Dog as running buddy

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  • sqwerly
    sqwerly Posts: 31
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    I am doing a walk/run program and I take my 2 Shih Tzu's with me. It makes the activity a lot more fun and they really enjoy running beside me.
    When i start doing longer distances I am going to miss them
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
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    My dog loves it but she can't make it past 3 miles really. I say if you are beginning to start running that would be a great time to get your dog started, too.
  • nehauck
    nehauck Posts: 14 Member
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    Jack is our 8 yr old Australian Shepherd and he loves to run and adjusts his pace to mine. Our adult kids try to take him and he slows them down b/c he's used to running with me! I trained him that time on the leash is NOT potty time so I don't ever have to carry a bag of poop....
  • jwolff7
    jwolff7 Posts: 22 Member
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    Jake is a collieXdobermanXpoodle and what I have decided to do was to take him to a Dog Park and let him roam around to do his business inside the fenced area. After 15 minutes inside, we go for a run outside the fenced area and he's fine with the running and not stopping for a sniff.
    If he did not have a chance to sniff, he will try to head for the grass. :)
  • cobracars
    cobracars Posts: 949 Member
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    My Aussie Cattle Dog is too much of a busybody if I want to concentrate on my walk/run so she doesn't go with me in the morning when I'm doing my 2 miles.

    But after dinner, she sees me putting on my walking shoes and she starts to whine and trot around the house, knowing we are about to go out. We do about a mile, mile and a half every evening and she can sniff and explore all she wants.

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  • Tony_Brewski
    Tony_Brewski Posts: 1,376 Member
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    I tried taking my dog running with me twice. Both times she had a nice way of saying she doesn't like running. She'd try to wrap her leash around my feet and trip me. So needless to say I let her stay home now lol.

    Odd you'd think a GSD/Newfoundland mix would like to run.

    Newfie's hate to run - if you want to swim, that's another thing entirely. And GSDs are too worried about potential threats --- that's how your feet got tied up in the leash --- she's was circling you to protect you. I had that problem with my old GSD. My current dog is a Pointer mix and he's all for it... EXCEPT, he's got this trouble with his pads so I actually need to get him some new running shoes. His old ones wore out and it's just been too hot for him (and me) - our 30 minute walks wipe both of us out!

    You'd think she'd love to swim, she freaks out when she's near water. Wont even go out in the rain. Fully webbed paws, the newfie dual coat the works. Hates the water. LOVES the snow but hates water.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
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    My German Shepherd "escorts" me on my runs, lol. She loves it and quickly learned to stay beside me on a loose leash and keep pace with me without pulling. Sometimes I have my son's Border Collie/Rottweiler cross with me too, like this morning. I feel much safer having a dog or two with me, especially since I need to run before the sun comes up here in the desert. But there are a few drawbacks at times, lol.

    We make frequent pit stops. My neighborhood has "poop bags" and garbage cans about every quarter mile, which is awesome. I've taught the dogs to do their business at those so I don't have to carry it around. ;-)

    If a coyote or javalina pops out of the bushes, the dogs can go from 6 mph to about 60 mph in a heartbeat, which is a bit rough on little ole me.

    Just a few months ago my son's dog was startled by something behind us as we were running 7 mph according to my GPS tracker, and bolted right in front of me with no warning whatsoever. It was like getting hit in the shins with a bowling ball - before I knew what happened my feet had swapped ends with my head and there was pavement coming at my face with teeth pulverizing speed. I managed to get one hand out to break the fall (the other hand was wrapped up in 2 dog leashes) and somehow twisted to roll across my shoulder. Tore a huge chuck of flesh out of the heel of my hand, which took weeks to heal up and required 3 doctor visits. Had some awesome road rash on my shoulder too, but was SO pleased that I didn't smash my face!!!
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    I'd love to take our dogs, but they're elderly, fat, and very furry. They'd probably drop dead after half a mile.
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
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    Best behaved I've ever seen was a friend of mine running with his dog at a 5K. Had the lead wrapped around his waist (like a belt, through the hand loop) and the dog ran the entire race right next to him, didn't waiver more than 2 or 3 feet to his right. Well trained dog. I was amazed.

