I wanted to change it up a little bit for my trail run today, so I run with my dog, Tucker. We only went 2 miles as our test run. He did awesome! He stayed close the entire run and was very responsive. I will definately take him out on future runs.
To reduce the liklihood of encountering mountain bikers, runners, or other dogs, I went on a portion of the Northshore Trail that is far less used during the week. As a result, we didn't see another person (or dog) out there. I'm not sure how he would have responded to another dog. He has a very friendly demeinor and "plays well with others." So I think he would be fine. My concern is more about how other dogs might respond to him.
I also need to figure out how to get him into shape. I know I can't just take him on my next 15 mile run, but instead, must gradually increase his mileage, just like we do with our own bodies.
One more thought... I need to figure out how to get him to drink while on the trail. We crossed a couple of small streams during our run, but he showed no interest in drinking. I also had a water bowl back at the Jeep, but again, no interest. I wasn't until about 15 minutes after returning home that he started drinking. Maybe he wasn't thirsty?
Do you run with your dog? If so, what suggestions do you have for running with your dog?
October 28, 2010
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I love running with my dog. It's amazing how much energy they have, unless it's hot. My dog does has never drank water while running either - it's just a thing they do I guess. My suggestion is to slowly ramp up his mileage and see how he reacts. In the past 2 years my golden has lost nearly 20 pounds by running with him more and cutting way back on his food. I usually only take my dog for 4-5 miles; he's gone longer only a handful of times.
ReplyDeleteThanks David. I watched his recovery today and he stopped panting about 30 minutes after the run. That seemed like a quick recovery time to me. I will add a little more distance on the next run and keep bumping it up little by little until it looks like he is starting the struggle.
ReplyDeleteI run with my dog on the neighborhood sidewalks most evenings. We used to run together all of the time, but when my wife and I had our first, I had to shuffle around when I did my long runs and Homey couldn't come along anymore.
ReplyDeleteFrom a cardio standpoint, your dog probably could join you on your next long run, but the problem isn't his cardio, it's his shoes.
This past summer, after a long layoff for my dog, we went and hit one of our usual haunts from when we used to run together alot. A really pleasant place where we ran an easy 7 miles with some hills. He had no trouble keeping up from an energy standpoint, but I noticed him limping at about mile 3.5. Then around mile 5 he refused to go any more and just lay down in the trail. We'd shredded his paws. I got to carry Holmes for about a mile and a half back to the car.
Since then, I've taken to running barefoot with him. If he does it, so will I. We're up to 4 miles bare in one jaunt and I'm no longer worried his paws will get destroyed the next time we get out on a trail.
From a distance standpoint, back when we ran together all the time we'd go as far as 15 miles together. For us that was a 2.5 hour long workout. I'd bring some kibble for him to munch at the halfway point and he'd drink from streams along the way. The limiter there was me more than it was him too.
Anyway. I could probably write an entire book on this subject...