Running with a lab puppy

maryp123 wrote:

I have a 4 month old lab puppy who I'd like to take running with me on a regular basis. I took her for a 4 mile run this week (very slowly and with lots of stops for water- it took us about 40 minutes to cover the distance) and she seemed to love it. However, someone saw us running and told me that it wasn't safe for puppies her age to be running on pavement because they're prone to joint problems. Does anyone know if its safe to take a 4 month old puppy for a run? I'd really like to keep running with her, but obviously I don't want to hurt her.

Thanks for the help!

Much safer to wait until she is mostly grown. Depending on her genetics, she probably has a lot of growing to do, and purebred labs are predisposed to hip problems. Much better to let her grow before taking her on anything too long. Short stuff is fine, obviously puppies are made to run, just don't go too long yet, keep under 2 miles.

+1

You absolutely should not be taking a 4 month old dog running. Wait until she is at least 10 months (a year would be better) and start with short runs ~2 miles~ and build slowly.

Wait until the dog is at least a year old. Their bones are still soft and growing before then.

I wrote an article about this that goes into much more detail, but now I can't find it since letsrun's search function is not the best.

Be patient and stick to playing, walking and shorter jogs until a year. Doing 4 miles regularly is too much at 4 months.

Thanks for the info