Running with your Dog?

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Replies

  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I'm a lonely pet less person, but I love this thread! Great advice for when my husband and I are ready for our first "child" :) I'm definitely taking notes on gear and safety for taking dogs on runs!
  • pzarnosky
    pzarnosky Posts: 256 Member
    I run with my black lab. He absolutely loves it! The longest run we've been on is 14 miles. We've had a lot of hours of practice together so just a collar and leash are fine for him. However I did buy a vest with several pockets. So he's my water carrier for those long runs!
  • kimlight2
    kimlight2 Posts: 483 Member
    I regularly run with my 3 year old Doberman. He is a great companion and because of his color everyone thinks he is a Wiemeriner (he is a fawn and rust). He is very high energy and usually takes at least a mile to settle down and stop pulling. I have taken him on runs up to 5 miles, my limit at the time not his, and use a no slip collar and regular leash. I just bought him a light up collar since we will be going out for pre-dawn runs again soon.
  • Becca_250
    Becca_250 Posts: 188 Member
    edited May 2016
    I have a German Shorthaired Pointer and 100% of my runs are with him, we also participate in Canicross. Essentially, he is taught to pull out in front of me (a bit like a husky pulls a sled) and we are attached via a harness, a waist belt and a lead with bungee. The harness is designed to keep his respiratory tract free when pulling and doesn't limit his movements. The waist belt allows me to be hands free. The lead has bungee cord in it so that any sudden movements from either me or him are absorbed. We mostly run on trails (softer on his joints/pads) and we compete in races of 3 mile distances. During the week we'll do two or three shorter runs and then at the weekend a longer run 10+ miles but I usually just let him run free then with a ball. He knows commands such as left/right/steady/go/on by etc, I find even half an hour of running in this way is about the same as a two hour off lead walk as he's having to put in a lot more physical and mental effort. I think the "sport" if you want to call it that is bigger in Europe but I'm pretty sure Google would bring up some more information.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    I run trails with very little traffic at certain hours. If you can find a situation like that you could try to run off leash. Just make sure your dog is well trained and will come immediately to attach to your leash (keep in pocket) if any humans (or deer, etc) appear.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    MinimalistShoeAddict wrote: »
    I run trails with very little traffic at certain hours. If you can find a situation like that you could try to run off leash. Just make sure your dog is well trained and will come immediately to attach to your leash (keep in pocket) if any humans (or deer, etc) appear.

    Worth noting that you check the legality on this. The trails by me are in parks with strict leash laws.

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