Running With The Dog

This morning, when you woke up, you saw that the sun was shining outside and a light breeze was running. The ideal climatic conditions to go out and run for a while! But you don’t want to go alone. You turn around and look at your dog; he immediately pricks up his ears and tilts his head, as if wondering what you are thinking. “Lets go run!” you tell him, while he gets excited, already anticipating the moment of exit. And it is precisely at this point that you remember that, every time you went for a run with your four-legged friend, the result was disastrous.

Making sure that your dog, when you go for a run, stays close to you, keeps up with you and doesn’t get distracted with other things is a far from simple task. Indeed, now that you think about it, you can think of all the times you have had to stop and go back to retrieve your pet, lying blissfully on the ground or busy sniffing other dogs.

Don’t throw in the towel. Do not abandon the idea of ​​being able to go for a run with your dog: below we will give you some good advice to make this moment in the open air a pleasant experience.

If you want to go for a run with your dog, you will have to …

• Have your dog stand at your feet. This may be the hardest part, but it’s really all about getting the dog to stay close to your feet, even sitting down if that’s the case, while you both look in the same direction. It is important that you use the leash in this step, in order to have more control over your furry friend.

• Bring a bag of snacks with you to use as a reward. You will need these to reward all your friend’s progress, however small they are. Be careful, however, not to gorge it: rather break a snack into several portions, in this way you can reward it several times.
• Use his name. You can test his obedience when you go for a run like this: say his name and establish visual contact with him; then, take a couple of steps forward and if your dog follows you, reward him: you are on the right track.
• Repeat the previous step several times, until your dog is accustomed to following you, rewarding him every time he comes after you.
• Progressively increase the number of steps you take in each repetition : you will soon be able to follow each other for long stretches and, at that point, you will be ready to run together.

• Rest and let it rest. It is, after all, a training, and it is normal for your dog to get tired. If you notice him fatigued, stop and rest for a while. When you have recovered, attract his attention again and resume with the exercise.
• Do this training session at least twice a day. Do not fool yourself that you can go for a run with your dog after the first session: you will have to repeat this exercise every day, several times a day, if you want your furry friend to truly learn.

Before going for a run

Before embarking on a sporting activity like this with your pet, you must make sure you can do it in the best conditions. Therefore, there are a number of aspects that must be taken into account, before starting to run with your dog, and the first of all is his state of health.

• Health. Before you decide to take your dog for a run with you, take him to the vet for a complete check-up, in order to have a complete picture of his health and physical stamina. In some cases, dogs can suffer from heart murmur or, more simply, they can’t handle physical exertion like running. It is therefore evident that a visit to the vet is a must, and must be done before anything else.

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• Socialization. You will have to make sure that your dog is able to socialize correctly: one thing is running with your dog and another, quite different, is having to run after your dog, because he constantly fights with other dogs. You need to make sure your dog obeys you and stays by your side no matter what happens.

• Suitable climate. If it’s too hot, your dog will pant excessively, and may even suffer from heat stroke. The best times to go for a run with your pet are when the temperature is cooler, such as early in the morning or in the evening. And above all, don’t forget to bring plenty of water with you, not only for you but for your friend as well.

These tips will help you educate your dog to be obedient and to stay by your side, without getting distracted, when he accompanies you for a run. Because, after all, your dog is much more than just a pet or a housemate: he is your friend and friends are always willing to accompany you in the activities you like the most. We are sure that, if you are willing to educate him, he too will show himself equally willing to learn, in order to accompany you wherever you go.