Why Dogs Run Fast According To Science
Dogs can go from a steady walk to a rapid sprint thanks to limbs maximized for locomotion.
According to the Merck Manual Veterinary Manual, humans and dogs have most of the same muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments.
Lets consider an elite sprinter, who can apply peak forces of 800 to 1,000 pounds with a single limb during each sprinting step. So, just like a runner, dogs are probably operating at or near the force limits of their muscles and limbs.
A study published in PLOS Genetics discovered that a mutation in a gene that codes for a muscle protein known as Myostatin can increase muscle mass and enhance racing performance in whippets. The findings explain why some whippets run even faster than dogs and validate why muscle mass has a direct correlation on how fast certain dog breeds can run.
In humans, the running speed limits are set by the contractile speed of the muscle, with muscle fibers contractile speeds setting the limit on how quickly the runners limb can apply force to the running surface. The same applies to dogs; top speed dogs can reach may come down to how quickly muscles in the body can move.
Another reason our furry friends can run fast is their ancestral skeleton which provides the ability to run and leap. Their legs have been designed to propel them forward rapidly to chase and overcome prey.
What Is The Average Golden Retriever Size
How big will your Golden be when fully grown? Golden Retrievers are sturdy but elegant medium to medium-large size dogs. Golden Retriever size can be influenced by genetics, whether your dog is male or female and even where you live!
Did you know that there are some small size and body type differences between English and American Golden Retrievers? Because they have been bred from different lines, English Goldens tend to be slightly stockier than the taller American Goldens, but these variations are minor.
Sex differences are linked to size in Golden Retrievers, with males being 12 inches taller and around 10 pounds heavier than females. Size-based sex difference in animals is known as sexual size dimorphism. In dogs, these differences tend to be more noticeable in larger breeds than in small or toy breeds. Lets look at specific height and weight ranges for Goldens next!
Notes About Canine Health And Running
Not all Golden Retrievers are going to be good running companions. In order for your dog to be a running buddy, you need to make sure theyre healthy enough to handle the stress itll put on their bodies.
You should not try to make your dog run alongside you if any of the following things are true:
- Your dog has been diagnosed with joint issues. Running with a dog that has joint problems can seriously injure him and should not be done.
- Your dog is seriously ill. Its better to focus on getting your dog feeling better than to worry about finding a running partner.
- Your dog is morbidly obese. Just like with humans, morbidly obese dogs can have heart attacks if their bodies are too stressed out. Work on getting your dog to a healthier weight before you hit the roads.
How Long Do Golden Retrievers Live Study
This study is being undertaken by the Morris Animal Foundation and just kicked off in 2015.
This study is looking at a number of factors, from heavy metals found in water to the pets routine and even physical traits, to discover if there is any correlation between these factors and cancer.
The main goal, according to Veterinary News, is to create a comprehensive database of over 3,000 purebred Golden Retrievers.
This database will then be used to assess whether there are any conditions and lifestyles that correlate with an occurrence of cancer.
Though the survey is far from over and will probably take another decade to complete, scientists are hopeful that they will discover the cause behind these beloved dogs rising cancer rate and quickly dropping lifespan.
In the meantime, it is likely that Golden Retriever lifespans will continue to drop.
Fact #4: 3000 Golden Retrievers Are Participating In A Study To Help Increase Golden Retriever Health
The Morris Animal Foundation launched the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study in 2012.
Together with veterinarians and the participating golden retrievers and their owners, theyre collecting data about their health, environment, and behavior to find potential risk factors for cancer and other diseases.
How Big Are Golden Retriever Puppies
All dogs are individuals, including Golden Retriever puppies. Keep in mind that your puppy could be above or below the average size and still be within a healthy range. If a puppy falls well below the small end of the typical size range, it could be the runt of the litter. While its easy to fall in love with a runt, be aware that small size could come with some health issues, including a fatal condition known as fading puppy syndrome.
What Does Golden Retriever Corgi Mix Look Like
You combine a tall, fluffy dog with floppy ears with a small, stubby dog with Batman-like ears, and as with all mixed breeds, the appearance can vary widely, and there is no way to predict the exact proportions. In general, a Corgi Golden mix will have a Golden’s large head and a Corgi’s long, low-riding body.
The coat and colors of Golden Retriever Corgis are generally a mix of their parent breeds: Corgi and Golden Retriever. Golden Corgis comes in various colors, including tan, golden, fawn, white, red, black, and brown. Their coat is sometimes a solid hue, while other times, it is a combination of hues. The parent breed Corgi, whether Pembroke welsh or Cardigan welsh, will also influence the Golden Corgi’s coloration. However, their long double coats, making them unsuitable for allergy patients.
