is too much?

We’ll discuss the amount and types of exercises by age, and let you know how to tell when your dog has had enough or showing signs of too much.

Let’s start with this helpful chart:

Age / Stage of Life Recommended Exercise Time
8 Weeks 10 minutes, 1-2 times per day
3 Months 15 minutes, 2-3 times per day
6 Months 30 minutes, 2 times per day
12 Months 30 minutes, 2-3 times per day
Full Grown 30 minutes, 2-3 times per day

So that will give you an idea of what to start with in terms of how much time at what age.

Many owners also wonder how much and what types of exercise they should be doing with their Labradoodle.

We created this exercise guide to help owners understand the proper amounts of activity to keep their pups healthy and happy.

The exercise levels and different activities appropriate for dogs change as they grow and develop.

Covered In This Guide:

  • Stages of Life – We’ve broken this guide down by the different stages of life as it relates to exercise: 8-weeks, 3-months, 6-months, 12-months, full grown.
  • Recommended Exercise TimeHow long should you exercise your pup? We give rough guidelines on how long Labradoodles should exercise.
  • Appropriate Exercises & Games – What games can you play with your pup and which exercises are best?
  • How much is too much? – Knowing when your pup has had enough exercise and being able to recognize it.

8 Weeks

Most people bring their pups home when they’re around 8 weeks old. At this stage, they will want to explore their new living environment.

Since Labradoodles tend to be curious, it is best to keep a close eye on them to ensure that they don’t get into something that could cause them harm.

(We cover safety tips and equipment you’ll need in our Complete Guide to Safety Gear.

Be sure to puppy-proof the main area they will be spending their time in and remove anything that might be dangerous to them.

It is important to monitor their activity with kids, people, and any other household pets.

This helps make sure your new pup doesn’t get too anxious or overwhelmed from all the new things they’re encountering.

It will decrease the chances of your beloved pooch becoming overly anxious or simply overwhelmed. The puppy should be in a safe environment at all times.

This is where crate training can make a huge difference. It not only allows you to keep your puppy safe, but it can expedite housebreaking tremendously.

See which crate I use with my own dogs and highly recommend in this article.

Recommended Exercise Time

It is crucial to follow some common-sense exercise time recommendations for an 8 week old Labradoodle puppy.

Keep intensive exercise sessions short at 10 minutes or so. Time these once or twice a day, and owners should monitor their pup’s reactions and adjust activity levels as needed.

Exercises & Games

Make sure that any exercise or vigorous games with your 8-week old pup be kept low-key for shorter periods of time.

Some terrific age-appropriate exercises and game ideas for young puppies include:

  • Slow and easy walks for short distances on a leash.
  • Free play in the backyard for a 5-10 minutes.
  • Short indoor walks through the house.
  • Relaxed play with some of their smaller toys (may start introducing fetch by rolling a ball).
  • Cuddles and one-on-one interaction.
  • Socialization with family, friends, and other family pets (dogs or cats).

You can take a look at toys we recommend here.

What To Avoid

You want to be careful not to overwork your pup. Here are some examples of exercises or activities that would be too much for a puppy:

  • Expecting your pup to keep up with you when running or jogging.
  • Having your puppy play with young kids for longer than a few minutes.
  • Having your pup climb lots of stairs or run up steep hills.

In general, you want to be sure you monitor your puppy to make sure they’re taking time to rest.

3 Months

All throughout a puppy’s first year of life, they are growing and developing at certain intervals.

This is when the dog begins to develop their tiny ligaments, tendons, and other small body structures.

At around 14 weeks up to approximately 26 weeks of age, your bouncy Labradoodle puppy is continuing to develop their skeleton and joints.

This development is so important, and dog owners might notice that their pup appears more tired than usual during these initial growth spurts.

It is crucial to ensure that your puppy is getting the proper nutrition and proper rest to aid in their normal growth process.

Recommended Exercise Time

Like other dog breeds, there are recommended exercise time limits for 3-month-old Labradoodle puppies.

At this stage of their young lives, Labradoodles can usually handle up to 15 minutes of more vigorous exercise levels two to three times per day.

Your puppy should be settling into a normal daily routine, and new activities should be initiated every so often to keep these curious and energetic puppies from getting bored with their lifestyles.

This dog breed is obtained by blending Labradors with Poodles.

The resulting Labradoodle puppy typically inherits the higher intelligence levels that these breeds are known for.

These pups need something interesting to focus on, and puppies that become bored with their lives often deter the boredom by doing things that they shouldn’t.

