Everyday care
Walk, sniff, learn. Then rest.
A fulfilling day balances movement, choice, mental activity and a protected place to switch off.
In this guide / 5 chapters
Make outdoor time meaningful
PDSA gives around half an hour of daily exercise as a breed-level starting point for healthy adults, alongside play and learning. It is not a universal minimum for an ill dog or a target to force on a puppy. Split outings where helpful. Let your dog sniff and investigate at a comfortable pace rather than treating every walk as a distance challenge. Ask your vet to tailor activity if there is limping, breathing difficulty, heart disease or a painful joint.
Choose safe equipment and company
Use a well-fitted harness that allows comfortable movement and check for rubbing or escape gaps. Keep identification on a collar as required. Choose quiet routes while confidence develops and avoid uncontrolled encounters with much larger dogs. Carrying your dog away from danger can be appropriate, but routinely removing every safe opportunity to explore prevents learning. Check paws, comfort and recovery after activity.
Three enrichment ideas
Scatter part of a normal food allowance over a clean safe surface for a sniffing search. Hide a few pieces in a towel folded loosely under supervision, removing it if your dog chews fabric. Practise a familiar cue for a minute and finish while the dog is still engaged. Choose toys too large to swallow and remove damaged pieces. A puzzle should offer achievable success; help or simplify it if frustration rises.
Rest is part of care
Create a warm, quiet, draught-free bed where people and other pets leave the dog alone. Offer a choice of resting positions and avoid making a crate a place of punishment or prolonged confinement. Puppies may need help settling after excitement, not more stimulation. Persistent restlessness, changed sleep or reluctance to lie down warrants a veterinary conversation. Do not use an exact internet sleep-hour quota to dismiss a change in your own dog.