The Running Thread--2024

[azrivest]

At what age can I start running with my dog?

For context, we adopted a German Shepherd mix in September. At a little over 5 months, she is driving us completely crazy. She needs way more stimulation than we can give her, even with DH going on 2+ hour walks each day with her. We've tried every mental stimulation game at the store, we do obedience training with a trainer, we've given her multiple bones to chew on. But she never. stays. still. Constantly biting and jumping on us. Vet says she's lost her baby teeth already, so that's not the cause of the biting. There's only so much time she can spend in her crate.

I'm thinking of taking her out on a few of my runs, as my run pace is like a fast walk for her. Maybe it would help her to spend some of that excess energy. But at the same time at 5mo she might be too young still.

 

[Herding_Cats]

At what age can I start running with my dog?

For context, we adopted a German Shepherd mix in September. At a little over 5 months, she is driving us completely crazy. She needs way more stimulation than we can give her, even with DH going on 2+ hour walks each day with her. We've tried every mental stimulation game at the store, we do obedience training with a trainer, we've given her multiple bones to chew on. But she never. stays. still. Constantly biting and jumping on us. Vet says she's lost her baby teeth already, so that's not the cause of the biting. There's only so much time she can spend in her crate.

I'm thinking of taking her out on a few of my runs, as my run pace is like a fast walk for her. Maybe it would help her to spend some of that excess energy. But at the same time at 5mo she might be too young still.

View attachment 911715

controversial opinion: take her running. Working dogs gotta work. Not on pavement/roads. Take all of her body language and signals into account for when she's done. I started our pup (smaller breed though that doesn't have tendencies for hip dysplasia) at about that time. At even though he's a high-energy hunting breed, he was stopping to lie down on the shoulder of the road after about 2 miles. And that was WITH 30/30 intervals. Is she going to be a running partner as part of a long-term plan? If yes, figure out how you want runs to look from a behavior standpoint and be really, really consistent about it from the start. Do you want her to run in a heel/by your side position? Loose-leash but in front is ok? Some pulling but not dragging you around? If you're planning on using a waist-belt for the leash and allow some pulling, get a high quality one (like a canicross one) that won't mess up your back.

 

[Naomeri]

At what age can I start running with my dog?

For context, we adopted a German Shepherd mix in September. At a little over 5 months, she is driving us completely crazy. She needs way more stimulation than we can give her, even with DH going on 2+ hour walks each day with her. We've tried every mental stimulation game at the store, we do obedience training with a trainer, we've given her multiple bones to chew on. But she never. stays. still. Constantly biting and jumping on us. Vet says she's lost her baby teeth already, so that's not the cause of the biting. There's only so much time she can spend in her crate.

I'm thinking of taking her out on a few of my runs, as my run pace is like a fast walk for her. Maybe it would help her to spend some of that excess energy. But at the same time at 5mo she might be too young still.

View attachment 911715

I have no advice, but she's a beautiful pup!

 

[azrivest]

started our pup (smaller breed though that doesn't have tendencies for hip dysplasia) at about that time.

Our vet has given her an excellent bill of health. She might be too young to diagnose, but so far she isn't at risk for any hereditary issues like dysplasia

 

[Herding_Cats]

Our vet has given her an excellent bill of health. She might be too young to diagnose, but so far she isn't at risk for any hereditary issues like dysplasia

My very personal opinion is that people tend to be significantly over-protective of their dogs when it comes to exercise. If your pup is healthy, take them for a run, and be ready to pull the plug as soon as they indicate they're tired. Puppies don't run continuously in play but they can play for HOURS. I also think there's this misconception by a lot of the public that "running your dog" means you are out there sprinting around. And with vet costs the way they are, I understand people being hesitant to accidentally injure their pup by doing too much too soon. Even just learning the structure of how to go for a run and the expected behaviors would be really tiring (in a good way) for a pup IMO.

 

[garneska]

@azrivest i agree with @Herding_Cats. She is young but follow her lead if she needs rest. I took Mallory running when she was younger for the same reason she just needed more exercise. It worked great.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Also like you said, "running" for most of us is basically a fast walk for a dog. Case in point: this morning my dog decided he was in a hurry to get back, so the last 10 minutes of our walk were him trotting and me running to keep up

So it's not like your dog would actually be running for 45 minutes or whatever. Seems fine to me!

 

[superchime]

As someone who is also working hard to keep a high-energy puppy entertained, I feel your pain!

I'll defer the running question to people who have had big dogs longer than I have. For my pointer puppy I'm still sticking to the 5 min per month of age rule for my girl, especially because our walks are on blacktop roads and she has some hip issues. *But* one thing that helps tire her our more than a regular walk at my side, is a "sniffy walk" where I basically let her go at her own pace, point at all the squirrels and bunnies and birds, and sniff all the things. It's very very slow going but the sniffing really engages her brain, so much so that now I'm looking into doing nose work with her. Another thing that really helps is tossing her kibble into the grass and letting her scrounge for it, or I'll put a bowl of her food in the yard somewhere and have her hunt for it. Every dog is different so this might not work for you but I just thought I'd throw it out there in case it helps. Good luck! She's a cutie!

