Did you know that not every dog can be a good jogging partner? It’s not very surprising that Bulldogs, Mastiffs, and Saint Bernards can’t run very well. However, many other dogs can be bad running companions depending on their conditions. Beagles are well-known to be small, active, and intelligent dogs that enjoy the outdoors!
With all the energy this breed has, active dog owners could be very tempted to start jogging with their furry friends. In this article, I want to share with you what I’ve found about working out with these small energetic companions. In other words, can you go running with your Beagle?
Beagles are very likely to be awesome short-distance runners. Unfortunately, these dogs aren’t the best for long-distance running such as cross country or marathons. On the other hand, you could jog regularly between 1 and 3 miles with your Beagle. Moreover, this active dog breed will love to do brisk or short runs with his owner!
What Are The Beagles’ Exercise Needs?
Before you start running with your dog, you should know how much exercise he needs. Fortunately for you, this high-energy breed will need a lot of physical activity every day. Most Beagles will enjoy playing around and enjoy plenty of exercise!
They are very good at hunting, searching, and tracking things. That’s why you could see them sniffing nearly everything they see. However, this dog breed needs at least 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise. That could seem a lot for their size, but that’s only the minimum!
Some Beagles would love to have more than 2 hours of physical activity every day. Unfortunately, many dog owners won’t have the time to give their buddies so much playtime. That’s one of the main reasons why this breed is very likely to get overweight without proper exercise.
Learn more about how much exercise Beagles need!
What Type Of Physical Activity Should You Do With Your Beagle?
Walking with your dog is probably the most efficient way to spend his extra energy daily. If you don’t do it regularly, this could be very interesting for you and your furry friend!
To give you an idea, most Beagles require around 20 to 40 minutes of walking per day. You can walk almost anywhere, with friends or alone, and at any time of the day. Make this activity fun for you and your companion. It will be easier to enjoy it daily!
For example, I like to go to the forest with my dog. Walking has so many benefits, so every dog owner should take advantage of them. Taking a deep breath of fresh air every morning starts the day very well. It’s also a great way to exercise your Beagle to keep him fit, healthy, and happy!
Is Your Beagle Suitable For Running?
Every sport has some barriers to start enjoying it safely. Fortunately, running is very simple and most dogs can enjoy this great physical activity without any problem. Let me share with you what makes your dog suitable or not to become your running partner!
The breed is one of the most influential things to look at. Some low-energy pets such as Pugs, Great Danes, Bulldogs, or Bullmastiffs can be difficult to motivate. Beagles won’t have too many problems with their motivation. However, I will help you figure out if you can run with your Beagle a little bit later!
Another important element to analyze is the health of your companion. Many dogs can hurt themselves or develop serious injuries because they run with health issues. The best way to know if your dog has perfect health is to visit your vet!
There are also other health problems you can see if you pay attention to your dog. Hip dysplasia is something you should be careful about, some Beagles could have difficulty walking and develop arthritis in their joints. Normally, these dogs are in good general health. Just make sure your dog is in top shape before you consider running with him!
The age of your dog matters if you want to do intense sports with him.
Don’t run with puppies; this activity could hurt them because their bones are still growing. Take this advice seriously; you could injure your young Beagle permanently by jogging too early with him!
Your buddy can also be too old to run. Some very healthy senior dogs will be able to run until their golden age. Be careful not to exercise your old companion too much, you could hurt him!
There are many other things to look at before starting jogging with your Beagle. Good running companions are usually medium-sized, high-energy, fast, strong, and athletic dogs. However, if your dog can walk around a few miles without any problem, they are probably OK to run. Make sure you or a veterinarian take the time to analyze your dog’s conditions and abilities before any change in his exercise habits!
Important Things To Know About Beagles!
Beagles are considered adults and fully grown between 14 and 18 months of age! Why is this information important if you want to run with your pup? It’s simple, you can’t start any intense physical activity before your companion is fully grown!
These dogs love food, so give them enough exercise time! Like many breeds such as Labradors and Goldens, Beagles can become overweight very easily. You can restrict them from eating too much (1 cup a day is enough for an adult Beagle), but don’t put them on extreme diets. The best way to control their weight is with proper exercise. Running, walking, and many other activities are great to help your buddy become more fit and healthy!
