Alice ... I live right IN TOWN in Augusta, I have a small yard but a big house. When we visit my mom, then he has plenty of room to romp and run on the lawn.

He loves to run. He will run right back and forth in the house or in the yard or at my mom's house all over the place. What is the difference between that and going with my son?

We supposedly got a mid-grade energy pup, but he has tons of energy , and I find that his behaviour is better when he has had that brief afternoon jog with my son, than when he hasn't.

My son is only 11 and he isn't running for a marathon. I have heard that "running" is bad for a pup, but they run on their own, unless you keep them crated. I confess, I don't crate our pup during the day a lot.

What is a good typical day for a 5 month old pup with lots of energy. We do our play games for about 15 minutes at a time.

It is difficult to figure out what is good for the pup. You hear a tired pup is a good pup which is VERY true. But then you hear don't play too long, don't run with him, don't let him walk on hard surfaces, et cetera.

I stopped carrying him up and down our stairs at 12 to 13 weeks, but I still lift him from the back of my car to get in and out. (I have a Honda Insight - hatchback). I try to be cognizant of risks to his hips, but how do you find the balance?

Thanks again!

well, the rule of thumb, and the defining difference, is is the pup self-regulating his exercise? when he's running and playing on his own, you are not in danger of "over exercising" him. he'll flop over and quit when he's ready and not play or run a second longer.

it's when he's being taken on a walk or run in which he does not get to choose when it is time to stop that the danger lies.

pups usually will not tell you that they need to stop now, please. they're caught up in being with you, and will keep going as long as you do. so, what you want to do until they are old enough, is not put them in situations in which you, not they, decide when they will quit.

gentle walks around the neighborhood on pavement are fine. running once around the block with a kid--not a runner--is fine. i got the impression your son was "jogging" which is a big no-no.

wearing a dog out with exercise is something you do with an adult dog, not a growing puppy.