# Running with puppy (off-leash)?



## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Riley is 19 weeks now (4 3/4 months) and we have noticed an increase in her exercise needs (and a decrease in daily nap time!). We took her to Half Moon Bay yesterday on a 3 mile walk and she of course ran circles around us. My question is, can you run with a V puppy if they are not on leash? She runs up ahead of us on walks then stops and stares at us like she is saying "come on, can't you go any faster?!?" I know you shouldn't run a young V pup on hard surfaces, but we can take her to one of the many trails in our area that are dirt/grass. My husband needs to run for exercise... is it okay for him to run and let Riley Run "with" him as long as he makes sure she's not getting too tired? I want to make sure we don't injure her joints, but I feel like she needs more than on-leash walks at this point.


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## Crazy Kian (Aug 10, 2009)

Running with your V is totally up to you. Our vet and breeder told us to hold off til he was at least 18 months old. That is to take him on a structured run.

As for Riley looking back at you, that's what most V's do. They like to keep near their slaves... I mean owners. It's a common trait this breed has.


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## BrodiVizsla (May 6, 2011)

I have just started taking Brodi (9.5 months) for run's with me at the beach, we run over the sand dunes and then along the beach not sure how far we go but were running for about 35 mins and he out runs me every time and is always 20 yards in front of me, he's not even tired when we get back to the car he could easily do the same all over again!! it's like your training with an athlete, these Vizslas just seam to get fitter and fitter but it's so good to see him mature and be able to take him on longer hikes and start running with him. Roll on the summer when he can start moutain biking with me!!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Ozkar is 14 months now and I won't run him yet and Astro is 11 months and I certainly wouldn't run him. Not for any duration. He can run as much as he wants on walks. But, he will run, stop, have a sniff, run, stop, play, pee, run etc., It's not jogging. I would strongly advise you to be patient and wait a little longer to run them. They will thank you for it when they are 8 or 9.  

2 is a good age to start biking and running a V. I both run and road and mountain bike, so it kills me not to be able to do it with my dogs, but none of them are old enough, not even Zsa Zsa my little pointer, she is 19 months and I still wouldn't run her yet.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Crazy said:


> They like to keep near their slaves... I mean owners.


Haha... so true. Okay, so we'll be patient! The wait is driving us nuts because she has SO much energy, but we know we could damage her little joints. I've discovered recently that mental stimulation + walking exercise seems to tire her almost as much as running, so we're really stepping up the training at home. Thanks for all the advice! We will hold off on the running until she's a few months older.


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## KonasPop (Aug 9, 2011)

good call on the mental stim + exercise. That will make everyone happier. So many things to train "yard work" that you can work on. Like a good heel ...people sometimes put the cart before the horse and then wonder why it takes a year for a proper heel. If you yard work your heel and keep your running / walking time lower it will pay out later. 

As a hunting breed, the check back is in their DNA. Its a stepping stone that you build on in hunt (or search) trainng - "what do you want me to do next"...super cool in these breeds. Weimys have the same instinct. Springers not so much..haha. From the check back you can start doing body cues like "right" "left" woah/wait - all that fun stuff. 

I would encourage you to use the check backs to your advantage. You could also use a check cord at this age. Super long rope that allows a lot of freedom, but gives you leash control at 50'. This is how we teach our doggies to walk off-leash, or run off-leash and not be all over the place, bolt, or chase. 

ANywhoo sounds like you're well on your way just some things to consider.


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

*threefsh*, 4 3/4 months, in my opinion, is a bit too young to start running with, especially a structured run. Our breeder suggested 1.5 - 2 years old. Off-leash roaming and "zoomies" will be better for her  We incorporated different training during our walks. Especially we focused on the "come" command; unfortunately not so much on "heel". As *KonasPop* already mentioned, "yard work" will be good for her as well. Our Sophie could never concentrate on training in our yard or around the house longer than 10 minutes. Most of our training was in the woods


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