Long distance running with my dog - how much is too much?

I have the most sweetest dog in the world. Maynard is a rescue dog and is 1/2 German Shepherd, 1/2 Golden and weighs 63 lbs. He is about 4.5 yrs. and is pretty furry - his coat is the length and consistency of a Golden%26#039;s. My question: I run alot, usually between 4-5 miles at a time up to 20+ miles a week (I only run late at night or early morning, out of the heat of the day) and he runs with me. I am training to run a half marathon in Nov. and will probably be increasing my mileage and I don%26#039;t know how much is too much for him. He LOVES running wiht me - he gets so excited when he sees me putting on my shoes, but I don%26#039;t want him to overdo it. Usually the last few miles, I%26#039;ll let him off his leash (we run around a park near my house) and he%26#039;ll run right along my side, never leaving me, so I%26#039;m afraid even if I ran 20 miles he would run until he would collapse just to be next to me. I know breeds like Dobermans can run for like 10 miles, but I don%26#039;t know about him. Any suggestions?

Long distance running with my dog - how much is too much?
I agree with most the other post, double check with your vet. Most dogs can travel up to 30 miles a day, however, they don%26#039;t do it all at once. I would slowly increase the distance each week by about half a mile. Make sure your dog is able to drink plenty of water the night before and after the run. Also, if you can, let him of the leash for most of it. That way, if he does get tired he can stop, however, I find it very unlikely that any human could out run a dog. More than likely, you will die from a heart attack or stroke, or just get a cramp before the dog ever stops, or is even so tired that it drops. But have a vet check him out for health issues.
Reply:Go as far as you want, just make sure sure to keep him hydrated. Dogs love to run and it makes them healthy. He will adjust as you do.
Reply:i would ask my vet about this





like you say the dog will run till it drops , so for peace of mind i would double check with my vet what a safe distance is








best of luck in your half marathon





Ian
Reply:It varies from dog to dog, but since your dog is a mix of high energy breeds, it doesn%26#039;t surprise me that a 4-5 mile run is exciting to him. You may want to ask your vet about this, but in my opinion, as long as he doesn%26#039;t seem like he%26#039;s about ready to collapse, you%26#039;re keeping him as cool as possible, and he enjoys it, you can keep running with him.
Reply:let him take breaks, and make sure he stays hydrated. just kind of test the waters with him... add a little bit each day... say today you run 2 miles... tommorrow run 2.5, slowly add and see how he reacts! Have fun!



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