Half marathon with your dog?

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Hi all, I'm back on the running train again finally, and plan to run two half marathons next year (have run one before a couple years ago, same one I'll be doing in June). I'm doing the couch to 5k, then bridge to 10k, then a half marathon training plan. I found a dog friendly half marathon in Oregon in October and it's doable for me to get there. I would like to hear from those of you that run distances with your dog, especially if you've done a race with them, really especially if you've done the Ruffwear Dog leg at the Columbia Gorge Half!
I'll be talking to my vet in January about if it's okay for her to do at that age (she'll be just over 2).
Would love to hear your tips, experiences, suggestions! My retriever is doing the couch to 5k with me now (off leash and on trails, gravel roads, beaches). We don't road run yet as she is young and I don't think it's good for her joints. She is a fit, healthy retriever (Curly Coated Retriever) and a working dog with boundless energy Thanks for sharing!

JustSomeEm

I have 2 Great Pyrenees, and I'd never considered running with them for anything longer than about a 5k. I'd be interested in hearing what your vet says about a half for a pooch. Now I'm curious, and am going to have to ask MY vet about it. I don't think I could do it though - I'm not patient enough when I'm running. Very interesting food for thought though.

RoxieDawn

This happened with an untrained dog where I live..

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-with-dogs/hound-bandits-half-marathon-in-alabama

I run with my 3 year old chocolate lab (street only) and only at 5k distance. I bring her back home and I finish my training if I go longer.. I personally will never enter a race with her longer than that..

Curious how this works out for you.

GiddyupTim

I would guess that asphalt roads are the limiting factor. Dogs have no shoes......
And the real problem is that dogs will do what you want them to do, to please you, at, sometimes, peril to themselves! Owners need to be careful of that.
All that said, wolves in the wild can travel 50 miles and more in a day, but I don't know if they run that 50 in one unbroken burst or many smaller increments. And, is what a wild animal can do really relevant?

RoxieDawn

GiddyupTim wrote: »

I would guess that asphalt roads are the limiting factor. Dogs have no shoes......
And the real problem is that dogs will do what you want them to do, to please you, at, sometimes, peril to themselves! Owners need to be careful of that.
All that said, wolves in the wild can travel 50 miles and more in a day, but I don't know if they run that 50 in one unbroken burst or many smaller increments. And, is what a wild animal can do really relevant?

I agree with this.. just for this reason is why I go short distances.. Warm/Hot months and the different types of asphalt where I live the street running on a dog pads is hurtful.

MeanderingMammal

Never seen a retriever do a half, but plenty pointers, a husky

Mostly they're running in Cani-X harnesses.

Personally I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and tend to limit him to 6-8km normally.

activeinmysixties

I will respectfully ask you not bringing your dog to a half marathon or any event for that matter - no matter how well behaved the dog is. It is unfair to the dog to be in that big of a crowd. It is a completely different story when you and your dog train - and there is just the two of you. With that big of a crowd the poor dog will be confused where to place him/herself. For the runners it become dangerous (other inattentive runners is bad enough) of no fault to the dog, the owner, or other runners. It is just having a dog in that kind of crowd. Last but not least - your dog may be well behaved - another dog may not be or a spectators dog may want to play with your dog.

I have run close to 50 half marathons with a variety of participants - I have been at events with well behaved dogs - and I respectfully ask you to leave the dog at home.

MeanderingMammal

activeinmysixties wrote: »

I will respectfully ask you not bringing your dog to a half marathon or any event for that matter - no matter how well behaved the dog is.

Did you miss the bit about being dog friendly?

Cani-X trained did are fine once they're in their race harnesses.

Play_outside

JustSomeEm wrote: »

I have 2 Great Pyrenees, and I'd never considered running with them for anything longer than about a 5k. I'd be interested in hearing what your vet says about a half for a pooch. Now I'm curious, and am going to have to ask MY vet about it. I don't think I could do it though - I'm not patient enough when I'm running. Very interesting food for thought though.

I am not sure about Pyr's running that distance as I think they are a bit of a heavier boned dog, but certainly worth asking your vet!! I think the important thing is remembering that when we run with our dogs, it's their run not ours, and we have to adjust the run according to their needs. I am pretty sure that since she'll be 2 then it won't be a problem but I want to ask to be sure

Play_outside

RoxieDawn wrote: »

This happened with an untrained dog where I live..

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-with-dogs/hound-bandits-half-marathon-in-alabama

I run with my 3 year old chocolate lab (street only) and only at 5k distance. I bring her back home and I finish my training if I go longer.. I personally will never enter a race with her longer than that..

Curious how this works out for you.

I remember reading about this!!! What a dog! I used to run up to I think 12k or so with my old Lab/Rhodesian cross, that was the distance he enjoyed up to.

