Trail running or running off-road such as going down mountain slopes to get into shape is a good start to burn those extra calories. What’s more better is running with your favorite pooch in tow. Trail running can become more enjoyable and less strenuous having your dog as your favorite jogging buddy.
Pros and Cons:
But it’s always better to set out on your jogging regiment keeping certain do’s and don’ts related to the dog in mind. For instance, it’s always better to start hitting the trail with your pup but not before having consulted a doctor. A very sound piece of advice for joggers and sprinters is to take the pup running only once he attains six months of age and never before. For certain breed of dogs the starting age could vary from one to two years. This is recommended so as to prevent damage to the dog’s bones and joints in formative years. In the same fashion, continuous running can cause lots of unwarranted damage to older dogs who get tired easily and need to preserve their stamina for short sprints. They could easily fall prey to hip dysplasia, joint pain or a stressed out heart.
Trail Running Basics:
If you are three months into marathon running, you be extra cautious with your dog before setting out on a 10 miler. Build up distance over time and notch up incremental gains in easy steps. Chart out a running itinerary that offers both walking and running and keep a strict vigil on your dog’s stamina. Look out for tell-tale signs such as limping, excessive panting and slowing down along the route.
It would be a whole lot better if you stick to a plan while running with your dog on that favorite jogging strip of yours. The reason dogs are to be scrutinized thoroughly before embarking on a cross-country of this magnitude is that they tend to get overweight and suffer from complications just as overweight people do. So the marathon serves a dual purpose of removing the body flab of dogs and getting yourself in shape too. Just walking does not cut it any more and rigorous training entails some serious running out in the middle for both the dog and you, lest the dog becomes a trip liability, sniffing and snorting all the way through. But an exception to this statement is the difficulty in making overweight dogs run until they shed some extra kilos.
Walking the dog is very much advisable because dogs have to carry the excess weight on their legs with legs being most vulnerable part of the body. Until the dog loses some flab, walking will be very helpful.
Some precautions such as having secure laces on your shoes has to be heeded to help prevent you from falling headlong over yourself because the dog just veers to the left and right, stops to pee and stops all of a sudden to smell the tree nectars. All this could prove to be disastrous.
Wrapping Up:
Adding a multi-purpose leash to the dogs purchased from a wholesale pet supplies distributor before running is mandatory and as a thumb-rule do remember to hydrate the dog, especially in summer.
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