Cockapoo Exercise Requirements – Puppy & Adult Cockapoo Needs! (2024)

A brand new Cockapoo puppy has graced your family with its presence!

These adorable and friendly dogs come from Poodle and American Cocker Spaniel parents and are a popular choice for many families.

A relatively low-maintenance dog with a great attitude, the Cockapoo makes for a great dog for first-time pet owners, families, and elderly couples.

Their intelligence makes them easy to train, and their playful behavior is sure to have the family amused and laughing at every turn.

Yet, when you own a Cockapoo puppy for the first time, you may not be sure just how much exercise you should be giving them.

After all, it may seem as though they’re eager to play all of the time.

Cockapoos already have moderate energy and activity levels. They don’t require a lot of play like other active breeds do.

However, the amount of exercise they require is different from when they’re a puppy to when they’re an adult.

How much exercise do Cockapoo puppies need? A good rule of thumb is five minutes per the number of months of their age. So, for six-month puppies, they’ll need exercise for 30 minutes. For four-month puppies, they’ll need 20 minutes. This exercise should take place twice a day. Puppies require less exercise than the adults.

A lot of harm can be done to a puppy if they are overworked. Knowing just how much exercise to give a puppy versus an adult dog is important.

We will give you some specific advice on how long and what kinds of exercises are best.  

Make sure you stick around to the end to see what Cockapoo owners are doing to keep their dogs active and healthy!

How often should I walk my Cockapoo puppy?

Cockapoos receive a lot of their energy from their American Cocker Spaniel side. That breed was used primarily in hunting.

They’re used to long-distance hiking, flushing game, and even retrieving quarries in water. Because of that, they have high stamina.

Poodles can sometimes be very energetic, too. They were also used for hunting sometimes and are considered to be water dogs.

Together, they make for a potentially active dog, although every dog is an individual.

For Cockapoo puppies, they need less exercise than their adult counterparts. Too much exercise can actually injure their growth and development.

Since puppies are growing in the first 12 months of their life, sometimes longer, if there is too much stress placed on their bones and joints, they can become injured and deformed.

It may not be immediately noticed, but as they age, those problems can arise and seriously impact their lifestyle.

To ensure your dog’s health in the long-run, you should adhere to the rule of thumb for exercising puppies.

Five minutes of exercise per month of age twice a day is the formula to use.

A one-month puppy should receive five minutes of exercise. A two-month pup should have 10 minutes. A three-month-old dog should have 15 and so on.

Walking is the best exercise that you can give your puppies. It’s also typically all that they need. Go for a short walk around the yard or even around the block.

Since socializing is important during the puppy stage, it isn’t a bad idea to take them to a local park to meet other dogs and humans.

They’ll receive all the exercise that they need whilst growing comfortable around other animals and people.

3 Toys to get your pup active…

• Puppy Toy Pack — We highly recommend this puppy toy pack, filled with a wide variety of 12 different toys that are the perfect size for puppy mouths.
• Ball Launcher — Looking to tire your pup with a good game of fetch? Save your arm and back with this cool ball launcher – no more bending over to pick up slimy balls!
• Tug-O-War Tug — This rubber tug is worth checking out. I love it because it doubles as a chew toy and flies through the air nicely for games of fetch too.

How much exercise does a Cockapoo need daily?

When it comes to an adult Cockapoo, they’re usually happy with exercise that lasts around 20 to 30 minutes twice a day.

For particularly active and energetic dogs, however, you might be looking at around 40 minutes of play. It largely depends on how high their stamina is.

Cockapoos also love to play around. So, while you may give them all of the exercises that they need, you may find that they’re still eager to play with you inside the home.

The amount also varies depending on how fit they are.

Healthy dogs should have around 30 minutes of exercise. Yet as they grow older, even healthy dogs may want to exercise less.

You should still try to get them that 30 minutes. However, it might be in the form of a simple walk instead of an energetic jog or several games of fetch.

Gentle exercise over demanding exercise is a good choice for elderly dogs.

For chubby dogs who are unhealthy due to being overweight, you’ll want to gradually return them to a good level of fitness.

This can be through increased intervals of walking to working them through obstacle courses.

This chart will give you a better idea of what’s good for a puppy and what might be a bit too much.

Perfect for Puppies	A Bit Too Much
Walks around the block on a leash, keeping it casual and fun.	Jogging or biking for any significant stretch might be too much for a smaller puppy. Don’t make them keep up with you; go at their pace.
Free play in the yard with some toys. Let them run and play, and have fun with them! If things get too exciting, try and calm them a bit.	Long stretches of running and really vigorous play at the puppy stage might be too much.
Walking around the house is always fine for a pup; you can guide him or her along with you to get some exercise.	Climbing stairs, hills, or really long stretches of strenuous activity – you need to watch for signs they are ok.
A fun game of fetch or tug of war is a popular way to get in some exercise with puppies around the world!	Again watch for signs of too much. Puppies are still growing and developing. Too much can put strain on their joints at this age.

