When Is It Too Much Exercise for Your Dog?

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Don't anyone panic about Fudge and Vern being exercised to death. With the nicer weather, I have started riding my bike on the rail trail. I need the exercise! Today, I was on the trail and a guy rode by with his dog on a leash running beside him. It is about 75 degrees here and the dog was running along at a good clip next to the rider. I went about 5 miles and turned around and on the way back I see the guy again heading back in my direction. He had slowed considerably, but the poor dog looked like me if I had run that far....tongue hanging out, lagging a little behind. It made me feel bad. Maybe the dog likes to run...I don't know, but I hate to run, so my opinion may be clouded. Personally, I would never hook Vern or Fudge up to my bike and just start going until I felt like stopping.  The other reason I would not do it because I would not liked to be dragged to my death by two dogs chasing squirrels.

 

How can a dog tell you when it has had enough? I know we have lots of runners and riders on DK and really am interested in hearing other people's opinions on this matter. What worries me the most is inexperienced people getting out there and overdoing it with their dogs. I don't know...it just bothered me today!

[Donna K & Quincy]

I think a dog should be able to stop and rest when they need to and not be forced to keep going. I like to ride my bike as well  and this is the reason I won't take Quincy with me, I have visions of doing the 5 miles,then having to pick Quincy up and put him on the bike and push him back home.I think I'm going to need a bigger seat. LOL. The real reason is I'm afraid when I am moving fast he may injure himself on something I don't see and I think it would be too hard on his paw pads to run on ashphalt, plus the distances I like to do are too much for him. I take him with me on the trails around our house off leash, he hasn't quite grasped the concept of  'don't get in front of the bike or mom may run you over' just yet. We don't have any actual bike trails but there is one trail that allows bikes, it's a 25 min drive to get to it. I may take him there if  we ever get a nice warm day as there is a park and a river along the way where he can rest and cool off.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

We have beautiful trails up here. We can ride all the way into Maryland. In fact, my DH started riding 100 miles on his birthday every year since he turned 50 and he goes all the way to MD. I love that ride, but today it made me feel bad. The guy did have a bag attached to his bike, but I did not see any water. The dog seemed tired and they had at least another couple of miles until a parking lot.

[Pam and Ginger Snap]

Are you in MD?  Depending on what part, we could be neighbors, as I am across the state line in VA>

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

No, we are in PA, just across the MD line :)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

With Lucy it is very obvious when she has had enough ........ she just slows down, and then lays down.  She is very different than Sophie who I think would run forever given an opportunity.  We were at the indoor dog park the other day and the only way we can really get them to run is if DH and I stand on opposite sides of the facility and just call them back and forth.  Normally they run back and forth but that day Lucy was just sort of strolling back and forth.  I would hope that guy at least had some water and stopped occasionally for a little break.  If I were going to ride my bike I would  have one of the devices that hooks on the back wheel and sticks out to hold the dog in one place so I couldn't hit them.  But then I have hit the mailbox the last two times I cut the grass with the bagger on the back of the mower, so maybe I better not hook either Lucy or Sophie to the back of my bike.  Will be better if we just walk I believe.

[Adina P]

I don't know of any specific guidelines, but unless a dog is conditioned for long distances, it's probably pretty hard on them.  Dogs aren't built to be marathoners.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Funny you should post this as I saw a very similar thing here yesterday.  A man with a Boxer dog cycling and then I saw him again fifteen minutes or so later still going.  The dog looked exhausted with his tongue hanging out.  All I could think of was that it was cruel.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri's max is 2.5-3 miles.  After that, she stops more often and looks at me like "come on!".  Tacky's is 1 and then I have to hold him. He pulls to the grass and rolls over on his back as to say "forget this, pick me up".

HEHE.

[Gayle Miller]

I agree with Nicky about it being cruel.  I power walk every day at a state park nearby.  Sometimes I even see guys in particular, jogging at a clip with what looks to be an older dog (a bit overweight), lagging behind with tongue sticking out and looking as though trying hard to keep up!  How can one's Master be so unobservant to that of theri dog!!!

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

I just read an article about this but can't recall where... but it said that cycling with dogs was a bad idea because they can easily be hurt and potentially to strenuous for them. It's certainly not an activity in our future!!

[Gayle Miller]

well said, Andrea.....exercising the dog and not oneself!!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Laurie, I "hear you" about the squirrels.  I can't ride a bike and chew gum at the same time, so having the guys run while I ride just isn't an option for me.  As for exercise, I'm not sure this even compares, but my Vet said she was comfortable with Murph on the treadmill at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes, as long as he wasn't looking overheated.