PupStartPuppy Schedule by Age: Daily Routines from 8 Weeks to 1 Year
Sample daily schedules for puppies from 8 weeks to 1 year. Know how much sleep, exercise, training, and play your puppy needs at every stage.
Why Routines Matter
Puppies thrive on predictability. A consistent daily schedule reduces anxiety, accelerates potty training, and helps your puppy learn when to expect meals, play, training, and rest.
8-10 Weeks: The New Arrival
At this age, puppies need 18-20 hours of sleep. A typical day:
- 7:00 AM — Wake up, potty break, breakfast
- 7:30 AM — Short play session (10-15 min)
- 8:00 AM — Nap in crate (2 hours)
- 10:00 AM — Potty break, brief training (5 min), play
- 10:30 AM — Nap
- 12:30 PM — Potty, lunch, gentle play
- 1:00 PM — Nap
- 3:00 PM — Potty, socialization activity
- 3:30 PM — Nap
- 5:30 PM — Potty, dinner, play
- 6:30 PM — Calm evening activity, nap
- 9:00 PM — Last potty break, bedtime
3-4 Months: Finding the Groove
Sleep needs decrease slightly to 16-18 hours. You can extend play and training sessions to 10-15 minutes. Add a second short training session. Potty breaks can be spaced to every 2-3 hours during the day.
4-6 Months: Adolescent Energy
Your puppy is more active and needs structured exercise. Walks can last 15-20 minutes (5 minutes per month of age is a good rule). Training sessions can be 10-15 minutes twice daily. Naps are still critical — enforced rest prevents overtired behavior.
6-12 Months: Growing Up
By 6 months, most puppies settle into a routine of two meals, two walks, two training sessions, and plenty of nap time. They still need 14-16 hours of sleep. This is also when adolescent regression may appear — stay consistent.
Adjusting for Your Lifestyle
These schedules are templates. Adjust based on your puppy's breed, energy level, and your household rhythm. The key elements are: regular meal times, frequent potty opportunities, short training sessions, plenty of sleep, and supervised play.
Signs Your Schedule Needs Tweaking
If your puppy is excessively mouthy, hyperactive, or unable to settle, they may be overtired. If they seem bored or destructive, they may need more stimulation. Finding the right balance is an ongoing process.