How Many Times a Week Should I Walk My Dachshund?

You may be wondering how much exercise your Dachshund needs.

Specifically, how often you need to walk your dog per week and for how long.

The short answer is that it varies by each particular Dachshund.

Factors like age, health, mobility issues, and fitness level must be considered.

Another thing to reflect on is their behavior.

A Dachshund that is always chewing up things they shouldn’t, barking excessively, and generally being “a pain in the butt” may be in need of more exercise.

In this article, I’ll explain the factors you should consider and give my advice (as someone who keeps her Dachshunds fit and active)

How Many Days of the Week Should You Walk Your Dachshund?

This can depend on the factors below but there are some general guidelines.

Ideally, your healthy, adult Dachshund should get a walk every day – so 7 days a week. That’s not always convenient for you or ideal for your dog though.

How many times a week you walk your Dachshund depends on their individual needs.

While our Dachshunds probably sleep all day waiting for us to get home, us owners live busy lives.

Some days, we don’t have any energy left when we are done with work or a full-day or errands.

Realistically, most people aren’t able to walk their Doxie every day of the week. Aim for the best you can do but give yourself some grace if you have to skip a day or two.

Also, pay attention to how your dog is feeling after a particularly long or hard walk and adjust accordingly. Your Dachshund may need a rest day to recover.

This can be especially true for a senior Dachshund who has stiff joints and possibly arthritis.

What Is the Minimum Number of Days You Should Walk Your Dachshund in a Week?

Based on personal experience, both with my Dachshunds and from the research I’ve done online, the minimum you need to walk your Dachshund is 3 days a week.

This minimum will ensure that your dog is at least getting some regular exercise.

The ideal sweet spot for me – between what I have time for and what keeps my Dachshunds relaxed and happy at home (and sleeping through the night) – is 5 days a week.

I always shoot for at least 5 days knowing that I may not be able to achieve that.

Some weeks I may be able to walk my dogs the 5 days a week and sometimes I can only squeeze two in.

I figure if I aim high, and fail to hit my goal, I almost always get at least 3 days in.

I figure if I’m averaging 3-4 days a week (if I look at the total number of walks for the month) I’m doing pretty good.

How Long Should I Walk My Dachshund?

How long you walk your Doxie depends on your pace. Obviously, if you are walking slower, it can take more time to cover the same distance.

Time is not necessarily the gauge you should use to make sure your Dachshund is getting enough exercise.

I suppose the real question here is how far should you walk your Dachshund.

This is where considering the age, health, and fitness level of your dog comes into play.

Dachshund puppies should’t exercise rigorously until they reach maturity. The general rule is 5 minutes of walking per month of age up to twice a day (see below regarding how many times).

So, for example, a 4 month old puppy could walk up to 20 minutes twice a day.

Puppies should also not be pushed to walk as fast as they can. While they should be learning leash manners on walks – don’t pull, don’t stop to sniff everything, etc. – they should be allowed to amble along at purposeful but relaxed pace.

Since a person walks an average of 2 mph, and a puppy will go slower (maybe 1.5 miles per hour), you and your 4-month-old puppy will probably only cover a half mile per walk.T

Even though they have a lot of energy, very young puppies should not be expected to walk more than about 20 minutes at a time.

Of course, a 8 month old puppy can go further so, using the formula above, you may easily be able to cover a mile or more per walk.

Small dogs are typically done with their important bone and joint growth period by a year old.

So once your puppy is close to 12 months, it should be fine to start increasing distance and difficulty (but be sure to check with your vet if you have any questions).

If your Dachshund is over a year old, and they are healthy, the sky is the limit when it comes to distance. Almost anyway.

You should always keep an eye out for signs that your dog is getting too tired of walking.

If you walk your Dachshund consistently over varied terrain (ie. more difficult sometimes), and start with shorter distances and work up to longer ones, an adult Dachshund can easily walk 5 miles a day or more.

My Dachshunds can easily hike 5-7 miles a day and they each have hiked up to 11 miles in a day.

Of course, senior Dachshunds will eventually start to slow down and not be able to walk as long.

A Dachshund is generally considered a senior at around 10 years of age.

Some senior dogs can take 30 minutes to amble a half a mile (and get tired after going even that far).

How Many Times a Day Should I Walk My Dachshund?

This is more of a personal preference.

The rule for puppies says they can walk a certain amount (5 minutes per month of age remember) up to twice a day. You can choose to walk your Dachshund puppy once a day for the duration calculated or twice.

You could also calculate the daily limit (5 minutes X months of age X 2 times a day) and divide that time by 3 if you wanted to walk them more often.

With an adult Dachshund, you can go for the whole walk at once – so 1 time per day – or take them out for several shorter walks a day.

In my experience, it doesn’t make much difference when it comes to tiring them out and keeping them healthy.

What really matters is how daily walks with your Dachshund fit into your routine, that your Dachshund is getting enough exercise, and what you enjoy.

Final Thoughts

A healthy Dachshund over 12 months of age should be walked 3-7 days a week.

It’s always good to aim high that way if you fall short of the goal, you probably walked your dog at least 3 times that week.

Ideally, Dachshund puppies should be walked every day but they do have limits on the amount of exercise they can do based on their age (5 minutes for every month of age up to 2 times a day).

Walking your puppy every day will help strengthen their muscles, increase their fitness, and provides a great opportunity to work on leash manners and bonding.

If your senior Dachshund starts to have health or mobility issues, ask your vet how much exercise is safe for them.

Also, pay attention and dial back the distance or frequency you notice your dog getting tired. They may also start to need a rest day in between walks.

If you want to see how your efforts stack up against some other Dachshund owners, check out what fans of our Facebook page had to say about how often they walk their dog.

Of course, exercise is only one part of the equation when it comes to ensuring your Dachshund is happy and healthy.

Diet is also a huge factor. Feed your Dachshund quality, healthy food to help keep them fit and keep their energy up.

You may also want to consider adding supplements to your dog’s diet.

I hope I’ve helped you figure out how often, and how long, you should be walking your Dachshund to keep them fit, healthy, and happy.

You may also be interested in:

Why Your Dachshund May Be Refusing to Walk on a Leash

How to Train (or Trick) Your Dachshund to Walk in a Harness or Jacket

How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking Your Dog?