Running vs Walking...

Yes. You will have a higher heart rate doing it all at once compared to breaking it down. And a higher heart rate will give you and the dog a better workout. If you think about it, how many miles do you walk in a day? I bet a couple, but you don't feel it because of all the breaks in between actually walking.

 

yeah i only walk 2 miles a day, one in morning and one at night, im not really keen on getting a 10 ft lead and letting him just walk whereevr so i have him buy my side the whole time practicing ob on his walks. once his attention span gets better i will increase the walks.

 

Imo, That's the only way to have it, When they are right beside you it strengthens the leadership role.......

 

Lucky for us all I'm getting tested on this crap Thursday! Pretty much, none of it is "better" It depends on the level of fitness the animal is in, you make a plan, and work from that. What is it you want to achieve exactly? The workout needs to be designed for the activities you have planned. If you just want a happy, healthy dog, than a walk is fine. You can't run a dog who can't walk for long, etc. Sprinting is fine if the dog is training for certain competition, etc. And yes, 4-5 miles of running with a pup IS over-kill!

There's a whole slew of different components to a fitness program and it depends on what you are after. Performance requires performance-type exercise, and that is gradually worked-up too, and injuries are always at high risk.

I used to think anaerobic exercise (the kind that makes you want to puke) was better than aerobic because it was more intense, but it's only better if you are training for something that is done in bouts. Anaerobic exercise won't help anyone on the track team! There's no black a white/right and wrong, everyone is unique in their starting point and their goals.