Running with a GSP?

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halfapenny
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Running with a GSP?

Post by halfapenny » Mon May 17, 2021 9:52 am

Hi! We pick up our GSP pup in 6 weeks time, a female called Ruby but I have a couple of questions for more experienced owners about when they reach full maturity which I believe is slightly later at 2 years.

She’s bred from 2 dogs with good lineage. Lots of champions and the sire hunts, but the mother is a pet and her owner did tell me that she doesn’t chase animals. She rides out with her daughter on horseback and doesn’t show any interest in other animals. When I came look at the litter there were clearly 4 behaving like pointer pups, pointing anything that moved quickly and generally being very bold and into everything. There were 3 that hung back, didn’t want to chase things, happy to just relax on their beds and potter about. I picked a female from the quieter 3 because I believe this will suit our family better. Our children are 15 and 6 but my nephews are still very young and a large and very boisterous dog could cause me some anxiety around them. Also, we have 3 acres of land with a lot of rabbits on it. If she ends up chasing them then I’m relaxed but it would probably be easier if she didn’t, or at least if she was easier to call off.

Quick history – I’ve always been around working dogs and horses and have over the years trained and retrained both. My uncle had a GSP and a Weimaraner and I was just crazy about them both.

My husband and I owned a gorgeous English Springer Spaniel who passed away aged 12 in 2015. She was magnificent, lots of energy but so trainable and well behaved. Obsessed with tennis balls (I had them falling out of every cupboard), she could smell them from a considerable distance, would let me know with a little noise and if I let her she would find it and then wait beside it for me to tell her she may take it. I can see why ESS make such good explosive dogs. But we could never have another ESS as she was totally irreplaceable to us.

I’m a keen distance runner covering around 30k + a week and my husband walks even further distances this. Will also mountain walk regularly over the summer in the Brenta Dolomites and the dog will be coming with us on these trips.

I currently run with my step daughter’s mum’s dog. This dog is a female Cockerpoo….well I say cockerpoo, what she actually looks like is a very large and skinny cocky. She’s incredibly fast and is almost impossible to wear out. She’s killed her first bird the other day after a large crow flew in front of her. I started running with her clipped onto me when she was a year old. She took to it so well. She has no ability to smell anything though and struggles to find balls through sight or sent. It’s a bit stragne actually. She was the last left of the litter and I would have been a bit suspicious of different she was to her litter mates. She’s quite territorially aggressive too and it got out of hand at one point, which is why I started training her and getting rid of some of her energy. Her recall off the lead is amazing though and she herds whatever group she is with when out on walks. I’d be interested to know if that is a cocker of poodle trait.

But what I really want to know is about running with a GSP. I’m already waiting for her to have 2 seasons before I neuter her, to be sure she is fully mature. But given I know they take up to two years to fully mature I don’t want to risk her leg bones by doing too much too soon. Can anyone with more experience give me an idea of what sort of distance she should be covering, both on walks and runs in that period between 1-2 years old? Maybe I’m being overly cautious.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by slistoe » Mon May 17, 2021 1:06 pm

If she is a well bred GSP by a year old I would challenge any but the most arduous of running folks (I'm thinking Ultramarathon) to outlast the dog if you are running with them on a lead.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by shags » Mon May 17, 2021 3:09 pm

I let my young dogs decide when enough is enough. When they're tired, we quit. Remember that you have to keep an eye on them, because wherever you are when they start showing fatigue, they still have to get home.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by birddogger2 » Mon May 17, 2021 6:58 pm

The only thing I really worry about when it comes to my dogs running...is hydration. ALWAYS carry water for the dog and I mean at least a couple quarts...when it is hot. Remember they are running with a fur coat on. That can get hot. I watch the dogs and when they lose their hard driving pace and slow down...it's time to take five and assess the dog's condition. I will check their gums, give them a drink and put some on their belly, if I think they need some evaporative cooling.

I suspect slistoe's estimation is pretty spot on for any decently built GSP over a year old, in that they will almost certainly outlast any walker and most any runner. I know that there have been many days that I hunted a dog for six or more hours(back when I could walk all day) and when it was time to go, they could still help pull me up that last hill to the truck.

However, Shag's observation is also key. You GOTTA watch the dog, especially a youngster and very especially when it is over 70 degrees F. Young pups can run out of gas rather abruptly because they don't know enough to keep anything in reserve, but simply go all out until they ARE all out.

I know runners can tend to get into a zone, but the dog needs your attention, especially when it is getting difficult for you, because if you are having to dig in and push yourself, a young dog might be struggling also.

