I have re-started running recently, and I love bringing my dog with me. We have been going for about three weeks, and the first 2.5 weeks, he did fine. However, our last two times, he has had trouble keeping up and has stopped a couple of times. He is a sixty five pound dog who is 8 years old and has a medium-length fur. Not sure of breed . . . maybe German shepherd mix or English shepherd? (here he is, nonplussed, after being interrupted from writing a very important email). We run three miles every day and we are SLOW (some people probably walk faster than we jog).
Here are my theories as to why he is starting to lag behind
He really started to have a problem with lagging behind when we moved from a wooded trail to city streets, so maybe he doesn’t like the environment?
We live in GA and it is heating up (although the high today was 55 degrees) and he is more of a cold-weather dog, so he gets too hot to run
He doesn’t like the hills of the city streets (although he lags behind on downhill as well)
He has never been a particularly athletic dog, but I don’t think three miles is too much to ask of any dog (although if it is please let me know). Nor am I running any faster, according to my pedometer. My bf has said that the dog had trouble keeping up with him when he was running ever since the dog was a puppy, but my bf runs a lot faster than I do. I don’t think he is dehydrated, because when we get home he does not make a beeline for his water bowl, and he usually does do that when he is thirsty.
Any thoughts on how I could encourage my dog to keep up, or how I could get my dog in better shape? Or should I just throw in the towel on the running-with-my-dog project?
I think you’re expecting too much too soon. If he’s just started running, he’s out of shape and needs time to get in shape. When he stops, you should stop too. Give him a little time to rest and then walk for a bit.
Eight is starting to get up there for a larger breed of dog. So schedule shorter runs to take with him then run some more by yourself if needed. The city streets may be a little rough for his paws. They make running shoes for dogs. Try a pair of them to see if they help. And running in the morning or evenings to beat the heat.
Is he running on concrete? Check his pads and toesnails. He may need to get his nails clipped short so that they don’t touch the ground and make a clicking sound. The concrete can tear up the skin on his pads. You can buy thin shoes for him or maybe something like Musher’s Secret to toughen up the skin.
And then, you know, eight is pretty old in dog years, especially for the big guys. If he does have shepherd in him, he might be experiencing hip pain.
Aside from that, I agree that 3 miles is too much for a beginner, especially if he’s also a senior. Take it slow and keep an eye on his feet.
Right after I posted this thread, I did notice that he has a tiny abrasion on one paw. I think I will leave him at home (and take him on short daily walks instead) until that heals. After that I will see what I can do to toughen up his paws. I don’t think he will tolerate shoes (he is actually really fussy with his feet, he doesn’t like anyone even touching them and I know he will hate shoes. He doesn’t like wearing anything at all).
Man, hearing that he is old is tough. I knew intellectually that he was about 56 years old, but. . . he’s always been so healthy . . . le sigh.
On the order of “not necessarily age-related,” he looks like he might have some water dog in the mix, which means, running might not have ever been his strong suit… you might be able to get him into shape better by playing frisbee with him, as it’ll involve shorter sprints on grass rather than pavement.
Would a water dog like water? Because, apart from drinking, he absolutely hates water. He will even sidestep puddles carefully to ensure his feet don’t get wet (like I said, he is very finicky about his paws).
I have tried playing fetch with him in the past. He will chase after and pick up and object, but he is not like the labs I see in the dog park, who are pestering their owners to throw the ball nonstop and who just love to play fetch. However, I have never tried frisbee. I will give that a try tomorrow and see if he likes it.
Is he overweight? My gf runs with our three dogs. They do fine, but one of them tends to go from her ideal weight of 72 pounds up to 80 pounds in the winter. She has exercise intolerance with that small amount of added weight.
Not much to add that hasn’t already been said, but just keep in mind that 3 miles is a lot longer for a dog than for a human with longer legs, so putting “senior dog” together with “newbie runner” probably means he’s feeling a bit stiff and sore by now, especially if you haven’t allowed one or two days of rest in between runs. He may be dealing with the whole “weekend warrior” thing; he has overdone it, and now is paying for it. He’ll need some recovery time.
