Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Tips for Running with Your Dog

Speaking of adjusting routines for the summer heat, would someone like to explain to me why I thought that spending June through August training for my first half marathon was a good idea?  I'm sure the actual race will be beautiful - the weather should be more temperate in mid-September and the location is lovely - but working up to 13.1 miles in a DC summer will be challenging.

Charlie is my second biggest motivator as I continue running, right behind the need to get healthy.  He loves to run and needs the exercise; it would be a total waste to go for a run without him and then take him out to play.  It's fun to combine the two!  He's been on almost every run I've gone on since we got him last July and even ran a race with Megan and me back in February.  (By the way, check out the Lost Dog 5k Series in Arlington if you live in the DC area! You don't have to have a dog to participate - you can borrow a rescue if you want to run with a companion - and it's for a great cause.)  I've never taken him out for a run longer than a 10k, though, and I don't think I will when I get to that stage of my training. It's not about the distance; I just don't want to get used to running 10+ miles with Charlie and then be totally thrown when I have to do it alone for the half!  But I did ask my vet about running with Charlie, and I thought I'd share her advice, plus suggestions from the amazing group at Lab Rescue LRCP and some other tips I've picked up along the way, for anyone who might be interested...


1. run on trails or grass rather than pavement when you can - it's easy for dogs to burn their paw pads on hot pavement, so stick to trails or grass if possible!  If pavement is the only option, try to stay in the shade.

2. stay in the shade as much as possible - all dogs, but especially black ones like Charlie, can overheat pretty easily. They can only pant off so much sweat, so it's up to you to help them regulate their temperature.

3. bring water - this is an obvious one, but make sure you and your dog stay hydrated! I have a great OllyDog waterbottle that comes with a detachable "bowl" so my dog can drink easily when I take water breaks.  I should note that Charlie rarely ever focuses enough to drink from the bottle or the bowl (though it's still important for me to carry them) which is why we always make sure to...

4. run near a body of water - our shorter runs, those under 4 miles, are usually just around the neighborhood, but anything over 4 miles is through Rock Creek Park.  We take regular breaks so that Charlie can have a quick paddle in the creek and a drink. Wading in helps him cool off, and he always gulps down a few mouthfuls!

5. listen to your dog - this is the most important tip of all, one that was voiced most loudly by the Lab Rescue experts when I brought this up on their Facebook page. Most dogs (and especially labs!) get too into the zone when they're having fun or working hard to know when their bodies need them to snap out of it, so you really need to pay attention to your dog's physical cues so that you can stop before s/he gets overheated or overexerted.

Obviously, I'm not a vet, so if you're not sure whether or not you should run with your dog - or if your dog physically can run with you - check with an expert.  (Our vet said that I run slowly enough that, as long as I remember the tips above, there isn't a distance that would be too long for Charlie, but if you have a faster pace than I do it's something to ask about.)  But Charlie is, without a doubt, one of the best parts of running for me.  He keeps me on track and his enthusiasm is contagious.  It's so fun with him that it doesn't feel like exercise! Well, it does, but it feels like fun exercise rather than something I make myself suffer through.  If you have a dog who can physically handle that kind of movement and you want to get into running, I totally recommend going out together.

Do you run with your dog?  Let me know what tips you'd add!

19 comments:

  1. I hate running, but now that I know there is an option to borrow a rescue for a few hours to run with, my feelings may be changing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loved all of these! I've been so bad about running - BAD ELIZA. Getting my butt back out there will be motivated by knowing how much Nellie will LOVE going with me. Thanks for this post! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not a dog person, but having rock solid excuse to go for a walk/run makes me want one!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Paul has tried to run with Sloan on occasion. Bad idea. She spins and jumps in front of him, because apparently running is akin to roughhousing in her language. Now her left hip is arthritic enough that she can't run (with him- she still runs her heart out off lead). Paul has debated back and forth on whether he wishes he had a pooch running partner or not, though.

    Good advice! An addendum to #1 can be a pad toughener. Used by sled dogs and hunting dogs, it's also good for city dogs. Sloan had it prescribed after she burned her pads at doggy daycare in Idaho. Grass is, of course, better though!

    I've read about more and more rescues and shelters loaning out running partners- it's such a fantastic idea! Exercise and socialize the dogs and company (and safety) for the humans!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for educating me about #1! As someone who has never owned a dog, I did not know about that although I admit it should have been obvious.

    You have written some good tips here. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. This makes me want to trade Baci in for a dog....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bwahahaha I was laughing reading this article at the thought of going running with my smoosh faced pup! She's not one for running - English bullies are notoriously lazy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. don't you know you can always borrow Charlie?

    ReplyDelete
  9. haha Charlie drags ME at the pace HE sets! thanks for the blog - I'll check it out :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have run with Bella a couple of times but I never thought about your first tip ~ running on the grass rather than hot pavement ~ yikes! poor girl....can't believe I never thought of that...I did bring water though. I am always nervous when I run with her that she will veer in front of me and I will trip and tumble all over the place. Thankfully it has never happened but I imagine it in my mind almost every time I go out for a run with her ~ my mind is my worst enemy on runs.

    ReplyDelete
  11. haha don't do that! just borrow Charlie when I can't be bothered to go for a run :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. they also have a hard time breathing, don't they? maybe they're lazy for health reasons!

    ReplyDelete
  13. honestly, I didn't think about it much either before I started talking about this on the LR Facebook page! but I totally get your other concern - I'm not so much afraid that he'll veer and I'll trip but that he'll veer and will trip someone trying to pass us :/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yeah, most airlines won't let them fly because of that (we looked into it during our "we might move to the UK" phase).



    I'm going to start saying I'm lazy for health reasons too, it sounds like a legit excuse, I have a small nose…

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are great tips Betsy! Do you run with Charlie on a leash or without?

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have a blog about running! Just ran my first half in June. http://totalcollegefitness.com/

    ReplyDelete
  17. good luck with your half in September!

    ReplyDelete

I love reading your thoughts and suggestions! Please do leave a comment so we can get to know each other better.