How To Avoid A Botched Run With Your Dog
Golden Retrievers might be easy to train, but even the most well-trained dog will still get curious about all the new sights and smells they see on a trail.
Both leash and leash-free dogs will occasionally need some guidance while on a run, especially when theyre just getting used to running with you.
Along with making a serious effort to train your dog to avoid distractions before you hit the trail, coming up with a way to make sure your dog doesnt walk, you can help. Bringing treats with you can help drag your dogs attention back to you if they get too distracted.
Is A Golden Retriever Dangerous
As excellent this breed is, any dog that was abused and treated negatively can be considered dangerous. If a
Golden is in fear because of a threat, their adrenaline and instinct will kick in, which can force him to attack.
But theyre not inherently aggressive. Adequate training and early socialization, as well as treating your dog with respect, will avoid any behavior thats exceptionally undesirable.
In Summary How Much Exercise Do Dogs Need
If your particular dogs breed is not listed or you have a mixed breed, it is best to base your dogs exercise needs on which group they are the most similar with, energy-wise. For example, a Dalmatian would be similar to a sporting breed.
The easiest way to keep track of how much exercise and activity your dog is getting is by using a dog activity monitor. To learn more about this read 9 reasons to use a dog activity monitor
If you feel that you just dont have the time or energy to provide the recommended amount of exercise each day for your particular dog read No time to exercise your dog and Dog exercise for Lazy owners for some ideas and tips.
I hope that you have found this How much exercise does my dog need calculator guide useful in calculating how much exercise your dog needs everyday. Remember that every dog is an individual so use this as a general guideline and adjust it to suit your own dogs exercise requirements.
Tips Before You Start Running With Your Dog
A dog will not disappoint as a running partner. It will not call in late or refuse to show up on the agreed morning run. For such loyalty, you need your dog in perfect health, comfortable, and safe to start the race with you. These tips will help you start running with your dog and have a fun time while at it.
Short Crate Training Sessions
Short crate training sessions are one of the most sure-fire ways to get your pup comfortable with its crate. Your golden retriever should feel as though the crate is a home, not a jail.
Small sessions in the crate help to establish this concept with puppies. Let your new puppy explore their crate. Leave the door open while they sniff around. Place their food inside and let them eat in the comfort of this new domain. Then shut the door for 10 minutes. When they are let out, sit with them, play with them, and snuggle with them.
You can reward your golden pup with treats while they are inside the crate, to further establish the crate as a comforting space. No need to reward them after theyre out of the crate as the reward upon leaving is the joy of your company! This also helps to establish your authority and dominance.
For more info on crate training, check out our article How to Crate Train a Golden Retriever.
Do Golden Retriever Types Have Different Growth Rates
The British, American, and Canadian Golden Retrievers do not have a significant difference in growth. Show dogs are often heavier than working dogs.
Dont be alarmed if your working dog is slightly smaller than the projected growth. As long as shes gaining weight steadily, theres no cause for concern.
Also, look at your pups parents, if they are smaller than average, your Golden will most likely be on the small side, and the opposite is true, as well.
More About This Breed
It’s no surprise that the Golden Retriever is one of the top ten most popular dogs in the U.S. It’s all good with the Golden: he’s highly intelligent, sociable, beautiful, and loyal.
He’s also lively. The Golden is slow to mature and retains the silly, playful personality of a puppy until three to four years of age, which can be both delightful and annoying. Many keep their puppyish traits into old age.
Originally bred for the physically demanding job of retrieving ducks and other fowl for hunters, the Golden needs daily exercise: a walk or jog, free time in the yard, a run at the beach or lake , or a game of fetch. And like other intelligent breeds who were bred to work, they need to have a job to do, such as retrieving the paper, waking up family members, or competing in dog sports. A tired Golden is a well-behaved Golden.
As well as giving your Golden Retriever physical and mental exercise, you should also be prepared to include him in your family activities. The Golden Retriever is a family dog, and he needs to be with his “pack.” Don’t consider getting a Golden unless you’re willing to have him in the house with you, underfoot, every day.
There’s one other potential drawback to the breed: He’s definitely not a watchdog. He might bark when strangers come around, but don’t count on it. Most likely, he’ll wag his tail and flash that characteristic Golden smile.
What Is The Temperament Of A Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever dogs are known for their friendly, trusting and gentle disposition. Here is what some of our members had to say about their Golden Retriever pals:
Henry is a real softie and is very gentle with children. He loves being cuddled on the sofa and gets excited about going on walks and meeting other dogs.Hannah, Owner of Henry
Ageis The Biggest Factor: When To Stop Golden Retriever From Running
A grown-up Golden will one day need to stop running too. As the dogs age, their muscles start to get weaker and hence they cannot do those bursts of a run for long intervals.
