Lovely pics, butI have to agree I'm afraid. Letting such a young dog run such distances can't be a good idea! The dog is still growing and needs all of it's energy put to that use. I really do hope you're right in doing this and that the dog won't end up with joint problems in later life.

Well done.

I haven't done it with the ones I have now, but our old girl Meg, used to do them, infact she did the BRMB mathrothan 3 times.
A charity 5 mile run with the boys when they were at school.
And a charity 13 mile half marathon.

She used to love it.........maybe that's what kept her so fit.

But then she used to go out every day when the boys where younger and run along side them when they were on thier bikes.

To the worriers I'd say instead of worrying it's probably best to just take you pup/dog along to the vets and ask them if the activity you have in mind is suitable. That way you can concentrate on giving your dog the best possible life without any needless worry about whether you're condming them to joint problems from too much exercise or ill health due to lack of exercise. Just get the facts from an expert that knows your dog!

Well if you like them...

She's not only a distance runner, but also a little sprinter!

She's been a member of the Caledonian Thistle Pedigree Whippet Club (Beagle Division) for a couple of months now. She loves it! (If any Beagle owners in Scotland are reading it's held at 3pm on Sundays at Inch Farm, Kincardine Bridge.)

Here's some piccies...

This is a photo from a recent race (Beanie in second place in the blue vest):



And to put it in perspective this is Beanie and two other Beagles (including the club's fastest Beagle) racing a whippet. The Beagles had a 40 yard start in a 120 yard course

great pics hun

Well done, but sorry, I'm another one who feels that the amount she's running is to much for one so young.

Brill pics - unfortunately i have a giant breed so have had to be careful with her exercise.

Beanie looks as though she loves what she is doing.

I think that for the sake of those that haven't *YET* spoken to qualified professionals about what activity is suitable for their particular dog it might be helpful for you to qualify your feelings by explaining what you've been told by experts that's lead you to think this way. (Not as a replacement for professional advice, but rather to provide all viewpoints so that people can ask the professionals the right questions).

I'm happy to share what I've been told by my vets.

The issue surrounding exercising of pups is connected with hip dysplasia . Hip dysplasia is entirely hereditary, and can't be caused by excessive exercise. However, if your pup has it then the type of exercise that's good for normal pups will worsen it's condition. Avoiding the type of exercise that's good for normal dogs won't make the condition go away - it will simply lessen the damage to the joints.

Hip dysplasia is extremely common in certain large breed dogs. This, coupled with the fact that you can't really screen for it until the pup is older, has lead most professionals to advise against letting these breeds exercise as much as they want. The risk is too high. In the natural world I guess the pups would run free and exercise to their hearts content. The ones with the genetic defect would be crippled at a young age and less likely to reproduce and the breed would be improved. The ones without the genetic defect would thrive on the exercise.

Hip dysplasia can occur in any breed of dog, but it is less common in small/medium breeds. If there's no history of it in a small breed dog's pedigree, then it's unlikely that it will have it. But it's always possible. So some people take the view that it's best just to avoid letting ANY puppy exercise the way mother nature programed it to.

Others (like me and my pup's vet) take the view that it's not in a pups best interest to restrict normal, healthy development that will set the pup up for health, happiness and good balanced behaviour in later life because there's a tiny chance that it was born with something wrong with it.

To give an analogy, my father was a keen (and very good) sportsman until his mid-thirties at which point he developed arthritis. He'd had both hips replaced by the age of 45. His arthritis wasn't due to too much exercise, but rather the damage that too much exercise caused because of a birth defect - a hip joint deformity that simply wasn't apparant until he was x-rayed after the arthritis had developed. A super-fit, athletic friend of mined died at age 18 of a heart attack in the middle of a football game. He had a rare hereditary heart problem. No one would suggest that all children should be prevented from exercising because it will be bad for - even fatal - for a tiny minority with hidden genetic defects. Jeez - most people are concerned about kids not doing enough...and for good reason!

With people and dogs it comes down to intelligent, informed risk assessment. Weighing everything up and considering what's best for the individual rather than making blind, blanket 'rules'. Your vet is the best person to help you make the right decision for your dog.

k9xxb - yes, she loves what she's doing. And she's in superb condition. Every time she's at the vets and they listen to her heart they just sigh and say 'perfect' I know with large breeds it's an entirely different story. I understand that it's not just a matter of restricting exercise, but carefully watching diet to make sure they grow slowly and finding ways to build strong muscles around the hind quarters without doing high impact exercise? It sounds like hard work!

Many years ago my GSDs & I when I was much fitter took part in several sponsored jogs or runs though they were two years old before we did one, Furthest was three miles but that was my fitness not theirs. Prefered the ones on grass to roads. Went to one once at Himley Hall where the dogs got medals & certificates but not the handlers. My dogs have also participated in a swim a dogathon, swimming two miles for charity. That was good fun but the owners walked around the pool so we had to walk the two miles.
As for exersise my youngsters have very little road walking before they have their hip xrays but I don't restrict their play on grass at home or out just let them chose how much which they can't if you are walking them.