RayG

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by cjhills » Mon May 17, 2021 7:49 pm

halfapenny:
I don't quite get the waiting for her to have two seasons. Her chance of Mammary cancer goes up dramatically when she has her first heat. My young female had her first season at 18 months. If I had lanned on spaying her it would have been at a year to 14 months. she has not had her second season. she just turned two. She will run with anybody I know and willnever have any health issues.She runs every day and has since about 9 months as do all my dogs. I have never had a GSP with heath issues from Exercise.......Cj

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by gonehuntin' » Tue May 18, 2021 10:13 am

I'm pretty careful about running pups a lot, before about 8 months. I'm a big bicycler, so much of my dog's exercise is from a bike. I can't keep up with them and I can cruise along at 10mph, 12 if I'm pushing it. I bore the dog's; you can't run fast enough, far enough to tire one out. Let me hive you an example or two. When I bike, we'll go 6-8 miles. They out run me the entire distance. Alongside my car, they can cruise at 15-18mph. Not the fastest dog's in the world, but faster than any person over a distance.

I kind or arrived at the 6-8 miles because that's what I've found over many years, their average to be that they run in EACH pheasant or grouse cover we hunt. We mat hunt 3-4 a day.

Anyhow, unless you field trial the dog anything you do will condition the dog well enough for the average hunter.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by polmaise » Tue May 18, 2021 11:13 am

FWIW. My penny's worth .
Urban myth that Gsp's as a breed mature any older or younger than any other.
Running 3 miles on tarmac road is harder for a dog with pads than one running 3 mile on heather.
Running a constant pace/speed for any dog of any breed to keep up with a human is best for carriage dogs perhaps ? lol
It's a given that any dog with a heart will do what you want , if they have the heart to be with you.
...
Some folk see this differently and use them as such.
...
Run your socks off, and I'm more than sure a 'GSP' would rather hunt ,and far more distance with fun (for the dog).

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by RyanDoolittle » Thu May 20, 2021 8:06 am

polmaise wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 11:13 am
FWIW. My penny's worth .
Urban myth that Gsp's as a breed mature any older or younger than any other.
Running 3 miles on tarmac road is harder for a dog with pads than one running 3 mile on heather.
Running a constant pace/speed for any dog of any breed to keep up with a human is best for carriage dogs perhaps ? lol
It's a given that any dog with a heart will do what you want , if they have the heart to be with you.
...
Some folk see this differently and use them as such.
...
Run your socks off, and I'm more than sure a 'GSP' would rather hunt ,and far more distance with fun (for the dog).
Body development it can take 18 months to 2 years for the bones and joint to full mature.

Mentally there a few breeds that just take longer to mature than others. Setters come to mind.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by polmaise » Thu May 20, 2021 2:12 pm

Body development in a Lhasa Apso is the same as a Great Dane.
Structural differences through genetic breeding make it more difficult to achieve the same physical achievements than others at any age.
The development of bone structure however remains the same pro-rata.
....
Setters btw , were once the preferred breed on grouse moors and active/trained to point/set/shot/retrieve at 18 month old on their full day on a hill.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by halfapenny » Fri May 21, 2021 4:38 pm

Thank you all for your comments and help.

I probably should have also put it. I live in the UK and it rarely gets crazy hot and I’m incredibly fair skinned and sensitive to the heat so there is zero chance of me taking her running in the heat. Points noted about the water and if needed I’ll take rucksack, though nearly all the runs I do are along a river bank so she’ll be able to help herself and cool off nicely. I won’t take her on tarmac, I don’t like running on tarmac myself.

So I’ve read (pretty much everywhere I looked on the net) that physical maturity in terms of the joints in their legs is 1.5-2 years. But it stands to reason if many dogs are hunting at 1 and as long as I’m on soft ground, keep an eye on her and keep the distance low she’d be ok from around 1 onwards too.

I don’t hunt. In fact I have such poor hand to eye co-ordination I’m the last person that should have a gun in their hands! However I know this breed needs a lot of mental stimulation and we have several acres of land so any training of games you can all suggest I would have a go at with her.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by RyanDoolittle » Fri May 21, 2021 10:25 pm

halfapenny wrote:
Fri May 21, 2021 4:38 pm
Thank you all for your comments and help.

I probably should have also put it. I live in the UK and it rarely gets crazy hot and I’m incredibly fair skinned and sensitive to the heat so there is zero chance of me taking her running in the heat. Points noted about the water and if needed I’ll take rucksack, though nearly all the runs I do are along a river bank so she’ll be able to help herself and cool off nicely. I won’t take her on tarmac, I don’t like running on tarmac myself.

So I’ve read (pretty much everywhere I looked on the net) that physical maturity in terms of the joints in their legs is 1.5-2 years. But it stands to reason if many dogs are hunting at 1 and as long as I’m on soft ground, keep an eye on her and keep the distance low she’d be ok from around 1 onwards too.

