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Jogging with a cavalier

cpell009

Well-known member
Now before I start, I have read threads on here about not running with a cavalier because it's bad for their joints and they're just not meant for long distance running. But here is my situation:

I live in an urban city and the only dog park here is full of big dogs with untrained owners - the girls hate it and do not get the freedom to run around without being trampled. On the weekends we go to parks out of the city where they can run off leash but during the week we just cant do that.

I walk the girls everyday but Lady is still incredibly energetic so a walk alone just doesn't make her tired. Lady is very high energy and Gracie is the complete opposite - so I would not consider bringing Gracie on a jog. The other thing is, when I say jog/run, i mean it in the most amateur sense. I am NOT a real runner. So if I took Lady for a run it would probably only be 2-3kms at a slow pace.

When Lady was a puppy she seemed to have a patella issue but at her check up a month ago the vet found no symptoms at all of any patella problems.

Do you think she would be okay jogging a couple kms a few times a week?
 
Funny you ask this question now because my sister ran with Fletcher today :) She takes him with her on cool down runs a few times a week since she is training for yet another marathon. I don't really see how a short slower jog is any worse than a cavalier doing agility or flyball so why not???? Talk to your vet if you really have concerns but I'm betting some running is fine.
 
I was training for a 5k about a year ago, and would bring both Guinness and Thistle with me. We had a nice area where they could be off leash. They ran back and forth, and around me the whole time, probably covering 2-3x the distance I covered. Then we'd go home and they'd nap happily.

I can't imagine it would be a problem, unless you are running her in extreme heat or something.
 
Jogging should be fine, as long as the dog is slowly conditioned for it. I walk 3 miles a few times a week with Sophie on the city streets and she is fine. I'm careful about heat in summer and won't take her when the outside temp is 80°F. Even in Canada it can get quite hot in summer. (one week last year, it was hotter in Toronto than it was down here in Tennessee!)

Dogs with short muzzles will overheat rapidly and Cavaliers fall into that category. Their muzzles play a major part in keeping their body cool. That's what my vet told me when I asked about taking our Shih Tzu on these walks, 19 years ago. That little dog was a tank and in his prime walked 4 miles with me at a 16-min./mile pace. I'm older and a little slower now, so Sophie isn't pushed as hard but I still watch her closely when it is hot and humid outside. She loves the exercise and gets very upset when I leave her home during the really hot weather. Bless her heart, she does not understand why she can't go with us. Heat stroke is just not worth the risk to my beloved fur-kid.
 
Thank you everyone! We usually go for our long walks at dusk anyway so it cools down a bit - but I don't want to run in hot weather either so that shouldn't be a problem ;). Our walks are about 2-3kms as well and Gracie is fine during those but when we get home Lady is still raring to go! I think jogging a bit will help get some of that extra energy out.
 
I think you need to clear this with your vet. While some cavaliers could manage this, most vets I know would not consider this to be an appropriate breed for jogging and at risk for collapse/heat stroke. I'd say anyone with a cavalier that snores, already has a dog that should never be a jogging companion.

I fully agree most cavaliers have no problem with a long and robust walk however :). I've done many miles with Jaspar and Leo. But even a slow jog keeps dogs at a constant pace without those rambling slow breaks they get on a walk, for a long period of time, in a breed that can have trouble cooling itself through panting and narrowed breathing passages.
 
Gracie snores and is a wee bit overweight so that is why I would never consider bringing her for a jog. Lady does not have any breathing problems and has a bit longer of a snout than Gracie. I should also mention that on the jog we still have walking breaks every KM or so (*amateur*;)). I will definitely give my vet a call though just to be on the safe side!
 
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