Whats the best runners dog?

Usually run with company, However yesterday there were no mates :( so I gave our old fella a bell and borrowed his 3 year old chocolate Labrador. Like most chocolate labs, this one is insane. I'd not let it off the lead as if it sees another dog it won't just pull, it'll do this weird vertical take off jumping.

So, off I went for a gentle run of about 5-8 miles. Figured lets get out there and see how it feels.
Felt great to me. There were a couple of very early pauses to chat with other dog walkers and assess 'Flynn's reaction with other dogs. After this we continued along the trails. Thats kinda where the good bit ends. I got to about a mile and Flynn was knackered. He could walk all day, but get to a jog and he's out of it. Still did the 5 miles, but at his pace.

Just wondered if anyone else has tried running with a hound and if so what breeds have proved up to the task and what breeds have been blatant failures.?

If the dog has never done any running before it's a little unfair to expect it to cope with 5-8 miles but a fit labrador can run for miles. Break it in gently, give it time to get fit and it will soon be outrunning you.

You can't beat a good lurcher i say! One with the right combination of speed, stamina and trainability :)

I seem to remember a long thread about this a while ago.

I think there are many things to consider when deciding what's the best running dog. Such as: Is it likely to chase things? Will it kill them if it does? How muddy does it get? Will it overheat running in the UK? Can you control it easily with commands? Will it go insane if you don't run for a few days? etc.

I think we'll probably get another lab/collie when our trusty Max finally retires. Less fat than a lab, but less manic than a collie. Ours is now very good at ignoring sheep. He's in semi-retirement from running now (aged 10) but comes out for the occasional recovery run with me and Mrs Noel.

A friend has a Weimaraner, which can run all day. It's so strong she has a harness so the dog can pull her up hills. The weimaraner in question is very well trained, but I think they can be a bit daft.

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Originally Posted by david

If the dog has never done any running before it's a little unfair to expect it to cope with 5-8 miles but a fit labrador can run for miles. Break it in gently, give it time to get fit and it will soon be outrunning you.

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Hi, no I didn't expect him to cope with 5 miles of running. Figured I'd end up walking. Thought a 3 year old dog should cope with a mile of light jogging which included 2 breaks tho.
Just wondering how he'll be next time I go to my parents. Happy to see me or sulking in a corner :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Longdogs

You can't beat a good lurcher i say! One with the right combination of speed, stamina and trainability :)

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In your experience, what is an average lurcher like at resisting the temptation to chase rabbits through sheep fields? I like the idea of a lurcher, but would worry having a sight hound around lambs.

i take my border collie, fells are their terraine after all, he will go to chase sheep, but with a stern shout will come back, he is getting better, and when it's just us two running, he bareley takes notice of the sheep!
there is no way of tiring the little bugger, and he's done 22 miles so far max (old crown round) and regularly does half marathon road runs with me

Beagles...lots of 'em :-)

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Originally Posted by noel

In your experience, what is an average lurcher like at resisting the temptation to chase rabbits through sheep fields? I like the idea of a lurcher, but would worry having a sight hound around lambs.

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I have to say you make a very good point there.. the average lurcher chases anything that moves, and many will kill if they can! That's what they're bred for after all. I have 3 and only one is sheep trainable. It's no coincidence that she's the least sighthoundy of the 3. If the others go on the hill, which is rarely, they are muzzled and shackled to me with cables and reserve cables! But you CAN have a lurcher that's safe with sheep- specially something like a first cross greyhound x collie.

I reckon unless you have an incurable sighthound fetish like me you're probably alot better off with a lab x collie type or similar. The rehoming centres are heaving with this kind of dog. I try and persuade people not to get a pure bred- they're much less healthy, and every pedigree dog sold takes a place that could go to a homeless dog, which may otherwise be destroyed. Although i have got a bit of a thing for Hungarian Viszlas :)

My border collie, badger runs most days with me. He will do 8 miles tonight easy
Cant speak for every collie but badger always has to be ten yards in front and is constantly checking my whereabouts. ( im told bitches do this even more).
He knows every single part of each route we take and It seems that he has come to think that this is part of his job. He seems to want to guide me around our runs.
He doesnt chase so Ive been lucky in that respect.
But if you have one that chases this can cause problems with animals, particulary horse owners.
Most of the farmers and horse owners on our routes recognise badger and now see there isnt a problem as he just plods on past.

Id def recommend a border collie but try and get one from a rescue centre. I considered the pros and cons of owning a dog for 2 years before I decided.
Id say badger runs about 30 miles a week with me. he is nearly 3 now

I would have to say a Malamute as they can pull you up the hills!! Or a Husky....you just wait to see how fast you can run when they see sheep!! My Dog will run any distance when it's under 10 degrees! Not great company for summer runs though!

And as others said - go for a young rescue!! I did that two years ago and would always do that again.

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Originally Posted by vburke

My Dog will run any distance when it's under 10 degrees! Not great company for summer runs though!

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Same problem with my Finnish Lapphund. Great running dog aside from that though. No top end speed but will trundle along all day.

We've got a lab but he's shite at running.
He's from a more stockier breed of lab (Crank-ross i think its called) compared to the normal drakes-head gun/working dog.

