How much running is too much?

[kjhawkeye1]

My wife and I like to run (I'm training for a half marathon and she's prepping for a full) and we like to take our 1 1/2 year old Scarlett out with us so she gets exercise too. We don't ever run faster than a 10 minute mile (I know we're slow). Usual week is 3 days of about 3-3.5 miles and one long run on Sundays of increasing length.

The farthest we have taken her is 5 miles at a 12 minute per mile pace.

Are we over doing it with her or is this OK? She always seems to enjoy it and once in a while she will wear her Ruff Wear Approach Pack to carry our water, cell phone, keys, etc. Her pack is never loaded down.

We just don't want to do any damage to her. A friend of ours also told us not to take her on runs that long because it will build up her stamina and she'll never get tired and will use her extra energy as aggression. Is that true?

Thanks!

[Stormi]

I would be most concerned about the surface you are running on. Hard surfaces such as city concrete can be vey rough on joints and lead to problems down the line. She's at that age when her bones and joints are about to their adult formation, but as with any high impact events, it's never a bad idea to have x-rays before making long runs a routine thing. If there happens to be some joint abnormalities that haven't made their existence known yet, such high impact physical activity can cause damage.

And no, more exercise, combined with proper mental stimulation, is not going to result in "aggression". It results in a happier, healthier dog.

[Mooresmajestic]

My old lady Lucy used to go on 10-15 mile bike runs 5-6 days a week. We used to joke that she ran more miles in one year than most people drive. On the runs (my FIL and I) would stick to mainly packed dirt paths. She didn't start running that many miles until she was 3-4 years old, and was gradually worked up to that distance. Lucy is now 12 years old and can still manage 2-3 miles at a slightly slower pace. The runs are her outlet, they keep her fit, trim, healthy and happy.

[Sarah]

As long as you increase distances gradually, she should be fine.

[Leslie H]

http://siriusdog.com/ausdauerprufung-ad.htm

Here's a link for conditioning your dog for distance running.