I don’t hunt. In fact I have such poor hand to eye co-ordination I’m the last person that should have a gun in their hands! However I know this breed needs a lot of mental stimulation and we have several acres of land so any training of games you can all suggest I would have a go at with her.
There is a difference between letting a dog pace itself while hunting and being pushed while you jog or run.

You need to be careful with them while they are young and growing so they can keep going when they are double digits. Push them hard now and you are taking time off later.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by halfapenny » Sat May 22, 2021 1:55 am

Sorry to anyone who has PMed me, I don’t have enough participation to reply!

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by JONOV » Wed May 26, 2021 8:14 am

Running with the dog on a leash on the tarmac is different than a dog being allowed to pace itself over terrain off leash. In my own non-veterinary mind it's the same reason that walking two days in a row on a treadmill makes my knee hurt but I can walk 2x that for a week outdoors and not have it, a repetitive motion thing. That said at a year I'd think a GSP is probably fine.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by oregon woodsmoke » Sat May 29, 2021 4:21 pm

This is my experience with young pups and traveling long distances. I would take an entire litter, too young to be weaned, and we would go hiking in the mountains. Even sometimes a steep rough trail.

But I would walk and the pups would run back and forth at high speed and after awhile, they would slow down and then they would collapse in the shade. At that point, I would sit on a log and wait and they would sleep for about 10 minutes and then jump up and take off running. I was going slow enough for them to be able to pace themselves and stop when they got tired.

These were fit pups because I had a farm and they were out all day running around with me as I did my farm work. They could run when they wanted and stop when they wanted.

More than once, I've seen a person running or on a bike with their loyal dog desperately trying to keep up with them, looking panicked that they would lose their human and working much beyond their limit. If you are going to run with the dog, please pay close attention so that you can stop and give the dog a couple of minutes to rest. Especially with a pup, you don't want to strain them by pushing them past their limit.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by halfapenny » Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:50 am

She’s here. And mighty fine I think!
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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by halfapenny » Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:56 am

Investigating flowers
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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by Sharon » Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:48 am

She's a beauty; enjoy a great summer with her. :)
" We are more than our gender, skin color, class, sexuality or age; we are unlimited potential, and can not be defined by one label." quote A. Bartlett

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by polmaise » Fri Jun 25, 2021 3:42 pm

Looks great. Summer is good season for a puppy.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by birddogger2 » Sat Jun 26, 2021 8:39 am

Very nice.

Looks like your pup is pretty well put together.

That frontal pic shows off some pretty big front paws, so I suspect you are going to have a dog that can run circles around you, if it chooses to.

There are some parts of puppyhood that most cannot wait for the dog to grow beyond, but there are also some parts that are incredibly funny and irreplaceably priceless.
Have fun an enjoy making memories together.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by deseeker » Sat Jun 26, 2021 9:02 am

Nice pup :D

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by halfapenny » Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:43 am

Hi all again!

Looking for advice again as to exercise time (not running obviously!!!).

Ruby is currently 16 weeks old and I'm just wondering in everyone's experience how much exercise she should be having every day in terms of minutes. Most of her walks are off lead. I'm in the UK so it doesn't get crazy hot and I wouldn't take her out at all if it was. I wouldn't say she's the sort that is exerting herself a lot outside walk time. She potters about, pulls her toys around but doesn't run about the garden unless encouraged by me. She also doesn't stray far or move that fast on a walk. I may be over thinking it, but it's just she's 10.5kg and is the size of a springer spaniel and it would be easy to forgot how young she is and over exercise her. I keep reminding myself just what a pup she in fact is.

Thanks in advance!

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by shags » Tue Jul 20, 2021 8:43 am

Your pup is a family pet and not into competing or working at this time, correct? Why put her on the clock at all? There isn't any magic number for dogs' exercise requirements - some will go all day, and some just aren't all that ambitious.

At my house, the dogs get toilet breaks as appropriate to age and condition. Sometimes that's all it is; they 'go' and then they're ready to come in. Other times they feel like roaming or tearing around the fenced yard, or under direct supervision in the unfenced part. When they're done, they're done, but most of the time when I'm done, they're done :)

For a young pup like yours, I judge by how they behave indoors. If they have lots of steam to blow off, or are getting into trouble, they go out for some exercise. Tired pups are good pups. If they're calm and resting, I let 'em be.

All that said, recognize that many dogs don't self-exercise in a small yard. They make their rounds, then get bored and lie around. So almost every day my dogs get an off leash run, and each one decides when he's had enough.***

***Unless he's mature and being conditioned for competition. Then we work with mileage and/or times. But at 4 months your pup isn't there yet.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by slistoe » Tue Jul 20, 2021 10:44 pm

Good post Shags

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by oregon woodsmoke » Sat Jul 24, 2021 7:14 pm

You want to be careful to not strain her joints and tendons. Nothing in her legs is finished yet and you can injure her if you force her to keep going after she is ready to stop.

