We live in Paradise where we can jog or take a run almost every day. We often bring our dogs with us.
Prior to starting your pal on an exercise program with you be sure your dog is healthy enough to run. An exam at your veterinarian is a great place to start.
Just like us, start out slow and work into a longer run.
Be sure your dog does well on a leash. It is best if the leash is attached to a harness and not a collar. This will protect your dog’s neck from the pulling of a collar.
Also, be sure your dog has a friendly demeanor toward other people and other dogs. You will often encounter other runners and individuals just taking leisurely walks.
Some of these people will also have a dog on a leash or off the leash, and you do not want your dog to start a dog fight or be aggressive toward people.
Water and Stretching
On your run bring water for yourself and your dog. Your pal will also need a water bowl.
There are many types of dog water bottles and portable pet water dispensers that are leak-proof with a drinking cup/bowl attached for outdoor walking, hiking and travel sold on Amazon.
Ask your veterinarian, Atlas Rehabilitation for Canines in Santa Barbara, or your dog trainer how to stretch your dog’s legs prior to a run just like you stretch before your runs.
You wear running shoes with great padding, comfort and support but your dog is running barefoot. Running in the sand on the beach or on grass in a field or even on soft dirt is fine for your dog.
Its foot pads will be its shoes but not so much on asphalt, cement or gravel. Your pal’s paws may get sore or even get abrasions. Its legs may also get sore.
Check your dog’s paw pads and legs after a run for lacerations, swelling, inflammation and/or pain.
Sweating, Panting and Temperature
How long is your dog’s coat? Even here in Paradise we get hot days. Would you run a long distance on a hot day in a fur coat? So please be aware of your dog’s heat exposure.
Your dog primarily controls its heat exposure by panting along with sweat glands in its paws. Sweat plays a very small role in cooling down your dog.
These sweat glands in its paws get going, like our sweat glands, when your dog gets too hot to cool down. That is why you may notice damp paw prints on the ground on a hot day.
Most dogs are covered with fur. So if sweat glands were located on their bodies, the sweat would not evaporate.
Cooling takes place when sweat evaporates. That is why it is more effective for dogs to have sweat glands in their paws, where there is little fur.
Panting controls most of their temperature regulation. Moisture from your dog’s tongue, nasal passages and the lining of its lungs evaporates and cools down your dog as air from panting passes over these moist tissues.
Your pal’s blood vessels, primarily in its ears and face, also expand to help cool him down.
When blood vessels expand (vasodilate), they bring the blood closer to the skin’s surface, which lets it cool down before returning to the heart.
This helps regulate your dog’s internal temperature. His normal body temperature is between 101 and 102 degrees (a bit higher than ours).
If you have a short-nosed (brachycephalic) dog — such as a French bulldog, boxer, American bulldog, pug or Mastiff — running may be be very hard and even dangerous.
Their respiratory systems are affected by their short-nosed features. Their shorter muzzles and flatter faces make them more heat-sensitive.
Their airways may be less efficient at moving air in and out of the lungs, making the dog more vulnerable to overheating.
Some dogs may not be built to accompany you on a run. They may be better off with a leisurely walk with you.
Your veterinarian can help you make the decision whether your pal is a candidate to accompany you on your runs.