Many people love the idea of jogging with their dog. If you like to stretch your legs and stay fit you may think that taking your dog along with you for a good run is just as good for him as it is for you. But that’s not necessarily true in all cases. Here are some things to consider before you set out for a jog with your canine best friend.

1. What breed is your dog? If you have a medium or large sporting breed or one of the medium or large herding, working or hound breeds, then it’s likely that your dog will have no trouble keeping up with you as you jog. Some of these breeds may have a high energy level, such as the Border Collie, while other breeds may have been bred to run, such as the Greyhound and the Whippet. These dogs will probably love going jogging with you. However, if you have a toy dog or a smaller breed, one of the dwarf breeds or a brachycephalic breed (short-muzzled), then jogging is not a good idea. Jogging with a Pug, for instance, could endanger his health.

Even if you have a mixed breed dog and you’re not sure what breeds might be in your dog’s ancestry, try to assess your dog’s size and head shape. Will your dog have trouble breathing during a long run? Consider the length of your dog’s legs. Are they too short to be able to keep up with you easily?

There are many great dogs that can easily keep up with you while you jog. At the same time, toy and small dogs make wonderful companions but they were not intended to participate in activities that call for heavy exercise. Try to weigh these considerations before you take your dog jogging.

2. How old is your dog? No matter what size or breed of dog you have it’s never a good idea to let your dog take part in stressful, repetitive exercise while he’s still a puppy. Dogs are considered to be puppies until they are at least a year old since they still have bones that are growing and growth plates that haven’t yet closed. You can do permanent damage to your dog’s bones and joints if you allow him to do serious jogging with you before he’s a year old. Your puppy can get all of the exercise he needs from supervised running and playing for the first year. Hard roadwork or exercise for conditioning needs to wait until he’s more mature, and that includes jogging.

3. What is your dog’s physical condition? If you want to start jogging with your dog you should consider your dog’s physical condition. Is he normally a couch potato? Is he flabby and overweight? Dogs, like people, need to ease in to exercise. If your dog is out of shape then he won’t be able to go out with you and jog two miles right away. Start your dog’s exercise regime by taking longer walks and slowly work up to jogging. You can slowly increase the distance that you and your dog jog together. For dogs who are good candidates for jogging, jogging does make excellent exercise for them. It builds their muscles and their cardiovascular system, and it helps them stay slim, just as it does with humans.

4. What is the weather like? Dogs can be affected by weather conditions just as humans can. Remember that your dog can’t sweat, unlike you. They can only cool their bodies by panting. Do not take your dog jogging when the temperatures are too high or when the humidity is very high. He is likely to become a victim of heatstroke.

On the other hand, dogs can handle the cold much better than humans can in most cases (unless the dog is a toy dog). Many dogs have a double coat with a thick, dense undercoat that keeps them warm in cold weather. If you’re able to go jogging in cold weather then your dog will probably enjoy it, too. However, you should be careful of your dog’s paws in cold weather. Salt and other chemicals used to de-ice roads can be toxic to dogs, and many dogs will lick their paws after running. Be sure you clean your dog’s paws after running on icy roads. Salt and chemicals can also chap and crack your dog’s paws so you may want to purchase a product to keep your dog’s paws soft and well-conditioned.

These are just a few of the things you should consider before deciding to take your dog out jogging. Your dog may make an excellent jogging companion but do be sure that he’s the right size dog to enjoy running and that he doesn’t have any physical attributes that could cause him problems. Consider his age and condition. And, make sure that the weather is suitable for your dog. If you think about these things before taking your dog out running then jogging should be safe for both of you.

If you have a very energetic dog it can be due to a number of reasons. Some of them may be part of your dog’s individual nature or related to his breed. Some of them may be behavioral or part of his environment. Here’s a run-down.

1. Most young dogs are very energetic. This is especially true for dogs that are less than a year old but even dogs that are less than two or three years old may behave like puppies at times and have enormous bursts of energy. If you have a young dog you can expect him to be very energetic until he matures more. Once your dog is three or four years old he will start sleeping and relaxing more and be calmer.

2. Some breeds are more energetic than others. This is simply part of their nature. Sporting dogs, herding dogs, working dogs and some others need lots of exercise in order to be fit and happy. If they don’t get that exercise it can lead to behavior problems. If you have a breed that was bred to work all day and you and your dog are living in a small apartment, then it’s likely that your dog will have a lot of energy to burn. He may not be getting enough exercise to satisfy his needs. Before you get any dog you should always consider what the breed was originally intended to do. This will tell you what kind of exercise requirements the dog will have.

Even if you have a mixed breed dog, that dog may have had ancestors who did some kind of work. Your dog will have energy that he needs to use. Otherwise, he can also develop destructive behaviors in the home.

3. Many people feed their dogs a diet that produces more energy than the dogs need. Dog food today often provides more nutrition than is strictly necessary to meet nutritional requirements. Many people feed foods that have very high levels of protein. If you feed your dog a diet comparable to a dog that is going to run in the Iditarod then it’s not surprising if the dog has a lot of energy to burn. This can, in turn, lead to behavior problems when your dog has no way to burn off this extra energy. Look for a dog food that has more moderate levels of protein and you may see your dog’s energy levels go back to normal.

If you do have a very energetic dog there are some good things you can do to help your dog learn to channel his energy.

For puppies, look into puppy preschool and puppy kindergarten classes. These classes are great ways to socialize your puppy and introduce him to some early training. They can help modify the energy.

For older puppies and dogs sign up for a training class. This is a great way to help your dog use his energy in a positive way. He learns some good obedience training, the two of you are doing something fun together, and he’s getting rid of his energy in a good way.

Check into some dog sports and activities you can do with your dog. There’s everything from agility to frisbee toss to dock diving out there for you and your dog to try. Your dog would love it.

Have fun with your dog. One of the reasons people enjoy having a dog so much is because of their energy and the things we can do with them. See what you and your dog can find to do together.

Tell us what you have done to slow down your over energetic dog in the comment section below.

Until next time…..