megan_ Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I personally think it is fine RS but I have small dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Not much pavement here - generally grass or forest tracks which vary from well maintained tracks or dirt (slippery clay in Winter!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I personally think it is fine RS but I have small dogs. Or alternatively I could take the MS for a jog, wonder if she'd keep up? Probably better than the Labs!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dotdashdot Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Cleo and I don't have a set routine. We used to do more free running on the beach, but now do more roadwork, and we're training for the ET so running with the bike too. As a dally, she's hard to wear out (read: just about impossible). Her favourite thing to do is free run on the beach, she runs up into the dunes and back down into the water. It's a 5k walk for me, she does at least double. The other day we did it on mostly on lead (other people/dogs around) but as we're working on "heeling" it was good practice. Our next favourite thing is to go down to the river, where there is a steep embankment and I let her off to run around on the little beachy area. She has started to do zoomies down there and venture deeper into the water - Im slowly introducing the river as a new exercise, not only teaching her to swim and exercise but to like water and have fun! Our boring days are walking a few k's to the Post office and back. Don't like this as neighbourhood dogs off leash approach us, attack us, bark at us etc, but is good for teaching her to ignore distractions and loose leash walking. When my bike isn't broken, we ride too. Her preferred pace is 16-19kmph but we have to go slower in the ET. That is a walk for her! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee lee Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I find the theory behind the onlead roadwork fascinating- I had no idea! Rs do you have anywhere aimilar that you can run on paths but let your dogs run somewhere softer Probably, but that would include running in the same area. I like to jog the 'burbs and take in the sights I like checking out all the local parks/grassed areas, they provide nice visual stimulation during the boring slog Taking into account my personal preference for footpaths, is twice a week for about 40 minutes excessive for a dog to get injuries? They are 6 years old if that means anything, with no known injuries (except one gets bowen every so often, she gets a bit sore apparently but no actual known injuries/problems if that makes sense? Oh and this is the one who appears fitter!) I take my 6 year old Goldie running with me up to 5 times a week. We run on footpaths until we reach the park & she is offlead. It's about 50/50 hard & soft surface. We've been doing it for years & she seems to have suffered no damage. She only needs to trot when onlead though, so it's probably lower impact on her than me! Now, while you are building up your own fitness, is a good time to start them- you can do it together. Personally I find it much more pleasurable running with my dog than on my own- I have to focus on her more than my own personal pain! :laugh: Now that I know about building up the hind legs, I will be doing some extra onlead walking work with Honey. Being a rescue retriever of unknown origin, I'm always keen to keep her fit & her joints & muscles strong to help prevent any possible future problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 We use a canine treadmill regularly with the dogs which I would guess has the same sort of benefits as road work. I also use a FitPaws peanut to build core and muscle stength with Wisdom most days. The training we do is also very intense and physical, drive work with tugging and ball games and bite work is obviously very physical and requires a high level of fitness (for both us and the dogs LOL). The dogs also free run and swim and when the weather is cooler I will take Wisdom on some trail walks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trisven13 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 (edited) I walk 5 times a week for at least an hour (5km plus) and take 2 dogs each time. We have a dog run that is set up with things for them to climb on/off/through for free play and they are exercised together. I have two young boys who tear around for lunatics in the run for hours and older dogs who would do nothing by preference BUT would happily walk for 2 hours plus on lead. I also try to move things around in the dog run quite often so that it changes the way they run, their path etc. I will confess that, other than the dog run, their exercise is mainly for my own conditioning and they benefit on the side :laugh: . I would like to be able to give them more free-running than they currently get but our fencing (other than our dog run) isn't suitable for scenthounds given that we live where there are lots of rabbits. Edited March 10, 2013 by Trisven13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brookestar Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 I walk my adult labradors on lead around the streets, for an hour each morning and another 45 minutes on average each evening. They get free run at the park once or twice a week. Physio's and chiropractors have both said excellent muscle conditions. I do not do this with puppies, as hard surfaces for long periods can damage the growing joints. I walk them for about 15 minutes twice a day and free run in the backyard, at least until 6-7 months of age. I then walk them for up to 30 minutes twice a day until about 15 months of age, when growth has generally stopped. I am also careful about how I run them until they are fully grown. I have found that free running does not tire them out, if anything it hypes them up. I also feel they don't use all the muscles well. Leash walks in different areas provide a lot of mental stimulation and that is what my dogs crave. They do obedience, agility and pet therapy work each week. Obedience is practised daily. I have had injuries begin to develop from too much free running and also found they were not getting the mental stimulation they required to tire them out, etc. Leash walks are also great for my own health and fitness. And with training they are pleasurable. I vary where we walk all the time, for all of our benefits. When it is hot I will often only do the walk in the morning and on really hot days at first light and if necessary for only 20-30 minutes. Just because it has cooled down in the evening does not mean it has cooled down enough for my liking. When it is still 30 degrees outside, even if the sun is down I'm not going to be walking my dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) My bulldog is a mix of bulldogs and has resulted in quite an athletic dog, probably quite similar to what original bullbaiting bulldogs were. We walk for about 90 minutes in the morning although we do quite a lot of stays and heel work with turns and pace changes that helps him keep his breathing going. We do an afternoon garden session, I'm trying to teach him zoomies so he gets a bit of running but mostly it's brain work with clicker training. He has really good muscle definition in his back and shoulders, tummy not so much. Edited March 12, 2013 by hankdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Interesting to hear about the road work. Six months ago I was doing a 12-15km run on pavement and a 11-14km run on trails each week myself (my dogs are useless running companions) plus weights and cycle class and the odd sprint session when I could convince myself to do it. I then tore a ligament in my foot, which I take it was a stress injury. There is no question