jogging/running with your dog...a bit different but HELP!

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

I had a chocolate lab for 13.5 years . He ran with me 4 plus miles every day and on my rest days from running, I would roller blade and he'd roller blade with me. He was fit, muscular and the first love of my life. I miss him :sad: , my runs have never been the same but he was easy to train and would flip his lid when he'd see me put my running shoes on! He'd actually bring me his leash or sit by the door with it in his mouth. But, it's like a human, you have to start them out slow and build them up, do your research, you shouldn't run a puppy until they are full grown, it can cause severe damage later on in life, especially with a large breed like that.

brainfreeze72

I have two "Pitbulls" a 7 year old American Staffordshire Terrier and a 4 year old American Pitbull Terrier. The AmStaff loves to run, we do about 3 miles. The American Pit used to like to jog with me but she has luxating patella's (bad knees) and can't even take 3 mile walks anymore

Breed doesn't matter as long as you have a healthy dog with good knees and hips that can keep pace with you comfortably. You want a dog with lots of energy and running with them prior to leaving them alone for hours (like going to work) is best because your dog is left tired and less likely to get into mischief in your absence. My dogs are black and dark brown so jogging in the sun in the summertime isn't good for them because they overheat. Remember the dogs are wearing fur coats 24/7 and need to pant to regulate temperature. Since they can't vocalize you need to keep a close eye on your running partner to make sure s/he isn't overheating.

Good luck with finding your running buddy. I'd recommend petfinder.com to adopt an animal in need of a loving home.

nharder1

I have a four year purebred Pitbull named Athena.
She has endless amounts of energy. She has actually suffered injuries due to being so active. Because of this, I generally do not take her for longer that a 5K.

danimalkeys

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I love a working dog. My older one had a bit of protection work, he was a K9 washout. The younger one is my husband's partner. I'd love to do it recreationally but we don't have any options around here.

not many options around here either, the group i was with is training too far away now. my guy was pretty good but didn't have enough prey drive, too much defense. he's good for home protection though, I had guys sneak in the yard and stuff and he went right after them. That's all I need, he doesn't have to run after guys like a police dog. It was a lot of fun for both of us. another guy I trained with was in charge of the county pd k9 program, he wanted my dog for a drug dog because he's got so much ball drive and a real good nose. part of our play time now is me hiding the ball all over the house and having him search for it, same thing in the yard.he loves it!

ShellGetsFit

My walking/running companion is our 3.5 y/o Doberman. He runs the trails around our neighbourhood with me and loves it so much. My husband bought a special leash that wraps around my waist so I can run hands free with him, I love it. Just as others have said with GSDs he clears the sidewalk pretty quickly! LOL We adopted him when he was a year old and had already been in 2 other homes before ours. He's such a loyal and loving dog, a forever member of our family!

wassergottin

My dog is 1.5 years old, a terrier mix and a rescue. He's also a special needs dog who has severe anxiety. I've worked with three private trainers, and he still has leash aggression/reactivity/crazyness. So, to take him on runs, since he loves them, I now blindfold him and lead him with a head harness. I am very careful with him on runs/walks, and make sure to take breaks for him. He's much less stressed now and still gets to do what he loves (which is follow me everywhere). I do need a sign, though, so people realize I'm not abusing/neglecting him. I'll get that sign eventually. Until then, I just make sure I keep him in situations that won't hurt him, either mentally or physically.

meerkat70

One of my jack russels runs with me. She's great. I'm not running far at the moment, but when I was half marathonning, she was a great companion on long runs. She's well behaved, comes when called, never chases anything but me.

airen123

Hi everyone - I am considering finally getting a pet dog for our family -- I would LOVE to hear from you if you have a pet dog that you jog/run with. Could you post a pic...tell me the breed and a little about the dog and how much they love to run with you? How frequently you take them out - how far etc? And the pros and cons of the breed - so far as you know at least :-)

I am sooo undecided about the breed, but I know I want to RUN with my new family member. Not too big, and obviously not too small either as otherwise I might need to carry them in a backpack or something ridiculous lol.

Thank you so much in advance!

I jog with my 40-lb puggle twice a week for 30 minutes. He loves it. It also gets, ahem, his "bowels" moving :blushing:
He is curious and does like to sniff things, so we stop a little. This breed is relatively new, but every Puggle I've met has the same personality as mine. Playful, energetic, loyal and a little odd.
My only regret is that he wasn't a rescue, as he was a gift.

mamosh81

My two huskies absolutely love to run with me. I have a belt that I hook them to in order to keep my hands free, and pulling harnesses that they wear. The second they hear me get the harnesses out they go nuts. I've hooked them up to my bicycle with these lines and harnesses, as well as the belt, and they love it all.

This is my two and my brother in law's two when we were out trail running back in October

this is an amazing idea i would love to go running like that!!!

But i think for a first time dog owner huskie and malamutes are a bit much

JennetteMac

I have a Patterdale/Jack Russell cross who has longer legs than you than a pure JR. He runs for ages no problem and walks happily for hours. The only thing is that he does like to stop for a sniff here and there. (Actually that's quite good for me as I really need the excuse to pause!)
He also makes me feel a bit less lonely as I go out and pretty much forces me to go even when I don't feel like it.
Also I feel safer with him than I might as a lone woman walking/running in the evenings/early mornings.

AussieTrainer

I have an Australian Shepherd and she's an infuriating running companion. =P She prefers to prefers to play with me off leash, sprinting and doing herding games. She LOVES going to the park and walking/hiking but when it comes to a steady jog she gets tired and very sulky. =P

Border collies are similar in behavior...mine is no longer with me though.