# Bicycling and Roadwork



## Mitchell255 (Sep 9, 2010)

Hi! I'm new to your forums and new to owning a GSD. Two weeks ago I purchased a 4 month old female named Rafael (despite the spelling, it would rhyme most closely with "dayfull") We call her "Rafe". 

Since I am between jobs at the moment, I have been working with her full-time on potty training, socialization, "sit" "down" "wait", etc. 

I know she needs a lot of exercise as she is a high-energy breed dog but I have a bad knee that makes walking 1 mile even at a slow pace a painful experience that will haunt me all night long. To exercise myself, I bike. I took a gamble that I could teach her to jog along side me on a leash. She's a natural, staying right at my side with a slack leash although aggressive dogs and autos cause her some concern. I have only done this yesterday and today and only for a 1 mile jog, very slowly with a short sprint thrown in just for fun.

This morning, a well-meaning lady stopped her car and asked how old my GSD was and said that roadwork is very hard on their growth plates, that she had roadworked her puppy and the dog later needed a complete hip replacement on both sides. She said that dogs should not be roadworked until they are at least 18 months old.

I don't have a fenced in yard for Rafe to play in. She needs her exercise and she really freaks out on a treadmill. Does anyone have any experience or formal training that can tell me if I am actually putting my puppy at risk? Can I take her on jogs using my bike for very short distances of say, 20 minutes... 1 to 2 miles? 

I really want what's best for her but I don't know if this well-meaning person really knew their stuff or if their particular dog would have had problems in their hips anyway. Perhaps she ran her dog for long distances and caused damage? I don't know. Any thoughts? Anyone?


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I would not routinely exercise a 4 month old German Shepherd puppy. Puppy's need room to romp and play so they can set the pace, speed and duration. I do take them on walks, but certainly no running or biking or roadwork.

It is true about the growth plates and joints. My 15 month old male's growth plates are almost finished sealing. He is nearing the point where he could begin some roadwork conditioning to a degree.

I would take a pup on a long line to the park and let her chase toys, walk leisurely through the park, sniffing and looking about. Pups can get enough exercise walking. They get tired out by investigating new places and smells also. I don't know what about your knee. My husband is in the same shape and it makes long walks very difficult. Maybe someone else will have faced the situation and have some ideas.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Yes it is bad, just the same for kids that train excessively for sports can end up with issues when they get older. I have knee issues as well, 95% of my riding is on dirt trails. The short distance I go to get on/off the trails I barely pedal and use the brake to keep the pace down. I use common sense, my girl is 8 months old. I started taking her walking out on trails at 3 months old. If all you have to ride on is pavement, I would be leary.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

This sort of nonsense keeps getting told over and over until people actually believe it. Unless your dog is having a problem going that short of a distance at that slow of a speed, you should continue. Jogging a puppy can not cause bad hips, but it can aggravate bad hips if the puppy already has them and your puppy would show that by not wanting to keep up and be sore afterwards.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Elaine said:


> This sort of nonsense keeps getting told over and over until people actually believe it. Unless your dog is having a problem going that short of a distance at that slow of a speed, you should continue. Jogging a puppy can not cause bad hips, but it can aggravate bad hips if the puppy already has them and your puppy would show that by not wanting to keep up and be sore afterwards.



Well, our breeder and our vet said the same thing (no running on leash), and it does sound like most people wait until 18 months before beginning training to run. I think that you could do some pre-conditioning with off-leash running on soft ground.

For the knee, you can bike but can't walk, that stinks. I could see you not being able to run but if you can bike it seems like you could walk a couple miles. Make sure your bike seat is high enough, having it too low can actually cause knee pain. Have you tried one of those neoprene braces? 

Do you know what's up with the knee? I-band or something else?


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## Mitchell255 (Sep 9, 2010)

Thanks for all of the answers. I appreciate all of your opinions. I do have a long leash and I take her into the back yard and let her chase her ball, she does love that. We have a dog park in town but I have not yet been there. 

Rafe gets car sick each time I put her into the car... we need to work on her anxiety and motion sickness so that car rides are fun times for her and we can go to the ball park.

I know that my knee pain makes no real sense. "I" can bike up to 8 miles a day with zero knee pain but walking even half a mile tears me up and keeps me awake all night... it really makes no sense at all, you would think it would be the opposite but it's not. I can ride but not walk. Go figure.

I saw a doctor about my knee and had surgery on it a year ago. The surgeon said I have moderate arthritis in it and a torn meniscus (sp?). I never did regain total flexibility in it but the pain was gone for a year. He told me that the pain would return and he's right; it's returning but it is still better than before. Before my surgery, I could barely get my own groceries and would be limping halfway through the store. I was in constant pain, having it straight for more than 3 minutes caused pain and made you want to bend it. Bending it caused pain after 3 minutes and made me want to straighten it. That only happens now if I walk too far or when a high pressure system moves in.

My rides with the puppy were never more than a mile; perhaps less than that... it was only around one long block and was at a very slow pace, she was trotting but not running. I did let her run yesterday for a very short distance down a hill but she chose the pace. Since she has taken to understanding how to be alongside my bike, I hate to stop it altogether for a year and a half and then try to teach her but it occurs to me that I can take her to the bike trail that I ride. If I go early we will mostly have the trail to ourselves, I'll see if she will run in the grass alongside my trail. If so, she could do just little 1/4 mile jogs and then we'll play in the park and ride back home in the car. In this way, she will remember how to be next to the bike and when she's older and can run on a leash, she'll be ready. 

I think this will give us the best of all possible outcomes... she will be on grass, we'll play and socialize at the park, she will be used to being by my bike. I think I'm comfortable with that approach. 

I'm not discounting anything that any of you said... I'm just trying to err on the side of prudence while still exercising her and protecting my knee. I'll need total knee replacement eventually, but I am only 49 so they want me to wait as long as possible.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Your plan sounds perfect to me. You have great problem-solving skills!

I had a bruised meniscus once, I remember how painful it was to bend my leg and it felt like my kneecap was going to pop off. Ironically, it happened on a bike ride which I was only doing because I was having knee pain while running. Ended up with more knee pain than I had to start with. And the doctor's advice for rehab....more biking.


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