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Running with a buddy is always a nice treat. Nothing makes the miles go by faster than the distraction of good conversation, or at the very least, company for your misery 😉 . Sometimes though, I bring along a partner of a different variety…enter Ollie, our 4 year old Wheaten Terrier. She has been such an awesome addition to our family. She is quite the helper too…she pre-washes the dishes when we put them in the dishwasher, she alerts us to anyone who is within 50 feet of our property, she likes to keep our seat on the couch warm if we get up AND she fertilizes the lawn! Joking aside, she is a very sweet and loving dog and she absolutely LOVES to go out for a walk! She has always been very curious when travelling the neighbourhood so when I first had the idea to try her on a run I was afraid she would get way too distracted to keep up. The truth is once we start running, she becomes super focused on the task at hand. This isn’t true for all dogs though so if you’re thinking of trying a run with your furry friend, here are a few tips that we’ve learned:
Check with your vet
Just as you should always check with your doctor before starting a new fitness routine, you should always make sure your dog is healthy enough to join you on a run. Your little buddy can’t tell you if something is wrong so checking with the vet first is a good idea.
Harness
We use a harness (Sporn Nylon Non Pulling Dog Harness) for all outings with Ollie. Not only does it give you more control but it’s more comfortable for them (you wouldn’t like someone pulling on your necklace all of the time) especially if they get excited and need some extra reining in. This is the one we use…
we purchased it at our local pet store.
Leash
We have one of the extendable leashes that we use for walks around the neighbourhood but for runs I prefer to use a regular leash that I can wrap around my hand a couple of times. I keep it fairly short so that I can ensure Ollie runs close to me.
Patience
I can’t stress this one enough…it may take several tries for your doggie to get the hang of what you expect of him on a walk. Start out with a short distance, don’t assume your dog will be ready to cover 3 miles his first time out. The first time I took Ollie, I didn’t have a distance in mind I just decided to stay around the neighbourhood and play it by ear. The first time out she tried to run as fast as she could because she thought we were playing so I had to gently pull back on her harness until she figured out that Mummy didn’t want to go that fast! 😉 Also, watch out for upcoming distractions that might entice your dog to want to change direction quickly. If your dog is anything like Ollie, he will be pretty excited to be on a run and you may need to slow down or walk past a big distraction. Ollie is really good at staying focused, now, but it took time to get there and every once in a while she surprises me like the other day when she decided we should try to keep up with the train we were running near! Speed workout!
Pay close attention for signs of fatigue
Once you and your dog have established a comfortable speed and you feel like she is ready to join you for a couple miles, make sure you watch her body language for fatigue. Dogs can’t look over and say “You know, I’m pretty tired. I think it’s time to stop” or “My feet are getting sore”. If she starts panting heavily or slows down significantly it’s probably time to walk and get back home. This can happen quickly if the weather is too warm or humid.
Weather conditions
Just a common sense rule of thumb here…if you wouldn’t or shouldn’t run in it, neither should they!
Cooling down and rehydrating
Always make sure your dog has lots of fresh water when they get back from their adventures with you, they need to rehydrate just as you do. In fact, if you’re going far enough that you need to bring water for yourself, make sure you share some with your pooch. Ollie really loves ice cubes so we make sure to give her some of those too! Tip: unless your outside or don’t mind your floor becoming a splash zone, put the ice cubes in a separate bowl, not in with their water. It turns into a “bobbing for ice” kind of situation otherwise!
Enjoy!
It goes without saying but if you or your dog aren’t enjoying this new experience, don’t do it. But if you do, then have fun with it! Try new routes, maybe a local trail area or along some waterfront. Wherever it is, get out there and enjoy some one-on-one time with your new running buddy!
Shauna says
awwww, so cute! Great tips! We don’t always think of making sure they are as prepared as we are. I laughed when you talked about what a good helper she is. haha. Having someone for company is always so helpful!