YMMV wrote:
Vizslas are amazing runners.
My son and his wife were very good collegiate runners who still are running seriously in their late 30s. They got a Viszla a year ago. It loves to run up to 7-8 miles per day with them and is extremely affectionate with their kids. However, it is not thrilled about cold weather. If you want a great medium-sized high energy running dog that is very friendly you can't beat a Viszla.
father of a runner wrote:
YMMV wrote:
Vizslas are amazing runners.
My son and his wife were very good collegiate runners who still are running seriously in their late 30s. They got a Viszla a year ago. It loves to run up to 7-8 miles per day with them and is extremely affectionate with their kids. However, it is not thrilled about cold weather. If you want a great medium-sized high energy running dog that is very friendly you can't beat a Viszla.
There is no reason to get a Vizsla over a shorthair, except color. They are becoming trendy as pets and less popular as hunting dogs. That portends disaster for the breeding, just like it did for Goldens, Cockers, and a lot of labs.
Shorthairs are hardier, less sensitive, more cold and heat tolerant, plenty family oriented, and once trained rarely forget their manners. They also have a lot more endurance. These are 20 mile a day, six day a week dogs, easy. They are probably less outwardly friendly to strangers, but thats a positive for dogs.
Not saying a Vizsla is a bad breed, but it's a much higher likelihood of getting a bad dog vs a shorthair.
My kids want a dog for Christmas wrote:
We've decided to get a puppy for our kids. They want a golden retriever. I heard they are too energetic and need daily exercise. Will it be able to keep up with me in my 60-90 minute runs or should I get another breed?
The best runner I ever had was a golden/lab mutt. A sweetheart hobby jogger.
My 8 year old golden x lab runs 30 miles a week at 8-8:30 min/miles. Has to be on a leash with a waist belt or he would dislocate my shoulder but other than that he’s the best running partner.
Veterinarian wrote:
My 8 year old golden x lab runs 30 miles a week at 8-8:30 min/miles. Has to be on a leash with a waist belt or he would dislocate my shoulder but other than that he’s the best running partner.
Teach him to heel, vet. Should have been done 7 1/2 years ago.
This is so true. Your kids will get bored within a couple of months when it isn't a puppy anymore and then it's your responsibility.
Get them something more manageable that'll die faster, like a hamster or a rat.
It depends on the local climate. My golden retriever (3 years old) can happily do 13miles+ in winter at 7minute mile pace or quicker, in the summer more like 5miles - and I live in the UK. All that fur can cause some serious overheating.
She is great with the kids and they are not bored with her yet. The advantage of taking her for a run (after 1year of age) is that she does a good impression of a doormat for most of the rest of the day.
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but does anyone know if German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, and Siberian Huskys are good for running?
sorry op another question wrote:
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but does anyone know if German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, and Siberian Huskys are good for running?
Just a guess, but huskies would probably only be good in the cold. The other two dog breeds have hip problems caused by the breeding methods to exaggerate certain features, so a lot of running could speed this up.
Not sure what kind of running you’re looking for but, yes, Goldens can run. My high school coach had one and I ran with it on tempo days. They can easily sub 6 min pace for 3-5 miles.
I’ve encountered Huskies and a Doberman that we’re even better runners though. I mean, Huskies do the Iditarod.
doesn't matter what kind of dog you get, none of them are really built to run training pace for 60-90 minutes. unhealthy for the animal at that point
no please wrote:
doesn't matter what kind of dog you get, none of them are really built to run training pace for 60-90 minutes. unhealthy for the animal at that point
Not true. Look at the GPS reading off a field trial dog - they routinely average 8 mph over 60 minutes. And that’s because they are hunting, which means slowing down and stopping near birds.
If they were just running they could go faster. Need to be trained to that point and watch the temperature, but plenty of pointers and English setters can handle that work, and most herding dogs probably can too.
Last year I participated in a flat muddy trail run 46 kms long (that’s about 28 miles for you mile guys).
2 guys each with a german shepard and one guy with a border collie.
The 3 guys and the 3 dogs finished well before me.
OP I think Golden Retriever's are great running dogs! A quick Google search will agree that they are among the best dog breeds to run with as well.
My father has a 2 year old Golden Retriever. When I come to town to visit (SF Bay Area) I regularly take her on runs with me, in parks and up mountain trails off-leash. She's super well behaved, won't run away, and can keep up the whole way.
One time I do think I ran her too much. I ran every day with her for a week while I was visiting, including a 10 mile run around 6:30 pace toward the end of the week. She got tired and thirsty. I think this is largely due to the fact that no one runs with her regularly. When I come into town it's some of the only running she does (other than her 100 x 30+mph sprints for the ball that she does at the park). But even then, it wasn't until doing 40+ miles with me already that week and the 9th or 10th mile of a run that she showed signs of fatigue.
Dogs are great! Even if your kids grow somewhat tired of dog responsibilities as they mature, is it JUST for them? Or are you getting the dog for you, too? I think if you raise the Golden right, and teach it to run from a young age (not too much too fast or you can hurt his/her growth plates like others have stated) then you're looking at getting one of the best family and running dogs out there.
I own a Australian Shepherd and he is a great running dog. During the hot months he only wants to run 2-3 miles due to the heat in Georgia, but in the winter he will do up to 15-16 mile long runs with the final 3-5 at 5:50-6:10 pace. As he has gotten older I have to watch his joints and make sure he has his vitamins so his joints stay fresh.
As far as children, he is very loving and helps them stay out of trouble. When they are acting up or doing something stupid he lets us know if we are not near them.
Goldens are fine runners but are not good in warm weather. Mine would pant if it was over 10C or 50 F, Labs would probably make for a better running partner and are also great with kids.
Before getting a golden do a google search on "Golden Retrievers and cancer." About 2/3rd of all goldens die of cancer now and their life expectancy has dropped like a stone as a result. We have lost both of ours to cancer and will stay away from getting another as a result. The prevalence is worse in the US than in Europe.
Weimaraners are excellent short hair running dogs. I also recommend adopting a greyhound.
Golden Retrievers have a good disposition and are very loyal. They shed a lot. Pure bred goldens are known to have issues with hip dysplasia. So the running career may not be very long.
Note that Golden Retrievers did not make this top 20 list of good running dogs.
https://www.outsideonline.com/1856881/20-best-dog-breeds-runners
Fixed it for you.
The Real Dogsnob wrote:
The Vizsla is one of the oldest breeds. Primitive stone etchings over a thousand years old show Magyar hunters on horseback hunting with Vizslas. A number of modern pointing and retrieving hunting breeds are presumed to have been developed in part from the Viszla, including the GSP and Weimaraner around the 17th century. Some GSP owners are a little insecure about their breed being derivative from a true ancient hunting dog, the Viszla.
Not saying GSP is a bad breed, but it's just another modern artificial breed.
father of a runner wrote:
Fixed it for you.
The Real Dogsnob wrote:
The Vizsla is one of the oldest breeds. Primitive stone etchings over a thousand years old show Magyar hunters on horseback hunting with Vizslas. A number of modern pointing and retrieving hunting breeds are presumed to have been developed in part from the Viszla, including the GSP and Weimaraner around the 17th century. Some GSP owners are a little insecure about their breed being derivative from a true ancient hunting dog, the Viszla.
Not saying GSP is a bad breed, but it's just another modern artificial breed.
Oh sorry. Didn’t realize your kid is an ancient mounted hunter. That changes everything.
My golden loved to run and did up to 12 miles with me. My rule of thumb was not to take him if it was over 60 degrees. Overheating was definitely an issue.