Hi I am interested on any advise about whether dobermanns can accompany you on a run about 45 minutes. I have two and they are both far too young at the moment to walk far let alone run. I was just interested for the future. Obviously I know that if it was o.k they would have to be built up to it, but what age would you start training them to run. My main concern is their hips. So if anyone has some info. Please let me know.

Not until they are at least 18 months...dont know no more than that!!!!.....I do sprint with mine...these are little sprints at that...as I amnot too fit myself...well not fit enought to run!!!!.....and they enjoy it..but not with the greyhound as there are built for speed not stamina.

Charley

Once they are over 12 months you can get their hips x-rayed and then decide whether you want to run with them.

I would start off with short runs though so their bodies/muscles get used to moving at a steady speed for a long duration as it is more natural to for dogs to have short bursts of hard exercise intersperced with playing almost in one place and rest.

Christine

hi ,my dad who owned many dobermanns says that running can be harmful to dobe pups,reason being is that there bones are still very soft cartilage and will not become solid bone till dogs near adulthood,even then take some care and do not over do it,dobermanns do love to run as ours did and do remember they were bred to be tracking dogs and are used to working over long distances,my dad suggests also to give a calcium supplement such as canovel calcium tablets which does help bone development in fast growing breeds such as dobes and rotties,our own experience with our dobermanns was that a top quality complete diet is very very important and do remember that never ever feed dobermanns or any deep chested breed at least 2 hours before or after strenous excercise as they are very prone to gastric torsion    hope this helps and best of good luck with puppies from this fantastic breed  

It is now considered that using excess calcium, especially in the fast growing breeds can be detrimental to their bone growth as you want it to be slow and steady rather than as fast as possibly.  Yes, calcium is needed (in conjunction with phosphorus) but this should be obtained from a balanced diet rather than by supplementation.

Although Dobermanns are excellent trackers when given the training to steady them down a bit :) they were orginally "designed" as personal protection dogs.

Christine

After 12 months my setters can come on my less and less frequent runs!!!!!!

tho i dont quite manage 45 mins:) they do get a fast pace walk for an hour and if anything its god 'speially if you can keep them at a trot.

Rox

Your Dobes will be wonderfully fit if they accompany you on runs. Just make sure you build them up gradually, like any athlete would and they'll be fine. Don't know how fast you run, but would imagine a Dobe would actually be doing a steady trot rather than really running to keep up with you. I wouldn't start to build up to a run until they are 12 months, but give them plenty of steady road walking (in short bursts)before that. And, of course, you'll have to train them to run sensibly beside you! I run so rarely, that if I suddenly break into a trot, my dogs all leap forward & I'd end up flat on face before I'd run more than 5 steps! (that's my excuse) :D