Paws on Training

The #1 mistake people make with their puppy 🚫🐶🔥

A tired puppy isn’t always a better puppy especially when they’re young. One of the biggest mistakes I see is trying to “wear out” a puppy by taking them on long, intense walks.

Here’s why that actually works against you:

✨ Growth plates aren’t fully closed yet
Puppies have open growth plates until about 12 to 18 months. Long repetitive walks put pressure on developing joints and can lead to soreness, limping, or long-term joint issues.

✨ Physical tired ≠ emotional regulation
You can walk a puppy for miles and they will still come home buzzing with energy. Long walks don’t build calm. They build stamina.

✨ You accidentally create an endurance puppy
If a puppy gets long walks every day that becomes their normal. Now they need that level of exercise just to settle which is exhausting for you and not healthy for their growing body.

So what actually works for puppies:

✔️ Shorter structured walks focused on engagement
✔️ Mental work like sniffing, problem solving, and fun training reps
✔️ Confidence building outings with calm exposure in new environments
✔️ Real life skills like boundaries, impulse control, and settling at home

This creates a calmer, more confident puppy without overworking their body.

If you have a puppy save this post.
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