running with shiba
anyone have tips running with their shibas?
I have taken mine on a couple 2 mile runs, and he gets really ADD.
He'll run for a bit, then slow down to a quick walk while staring at people across the street or behind us, and I'll have to pull him along till he starts running and then it starts all over.
He is 8 months, I run slow, and the weather is around 50-60
Does he just need some conditioning?
anyway, here he is...I feel he is a little short compared to most shibas
I have taken mine on a couple 2 mile runs, and he gets really ADD.
He'll run for a bit, then slow down to a quick walk while staring at people across the street or behind us, and I'll have to pull him along till he starts running and then it starts all over.
He is 8 months, I run slow, and the weather is around 50-60
Does he just need some conditioning?
anyway, here he is...I feel he is a little short compared to most shibas
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A friend of mine is conditioning her elkhound to run by lunging with it on a 30 ft lead (like one would with a horse).
I've tried starting to jog with my female shiba, she'll be 2 in June, and still very much a puppy. She gets far to distracted after like half a block, looking to sniff, chase a leaf, greet people, etc.
whole-dog-journal.com
Isn't 8 months a little young to be running with a dog? Aren't the growth plates still not quite closed yet? The advice I've been given on agility and other high(er) impact exercise is to wait until 1 year minimum, but probably more like 1.5 years. I'd assume that applies to running too right?
i was thinking 8 months may be too young,
but he runs around the house and yard like a madman when he wants to play so I figured he was craving some good running time
the hard part is how he gets so distracted by things, especially people even when they are across the street
he is still young so hopefully that's it, or maybe it isn't in his nature to be a running buddy
we'll just walk around for now, that's fun too
Just as a word of caution, make sure you train the dog as you would a human. My mother and I are both runners and growing up, we used to go out with our Aussie Shepard mix for runs 3-4x per week. Unfortunatly we didn't ease her into it as much as we should have and also probably started running her too early (maybe around 9-10months) and she ended up having leg issues later on in life. She's still a healthy dog (for a 13 yr old!) but we had to completely put a stop to running with her when she was 7ish due to the issues she had.
Also, I've found it easier to do things like running (not that I've run very often - I'm a horrible runner) and other fast things with dogs (scooters, bikes, rollerblades) that having them pulling ahead in a harness is easier than getting them to go beside me with a collar. It puts their pulling to good use, and they have to keep up a reasonable pace, because if they stop, I'll bump into them (gently, just enough to remind them that we have to get a move on). Running with a harnessed dog attached to your waist is called cani-cross. It's convenient because your hands are free, you aren't shaking the leash around as your arms move, and there's no worry about dropping it.
btw - 2 miles of running? Holy freaking crap... I just joined the rugby team and even just running laps around the field nearly kills me. Running two miles would do me in for sure. Like I said, I'm a horrible runner.