    This is how I run with my dog. It took a couple of runs to figure out the perfect lead length for us, but now it is natural. My dog is small so he tops out at 6 miles (4 on a hot day).
  • cjh03
    cjh03 Posts: 74 Member
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    After reading this...I feel more and more compelled to get a canine running buddy. Just wish apt fees for them weren't so much. :angry:
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    Hm. I wonder how much people around here would pay for a Winter dog walking service?
  • brandimacleod
    brandimacleod Posts: 368 Member
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    bump! running out the door but would love to add to this later. I have boxers...they are hillarious!
  • Michellereducf
    Michellereducf Posts: 168 Member
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    I don't run but do walk with my dog Chloe. She's a pretty good walking buddy (even though she wants to stop and pee all the time and doesn't like other dogs or people-ok she's a challenging walking buddy) and can go the distance. She's young and had a LOT of energy so the walking helps both of us.
  • KyliAnnHobson
    KyliAnnHobson Posts: 551 Member
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    Oh! I did a Tails-N-Trails 5k trail run and there was a guy there who rescues dogs and trains them to be therapy dogs. He ran with SIX dogs! It was insane!!! The dogs were all different sizes, from 15 lbs to 100+ lbs. They were so well trained and looked like they were having fun! It was pretty amazing!
  • AnnyaSB
    AnnyaSB Posts: 233 Member
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    My dog loves it but she can't make it past 3 miles really. I say if you are beginning to start running that would be a great time to get your dog started, too.

    There is a Pooch25k programme designed just for this purpose. It is exactly the same as Couch25k, but you take your dog along too - that way you can both get fit without either risking injury! As Lily is getting long in the tooth by Doberman standards, that's what I did with her and she easily runs 5k now :happy:
  • dawnp1833
    dawnp1833 Posts: 264 Member
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    My Aussie Cattle Dog is too much of a busybody if I want to concentrate on my walk/run so she doesn't go with me in the morning when I'm doing my 2 miles.

    But after dinner, she sees me putting on my walking shoes and she starts to whine and trot around the house, knowing we are about to go out. We do about a mile, mile and a half every evening and she can sniff and explore all she wants.

    I have a Cattle Dog too, and the same problem.

    I walk my shepherd mix with a bad hip first as a warm up. She can't go far. Then I take my greyhound mix for the real run. He's much faster than me and I sometimes feel like he's dragging me early on. And once in awhile he will catch a sent and abruptly stop, so I really have to watch him while I run or I'll tumble over him. Then I take the Cattle Dog out last as a cool down. He's mad that he has to wait, but he gets the long leisurely walk where he can stop and sniff (and pee on) every spot any dog in town has been on.
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
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    My collie cross girl comes woodland trail running with me. She's off lead.

    Her specialism is to sneak up from behind, stealth dog like, with a 4 foot branch in her mouth, and get you right in the back of the knees!! :huh: :laugh:
  • Tony_Brewski
    Tony_Brewski Posts: 1,376 Member
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    My German Shepherd "escorts" me on my runs, lol. She loves it and quickly learned to stay beside me on a loose leash and keep pace with me without pulling. Sometimes I have my son's Border Collie/Rottweiler cross with me too, like this morning. I feel much safer having a dog or two with me, especially since I need to run before the sun comes up here in the desert. But there are a few drawbacks at times, lol.

    We make frequent pit stops. My neighborhood has "poop bags" and garbage cans about every quarter mile, which is awesome. I've taught the dogs to do their business at those so I don't have to carry it around. ;-)

    If a coyote or javalina pops out of the bushes, the dogs can go from 6 mph to about 60 mph in a heartbeat, which is a bit rough on little ole me.

    Just a few months ago my son's dog was startled by something behind us as we were running 7 mph according to my GPS tracker, and bolted right in front of me with no warning whatsoever. It was like getting hit in the shins with a bowling ball - before I knew what happened my feet had swapped ends with my head and there was pavement coming at my face with teeth pulverizing speed. I managed to get one hand out to break the fall (the other hand was wrapped up in 2 dog leashes) and somehow twisted to roll across my shoulder. Tore a huge chuck of flesh out of the heel of my hand, which took weeks to heal up and required 3 doctor visits. Had some awesome road rash on my shoulder too, but was SO pleased that I didn't smash my face!!!

    That's what my mix does! She starts off loose leashed at my side about a half step behind me, than starts that GSD protective act. Darting around side to side (1st run), but it's been so darn hot here lately that the last run she was dragging her paws (heard that scrap of her nails) and after about a quarter mile she tried to loop me up in her leash, took it as a sign to slow down to a walking speed. This she liked tried to run again got the leash look. Turned a mile run into a mile walk with spirts of leash looping sprints heh.
  • future_runner
    future_runner Posts: 136 Member
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    I have a basset hound, so he is not a good running buddy. He is better suit for cuddling post work out :laugh: Sometimes when I take him on walks he will just lay down where ever we are once he has decided he is done walking. We take short walks.
  • moonspells
    moonspells Posts: 126 Member
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    I don't run but there have been many times that I have hauled my butt out for a walk I didn't really feel like, to make sure my mini golden doodle Rowan got HER walk in! I wouldn't always do it for myself, but I won't let her suffer from my laziness...so she's been a great motivator! :o)

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