My suggestion is to take her and run around the block, then drop her off at home and you go on and finish your run without her..

As she gets into shape and wants to keep going, you can run around the block twice.

At her age, you want to let her decide how far and how fast she wants to go. Not on your program, but on hers until she is finished growing.

Adding this: she is really beautiful. You got a nice one.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by Hobbyjogger » Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:23 am

I have a similar question and I don't want to over do it with my 6month old GSP. We have a system of dykes where I run and he goes off leash, we do anywhere between 4-6miles. At this age, how much should I limit this type of exercise?
Thanks!

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by slistoe » Sun Dec 05, 2021 11:35 am

Hobbyjogger wrote:
Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:23 am
I have a similar question and I don't want to over do it with my 6month old GSP. We have a system of dykes where I run and he goes off leash, we do anywhere between 4-6miles. At this age, how much should I limit this type of exercise?
Thanks!
There are plenty of answers to your question in this thread - but this one by oregon woodsmoke probably most pertinent - "More than once, I've seen a person running or on a bike with their loyal dog desperately trying to keep up with them, looking panicked that they would lose their human and working much beyond their limit. If you are going to run with the dog, please pay close attention so that you can stop and give the dog a couple of minutes to rest. Especially with a pup, you don't want to strain them by pushing them past their limit."

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by fourseasons » Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:45 pm

At a minimum, from a physical standpoint dogs' growth plates (at ends of bones) can be negatively affected by over exercise. Do a search engine check with the terms "canine growth plates exercise" and you'll get some great scientific info (as well as opinions, of course) relating to your question regarding puppy exercise. Although there is some debate in the scientific community how long it might take for a canine growth plate to fully "close", it's usually suggested to be at about 1-1.5 years of age, but varies with breeds. You'll see that it isn't the exercise itself but the type and duration that can have the greatest chance of undesired effects - not just running, but also jumping, pulling weight, etc. Note that early neutering/spaying can have a significant effect on a dog's skeletal system (as they then lack hormones that help regulate growth - increased growth can potentially increase a risk for hip dysplasia and stressed cruciate ligaments, etc.).

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by polmaise » Sun Dec 05, 2021 4:01 pm

halfapenny wrote:
Mon May 17, 2021 9:52 am

But what I really want to know is about running with a GSP. I’m already waiting for her to have 2 seasons before I neuter her, to be sure she is fully mature. But given I know they take up to two years to fully mature I don’t want to risk her leg bones by doing too much too soon. Can anyone with more experience give me an idea of what sort of distance she should be covering, both on walks and runs in that period between 1-2 years old? Maybe I’m being overly cautious.
Short going downhill, long going uphill , fast on the open flat , but only till it slows down.
Or just let it do it's own thing (exercise/running) if it's not required for competition in the field or shooting/hunting and it will be fine ..all other health and nutrient of course, it will be healthy enough.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by Hobbyjogger » Sun Dec 05, 2021 9:35 pm

slistoe wrote:
Sun Dec 05, 2021 11:35 am
Hobbyjogger wrote:
Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:23 am
I have a similar question and I don't want to over do it with my 6month old GSP. We have a system of dykes where I run and he goes off leash, we do anywhere between 4-6miles. At this age, how much should I limit this type of exercise?
Thanks!
There are plenty of answers to your question in this thread - but this one by oregon woodsmoke probably most pertinent - "More than once, I've seen a person running or on a bike with their loyal dog desperately trying to keep up with them, looking panicked that they would lose their human and working much beyond their limit. If you are going to run with the dog, please pay close attention so that you can stop and give the dog a couple of minutes to rest. Especially with a pup, you don't want to strain them by pushing them past their limit."
Fair answer. I am never waiting for him or else he's stopped to sniff and then zooms past me. To be safe, I'll keep it to a couple of times a week until he's older.

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Re: Running with a GSP?

Post by 504_Greek » Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:44 am

I started running with my GSP around 1.5-2 years old. Most runs were just 2-4 miles and mostly on grass/soil rather than concrete.
I would start on a leash attached to my hip while on the street. Once we got to an open area free of traffic, I’d let her run free for about 5 minutes. That would get the initial excitement out of her.
The rest of the run I would have her off leash but at heal. She will heal and ignore other dogs we’d past by.
All of this was done with E-collar on.

It get pretty hot down here in Louisiana, so I always have water for her. Usually stop and give it to her half way or when she seems to want it.
Even with the heat, she always seems that she can go forever.

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