Beagles Love The Outdoors! These dogs can be good apartment companions as long as they go outside regularly. Whether it’s in your backyard, in a dog park, or in the great outdoors, this dog breed needs to be taken out of the house daily to walk, run, or enjoy any kind of activity!
They Can Be Very Stubborn! Don’t be a fool by their intelligence. Beagles aren’t easy to train. It can be very difficult to get the attention of your buddy when he’s just not in the mood. Don’t push them to exercise when they have no desire to do it. However, you can try to motivate them with treats if they seem lazy too often!
Can You Go Running With Your Beagle?
Yes, this breed generally makes very good jogging partners for short distances. Running with your Beagle can be more fun and motivating than lonely jogs. This is an excellent way to enjoy cardio and high-intensity physical activity. It’s also interesting to spend both your extra energy and get in better shape!
This energetic dog breed should enjoy brisk walks and short runs. However, make sure you don’t push your buddy too hard, you could cause him pain or serious injury. Running with your Beagle is a great way to improve both your health and general well-being!
On the other hand, make sure you do not over-exercise your companion. Your buddy has good stamina for low-pace walks such as hiking. However, Beagles aren’t suitable for running long distances or marathons with you. The best distance for running with this breed is anywhere from 1 to 3 miles!
Originally bred for hunting, your dog will probably prefer sprinting over jogging. That’s why I highly recommend you try brisk runs with your Beagle. You could be impressed by how fast he can sprint. These small furballs of energy can run up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h)!
This is very fast compared to humans that run on average around 8 mph (12 km/h). However, you don’t need to run that fast if you want to run with your companion. Well-trained, he will follow your pace and listen to your voice commands. Thus, Beagles could be awesome partners for sprinters or short-distance runners!
Can Beagles Run Long Distances?
Every dog has different limits and capacities concerning physical activity. That’s why it is so important to know your companion well. Running more than a few miles (or kilometers) can be bad for your dog. Unfortunately, Beagles aren’t built for long runs. They don’t have the stamina for constant intense effort. Compared to dogs like Weimaraners, Labradors, or Vizslas, they don’t have the perfect shape to be among the best running partners!
Around 3 to 5 miles (5 to 8 km) runs should be the maximum for this breed. Jogging more than 5 miles (8 km) could be dangerous for your buddy. Maybe some Beagles that are extremely athletic, healthy, and experienced could be able to run longer distances with regular breaks!
However, this breed will have more fun running fast for short distances. My recommendation would be to do two brisk runs per day instead of one long daily jog. After these regular runs or walks, you can try many other active games or sports!
Here’s an article [Open In a New Tab] on the Embora Pets site that explains with more details why Beagles aren’t the best endurance runners!
How To Start Running With Your Beagle?
Here’s a simple 3 steps process to teach your buddy how to run properly. The first step is to introduce your dog to regular walks. Don’t forget that Beagles need around 30 minutes of walking every day. You can do one long walk or multiple shorter walks. Again, this breed should enjoy several brisk walks more than a slow and long one!
The second step is simply to improve your daily walks by alternating with short jogs. This the best transition you can do from walking to running. After some practice, your dog should be able to start jogging.
The third step is simply to try running with your Beagle on a very short distance. It could be less than 0.5 miles (800 meters), this is only to introduce your dog to this new sport!
Once your companion gets it, you can consider increasing the distance slowly. A safe way to improve your dog’s running skills is by increasing your distance between 5 to 10% every week. With this process, you will find the perfect running pace for you and your dog!
How Do You Know If You’re Over-Exercising Your Dog?
Like every animal, dogs can communicate with many signs. Generally, you can notice quite easily when your dog is working out too much. However, with your earphones, your thoughts, and several other distractions, you could forget to make sure your running partner is all right to keep going. That’s why you always need to pay attention to your Beagle!
Here are some signs that you should stop running and adjust your training!
- Heavy panting.
- Frequent Stopping.
- Sweating.
- Sluggishness.
- Paws Injuries.
- Sore Muscles.
- Confusion.
