Running with Dogs

Spokane is a running town...  Well really its a basketball town, but with a lot of runners.  I commonly get questions about when you can start running with your dog, and how far they can go.  Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast answer to this as the answer will vary based on the dog and his/her owner.

First we will address when to start running with your puppy.  Let me preface this by saying there is no peer reviewed data available to us at this time that measures the effects of running on orthopedic development in dogs.  But we can extrapolate from what we know about running and what we know about dogs.

Observation of wild dogs shows that puppies are very active from an early age.  Rambunctious play, sprinting, jumping, and rough-housing are all part of normal puppy growth and socialization.  A large breed puppy's normal exercise threshold is probably greater than most adult humans.  However, puppies engage in self-regulated short high-intensity exercise... not long plodding miles on the pavement.

While this high intensity exercise can appear to be high-impact, the force applied to joints (and more importantly growth plates) over the given exercise period is significantly lower than for jogging over the same period.  Therefore, most orthopedic specialists will recommend skipping the leash runs until a dog is 12 months old.  The idea is that excessive force applied to a growth plate can cause changes in growth characteristics and at worst premature growth plate closure.  Another worry is that long term low level stress can cause changes in bone conformation due to the relative malleability of young dogs' bones.

Another piece of the puzzle needs to be filled in by the owner.  What do you consider to be running?  My wife's runs, my runs, and my sister-in-law's runs are completely different things.  A 12 minute mile run around Manito park would be fine for a 6 month old lab puppy.  A half marathon run in an hour and thirty minutes on the centennial trail would likely be too much.  As much as I dislike the term "common sense", it must be applied here.

Once a dog is mature, the next question is "how long can I take him?"  The answer depends on breed, age, and conditioning.   Most people that want to take their dog for a run have fairly energetic medium to large breed dogs.  Your average lab or retriever can easily be honed to medium distances (5 -7) miles, and could likely go further given some training.  My great dane, Ilse, goes for a 6 mile hill run on trails with me almost every week.  She's walking beside me at a leisurely pace as I gasp for air on the miles of switchbacks.  She will, however, hit a wall at 10 miles.



Ilse at Checkpoint "0" during a winter trail run

I have met dogs that have run marathons.  Like people, they have a few prerequisites.  First they must like to run.  Second, they have to have the athletic potential.  Finally they must be carefully and methodically trained to do so by gradual increases in weekly milage... just like a person.  If you have any doubts as to the endurance capabilities of canines google search "Iditarod" and see what the elite canines can do.

Jeff King 2006 Iditarod team.  Alaska Stock Images.

Also like people, dogs are not immune to injuries sustained from running.  Running places a lot of stress on joints, tendons, ligaments, and pads.  A running dog will likely develop some kind of overuse injury during it's career.  As owners we need to be attuned to our dogs' normal gait and take heed when we think there is a change.  Missing a couple weeks worth of runs to rest an injury is better than missing a couple months or years because we ignored early warning signs.

We must also remember that our dogs are much more prone to overheating than we are.  They are not effecient at evaporative cooling (sweat).  During the summer months, it is best to run in the early morning to avoid the heat of the day.  If the distance is long enough for you to want water, it is more than long enough for your dog.  I pack a collapsable nylon fabric water bowl for Ilse.

A dog is a barefoot runner... perhaps a well-padded one, but barefoot nonetheless.  Hot surfaces, broken glass/sharp objects, course surfaces, and excessive miles are real hazards for dogs that our well-shod feet may not even be aware of.  So you must be vigilant for the sake of your running partner, who will happily follow you anywhere you lead him/her.

Finally, maintain control of your dog.  Leash laws protect your dog from dangerous situations as much as they protect people from dangerous dogs.  I know your dog is the sweetest thing that would never cause any harm... I can't say the same about the truck he runs out in front of, or the other dog walking towards you.