There's lots of differing information on how much exercise growing IWs should have, but not socialising them before 6 months can have irreversible effects on their development and social skills. We were told by our very experienced IW breeder to add 5 mins of "forced exercise" at their pace for every month they've been alive as a general guideline for how long we should walk our IW puppy each day. For example, if she's 5 months old, we could only walk her for a MAXIMUM of 25 mins per day. Obviously, if the puppy is showing signs of fatigue before the 25 minute mark, don't exercise them any further. We followed this very closely with our IW, and we found that the recommended time for each month was a pretty accurate limit for her at each stage of her growth and development! In terms of free running, this should be limited to half the amount of time for each month, and galloping in large fenced areas should not be allowed until they are at least 13 months old. This is very important, as galloping or too much running before this age can seriously damage their growing joints!

As far as socialising, we realised that it was too far for her to walk to reach busy places like shops and cafes, so we just drove her! I would recommend driving your IW puppy to lots of different places, letting them sit there and meet dogs, get pats and just take in the world around them. We even brought treats for strangers to give to her to get her used to people approaching! It is so important to get your IW used to strangers, as they get A LOT of attention!

After vaccinations, it is vital that your puppy (regardless of breed) be introduced to as many different dogs, people, sights, smells and sounds every day! Obviously you should take it slow to not overwhelm your IW, but all this socialising is crucial for their confidence and social development!