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

I have the most sweetest dog in the world. He%26#039;s a rescue 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?
Hi -





From what I%26#039;ve known, dogs can run miles upon miles without even breaking a sweat. And he%26#039;s not running, he%26#039;s jogging. He%26#039;s not puting in that big of an effort to keep up with you. He has 4 legs unlike your two. His open mouth with tongue out breathing is normal, dogs do that anyways. And since you%26#039;ve been doing that all the time with him, he obviously is used to exercise. I%26#039;m pretty confident you don%26#039;t have to worry about your dog collapsing. Dogs don%26#039;t have rational thought. If he gets seriously tired, he%26#039;ll just lie down and rest, and just sit there. I would give him water though, just so he doesn%26#039;t get dehydrated.





Edit: This is what I found out as well -





Remember to start your exercise program slowly, and gradually build up the stamina of your dog. This is especially important if your dog is overweight, an older dog, or a puppy. Dogs, by nature, will loyally try to keep up with you even when their health is in danger. After walks be sure to provide shade and cool water on hot days, and warm, draft free housing in winter.





Jogging With Dogs


If you want to jog with your dog you need to select a breed of dog suited for distance running. Most dogs are %26quot;stop-start%26quot; runners, meaning they are suited to run for short bursts followed by stretches of walking. For most dogs, a long walk is more appropriate exercise than a run.





For those with running breeds, schedule the duration and the rigour of each outing over several weeks to gradually build up the dog%26#039;s stamina. For a 30 minute work-out, be sure to include a 5 minute warm up, a 20 minute run, and a 5 minute cool down period of walking.





An over-exerted dog pants heavily. Breathing may become irregular and the dog%26#039;s gait may become uneven - staggering. Breathing may suddenly become quiet and the dog might faint.
Reply:1-3km is okay if your dog is not too fat.
Reply:It%26#039;s very difficult to generalise about the distances dogs can run, even about the distances that certain breeds can run. It depends largely on your dog%26#039;s health, diet, etc. Dobermans can run for 10 miles but there will always be dobermans with heart problems or weight problems that can%26#039;t run for 5...get what I mean?





So you will have to watch your individual dog closely to ascertain how far is too far. As you increase your mileage, keep an eye out for signs of fatigue. Most dogs will not run to the death, and will slow down or stop suddenly, refusing to run anymore. However, there are dogs (like mine) who won%26#039;t stop even though they%26#039;re tired, so you need to watch out for signs yourself.





Keep the leash on throughout the run next time and be conscious of whether you start tugging him instead of letting the leash go slack. Listen for whether he starts panting especially heavily. Pale gums are also a sign. This doesn%26#039;t necessarily mean you need to stop and bring him home...depending on how bad it is, you might just need stop in the shade for awhile. Remember to bring water along for both you and your dog, it%26#039;s very important...but I%26#039;m sure as a seasoned runner you don%26#039;t need me to tell you that.





Don%26#039;t forget that as your fitness is increasing, his fitness is increasing as well. For all you know he might not have been able to make 4 miles at the start of your relationship with him and now he is able to make it with ease. In the same way, although he might not be able to make 20 miles right now, maybe he will be able to by the time you are able to. You don%26#039;t need to push him but at the same time, don%26#039;t give up once you realise he gets tired at 6 miles - just keep doing 5 miles and his fitness will catch up with you.





Running with your dog is a great activity for both of you, provides good motivation and is also very beneficial to his health. Good luck.



tanning