How to run with your dog — here’s what you need to know
So you want to start running with your dog, but you’re not sure where to start? Although it might sound like a great way to keep you and your four-legged friend fit, there are a few things to consider before lacing up your running shoes and heading out. Sure, your dog might bomb around the park, but if he’s not used to running on lead next to you, it’s important to consider how you’ll run together first.
To find out more, we spoke to Ian Scarrott, Running coach and personal trainer at PureGym (opens in new tab), and Emma Lee, Nutrition Expert at Burns Pet Nutrition (opens in new tab). Below, we’ve rounded up some top safety tips to
read before heading out for a run with your dog.
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- Consider your dog’s breed
Despite what you might see at the dog park, not every dog is suited to sports. Lee advises that “caution must be taken with brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds. These dogs often have problems with breathing and will struggle in the hotter weather as they are not able to cool down effectively. Being able to lose heat is also going to be an issue for some of the double-coated or heavier-coated breeds such as Siberian Huskies.
Also, some dogs, such as greyhounds, are sprinters, but aren't able to cope with long distances, other breeds that are very prone to orthopedic issues should also be treated with caution. Dachshunds for example are genetically prone to IVDD (disc disease) and a lot of larger breeds may be more predisposed to conditions such as hip dysplasia.
It goes without saying, it's a good idea to check with your vet before starting to run with your dog. It is not recommended to run with puppies, or dogs under the age of one, as they are still growing.
If you’re thinking about adding a pet to your family, according to the American Kennel Club, the best dog breeds to run with are Weimaraner, Dalmatian, Visla, German shorthaired pointer, Rhodesian ridgeback and English springer spaniel.
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- Think about both of your fitness levels
Not many people would jump straight in from 0 to 10K, so don’t expect your pet to do so either. If you do plan on recruiting your pet as a new running partner, you’ll need to build up their distance gradually. You’ll also need to think about the terrain, says Lee, “running is a high-impact sport so take care when running on firm ground. Also, be careful on uneven terrain. Dogs will be susceptible to similar types of skeletal and muscle injury that we are!”
Make sure you watch for signs of pain or discomfort in your dog, and ensure he or she has time to warm up and cool down before and after the run.
If you’re just starting out on your running journey and are finding your dog is actually the fitter one on the run, running coach Ian Scarrott suggests adding games into the run to keep your pet busy, but give yourself a breather. “For example, you could run to a park together and get some rest for yourself while keeping them active by playing a game of fetch” Scarrott advises.
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- Grab the right gear
Just like you might grab one of the best running phone holders, a pair of the best running sunglasses, or one of the best running watches before heading out the door, you’ll need to invest in the right kit for your pet to run comfortably too.
If you’re planning on running with your dog on a lead, a lot of experts recommend running with your dog on a harness rather than a collar, as the harness distributes pressure more evenly around the body, rather than on the dog’s neck. That said, you should do what is best for you and your dog, but ensure the harness or collar fits correctly and doesn’t restrict their breathing or cause them any discomfort. You want running together to be fun for your dog.
Scarrott advises running hands-free if you are running with your dog on a lead, “you may want to try hands-free running where you are connected by a secure waistbelt which means you are free to concentrate on the route, it also means your hands are free if you should take a tumble. It can help to avoid being pulled around uncomfortably, especially at
speed”.
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(Image credit: Getty/Dougal Waters) 4. Fuel like a pro
Just like you might plan your meals around your run, you should do the same for your dog. Lee recommends feeding your dog “at least one hour before exercise, and ideally earlier than that to give them enough time to digest the food. We would recommend feeding two hours before and not feeding for two hours after. If you try to feed your dog too much, or too close to active exercise this can lead to the risk of issues such as bloating”.
It’s also a good idea to pack a collapsible water bowl or a dog-friendly drinking bottle for your dog when running together. “Hydration is important, particularly in warmer weather. A loss of just 7% of your dog’s body water can lead to severe dehydration and a 15% loss can be fatal. It is important to remember not to let them drink too much in one go however, make sure they rehydrate steadily rather than drinking too much, too fast”, says Lee.
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- Use it as a training opportunity
As well as being a way to keep fit, running together is a great way to bond with your pet, and work on their training. “It may be helpful in them learning new voice commands, meaning you are more in sync not only when running but also in everyday life”, Scarrott says.
- Enjoy!
“Taking part in a sport with your dog can be beneficial for both you and your furry family member and should be encouraged more often. It helps to increase and maintain fitness and physical and mental health and can also strengthen your bond”, Lee adds.
Running with your pet can increase your motivation to head out the door, improve your bond, and keep you both fit, but more than anything else, you should both enjoy it, so be sure to take things slowly, and keep things fun.