 

[azrivest]

Another thing that really helps is tossing her kibble into the grass and letting her scrounge for it

We did that the first few weeks on advice from the trainer. Wonder why we stopped great advice as well, thanks

 

[accm]

Speaking of running with dogs - does anyone have a running belt/leash they recommend? My sister is getting into running, and she takes her golden with her. She asked for a leash for running with him for Christmas, but I know literally nothing about running with a dog.

 

[avondale]

Speaking of running with dogs - does anyone have a running belt/leash they recommend? My sister is getting into running, and she takes her golden with her. She asked for a leash for running with him for Christmas, but I know literally nothing about running with a dog.

I don't have a dog that I run with, but from the point of view of a trail runner who encounters other people walking/running with dogs on the trail: PLEASE no extension leash! Numerous times I've almost been clothes-lined by a dog and person separated by 10+ feet by a nearly-invisible gray metal cord. I'm talking about those leashes that extend/retract into the handle so they can go from a few feet long to very long.

 

[accm]

I don't have a dog that I run with, but from the point of view of a trail runner who encounters other people walking/running with dogs on the trail: PLEASE no extension leash! Numerous times I've almost been clothes-lined by a dog and person separated by 10+ feet by a nearly-invisible gray metal cord. I'm talking about those leashes that extend/retract into the handle so they can go from a few feet long to very long.

Oh I’m 100% not getting her that. I had a dog lunge at me that was on one of those leashes and the owner wasn’t paying attention while running.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Speaking of running with dogs - does anyone have a running belt/leash they recommend? My sister is getting into running, and she takes her golden with her. She asked for a leash for running with him for Christmas, but I know literally nothing about running with a dog.

I love running with a bungee leash because it takes a lot of the jerk/yank out and makes it more gradual. It also has a "traffic handle" for when I need to grab him and be well under control. Something like a ruffwear roamer (7ft.)
HOWEVER.
I run on the side of the road in a rural area and will see maybe 5 cars and no other people out walking/running/biking when I'm out. I'm more worried about him bolting after a squirrel or rabbit, or wrapping himself around the post of someone's mailbox than I am about other people/dogs/bikes.



If I ran somewhere urban, or on trails where there are a frequently other people I would 100% NOT be using a bungee leash. And really, you don't need a special leash for running, unless you're encouraging pulling for something like canicross. For urban running, I would probably have something like a 6ft flat nylon leash (proabably 1in wide for a golden retriever) with a traffic handle built into it.

 

[sandam1]

I'm thinking of taking her out on a few of my runs, as my run pace is like a fast walk for her. Maybe it would help her to spend some of that excess energy. But at the same time at 5mo she might be too young still.

I compete in agility (dog obstacle course) and I am a former agility instructor so I come at this from a slightly different perspective. With a large breed dog that has a wide variety of potential physical issues like a German Shepherd, I just wouldn't take that chance. In agility, we don't allow dogs to jump full height until they are at least a year old and sometimes longer for larger dogs. So many things can go wrong that might not show up for years and you don't want to look back and say "what if."

Now, if you do want to try to burn off some energy, you could swing by the house at the end of your long (slow) runs and pick her up for your cool down. Even if you don't usually do intervals, do a short 15-20 second run and then walk to recover (30 seconds minimum). Start these short - like 10 minutes short - and then add more time doing this for a few weeks. Also, use this time to work on teaching her how to run with you (in a straight line, no pulling, etc.) and to making it fun for both of you.

We've tried every mental stimulation game at the store, we do obedience training with a trainer, we've given her multiple bones to chew on. But she never. stays. still. Constantly biting and jumping on us.

Putting on my dog trainer hat on here - make sure that you are also rewarding calm/still behavior. So many people try to keep their high-energy dogs active (which is great!), but they forget to teach an off-switch as well. The foundation of this is asking her to lay on a mat and then calmly and randomly rewarding as she stays there. Also, using things like licki mats and hunting for treats (the foundation of nosework) are awesome low-activity ways to occupy their minds.

I have a 1.5 year old puppy/Tasmanian devil/wild child who is "a lot." But I can honestly say that it does get better with time, patience and a lot of hard work. Kind of like running actually...

 

[FFigawi]

I compete in agility (dog obstacle course) and I am a former agility instructor so I come at this from a slightly different perspective. With a large breed dog that has a wide variety of potential physical issues like a German Shepherd, I just wouldn't take that chance. In agility, we don't allow dogs to jump full height until they are at least a year old and sometimes longer for larger dogs. So many things can go wrong that might not show up for years and you don't want to look back and say "what if."

