# Can I run him at one year?



## Abhp (Apr 24, 2017)

My pup has turned a year old and my plan has been to begin running him 5 miles (2 or 3 days a week) once he turns 1 year. I've been running him 2 to 3 miles a couple times a week for a couple of months now. The 5 mile route consists of about 2 miles of paved sidewalk and then 3 miles of dirt/gravel/grass. The vet says running him at a year is fine, the breeder and some others say wait til 18 months, other articles I've read say wait 2 years. Who should I listen to?! My dog's growth has slowed over the last 2 or 3 months and he's remaining to be around 47 pounds (small side, yes). I'd love to begin running him, but only if this routine seems safe. Thoughts? Thanks in advance!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

If it were my dog, I wouldn't run him on the pavement.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

I would not do pavement running either. Also no leash running for 5 miles at this age, as the risk there is the constant pressure on the joints. If you have a possibility to run him off leash where he can decide when to stop and when to go, that is not an issue. Whether the growth plates have closed or not, it can really only be told with help of an X-ray, but it usually starts for vizslas at 18 months, and yes it could even be till 24 months. Mine just turned 24 month and even though not a lot there was still some growth between 18-24 months for him. I walk him leashed on pavement for 15-20 minutes max and have him run on grass, off leash for 1-2 hours a day.


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## Abhp (Apr 24, 2017)

This is great info! Thanks to you both. I'll wait it out for another 6 months to a year. I have been running the track and letting him chase crows off-leash for an hour while I get my miles in. There's a 1.3 mile dirt trail to the dog park that I do with him, too. So he gets a little on-leash running on the dirt right now (the 2-3 miles I mentioned in my previous post), a few times a week. But I'll gladly hold off on the pavement and longer runs if that means more comfortable years for him later in life. Thanks!


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