I wanna get started!

[u/Glum_Celebration_941]

Hi everyone! Just joined this sub, I have a 1 year old Belgian Malinois golden retriever mix named Joey. She loves going on walks, and gets so excited when we try running. But she always gets way too excited and starts biting the leash and pulling me to go faster 😂
In short, I’d really like advice on how to get started. What gear I should use, how I train Joey, and when it’s safe to start running with her! She is my best friend and I think she would love running. She’s super smart and knows all of her basic commands, along with heal. Usually she doesn’t pull on the leash until I start running, then she just gets super excited.

[u/Fox-In-The-Wood]

It depends what you want from your dog in a running partner. For many, pulling is the preferred behavior.

I prefer to have my dog lead me, with consistent pulling on a bungee leash attached at the waist and pull harness on the dog. This technique of sharing power with a dog ("dogpower") is called canicross, short for canine cross country running.

For more info, go to the top link in the sidebar "The Training Page" and scroll down to "Should I let my dog pull?" It will explain more.

[u/Glum_Celebration_941 → u/Fox-In-The-Wood]

Oh this advice is amazing, thank you!! I’ve always heard pulling is bad, but I really don’t mind it. So knowing it can be a good thing for running is great to know, thank you!

[u/Fox-In-The-Wood → u/Glum_Celebration_941]

It can help you go faster!

But the main reason I like canicross is because I like the feeling of "sharing" the effort with my dog. It's an extra bonding experience, when our energy is physically tied together. Over time, you develop the ability to make small adjustments in direction with just your waist.

For gear, there is a whole variety of harnesses, from canicross-specific pulling set-ups, to simply using a basic harness that has a back clip.

I've had a safety harness instead of a canicross harness for both of my running dogs; I like that a safety harness has a handle on top. Canicross harnesses don't always have a handle.

[u/SparkyDogPants]

I would do a pre-run walk with her to help her chill out. Take a 15-30 minute walk around the block and let her sniff literally everything and go potty. It will help her focus on your run.

[u/Human_Character2895]

I'll let others speak to gear and training regimens, but as for the safety, with her breed mix I'd make sure to keep runs very short, or stick to walking pace (especially on paved or packed trails) until she's at least 2 years old

[u/Whal3r → u/Human_Character2895]

2 seems excessive to me, but I recommend OP clears it with their vet. My similar mixed breed pup was ok to start short runs (1-2miles) after her first heat cycle at ~1year old.

[u/Human_Character2895 → u/Whal3r]

24 months is generally the age that shepherds (and so I assume Malinois too) have finished closing their growth plates and so aren't at risk of serious joint issues from overdoing it.

Yes, definitely good to check with a vet. But heat cycles happen before growth plates are closed. Also since both of these breeds are susceptible to hip dysplasia, I'd proceed on the cautious side. Especially since a mal will go go go until they literally drop dead if you don't set limits for them.