Somewhat OT: Dogs and running

Everything I've been told about long distance running with dogs is NOT to do it. Very bad on most breeds! Only a few are capable of it. We're not talking about a few km's here, that won't hurt them, but unless you have a husky or some other long distance breed it's apparently very hard on them, at least jogging or running.

Walking though... I have a lab, I started taking mine out at about 6 months with no issues. Walks of any length won't bother them much though, just make sure they have access to water if it's pretty hot out.

Yeah breed makes a big difference. My german shepherd likes to walk and will do a little jogging. But my husky will run ALL day if I could let her. Mostly I just walk them or take them to the dog park for exercise though which they both like.

definitely ask your vet. most people here are no veterinary professionals, thus cannot give professional advice.

Ha! I just bookmarked this article a little while ago:
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-with-dogs/make-your-dog-your-running-partner?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Training-_-HowToRunWithDog

They recommend 18 months as well.

Everything I've been told about long distance running with dogs is NOT to do it.

^^ sounds like good advice

I don't know about specific breeds of dogs, but based on what I know about biology, humans are fairly unusual among mammals in our ability to withstand long distance running. Most mammals are sprinters and not cut out for long distance running. Humans have a mostly hairless body and we sweat over our whole body, and our running gait is particularly efficient for long distance running. It's thought that our early ancestors did persistence hunting, which is where they hunted other mammals by running after them repeatedly, tracking them down each time they got away, never letting them rest until they died of heat exhaustion - exploiting our ability to lose heat much more easily... other mammals are covered in fur and only lose much heat through their mouths (which is why dogs pant when hot).

As such you can't expect another mammal species - especially not one covered in fur that pants when hot - to be able to cope with long distance running in the way a human can... it doesn't surprise me that there'd be some variation in terms of the breed as humans have bred certain dogs as hunting dogs, but even in breeds like husky that have been bred to run long distances, bear in mind that they were bred for running in a very cold climate as a sled dog, so that needs to be kept in mind when it comes to the issue of dogs staying cool on long runs.

A vet would know far far more about this than me, I'm a jack-of-all-trades biology/evolution enthusiast who doesn't know that much about dogs specifically. But in terms of human evolution, we have a number of specific adaptations for long distance running that other mammals don't have, and we're unusual among mammals in that respect.

Don't run with them until they're at least a year old.

Build up their stamina gradually, but dont expect them to be able to run really long distances.

And always check their paws and pads carefully afterwards.

Everything I've been told about long distance running with dogs is NOT to do it.

^^ sounds like good advice

I don't know about specific breeds of dogs, but based on what I know about biology, humans are fairly unusual among mammals in our ability to withstand long distance running. Most mammals are sprinters and not cut out for long distance running. Humans have a mostly hairless body and we sweat over our whole body, and our running gait is particularly efficient for long distance running. It's thought that our early ancestors did persistence hunting, which is where they hunted other mammals by running after them repeatedly, tracking them down each time they got away, never letting them rest until they died of heat exhaustion - exploiting our ability to lose heat much more easily... other mammals are covered in fur and only lose much heat through their mouths (which is why dogs pant when hot).

As such you can't expect another mammal species - especially not one covered in fur that pants when hot - to be able to cope with long distance running in the way a human can... it doesn't surprise me that there'd be some variation in terms of the breed as humans have bred certain dogs as hunting dogs, but even in breeds like husky that have been bred to run long distances, bear in mind that they were bred for running in a very cold climate as a sled dog, so that needs to be kept in mind when it comes to the issue of dogs staying cool on long runs.

A vet would know far far more about this than me, I'm a jack-of-all-trades biology/evolution enthusiast who doesn't know that much about dogs specifically. But in terms of human evolution, we have a number of specific adaptations for long distance running that other mammals don't have, and we're unusual among mammals in that respect.

I love how many truly intelligent responses I get to read in these forums, and all the new and different perspectives!

You guys are the best. Love MFP!

Limit running with a puppy until they are fully grown (1-2yrs) as the extra pressure is not good for their joints. This is the reason many dog clubs (including my local one) do not allow dogs under 18mths to do agility classes due to the jumping involved. Larger dogs need to wait longer. Train the puppy so they are use to walking correctly with you but I personally would recommend waiting to do any more than brief little runs with the puppy. Talk to your vet the next time you visit to get personalised advice for you dog. I'm sure you have with your GS but ensure you build up distance slowly so the dog builds stamina.

Have fun

^^ the dog should be fully grown and then it s breed dependend. Some dogs are prone to joint and hip problems. Therefore, ask you vet. Also, it depends how fast and far you run. I do a combination of running/walking when out with the dogs (Wheaten terriers) and this gives them time to rest, but then...mine seems to be running non stop and mich faster than I can...

Stef.

Agree with everyone on not till at least a year old. I saw a young girl jogging yesterday with a very young puppy looked like a lab ,of course he looked like it was fun and was willing but im sure she was unaware of how much potential damage she was causing.

Everything I've been told about long distance running with dogs is NOT to do it.

^^ sounds like good advice

I don't know about specific breeds of dogs, but based on what I know about biology, humans are fairly unusual among mammals in our ability to withstand long distance running. Most mammals are sprinters and not cut out for long distance running. Humans have a mostly hairless body and we sweat over our whole body, and our running gait is particularly efficient for long distance running. It's thought that our early ancestors did persistence hunting, which is where they hunted other mammals by running after them repeatedly, tracking them down each time they got away, never letting them rest until they died of heat exhaustion - exploiting our ability to lose heat much more easily... other mammals are covered in fur and only lose much heat through their mouths (which is why dogs pant when hot).

As such you can't expect another mammal species - especially not one covered in fur that pants when hot - to be able to cope with long distance running in the way a human can... it doesn't surprise me that there'd be some variation in terms of the breed as humans have bred certain dogs as hunting dogs, but even in breeds like husky that have been bred to run long distances, bear in mind that they were bred for running in a very cold climate as a sled dog, so that needs to be kept in mind when it comes to the issue of dogs staying cool on long runs.

A vet would know far far more about this than me, I'm a jack-of-all-trades biology/evolution enthusiast who doesn't know that much about dogs specifically. But in terms of human evolution, we have a number of specific adaptations for long distance running that other mammals don't have, and we're unusual among mammals in that respect.

^ This. Talk to your vet. Most dogs really aren't adapted to distance running.

This does make a lot of sense. My question is....what is defined as 'long distance running' serious question here lol. Im new to running hence the walk/run pattern.

modern hunter-gatherer tribes that practice this form of hunting generally run for several hours at a time, and at least one such tribe has a ritual where they dance for literally 24 hours straight or even longer, until they hallucinate. Humans really have a remarkable capacity for endurance......... (this of course requires a lot of training, bearing in mind that unfit sedentary humans can barely climb a staircase without getting exhausted!! but in the absence of medical issues/disability, pretty much any human can train themselves to run marathons if they have the will and determination to do so)...... but in an evolutionary context persistence hunting and adaptation to long distance running you're talking about marathons and even longer runs.

regarding what kind of distances dogs can run, AFAIK it varies by breed, and it's something you'd need to check with a vet about. And I'm sure it's also true that dogs would need to be trained and conditioned to be able to cope with longer distances, just like humans, but the maximum dogs can manage even when used to running will be limited by their biology. Other factors like climate need to be taken into account too, as a dog has a greater risk of overheating than a human. I'm not a vet and I really don't know very much about dogs specifically... just mammals generally. Most of my knowledge of biology comes from humans and closely related primate species. So a vet is the best person to advise how far each breed of dog is able to run safely, and how to build up your dog's stamina, what age they can start running, etc.