XP from health and fit: Running with dog question.

nic9911

We recently adopted a puppy and I hAve started taking him for runs. He's 4 mo old lab and almost 28 lbs. I love running with him and want to teach him to run with me. I may be posting in the wrong place, but do you think he is old enough? It's just a couple of miles a few times a week and not fast by any means. If we walk, we walk. But I'm wondering if he's too young or if I need to up his food intake/ do anything special? Thoughts?

 H and P thought he may be too young to run due to age/growing. I'm going to double check with the vet. I don't want to cause him damage.

niemand88f

Unfortunately he is too young, I believe it is recommended to wait until at least 1 year to avoid injuring growing bones and joints (http://www.petco.com/Content/ArticleList/Article/12/1/2227/Exercise-for-Puppies.aspx), but double-check with your vet to because some breeds should even be 1.5-2 years old. 

nic9911

Thanks. I don't know why this never crossed my mind until after a few jogs. I was initally just concerned about him not getting enough calories if he was exercising until I thought about development too. I will be re thinking play time and exercise for him. Thanks again.

aaf10

Yes, that might be too young. In goldens they recommend to not start running before 18mos-2 yrs old. I know it sounds so far away, our puppy is 8 months old so we still have 10 more months to go! The only running he gets is off leash, so he can run at his own pace, stop when he needs to rest, etc.

justaname

Another vote for too young. You can cause serious musculoskeletal problems by making a young dog run with you. I would wait until he is at least 18 months before taking him on runs with you but you can ask your vet for some breed specific recommendations. Good luck!

LuckyAngel07

Beating a dead horse at this point, but yeah, he's way too young. I've been DYING to start taking our Boxer running with me now that I'm starting it up again, but she just turned a year, and for med/large dogs they definitely say not to start "forced runs" before 18 mos. It sucks to have to wait, but you'll all be better off when he gets the chance to grow and form all those joints properly without any strain! So just stick to good brisk walks for now; a couple of miles for a walk is no problem once your pup works up to that length.

aggiebug

I also wanted to add that along with waiting to start running you should make sure to feed him a large breed puppy food. The large breed has a lower Calcuim: Phosphorous ratio which is better for big dogs.

GrayGhost13

Ditto all the pps on the age issue.

I would just add that if you want to run with him when he's two, there are some things you could work on now that will make it easier to get started when he's ready. Leash manners are number one. Teaching him to walk without pulling is a start; teaching him to get into heel position and match your pace is even better. Also, if he's excited by other dogs, people, small animals, etc., it would be good to start working on impulse control, since you're more likely to trip over a bouncing lunging dog when running. A "watch me" or "look at that" command and a strong "leave it" will help a lot.

GL! Running with a dog is a lot of fun, so good luck with it when your pup is finally ready.

doglove

Yes - please don't run with him until he is about 1.5 years to 2 years old. You want to ensure the growth plates have completely closed and do not cause damage to bones/joints. He is still growing and could injure himself.