Running with dogs!!

Question
I have a 9 month Old black Labrador and I would like to train him to run with me.  I would like to know the best way of doing this and how far I should take him and anything I should be aware of.  I have taken him a couple of times for about 5 - 10 mins and he runs beautifully with me, but I don't want to push him too far!!  

Answer
Gaynor, you are right to not want to push him too far. At 9 months old, he is still developing, and his bones and joints are still growing and strengthening. Over-working him could potentially cause damage to those growing bones and joints. I would not run him for more than 10-15 minutes at a time until he is closer to 2 years of age. I would also recommend that you start off by walking for 5 minutes or so, to warm up, then do your running, and then walk again for 5-10 more minutes as a cool-down. That should be plenty of exercise for him. If you're doing a lot of your running on asphalt or pavement, be sure to check his feet to make sure they aren't becoming irritated or anything. Watch him, too, for signs of lameness, and if he starts showing any, stop running him until the lameness goes away. He's nearing the age that panosteitis often occurs, which is, in a nutshell, growing pains.