Running w/ dog?

[spyrosmom]

I know some of you ladies run w/ your pets, so I am looking for advice here. I'd like to have Vlad start running w/ me. I normally run about 5 or 5.5 miles once or twice a week. It takes about an hour, I am the world's slowest runner!! Vlad is old enough now that I have the vet's ok for him to start going with me. He is a shep/rott mix and they are prone to hip probs so the vet had me wait. He is an active dog - at least 1, sometimes 2 long walks a day, plenty of fetch ball, rope tugs, and kitty cat bothering. For now, we'll just run a block or 2 in the middle of a walk. I tell him to "go, dog, go" and he gets a big silly doggie grin and goes. He loves it. He's not too fond of the "stop, dog, stop" Now my run is his fast trot. I have to be sprinting for him to actually be running. Like I said, I'm slow. My question is - how to work him up to any kind of distance? I would think the same way I did it for myself - slow and steady increases? I wouldn't expect a human to just all of sudden get up and run 5 miles, I know it didn't work that way for me. How did all of you work up your pets to being able to go any kind of distance? He's young and healthy - about 16 months old, but I don't want too much too fast, and I certainly don't want to carry him home, he's heavy!

Nan

 

[hiitdogs]

I run with my dogs, all 5 of them They all are Aussies so they have pretty good endurance anyway but I didn't, so we started out slowly. We run 5 or 6 times a week, only 1 or 2 steady state runs and the rest is Cardio Coach walk/jog and sprints.

It sounds like your dog is in pretty good shape from the exercise that he is getting anyway. Why don't you start out with 2 or 3 miles and see how he does and then add on 1/2 mile or 1 mile every week or two. Maybe stay close to home in the beginning so if he gets tired you don't need to carry him far

My dogs now run up to 10 miles with me. One of my dogs has severe hip dysplasia so I had to be careful to slowly build him up but the vet also said that he needs to exercise to build up his muscle to compensate for the hip joint. He gets an herbal anti-inflammatory called Zyflamend and it seems to work well, no limping, he leaps and jumps whereas according to his x-rays he shouldn't even be able to walk.

Running with my dogs is about the only cardio I do. I love going out with them every morning and they keep me accountable Aside, a tired dog is a good dog

 

[marnold]

I love you guys! DH and I spend A LOT of time exercising Zeus and Athena. Now I know that we are not as weird as the rest of the town thinks we are. Zeus is now 93 lbs and can run like the wind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Skyy2]

I used to run with my Shadow (75 lb border collie/retriver mix). I started him off with 1.5 miles then upped it to 3.0 miles to see how he did. He did pretty good and I know when to up the miles because he seem bored @ the low miles. Then I took him out for a 6 mile run and I know he was a little tired because he kept crossing in front of me.

I haven't run with him in a long time.....

 

[spyrosmom]

Thanks ladies!

Tomorrow is a cardio day for me, and if the rain ever stops, I think I will take Vlad out for a run with me. Thinking maybe 3 miles to start. I have to get out of the house early tomorrow anyway to water my brother's plants while he's gone. So a shorter run would be perfect. One more question - I assume you don't run your animals in the heat, right? I'm in the Chicago area, so it can get mighty toasty and humid in the summer. He's mostly black, so I try to keep him out of the hot, hot sun in the middle of the day. And I know I personally am not a fan of running in 95% humidity, but I do it. Common sense tells me before 9 or 10 am and after 7 pm is prob the best, right?

Nan

 

[lifeverlasting78]

I'm glad to see this thread and the positive feedback about running with dogs because I have been wondering about this myself! I started the Couch to 5K running program and since I've been walking several miles with my dog almost daily, I thought she could train with me. The first time we ran (one minute run, 3 minute walk - repeated 3 times), she seemed to drag behind me. I was concerned that I shouldn't be running with her. I asked my vet last night and he said it would be fine (woo hoo!), as long as we start out slow and don't run in extreme heat. The program does start you off slow so I think it's do-able. I'm so happy to hear it's okay to run with dogs! I'd really like her to train with me!

 

[hiitdogs]

Keep your dog out of the heat, they can get a heat stroke much faster than we do. Also make sure that you take water with you if you go longer than 3 miles.

I live in Arizona, it gets mighty toasty here, 110+ degrees in the summer is normal, it usually is a dry heat until the monsoon and then it gets humid. I make sure that I am done with my run before 6 am which means for the long runs we get out at 4 am

We have people here who run at noon - the crazies!!! - and I don't know about Chicago but usually when it starts feeling a little uncomfortable for you, you are past the comfort zone of your dog.

 

[marnapril]

your dog will let you know when he can't run anymore, but honestly most dogs can run pretty far, and if you are slow to where the pace is more of a trot for him, then he will do just fine. i ran with my beagle Buddy for many years until his hips got real bad (he is now 12 yrs old) and he would slow down and then just stop. it got to a point where i knew he couldn't take it anymore. they will let you know. but healthy dogs love to run! and no, you definitely don't want to carry a rottie home!!!

 

[ksg68]

I run with my two German Shephards several times a week 3-4 miles at a time. They are so much fun but we get interrupted quite frequently by deer. My dogs are 165 lbs. combined and I'm 135 lbs. and temporarily lost the tug of war for the deer! Deuce has hip problems, so I keep a careful eye on him, making sure we're not gone for a long period of time. Our vet said it's good for him to get daily exercise as long as it's not too strenuous. We also go around 5:30 a.m. when it's cool (40-50 degrees) and there's no bugs. Living in MN, that may change soon (d*&n horseflys!)