Does Anyone Run With Their Dogs?

[luckypenny]

I was wondering how much is too much? We don't really run with them, we use our bikes , so they do all the running. While Penny likes to pace herself to a slow jog, Lucky would sprint to the end of the earth it seems . Right now they get about 1-1.5 hours per day broken into two sessions. They really, really enjoy it and I was thinking of increasing the time but, just wondering if there's something I should be worried about or looking out for?

[Dee-O-Gee]

I know there was a rule of thumb for puppies. Something like 5 minutes per so many weeks of age but I'm not sure if a rule would apply for older dogs.

I know if I take Gryphon on too far of a walk, he builds an lump on his hind quarter and is slow getting up for a few days. We then take smaller walks in between dog park days. He too could run to the end of the earth if he could but motherly instinct rules and says, "no you can't!"

[luckypenny]

Lucky's about 6 1/2 yrs and Penny's about 5 1/2 yrs old. They don't limp or seem to tire out at all. Penny won't run fast though, she paces herself to a nice jog. Lucky, on the other hand, scares the wits out of me. He runs at top speed while I've got my hands on the brakes the whole way . He only slows down after 20 minutes or so but only for a minute or two and then he wants to sprint again.

[Dee-O-Gee]

Maybe you could take longer periods in small increments but watch for signs of stiffness as you increase the time?

Gryphon's pushing 7 and it's been during recent long walks that we've notice this lump come and go.

[luckypenny]

Aw, poor Gryphon . Do you notice if he limps after running too, or just after walking? Lucky's part Chow, maybe Husky or Shepherd too....I wear he was born to run...it's incredible to watch the drive on his face while he's running. I'm going to have to get dh or one of the boys to help take a pic or video of him pulling my bike, it's amazing to see the concentrated yet wild look in his eyes.

[Masha]

When i was training for a 10 K I used to run with my guy, but i dont run fast... and for him it was just a slow jog... but i am sure that when you are on a bike its much more strenous..

[luckypenny]

How long did it take you to run that distance, Masha? (I ran a measly 5 minutes the other day through the cornfields...I thought I was going to die so I'm rather envious of you ).

With Pen, I go pretty slow on the bike so she's at an easy pace. With Lucky, I try to go slow but he still takes me for quite the spin even with the brakes on .

[Masha]

1:07 was my best and 1:25 the worst.. jermy didnt seem too exhausted... i think it was more like speed walking for him my hubby runs with him in the mornings but he does 2-3 k only....

[Gail P]

Hmmmmm....sounds like you should check out some dryland events like cani-cross, scootering and bikejoring....maybe I can convert yet one more person to the mushing sports Any kind of dog(s) can participate and it's so much fun!

Mush Larose is having their annual meeting this weekend and there is also a dryland training event this weekend too in Bristol. I was there back in November for a dryland race in which there were all classes offered...cani, 1-dog bikejor, 1 and 2 dog scooter, and everything from 4-8 dog rig classes. The trail is a sand base that loops back and forth through a young red pine plantation. The Mush Larose club and Sunday Dog Drivers (I think that's what they call it) also often hold events and training runs at Larose Forest. Many skijorers train with bikes and scooters in the warmer weather.

In case you're interested in finding out more, here are some links, the race calendar is showing this past season's races still but it will be updated to the 2011/2012 season sometime over the next few months.

http://www.sleddogcentral.com/schedu...st/dryland.htm

http://www.skidogs.ca/Forum/viewforu...8e472d9fe53227

Oh...as for how much is too much...your dogs will tell you. In the warmer weather you'll have to watch for overheating, or even if it's not too hot but is humid some dogs will overheat more easily. If the dogs are staying healthy, happy and hydrated, go for it and just build up the distance/time as their condition improves. Keep an eye on feet for worn nails and abraded pads, if you do a lot there can be some wear and tear (which you can prevent with booties if necessary). Ground conditions will make a difference too, some conditions will be more abrasive and even the same section of trail or road can change depending if it is wet or frozen.

[erykah1310]

I run with mine, we do 6k's a day.
I dont bring Kita when running as she is getting stiffer in her old age, nor do I bring Marv for the run as he is an akward growing stage right now. Karma is just too lazy and would lay down half way and wait for me to call for a ride for her so she too is a no go.
Tibby, Elmo and Meiko come along when we run.
I will take all of them when we do the 6k hike though as it is slower paced for the oldies, lazy and grower.

