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

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Replies

  • emmymcq
    emmymcq Posts: 278 Member
    My English bulldog is ore of a walker than a runner but he walks at a fairly decent pace most of the time and we usually go about 1.5 miles per walk.
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  • kmcintosh12
    kmcintosh12 Posts: 18 Member
    We run with our Boxers. Great dogs, high energy so need to be aware of that but they are protective of thier owners. Our current set are 13 &11 so only short jogs at this point. When we are ready for a new one, we will go to the local boxer rescue.

    And, while I understand they are pack animals ours are in the house alone for 10 or so hours a day. They are fine. We play a ton with them in the evening and mornings plus the weekends.
  • Labs are great dogs but do take a lot of time and energy in their younger years to train. Once trained they are amazing!! Definitely chewers as pups!! I have a lab/rhodesian mix and she just trots a long. She does like to stop and pee on everything but I just keep going and she figures out really fast she better keep moving.

    She was two when I got her and I lived in an apartment. She was originally trained to pee on the walks while she was on the leash so hence the need for her to pee on everything during a walk.

    Now if you get a puppy and have a house, my other dog a pit, never goes to the bathroom on the leash. She just wasn't trained that way at a young age. I think if you start them young and train them how you want them you'll be fine. I don't take the pit for a run because she is still a little to fast paced for a run. Maybe in a couple years she won't think it means to sprint and take off when i start running. I am sure if I worked with her more she would be great.

    Weimereiners are amazing dogs also. Typically high energy which would be good for the run and REALLY loving and obediant dogs. They are simply there to make you happy, just like a pit only not quite as wild!

    Probably not a rottweiler as they can have a lot of hip problems or a great dane, they like to walk. Any kind of hunting dog can be good with a lot of training but they can get easily distracted with squirrels an birds...etc
  • gabiinacio
    gabiinacio Posts: 124 Member
    I would say go to your local humane society and ask if you can take a few of the dogs out for a walk / jog out in the play area. This will help you get an overall feel for each dog you handle and what to expect. If your wanting an exercise partner, I would suggest a dog that is a bit older maybe 8 months and up. You cant really jog with a puppy, and you will spend the first 1-6 months potty training. You also wont know its personality and may have a lazy dog.lol

    I own two dogs a German Shepherd and a Catahoula, both I would say are excellent breeds. I also volunteered as a dog walker at my animal shelter and it helps you bond with the animals and get an insight on what your getting used too. Some dogs were unwalkable, all they did was chew the leash and jump up on me. It was impossible to do anything, then there were others that were excellent and were already trained/ ;-)
  • sbrooks0387
    sbrooks0387 Posts: 167 Member
    my family has a 1.5 y/o dalmatian. she loves to run. my hubby takes her on 3 mile runs that she does easily. i more run/walk or just walk with her. she does like to sniff but you just need to train your dog to heal or at least that there is a difference when you are running and she can not stop. she'd go out every day for a run and love doing it if we could get her out that often but with 3 kids ages 3 and under things do not always go as planned.

    she is a good family pet. her main duty is protection as we acquired her after a break in while i was home with the kids at night. (i had had a dalmatian previously but was so heartbroken when she died it took me 2 years before i could even consider getting another dog). she really acts like the kids do not exist unless they have her toys or are trying to play with her. dal's do have health problems such as deafness and kidney stones and skin issues. and some are known to be aggressive. my first was very protective of her family and very aggressive towards strangers but i did not acquire her till she was 3 so i have no clue how her upbringing was. Lexi the one i have now, i got when she was 3 months and she has been raised with my kids and although she does tolerate strangers when we are out on walks she is not an overly friendly dog towards them. oh and at 35-40 lbs perfect size for me. not to small (i can't stand ankle bitters) and not to huge.

    as much as i love the breed. i would say labs are nice first time dogs. pretty mild mannered but can still do a lot with them. or you can go to the animal shelter they have a lot of nice dogs there. and the dogs at the shelter will have been evaluated and the staff can help match you with a dog that will be best suited to your family (kids, other pets etc)....
  • EmilyBullough
    EmilyBullough Posts: 30 Member
    What a good idea to get a rescue dog. Will definately try..might even 'try before you buy' and foster a dog for awhile. It IS indeed a long term commitment, one that I'd never step into lightly, which is why we still don't have one. None of us can decide the breed! argh.

