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I would like any advice on running with dogs. How old do they have to be before I take them fell running, how far can they go. etc. I have a newish Golden Retriever puppy (5 months). Although there is lots of information out there on general exercise for dogs, I am looking to do some ultra marathons this year and need to know how much the dog will be able to fit in with my training before I risk damaging her.
I am no expert but i certainly wouldn`t be expecting to be running a dog over any real distance until it was fully developed (Say 12mths old) then i would treat it the same as myself and build up its distance progressively.
I fell you should also take the Breed of dog into account and remember what a particular breed has been bred to do.
I Have a Four year old Border collie that will Happily cover long distances 25+ miles and still be ready for more but then collies are bred to spend long days on rough terrain and to cover the ground quickly when need be, and they are built for it, i for one would not expect a Retriever if i had one to cover the long distance that my collie is capable of as i reckon a retriever is happier doing short fast bursts and ambling back with something in its mouth.
But i could be wrong of course
I completely agree with the above. I had a border collie that could go for miles- but even with him I waited until he was a year old. We got a new pup a couple of years ago (Jack Russel). He also has increadible stamina and speed but anything over 6 miles does tire him out. Labs should be fine on the hills but do ease him into it as he gets older.
I love running with my dog- better than running with other humans and the bond and trust you develop as you run is great.
How Cruel !!!! Shame on YouQuote:
Originally Posted by Andy Skelhorn
Although i have a dog myself (Border Collie), i have read, and wouldnt anyway subject him to such a harsh training regime. any runs that they do with you should be enjoyable for you both and in no way over taxing for the dog. it is well documented that collies are able to do long distances over rough terrain without showing too much stress. (not sure about a retriever) .....BUT how would you like to be discussed here on the forum, with respect to how far you could go without being damaged !!!!!
if you want something to accompany you on your long training runs....i suggest that you get an IPOD, and stop treating your dog as something to just fit in with your training plans, before probably being discarded when she's knackered
Rant Over
Nice Rant but and i am not going to argue, but i will point out that my dog is not something that fits in with my training plans its more a case that my training fits in with her need for exercise , and you are quite right we both get a lot of pleasure from the experience ,she is constantly monitored for fatigue, stress, lameness etc etc and she has never shown any signs of any of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slippery Stones
Unlike me who generally ends up suffering from them all therefore spoiling her day out by returning home before she is ready.
But then as i say my collie started coming out with me over shorter distances and progressively built up to cover longer distances, on terrain that she was bred for.
Unlike so many dogs that spend most of there walking life on Tarmac (which no breed of animal has been designed for) with maybe a quick run round the park if it`s keeper has time or its not raining etc etc, now that is a regime that is cruel and i would never subject a dog to.
As to her being being discarded when knackered, i respectfully suggest that it may be prudent of you to get to know people first, before you judge them as to what respect they may or may not have for loyal companions, rather than judging strangers from a few words written on a internet forum:)
As to the Ipod just watch out for the motor- vehicle/mountain bike/ falling rocks/shouts of warning you don`t hear.
Once a young dog has matured (12 months) there is absolutely no problem fell running with them. They are natural running machines! A dog like this will run 50 miles per day as a working dog with ease. If you obey the usual rules of building mileage with them I can assure you, you will not wear them out.
You're biggest problem may be getting the sheep interest out of the dog but if you do you will have a running companion par excellence.
Congratulations on your choice of dog and I hope you have as many good experiences as I have had with my now, sadly retired 15 year old.
Be very carefull and patient with the dog. A retriever is not a collie or really bred for long distance work. I am sure it will manage just fine, but it will need to build up mileage slowly. Possibly at least 2 year old before you even attempt long hard stuff, but I would seriously check with your vet first. The last thing you want is damage to hips etc. by running it too young.
Isn't a year for a dog equivalent to aprox. 6 human years? This may be a very rough guideline.
Thanks for all the advice. Of course I won't be taking on her for any proper fell runs until she is at least a year old (and a little better trained). Then I will be introducing her gradually and only taking her with me when the run is suitable. The whole point is that I want to avoid putting stress on her, so that she enjoys running, and can have a long and healthy life in the hills.
It looks like all this year's long runs will have to be with my fellow (mostly already damaged) humans.
oh how cute is she :)
my mum has got a retriever puppy about 10 months now i think
Very wrong actually. A Golden Retriever may lack the speed and agility of a border collie but they were also bred as working dogs and are a lot tougher than their generally gentle nature would suggest. Mine is now arthritic and retired at nearly 13 and a half but she was my running companion for about 10 years and never had any difficulty keeping in front of me for anything up to 3 hours (at which point I tend to collapse!). Start her off gently, build the mileage up slowly and she'll be fine. Just be careful in hot weather as they tend to overheat but a quick dunk in a stream soon sorts that out.Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnK
She is lovely Andy good luck.
We've got an 9 month old collie (ish) dog, and we have started running her short distances, mainly as she's such a wee shite!
http://bp3.blogger.com/_IoDbwwAfbtY/...P1030079-1.JPG
Loads of shots of her running here:
http://sarzmountainrun.blogspot.com/...namurchan.html
We are careful over what terrain though, only grassy tracks and avoid steep rockya scents or descents.