Play_outside

GiddyupTim wrote: »

I would guess that asphalt roads are the limiting factor. Dogs have no shoes......
And the real problem is that dogs will do what you want them to do, to please you, at, sometimes, peril to themselves! Owners need to be careful of that.
All that said, wolves in the wild can travel 50 miles and more in a day, but I don't know if they run that 50 in one unbroken burst or many smaller increments. And, is what a wild animal can do really relevant?

Yeah I wonder if she may need to wear booties or something, I guess we'll see how it goes with training.
I don't doubt that she will be very capable of running a half, she is athletic and runs very much to please herself haha! But yes, it is important to pay close attention to them and run your dog's run, not your own

Play_outside

RoxieDawn wrote: »

GiddyupTim wrote: »

I would guess that asphalt roads are the limiting factor. Dogs have no shoes......
And the real problem is that dogs will do what you want them to do, to please you, at, sometimes, peril to themselves! Owners need to be careful of that.
All that said, wolves in the wild can travel 50 miles and more in a day, but I don't know if they run that 50 in one unbroken burst or many smaller increments. And, is what a wild animal can do really relevant?

I agree with this.. just for this reason is why I go short distances.. Warm/Hot months and the different types of asphalt where I live the street running on a dog pads is hurtful.

We are lucky to live where the climate is very moderate!

Play_outside

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

Never seen a retriever do a half, but plenty pointers, a husky

Mostly they're running in Cani-X harnesses.

Personally I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and tend to limit him to 6-8km normally.

I have been thinking of doing cani-cross with her! She is a Curly Coated Retriever, they are a hardy, high energy dog bred to run and swim all day...I literally can not make her tired hahaha.

Play_outside

activeinmysixties wrote: »

I will respectfully ask you not bringing your dog to a half marathon or any event for that matter - no matter how well behaved the dog is. It is unfair to the dog to be in that big of a crowd. It is a completely different story when you and your dog train - and there is just the two of you. With that big of a crowd the poor dog will be confused where to place him/herself. For the runners it become dangerous (other inattentive runners is bad enough) of no fault to the dog, the owner, or other runners. It is just having a dog in that kind of crowd. Last but not least - your dog may be well behaved - another dog may not be or a spectators dog may want to play with your dog.

I have run close to 50 half marathons with a variety of participants - I have been at events with well behaved dogs - and I respectfully ask you to leave the dog at home.

It is a dog-friendly race, with a specific wave for the dog runners, with bibs and timing chips for the dogs http://www.columbiagorgemarathon.com/ruff-wear-dog-leg/

Vladimirnapkin

It totally depends on the dog. But I would definitely do some running with her on the asphalt so her paws are toughened up before race day.

AmandaDanceMore

People tend to forget that most breeds of dogs were originally bred for a job, and a lot of those jobs required them to trot along for many miles. Dalmatians, hound breeds (particularly foxhounds), huskies were all originally intended to go for a long while, some needing to keep up with horses.

I have no doubt my older dog (mixed breed) could have easily run a half, and asked for more, back in her younger days (hell, because the life we lived back then, she probably covered that much ground daily). She is lightly boned with a big, deep chest and an efficient gait. If she were 10 years younger, I could guarantee I could protect her feet, and I wasn't worried about other dogs being jerks, I would do it.

The little one, though.....yeah, no. Although she is a great walking/hiking companion.

thelovelyLIZ

My understanding is dogs are more sprinters than distance runners. I would think 13 miles would be a but much for most, though maybe not all dogs.

questionfear

I would build the dog up slowly to that kind of volume...though some dogs are much more eager to run than others. I tried taking my dog on a short run once, and he laid down and refused to budge after about a half mile. On the other hand, when my brother in law's dog was alive, and we dogsat for him, I would take him out for runs and he would still have energy after 3+ miles (though thankfully it would take his energetic edge down a bit!)

kshama2001

AmandaDanceMore wrote: »

People tend to forget that most breeds of dogs were originally bred for a job, and a lot of those jobs required them to trot along for many miles. Dalmatians, hound breeds (particularly foxhounds), huskies were all originally intended to go for a long while, some needing to keep up with horses.

I have no doubt my older dog (mixed breed) could have easily run a half, and asked for more, back in her younger days (hell, because the life we lived back then, she probably covered that much ground daily). She is lightly boned with a big, deep chest and an efficient gait. If she were 10 years younger, I could guarantee I could protect her feet, and I wasn't worried about other dogs being jerks, I would do it.

The little one, though.....yeah, no. Although she is a great walking/hiking companion.

Now I'm wondering how many miles my uncle's border collies put in back in the day when he was a sheep farmer.

My Mom's Aussie mix would have loved to walk a half back in her prime. (Hmm, in the woods; not sure about pavement.)

Play_outside

questionfear wrote: »

I would build the dog up slowly to that kind of volume...though some dogs are much more eager to run than others. I tried taking my dog on a short run once, and he laid down and refused to budge after about a half mile. On the other hand, when my brother in law's dog was alive, and we dogsat for him, I would take him out for runs and he would still have energy after 3+ miles (though thankfully it would take his energetic edge down a bit!)

