Running

[Gifford]

Hi Again Everybody,

Gifford is 3 and as mentioned in the past loves to run and play fetch. Sometimes he is so active though and breaths so hard that I'm worried he may have a heart attack. Am I being worried for no reason or do these things happen?

Thank-you

[hazelrunpack]

Dogs do play till they're "falling down" tired, sometimes, and it's not necessarily unhealthy for them. Normally, if they're tired, they'll rest, but they don't always have the sense to know when to quit. That's when it's up to you to make Gifford rest.

We normally don't stop the play session unless it's quite hot outside and our dogs' pants sound rough or they get foamy around the mouth from the exertion. If Gifford is chasing a ball but starts resting more frequently, it's probably a good time to call it quits for a while, too. Also, if he's a die-hard fetcher like our Cass is, don't toss the ball while he's resting--if he can't resist a moving ball, he'll run after it even if he's too tired....

[parot]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Dogs do play till they're "falling down" tired, sometimes, and it's not necessarily unhealthy for them. Normally, if they're tired, they'll rest, but they don't always have the sense to know when to quit. That's when it's up to you to make Gifford rest.

We normally don't stop the play session unless it's quite hot outside and our dogs' pants sound rough or they get foamy around the mouth from the exertion. If Gifford is chasing a ball but starts resting more frequently, it's probably a good time to call it quits for a while, too. Also, if he's a die-hard fetcher like our Cass is, don't toss the ball while he's resting--if he can't resist a moving ball, he'll run after it even if he's too tired....

Hey,

do you know other methods to see, when it is time to quit playing? The problem is, that my dog always gets foamy around the mouth, even when he just sitting around.

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by parot

Hey,

do you know other methods to see, when it is time to quit playing? The problem is, that my dog always gets foamy around the mouth, even when he just sitting around.

Watch for labored breathing--if your dog's breaths are rasping, it's time to quit. Also, watch the tongue--a dog in oxygen deficit will get a bluish tint to the tongue and needs to rest. Dogs are also prone to heat stroke, so take it easy on warmer days.

We have one dog that's rather drooly and tends to have a very wet mouth most times. But when he's been playing hard, the drool tends to get frothier--looks like he's been sucking the suds off of beer