I have a GSD who loves swimming. If there is water, he is in it. Is it safe for him to be playing ball in our very cold lakes. We interact with many lab friends who are also in the lake and the owners say it is fine. Will the dog know better?
Well there is one thing that a GSD won't do better than a Lab....swim.(before I get yelled at....let me add "generally speaking of course"LOL)
I would say your dog should be fine just use common sense. Even a great swimming dog can still drown if pushed too far. Your dog may desire to keep up with these maniac water dogs and could tire easily. Too much time in freezing water is not a great idea either.
My dog 9mos old GS bitch loves to fetch decoy in the water, I believe she would keep swimming for hours if I let her, she will not even pay attention to food ( even though she has high food drive) when she is in this mode. I figure swimming gives her a great workout without as much stress on her joints. She does walk w/ my wife in the morning, approximately 3 miles. Is this too much? I do not want to injure her but, burning off the extra energy sure does help, we train while we play, before and after. I am waiting to take her on runs with me 4-8 miles, even though I would love to show her off to my buddies. I should add that she ran a 5k with me recently, it was great fun. Do yall know where to find good training info for training the long down--on the web?
Running a 5K race with a 9 month old puppy is a sure way to screw up a dogs growth! This is VERY bad...don't do it. You should not run with a dog until they are fully physically mature...I say at least 18 months. You are risking doing serious damage to the dog. Her hips and joints are at serious risk when you do this.
Walking 3 miles is sure better than running a 5K thats for sure. I still say side with caution. She is very young. She can enjoy a lifetime of physical activity with you but if you push her too much now then you risk serious problems later. I would not walk 3 miles with my 9 month old puppy. Some may say I'm being paranoid...I don't think I am. A brisk mile or so should be enough for now IMHO. As far as swimming goes, although it is less impact than running you have to keep in mind that her endurance is not what it will be when she is mature and you must not push her too much. I'm not trying to be a spoiled sport...I'm just saying take it slow. In time you can do all these things.
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