Rotate your puppy’s toys to keep your dog happy and engaged.

This pack of toys makes it easy to keep your puppy interested. They were favorites of my dog when he was a puppy, and he still enjoys them today.

With 12 different ropes, chews, balls, and squeaky toys, rotating toys is not a problem, and they’re just the right size for puppy mouths.

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Initiating more activities into their daily routine also helps to keep their minds sharp and focused.

Dog owners should be sure to monitor any new activity, game, or exercise to help prevent their puppy from overexerting themselves.

New activities should be introduced slowly. These can be increased as your puppy masters the task without any adverse reactions.

Exercises & Games

It should be noted that Labradoodles have a built-in instinct for tracking, so their noses are extremely good.

This comes from their hunter and retriever ancestors.

You can stimulate your puppy’s phenomenal nose by taking an article of clothing with your scent on it, letting your pup sniff it, then encouraging your dog to “find it” using their sense of smell.

Gradually, hide it out of sight, then direct your dog to find it.

Other appropriate Labradoodle activities include teaching your pup tricks that build on their backgrounds.

(Are they easy to train? Find the answer here.)

Playing fetch with a ball, Frisbee, stick, or other objects is something that your dog might find simple to do.

Remember, your puppy has those hunter/retrieval instincts and higher intelligence to complete these games well over time.

Here are a few more games and activities to explore with your pup:

  • Basic Obedience Tasks/Tricks – Stay, sit, and come.
  • Advanced Tricks – Shake, roll over, or even dance.
  • Hide & Seek – Distract your dogs by throwing a ball or toy; when they turn, run and hide. Start easy by making noises to give them clues.
  • Force Critical ThinkingHide treats in Kongs or use food dispensing puzzles and ‘maze’ food dishes.
  • Tug-of-War – Be sure to keep it gentle and stop if your pup starts to use their teeth. Stopping when biting starts will help teach them that it’s not acceptable behavior.
  • Encourage Water Games – Most Labradoodles love to swim, so exposing them to water early can be a fun way to keep them fit. Just be careful not to get water in their ears.
  • Nose-Work Games – Hide some of her favorite treats and encourage using her nose to find them.
  • Fun in the Park – Socialization, games & free run area
  • Play Dates – Encourage socialization by arranging playdates with other dogs. Make sure they are current on their shots and friendly!

What To Avoid

At 3 months of age, your favorite puppy is still young and growing fast. Caution should be used with introducing any new physical exercise into your dog’s normal daily routine.

Like people, your dog will need the right amount of sleep and relaxation time following these harder activities.

This is a critical component of keeping your dog’s everyday lifestyle balanced and safe.

While increasing the amount of time that your puppy spends pursuing more difficult activities that should be implemented at this stage of life, it is still essential for dog owners to carefully monitor their dog’s reactions to each new exercise.

There are many exercise options that should be avoided or put off until a later date.

  • Extended periods of running or jogging.
  • Having your pup climb lots of stairs or run up steep hills.
  • Lots of jumping up and down from things like the bed and couch when playing.
  • Back-to-back sessions of exercise without proper time for rest and hydration.

6 Months

When your precious Labradoodle puppy reaches 6 months of age, they often seem stronger and more coordinated.

It is appropriate to increase their daily level of exercise on a daily or regular basis, but it should be kept in check with what the puppy is able to safely perform.

Recommended Exercise Time

In general, most dog experts recommend increasing the pup’s daily exercise level up to 30 minutes at a time. This should be implemented 2 times a day for safer results.

Dog owners should always keep in mind that their puppy is still undergoing a lot of growth during this first year, and activities should be added as the dog matures and masters the beginning tasks.

Exercises & Games

There are many great activities, dog/owner games, and higher impact exercise options that can include:

  • Learn More Advanced Tricks – Spin, play dead, sit pretty.
  • Water ActivitiesExplore more water activities, like dock diving, swimming, fetch balls from water.
  • Visit Dog Parks – Great for additional socialization.
  • Introduce Agility – Build a simple dog agility course in the backyard.
  • Advance Learning – Teach your pup how to find colors or identify their toys by name.
  • Hikes – Explore the environment more and take them on hikes or even camping.

12 Months

A Labradoodle that is 12 months of age can figure out a multitude of different puzzles.

In fact, your dog prefers to use his intelligent brain to try and solve all of those challenges that their favorite people in their life often give them.

