Please share your dog running expertise!

I've kicked a few stupid mutts as they chased after me.

2 things for y'all today on this fine Super Bowl Sunday:

- I hope everybody on here feels that it was worth it to force their dog to run 50mpw with them when it gets hip displacia and can no longer walk by the age of 8, as mine did.

- Where does everybody live that you have all this weather under 70 degrees a lot? Down here in the armpit of America , my dogs are adapted and can handle the heat considering the lows during the summer are typically in the 80s or high 70s.

SETX- armpit of America wrote:

- Where does everybody live that you have all this weather under 70 degrees a lot? Down here in the armpit of America , my dogs are adapted and can handle the heat considering the lows during the summer are typically in the 80s or high 70s.

I moved to Portland for a reason. But even other places can be fine if you run with them in the morning or evening.

Can I ask why you’re looking for a smaller breed? As in, do you travel a lot, worry about your floors, etc.? Also, will this be your first dog? And is your son planning on staying home after HS or has he thought about what it takes to have a dog living on his own?

I ask because while I always recommend a shelter dog except for folks who have never had a dog, period, and I’ve seen how badly a well-meant adoption can go (for the dog, mostly) if the new owners don’t know how to handle a dog with “emotional baggage.” Any vet will tell you hounds and cattle dogs are great for runners, for example, but aren’t necessarily good first-dog material. Mutts will typically have fewer health problems (think hip dysplasia from overbreeding), but again - you don’t know what kind of character/baggage you’re up against.

My best suggestion is to talk to a local vet or a rescue/sanctuary before you adopt. At the very least, check out dogtime.com. There’s good info on there about different breed characteristics and how they would fit or not fit into your lifestyle. They even have simple online questionnaires to help you decide. Here’s a link to the latter:

http://dogtime.com/matchup

All the wisdom you need to know is at the top of page 3

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=872677&page=2

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

SETX- armpit of America wrote:

- Where does everybody live that you have all this weather under 70 degrees a lot? Down here in the armpit of America , my dogs are adapted and can handle the heat considering the lows during the summer are typically in the 80s or high 70s.

I moved to Portland for a reason. But even other places can be fine if you run with them in the morning or evening.

Amen. Not Portland in my case, but up in the Rockies.

Also, my 70mpw is a fraction of what my dog does up and down the trail.

SETX- armpit of America wrote:

- I hope everybody on here feels that it was worth it to force their dog to run 50mpw with them when it gets hip displacia and can no longer walk by the age of 8, as mine did.

- Where does everybody live that you have all this weather under 70 degrees a lot?

The first blue heeler mix that found me by the side of a road got me up to 50 mpw in the first place. On the 6 mile days we’d get back to the car and she’d try to pull me back up the trail for more. She died at 10 of a stroke, still putting in a lot of miles. Her choice, not mine, btw. I was perfectly willing to run outside less and had bought a dreadmill to get us both through her senior years.

I’m sorry about your dog’s dysplasia. But don’t project.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Adopt, don't shop. It irks me when people think they need a specific breed for a specific reason.

I agree with almost everything you’ve said on this thread, even including this, except for one scenario: families/individuals adopting a dog for the first time and having zero experience with dogs.

True story: best friend’s spouse gets a hound from a rescue. Sweetest dog ever, but previously abused and not properly socialized. No one in friend’s family has ever had a dog before, no one addresses the dog’s challenges. Fast forward 3 years, the dog nips an in-law’s hand, in-law gets hysterical, the dog gets taken to the Humane Society labeled as a biter. He’s put down 48 hrs later.

Silicon Valley Runner wrote:

I’ve run with a Parson Russell Terrier for over five years, and this 18-pound dog with longer legs than a JRT does not stop. 50 miles a week is no problem for this dog.

A Parson Russell Terrier is a JRT. It's just show-dog standard.

Bobby1 wrote:

Why torture a dog?

Are you kiddin?...Most dogs are in ecstatic when they get to go out for a run....

I can barely control mine they get so wild with happiness...

AKD wrote:

True story: best friend’s spouse gets a hound from a rescue. Sweetest dog ever, but previously abused and not properly socialized. No one in friend’s family has ever had a dog before, no one addresses the dog’s challenges. Fast forward 3 years, the dog nips an in-law’s hand, in-law gets hysterical, the dog gets taken to the Humane Society labeled as a biter. He’s put down 48 hrs later.

Agreed.

I know some people who need to be "put down".

Taste my leather wrote:

I've kicked a few stupid mutts as they chased after me.

MY ex-wife.

It’s torture not to exercise them.

I’ve a mini Australian Shepherd. Requires a run to stay sane. 12 miles with her at 7000ft in the Colorado Rockies is heaven - for both of us!

There is a lot that goes in to choosing a dog. Many of the breeds that are good at long distances can also be a handful if they do not get the exercise they need. Also, make sure if you get a puppy not to run it right away. You need to wait for the growth plates to finish before running it. Most vets recommend no running (outside of play) for the first 6 months and no long runs until its a year old which is when most breeds are done growing.

As far as recommendations I know what I would pick if I were you. German Shorthaired Pointer. The females are about 45 pounds (mine is a tiny 38 but shes a little bundle of energy). They are good for warm weather since they have short hair. They were bread for field hunting so they have boundless energy. They NEED exercise though. You let a GSP get bored and don't exercise it and you are asking for trouble. My dog loves runs and freaks out anytime I get near the trails. I only run her on single track, no asphalt or concrete. I usually take her about 5 to 7 miles each time. She maybe runs 30-35 miles per week. Pack water with the dog, we have a little rubber doggy dish. Remember dogs wont tell you they are thirsty and will run themselves into trouble if you don't keep an eye on it. They have vests you can get for the dog which have pouches you can throw all that crap in. I don't like the attach to you waist leashes. Teach the dog to heal and you are fine.

I have had three prior dogs to this that I ran with and she was the best. The worst was yellow lab who after a mile was done. Second worst was a Husky mix who would get way to hot and I had to keep them shorter than 3. Second best next to my GSP was a Golden Retriever. She ran with me exclusively on roads, longest run was 10 miles but she really dragged at the end. My GSP finishes a 7 miler and looks at me like "that's it?".

I should clarify. I run the dog 30-35 miles a week but she would definitely do more if I took her. I have two young kids so 30-35 is about what I have time for with my work schedule and family.

Yep. I actually said that in “polite company” after that happened. Felt no need to apologize, either.

I run 70-100 miles per week with my Jack Russell, mostly on trails. I took time to build her mileage up, starting with short runs a few days a week, but she was doing full mileage with me after less than a year. If you want a small dog to train with, a JRT is hard to beat.

Yeah Georgia...2 states west and most of the year is very hot. The dog will have to build miles like a person does and will need more water stops, bathroom stops and lots of training to be a good runner (not tugging or chasing other animals).

When I read that your HS kid wants a dog and you parents don't really want to play with it, I have to day please think about it again!

One likely scenario (in my eyes the most likely) is that your kid loses interest/ moves out/ whatever in 1-5 years and you have to watch after it, with all the obligations that come with owning a dog (walk it at least 3 times a day EVERYDAY, be limited with holidays etc., demand it mentally and physically). If you're not ok with that, don't geht one, because you can't expect from your kid to watch after a dog for the next 15 years in this phase if life.