In this blog post I’d like to talk about a great new dog running program created by Audrey, who is a veterenarian in Brisbane and her husband Francis, an ultramarathon runner. Based on the well known Couch to 5K (C25K) program (which is aimed at helping people train to run 5 kilometers), her Pooch to 5K program is modified for people running with their dogs.

The c25k has a couple of pretty decent increments in running time and because dogs can’t tell us how they’re feeling, we’ve broken those steps down to make it easier for them, based on my veterinary experience and Francis’s running experience. It will take 12 weeks instead of 9 weeks. It’s a safe and effective program that we have proven does work well with dogs. We’ve got a forum set up with topics for people to ask questions about health, behaviour and any other aspect of their dog’s wellbeing.

– Audrey

The Pooch to 5K website has a blog with lots of great information about running with your dog and other dog related research which can prove to be interesting to any dog owner.

By perhaps working with other running dog owners, and establishing a code of conduct and a doggie presence in the running world, dogs may be welcome at more runs [in Australia].

– Audrey

The Pooch to 5K training program is available for download at www.poochto5k.com now (yes, it’s free), and there are three different versions – formatted by metric distance, imperial distance, and time. You can also check out the Pooch to 5K Facebook page for updates.