Is a Labrador a Good Running Partner?

i had a black lab, wouldn't fetch and keep on jumping on me. i cooked it. taste like any other dog.

You only have to walk them to get them fit.He will love it

and you will never "drop" him no matter how fast you run.

I have a lab who is now 10 yrs old. She was fantastic about running with me until she was about 7 years old and then she really wasn't able to keep pace comfortably for more than a couple of miles. She used to be able to run 6 minute paced training runs with me no problem, but age has caught up with her. She has a 10k PR of 37:12 and won a 2 mile dog jog in 10:45. My wife now tries to run with her some and she still loves it, but the pace is much more pedestrian.

She was very good about adapting to running on a leash and not meandering or trying to do so all over the place while running to break up the stride.

Just to be fair, be sure you take any lab to go swimming and play fetch as that is their passion...at least mine and all her lab friends.

Can't say enough about these dogs. Even my brother's 1 yr old lab who chews on everything, is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met and plays gently with my elder lab.

I will post all his bad performances so that everybody can bash him.

labs were not really intended for running long-generally dogs w/ long legs and light bodies are best--so like danes and mastiffs would be out too- sled dogs like siberian huskies are great, but if it gets warm where you live they really suffer and they can be a little aggressive i've heard

I've found pointers to be very good-I have a little waimer and he's the best training partner i've had--very well behaved and i never need to leash him when we are on the trails--that makes life alot easier--they are more energetic than labs though and require more attention

I also have a couple of coon hounds--great runners, but i have to keed them leashed when we go--they are more "independent" and follow theier noses rather than take commands--but when they are home they're like rugs

get a harness that goes around their chest--its better than a collar--if they pull they won't gag--also it keeps the leash snap on their backs in one spot--they won't get the leash tangled w/ their legs

also use a a retractable leash--it takes up the slack and it allows them to do their own things without having to stop as much--you can control them better too

try to run near where they can get water when they want it--they don't have sweat glands in their skin and need to cool their tounges and paw pads--and if they can dunk their whole bodies it can help bring their body temps back down

I run almost every day with my yellow lab. She just turned two. Labs are very smart dogs with a lot of energy, so they should love running and can be trained very quickly to run next to you off the leash. Just make sure you get your dog into a training class right away and stick with it. The dog will learn to listen to you and then you won't have to worry about your dog running off on you through out your run. Just bring them up right and both of you will look forward to every run.

There's no difference in "personality" or behavior among the different colors of Labs, although blacks sre preferred by people who get them primarily for hunting, yellows by yuppies, and chocolates...well, who knows. Chocs look kind of rheumy in comparison to yellows if you ask me.

Mine has run a sub-5:00 mile and under 17:00 for 5K, although a few repeat 200s are more his his thing. As someone noted, obedience class is a good idea (this goes for any high-energy dog whether you plan to run with it or not).

Try to set things up so that the dog can jump in a river or pond at the end of his or her run...it'll love the dip for its own sake and will be kept cooler this way too.

If you run just a small amount on pavement this will keep you from having to trim the dog's toenails, which is a real pain in the ass.

thebigobowski wrote:

labs were not really intended for running long-generally dogs w/ long legs and light bodies are best--so like danes and mastiffs would be out too- sled dogs like siberian huskies are great, but if it gets warm where you live they really suffer and they can be a little aggressive i've heard

I've found pointers to be very good-I have a little waimer and he's the best training partner i've had--very well behaved and i never need to leash him when we are on the trails--that makes life alot easier--they are more energetic than labs though and require more attention

I also have a couple of coon hounds--great runners

This guy is right on. Don't get a lab for a running partner if you want it to do any decent mileage or speed with you. I have a lab mix that my wife and I have run over 5000 miles with. We thought she was a great runner until we got some kind of coonhound/shepherd mix from the pound. This dog is much skinnier and can run circles around the lab. There is simply no comparison; labs are too big and muscular to be good runners. They are made for swimming in cold climates. Get a dog that was made to run: bird dogs, coon dogs, shepherds. All of these are bred to run all day and you literally can't tire them out. This subject has been discussed endlessly on this board and I say the same thing every time: get a skinny mutt to run with you. If you must have a purebred dog, go with pointers, spaniels, shepherds, or hounds.

i've been thinking about my lab Sally getting some racing flats - does anybody have any sugestions?

my oldest is german shep-coon hound mix and i've had him for 10 years--i ran him too much on hard surfaces and he had knee surgery a few years back--he's enjoying retirement now--i take my other two out on trails/dirt rds only

one of the true joys of running hunting dogs in the woods is cleaning off the crap they roll in to hide their scent--you cant put a price on a good time--my waimer likes to smear crap on him like war paint

Had to pitch in on this one.

