A long run does strange things to my training partner. Maybe it’s the mindless chatter or the repetitive nature of the exercise, but every now and then she gets very bored. She’ll suddenly swerve off the trail and plunge into the undergrowth; she’ll leap into muddy ponds or go belting across fields after sheep. When she’s really fed up, she jumps about in front of me with a stick in her mouth …
You guessed it – my training partner is a dog. For the past 15 years, my regular running buddy has had four legs and more stamina than you can, ahem, shake a stick at. First up was Winnie, a beautiful chocolate brown pointer. Sadly she died last summer, so I’m currently breaking in my new canine companion – Minty the dalmatian. Dalmatians were bred to run next to the wheels of carriages, so she hasn’t really needed any training. When I start to run she simply trots happily beside me, her nose never more than a few inches from my heels. It’s a wonderful feeling.
Dos and don’ts when running with dogs
• Choosing a breed that can actually run is probably the most important thing you can do. You’ll never see anyone out training with a pug or a lapdog. So if you are determined to be a dog runner, select your hound accordingly.
• Be careful with younger dogs. The repetitive nature of running can damage their joints. I waited until Minty was more than a year old before starting to run with her. Speak to your vet if you need advice, as you don’t want to create problems in their later life.
• Make sure your dog is fit. You wouldn’t expect an unfit friend to happily join you on a 10-mile run, and it is the same with dogs. They need to be healthy to enjoy their running, so start gently and build them up.
• Clean up. Be sure to carry poop-a-scoop bags with you and follow the usual courtesies of exercising dogs. Remember, not everyone loves your dog as much as you do, and having a muddy beast leaping all over them may not be their idea of fun.
• If it’s hot, carry water for both of you. I’ve run in all weathers, and the only conditions dogs seem to struggle in is the heat. They don’t sweat, so can’t throw off the heat like we can.
• Train them as a running partner. Teach them that this isn’t only playtime. Start by keeping them on the lead, and they will soon get the hang of it.
Other than that, running with dogs is beautifully simple. They want to go wherever you want to go. It’s never a chore, and their delight and exuberance in being out, striding down paths or running flat out across fields, always lifts your spirits. When I go to the back door, the dog watches carefully to see which shoes I put on. If it’s wellies, she knows it’s just a walk. But if it’s trainers … that means it’s a run, and she bounces and barks and goes crazy. How many running partners do that?
Another bonus is that as a running partner, they never take no for an answer. Those mournful eyes have guilted me into running dozens of times when I wouldn’t otherwise have bothered. And a cold snout shoved into your sleeping face on a Sunday morning soon gets you out of bed.
Finally, a downside: it can be deflating when you are bent double, gasping for air, and your dog is standing looking at you, wondering what all the fuss is about. But it does inspire you to do better …
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