So lately I've gotten some comments and questions about how I take Layla running with me. I figured I'd have to split it up between posts of how I trained her but also another information about running with your dog in general. I'm going to start with the general one!
First thing first: whether or not you want your dog to run with you is irrelevant.
The number one thing is, does your dog want to go running with you? If the answer is no, please don't force them!
Layla 100% really and truly loves running with me. Otherwise, I wouldn't make her! If you don't enjoy a certain type of exercise you don't do it, right? So why would you expect your dog to do something they don't enjoy?
Just because they can't physically say "I don't like this" doesn't mean it's fair to take advantage of that. And don't be fooled, there are ways to tell they don't like it even though they can't speak.
Which brings me to my second point: know your dog.
You're probably thinking "well that's silly and obvious" but I mean it. Pay attention to your dog as you're running to keep tabs on how they're doing. I can read Layla like the back of my hand, and when we first started running together I watched her very closely.
Before even getting her, I read up on books about body language in dogs, signs about health complications, and just general information on dogs. This has helped me a lot with not only training her but understanding her behavior and signals. So when we started running, I was able to keep all of that in mind.
The main thing I'm asking is please do your research before taking your dog running with you. The fact that they can't tell us when something is wrong like a person can just makes it more of a responsibility to know your stuff.
Okay, so now you might be wondering: how can I tell if my dog likes running?
This can also be breed specific because there are obviously some dogs that are better equipped to run than others. These are the typical "sporty" dogs that you think of like Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, etc. They also tend to be higher energy dogs which can make them very enthusiastic running partners.
Other breeds that are not so equipped can be on the smaller side such as Bulldogs, Basset Hounds, Pugs, or a lot of the dogs you see with shorter legs. Size doesn't have everything to do with it, though, because take Boxers or Pitbulls for example. You want to be careful since dogs with shorter muzzles like that can develop breathing problems, and running may not be the best thing for them.
Some signs you want to look for to see how your dog is doing include checking that they're not lagging behind and can keep up, how they're breathing, and any type of limping or pain.
The way I can tell Layla enjoys running is very simple and straight forward. First, if I ask her "Wanna go for a run?" Her ears perk up, she tilts her head to the side, and races over to the door. When we get outside her tail is constantly wagging, and once we start running she gets so so excited! Throughout the run she'll wag her tail every so often, brush against my leg, lick my hand, look up at me, or want me to scratch her ears. Her body language is relaxed, her ears and tail are low in their natural state, and she's curious about her surroundings. Layla is a very curious (more like nosey haha) dog and constantly pays attention to what is going on around her. While we're running, she'll often put her nose to the ground and sniff things as we're passing or sniff the air, if we see people or other dogs she'll look over at them and wag her tail, but what that tells me is she's not overtaxed because she's able to pay attention to other things. She also often pushes the pace and wants to run faster so I have to make sure I keep her reigned in or else she'd crap out after one mile haha! Sometimes at random times she'll just get so excited and happy that she bounces around on the sidewalk, and again I have to reign her energy in and remind her of her training. These are all signs that she's doing well on the run but that she's also enjoying it!
Random side story: this morning I took her for a run since the weather was honestly perfect for once this summer. It was 50 degrees and zero humidity, I actually wore long sleeves! Anyway, I wasn't thinking but as soon as I took Layla outside to go potty I said "Wow, Layla this is perfect weather for a run!" (because I talk to her all the time, normal right?! haha!). I didn't mean to say it but I came to regret it because her little ears perked right up at the "r" word as me and Amanda call it (we usually spell it out so she can't tell), and she got SO EXCITED. Immediately when we got inside, she was doing circles in my room as I got changed in to my running clothes. She kept pestering me to go faster, and legit could not contain herself. When I went to put on my shoes, I thought she almost gave me a bloody lip by accident because the spaz bumped her head right against my mouth as I was bending over while she was still bouncing around doing circles! She's been on maybe 2-3 other runs since May and clearly had missed running.
Secondly, if you have a young dog make sure they can handle running!
It's super important that you don't take them when they're really little or you can seriously damage their growth and development. This is something that I absolutely recommend talking to your vet about, no excuses! This varies between breeds so make sure you get a professional opinion about it. Some main things you have to consider are: age, nutrition, and intensity of the exercise.
We talked to our vet about Layla and he recommended waiting til she was older to take her on a regular basis which is what I transitioned her to this past fall and winter. When she first started running with me end of last summer, he said to make sure we gave her a food with a higher fat percentage so that she got the necessary nutrients, especially since she was the runt of her litter. Considering her size now, I'm pretty sure we didn't inhibit her growth at all! We have since moved her to a lower percentage but it is still enough to support a dog with a more active lifestyle. In my peak running season, Layla goes for a run with me about 4-5 days a week in addition to her usual daily walk so nutrition is important!
