Exercise is one of the activities that offers the most benefits, both for pet owners and for themselves. If we have a dog and we can also share this moment by his side, it will be something very positive for both of us. Sometimes it can be difficult, but with the necessary advice and training on our part, we can achieve it.
On our site we are going to help you learn how to teach my dog to run with me - Step by step. In this way we will have no excuses for not going out to play sports because we will have the best partner by our side.
Before starting…
Why get fit with your dog?
Currently, due to lack of time, overwork or other excuses that are usually valid, we don't have enough time to exercise every day. If this happens to us, what do you think happens to your dog? The same or worse, since sometimes they depend on us to go out and exercise. It may also happen that the diet is not the most suitable, then we are dangerously close to obesityWe must avoid a sedentary lifestyle in our dog, it is essential for his he alth
If your dog seems to have put on weight, ask yourself… Does he exercise? How many times does he go out a day? What does he eat? We must answer all these questions and begin to rethink how we care for our dogs and what we do to improve their quality of life
The age of the dog, a very important factor
Assessing the age of a dog when practicing exercise is essential. It is recommended to wait until 9 to 12 months of age to start running with him. Until now, we can buy what is necessary and teach them signs about how to stand, turn, walk with the harness or, when we run after them, they do not get scared or stop, since it is one of the most common problems. that may occur.
It is advisable to get your puppy used to walking correctly from an early age without pulling, because if this is not the case, our exercise time can become somewhat uncomfortable. However, we can always re-educate our dog to teach him to walk. side.
Breed will also be important, we should never exercise with molossoid-type dogs, as occurs with some of the group II dogs of the FCI. If you have doubts about your dog and its predisposition or not for exercise, always consult your veterinarian.
The material needed to run with a dog
Although many of you already know what material to use, the truth is that many people never quite know whether to use a leash or a harness on their walks, much less when exercising. In the market they offer us many variants that, sometimes, can confuse us.
We must avoid the collar, especially in very nervous dogs that get more excited than they should when running. Even so, and even if your dog does not pull, it is recommended to choose a harness, always appropriate to their size, to prevent them from drowning while walking.
For greater comfort, we recommend choosing a canicross kit, which has a belt with a hook for us, an elastic strap and a very comfortable harness for our partner.
Teach him to run step by step
As with humans, we can't expect our dog to run a mile on the first day of training. Follow this step by step:
- If your dog has never worn a harness before, you should get him used to it at home and on previous walks. You won't need much, just reinforce him positively when he wears him, especially if you see him nervous or restless. A few kind words or a treat will suffice.
- Before starting to run we must allow our dog to relieve himself. Offer him a 10-15 minute ride and make sure he's satisfied
- Locate yourself in a quiet place, where there are few stimuli, such as a mountain path, this is the best place to get started.
- Start running at a slow or suitable pace for our dog. That he imposes the rhythm at the beginning is essential, we must be able to identify how far he can go.
- With a few minutes the first days will be enough. He will already be gaining strength and gaining muscle to accompany us for a whole race.
- Each day increase the exercise time a little more, for example, 5 minutes on the first day, 10 on the third and 15 on the sixth.
- We will make small stops for him to rest, taking the opportunity to congratulate him and offer him small amounts of water, not in excess as it can cause problems in his stomach. We can take with us those collapsible or silicone drinkers that do not weigh and thus, our partner will never lack hydration.
- Once you see your tired dog it will be time to finish. Remember that we should not abuse his physical capacity, especially in summer, since he can easily suffer a heat stroke.
- Whenever you finish, congratulate him and allow him some time to rest before starting another activity and even offer him food.
- Don't forget to make regular veterinary visits, every 6 months, to rule out problems with the pads or muscles.