    I just noticed your comment about fostering as sort of a trial run. I had a friend who did this a couple years ago, and the dog ended up going back to her original owner after my friend had her for six months or so. I cannot describe how heartbroken my friend was when this happened. She didn't realize how attached she was before it was too late for her to adopt the dog herself. I'm not saying anything bad about fostering animals...it's a wonderful system. I'm just cautioning against fostering a dog with the thoughts of adopting it if things go well, because there's no way to know how long you'll get to keep the dog.
  • Cinnamonhuskies
    Cinnamonhuskies Posts: 78 Member
    When I had my husky she ran with me until arthritis got to her. (hence my name Cinnamonhuskies) She was always out front of me...the leader of the pack! Now I don't run as much.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    I have two dogs...Buster who is a Pit/Corgi rescue and Pepper who is a Blue Heeler/Aussie mix. If I take them with me then I usually go to the park, because one will raise hell if the other gets to go but not them. On running days I have been doing 3 miles running and then 3 miles walking and both have been doing fine. I go to the dog park so that I don't have to worry about a leash (though I still carry one with me), and there is about 3 miles of trails at the park.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    I have a one year old cocker spaniel and she went throught the C25K app with me. She loves to run. I am at the 5K level and I think she could do a marathon. We come in the house after 4 miles I take off her leash and she is running up and down the hallway. I wanted a small-medium size dog that was active to get me off my lazy butt and that is what I got.
  • TesselCat
    TesselCat Posts: 74
    I would say go to your local humane society and ask if you can take a few of the dogs out for a walk / jog out in the play area. This will help you get an overall feel for each dog you handle and what to expect.
    I was just coming back here to post that! Lots of places will let you spend time with dogs to get a feel for if they're right for you, and you for them.
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    My boyfriend and I are watching his sister's dog. She's a Border Collie Mix and since she's a work dog, I can take her out and jog with her as long as I want without her tiring out. She probably about 40 or 50 pounds. Not too big. I'd say go with a work dog as they are very active and will go as long as you can but you will have to be active with them all the time-- they need activity to stay sane and happy.
  • tasharock
    tasharock Posts: 136 Member
    Our 60lb labradoodle (lab + poodle) loves to run! She and my husband have completed two 5k competitions with impressive times!
    She and I also run Canine Agility - a really fun way to train your dog and get some great exercise.
  • Love to run with my lab/beagle mix Belle! I take her out every time I run, and she couldn't get enough of it (that's the beagle distance-runner for you). Also she will look like a black lab puppy for the rest of her life because of her big floppy ears and small size (30 lbs)--the smiles of passerby are a great speed booster. :)
  • sleibo87
    sleibo87 Posts: 403 Member
    I love taking my dog out and with my husband its a little fun outing We also love hiking and our pup does well. Hes medium sized about 30 pounds. He is a mixed bread, chihuahua- beagle is what they told us but I think he may have jack russel in him too. I found this awesome fold-able water bowl with snoopy on it at the dollar store, its made of a windbreaker material and I can fold it in my pocket on our jogs and then just pour him some water from my bottle, it works great! I'm pretty small so i don't think I could take a big dog like my parents have, on a run with me, but I think a tiny tiny dog may not be able to keep up. My pup is great for me!~
  • I totally recommend it. I had a Australian Cattle Dog and she was an amazing dog. I don't have a pic for her and due to being at work I can't post it. But was golden in color but with a coat texture like a german shepherd and features of one as well. She loved running with me and would help to keep me going sometimes when all I wanted to do was walk....lol She was very well behaved on the run and would keep pace well. They are awesome partners to run with, I would love to be able to find another one of her breed. Very loyal and awesome around kids, even my best friends special needs child. She was 70 pounds of love and perfect sized dog.
    Wow...Australian Cattle Dogs usually top about 40-55 lbs--you had an extra big dog! I have all Cattle Dogs-they love to run, they are extreamly smart and easy to train, but also know, they are smarter than you think that a dog could be. So you have to keep them busy with a chore or job to keep them learning and teaching you new things. I also have a miniture poodle, who can keep up with my fast cattle dogs on the ranch any day, any time. ALL OF MY DOGS are rescues!! Including the poodle who came from a mill, and lived for his first 3 years in a crate about three times his size--to this day, he walks in circles when not focused on chasing "his" cattle dogs, horses, chickens, and cats. I totally cannot say enough about finding a rescue-you will get the BEST friend you will ever have since YOU rescued THEM! If you need obedience tips, keep my name and PM me, I have taught obedience for 25 years.... Good luck on your search, and with the right choice you will have a BEST FRIEND for their life!!!
  • javajinny
    javajinny Posts: 78
    Our rescued half pit bull/half Stafford Bull Terrier LOVES to run. We got her when she was 5 months old so we had very little of the puppy nightmare (bigger dogs generally train easier, like 30lbs and up). She loves to run so much and so fast, that for the first 5 years of her life, her first run of the day was a bike ride for me because I couldn't keep up on my legs. Haha. I'd hold her leash, she'd run full bore. The first lap around the block I'd hold my feet out away from the pedals so she was PULLING my 200lb butt around the block. Then I'd peddal the second lap. She was happy!! Then in the evenings we'd go for a 2 mile jog. Now that she's a senior citizen, we just do the 2 miles, but once a month she does a 5K, 8K, or 10K with me.

