Over-exercising an adult dog?

Alfie is a JRT cross, is totally healthy and nearly 3 years old

Basically pretty much since I got him he has only ever had one walk a day, as that is all he ever really wanted/needed!

It would be 30-90 mins, mostly off-lead, running about and playing and sniffing around with me strolling along.

Recently though I have really upped my own personal exercise, and as a lot of it is outdoors, Alfie has been coming too!

Apart from the walking/strolling I didn't do much other exercise so was fairly unfit anyway, so we both got broken into it

But for example for a day off, I plan to be out at least twice, for around an hour each time, doing bursts of running/jogging, along with fast walking, running up steps, etc etc...

Alfie is shattered the poor lad but he always wants to go out when I am going, and is still active(ish) in the house but is sleeping a lot more lol - and is also slowing at the end of the walks now as he gets tired :P

He is fine just now as I am building up my stamina, but as I get fitter and can run further, will his stamina keep up with mine? Or will I have to start going out without him at times?

Is it possible to over-exercise a healthy adult dog?

I will also say that if i said to him I was going for a "walk" and he didn't want to go (not happened yet), then I wouldn't make him go out lol

I think it is possible, causing premature wear and tear on joints etc, same for people, I LOVE my running, I love spinning, I spend huge amounts of time at the yard working with horses and already have some issues with one of my knees, at 21, which the doctor blames mainly on the running (road marathons are my thing). My mother has similar issues also from running.

If he's keeping up i wouldn't worry and personally wouldn't call 90 mins too much, but its hard to say without seeing how he is at the end of a walk. My guess would be if he isn't 'sore' i wouldn't worry, but i'm not 100% sure, were's smokeybear when you need her?

His stamina will improve, just keep an eye on him any signs of pain and I'd start narrowing down his exercise.

Personally, I think no, it's not possible to over-exercise an adult dog. Obviously, if there are already problems - obesity, HD, other skeletal or muscular problems, then of course you have to be careful, but if the dog is healthy in every way then no. In my experience, it is clear when a dog has had enough - he will let you know that he needs a rest by flopping down and making it abundantly clear. when we first took Tai on, he was slim but unfit, he had never really had enough exercise running free off lead. We went to stay in Hampshire in a self-catering cottage, and biked the whole of a byway - I forget what it was called - from West Meon almost to Winchester a back. It was about 28 miles. It was hot weather but we were in the shade of massive trees the whole time. We stopped every few miles for Tai to rest and have a drink, but he was buzzing, he really didn't want to stop at all once he had had a few laps of water. We were on mountain bikes so going a reasonable speed, and he just cantered along beside us, sometimes going ahead, sometimes running beside us. He loved it and suffered no ill effects, other than being very tired when we got back home, as we were too! We went to the pub for a meal and he slept all evening under the table, and then all night back home.

Dogs are not like us - they have a natural level of fitness - for starters, having 4 legs makes it much easier for them to travel at a reasonable speed, rather than our 2 legged plod - and unless they are overweight or have heart or physical problems, you don't need to any great extent to "get them fit" - they are just naturally so. If you are running up mountains, or doing a lot of steep hills, then you would need to fitten them up for that, but reasonably flat ground they should be able to do several miles, depending on their size. My daughter's chihuahua Gucci did 6 miles on Putsborough beach up to Woolacombe and back, with miles of dashing in and out of the sea and rock pools in between, when he was about 2 or 3. He was exhausted but thoroughly enjoyed himself!

You can over exercise a dog, most vets will tell you that.

Also dogs get hot running even on cool days and can get over heated quite fast.

As all dogs are as individual as we are, some will cope with more exercise than others.

Nobody knows your dog better than you and your dog will tell you what is enough and what is too much. Listen to him and you won't go too far wrong

Can't argue with that !

Hi My Afghan had problems with his trachea,and we would set off for a walk and he would flop down,that was his way of telling me enough is enough crystalgirl

That was on the South Downs Way (W Meon - Winchester) very near to where we live.

My two younger boys are easily doing 4 miles on the bike atm. They can go further than I can!

Yes, it is possible to overexercise dogs. But in general their thresshold is much higher than ours.

One of my dogs will flop down and rest if she feels she's a bit tired and starting to feel she's had enough. Another of my dogs will slow, but keep going if I asked him. The third would run himself to death if we let him; he doesn't know the word "quit". So each dog is individual, you must learn to watch for your dog's indicators for when he's had enough.

Temperatures, as well as amount of exercise, is something you'll need to keep an eye on as we move into spring and summer. My runs tend to be early morning, or in the cooler evenings so the dogs don't suffer the effects. And though it may feel cool enough to you, never underestimate the heat coming up off the tarmac after a day of sun shining on it, quite warm when you are at jack russel height.

Carry water for longer runs/walks for your dog to have on breaks. The "canicross trailrunners" group on faecbook are helpful with advice;