It is worth mentioning here that dogs age faster than we think hence dont count their age as you do yours in human years. Use the dog years to decide when to ease your Goldens running.
Will you ever recommend a 60-year-old person to participate in a marathon without considering his overall health? The same applies to dogs. You need to check their health at regular intervals to make sure that they are not having any issues with their bone strength and stamina.
If the dog is getting tired tooearly than before then it could be a sign of his aging and becoming a seniordog.
How Fast Can Small Dogs Run
Smaller dog breeds have less lung capacity and a smaller heart and generally will not be able to run as fast.
Take a chihuahua, for example; they are slow because of their size; their legs dont move far or fast enough! Smaller dog breeds also have smaller lungs and cannot maintain the required breathing rate and usually exhaust themselves quite quickly.
A Shih Tzu, for example, can run an average of only about 6 miles per hour as opposed to an average dog that can maintain an average speed of 15-20 miles per hour and walk for long extended periods.
A small dogs limbs are not designed to propel them forward rapidly, and their skeletal structure is not built to run fast except for a few exceptions, such as the Jack Russell terrier.
Golden Retriever Top Speed On Long & Short
Originally bred to retrieve shot waterfowl during hunting, golden retrievers are extremely athletic and energetic dogs that love to run. Due to their working background, goldens were bred to be fast, but exactly how fast can golden retrievers run?
If you like to run or have an active lifestyle, the golden retriever is an ideal breed for you and will make an excellent workout buddy or a running partner! Besides being very fast, goldens are also great long-distance runners!
Golden retrievers have both a high top speed and good endurance and wont have trouble keeping up on sprints or longer runs! If you plan on taking your pooch for a run, know that youll be dripping sweat way before your pup starts panting.
Keep on reading to discover how fast is a golden retriever and whether they are better sprinters or long-distance runners.
Table Of Contents
How Much Exercise Does A Golden Retriever Puppy Need
And also, are there puppy exercise limits you should be aware of?
A good rule of thumb for a puppys exercise needs is the 5 minute rule. This rule basically states:
A puppy needs no more than 5 minutes of exercise for each month it has been alive.
So a 3-month-old puppy needs only 15 minutes exercise per day, a 5-month-old needs 25 minutes.
This exercise is a proper, structured exercise. Meaning brisk walking on leash, gentle games of fetch. Its in addition to and not instead of general play.
A puppy can play as much as they wish though you do need to be careful that they dont exercise too much.
Puppies are growing fast and their bones and joints can be easily damaged by over-exercising. So take it easy until theyre more mature. Follow the 5 minute rule and encourage very little jumping or vigorous exercise!
Continue the 5 minute rule until your golden is nearing one year old. And then
Anatomy Of A Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers are anatomically built for running.
They are not built like the Greyhounds, but they are still muscular in all the right places. Also, even though Greyhounds are known to be THE running dog breed, they are only good at short distances.
Runners World actually put Goldens and Labradors in the same category because they generally have similar running personalities.
These dogs have bigger bodies that allow them to endure the torture of long, slow runs.
Keep in mind, while they have the body to run, their personalities still need those short sprints. Imagine what the dog is doing when you are playing fetch. Retrievers are also bred for these kinds of short, bursts of speed.
So, make sure you are mixing in a good amount of fetch as well as the long-distance jaunts.
What Is The Best Food For Golden Retrievers
I dont pay as much attention to the brand as I do to the Ingredient List. Your Golden Retriever is going to grow to weigh between 55-75 pounds ! The building blocks to all that bigness are sound nutrition!
Golden Retrievers areomnivores. Their health thrives when fed a diet of meat, vegetables, healthy grains, and healthy fats. When we break that down per serving, we see that it means a label should read like this:
Proteins from a specificmeat source and vegetable proteins: About 25% Daily Value
*This need can rise as high as 28% during peak times of growth and activity!
Healthy Fats: 10-15% Daily Value,depending on the dogs activity level
*For growing puppies and extremely active dogs, the requirement for healthy fats can rise to 30%Daily Value.
Carbohydrates: Up to 50%Daily Value.Use Dog Foods that use good carbohydrates like these:
- Pearled Barley
- Sweet or Regular Potatoes
- Millet
* Be sure your dogs food is fortified with vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, the B Vitamins, Vitamin C, D, E, and Vitamin K.I did some research to save you the time and headache and came up with some great Dog Food Options right on Amazon! Youll find the details along with helpful links right at the end of this article! If you want a review of a Dog Food thatdidnt make the cut youll want to check out my article digging into . I had a Rottweiler on my heart when I wrote the article, but the information certainly applies to all dog breeds!
