Rode my local trails today about 4-5 miles up hill, down hill, in & out of woods, in total 1 1/2 hour ride,
the reason for this is i took my 2 year old Sringer Spaniel with me he loved it, after being back home for an hour resting, i noticed the poor sod can hardly walk, i no it must be his muscles aching.
Do you think that is to much for him?
Do you take your dog with you?

I have a springer and they are amazingly resilient. Many a time he appears to have hurt a leg and limps around, next morning he’s flying around like nothing’s happened.
Unless its the same in a few days, I’d try not to worry to much.

Doesn’t seem too much for a 2yr old springer. My collie has been up to 15miles with me without really tiring him.

We’ve got a whippet that regularly comes out with me, try to limit her to about 10 miles or so, which she absolutely loves. She normally conks out afterwards, but I’ve never noticed her acting sore etc.

Probably just a shock to his system, maybe limit him to couple of miles next time and build up.

It’s not that far for a 2yr old springer – unless you’re superman the uphill probably won’t be that much different than walking to him. Probably just build up a bit slower and make sure the downs aren’t flat out.

I have a 15 month old springer labrador cross. She’s been out with me for short starter rides to get her used to it (1-2 miles). Hope she’ll be able to go a fair bit further when I’m confident she’s stopped growing.

My two three year old cockers were out with me this morning. Eight miles round Mabie with no I’ll effects- though they’re having an extended afternoon nap now.

my springer does about the same both to and from work. takes about 40 or 50 mins each way, depending upon how late i’m running and whether or not we have time to do the last little extra bit off road, or have to ride up the last bit of road.
i don’t leather it along as i don’t want her to push herself too hard. she has wednesdays off because i don’t have to time to get back for the night ride otherwise, and come thursday and friday she is noticeably less active around the office. at the weekend i think she’s happy for the rest.
🙂
i started out with her just doing 1-way to start with, just a couple of times a week, then did more days, then started doing both to and from, and so on. built it up over a good few weeks.

old springer labrador cross

PICS!!!

Two years is old enough but you have to build them up to do distance, same as the rest of us, it’ll be a little stiff for a day or two is all. I’ve been taking mine out everyday since we had him, but didn’t do any distance with him until he was eighteen months gone, now I swear he could run all day and not bat an eyelid.
Mines a dobey by the way, never buy one, nothing but trouble although he was good today, he’s 22 months now and beginning to do what I tell him some of the time, if he’s got nothing else he’d rather do of course.

morgs – just for you.

A few days after we got her

A couple of months ago playing in the stream

Just after fetching a stick from some water – most photos these days have a water theme!

If it was the first time then no problem with the dog being stiff imagine if it was a human who had just run that far for the first time. Check the paws see how they did, they will toughen up.

Just be careful with springers, mine used to go lame when he was young, I found out he had IOHC http://www.scvetspecialists.co.uk/pdfs/file4_1.pdf

He ended up going lame if I ran him fast and we have now had his legs reinforced with screws at a huge cost!

He’ll go working (for pheasants) all day but can’t cope with running at biking speeds it makes him very lame indeed! It’s been quite depressing as the main thing I enjoyed and wanted to carry on doing was riding out on the bike with a dog by my side. He gets so excited when I get the bike out, but I know I can’t take him out riding!

@chubby_monk

lovely animal! Does the touch of labby in her have a calming influence on the ‘mad as a box of frogs’ springer genes?

Two years is old enough but you have to build them up to do distance, same as the rest of us

This ^^

Following a bike is very different to walking with someone.

Take my lab out biking with me all the time, he is 7 now but has regularly been running up to 15 miles with me without a problem. Dogs get stiff after exercise like humans, you just need to take care and watch his behaviour whilst out regarding plenty of water, especially when hot and also watch their pads/paws.

morgs – absolutely – we met her mother (springer) and she’s nowhere near as nuts. Plus now she’s a little older she doesn’t mind doing a fair bit of sleeping. And she was easy to train with the Labrador stomach.

The springer really comes out in her when we’re outside, particularly in the way she leaps (springs) though long grass or if she’s searching for something her tail goes in a helicopter motion, which is quite like Springers I believe

We take our 18 month old springer out on the bikes all the time and he has no problems – though my girlfriend is quite slow 😉

some tips we found useful
– As mentioned here build up the ride lengths – I wont take ours out on my own, or with the lads, as I know he wont keep up just yet

– We take a little bit of food and a collapsible bowl, poor little lad gets quite hungry / thirsty

– we try and stop him running off into the trees too much when we start as he has no idea how far were going and has a tendency to knacker himself out before we’ve started – but the more we take him out the more he know bikes + long walk!

– teaching them to stop on command is very useful!

– next thing for me is teaching him to run left run right – he’s picked up a bad habit of running in front of you when he’s tired to slow you down!

Cheers, chubby….

emailing link of this thread to t’other half now. Wish me luck!

Morgs

teaching them to stop on command is very useful!

teaching mine to lie down on command, where ever he is, is the most useful thing we’ve down. took a while but well worth it.