While your pup might be beginning to look like a full-grown adult, in reality, their bodies are still growing with many important body systems still in development.

Recommended Exercise Time

The owners of Labradoodles still need to carefully shield their loyal pets from overexertion due to too much or too intense physical exercise.

At this stage, your dog should be pretty good about self-moderating their exercise. When they get tired, they’ll usually just lay down.

At 12-months, 30 minutes of exercise two to three times daily should be good.

When owners do not include plenty of mental stimulation for their pet each day, Labradoodles become bored swiftly.

The danger here is that these ever-resourceful dogs will gladly find something within their reach to keep their minds occupied resulting in chewed table legs or shredded pillows.

Don’t miss our guide to mental stimulation to discover valuable benefits and tips to keep your dog mentally fit and sufficiently challenged.

Exercises & Games

Dog owners should be prepared to offer safe and permissible mental and physical challenges for their pups to perform on a regular basis.

Here are some extra activity ideas to work in:

  • Increase the complexity in some of their nose-work and hide and seek games.
  • Change the route you take on your walks to make things more interesting for them.
  • Change the pace of your walks.
  • Add to your outdoor agility course or enroll them in agility classes.
  • Teach them how to bark on command.

Full Grown

At about 1 year in age, a Labradoodle will usually reach it’s expected height. However, your dog will still likely gain weight for approximately 6 more months.

Of course, Mini-Labradoodle breeds will have smaller sizes respectively than their larger counterparts.

Recommended Exercise Time

You’ll want to make sure you keep your Labradoodle active throughout their life. A routine of 30 minutes of exercise two to three times daily should be continued.

As they age, you may need to cut back on certain physical activities that involve lots of jumping and excessive running.

Exercises & Games

Keep up with many of the same activities and games you’ve been doing. The saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” couldn’t be further from the truth.

Continue to challenge your Labradoodle’s mind even as their body starts to age.

Signs Your Dog Is Getting Too Much Exercise

Yes, it’s possible for your Labradoodle to get too much exercise and push themselves beyond the limits of their body.

When that’s the case, they will likely show signs. Here are some things to look out for:

  • Stiffness when they walk.
  • Hesitation for normal movements, like standing or running.
  • Generally seems overly tired or fatigued.
  • Weight loss.
  • Not urinating enough (a sign of dehydration).
  • Tries to avoid normal activities.

Signs Your Dog Isn’t Getting Enough Exercise

  • They may become hyperactive.
  • Increase in destructive behaviors, such as chewing, biting, excessive barking, digging, or scratching.
  • Weight gain.

Common Exercise-Related Injuries in Labradoodles

While Labradoodles from reputable breeders are typically healthy, there are some inherited health conditions and exercise-induced injuries owners should be aware of.

These include hip dysplasia, caused when the femur bone doesn’t fit the hip socket properly, Addison’s disease, and certain eye disorders.

Labradoodles can experience injuries due to overexertion and too intensive exercise sessions.

These include muscle sprains, tears or stiffness, joint damage, tendon or ligament injuries and painful muscle spasms, as overworked muscles break down and secrete toxins into the bloodstream.

Exercise Cautions

Important exercise cautions for Labradoodles include waiting at least 1 hour after eating before playing or exercising.

Owners should also wait 30 minutes following a walk or exercise session before feeding their dog.

These measures help to prevent gastrointestinal issues like bloating from occurring.

Related Questions:

When can a puppy jump?

Many recommend limiting your Labradoodle puppy’s jumping until they are at least a year old.

Twelve months is around the time their growth plates have fully closed. If they jump excessively before then, especially from bigger heights, long-term damage can be caused.

Is jumping bad for a puppy?

Labradoodle puppies that jump too early can do long-term damage to themselves. It’s best to wait until after the 12-month mark for their growth plates to fully close.

Any jumping before that age risks long-term damage. Common jump-related injuries include hip and other joint problems along with torn tendons.

How soon after a dog eats can they play?

Wait at least an hour after eating before letting your dog play to avoid gastric distress and bloating.

Additionally, wait approximately 30 minutes after physical exercise before feeding your dog.

That’s A Wrap!

Labradoodles are friendly, smart, and make wonderful family pets. This physical exercise guide for Labradoodles can help owners keep their dog safe and healthy during exercise sessions.

Remember to grab your copy of The Owner’s Guide To The Perfect Labradoodle before you go. It is truly a must-have for all owners and anyone considering this awesome breed.

Last update on 2024-03-29 at 00:10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API