Is It Ok To Run With Your Golden Retriever
Unfortunately, not all dogs are suitable to enjoy running safely. The breed isnt the only characteristic to look at before you consider changing your buddys exercise routine. Many other elements can restrict your Golden from doing intense sports!
The most simple and efficient way to know if your dog is suitable to run is to ask your vet. However, its always interesting to do your own research on the topic. Here are some conditions to analyze to see if your dog can run safely!
Health.
This is the most important thing to take into consideration before running. Like humans, dogs need to be in good health to do intense physical activity safely!
Goldens are generally healthy, but they are prone to specific health conditions like all pets. Their most common problem is probably hip or elbow dysplasia. This type of structural issue is very dangerous and painful for furry runners. Thus, make sure your companion is healthy enough to bring him with you on running trails!
Overweight.
As you probably know, Goldens are voracious eaters that can easily gain weight. If your dog is obese, it might seem like an excellent idea to start running with him. However, running isnt the safest way to lose weight for dogs!
This intense activity has more risk to hurt or injure them than to improve their health. If your buddy has some extra pounds , the best solution is probably to put him on a diet and try low-intensity with him activities such as walking or swimming!
Recent Injuries.
How To Take Care Of Your Golden Retriever
Feed your Golden Retriever two to three cups of high-quality dog kibble that suits your dogs energy levels. You can divide this into two or three smaller meals to prevent him from scarfing everything down.
Avoid chicken bones and anything with high-fat content. Since they can become overweight, give food, and treats sparingly. Overfeeding can lead to certain health problems.
Dont Miss: Top 15 of the best dog food brand for Golden Retrievers
When Can I Start Running With My Golden Retriever
You can start running with your golden retriever when he is 12 to 18 months old, which is when they are considered fully grown.
You can check when do golden retrievers become mature here.
If you start running with him before that it could cause him multiple diseases such as joint disorders like hip dysplasia and bone diseases. Running with your dog before their bones and joints are fully developed can easily cause damage.
Puppies are vulnerable to tissue damage and any injuries that happen during that time could become a lifelong injury, and quite a painful one at that.
You should also know that female and male golden retrievers mature at different rates, which you can learn more about in my female vs male golden retriever comparison here.
How Many Miles Can A Golden Retriever Run
An adult golden retriever can run three to four miles on average, with a maximum distance being between six and eight miles. However, exactly how many miles a golden retriever can run will vary from one dog to the other and also depend on the owner. The amount of time you spend running with your dog per week will also affect how many miles your dog can run.
With consistent training, you should be able to get your golden to run up to 10 miles in one session. But, before you start preparing your pooch for a long-distance run, talk with your vet to make sure your pooch is up for it.
Ive Never Seen A Dog Eat Faster Than This Golden Retriever Aptly Named After A Food
A Golden Retriever puppy named Mango is giving every competitive eater ever a run for their money, as he eats faster than seems humanly possible. In a video posted to Instagram by his owner, Mango can be seen sitting and waiting patiently for his dinner that is, until he sees his food bowl and loses his sh*t. His mouth literally starts quivering before the bowl is put down in front of him for him to devour, and I mean, I definitely relate to that level of food excitement.
âThis is called my âmouthy mouth,’â reads the videoâs caption on Mangoâs shared Instagram account with his Golden Retriever older brother, Charlie. âMuch like my mom around queso & margaritas, I cannot control myself around food. I get so excited that my mouth quivers. Please give me all the food.â
Labradors Running In Warm Weather
Take extra care when running with your dog in warm weather.
It isnt natural for a dog to run continuously.
Left to himself he would trot for a while, stop and sniff a bit, then trot a bit more.
Dogs can and do overheat if running continuously in warm temperatures
Its usually coolest early morning and evening, but even then, a dog can overheat if running constantly.
Keep an eye on the temperature and on how your dog is coping. If in doubt, walk him home.
The Dog Is Chasing The Cat
These dogs arent known to have a high prey drive and get along with small kids, humans, other dogs and cats. Though the Golden Retriever is a friendly breed, leaving them caged in can give that friendliness a 180-degree turnaround.
Chasing your precious kitty may be the only option that your Golden Retriever has to get some work in and release some of the energy theyve built up.
And if its not a friendly dog-chase-cat game, it could end up badly. This wouldnt be the first time that a Golden Retriever has killed several cats.
How Far Do They Run
Golden Retrievers arent just speedy on their paws; theyre straight-up running machines. They are known for having seriously strong stamina in terms of run length. Though rare, its not unheard of for these dogs to finish a 5K alongside their owners!
That being said, how far a retriever can run varies based on certain factors, including:
- Age
- Health