- Vomiting.
- Etc.
If your jogging partner is unable to keep up with you or have any unusual symptoms, stop immediately. Give him fresh drinking water, cool him down, and let him rest for a few minutes!
Your dog could be overheating or simply be exhausted. If you don’t want to respect his limits, he will suffer. Please keep an eye on your furry running companion to avoid any unnecessary pain or injury!
Things To Know Before Running With Your Beagle!
To practice any type of sport safely there are some rules to follow. It’s the same thing with intense exercise with your pet. Let’s dive into more specific important information to know before running with your Beagle!
Don’t Run In Extreme Temperatures!
Not every type of temperature or weather is interesting or even safe to run. It can be too hot, humid, cold, rainy, etc. Fortunately, Beagles can tolerate heat and cold temperatures fairly well!
The best temperature to run will vary between 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 21°C). However, this breed can generally withstand extreme heat up to 90°F (32°C) and run over short distances in temperature under 80°F (27°C)! They can also be very interesting running partners for colder climates. Beagles should be able to go out safely when the temperature is over 30°F (-1°C)!
Where To Run With Your Dog?
The best place to jog is on soft surfaces such as grass, dirt, forest trails, etc. It will simply be smoother for your dog’s paws. Avoid rough terrain such as pavement or asphalt especially on hot days. Since your companion probably doesn’t have shoes, this type of surface could hurt your running partner!
How Often Should Your Beagle Run?
Daily runs aren’t for most dog breeds. Fortunately, healthy Beagles have enough energy and running skills to run short brisks every day. Nonetheless, you still have to make sure that your dog is suitable for daily jogs before starting to benefit from this healthy habit!
My personal recommendation would be to run anywhere between 2 and 5 times per week. The perfect frequency to exercise with your Beagle will always depend on many elements such as your experience, dog’s conditions, etc!
The Best Way To Start Running With Your Dog!
You could pay a trainer to help you teach your dog how to run. Nonetheless, I suggest you try it by yourself before. The easiest way to start running with your Beagle is to follow the simple 3 steps guide presented sooner in this article!
Pro Tip: Make sure you’re alone with your dog and far from the most distractions possible that could disturb him when teaching him to run alongside you!
For more important information about running with your Beagle, I also recommend you to read my article on 21 dos and dont’s on how to run with your dog!
Other Fun Things To Do With Your Beagle!
Running with your buddy can be an amazing regular physical activity. However, some very active dogs will still have energy even after their daily run or walk. I enjoy plenty of fun things with my buddy. Let me share with you some activities I highly suggest you try with your Beagle!
Outdoors Enthusiasts Sports!
Hiking, camping, or hunting are very good things to try with your hound. It’s guaranteed that you both will enjoy such fun activities to do on weekends!
Frisbee or Fetch!
Like I already told you, this dog breed enjoys sprinting. Teaching your Beagle to play fetch or frisbee could be very fun for you and him. Fetch could be easier to start if you don’t have a lot of experience with dogs!
Canine Nosework Game!
This type of activity could be very fun and interesting for your buddy. These dogs love to smell things, so toys like the Shell Game or Snuffle Mat could be great to satisfy your dog’s sniffing desire!
Other Interactive Activities!
Many dog owners don’t think to do simple activities with their furry friend. Beagle could enjoy games such as hide and seek because they love chasing and searching for things. Playing tag could be a more active option to entertain your buddy!
Last Thoughts About Running With Your Beagle!
In conclusion, there are many ways to exercise your dog. Beagles can be awesome running partners. You just need to adapt this sport to their conditions and limits. They will also enjoy regular brisk walks or runs with their owner!
Whatever you want to run, walk, or play with your buddy, just make sure to give him plenty of physical activity time to avoid behavioral issues. On the other hand, be careful to not over-exercise him with too long or intense runs!
I hope this article helps you to understand if your Beagle is suitable for running. Keep in mind that every dog is unique. Thus, you should exercise your companion according to his needs and conditions!
Finally, don’t forget to have fun while exercising with your Beagle. You can improve your mood, get in better shape, and make your dog happier with regular runs. I hope you will run with the same smile we (my dog and I) have on trails!