Some signs that your dog may need more exercise is if they’re overweight, lethargic, seemingly less happy, and if they start chewing up or destroying parts of the home.

The latter especially can be a sign that they’re bored. Because Cockapoos are intelligent dogs, they also need mental stimulation.

The importance of mental stimulation really can’t be overemphasized, as it is so critical to a dog’s all-around well-being.

When their minds aren’t engaged or challenged often enough, boredom soon follow, which frequently results in unwanted or downright naughty behavior.

Our complete guide to mentally stimulation will answer all your questions and provide fantastic ideas to help keep your dog mentally sharp and happy in general.

Exercise can be a great mental activity as well as physical stimulation for them.

Adult dogs are basically ready for most kinds of play.

Due to their roots, Cockapoos love going hiking. You can take them out into the forest and let them explore all the new smells and sights.

They also may be great fans of water. You can rent a kayak and take your Cockapoo for a trip across a calm river or lake. Don’t be surprised if they decide to jump into the water, however.

Even a simple game of fetch or hide-and-seek can be a lot of fun for an adult Cockapoo. It combines bonding, exercise, and mental stimulation all into one activity.

Suitable Types of Exercises for Puppies:

Because puppies require less exercise, as well as gentler forms of exercise, you need to make sure that the activity you introduce to your puppy doesn’t hurt them.

Toys

Toys are an ideal way to gently exercise your puppy, as they naturally encourage playfulness and movement without placing too much stress on growing bones and developing joints.

Really, the more toys you provide, the better.

Like children, puppies can bored of playing with the same toy over and over, so having a good variety is your bet at keeping them entertained and interested.

Of course, safety should always be considered. You want to only provide toys that will stand up to your pup’s busy little mouth, as choking is something you never want to deal with.

We have been through a lot of toys in the past few years and learned a lot along the way. Some were awesome; some lasted no more than a day.

To save you from experiencing the same trial-and-error approach, we put together a list of our favorite toys, each one dog tested and owner approved.

Games

Some of the games that you might introduce to them are fetch and tug-of-war. Fetch can be a great way to help strengthen their legs, teeth, and neck.

However, try not to play too hard with them. Their puppy teeth will fall out at some point, and you don’t want to pull one out before it’s ready.

Fetch is a safer option. It allows them to run at their own pace while chasing after a ball or toy. It also helps develop their strength in order to lift the ball and return to you.

Finally, fetch requires some learning. They have to understand the commands that are given.

Fetch, return, and come are chief among those commands that your puppy can benefit from knowing.

Both tug-of-war and fetch also allow puppies to chew. As their puppy teeth are lost and their adult teeth come in, they’re going to be doing a lot of chewing.

To ensure that chewing doesn’t occur on your shoes and personal items, games like these can offer enough of distraction for them.

They’ll be focused on pursuing the ball and have a chance to do a bit of chewing to relieve some of the pressure in their mouth.

Younger puppies can also benefit from being led around the yard.

Although they’re unable to travel too far due to their young age, you can still give them a good walk around the yard.

This will allow them to understand where their territory is located. It also can help teach them where to go potty.

Exploring the yard is an exciting time for a young puppy who is learning new things.

Once the puppy is a little older, you can start to walk them around the block or in dog parks. Their world is expanding.

Your puppy will likely want to stop and sniff everything that they can. It’s a good a time as any to introduce new commands like come and sit.

Since Cockapoos have a tendency to jump on people in order to greet them, this is also an opportunity to curb such behavior.

Finally, while you’re out walking your puppy, allow them to sniff other dogs and meet new people.

Bad behavior should be curbed, but socializing your puppy is an important part of making them comfortable with new experiences.

Walking is better than running for your puppy. When done on hard surfaces, their delicate joints can be damaged even further.

What People Are Saying:

We take him for one or two walks a day, and by ‘Walk’ I mean me walking through a field while he orbits around me at break-neck speeds.

They do settle down and love to play, but like all dogs they love routine. In terms of walking, I give mine 3 a day spanning 2 hours, but I’m sure an hour would be just as good – we live next door to woodland so they get a good run.

We can take her for a 2 hour walk, and she will still run rings around you once you’re back home.

They have nowhere near as much energy as a Border Collie. We walk ours twice a day, maybe 20-30 mins. a time, and maybe twice a week he goes to the park for an off-the-lead run. This is more than enough to tire him out.

Exercising your Cockapoo correctly and often enough is certainly an important aspect of caring for your dog. However, there is so much more to know!

On our Cockapoo breed page, you’ll find answers to questions that pop up frequently among new owners as well as tips on grooming and what to expect during puppyhood.

Last update on 2024-09-17 at 16:40 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API