Running dogs too much, too young is not advisable. Background and disclaimer: I own, show (conformation, obedience and field trials) and run with Rhodesian Ridgebacks, arguably one of the greatest endurance breeds. My veterinarian breeds and races Huskies, arguably the greatest endurance breed. He and his father have a combined 60 years of experience there. None of us are obese and neither are any of our dogs.

The most common consequence of running a dog too much too young is hip displasia and arthritis later in life. If you get it wrong, your dog - about 8 TO 10 YEARS from now - will need multiple ~$5000 surgeries, continuous Rimadyl treatment and will be unable to walk or run without significant pain. And it will be your fault.

Just a year or so of patience and restraint, however, will give you a running partner for five to ten years who will enjoy a happy old age. If you can't show that level of patience you probably consider not owning a dog. There is no instant gratification in dog ownership...

So how little? For most Lab/Rhodesian sized dogs, no more than10 minutes continuous running from 6-9 months, no more than 20 minutes from 9-12 months and no more than 30 or 40 minutes from 12-18 months. Then you are good to go. One of my Rhodesians then easily built up to an hour and 45 on hilly trails at about 7:30 pace before her second birthday. Until that time, I'm sorry, but it's about the dog, not about your workout.

But puppies run like crazy the whole time, I hear you say. True, but they stop frequently, which they generally can't do on a run.

Finally, DO attend several rounds of puppy school with your new buddy. If your dog does not show good recall, not jump up at strangers, not run at heel when commanded (off leash) etc., guess who's to blame. (Hint: it's not the dog...)

Sorry to preach and sound badass about this, but running a puppy for an hour is akin to making your 10 year old human child run marathons. And not doing the obedience thing is akin to not sending them to high school!

AD

no doubt the dog needs to do some base building - no LT runs or intervals in the first 6 months.

My two labs are tough in the beginning, but they settle down after about a mile. One warning: talk with a vet about when to start running with your dog. If your dog starts too early, it could cause damage. (advice from our vet)

If you put peanut butter on your balls, the dog can be trained to lick them. It also works well on your ass if you're into that sort of thing. My wife got pissed when we showed her the new trick on weekend, though.

grey hounds????

i just adopted a 7 year old yellow lab and he loves to run a few miles with me at about 7:00 pace, though I don't take him on my 'serious' training runs so I don't know if he's a true runner.

Don't forget the famed Komen's 17:18 5k.

http://www.cmsrun.org/news/news_99/stories/jingle_bell_5k.html

grey hounds were primarily bred for what would be considered sprinting to dogs, but i have heard of folks having success running w/them

here are some considerations: they have a slight build--awesome for running, but they shiver like a leaf in the cold--can be an issue if it gets cold where you live

also, if you take them in the woods,they are a little more prone to getting cut up--they have a thin coat and isn't great protection against briars, sticks, barbed wire, corn stalks, whatever--if you don't go off into the wilds this may not be an issue

(you can protect them with a chest protector--hunting dealers like cabelas have them--i got a nice neoprene one for the waimer--blaze orange for hunting season, it would keep him a little warmer in the late fall- little bastard ate it though)

also. they have small paws--being a hillbilly, i was raised to believe that the size of the pooche's paws would indicate how much pounding they could take--coon hounds have very lage pads, they are breed to track game very long distances--if you live in the 'burbs and you are going to run them in a park on smooth footing- i would think greys would be fine--anything rougher may not be so good

i was thinking of various breeds and their pros and cons--

what do you think?

dobermans--very good athletes--one used to win the miami mile back in the 80's--really smart, obedient--coat is thin for taking them in the woods

german shepards--built to run too-very sturdy--geniuses, they can do your taxes in april if you need to--bodies are thick, they suffer in warm weather

australian sheps--lots of energy, easy to train--legs may be a little short

setters--perfect running bodies--a little dopey though

mals and huskies--what can you say--hard core athletes--they roast when it gets warm