But my aunty has a soft coated wheeton terrier called Dastardly who is epic at running.
He's really skittish when you come to cross a road though but thats ok as i just stick to the fields when i take him.
My uncle wasnt too keen on my taking him running because he said it tires him out too much.....now he runs laps around me so i not sure what my uncle is trying to say....maybe its because he doesnt participate in anything physical himself so he's anti-running.:confused:

I've never tried him on the fells though, but im planning on going to the lakes on friday so i might ask if i can take him to give me some company.

Anybody know if dogs are allowed on busses and trains?

yes they are and, if you've only got one, you don't have to pay for them.

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Originally Posted by nikalas

yes they are and, if you've only got one, you don't have to pay for them.

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Cheers!

Don't go for an irish wolfhound, naievely (sp??) I thought big dog would be happy with a big run. Took my mother in laws over Ilkley moors for bout 45mins, came back it flopped and did nothing for next 24hrs about from drink 2 buckets of water.
Whoops:o

nearly 10 miles with badger tonight
just make sure if you run your dog you allow him plenty of water stops.

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Originally Posted by daz h

nearly 10 miles with badger tonight
just make sure if you run your dog you allow him plenty of water stops.

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This Lab had plenty of stops. We ran out and back thro the bottom of a valley. Several times he was taken to the streamside. The halfway point is the outlet of a lake, you have to cross the stepping stones. I paused here with him.

This hound will not drink, unless the waters in his stainless steel bowl. Not only that... this labrador, a water dog, doesn't want to get wet..? He searched for and used the stepping stones!!!:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by No vice

This Lab had plenty of stops. We ran out and back thro the bottom of a valley. Several times he was taken to the streamside. The halfway point is the outlet of a lake, you have to cross the stepping stones. I paused here with him.

This hound will not drink, unless the waters in his stainless steel bowl. Not only that... this labrador, a water dog, doesn't want to get wet..? He searched for and used the stepping stones!!!:rolleyes:

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totally opposite to badger
he has never and I mean never drank out of his bowl

our fish pond
puddles
streams
beck
toilet
river
canal
anything but his bowl ( you tell me):)

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Originally Posted by Longdogs

You can't beat a good lurcher i say! One with the right combination of speed, stamina and trainability :)

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Seconded... lurchers rule... but not too sure about trainability!! Mine was so so with sheep.. so normally had to keep her under close control.. a couple of time we came across a fox when she was loose and that then meant a 45min wait while she ran across the county and back.. absolutely knackered! Happy days! Now dog-less but would certainly choose a lurcher again if circumstances were different.

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Originally Posted by Boy Wonder

Seconded... lurchers rule... but not too sure about trainability!! Mine was so so with sheep.. so normally had to keep her under close control.. a couple of time we came across a fox when she was loose and that then meant a 45min wait while she ran across the county and back.. absolutely knackered! Happy days! Now dog-less but would certainly choose a lurcher again if circumstances were different.

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yeah trainability all relative... am familiar with the 45 min wait. All the lurcher books i've read say they should retrieve their prey.. not bloody likely!!! Take it off and eat it resisting all attempts to be caught.. good job there's Tesco or we'd starve :)

Border collie - rescue & she's luuurvely :D & will run & run & run........

We do have recall issues, she was a stray & had hunted but we're working hard on this & she is definately getting better.

Can reccomend Wiccaweys which is where ours came from. They are really good at sussing out collie characters, some have v active brains & need to be rehomed into a farm working environment. Others seem quite happy to run, play, eat & sleep (preferably on the sofa ;))

Collies are good. Hard work but very trainable, but do boss you about. Ours think they are in charge, if we take a turning off the usual route they'll stop at the junction as though to question us and are constantly ahead of us. Neither chase sheep, one pays attention but doesn't chase, one is scared of sheep and has been chased out of her own garden by a few sheep before.

They'll run all day, can cover rough ground but also light enough to lift over obstacles.

Saying that our old fox/trail houndy thing was the best hill dog I ever had. She'd run all day. I'd probably look at getting a rescue one of those if I could.

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Originally Posted by IainR

one is scared of sheep and has been chased out of her own garden by a few sheep before.

They'll run all day, can cover rough ground but also light enough to lift over obstacles.

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The lurcher once got chased across the road by a Siamese cat.. not very flattering for lurcher dignity.

The lifting thing... very good point.. don't want to be lifting some big lump all the time..but dear old Megan could jump virtually anything..

[The lifting thing... very good point.. don't want to be lifting some big lump all the time..but dear old Megan could jump virtually anything..[/quote]

when we first got Bessie I had to lift her over all the stiles :o she would sit down, stick herself to the ground & shake. Now she flies over pretty much everything

My Border Terrier is 10 and struggling with the distance / terrain i like to run so has been 'retired' from running.
My wife would love another Border and tbh I miss having a dog to run with.
Problem is we've read that an established dog (ours is a bitch) can 'fight to the death' with a newcomer...anyone got any experience or advice?
Our dog isn't normally aggressive to other dogs, though she did inexplicably attack a random greyhound once!