4 legged running partners

cbeckl
cbeckl Posts: 79
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi All,

I run between 4-5 miles daily except for the days prior to my longer run, which is (at this time) 10 miles. I have 2 German Shepherds that I take with me, a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old. My vet states they are in excellent shape and calls them "warrior dogs", but have heard from other people that dogs shouldn't run more the 5 miles at a time. My dogs also go with when biking on the trails. They are on a vet recommended Glucosamine & Multivitamin supplement and I protect their feet with "muk-luks". Does anyone else run with their dogs and do you limit the distance?

Thanks A Bunch for the input!!

Replies

  • traceytwink
    traceytwink Posts: 538 Member
    My bro runs with his dog all the time they go for a good hours so cover a fare distance his dog loves it and leads the way all the way round, I would love a doggy running pal but hubby says no, one day I'm just going to have to bring one home ????
  • Aquabird
    Aquabird Posts: 38 Member
    I run with a terrier mutt and a Sheltie. The vet has cleared them both. The terrier is a sprinter and the Sheltie likes distance, so I just limit my runs to their needs. When one of them shows signs of tiring (running behind or getting overly distracted), I walk or take a break with them. If they feel up for more, then we do more. Otherwise, we head back home and I complete my run on my own.

    I know with puppies you have to be careful because their energy is more than their bones and muscles can handle, but I think if your vet has already okayed it and you work with their signals, then it is fine.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I have a 12 wk old Australian Cattle Dog, Cora. We have been walking daily for about 2 weeks now. We have worked up to about 3/4 - 1 mile in 15-20 mins. I worry that is too much for her. What do ya'll think? I will definitely talk to her vet about this when she goes in for her 3rd set of shots on 04/08/13.
  • elainecroft
    elainecroft Posts: 595 Member
    I have a 12 wk old Australian Cattle Dog, Cora. We have been walking daily for about 2 weeks now. We have worked up to about 3/4 - 1 mile in 15-20 mins. I worry that is too much for her. What do ya'll think? I will definitely talk to her vet about this when she goes in for her 3rd set of shots on 04/08/13.

    I have heard that for puppies you can run about 1 min for every month, and that you aren't really supposed to take them on sustained runs until they are at least a year (sometimes more for bigger dogs). Definitely check with your vet, because it can affect their growth!
  • TesselCat
    TesselCat Posts: 74
    My dog is a horrible running partner. :( He loves to run but as soon as he smells something he just wants to stop and sniff forever.
  • SariC3
    SariC3 Posts: 69 Member
    I haven't heard of running limitations. My dog (Shepherd/Husky) loves to run and if I workout in some other fashion, I go for a 4-wheeler ride and he runs along. <> We live on a farm. Our only problem has been a torn ACL. (He tends to be accident prone). Now we are contemplating getting a knee brace for him so he does re-injure the knee.
  • Aquabird
    Aquabird Posts: 38 Member
    I have a 12 wk old Australian Cattle Dog, Cora. We have been walking daily for about 2 weeks now. We have worked up to about 3/4 - 1 mile in 15-20 mins. I worry that is too much for her. What do ya'll think? I will definitely talk to her vet about this when she goes in for her 3rd set of shots on 04/08/13.

    Always check with your vet--you could even give him/her a quick call to check so you don't have to worry for the next week before you go in. Since you are just walking with her and have built her up to a mile, I think it is fine, though. Cattle dogs are built tough, so just going for long walks shouldn't hurt.
  • corsayre8
    corsayre8 Posts: 551 Member
    I have two, a Boxer and an Australian Shepard. The Aussie is crazy athletic and go forever as long as the temperature isn't to high. Think he was doing up to 12 miles with me a couple years back.

    The Boxer is a newer addition to the family, and while her endurance is increasing, she seems to start tiring at about 3-4 miles. Think as I'm able to start covering longer distances, she is going to have to stay home :-(

    Both are approximately four years old.
  • emmymcq
    emmymcq Posts: 278 Member
    I walk with my dog. He's not a runner, lol.

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  • pandoraw
    pandoraw Posts: 143 Member
    I have 2 dachshunds. One refuses to run with me(she is 7 yrs old). The other loves to run(She is 8 yrs old). We have just finished the c25k together, so I only run for 30 min. She is only 12 lbs and has very very short legs. My vet thinks it is great and she is in great shape.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    i would think it would depend on the breed. huskies can run for miles and miles, even as a puppy is never tired.
    I haven't run with her yet, but she is always running outside, and running with the kids. they are always tired before she is.
  • jus_in_bello
    jus_in_bello Posts: 326 Member
    What did your vet say about it?

    You have to know your dog. My dog would do a mile and then she'd get this look in her eyes that meant if she was done and we'd stop and lay in the grass and relax and walk home veeeeery slowly and then I'd drop her off and go run on my own. Some dogs will run until they drop, and that's bad too because they don't know their limits, fortunately my dog is very lazy and I don't have to worry about pushing her too far.
  • sPaRkLiNgLYFE
    sPaRkLiNgLYFE Posts: 609
    German Shepherds are athletic dogs aren't they? They usually do very well with agility sports, if the vet says your dogs are healthy i think they can handle running 5 miles with you.
  • ThinUpGirl
    ThinUpGirl Posts: 397
    I love my pug, Rascal, but he gets tired out from a 40 minute walk.
  • meganac69
    meganac69 Posts: 31 Member
    I would say it depends on the breed and temperament of the dog. In many cases, the dog will give you indications of what will work for them. I have as Aussie mix (11 yo) and Italian Greyhound (4 yo). We live in Arizona so we have to limit the outdoor exposure during the summer months to the early AM hours. But the Aussie, in her heyday (with her then Border Collie companion), would follow on trail runs or bike rides for 12-15 miles with no issues. We started to scale back on her exercise when she started to "disappear" on our desert runs (off leash in an open desert area) and we would find her waiting for us back at the car/trailhead. Now we limit her to 40 minutes or 3 mile routes in temps under 90 F for 5 days a week and short round the neighborhood walks on the remaining days. The Iggy is also good under under 5 miles in temps below 90 and above 50 (then we get into dog jacket weather) 5 days a week.

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