Looking for more running guides and advice? Here have walk you through how to hide your address details on Strava, and answer 'can running give you abs?' and 'is running on a treadmill better than running outside?'. We've also found the best running apps to download, and the best Nike running shoes to invest in.
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Pete the Vet: Here's how to help your pets deal with anxiety
Anxiety is a serious problem in the pet world, made worse because we humans are not very good at recognising and dealing with anxious animals. All too often, we react to the behavioural consequences of anxiety (such as aggression, running away, or barking) as if these are the main problem. If instead, we recognised anxiety as the root cause of many of these problem behaviours, we would be far more likely to have well behaved, calmer, pets.
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Definitions are helpful when trying to understand a topic. Anxiety is a feeling of fear or distress which occurs as a normal response to a dangerous or stressful situation, or an abnormal response to a “normal” situation.
Signs of anxiety in humans include trembling, sweating, rapid pulse rate, dry mouth and nausea. We humans know these feelings well. Cats and dogs suffer from anxiety too and they suffer the same physical sensations.
Think about a cat being squashed into a cat carrier, loaded into a car and driven to the vet: they will suffer all of those physical signs, often vocalised in the form of an unhappy miaow. Or consider a cat that starts to urinate inside the house because they are anxious about being attacked by a neighbouring tomcat when they go to the toilet outside. If you see a cat like this outside, they will be tense, shivering, and jumpy: classic signs of anxiety.
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Or think about a dog that has spent the past two years with their owner continually beside them during COVID lockdowns. Now that the owner is going to work, the dog is left on their own, and they are not used to this solitude: anxiety is a natural response, and again, the physical signs are the same as those felt by an anxious human. If you watch a dog on a webcam in this situation, you will see pacing, restlessness, panting, and other obvious signs of distress. Fireworks and thunderstorms also cause many pets to feel anxious. Another example would be a dog that has previously been attacked by another dog in the park: they will tremble, put their tail between their legs, and stay close beside their owner if any other dog comes close to them.
The main lesson here is that anxious pets look anxious when you observe them: the body language of anxiety is universal, crossing species barriers.
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There are two important issues to discuss with anxiety in pets: first, how to deal with it when it happens, and second, importantly, how to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Treatment of anxiety starts with removing the source of anxiety.
Even if the stimulus for anxiety is, in itself, non-threatening (such as a dog being left on their own), avoiding anxiety-creating situations is the easiest way to prevent anxiety.
The next stage is to try to help the pet learn to not be anxious in these situations. This needs the help of a behaviourist and a vet. The general idea is known as “desensitisation and counterconditioning”, jargon that sounds complicated, but is simple when explained.
“Desensitisation” means getting the pet familiar with the anxiety-creating situation by exposing them to very small doses of it (e.g. leaving a pet alone for just a few minutes at first, gradually extending the time on their own by longer as long as they stay calm).
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“Counterconditioning” means rewarding the animal with positive experiences when they stay calm and relaxed instead of getting anxious (e.g. giving a dog treats and playing games with them when they stay relaxed after being left on their own).
The general idea is that pets can be taught not to feel anxious over time.
There are many cases where the anxiety is so intense that animals feel too panicky to even begin the process of desensitisation. That’s when anti-anxiety medication is useful. A number of licensed products are now available from vets for anxious pets, including tablets (the equivalent of 'Prozac' for pets), and pheromones (plug-in vaporisers that help pets to feel calm). These extra tools are used to keep pets calm enough that they can learn to cope with anxiety-creating situations: once they have been desensitised using these artificial crutches, they are then better able to cope on their own, gradually being weaned off the products.
Treatment of anxiety can be challenging, time-consuming and expensive. So it makes far more sense to prevent anxiety in pets from developing in the first place. And this is surprisingly easy to do when you know-how.
The key is to recognise that dogs and cats have a “sensitive socialisation period” when they are able to learn to accept new experiences without fear. This lasts from three – nine weeks in kittens, and three – 14 weeks in dogs. Animal breeders should be aware that they need to give young pets positive experiences of a range of situations during this time frame: from meeting a wide range of people (eg babies, men with beards, women wearing hats) and animals (huge dogs, tiny dogs, etc), to hearing a range of different noises (eg soundtracks of fireworks and storms), to being exposed to different situations (eg travelling in a car, spending time in a carrier, etc). Better socialisation at a young age correlates well with older animals being less anxious. This is one of the main reasons why pups from puppy farms are often more nervous adult animals: they are commonly poorly socialised when young.
Anxiety is an unpleasant emotion for pets just as much for people: do your best to prevent it, and make sure that if your pet does feel anxious, you take the right steps to help them
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