    Pit bulls and any terrier breed pretty much have boundless energy and would spend the whole day running. It took a little training to get her to stay beside me (on the leash) and not get in front of me or try to sniff everything, but after about a month she was golden. Good luck with your dog hunting!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Love to run with my lab/beagle mix Belle! I take her out every time I run, and she couldn't get enough of it (that's the beagle distance-runner for you). Also she will look like a black lab puppy for the rest of her life because of her big floppy ears and small size (30 lbs)--the smiles of passerby are a great speed booster. :)

    I bet she's adorable. I am in love with Beagles too. IPic?

    My GSDs clear the sidewalk for me. People literally cross the road when they see us, and they are very well trained plus I move to the other side so I am between the person and my dog as I realize some people are nervous of dogs.

    My speed boost come from my GSD trying to catch up and pass people. He likes to lead. Lol.
  • mamosh81
    mamosh81 Posts: 409 Member
    I fostered a couple greyhounds from our local rescue, and they LOVED to go on runs with me. Very gentle dogs, not overly active, and really beautiful.

    Of course, it was just a trot for the dog, since their legs are quite long =)

    i use to have a borzoi, also a sighthound breed. He was fantastic to run with the only problem i had was when there was something to hunt he would be gone! But that was probably because i got him when he was already 5 yrs old and i couldnt train him from start.

    Now i have a collie/chow mix and he always hated to run and now he is 14yrs old and dosnt move much anymore at all.

    Thinking about getting a border collie, aussie or german shep next i always loved the herding breeds
  • fjrandol
    fjrandol Posts: 437 Member
    I can do about 3 miles kinda slowly with my little man, but he gets a little tuckered out after that. He's my pace dog :-) at 10 years old, an Australian Cattle Dog, medium height and around 50lbs. And a rescue at that!

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    We also have a 1yo Chi-Chi (Chinese Crested/Chihuahua mix) that I found abandoned on the side of the road with all her doggie gear. Yay for rescues! She's not much of a runner at 7 pounds, but she's very feisty and loves her walks!

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  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    We have a shih tzu. He's a very small dog which can make it hard to run with him. He is good when I go for a light jog.

    There is a girl near me that goes running with her lab quite often. If you are a faster runner it will probably be easier to run with a larger dog.

    Whichever breed you go with, ensure you start them off slowly. They are a lot like humans and can't do long distance quicker runs right away. It's best to start them off slowly with shorter runs or slower runs. When I started jogging with my dog I would do intervals. Jog a bit, than walk... jog a bit than walk again. Starting them off slowly will help them be able to run longer with you.

    I prefer to adopt dogs from a shelter. As someone else pointed out, go to a shelter and see if they will let you take the dogs out. If they have a decent sized outdoor area ask if you can take one dog out at a time. Jog around the area they have (or the building if they don't have much of an outside area) to see how the dog is. You can than get a feel for the different breeds and ages of the dogs. And, you get to rescue a dog which is always great to do. Far too often shelters do not have a no kill policy which is very sad. The next dog I get will be a rescue... they can be the sweetest things.

