Hi, We have a chocolate labrador who is 4 years old and I go running with her at about 9:30 minutes / mile. How far can I go on a run? My runs with her have varied from 4 miles to 10 miles a few times per week. On the 10 mile run, she normally has a day off the next day and stays at home. On the 4 mile runs she is more than eager to go out the next day. Thanks Andy
Hi Andy and welcome to the forum. Is your dog on lead or off? On lead, I probably wouldn't take my dog more than about 5km a couple of times a week as it's incredibly hard on their joints to keep pace with you and you're just setting the dog up for future problems. If it's off lead, then the 10 mile wouldn't bother me as long as you had built up to it gradually. In the summers, I trail run a bit with my dogs, up to 10km a couple of times a week but they are off lead so can set their own pace which means there is far less strain on their joints. I'm aiming for a half marathon distance this coming summer so will be doing more, but will take it day by day to see how I feel it affects them.
I'm a big fan of trail running, too. When I was younger and Brogan was as well, we'd go for hours and it was so much fun. I did 'run' him onleash for much longer/further than @snowbunny mentions, but I'm the world's slowest jogger so for Brogan it was simply a walk. He did very well with 3-5 miles every other day, even at 11 years old. But again, for him it was just a walk. Fiona's recommendation seems very sensible for a proper run.
Hi, Molly is off the lead for 90% of it, and tends to keep up with me and the start but drops off at the end. We went out this morning for a 4.5 mile run on the lead and didn't seem to be lagging at. Most of its on canal tow paths, which go onto mud and grass after the first couple of miles. Thanks Andy
In that case, I wouldn't be overly concerned, although the fact she drops off at the end of the long run maybe means she's not ready for the longer distance yet - or maybe she's just bored? My lot run back and forth, investigating sniffs, running by my side for a bit, then stopping for a wee, catching up, going ahead etc. I think just running at heel would bore them. The most seriously concerning thing is that we haven't seen a picture of Molly yet. There's rules, you know, please share your lovely girl