Poor dogs had a liver shunt so undergone to Liver ops, which the insurance wouldn't pay for.
I so want a dog!
I have a Lakeland terrier and she loves to run, the problem is sneaking out for runs that are not appropriate! she goes Bananas!
Dogs, like people need to be trained and she didnt do any meaningful training with me until she was a year old.
Lots of rubbish talked about cruelty! Dogs are bred to perform a function and nothing gives them more pleasure than to "work" and that would normally include lots of miles over different terrain.
Watch out for someone masquerading as a dog soon and posing comments Yawn!! bloody dog owners. A neighbour of mine has two retrievers and the compulsory 4 wheel drive to take them 600 metres to the park! He commented to my son (8) whilst he was walking the terrier "dont walk her too far"!. My son said "she's ok she did 14 miles with my dad yesterday" He went pale!!
My inlaws used to have a chihuahua and if it ever stayed with us it just tagged along whenever I went for a run with my golden retriever. The longest run I did with it was about an hour and a quarter but it certainly had no difficulty with that and was obviously enjoying itself. It's biggest problem was seeing where it was going in long grass :).
Supposedly they've put GPS and other tracking devices on working collies. It's been estimated that during lambing season a collie will run 100 miles a day, for 100 consecutive days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slippery Stones
My parents have a fox/trail hound mongrel type dog, she's now 13, but in her younger days a 8 hr day would be a walk in the park. You could run a trail hound all over the lakes and it would still want to go out again that evening.
You will never tire a collie out. Ours is 9 months, she's been out for 6-8 miles with us a few times, but just recovering from a second liver op, so on rest again. From next week she'll start training with us again.
All we do is run her and see, avoid rocky ground. This no running is silly, if you walk a dog for an hour they'll run just as far as if you ran them for an hour. If we have overdone it she sleeps for a while. But generally an hours power nap and she's jumping up and down again.
Labs have no reason not to be fit, a fit looking lab is a great site, too many people use the 'dopn't want to hurt his hips' excuse for being lazy and not getting the dog out enough. (I'm not saying you do BTW).
I used to take my mother in laws dog (mongrel with lots of whippet I'd say) for runs/walks.Quote:
Originally Posted by IainR
If I took her for a walk she would cover more ground as she used to run in a big loop around me at top speed no matter how fast I went and going by how she reacted when I'd turn up at the house (whole body trembling, tail wagging like mad and barking) she seemed to like going for runs.
Bill
I finally got a dog a few weeks back. She's a staffy cross (though with what I don't know - a whippet I think judging by her shape, speed etc.) from the local RSPCA. She's only 11 months old and a bit lively on the lead at the moment so I've not run with her yet. She is calming down a bit and once she doesn't try and drag me off down the lane every time I break into a run, she'll be a great running partner for sure.
The expression of hurt on her face when I go out for a run without her though is heart breaking! :)
By the way, cheers David for recommending a rescue dog on the old forum "What Dog?" thread. I'm so glad we didn't shell out for a pedigree and have given a lovely stray a good home.
I'll post a picture when I get chance.
I'm sure several people on that old thread ran with labradors/retrievers. Lovely dog by the way Andy. :)
We've always had rescue dogs, always been great dogs.
Ours was running with us, then had the op so isn't at the moment. She's not just looking hurt, she's also making us pay. At the weekend she pissed on my Rab down jacket and will always squeeze one out, even if we go for just an hours run. Just a little turd by the back door as a lesson. She's toilet trained, and if I go out in my jeans she's fine, put on my running gear and the protests start.
Indeed! Our Lab would regularly come out either for a run with me on the fells or with both of us mountain biking. It is quite entertaining to see people's faces when he runs past - "Look! A Labrador running!" as if it is something bizarre. When he was young, it would take days to tire him out. Now he is nearly 12 he has slowed down a bit, especially since he had an operation to remove his spleen at the back end of last year. Still looks fitter than most Labs though and there is still a spring in his step.Quote:
Originally Posted by IainR
Our vet at the time (Gill Hubbard down at Cibyn in Caernarfon) recommended that we didn't take him on the fells until he was a year old and then to just break him into it gently.
xmas cracker(25m dec),winter tanners(30+m jan),thats lyth(23m jan)...then theres punchbowl(30m in feb),wuthering hike; my 12 yr old border collie keeps entering us for these events despite all my protests!
I think you may have fed my collie some dog biscuits at Witherslack yesterday david if so thank you, and if it was not you thank you whoever you were.
I'm trying to recall you at the xmas cracker - always quite a few dogs there having their pre-christmas treat - I guess he was a little muddy by the finish !Quote:
Originally Posted by davidphys
hello,Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy Skelhorn
I mostly lurk here wishing I was out running (too cold today :( ) but threads about dogs sometimes bring me out of hiding. You already have lots of good advice here, so I doubt I can add much, but here goes -
I run a lot with my dogs. We currently have 17, mostly samoyeds + some Alaskan malamutes + an old golden and a mixed breed. The sams and mals are our sled team and I skijor with them too.
