Anyone run with their dogs???

[Keldadog]

Hello! I'm joining this conversation a bit late, but Im on week 2(repeated week 1) and I run with my dogs. Right now it's with two border collies but we'll be three border collies when one of my girls comes home in a few weeks. They're loving it and I like it, too. I run on my street at night and feel safer with the canine crew. They run on lead and are doing well....once Possum realized she couldn't circle me when she thought I was going too slow. Dan, Mr. Steady, stays in place wonderfully and Possum's learning from him. I live in Florida so I know I'll be running in the dark for months to come..... It's just too hot otherwise.

Laura

[Dawn]

Hi Laura,

Sounds like you have a full pack there !! How on earth do you manage three on a lead? mine are still loving it, but like you as the weather improves here I will have to go early (which I do already) or late. Mine are not early risers though!!! so if i go earlier they will just look at me when I get up and say "yeah right" and go back to sleep! lol I am now on wk 7 and Muji is beginning to slow down at the end!! lol

[Vonnyh]

Hello! I'm joining this conversation a bit late, but Im on week 2(repeated week 1) and I run with my dogs. Right now it's with two border collies but we'll be three border collies when one of my girls comes home in a few weeks. They're loving it and I like it, too. I run on my street at night and feel safer with the canine crew. They run on lead and are doing well....once Possum realized she couldn't circle me when she thought I was going too slow. Dan, Mr. Steady, stays in place wonderfully and Possum's learning from him. I live in Florida so I know I'll be running in the dark for months to come..... It's just too hot otherwise.

Laura

Hi Laura,
I don't know how you manage to keep up with your dogs on the lead. If I'd try that my Lab would drag me all over the place or suddenly stop and I'd fall over her lol. Still take her with me but just off the lead. But she's got so much energy I honestly look quite stupid when I start puffing after 3 min running and she just looks at me as if to say " What's the matter with you then??" lol
Vonne

[Dawn]

Ahhh well.....the warm weather took it's toll today - Muji and Carson really didn't want to run......I totally misjudged how warm it was......I think I need a new running dog ...these two for walks and a new one for running lol Bless them...

[kishe_lily]

Hi there,
I'm afraid I'm also joining this conversation rather late but I've found myself with a rather odd predicament. I've been running with my little dog (Kishe) since I started and lately she's been really unenthusiastic about running, which is utterly perplexing me. I know she's not unfit and I don't think it's a problem to do with the heat just yet as I only run in the evenings, we walk for up to three hours everyday and when I can let her off the lead she shoots away like an arrow off a bow. If anything, Kiki usually seems quite frustrated with my pace when I do run. I have to keep her on the lead on my running route because we're quite close to the road and she can't be trusted, besides she is convinced she doesn't tend to get on with other dogs, so I'd rather be safe than sorry. If anything, I think she might be annoyed that she isn't able to stop and smell things when we're running. All of this is leaving me wondering whether I should stop taking Kishe on runs with me, but she gets terribly excited when I'm getting ready and I feel really guilty leaving her behind. Anyone have any ideas?

[Dawn]

Hi There

You said your dog has been unentheusiastic 'lately' - was she completely fine running before? I am sure she is but are her worming pills up to date? If she has eaten something bad and got a dose of worms, that can really make them slow down. If it is a sudden change - maybe you should pop her to the vet....just get her checked over.

How long do you run for before she slows down? I have to say, now that I am up to the 25/30 min runs - my dogs slow down after about 20 mins. I read somewhere the other day that most dogs do like to run in fits and starts....can you find somewhere to run so she could go off lead and rest a bit if she needed to? Mine go off and do their own thing and catch me up or wait depending on what they find....

Also, do you know that off lead she is bad to other dogs? Some dogs just feel threatened on lead and are fine if they get to sniff each other freely?

Sorry for some (possibly) obvious questions.....just thoughts.....

Finally - maybe you could take her out for a walk then go for your run after....so she is happy to have already been out? It's a killer when they look at you with those "take me with you" eyes

[kishe_lily]

Hello again,

My mum and I had an enjoyable trip to the vets last Monday, and Kishe's definitely got a clean bill of health. She's never been massively keen on running (on the lead, off the lead is another matter entirely!), but I think that's mainly due to the fact that she doesn't get as much time to stop and smell things as she does when we're walking.

Ideally, I would go somewhere and run with her off the lead, but it's getting quite built up where we live and our only option for off road running is a handful of fields, which make for an extremely short run. Not to mention the fact that the last time I walked there, Kishe found several large black snakes and, while it might make me a chicken, it's definitely roads for me from now on! Letting her off around other dogs also isn't really an option, because while she has a lovely disposition with people, the only dog she ever got on with was Lilly, my other dog, who died a few months ago.

One thing I have started to notice is that my running speed seems to be somewhere between a trot and an actual run, so it could be that she simply finds the pace irritating to work with.

My little brother decided to come along on yesterday's run on his bike, which meant that we had a dog bowl carrier, which is definitely an improvement on giving Kishe water out of my cupped hand. But it is getting hotter, so I'm going to keep an eye on her and if she keeps lagging behind or starts to struggle with running, I will just have to leave her behind. As much as the "don't leave me, human!" look breaks my heart, I don't want to end up injuring her.

[keeleyboo]

I have been walking with my dog, a Welsh Springer Spaniel, since the first of January. I've started the program 4 weeks ago and Keeley goes with on every run. I live in the country and in a development that has a single entrance/exit. Keeley knows the route and is just happy to be able to run free and check out all the country "smells". She does wear a collar that I am able to beep her remotely. I mentioned to my walking neighbor that when I do a race it will be weird not having her with me or holding her remote in my hand during the race. I know when I started "running" she was very happy that the pace picked up. Now that I'm "running" 5 mins or more she is enjoying the longer runs - or at least until she catches a bird scent!

[akjelliebean]

i walk & run (alternating) with my dogs daily. it's the best time for them and me -- and it makes me so happy to see them so happy. we have an off-leash dog park that we go to every evening. once out of the neighborhood, they are taken off-leash and run like crazy. my littlest dog, 1/2 chihuahua 1/2 silky, is the slower and older dog, but she does fine on the trails -- i just tell her "let's go, let's go" and she runs. my other two, both akc boston terriers, run like the wind. they're never even close to where i'm at, which is good for keeping the moose and bears away from me. yep - three moose the other night and lots of bear scat.

I have only started this week, but I started so that i could race with my dogs... I saw Canix on TV and it just looks great.
http://cani-cross.co.uk/index.shtml but i have always really hated running. Anyway - I have two Samoyeds - Carson and Muji so have started running together. I have to say - they think it's great fun!! lol ...so anyone else supported by their pooches????

[Dawn]

Hello - Wow! Amazing to see this thread still going! Yes - it's great to see the dogs running alongside you isn't it? Since writing this over a year ago now - I have had to give up running with my dogs as Carson just can't manage it these days! He's got joint problems...so enjoy it with yours - i miss mine on mine!