Is my 5-month Goldendoodle getting enough exercise? When can he go off-leash?

Question

My goldendoodle is 5 month old and I take him on x2 30 minute walks a day on leash. I was wondering if this is enough, I would like to be able to let him off leash but I'm afraid he will run off as he's very excited by other dogs/people and there are also a lot of aggressive dogs around where I live so I'm always worried about him getting attacked. Will he be able to burn off enough energy on the leash or do I really need to let him off leash and will this change as he gets older? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 5 days old

Destini R. Holloway, DVM · Accepted Answer

For puppies we want to limit their activity to around 30 minutes-1 hr daily. And their activity should not be too strenuous on their joints, because puppies are actively growing and should have reduced stress on their growth plates. You are doing the maximum amount of work-out time right now and should not go beyond that. However, kudos to you for keeping your pet active and healthy. This will set the tone for Ziggy to lead a healthy adult lifestyle. You should work with a pet trainer to get you to the level of letting him off leash. Right now he is much too young to do so. He is still most likely learning and mastering basic commands, so take it nice and steady for now. As he gets older and more mature, you can slowly introduce off leash training. Also he is not neutered, so allowing him to go off leash may be met with resistance from people in your community. Consider having him neutered to help limit aggression issues with other male dogs, and also to prevent any mating attempts from him towards intact female dogs. Intact males are going to have a more dominant attitude and typically will get into more altercations (fights). This is something that a lot of pet owners don't really think about, but check with your local county also to read up on the laws concerning allowing intact male dogs off leash. I hope this helps and best of luck with your puppy Ziggy . Take care.

Is my 5-month Goldendoodle getting enough exercise? When can he go off-leash?

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