My first running partner was a golden too. They all LOVE to run. Our goldens never liked going in a straight line, though. They ran with nose to the ground and were prone to sudden turns (I'm a huntin' dog). The sams and mals are much better at just going, but they'll pounce on stuff that you didn't know was there, and sudden stops for pooping.
For puppies - they don't have a lot of stamina, and you don't want to give them a bad experience, so don't plan on going for a long run, or a run of any particular length. This will get longer as it gets older. I don't expect a pup younger than 6 months to go far at all.
By 1 year they do fine at any distance I am likely to run, as long as it is not too hot. Most of my dogs are in just a fast trot at my top speed anyway. Our mixed breed runs loose with me and she probably runs about 3-4 times the distance that I do, chasing bunnies, then running back, etc.
I don't let most of them free run cuz I don't want them running through farm fields and in case of vehicles, or chasing muskrats on the ice in winter. They wear harnesses and I am attached by my skijor line (as in canicross).
RULE #1. LET THE PUP set the pace and distance (assuming you are prone to go faster and farther).
RULE #2. Of course (and you probably know) watch out for overheating, bring water for the dog (some of mine will drink from a water bottle, others don't get it). Avoid pavement if at all possible (if you run to get to your run). Watch the gait - if they start moving funny stop and check 'em over. Check the feet, including between the pads. For the sams and mals, my temp cut-off is about 10 C because their coats are so thick, but the mixed breed can go most of the summer.
Dogs (who can do it) are great running partners. Mine get so excited when I put on my running shoes (and the ones who don't get picked get quite upset).
Enjoy your pup!
Thanks for all the advice. She already gets excited at the sight of running shoes - even though I have not yet run her further than a few hundred yards
Awwwww Cute lickle puppy or am i just soft? I ran with my hound , she's a collie/whippet mix, loves it, she cries in anticipation when we get near our start , usually lordstones cafe on the moors. Guess she is built for it but i've seen loads of ppl running with labradors etc. Agree with building up the training , but then she just comes with me as i build up.
The Vet says she's the fittest , most healthy dog she sees....
Only other tips...she doesn't like really icy ground, so we avoid that and if a crack in paw develops, bung vaseline in after cleaning..a breeder told me that one. Oh and don't forget to take some food for them, she gets hungry in a 20+ miler.
Hope you both have many happy runs together..
Shirley is now over 4 months old and has been running round like a nutter on every 'walk' she has been on.
She now completely out paces Dave already:eek:
Dave's now 3 and is a collie x springer spaniel
Shirley is a collie
I took her on her first ever fell run tonight and feel like my left shoulder has been dislocated:eek:
God - that dog can run, and run and run!!!
We - well I managed 5 miles at her pace - talk about teaching me to descend in a pretty damn quick way!! It was a white knuckle ride! Had to let go of the lead at one point just to avoid going ar5e over!
I'm hoping it wasn't too far for her first proper run.
The terrain was all very grassy and spingy and there were no major obstacles to climb/negotiate and no steep rocky descents.
She certainly enjoyed it though that's for sure! :D
Had a quick nap in the car on the way home and is now looking like she hasn't even paused for breath:o
[quote=emmilou;59557]Shirley is now over 4 months old and has been running round like a nutter on every 'walk' she has been on.
She now completely out paces Dave already:eek:
Dave's now 3 and is a collie x springer spaniel
Shirley is a collie
I took her on her first ever fell run tonight and feel like my left shoulder has been dislocated:eek:
God - that dog can run, and run and run!!!
We - well I managed 5 miles at her pace - talk about teaching me to descend in a pretty damn quick way!! It was a white knuckle ride! Had to let go of the lead at one point just to avoid going ar5e over!
god it sounds like she kept you on your toes and made the run very ineresting
how long before she runs to heel emm :)
will you have to feed her more now that she is gong to be running more??
god it sounds like she kept you on your toes and made the run very ineresting
how long before she runs to heel emm :)
will you have to feed her more now that she is gong to be running more??[/quote]
yeah - I'll have to feed her more.
Not sure how often i can take her on the fells just yet but it will only be a couple of short ones each week for now.
I'll just take Dave on the long sunday runs.
She'll run to heel better if I don't take Dave I think - she is more interested at chasing him so I intend to do a fair bit of 1 to 1 with her when the kids go back to school and I can run in the mornings again.
She is pretty good to be honest Daz - a diamond in the car, just sits there - comes back when she's told and willingly lets you out the lead on but all the fileds i went in tonight were full of sheep - she was obviously very inquisitive and went to pull when we got close initially but by the end of the run she wasn't as interested which was a good sign but it will be a little while before I can get her to run to heel of the lead in a field of sheep - she will do it to a fashion now already along paths and tracks - I think her being a bitch and a collie means she likes to keep me in view all the time and stays very close anyway
Daz, was this what you meant when you told me you always enjoyed watching Emmilou's 'puppy's' when she runs????.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by AllanT
what:eek: :)
she is to fast for me to get in front
im a married man you know this allan