in my mind that running on pavement for people at least is brutal. The trails are hard work and take concentration, but you develop amazing stability and become very light on your feet and the constant changes in terrain mean you seem to use more of your muscles. The pavement is like being beaten up. Different kind of pain. Seems my feet cop it much more intensely, and calves only stopped giving me trouble when I started trail running. I will be stepping up my run distances on the pavement very slowly this time. If I could run exclusively on trails I probably would. Way gentler on the body. Except that sooner or later you'll stack it. Dogs don't seem to stack it, though! Anyway, Kivi is not fast, but he's lean and toned under his big coat. In spring after a winter of hiking he is rock hard muscle, especially along his back. This time of year he is a bit softer. Our hikes are physically demanding. There are lots of steep, rocky trails and boulders around here. It's exciting enough of an environment that the dogs are in a hurry and tackle obstacles they normally couldn't be bothered with. Sometimes they shoot up the side of a boulder and I'm frantically trying to get to them before they fall down to haul them up the last little bit, but they don't usually need me. As long as Erik doesn't get it into his head to push Kivi off... Out of interest, one of the people I trail run with (when I'm not recovering from injury) runs with whippets. He takes one on trail runs when he can and the dog easily does 10km+ When he does road runs he takes his older whippet as well. She's 10, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I do onlead walks to and from the park, where I do some training and they get to run off lead (Kaos and Diesel. Zoe gets walked separately as she is dog aggro - she gets a lead walk and some training which includes chasing a ball off lead and body awareness exercises). Kaos also goes to agility training once a week, a trial once or twice a month and training every day which includes tugging, drive exercises, speed exercises, control exercises and body awareness exercises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 There is no question in my mind that running on pavement for people at least is brutal. Both of the physios I've seen have said to me that if I must run, please oh please don't do it on pavement. Brutal is a good word for it! I run with my dogs off-lead at either a sports complex (multiple ovals) or on the salt pans nearby. They seem to get the best of both worlds - part of the time they just jog along with me and get the benefits of that, then sometimes they'll get caught lagging and get some sprints in to catch up. On non-jogging days they chase a ball for 45-60 mins with breaks. All 3 of us are out of condition at the moment thanks to the heat making running unappealing, but they're starting to bulk up a bit now we've had some cooler days to get out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polecatty Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I like to mix it up with my whippet...bit of road work, bit of flirt pole, some springpole, tug, free running, hiking, biking, swimming. She's very fit. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polgara's Shadow Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Its interesting reading about your fitness programs and am very impressed with those that do organised dog sports! Vulcan is not a sports dog but I do keep him fit and trim. We don't have a program - he's just incorporated into our lives so does what we do. Given its been so hot over the past fortnight his main excercise has been swimming at the beach when we go down to cool off in the evening. But he's also been leash walking in State Parks, Kayaking about once a week (well I've been kayaking and he's been sitting on in the kayak or swimming next to me) along with a small amount of bike riding (with him on the walky-dog). In the winter its less in-water stuff and more leash walking, free running at the beach and bike riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty&biscuit Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 All very interesting to read...but freaked out about hearing how brutal road running is because 3 times a week I take rusty for a 9km road run, which I actually really enjoy, and there's a few steep hills too which really works my legs and is giving him more muscle in his hind legs. We are training for an ET and I also competitively compete in agility with both him and biscuit. I don't really have a program as such, we go to agility training classes 3 times a week and they get training here and there at home. Lots of free running and ball chasing mainly for biscuit, haven't been game enough to try him on the longer runs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 Corvus: Out of interest, one of the people I trail run with (when I'm not recovering from injury) runs with whippets. He takes one on trail runs when he can and the dog easily does 10km+ When he does road runs he takes his older whippet as well. She's 10, I believe. A fit Whippet would be able to maintain a brisk trot for hours. It's the sprinting that really knocks them up quickly - like a cheetah. I suppose humans aren't really built for bi-pedal endurance at higher paces. Most people can walk for hours without sustaining stress injury though. My road work pace for the younger dogs is a brisk walk for me and a working trot for the dogs. Darcy the poodle has no problem keeping up. The crumblies get more of a meander - I use it as my cooling down phase. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 (edited) No one could say these guys don't get enough excercise every morning :laugh: This is just a small part of what they get. Edited March 14, 2013 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 HW when you say roadwork do you mean on an actual paved surface? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee lee Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I have read of scientific studies that suggest that humans evolved in part because of our ability to run long distances. They believe our body shape & the "runner's high" is due to this. Maybe in some way our domestic relationship with dogs is tied into this too. I run only 6kms each time I run, as I aged I found I was not recovering so well from longer distances (& the dog wasn't either), so I now opt for shorter runs more often. Aiming for a long time rather than a PB time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 (edited) Corvus: Out of interest, one of the people I trail run with (when I'm not recovering from injury) runs with whippets. He takes one on trail runs when he can and the dog easily does 10km+ When he does road runs he takes his older whippet as well. She's 10, I believe. A fit Whippet would be able to maintain a brisk trot for hours. It's the sprinting that really knocks them up quickly - like a cheetah. I suppose humans aren't really built for bi-pedal endurance at higher paces. Most people can walk for hours without sustaining stress injury though. My road work pace for the younger dogs is a brisk walk for me and a working trot for the dogs. Darcy the poodle has no problem keeping up. The crumblies get more of a meander - I use it as my cooling down phase. :) I actually think humans are quite good at bi-pedal endurance. By being upright our ability to breath is not regulated by when our legs land giving us better ability to oxygenate and sustain exercise for long periods- its what made us good hunters. That said I am no prehistoric runner and my dogs are all far far fitter than me! (oops missed dee lees post :) ) Edited March 15, 2013 by Jumabaar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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