09/23/2025
Do I let puppies to run?
Yes!
Do I let puppies to run full tilt?
Yes!
But what about young growing bodies & open growth plates???
The Devil's in the Details!
Do I encourage puppy owners to taking their new puppies running on a 6ft leash with them? NO! Do I encourage my puppies to play fetch until they're pooped? NO!
So when is it safe for puppies to run? Puppies run when they feel like running & I never discourage them from running when they want to: in the yard, through the house, at the park. Run baby Run! I also encourage puppies to run in nature more so than on concrete or inside on linoleum where the impact is higher as well as risks of slips & falls.
Was I running with Fury at this age? Yes & it started about 10wks ahead of schedule....... We had this really awesome minimum maintenance dirt road that we all went walking on regularly, the big dogs were all off leash & there went Fury in hot pursuit, so I picked up my walking pace......and he kept getting smaller, so I kicked it into a run...... and it took me half a mile to catch up to him!!
So from that day forward we were Run-Nang...... (Forest Gump)
Did I require any of my puppy to run next to me? No. I was running to catch HIM!
Do I feel like a puppy bounding around on a dirt road or in grass at their leisure at any risk of bodily damage? No.
If he slowed down did I walk or stop? YES!
Do I think play is important? Yes.
So we ran on this dirt road, some of us ran more than others. It was always an out & back, some days they raced out ahead & circled back, other days they lolly gagged with good smells & I enjoyed a slower pace.
Yes, I let puppies run as hard & fast as they want for as long as they want to rest as long as they want.
So when can you start running with your puppy? It depends.
