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Good Site for info on running with your dog?
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Doe anyone have info they could share with info on running with a dog, best practices,etc?

Thanks!
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [EDL2000] [ In reply to ]
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Some good basics here:

https://www.avma.org/...es/run-spot-run.aspx

My personal advice would be:
Don't start too soon with a young dog - at least a year old for big breeds like lab, golden etc. before anything other than random running at play controlled by the dog (eg. dog park). Their joints need time to develop and mature, running them hard too young is a recipe for crippling them permanently. Take the long view.
Don't overdo it on any one session - a loyal dog will literally run itself to death to stay with you, it's up to you to set a safe limit.
WATER! If I see you on a remote trail with your dog and you don't have any water for him or her, I'm going to punch you in the nuts (after I give your dog some of my water, maybe all of it). Calories too if you're going long.
Care for their feet - watch for wear on the pads, it can happen very fast - build up slowly and still keep checking even if you think they are toughened up.
Keep it fun for the dog - don't ever drag the dog out there.
Use preventive treatment for fleas and ticks, and check for ticks after each run.
Pick up the poop, obviously.
Don't let your dog impact others or endanger itself. Keep them on leash (use a harness to keep from choking them), keep them close, assume anyone you see might be scared of dogs until proven otherwise. Assume any other dog you see might be aggressive until proven otherwise.

No matter how obedient you think your dog is, no matter how many times they've demonsteated their seemingly bulletproof recall or down stay, there is no dog in the world short of a professional working dog that is going to be able to suppress the urge to chase a rabbit or other loose animal. Is it really worth that risk to your companion? You're not doing them any favors by letting them run free anywhere near traffic or dropoffs or other dangers. On a truly remote trail with nobody around when they seem to be attentive and behaving, that's up to you but accept that you're still taking a risk.

Running with your dog is great for both of you if you take good care of the pup! Have fun.
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [EDL2000] [ In reply to ]
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I couldn't point to one site that has all the info you'll ever need in one place but it's all scattered out there through respectable channels.

My wife and I are both runners, got a 1 yo whippet mix 2 years ago, so she's 3 now. She's a machine, will run up to 10 miles with us, but she will generally slow and lay right down if she's tired (which doesn't happen often, mostly in warmer temps). But this depends on the dog. As above said, some breeds and personalities may run themselves into the ground, but mine isn't what you'd call a working dog...so it depends on the dog. My advice is to obviously wait until dog is developed enough (not a puppy, ask your vet if you're unsure about your breed) and just know your dog very well and be able to predict their moves. This will prevent bad or dangerous situations and allow for max fun and health.

Based on personality and tendencies in other areas of behavior, you can probably know if it will run itself to injury or lay down first. Or if it will want to chase a squirrel or rabbit. Or how it'll react when jogging past another person walking their dog. These are all important things to know when you step out the door together with your dog.
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [EDL2000] [ In reply to ]
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EDL2000 wrote:
Doe anyone have info they could share with info on running with a dog, best practices,etc?

Thanks!

Breed?
Age?
Basic obedience?
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [EDL2000] [ In reply to ]
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Make sure it's socialized. I've been having too many problems with dogs the past few years and it basically comes down to the owners not getting the dog out and around people enough. Then it doesn't know how to act and either jumps up on people or goes into defense mode when something startles it.
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [EDL2000] [ In reply to ]
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We have an almost 3 y.o. Vizsla. I can't imagine a better-suited dog to what you're looking for. She's a machine.

36#'s......height of a Lab.....very slender. No odor.
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [nc452010] [ In reply to ]
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I would echo most of the comments here.
1. Wait at least a year if not longer, this is especially true for large breed dogs.
2. Ease them into it. They need to build up the distance just like you did when you started running.
3. Most importantly, pay attention to how they are doing and be ready to adjust your training accordingly. When you take them running they become the priority.
4. Be very watchful to see how your pup does in different weather conditions. Heat and humidity is probably the biggest issue. My pup does great in the cold weather but once it gets hot and humid she generally done with the whole being outdoors thing by the end of the first block.
5. Having your dog on the run is great for the both of you but just be careful and you will be fine.

As far as breeds go I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback and she has done great on runs in excess of 10 miles and if they are in shape they can probably handle any distance you throw at them. A lot of sites claim that they do well in the heat, being an African dog and all, and at least in my experience that can be a little exaggerated. I live in the Washington DC area and once it gets hot I won't bring her along anymore. The humidity has always given her a lot of trouble and adding high temps don't help any. However, in the winter time she can run me into the ground no matter the distance that I throw at her.

Here is a link to a runners world article that talked about good breeds for running.

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-with-dogs/the-best-types-of-dogs-for-runners
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [EDL2000] [ In reply to ]
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Good stuff on here. The only thing I'll add is to get yourself a hands-free leash. I use a Buddy System leash with my dog and it's great. She's an 11 pound dachshund and does a mile with me each morning. We alternate days between running and walking so she gets 3-4 runs per week with the rest being simple walks. She loves its and I count it as my warmup. Win-win!
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [Daydreamer] [ In reply to ]
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This!

My dog is an idiot... both mentally and socially. I love the goofy bastard and enjoy running with him, but he can be so timid that it's dangerous at times. Things like lawn sprinklers at 6am scare the crap out of him and he tries to run between my legs, which doesn't work well. He also loves to play with other dogs and gets overly excited when he sees "his best friend" (aka, every other dog). If we run by a person he tends to get timid and tries to hide between my legs. Socialize your dog early and often... we didn't do it enough when he was young and I'm paying for it now.
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [logella] [ In reply to ]
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logella wrote:
Good stuff on here. The only thing I'll add is to get yourself a hands-free leash. I use a Buddy System leash with my dog and it's great. She's an 11 pound dachshund and does a mile with me each morning. We alternate days between running and walking so she gets 3-4 runs per week with the rest being simple walks. She loves its and I count it as my warmup. Win-win!

very cute that you're running with a dachshund.
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [nc452010] [ In reply to ]
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nc452010 wrote:
We have an almost 3 y.o. Vizsla. I can't imagine a better-suited dog to what you're looking for. She's a machine.

36#'s......height of a Lab.....very slender. No odor.


Agree on this, my 2 year old V runs with me 3 times a week. An 8 mile run seems to be a nice warm up for her.


Also purchased this leash about 6 months ago and have loved it. I use this along with a gentle leader and she responds very well.

https://irondoggy.com/
Last edited by: dandr614: Feb 24, 17 8:28
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Re: Good Site for info on running with your dog? [EDL2000] [ In reply to ]
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The 'practices' suggested seem to line up very well with what I would say. Here's more of a gear post for other readers.

I would echo the harness vs. leash. For my 60 lb lab doing ~20-25 miles a week with me, it's just a fact that he's going to get yanked around every once in a while, especially trail running or when he sees all of his "best friends" around the neighborhood. Or rabbits. Freaking rabbit. The chest plate/harness allows him to move you around more, but it also keeps his neck much safer. We go back to the collar for walking.

My Ezydog chest plate and running belt have held up really well. Not a broken stitch anywhere and Cooper gets his own light on the harness without any fuss. After having the waist worn belt, I could never go back to a handheld again for running. It's also a better match for a chest plate where the dog potentially has more tugging ability if he misbehaves.

Waist belt - http://store.ezydog.com/road-runner-leash/


Chest plate harness - http://store.ezydog.com/chest-plate-harness/

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