6 Steps for Running with your Dog

I am a runner.

Well, I am in my sixth week of running. Sometimes it feels like a faster shuffle. But I am out there at least three times a week, doing what my iPhone app tells me. Who is at my side, every time? Arrow, our Belgian Malinois.

Since we run along the sidewalks and paths in town, Arrow is on a 4′ leash. Why a 4′ leash instead of a 6′ leash? It’s shorter. I don’t want the extra leash during runs. I need him to stay at my side, and move at my pace. Which is slow for him. For him, our pace is a fast walk. He can run so much faster. But this isn’t the time for that. This is the time for him to be at my side and at my pace. He has to ignore everything we pass – the people, the cars, the other dogs, the (gasp!) squirrels.

Arrow is also on a prong collar. Arrow has worn many collars – his remote training collar, flat collar, martingale collar, slip collar, agitation collar. He wears his prong collar on runs because it is lightweight, and I have power steering with him. With just a slight movement, I can communicate to him where he should go, so he does not get in front of me and trip us.

We also have poo bags, which we usually don’t need, but always have available, just in case.

Our runs are anywhere from 25-35 minutes long. For Arrow, this is a nice warm up. He may nap when we return home, but it does not wear him out.

Here are six steps for running with your dog:

1. Equipment. Have the proper equipment for your dog and for yourself. For Arrow, proper equipment is prong collar, 4′ leash, and extra poo bags.

2. Fitness level. Start slow and easy, don’t overdo it. When we first started, we would walk around the neighborhood. Now we use the “Ease into 5K” app.

3. Time of day. We run in the morning when it is cooler. We are in Florida. It is the end of June. It isn’t “cool,” but it is “cooler” in the morning than it is later in the day.

4. Surface. Sometimes Arrow runs in the grass, sometimes he is on the sidewalk. Because we run in the morning, the sidewalk has not soaked up the heat from the day. If you are running in the afternoon or evening, be sure the surface is not too hot for your dog’s feet.

5. Hydrate. Since our runs are short, and close to our house, we hydrate when we return home. As our runs get longer, and further from home, we will bring water with us.

6. Have fun! This is a time for you to bond with your dog, spend time together, and get away from the stress of your daily life. You can invite your friends along – even if they don’t have a dog of their own.