    Also try to research breeds. FInd out which would be best for your lifestyle.
  • My boyfriend and I are watching his sister's dog. She's a Border Collie Mix and since she's a work dog, I can take her out and jog with her as long as I want without her tiring out. She probably about 40 or 50 pounds. Not too big. I'd say go with a work dog as they are very active and will go as long as you can but you will have to be active with them all the time-- they need activity to stay sane and happy.
    Perfect DOGS--- :flowerforyou:
  • futurestarz
    futurestarz Posts: 510
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    This is my guy. A two year old English Bulldog. He is great, but sheds a lot. I'm sure you can probably tell by his pic, but he isn't the best runner. However he loves long walks and intermittent jogging/ walking. He actually has a lot of energy when he goes out, but is a total couch potato in the house.
  • conidiring
    conidiring Posts: 230 Member
    You can search for something like "dog breed for me". I found one on iams.com. You go through and put in your criteria and they come up with breeds for your lifestyle and wants. That may help you narrow down your search.

    Also, I had a smooth coated collie. Great dog, very even temperment, couch potato, very intelligent, nonbarker, but not a great runner (she would get sick and throw up) although we only tried running her a couple of times and then quit. Awesome dog.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    My GSDs clear the sidewalk for me. People literally cross the road when they see us, and they are very well trained plus I move to the other side so I am between the person and my dog as I realize some people are nervous of dogs.

    My speed boost come from my GSD trying to catch up and pass people. He likes to lead. Lol.

    lol, my GSD does the same thing, clears the sidewalks. Makes for a nice walk. I'm the same way about keeping between him and passersby. He's not aggressive unless someone tries to lay a hand on me, then it's game on.

    I'm not a jogger but I have no doubt in my mind that he'd have run all day every day when he was a couple years younger. He's 8 now and has slowed down just a bit and is having some hip issues. He got worked pretty hard when he was younger, agility, advanced obedience, protection work. Lots of physical stuff. He'll still play ball till your arm falls off.

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  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    My GSDs clear the sidewalk for me. People literally cross the road when they see us, and they are very well trained plus I move to the other side so I am between the person and my dog as I realize some people are nervous of dogs.

    My speed boost come from my GSD trying to catch up and pass people. He likes to lead. Lol.

    lol, my GSD does the same thing, clears the sidewalks. Makes for a nice walk. I'm the same way about keeping between him and passersby. He's not aggressive unless someone tries to lay a hand on me, then it's game on.

    I'm not a jogger but I have no doubt in my mind that he'd have run all day every day when he was a couple years younger. He's 8 now and has slowed down just a bit and is having some hip issues. He got worked pretty hard when he was younger, agility, advanced obedience, protection work. Lots of physical stuff. He'll still play ball till your arm falls off.

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    :heart:

    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.
  • JayMri
    JayMri Posts: 241 Member
    I have a 8 year old Black Lab who I jog with occasionally. We walk a lot, sometimes two or three times a day and during the summer we will add some jogging in. She loves it (even after two CCL surgeries) and is very high energy so it's a great outlet for her. We are in town so she's always on a lead. As with people you'll need to condition them for it, so if you want to run 6 miles with them start them out with a 1 mile run , then work up to a two etc. I would strongly recommend looking at rescue groups in your area. Contact them and let them know you would like the dog to run with you. Most of the time their dogs are in foster homes where the foster parents learn their temperament, health and energy levels (even in a specific breed the energy level can vary greatly). This helps them to find more prefect homes for the dogs and a perfect fit for you.

    Not sure where you are but I have friends who work with rescue groups in Georgia, New England & Illinois if you want any info I'd be glad to share.
  • I run with my Boxer!! Great family dog and great running partner!! Boxers need to get out and work off some energy!! My sweet Leia now goes to the door and looks at her leash and then looks at me! You say walk, and she's an excited girl!!
  • mleech77
    mleech77 Posts: 557 Member
    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
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  • appletonirvinea
    appletonirvinea Posts: 100 Member
    Bump
  • morielia
    morielia Posts: 169 Member
    Malamutes are an arctic breed (like huskies) and are a very active breed. Most like to run, bikejor and skijor.