[luckypenny]

Gail, I'd love to take Lucky to events like that but I'm not so sure he'd be up to crowds . I am proud to say that he doesn't spook as easily as he did when we first started this Spring. And for the first time, he didn't try to chase after a cat or a turkey in a neighbor's yard (and drag me into the ditch in the process ). He now understands "slow," "stop," "turn" and he automatically goes to the shoulder and slows when a car goes by in either direction. I would like to attend one of those events though, just to see what it's like. Thanks for those links.

I'm going to have to look for a better harness for him though. Right now he wears his Easy Walk harness but I flip it over so that the ring to hook onto the bike attachment is on his back rather than his chest.

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

Aw, poor Gryphon . Do you notice if he limps after running too, or just after walking? Lucky's part Chow, maybe Husky or Shepherd too....I wear he was born to run...it's incredible to watch the drive on his face while he's running. I'm going to have to get dh or one of the boys to help take a pic or video of him pulling my bike, it's amazing to see the concentrated yet wild look in his eyes.

His limp and lump on his hind quarter appear only after a long walk to the dog park. It's about a 4k walk (there and back) plus he runs himself silly at the park. We do this walk once a week (generally on weekends) while all other nightly walks are short strolls around the neighborhood (about 1k).

I vote for a Video! Lucky pulling you on your bike would be a great thing to witness!

[TeriM]

I have run with both Lucy and Riley. I really do not run very fast though so is not a strain on the dogs plus they were largely off leash for most of the distance. I have also biked recently with Riley when I injured my leg. Again a lot of that time we were on trails and he was off leash. I usually just kept it slow when he was attached to me so he was at a good trot pace. I used a waist belt to attach him to me to keep my hands free.

The only thing you might want to consider is that when you actually give a dog that much exercise they develop the fitness level to meet it. So ..... I exercise my dog about 1-1.5 hours daily and he is healthy/fit and that much exercise works well for our schedules. I have a friend who complains because her dog needs 2.5-3 hours exercise a day. IMO the dog now has that level of fitness and expects/needs that level because that is what they created . Make sense? I think the exercise level you do combined with some thinking/training games at another time of the day is better then another cardio exercise session.

[krdahmer]

cool...I wanted to start biking this summer, and thought about taking Venus with me too...when we walk I always feel like I can't walk fast enough for her to get the exercise she needs (I'm getting faster myself thanks to her though). Do you use a leash when biking with the dogs? Do they need any special training to jog beside a bike?

[luckypenny]

KLM, Gryphon gets a lump? As in swelling? I wonder what that can be.

Originally Posted by TeriM

The only thing you might want to consider is that when you actually give a dog that much exercise they develop the fitness level to meet it.

We've already noticed that. Last night the boys took the dogs for an hour and, when they returned home, Lucky decided he wasn't going to leave the bike as he wanted to go out again . I'm going to have to think up of more fun games that we can all play with them.

Originally Posted by krdahmer

cool...I wanted to start biking this summer, and thought about taking Venus with me too...when we walk I always feel like I can't walk fast enough for her to get the exercise she needs (I'm getting faster myself thanks to her though). Do you use a leash when biking with the dogs? Do they need any special training to jog beside a bike?

That's pretty much well why I decided to start biking daily with them...walking just didn't seem like enough exercise, especially for Lucky. They are a dream to walk after their runs though, they don't have all this pent up energy.

We use Springer attachments on our bikes to fasten the dog's harnesses to. I also put a leash on them just in case there's a malfunction or something. http://www.springeramerica.com/ If you look at the product specs, we don't use the safety release only because our dogs used to lunge (and Lucky used to spook easily). We are very careful as to where we ride with them though.

Training wise, it's best they know, at the very least, the basic cues. We added in "slow" "stop" "turn." "Leave it" definitely helps in our case . They also know to slow down and pull over to the shoulder when a vehicle approaches. Often, Lucky can hear one approaching from behind even before I do.

If Venus is not used to bikes, it would help if you exposed her to one before you start off. We also walked Lucky next to our bikes for a few days before having him run alongside (although he would much rather pull). Penny took to it right away but Lucky needed some help as he was afraid of it at first.