Exercising an 11 year old border collie

Kildare13

I run with my 11 year old border collie 7 km 4 days per week. A neighbour commented tonight, saying I was been cruel to run her so far at her age. Am I? Any comments would be appreciated.

questionquick

I have similar dilemma. I live in the country so its straight out the back garden so the dog can follow me or not.

Sometimes during the summer the dog don`t follow me which is a good sign they don`t want to come (i would be jogging alot more in the summer than in the winter..and also other family member s would be taking the dogs out too) , .. Other times they would get tired halfway and stop.

Tough one if you take the dog out on the lead.. they dont have a choice then.....they cant really tell you that they are tired or hurtin. But if your collie is hurting im sure itll be apparent.

Maybe ring the vet and see what they say or wait for more replies.

TooManyDogs

I think it depends on the dog. If your dog has always come with you then her age shouldn't matter, even if she's on a lead she'll let you know if she's not able.

I jogged tonight with my dogs and my 11 dog didn't even pant never mind look stressed. Granted I can only manage 3km before turning blue but still age isn't as much a factor as fitness.

magentas

Agree with TMD, depends on the individual dog. Collies have a longer life span than some other breeds, they generally live up to 15years, so maybe your neighbour is comparing to dogs she's familiar with that maybe have 10-12yr expectancy? A fit and healthy 11year old collie cannot be compared to, for instance, an 11year old poorly bred chihuahua with health issues that's not used to exercise...No offence to anyone(or any dog!)....just saying how dependant it is on the actual dog!

Most importantly, if you have been running her 28km every week, she is obviously very fit and sounds like she is enjoying it. I'm sure you'd know yourself if she wasn't up to it anyway. You know your dog better than your neighbour;)

Zapperzy

As everyone else said if she's fit for it and not obviously suffering because of it it would be more cruel to leave her at home with no exercise. Just keep an eye on her and if she starts to slow down take it slower and shorter. You know your dog better than anyone else. Just use common sense and don't run her in hot weather (no chance of that at the moment but if our summer arrives) and keep her hydrated.

Sigma Force

As long as she's in good nick I don't see why not, anytime she gets her vet check just have the vet check her hips and joints it's a good idea to do this anyway with older collies anyway a little fish oil a couple of times a week can help I've started giving my collie it a few times a week as she's getting on (12 heading for 13 ish we don't have an exact age as she's a rescue).

She is starting to slow down now but I would say she probably has the energy of an average pooch half her age.

If your dog is happy to go with you, isn't slowing, isn't getting out of breath etc. and isn't finding it hard on the joints there's no reason why you can't keep going. As the years go on you will eventually have to cut it back maybe take the dog out on a seperate stroll when she gets really old. Collies minds are always going even if their bodies aren't as able anymore.
Just ensure she's on a lead when you are running with her or on one of those harnessess things you can put around your waist, as they get on their hearing and eyesight can become worse so it's important to keep them close to you when out and about.

TooManyDogs

My 13 year old collie x decided to come running with us today, she doesn't always want to come but when she does she manages really well and loves it. It does make me sick though that she stopped panting by the time I had everyone's leads off!

kylith

Agree with the others; keep an eye out for her slowing down, or showing signs of lameness or stiffness, and she should be fine. She'll let you know when it's too much for her.

Ronnie Beck

fine if its on grass. probably a bit much if its on the road. gravel and concrete are hard on the joints.

Graces7

Interesting that one poster thinks collies have a longer life? We have heard the opposite.

We limit the exercise our 11 year old gets; she would run herself stupid chasing across the field even though she cannot get to the road. She had a hard life and now has arthritis; getting up can be a tough job.

sudzs

I've also heard that collies live a bit longer.

When my collie x was 11 he was fit as a flea and could run and run! When he got to 13 he suddenly began to slow down and there was more walking than running at that stage. But he also had developed a rapid growth brain tumor at that stage and went downhill rapidly....

But I used to meet other dog walkers a lot and came across a lot of older collies, a 17 year old bitch once!! Blind as a bat but still out every day for a walk!

Ronnie Beck

my lad runs about seven k for every one I walk:). He only two. Always keep kim running on sand or grass. no concrete at all really. plenty of fish and fish oils for the joints too.

They do tend to live a bit longer than most dogs. There fairly hardy but thats all the more reason to look after them so they enjoy there old age more.

Lpfsox

My previous collie died at the ripe old age of 16 and up to 13 or 14 he was running regularly, though for shorter distances than he did when he was younger. For the last year and a half he was restricted to a couple of shorter lead walks as his eyesight and hearing had started to deteriorate as well as his joints. As others have said though, his mind was as active as ever and I just took my cue from him; when he wanted to stop we stopped and if he didn't feel like going out then we didn't.

I was heartbroken when he passed on but fortunately another nutty collie in the pound liked the cut of my jib and decided to adopt me.

magentas

Graces7 wrote: »

Interesting that one poster thinks collies have a longer life? We have heard the opposite.

Yeah they do tend to live longer than a lot of other breeds as most owners of the breed will tell you. All the collies we had growing up lived to a ripe aul age (16/17yrs) except for one that was poisoned:(

They're a hardy bunch:D

Kildare13 how are you getting on with your girl?

Kildare13

Yeah she's great. Bouncy and lively as ever. I do give her fish oil a few times per week and I run her on a soft grass track. She is a former working dog, who herded sheep and cattle. I run her off the lead and so I know when she has enough. Thanks for all the comments, nice to know what others think.