I love running with my dog Gracie! You do need to train them for running just like a person: start slow, building up the distance, paying attention to when they start to drag, etc. We took her on many runs for a while, and then Mike was coming back from a bit of an injury and we did "family runs" every day -- 10 minutes to start, later 15, etc -- and suddenly we noticed she does every run with us. And she is one strong, fast little girl! Although in the heat we have to go very easy with her.

I have also heard for most dogs you don't want to run with them until they are 11-14 months old, depending on the dog. It is a great question for your vet! You don't want to harm their bones/joints by starting before they are ready. We have an awesome vet who is also a runner/cyclist and runs with his dogs, and he is happy to chat with us about it and make sure things are going well for both of us. We will also be working with him as Annie gets older to get her out there and running, too!

As for the pooping thing, well, I'm not sure what to say there... Gracie only likes to poop in her own yard. She'd make a great obsessive triathlete, she even has rituals about which tree and bush to sniff and where to walk after a run ;)

The best aspect I have found from running with my dog all the time is that she now expects to get to go on runs all the time, that poutty poochie face can be very motivating when you're trying to justify that you don't need to get a run in. Plus she can tell the difference between my cycling clothes and running clothes, when I put on the cycling clothes she whines and pouts, and when I put on my running clothes she goes crazy. The best part is this routine usually gets me to run a few K after bike rides to make her happy.

With the poop, it sounds like he's just young and excited, sounds like something he'll grow out of rather quickly. Also +1 to Kylie on talking to your vet, working breeds commonly have hip problems, sporting breeds are usually okay, even though labs are considered a sporting breed, i'd put them on the line between sporting and working, and depending on the mix in your lab he may be susceptible to hip problems. I have a Brittany Spaniel and the vet told me when she was a puppy she'll be fine, you'll fall over before her (and after extensive testing this seems to be true). I have friends with a lab/dalmatian mix and she's been okay from running very young, but I have had friends with pure labs have to be very careful when starting them out running.

My wife and I take our dog Jelly for long walks and some short runs. You do have to build them up to it and train them. Jelly fortunately will slow down and get into 'the hunch' to poop. I just make sure I have a bag or 2 to clean up. You might want to take your dog out for a long walk to get them to poop first and then go for your run. Good luck! ;-)

I run a 13 month old boxer and he is fast, really fast. With him being so young I have learned that I need to hold him back a little because he likes to push himself to exhaustion. We are up to 3 miles each run now and he loves every second of it. Just work up to it slowly and watch them for warning signs of exhaustion, they are not likely to slow down or stop if you don't make them.

We are dog nuts and my oldest boy, Chewie, is my number one training partner in running season. He has completed two half marathons and an off road duathlon with me (actual races with permission from RD). He is a 7 year old shiloh shepherd. My partner is a vet and she controls his weight so that when I am running (fall road racing) he is down about 5lbs from normal. His normal weight is 85lbs, so he is about 78-80 right now. He is also very popular at the local running club and even asks for a drink from anyone who will give him one! He drinks from water bottles or fuel belt flasks without touching his lips to it, so everyone shares with him! We are doing a half marathon in two weeks so he is pretty lean with the amount of long runs and hills he is doing. I build him up just like me, following the 10% rule. He also loves track workouts as I let him off leash in the track (no one else in town uses it and it's fenced) and he runs along with me anyway! I don't run with him year round, but my partner walks with him the rest of the year, plus we keep them all well exercised. Her rule for age is no more than a half hour before 7-10 months, and to start building up usually after 10-12months of age for a large breed like a lab, but she always does a hip x ray first to make sure there is no risk of hip dysplasia. That is just her personal preference, plus she has access. Your vet could judge if the hips are tight through manipulation too. My doberman also runs with me, but she does competitive obedience so we save her energy for that. Good luck!

I used to run with one of my border collies. She was five when we adopted her, so I took my time and steadily ramped up her mileage. We were going for 13 miles before the I was forced to stop taking her. She's a bit older now, and started to develop a bit of tendonitis or something, because after even shorter runs, she would limp on one foot. Doctor said it can happen with age, so...

I have heard to wait untill they are out of puppyhood for consistent running. Some breeds it's 11 months, and for others it can be a year and a half. Look into it. Until that point you really should leave the running up to playing in the doggie park or yard. It's like kids lifting weights. You MAY not be hurting them, and it might not SEEM like you are hurting them, but you could be causing long term damage, especially if you are running on concrete.

For Tri-Ac- I can appreciate the need to work out the energy of the herding breeds. I have TWO. But at that age, if you've already ramped it up to 5 miles, you may want to reconsider. They have the drive and the energy for the distance, but remember the herders are all about frequent bursts of speed followed by rests, they're not really distance dogs like dalmations or huskys. A game of frisbee at the park or in the yard would be much better for your pup.

I still must say I'm shocked at your vet, and in your shoes I'd get another opinion... all the vets and dog folks I've chatted with regarding puppy running really stress how although they'll do it and love it younger it just isn't good for them. But my dogs are like my kids... and if I was nervous about something my kid's doctor said, I'd ask another doc to confirm for me.

Tri-ac, I believe you, something just seemed off about it for me, and I had to say it just in case. Plus, I didn't want others to search for info and say "oh, that puppy does 5 milers so mine can do that" and then their puppy ends up hurt as they take a 5 month old for hour runs on cement.

Our new dog will not do any run trips until her vet OKs it... she is only 3 months right now, so we haven't even talked about it. He is conservative with the animals though -- we are still mostly keeping her away from other dogs since he recommends it, saying their immune systems are much stronger after their front teeth change. After that, we'll start doing walks with her, but she is little enough that she works much harder than our older dog to just walk with us (walking for her is closer to what the older dog does on a run).

Honestly, talk to your vet. It is different for different dogs.