Jogging with your dog

Are you thinking about taking your dog jogging? Jogging can be excellent exercise for your canine companion but it’s fraught with a lot of the same potential complicating factors as for human joggers. Just as it is for you, a physical exam is advisable before ‘Max’ hits the road with you, especially if he is more than about five years old. Get him in to see your veterinarian. You may even want to have a complete blood workup done to look for any underlying health problems before you start taxing his system. And, if he is anything more than his ideal weight, you should start out very slowly with small incremental increases and ease him into his training routine slowly. If he is more than just mildly overweight, jogging is a horrible idea. It will likely cause pain and discomfort and maybe even some serious joint damage, which may require surgical repair. For obese dogs, weight loss needs to be addressed with diet first, NOT exercise. Here are some other tips for making your workout time together safer and more enjoyable.

Think about a hands-free jogging leash. If you have a well-behaved canine jogging partner it can allow you to run with an arm motion that feels more natural. If your dog is not quite that accommodating, then use a good solid normal 6-foot leash until she has learned to coordinate her routine with yours. Do NOT allow your dog to run untethered. It’s dangerous and, outside of the dog park, it’s illegal.

Remember that, just like you, your dog’s joints will better tolerate running on turf or cross-country-type surfaces rather than on pavement. How about a run through the park? 

Dogs are natural runners and can seemingly run forever but keep in mind that running a marathon is not a normal activity for a person let alone for a dog. Just because you are up to the challenge of a marathon does not mean that it is a healthy pursuit for your dog. Let him train on the shorter stints, but don’t push excessively. Remember he has no common sense, so you have to exercise yours for him.

Don’t take her out on a full stomach. Save the feeding for after the workout and after the post-workout cool-down period. Feeding just prior to running is no better for your dog than it is for you. Some experts feel that a large meal prior to vigorous exercise can be a significant contributing factor to development of a twisted stomach, especially in large and giant breed dogs.

Avoid beating her feet to death. She loves to run with you, but she may do so to the point of ignoring potentially serious damage to her pads from prolonged running on pavement. Stop periodically to check her feet. Cracks, cuts, scuffs, and abrasions are a warning sign to stop and take a few days off. Remember that once the pads are compromised they are likely to never regain their original strength and durability.

If the temperature is above 80 degrees and/or the humidity is excessively high, show a little mercy. The higher the humidity, the more difficult it is for a dog to cool himself adequately. Shorten or even skip the workout for the day. Your dog has no sense of when to quit and he’ll likely run with you until he drops. Heat exhaustion can occur without any warning and can advance to heat stroke, a much more serious condition, which is often fatal even with medical intervention. Most owners don’t have a clue there is a problem until the pet collapses. I have even treated professional working dogs that have collapsed while working with their handlers. It’s just not worth the risk.

If you are an experienced runner or if you like to push yourself, give your buddy a break and do a reasonable length lap with him, then drop him off at home. You can then head out without him for the longer portion of your run. This is an excellent way to accommodate the older dog or the dog that is just starting out. It’s your decision to abuse your own body, but pet ownership entails a moral responsibility to you to do what is in his best interest. And no matter how much he may love to run with you, it’s not good for him to overdo.

Obese animals should lose weight beforethey embark on an exercise program. Running will absolutely devastate the musculoskeletal system of an obese animal. Hips, shoulders, feet and all of the associated joints take a pounding in an overweight animal – not to mention the sudden cardiovascular demands of an exercise program. My suggestion is that your dog should be no more than about 10 to 15% overweight when initiating a jogging regimen. If your dog is too heavy, the answer is a reduction in calories fedfor as long as it takes to reach an acceptable weight, THEN gradually ease into the exercise program. Don’t be in a hurry. A blown cruciate ligament will take him out of action indefinitely, and when one cruciate goes, often the other one will not be far behind.

And finally, if you’re a biker I know it’s really tempting to take your dog along when you go bicycling and let him run along on his leash. You see people doing it all the time, but you seldom see the potentially catastrophic results. It’s really dangerous for both of you. A tragedy can develop in a split second and happen far too quickly for you to avoid it. I have had more than one dog come in in serious condition from being inadvertently injured by its own owner running into or over her. Allowing her to run along side you without her leash is potentially just as dangerous or even more so. Think ahead about the consequences before it’s too late.