When I first introduced Layla to running, it was very gradual. I took her for a run only once a week for 2 miles max. The first time I ran with her, we jogged the first mile really slowly, took a walking break for about half a mile, and then jogged another mile home. Then I slowly had her run 2 miles consistently for another couple weeks. I still only took her once a week since she was young but the vet said that it should be fine.
I kept her at that schedule for the whole summer, only once a week 2-3 miles at about a 10-11 minute mile pace. That was much slower than usual for me but I wanted to give her time to adjust and get in shape. I built her up slowly. During September we went twice a week then in October we started adding in 3 running days a week, and so on until she was running about 4-5 days with me. Again, I made sure to take it slow because she's in for the long haul with running just like me:)
Build up their mileage gradually
Another important thing to remember is your dog has to get into running shape, too! You couldn't go from the coach to running 5 miles, right? It took training and time. So make sure that you treat your dog just the same way you did when you started out running. You probably ran at a slower pace, lower mileage, and didn't increase right away. Your dog is just as prone to running injuries as you are so make sure you don't force them to take too much in the beginning.
So please don't expect your dog to suddenly be able to run 5 miles with you out of the gate. I've been running Layla since August and the farthest I've taken her is 6 miles. Towards the end of this past winter there was so much ice that I wasn't able to take her with me for a solid two months. When we started back up again in early spring, I made it gradual for her. This summer I've hardly been able to take her at all because it's been so much hotter than usual plus all the constant rain makes the humidity nearly unbearable. I've been taking most of the summer off running, but even if I wasn't there's no way I'd take Layla in those conditions.
If possible, run on the most natural ground.
I live in a very small town which comes in handy because sometimes I'm unable to run on the sidewalks due to snow/ice or the fact that they just don't exist. Yes, there are some roads that just don't have sidewalks so I just run on the side of the road. It's quiet, though, and not a lot of cars so I'm able to do this without any problems. This comes in handy for Layla, too, because I'm usually able to keep her running in the grass next to me. She naturally seeks out the grass so I try to allow her to do that as much as possible.
I do this because the grass is much softer than cement or bricks. The second best option is asphalt because again it's a more forgiving material compared to cement sidewalks. This goes for people, too! If you can, run on trails or asphalt because it's much easier on your body.
The last thing you want to be mindful of is the weather.
Again, certain dogs are happier in either warmer or colder temperatures depending on the amount of fur they have. Something that is again breed specific. Layla is literally a polar bear, even for a Golden Retriever she has really thick fur! So in colder temperatures, she's in heaven!
This means, though, that she's much more sensitive to warmer temperatures. When we started out last summer, I would make sure it wasn't too humid for her or too warm. If I was uncomfortable and way too hot then I wouldn't take her. I was much more mindful of looking for signs of dehydration or any discomfort on her part. If need be, keep a water bottle on hand. I run in the early morning around 5:30 so Layla isn't in the direct heat or sun. Please, please be considerate of things like that because I for one know I'm miserable if I try to run in the middle of the day so I'd never even consider taking Layla with me. When we get home from our runs, I make sure she has fresh cool water, I turn on the air conditioner for her, and give her either ice cubes or frozen veggies to chew on. That way she can cool down plus she loves ice cubes! I put them in her water bowl every so often to try to keep it cold but she takes them out within five seconds so she can eat them haha!
I was also very careful not to increase if she wasn't ready yet, and there was actually one time where I thought she was ready but she let me know she wasn't. The way my running routes work is that they build off one another. So what happened in this case is there's a point where I could either make a turn for a 2 mile loop or keep going and do 3 miles. The same thing goes for 4, 5, 6, 7 miles etc. Layla has been running enough with me that she knows the routes and the turns. One morning I wanted to go for 3 but when we approached the turn where we could take 2 miles, she started to turn. I gave her a slight tug to pull her back to me to let her know that we weren't going that way. But she dug in her heels and was adamant that we take the 2 mile loop! So what did I do? I listened to her!
She was clearly telling me that she was done, and wanted to go home. I decided to respect what she was trying to tell me and did not want to push her if she just wasn't feeling it that morning. We all have good and bad runs, even dogs! Running with Layla is just as much about her enjoying it as I am. I run with her because it's a great way to bond, spend time together, allows her to get her energy out, and add in training.
I hope this answers most of your questions, and I'll work on getting the training post up soon!
