old dog long walk

Dusti65
Dusti65 Posts: 3 Member
edited November 23 in Fitness and Exercise
Trying to condition us both after a summer filled heat coma (we don't do heat well). My 8 year old lab & I walked under a canopy of clouds & threat of rain a total of 0.82 miles. She stopped twice & sat down... Odd for her. Taking baby steps to fix our fitness.

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    She's probably just easing back into it, as you said (baby steps.) But feel all over her legs to be sure they aren't hurting her. Oh, and check her nails. If they are too long it might be uncomfortable for her.

    The dog in my avi is 11 years old. I can only take her on short walks now. She gets sore and favors one of her legs after a few blocks. But out in our yard she is a maniac, jumping and running around when the cat next door is outside or a goose is behind our fence. The grass is much easier on her than the sidewalk is.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    8 years isn't too old. My 7 year old lab and I have run 26 miles together in the last 5 days. We started like you did though...short easy walks...and built up to it. You're smart to do that.

    I won't take my dog out running if it's over 70F, and only on runs 5 miles or less if it's between 63F and 70F. We'll go on walks between 70F-80F.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    8 years isn't too old. My 7 year old lab and I have run 26 miles together in the last 5 days. We started like you did though...short easy walks...and built up to it. You're smart to do that.

    I won't take my dog out running if it's over 70F, and only on runs 5 miles or less if it's between 63F and 70F. We'll go on walks between 70F-80F.

    I'm jealous. My lab was supposed to be my running partner. He quits after 3k, 4k max. Pretends like I'm dragging him by the collar (I'm not). When we get home, he'll run laps around the backyard. If we do an offleash hike, he'll run ahead and back all day long. Put him on a leash, doesn't want to run. He likes to do his own thing I think.

    OP - on top of what was already suggested, is your dog overweight? If so, dropping a few pounds will help too.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    8 years isn't too old. My 7 year old lab and I have run 26 miles together in the last 5 days. We started like you did though...short easy walks...and built up to it. You're smart to do that.

    I won't take my dog out running if it's over 70F, and only on runs 5 miles or less if it's between 63F and 70F. We'll go on walks between 70F-80F.

    I'm jealous. My lab was supposed to be my running partner. He quits after 3k, 4k max. Pretends like I'm dragging him by the collar (I'm not). When we get home, he'll run laps around the backyard. If we do an offleash hike, he'll run ahead and back all day long. Put him on a leash, doesn't want to run. He likes to do his own thing I think.

    OP - on top of what was already suggested, is your dog overweight? If so, dropping a few pounds will help too.

    Your dog sounds like our youngest dog. He does the same things. If I have him on the leash he walks or jogs slow enough that it is extended fully behind me. I swear he does it to look pitiful. He's a greyhound so thin to start with and sometimes I swear he sucks in his cheeks to look extra pitiful to passersby. But out in our yard he is a wild man.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    8 years isn't too old. My 7 year old lab and I have run 26 miles together in the last 5 days. We started like you did though...short easy walks...and built up to it. You're smart to do that.

    I won't take my dog out running if it's over 70F, and only on runs 5 miles or less if it's between 63F and 70F. We'll go on walks between 70F-80F.

    I'm jealous. My lab was supposed to be my running partner. He quits after 3k, 4k max. Pretends like I'm dragging him by the collar (I'm not). When we get home, he'll run laps around the backyard. If we do an offleash hike, he'll run ahead and back all day long. Put him on a leash, doesn't want to run. He likes to do his own thing I think.

    OP - on top of what was already suggested, is your dog overweight? If so, dropping a few pounds will help too.

    Your dog sounds like our youngest dog. He does the same things. If I have him on the leash he walks or jogs slow enough that it is extended fully behind me. I swear he does it to look pitiful. He's a greyhound so thin to start with and sometimes I swear he sucks in his cheeks to look extra pitiful to passersby. But out in our yard he is a wild man.

    Yup. that's it.

    OP - just to add to the weight thing. A lot of labs tend to be beefy. At a normal weight they should have a little tuck behind their ribs, before their hips when viewed from the top.

    109618.image0.jpg
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    I'm jealous. My lab was supposed to be my running partner. He quits after 3k, 4k max. Pretends like I'm dragging him by the collar (I'm not). When we get home, he'll run laps around the backyard. If we do an offleash hike, he'll run ahead and back all day long. Put him on a leash, doesn't want to run. He likes to do his own thing I think.

    OP - on top of what was already suggested, is your dog overweight? If so, dropping a few pounds will help too.

    Good point about the weight! It pains me to see overweight dogs, particularly when it's so easy to feed them the proper amount, even if you don't give them regular exercise. My wife thinks I starve our dog but my vet says he's at his idea weight.

    Kody, my lab, is an upland hunting dog and I'm convinced that he would run himself to death if given the chance. He will has no stop in him, particularly if he's on to some pheasant scent. He starts hopping and jumping like crazy when he realizes we're about to run. When we run I'm always looking for signs of fatigue and dehydration. I always bring water and he always drinks before I do. Last Sunday he and I ran 10 miles in the morning, followed by 2 more that evening. I gave him Monday off and we ran another 8 on Tuesday. Before starting to run with him, I had an appointment with my vet to make sure I wasn't going to overdo it with him.

    On the other hand, he's perfectly content to lounge his day away at home even if we haven't been running.
  • enkiemonkey
    enkiemonkey Posts: 82 Member
    Love this thread. BF and I have been thinking about getting a dog. But since we don't want it to get lonely we are thinking about a small dog that can fit in a bag so I can bring it to work
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    7lenny7 wrote: »
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    I'm jealous. My lab was supposed to be my running partner. He quits after 3k, 4k max. Pretends like I'm dragging him by the collar (I'm not). When we get home, he'll run laps around the backyard. If we do an offleash hike, he'll run ahead and back all day long. Put him on a leash, doesn't want to run. He likes to do his own thing I think.

    OP - on top of what was already suggested, is your dog overweight? If so, dropping a few pounds will help too.

    Good point about the weight! It pains me to see overweight dogs, particularly when it's so easy to feed them the proper amount, even if you don't give them regular exercise. My wife thinks I starve our dog but my vet says he's at his idea weight.

    Kody, my lab, is an upland hunting dog and I'm convinced that he would run himself to death if given the chance. He will has no stop in him, particularly if he's on to some pheasant scent. He starts hopping and jumping like crazy when he realizes we're about to run. When we run I'm always looking for signs of fatigue and dehydration. I always bring water and he always drinks before I do. Last Sunday he and I ran 10 miles in the morning, followed by 2 more that evening. I gave him Monday off and we ran another 8 on Tuesday. Before starting to run with him, I had an appointment with my vet to make sure I wasn't going to overdo it with him.

    On the other hand, he's perfectly content to lounge his day away at home even if we haven't been running.

    That was my old Shepherd. He was my husband's dog when we started dating and I used to take him running because my lab was a puppy. He ended up being my permanent partner. He would run forever. He actually failed tracking training (police washout), but he loved to retrieve. I threw a rock in the water once and had a hard time getting him to leave he was so determined to find it.
    He passed away a couple of weeks ago at 12 1/2.
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