# jogging with 6mo standard??



## dazydaizee (Nov 24, 2009)

I've read mixed opinions on this, but I'll give you my experience. I started jogging about a month before I got my puppy and was worried about stressing his joints by tethering him to me while I jogged. I started out jogging in a field, so I decided to tie him on a 30ft lead so I could keep an eye on him and he could enjoy the outdoors while I ran. He barked relentlessly on the lead so I let him loose and he jogged alongside me for the full half hour. He was 9 weeks old.
I know some say puppies will go past their limits without realizing, but this pup had energy to burn afterwards. He continued to run right along with me 3 times a week for a half hour until he grew tall enough that he started outrunning me. Now, at 4.5 months old, he jogs with me a bit, then runs full speed across the field to my running partner, then back again.
So at 4.5 months he's a very healthy, happy puppy who can outrun me off leash or on. He does most of his running on grass and softer surfaces, but we jog on pavement as well. I try to take a natural and realistic approach to my dogs.. so in my opinion, puppies run. I won't force one along with me and I try to keep mainly to grass and dirt, but I won't stop him from running. If that pup didn't get as much exercise as he does, I don't want to imagine how insane he'd be at home.


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

As someone with a dog that has hip dysplasia, I would never want to risk causing my dog joint problems in the future. 

Soft surfaces certainly lessen the risk, as does off leash "free" exercise, but I would wait til your pup is at least a year for "forced" exercise.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

The rule I was given was 5 minutes for each month of age, twice a day. And to avoid any high impact activity. So at 6 months that would be two 30 minute sessions per day. This was from a vet nurse with a lot of experience, who said she had seen so many large dogs with arthritis and joint problems in later life due to being over exercised as pups that she had learned to be very careful.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Ooops!


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

Puppies (and children!) can suffer life-long physical problems from extended, repetitive motion activities such as jogging. A 6 month old puppies can certainly go out for 1-3 miles but it should be kept to a walk or be allowed to speed up and slow down at will. This change of pace uses different muscle groups so that no one group gets over taxed.

1-2 miles every other week? Fine. Everyday or every other day? NO.


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## Winnow (Jan 2, 2010)

With young dog and pups I always take them out for walks with out a lead. So they can move as much as they want and when they get tierd I can see it.

I feel that its important for all dogs no matter what size they are to get exercise because the muzzle help the joints.

I would not take such a young pup running but I would take him out for a walk.


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## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

From what I was told, a puppy should not go jogging or have any form of strenuous repetitive exercises like running after a ball, frisbee or road worked until the growth plates close. 

I would never job or make my 6 mos. old puppy run repetitively to catch a frisbee or ball.

the best exercise one can give their growing puppy is allow them to speed at their own pace and best exercise for them is running with other dogs, slowing down running some more, roughhouse etc.. but not a repetitive motion like jogging or road working with them at such a young age.

We own and raise a large breed we dont want them to have issues later on in life and certainly not hip dysplasia or arthritis as older dogs.

I start road working my dogs ONLY at 18 months of age and not before.


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## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

i play flyball and used to train with a club who was owned by a vet. 

Puppies played flyball doing recalls (So running) but you'd do about 3-4 recalls. Large breeds never jumped anything over 2" during this time. And we'd work the ramp when they were about 6 months old. 

BUT This is 1x a week. total time working? 3 minutes. on matted or grass surfaces. never any height and only a couple repitition of each thing.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I see this is an old thread, but as I just spoke with our trainer about this, I'll chime in, too.

Our trainer was upset with me for taking Mia (3 month old Standard) on short jogs. It seemed fine to me because Mia (1) could keep up, (2) liked to race me up the hill at the end, and (3) still had enough energy to tear around our yard or house afterward.

The trainer recommended that I cut back on the exercise. The guidelines she gave us are no more than 40 minutes off-leash and 15 minutes on-leash per outing.

Mia is doing fine since we cut back. I was worried she'd have an excess of energy, but there's been little change, which suggests to me that I was overdoing it.

I hope this helps.


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