Small dog as running partner?

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  • Kollane
    Kollane Posts: 45 Member
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    Seems about the size of my older dog. She could do about 3 km of jog with one small break inbetwween, and that was at 7 years without much previous training. With right training and precautions (watch out for hot gound, too long or too short nails and cracked paw pads) I don't see why she couldn't do it.

    Maybe try Pooch to 5k program?
  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
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    I would say you could probably start the first week of c25k with her and see how you get on as that is mostly walking. Do you walk regulary with her now? if you don't I would start by just getting in regular walks, you say she has loads of energy but that could be a lack of exercise if you are not doing much walking. The stroller would be worth looking at if you get more serious.

    Are you UK based or elsewhere? If you are UK I would start by going to some parks and running with her off lead so she has a bit more choice how fast she goes (assuming her recall is good enough) If you are not UK there may still be places you can do that but I think most countries have different leash laws

    I don't walk her much as of right now but she has other dogs to play with which can tire her out. Na, I'm not in the UK and even so, she is pretty aggressive around strangers and doesn't really like other dogs.
  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
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    Seems about the size of my older dog. She could do about 3 km of jog with one small break inbetwween, and that was at 7 years without much previous training. With right training and precautions (watch out for hot gound, too long or too short nails and cracked paw pads) I don't see why she couldn't do it.

    Maybe try Pooch to 5k program?

    Why am I amazed there is actually a Pooch to 5K Program. Lol! Thank you so much though! That's perfect! :)
  • roxylola
    roxylola Posts: 540 Member
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    mmm off lead is definitely out of the question then. I would be inclined to start walking her a good bit more before you worry about running. You may find the walking helps with your fitness without running anyway
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
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    My 8 year old shih tzu is extremely tired at the end of a 2 mile walk. She certainly could not do a run.
  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
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    mmm off lead is definitely out of the question then. I would be inclined to start walking her a good bit more before you worry about running. You may find the walking helps with your fitness without running anyway

    I'm training to run a 5K, that's the only reason I'm getting serious about running. Otherwise I'd have no motivation. Lol. I just thought it would be good to train her and me at the same time. :P
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    I have a Miniature/Toy Poodle x Shih zu. She has loads of energy as Poodles do. However, I'm worried if she could last long with constant running. She does have short legs after all. I don't want to injure her body either. Do you think she would be fine? How far do you think she could handle? How fast?

    Thanks for your time.

    A friend of mine has a toy poodle shih zu mix. She's probably about 2 and a half by now. I walk with her with my golden. We'll walk a total of 20 minutes. 10 minutes into a brisk walk her dog is ready to call it quits. She's panting and looks exhausted. She is walked every day but can not walk longer than half an hour...thats walking! When my golden was that age I could have walked him at a very fast pace for hours and he would still want to keep going. Dogs with short legs look energetic and can be quite bouncy in the house but they are not built for continuous exercise. They are more of a burst of energy kind of dog. I would highly recommend talking to your Vet first before taking a small dog like that running. When I walk at a fast pace with my friend and her dog...her dog looks like she is at a full sprint because of her short legs. She is doing twice the work because of her tiny legs. We always say we better rest for her dogs sake before she has a heart attack. Believe me, when we stop walking her dog lays flat out on her belly and pants like crazy.
  • squirrelsrule
    squirrelsrule Posts: 23 Member
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    I agree that you need to talk to your vet about this before starting. I'm currently a vet student and have worked at an emergency clinic where a beautiful, healthy, 2 year old boxer came in collapsed and ended up dying due to overexertion. He was out on a run with his owner and just kept going til he collapsed. If it were my dog, I'd walk the dog and then go jogging alone. Especially with small dogs, they just aren't built to be distance runners.

    Or if your dog likes it, you could get the little pack for it to ride in and just jog with it a short distance or walk it til it's tired then put it in and jog.
  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
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    I have a Miniature/Toy Poodle x Shih zu. She has loads of energy as Poodles do. However, I'm worried if she could last long with constant running. She does have short legs after all. I don't want to injure her body either. Do you think she would be fine? How far do you think she could handle? How fast?

