Is it safe for my young puppy to jog or run long distances with me?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This distance should be fine as long as you are periodically taking breaks during these walks / runs to prevent over-exertion. In the summer months, take care to provide plenty of water for Leo and if it is too hot, I would recommend shortening the walks / runs. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

What a cutie! I would follow his lead in the amount of exercise he needs. You are correct in that going running or prolonged jogging in a young dog is not a good idea, as their growth plates are still developing, so we recommend waiting until they are over a year old. Walks, however, and playtime outside with you are fantastic. If he is seeming like he is overly tired or not enthusiastic to continue walking, this would be a cue to slow down/stop. As he gets continued exercise his endurance will increase, just like a person starting to exercise.

Let him rest, make sure he has plenty of fluids, and feed him normally. If he gets worse, not eating or drinking, then please bring him in for treatment right away. He could be dehydrated, just exhausted, or have some muscle or bone pain from the run. Puppies shouldn’t run with their owners until their bones are fully grown, usually about 18 months old, depending on the breed. They can run around plenty on their own, just not a run at a steady pace for miles until they are grown up. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for puppy.

At this age your puppy can walk a couple miles but not run, you will be able to introduce him to distance running at the age of 6 months, you should do it very gradually though (every week increase up to half a mile.

Her bones will continue to grow until she is about a year old and so I always recommend some limits on them until that time such as no long distance running or mountain biking. For walks in the park however, I would say she is fine to go a couple of miles. I would base it more off of her behavior once she gets home. If she is exhausted then I would decrease the distance.

This is a great question. Thanks for being proactive. You can get Penelope in shape the same way you or I would. If she's doing nothing now, start with 2-3 walks a day of 5-10 minutes and build up to 30-60 minutes over a few weeks to months. Go slower if she's overweight or has a short nose, and faster if she's very healthy, has a normal length nose, enjoys the walks, and is a normal weight. After she can walk for 30-60 minutes 1-3 times a day, add in 5 minutes of jogging throughout the walk. If you're walking/jogging every single day, you should be able to scale up at a rate of about 5 more minutes every 3-7 days. If you're only jogging weekly or every few days, scale up every other week. Using this routine, you'll be able to slowly build up her endurance. Most dogs can and enjoy running several miles at a time and some enjoy much more. If she is a short nosed dog, ask your veterinarian before starting this routine to make sure it would be safe for Penelope. Be cautious when it's very hot out because dogs can get dangerously hot while jogging very quickly. She should be able to calm down and stop panting after a walk within about 10 minutes. Finally, if you end up jogging daily, Penelope may need a bit more food. Pay attention to her hips and ribs to make sure they aren't getting too bony.

Hello. I think with a high energy dog like a BC, the exercise you are providing is fine. You are doing this off-leash, so he is not forced to keep up & can go at his own pace. I would not be concerned about this at all, as if he was in a large yard, he would probably cover this distance multiple times a day. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.