Now, if you do want to try to burn off some energy, you could swing by the house at the end of your long (slow) runs and pick her up for your cool down. Even if you don't usually do intervals, do a short 15-20 second run and then walk to recover (30 seconds minimum). Start these short - like 10 minutes short - and then add more time doing this for a few weeks. Also, use this time to work on teaching her how to run with you (in a straight line, no pulling, etc.) and to making it fun for both of you.

As an agility judge, competitor, and owner of medium and large breed dogs, I agree with this 100%. Unstructured running where they determine their speed and intensity is one thing and can be very beneficial. Asking them to run at a set pace for a set time is something completely different. Waiting until she's older and her growth plates have set might be frustrating, but it's likely to better for her in the long run.

 

[azrivest]

As an agility judge, competitor, and owner of medium and large breed dogs, I agree with this 100%. Unstructured running where they determine their speed and intensity is one thing and can be very beneficial. Asking them to run at a set pace for a set time is something completely different. Waiting until she's older and her growth plates have set might be frustrating, but it's likely to better for her in the long run.

I understand what you're saying, but we're really at a point where if things don't change, we're going to send her back. There won't be a "in the long run"... We've tried everything we can to avoid an adoption fail, but she's too much for us at this time. We're giving ourselves two more weeks to see if things improve with our trainer, we're at our wits' end.

I know this might seem trivial for some, like right now we're thinking we won't even be able to have a Xmas tree. She'll tear it down. And that's almost unforgivable to me

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

At what age can I start running with my dog?

For context, we adopted a German Shepherd mix in September. At a little over 5 months, she is driving us completely crazy. She needs way more stimulation than we can give her, even with DH going on 2+ hour walks each day with her. We've tried every mental stimulation game at the store, we do obedience training with a trainer, we've given her multiple bones to chew on. But she never. stays. still. Constantly biting and jumping on us. Vet says she's lost her baby teeth already, so that's not the cause of the biting. There's only so much time she can spend in her crate.

I'm thinking of taking her out on a few of my runs, as my run pace is like a fast walk for her. Maybe it would help her to spend some of that excess energy. But at the same time at 5mo she might be too young still.

View attachment 911715

Sounds like you guys are trying so hard to make it work. Kudos to you! She'll grow out of this phase. Try taking her on your run!

 

[azrivest]

Sounds like you guys are trying so hard to make it work. Kudos to you! She'll grow out of this phase. Try taking her on your run!

Thanks for the encouragement. We're doing everything we know to make it work.

 

[sandam1]

I know this might seem trivial for some, like right now we're thinking we won't even be able to have a Xmas tree. She'll tear it down. And that's almost unforgivable to me

I know that we're getting completely away from your original question, but we found an easy (and attractive) solution to this last year. We got our wild child, Honey, at the end of October last year at 7 months old and by December just knew that there was a good chance that she was going to take down our Christmas tree, especially since she liked to squeeze around and under things that we set up as barriers around the house. Every other dog that we've had learned the "not near the tree" command pretty easily, but let's just say "she's special." The compromise was to put up the tree, but only put non-breakable ornaments on it.

However, once we put presents under the tree, we found that she completely left the tree alone. If I had to do it over, I would take a bunch of packing boxes (either empty or maybe fill them with something to give them a little bit of weight) that will fit under the bottom branches, wrap them, and use them as a barrier and to give the tree some added stability. It's a lot more attractive than some of the fencing that you see online and cheaper. Just something to consider...

I can see where you are coming from. Honey has been "a lot" and there were days when we first got her when my mom considered returning her. But, as a trainer, I also love the challenge of a super smart dog. Once I started focusing on what worked for her and not every other dog that we've had, I got more success. For instance, if my mom is sitting in her chair and Honey comes out of the crate, she likes to jump all over her. So now, I put a treat on the path to the outside door (and away from the living room) before I open the crate. Honey comes out, heads right for the treat (she can see when I put it down), and then heads right outside. It's all about pairing what I want her to do with what she is already likely to do and creating that pattern over and over again. I won't say that we're 100% there (at 1.5 years, she's still very impulsive), but we're getting there.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled running chatter...

 

[LilyJC]

I'm thinking of taking her out on a few of my runs, as my run pace is like a fast walk for her. Maybe it would help her to spend some of that excess energy. But at the same time at 5mo she might be too young still.

It’s hard to say from the angle of the pic, but it doesn’t look like she’s necessarily a large breed. While growth plates fusing/waiting till she’s finished growing is ideal (we had to wait until our two Rhodesian Ridgebacks were 2+ and chose to wait for our Great Dane/shep mix), keeping your sanity is really the priority if you’re close to returning her. From the pic it also appears she might have some cattle dog/another herding breed/husky mixed with the shepherd which could definitely be causing more insanity!

I would also say if your running pace is a fast walk for her, it really should be fine… Another suggestion if you haven’t already tried it is to use the kongs for avid chewers. You can stick peanut butter (non xylitol) inside to get her interested if needed. For one of my shepherds we rescued years ago, his kong was life! Anyhow, good luck and don’t feel guilty using the crate if you need a break!