    Thanks for your time.

    A friend of mine has a toy poodle shih zu mix. She's probably about 2 and a half by now. I walk with her with my golden. We'll walk a total of 20 minutes. 10 minutes into a brisk walk her dog is ready to call it quits. She's panting and looks exhausted. She is walked every day but can not walk longer than half an hour...thats walking! When my golden was that age I could have walked him at a very fast pace for hours and he would still want to keep going. Dogs with short legs look energetic and can be quite bouncy in the house but they are not built for continuous exercise. They are more of a burst of energy kind of dog. I would highly recommend talking to your Vet first before taking a small dog like that running. When I walk at a fast pace with my friend and her dog...her dog looks like she is at a full sprint because of her short legs. She is doing twice the work because of her tiny legs. We always say we better rest for her dogs sake before she has a heart attack. Believe me, when we stop walking her dog lays flat out on her belly and pants like crazy.

    Yeah, I think I'll consult my vet before doing any running with her just to be on the safe side. My dog seems to like walking. I took her around probably 4KM+ walk last Monday and she didn't seem like she was struggling with that.
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
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    My havanese runs for maybe 200m max and then just stops and gives me a dirty look.

    He then takes a poop and barks at me to pick it up.

    Good life.
  • roxylola
    roxylola Posts: 540 Member
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    I have known a shih tsu go for miles with my beagle and springer but she lacks the zoomies they have on the way out, and we stroll rather than march when she is with us. She is always done in afterwards where mine would go again. I would do the walking bits with her of c25k and get some way of carrying her for the rest if you want to take her with you. I bet she would enjoy the walks and maybe some brisk walking for you (like a run for her)
  • animalldy
    animalldy Posts: 140 Member
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    I run with my pug x boston terrier mix who is 20lbs and 1.5 years old. She is very active and loves to run. We use the Stunt Puppy running leash and run just under 3 miles 1-2x a week. In the summer we stop about 3 times so she can get a drink of water and go in the creek to cool down but we don't go if its too hot or very muggy because it's not safe for her. In the winter she wears boots and we don't go when its below 10 degrees. It just depends on your dog! People are surprised that she loves running but she really does and she would probably like to go for 6 miles but I cant keep up with her! I worked at a vet clinic for years so I'm aware that most pug mixes aren't cut out for activity like this, but it makes her happy and the vet approves. My pure bred pug prefers the couch and the occasional 1 mile walk :)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    My maltese can run with me for a little while but she can't go much farther than 1-1.5 miles.
  • all4my4girls
    all4my4girls Posts: 20 Member
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    My little Maltese/shih tzu mix can definitely keep up for a long brisk walk, but more than that, I put her in the double jogging stroller with my daughter. Lol. I get a lot of comments on the trail that we run. We did just get an old English sheepdog who will be my running partner. I want her to be at least a year old before we start really running as I read it's bad for their developing bones and joints. Right now we are working on leash obedience (and we have a ways to go....)

    I would check with your vet and I would do a few trial runs and see how things go...
  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
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    I run with my pug x boston terrier mix who is 20lbs and 1.5 years old. She is very active and loves to run. We use the Stunt Puppy running leash and run just under 3 miles 1-2x a week. In the summer we stop about 3 times so she can get a drink of water and go in the creek to cool down but we don't go if its too hot or very muggy because it's not safe for her. In the winter she wears boots and we don't go when its below 10 degrees. It just depends on your dog! People are surprised that she loves running but she really does and she would probably like to go for 6 miles but I cant keep up with her! I worked at a vet clinic for years so I'm aware that most pug mixes aren't cut out for activity like this, but it makes her happy and the vet approves. My pure bred pug prefers the couch and the occasional 1 mile walk :)

    Aw, cute! Thanks for the story of your dog! As people have suggested I'm going to get it vet approved too, just be on the safe side.

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