Here are some things you should keep in mind when considering whether your dog is ready to run its first race:

Ask the organisers if it’s ok

You might not really care what other runners think about you bringing your dog to a race, but it’s important to check with whoever is organising the run not only out of respect, but to make sure that you don’t get asked to remove your dog from the race on the day. Personally, I think that asking the organisers of the race if it’s ok for you to participate with your dog is the responsible thing to do. They are holding the event and they should be able to decide whether or not they want a dog there.

I emailed the Western Australian Marathon Club (WAMC) this morning asking them to allow us to participate in their upcoming 4km New Years Eve Run. I’m patiently waiting for their reply and really hope that they say yes, but if they don’t agree I’m not going to push it and will respect their decision.

Don’t bring a troublemaking dog to a race

If you know you dog is going to be overly boisterous and cause trouble or inconvenience the other runners at the event, teach it to run politely next to you before entering it in a race.

Keep your dog on a leash during the race

You must have control of your dog throughout the entire race. Keep your dog on a leash and make sure that it doesn’t venture out too far and poses a risk to the other runners. You don’t want someone to trip over the leash and hurt either themselves or your co-runner.

Monitor your dog

You and your dog may run the same distances as the race every day, but if your dog is running in a crowd of people with new smells, sights, and sounds it can become excited and tire out faster or just become overwhelmed. Keep an eye on your dog throughout the race to make sure that it’s not looking unwell. If your dog starts to look fatigued, too nervous, or overwhelmed – pull out of the race.

Start toward the back

When I run Fun Runs by myself I normally start somewhere in the middle. If WAMC allows me to run with Keeda in the event I mentioned earlier, I will start toward the back – closer to the prams and slower runners to make sure that the faster runners aren’t inconvenienced by having to run around me and my dog. Once you’re a bit farther away from the crowded starting line and the crowd thins out if you’re finding yourself wanting to pick up the pace you can always overtake and work your way up anyway.

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.

It just goes to show that no matter what breed you have – you can always exercise with your dog. Just remember that each breed has different needs and keep a closer eye on your dog for signs of overheating, dehydration, fatigue, or other issues you know might be more prominent for its type. Now get your dog, put those running shoes on, and start pounding those streets.

One of the most common reasons why running with your dog can get frustrating is pulling. The best way to overcome this frustrating dog running problem is to teach your dog not to pull.

There are many different training methods and techniques out there and each dog trainer and dog owner will recommend different things. Here is how I taught Keeda not to pull on the leash during our walks and running sessions:

As soon as we started going for walks on leash when Keed a was a puppy, she was not allowed to put any strain on the leash. If she began to pull, I stopped in my tracks and waited for the leash to slacken. Sometimes I turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.

She “got” it soon enough, but just because a dog understands what it’s meant to be doing doesn’t mean it will do it. Keeda kept pulling, to the point of it becoming an extremely frustrating ordeal for both of us. We could barely walk together, much less run.

This is where different training methods suggest that you deal with the problem differently. and there is a lot of controversy in the dog world around the various methods.

Personally, I’m in favor of applying some physical force in dog training. Of course this depends not only on your own preference, but also on your dog’s breed and nature. Keeda is a hardy dog – she has Australian Cattle Dog and Kelpie in her, both of which can be headstrong, independent, and stubborn and need a strong hand in training.

So the way I dealt with this training issue is by lightly smacking Keeda on the side with the soft end of the leash when she pulled to get her attention and get her back in line by my side. For us, this worked instantly. Keeda slowed down to walk by my side, the leash slack in my hand. As soon as the leash was slack and she was in proper position, I gave her lots of verbal praise. Of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day and it took us a couple more walks to perfect our walking and running sessions. After the first couple of weeks, I haven’t had to apply any more physical force to get her attention when walking on a leash. Our walks became more relaxed and pleasant for both of us and the transition to running was seamless.

One of the most important factors in training your dog not to pull is consistency – don’t punish your dog for something one minute and let it slide the next. Applying some physical force during training may not be your thing, but it’s just as important to stay consistent with whatever other training method you use. And remember – there is a difference between using force to get your dog’s attention and causing undue pain to your dog. You should know the difference between a corrective slap on the wrist and a punch in the face in human terms, nobody has any excuse to abuse their dog or any other animal, no matter what training method they use. If you aren’t sure, stick to clicker training, which can also work for many dogs.

When your dog stops pulling on your daily walks, you can start running. Dogs can get more excited when going for a run, so the first few times you run with your dog may still be quite a frustrating ordeal, but through consistent training you and your dog will catch on soon enough and I will no longer have people coming here via “frustration with running with  dog” search terms.

I ended up going to sleep at 2am and could not force myself to get out of bed at my designated time this morning. Needless to say I now feel very disappointed.

It’s important to remember that when you make a plan to exercise with your dog or even by yourself, you need to hold yourself responsible for sticking to it. That means forcing yourself to go to bed sooner if you plan to exercise early. Needless to say I feel very disappointed with myself right now – I set a goal for myself and didn’t stick to it and I know that just going to bed earlier would have ensured an easy wake-up this morning (I know because just last week I woke up at 5am to cycle 30km to work).

So lesson learned: set goals, stick to them, plan ahead.

Terri adopted Lola from the Humane Society. To exercise Lola, Terri takes a 2 mile jog with her at 6:00am four days per week and also walks 1 mile every evening with her 6 year old Beagle Buddy.

In Lola’s first year of life, she was kept in someone’s backyard, she did not know how to walk on a leash when we adopted her. She pulled and fought us every step of the way. This was a way for me to teach her how to walk on a leash, how to heel and at the same time, keep her busy and in shape. She is a working dog and when she is not exercised regularly, she gets into trouble! She needs daily stimulation just like we do, this keeps us both healthy in our body and mind. – Terri

Because Lola didn’t know how to walk on a leash when Terri adopted her, they had to start gradually:

I would start walking with her short periods, teaching her she had to stay on my right then increase to a mile then 2 miles. I had to use the pinch collar for about 5-6 months as a training tool, she is very aware of her surroundings and gets distracted easily. She had zero impulse control and would literally drag me to see people or other dogs in our path. – Terri

Terri and Lola

Once Lola learned how to walk politely on a leash, Terri started jogging. She taught Lola to move off of the sidewalk and onto the grass when other people and dogs pass by them and Lola now does this naturally without Terri having to give her the “over” command.

I asked Terri if she had any advice for people with larger dogs who pull like Lola used to when they’re starting out trying to jog.

I guess my advise would be to start slow and be consistent. Your dog will learn the routine, make it fun for them praise them as you go, scratch them on the head, talk to them. – Terri

Jogging with your dog is a great activity to take up for both your dog’s and your own fitness. Big thanks to Terri for sharing her dog exercise experiences and tips with us!

If you’d like to submit your own story about exercising with your dog or dog fitness in general, please e-mail 1 Fit Mutt at info@1fitmutt.com