Running with an Akita
How and when can I introduce Toki, (6mo old JA) to jogging with me?
And nope, not gonna run on pavement until he is a year, maybe even two years. Don't want to mess up his bones while they're still growing.
I was thinking about going on very short sprints/jogs on the grass or some off road trails, followed by a good amount of walking, and over time extend the time jogging. Though, his attention span at 6mo is still pretty short, so my expectations are pretty low for continuous running for any length of time.
I figured this would replicate how a puppy would play anyway, short bursts of sprinting followed by a lot of walking. Or at least, that is how Toki plays, rather lazily, lol, he is more of a wrestler. Such a boy.
He doesn't get a chance to be off leash or play with other dogs. No backyard and only two friends with other dogs his size.
Any thoughts?
And nope, not gonna run on pavement until he is a year, maybe even two years. Don't want to mess up his bones while they're still growing.
I was thinking about going on very short sprints/jogs on the grass or some off road trails, followed by a good amount of walking, and over time extend the time jogging. Though, his attention span at 6mo is still pretty short, so my expectations are pretty low for continuous running for any length of time.
I figured this would replicate how a puppy would play anyway, short bursts of sprinting followed by a lot of walking. Or at least, that is how Toki plays, rather lazily, lol, he is more of a wrestler. Such a boy.
He doesn't get a chance to be off leash or play with other dogs. No backyard and only two friends with other dogs his size.
Any thoughts?
Comments
Ghidora, whom I have been bike riding with since mid-February, gets a high value treat after our ride. Although at first he was a bit of an anchor, now he pulls forward with excitement when we go out. Gryphon loves do run around like a loony in the backyard, and I can stomp my feet at her and shout "run, run, go, go, GO!!" and she'll do figure-eights around the benches at break-neck speeds. (I like that I don't have to run too, haha.) Without cheering them on, however, my dogs are fairly sedentary.
My advice is to just start picking up your pace and see if he keeps up. As long as he's going with you of his own accord you are probably fine. If you have to drag him, its too much for him right now. But in my experience, the human will tire before the Akita.
Plus, if you're not a current runner or jogger (like me, my physical health took a dive when I got into university), it's a good way to get started!
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I think it's a great idea, sort of a "no harm done" because he'd do it anyway? Although, I can't speak from experience, just from thinking along similar lines!
I was a little more hesitant with my Shiba. We would go on jogs and he always kept up. He also kept up when I roller bladed. I did parkour so I taught Sasuke how to do very small jumps, drops, and gaps. A year later, Sasuke was able to do 5ft wall climbs and drops with no problem.
Actually, the dogs were fine. Really, there's no way I could run long enough to tire them out or hurt them, but I don't know what kind of shape you're in. I think if you're a marathoner and you take a dog out for a long, hard run without conditioning them, then you could hurt them.
I'm not an expert, though. My philosophy is to just stay in-tuned to your dog. There's no textbook on YOUR individual dog.
I agree about them having more energy than me, haha.
neither of us are "fit", so it'll be good for the both of use to work up to an actual fitness regime some day.
I run/walk for about an 30-60minutes when I go to the gym a few times a week and yoga on wednesdays. But I wouldn't call myself "fit". I eat way too much pizza and drink too much beer. And I am pretty sure I might be giving Toki too many liver treats, but who doesn't spoil their dogs in some way
@hondru, how to hell do you run barefoot? I am very jealous of your hardened feet!! What do you think about those shoes with the toes? Do you think running barefoot on dirt/grass helps prevents shin splints? (I have a frustrating history with shin splints
You'll need to condition your feet for barefoot running first, though, unless you want to hurt yourself. Don't wear shoes in the house, go outside without shoes often, and slowly increase the amount of time you spend with no shoes on so your feet can build up muscles and ligaments that get weak due to the "support" modern shoes have. Walk on some rough surfaces a couple times a week and increase the distance/time until you can take it no problem. Just don't overdo it right off the bat.
Also, It's not so much running as much as how you run. If you land on your heel (most running shoes are designed for you to land on your heel) while running barefoot you are going to be in a world of hurt. Unlike the shoes, our bodies are not designed to land on our heels when we run, that is one of the reasons for the multitude of injuries that plague runners today. But If you land on only your forefoot when you run, you'll put too much strain on the muscles and ligaments. I did this and it took three weeks to recover to where walking wasn't painful. The best place to land is midfoot, basically flat footed, (I have a natural tendency to land somewhere between fore and midfoot when I run and have built up a tolerance for this) which for some people is very hard to do. With practice though, you can get it down so it comes naturally and you don't have to think about it.
I've got some of those funky toe shoes that I wear when it's a bit too cold for plain barefeet (I also wear toe socks to combat really cold temps and sweatyness), or when I'm going to be going inside buildings. Other than that, I go barefoot, and sometimes carry a pair of flipflops in a pocket just in case.
Anywho, if you're interested in learning to run barefoot or with minimalist shoes without hurting yourself, these are a couple good sites to visit:
http://birthdayshoes.com/
http://www.myfivefingers.com/
I've been going barefoot for about a year now and absolutely love it. Shoes are incredibly uncomfortable now and it's difficult for me to wear them when circumstances require it, but the tradeoff is that I don't have to grab a pair of shoes first before I go for a run and can enjoy hiking on a level that you don't quite appreciate (you'll understand if you try it and have a good experience) when you're wearing shoes or boots.
I was surprised at how focused he was while we ran. He didn't stop much for potty and smelling breaks and was pretty eager to sprint up steep hills. I pretty much followed his pace, which also surprised me because he was rather quick paced the whole time. I had anticipated walking a lot more, but if he seemed to have the energy to run really fast, then that is what we did.
@losech I currently have Nike Free's, which I love. They are really flexible and extremly lightweight, but I am still curious about them toe shoes, thanks for the advice! I might just have to get me some for running. I'm trying to take your advice and run more flatfooted/midfoot...we'll see how that helps my shin splints
The barefoot thing, i've found, has been in the back of my mind. Who knows, maybe a year from now i'll be running barefoot!
One of my dogs (Juneau) thinks she's the Iditarod champion and has to beat everyone else to the finish, and she is very hard to jog with when you just want to go at a nice pace. But if you need to get somewhere fast... Just hook her up to your belt and let her do all the work!
Conker is starting to like jogging, but his pace varies so widely on the same surface it's difficult to get into a rhythm with him. He does best on hiking trails.
Then there's Sasha. She matches my pace perfectly, but will only go for about a half mile before she calls it quits and wants to walk the rest of the way. Plus, she has no manners and doesn't tell me when she wants to stop (the other two give signs, like looking back at me) and will just come to a halt. It's like being tied to a boulder when she does that, and I've ended up on my back more than a few times.