An Irish Wolfhound puppy, up to the age of six months, should be allowed to play and roam where they wish without any actual formal exercise (with the exception of toilet training). This is primarily due to Irish Wolfhound Growth being very important at this stage in their life and it is therefore extremely important to allow the puppy both enough time to exercise and rest in equal measures.
As an Irish Wolfhound puppy will be growing extremely fast at this early stage, skeletal disorders can be caused by both wrong feeding and incorrect exercise. Encouraging an Irish Wolfhound puppy for early maturity is not only damaging to their Growth, but can have a dramatic affect to their health. It is most beneficial to have a puppy growing at their natural Growth rate, with Irish Wolfhound puppies, from 10 weeks old, growing at approximately 2 cm a week and increasing in weight at one pound every couple of days.
Although diet plays a major part in healthy Growth and skeletal development for an Irish Wolfhound, exercise is equally important. Many Irish Wolfhound puppies have been damaged by being allowed to play for extended periods of time, either with older Wolfhounds or with smaller, adult breeds of dog. Whilst it may seem exciting and useful at the time, smaller breeds have a lot more energy than an Irish Wolfhound puppy and as the puppy isn't aware of when to rest, they can cause a lot of damage by simply playing for too long.
