Running

[Duke'sMommy]

What is the best way to get Duke to run with me. Right now when we try he gets so excitied and jumps up and tries to bite the leash and won't give up. If he does get the leash to hold onto and has it in his mouth he will usually run with me. Someone suggested to me running with a chain leash so it won't be so nice for him to grab but wouldnt that be alittle heavier to run with? Any suggestions? this is the only time he really jumps up.

[brunosmom]

How old is Duke?......He looks a little young in your avatar for running?

[Duke'sMommy]

He's 7 1/2 months, almost 8 months (the pic is him at 4 months) I know people say wait until I think its something like a year or something to run, but he already runs around at the leashfree none stop for like 4 hours at a time and right now he's not behaving himself there so I need to find another way to get his energy out. Im no marathon runner myself so hes not gonna be pushed. Ill be tired long before Duke will ever be.

[brunosmom]

:)lol
I have heard that you should never take dog younger than a year for long walks let alone long runs ...that it can damage their hips because they aren't fully done growing yet......He sounds like he's at that teenage rebelious stage....how about swimming at a pond? Or chew toys something to keep him out of trouble...just a thought..... :cheers:

[brunosmom]

Also, he is grabbing the leash because he is trying to be the pack leader...leading you ...maybe obeidience classes are something that might wear him out and show him who's in control...
Just another thought ....:)

[Doberman's]

That is too young to run long distances with your pup. He is still growing and running could damage his legs, hips or elbows.

Short runs are ok and would probably help with training him not to jump up on you. Take walks and teach him to heel and even better take him to obedience classes to teach him the proper way of heeling. :)

[tessa_s212]

You should wait until a year to do long distance running with your pup.

Biting at the leash is merely a training issue. Your puppy is wanting to play, not show dominance. And hte leash looks like a good toy to it! Lol

Depending on what you feel most comfortable doing, there are a few options.

1) You could try to put something like "bitter apple" on it. This will taste very unpleasant and will hopefully discourage your puppy from trying to bite at it.

2) Teach your puppy the "leave it" or "drop it" command. Then,whenever it bites at the leash, command it to leave the leash alone.

3) "Popping" is the last option and my least favorite. This would include a jerk on the leash whenever the puppy went to bite at it. The small jerk, or "pop", would startle the puppy just long enough to get it to stop biting at the leash. This may take many many many "pops" to actually correct teh leash biting problem, though, and if your dog has a soft temperment it could lower their confidence. But, wit this method also comes another downside. The puppy might be confidence enough to just totally ignore the leash pop and think that the leash moving more is a game and will continue to enthusiastically bite at hte leash.

[Dogbert]

Finally something I can give advice on! :D

Max does this, but not as bad as he used to and he is only 7 and a half months now. I dont run long distances, just stints of a minute about 3 times on a walk just to get him used to it and also to make walks more interesting and keep him guessing.

What I do is say "come on Max" and start running. Everytime he grabs the leash or jumps up I stop dead and tell him no and then make him sit. I then make him heal closely (walking) for about 5 minutes or so before trying again. If he doesnt do it at all for a minute I bring him back to walk and praise lots. It has taken a while to get him this far and he still jumps up or grabs the leash maybe 1 out of 4 times but its far better than doing it every time.

Hope it works for you. :)

[joshcube]

A little Vicks Vapor Rub works quite well on the leash to make them leave it alone. Also if you use a harness like this one and take most of the slack out of the leash, he will have a hard time biting it:

http://www.petsmart.com/media/ps/images/products/detail/standard/July05/50389_49767.jpg

As far as the age... I've read six months, eight months, and a year from different authorities. Certainly can't hurt to wait until a year. Do like they say for human exercise and "call your [vet] before starting any exercise program." Remember that running around for four hours on the grass in the back yard is different than pounding the pavement or a hard packed running trail. Build distance slowly and check his pads after every run for cracking or bleeding.

Lastly, for you own health, I wouldn't try running until your dog has mastered walking at your side (and on the same side always). You don't want to be going full speed when he decides to cut in front of you to chase the bird that just darted across the trail. :)