Hahaha my Rhodesian despises running and hard exercise in general, I would never take him longer than 5 or 6km. My retriever is literally never tired even if we run, do a long hike, and she works all in the same day, multiple days in a row! She is much more capable than I am!!

AmandaDanceMore

thelovelyLIZ wrote: »

My understanding is dogs are more sprinters than distance runners. I would think 13 miles would be a but much for most, though maybe not all dogs.

Some dogs, sure! But a lot of breeds were bred to trot along at a solid clip for a long time. Your average long distance runner probably doesn't run so fast that a bigger dog can't trot along at a nice pace for a good while.

Ready2Rock206

activeinmysixties wrote: »

I will respectfully ask you not bringing your dog to a half marathon or any event for that matter - no matter how well behaved the dog is. It is unfair to the dog to be in that big of a crowd. It is a completely different story when you and your dog train - and there is just the two of you. With that big of a crowd the poor dog will be confused where to place him/herself. For the runners it become dangerous (other inattentive runners is bad enough) of no fault to the dog, the owner, or other runners. It is just having a dog in that kind of crowd. Last but not least - your dog may be well behaved - another dog may not be or a spectators dog may want to play with your dog.

I have run close to 50 half marathons with a variety of participants - I have been at events with well behaved dogs - and I respectfully ask you to leave the dog at home.

Well if it wasn't specifically an event for dogs which this one is I'd be more likely to agree with you. But when an event is specifically geared towards dogs I feel it is perfectly okay to bring your dog. Generally I don't bring my dog to races but when it is a dog focused event I certainly do. Mine has only done a 5k.

zombiebrandy0112

When I am doing training runs with my almost 3 year old Huskey - I am only doing max a 10 min pace. At that pace she is just doing a brisk walk. She has gone as far as 12 miles in the winter & spring. She doesn't run in summer due to the heat. (We don't usually have much of a Fall) I would just take it slow building up your mileage and watch for signs of fatigue.

kellymcadam9674

My yellow lab has been running with me since he was 10 weeks old. First very short distances, usually on groomed trail, to now he could easily do a half marathon! Although we've only done a max of 14km run and 19km walk as I haven't done a half marathon since he was in our lives. He's 2.5yo now. My 1.5yo mastiff x Shephard has done up to 10km run and 19km walk. Runs are usually a mix of road and varying trail difficulties.

They both lose their minds with happiness when they see me getting ready for a run. It's a great thing for them to stay active and spend time with you. I consulted my vet and as far as he was concerned as long as the dog wanted to run to go for it, even starting at a young age. Using common sense with building up your training and staying in tune with your dog will tell you if they can do the distance or not.

Good luck!!

AnnyisOK

Only if it's a dog friendly event, vet Okays it and you train together. Mine has short legs and can't really keep up for long distances.

Play_outside

@JustSomeEm we saw the vet today and for my dog she said no issues at all, with the reminder that we obviously build up to it and if course that if my dog is along, it's the dogs run and gets adjusted to how she is doing. That being said, my dog is athletic and rarely ever moves just at a walk lol. She is also smaller and lighter than a Pyr, so I'd clear it with your vet first

SierraFatToSkinny

I've had the black dog for 8 years. When she was younger I had a half lease on a horse and we would go trail riding.

One weekend we road nearly 30 miles. She easily doubled that. (Looping around and such. Haha.)

Didn't break a doggy sweat. She was three.

She used to have very sturdy paws. Never even considered trimming her nails, there was no need

Too old now! Breaks my heart. She was such an athletic dog! True athlete.

Two years is when they say dogs have quit growing, but it sometimes takes larger breeds longer.

How much does your dog weigh? Is she thin? Some say performance dogs are at their best weight when you can dip a finger under their rib cage (when they're laying on their side.)

Also, good diet? I make my dog food. I give her raw bones and she has a lovely coat. Good for the joints too.

Play_outside

@SierraFatToSkinny cute dogs! Yes my dog is lean and fit, she has easily palpable ribs (as a healthy dog should) a nice abdominal tuck and deep chest. She is in excellent health and physical condition. She's a working dog, bred to go all day. Both of my dogs eat an excellent diet that is tailored to their needs She's a smaller dog, only 60lbs.

TavistockToad

RoxieDawn wrote: »

This happened with an untrained dog where I live..

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-with-dogs/hound-bandits-half-marathon-in-alabama

I run with my 3 year old chocolate lab (street only) and only at 5k distance. I bring her back home and I finish my training if I go longer.. I personally will never enter a race with her longer than that..

Curious how this works out for you.

Brilliant!!

DevilsFan1

That distance seems too far for a retriever. I'd worry about her hips in particular. Some dogs could handle that distance (salukis, for example), but I'd worry about dogs that weren't specifically bred to run long distances.