When is it safe to start jogging? I've read some say not to take a dog jogging any earlier than 6 months all the way up to 18 months of age. I can't imagine waiting a year and half before a dog can safely jog...

I want to take our new guy (5 months old) jogging, but I don't want to hurt him. Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!

-Riley

Hi Riley--

Your sources are mostly correct. Puppies should not be taken jogging on pavement, sidewalks, or other similar hard surfaces. This is for a number of reasons. For one, puppies have very sensitive growing bones and joints. The impact of running on hard pavement can severely damage or stunt their growth. Further, puppies don't have an internal sense of their bodies' limits. So, whereas you may be okay running for ten or twenty minutes, a puppy won't know this. Thus, he will keep running with you because he is excited and eager to please. For this reason, they may exhaust, over-exert themselves, or even run until they collapse.

However, 18 months is a bit long for a non-working sled dog. I would say at one year you can start building your pup up to lengthier runs, but you must keep an eye on his level of exhaustion. Closely monitor when he starts to get overtired and stop before he hits that point.

For now, your pup can safely engage in free play. Running around on grass or a softer surface indoors is perfectly safe. Fetch is a great game for puppies because it has limited running and there is more of a start and a stop rhythm, which gives the pup a moment to think "Gee, I'm tired!" Tug of war games or mental stimulation like training or a puppy version of "Find the Queen" are all great activities for a puppy.

So yes, I would wait until 12 months to do any serious exercise.

Perfect!

Thanks, free play for us it is.

Happy to help