Believe it or not our pets are prone to the same ailments we
are. They can suffer from Type II diabetes, bone and joint problems, heart disease,
high blood pressure, difficulty breathing, arthritis, and the list goes on and
on. Just like in humans, these ailments
are associated with our pets carrying excess weight. Of course this weight can be managed by their
diet, but getting enough exercise is key!
Dogs are naturally physical creatures so of course they love
to run. Our Labradors literally do back flips when they think they are going
out for a run or a w-a-l-k ( as we have to spell it in our house). They don’t even wait until we pick up the
leash. As soon as they see us putting on
our running shoes, they go bananas! They
are doubly disappointed on the days they get left at home.
Only you can decide if your dog is a good running companion,
but just for fun here is a list of top running dogs ( according to Runner’s
World Magazine)
If your dog didn’t make the list, don’t worry. Check out Runner's World Running Dog List for the complete list. He
or she may fall into a different category.
Weather you run with your dog for protection ( no one should
run alone), or you run with him as a companion ( because it’s nice to have a
buddy), or you’re hoping to get him into shape too ( your dog will thank you
for this), you still want to be mindful of the conditions.
1.
If you need to hydrate yourself during your run,
don’t forget about Rover, he could use a drink too. I found these great water bottles at PetSmart
for under $10. You can drink from the spout and then your dog drinks from the
container that flips out.
2.
Be cautious of the surface you are running
on. When it’s really hot outside, keep
your dog off of the blacktop or other paved surfaces. Also longer runs on
trails that have bits of gravel on it often irritate paws.
3.
Be mindful of your pets’ physical condition in
general. If you have a dog with lots of
hair, they may make great running partners in cooler weather, but not so much
in the heat. Also dogs that are overweight have a harder time regulating their
body temperature therefore making it miserable for them to go out on a run or
walk on a warm day. Take these dogs out after the sun goes down.
4.
That brings us to the great give away we wanted
to mention! If you are walking your dog
after the sun goes down, you’ll want to get your dog a Dog-E-Glow LED collar.
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Photos from Dog-E-Glow |
Our friends at Wellbella are giving away
10 Dog –E-Glow LED collars. Here’s what
you have to do to enter:
“Like” them on their Wellbella facebook page.
Send
them a picture ( of your pet) at Giveaway@WellBella.com ( write “Dog-E-Glow
in the subject line and include your name and address in the e-mail)
Good Luck!
Let us know if you run or walk with your dog.
Tell us what kind you have and how they react!
I rescued a beagle/border collie mix earlier this year. She is between 1 and 2 years old and full of energy. We've done a couple of shorter runs (5k-ish) so far. I can't wait until my fitness level catches up to hers and we can do longer runs!
ReplyDeleteI run with my dog..He's a 10 yr old English Springer. On regular days we run 2 miles..sometimes on the weekends we may go a bit longer..thats when I bring water for him. He absolutely loves to run :)
ReplyDeleteAhh, Glad to see your 10 year old dog runs 2 miles!!! Wow!
ReplyDelete