Guest post by my husband, Jeremy Gilbert.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve had a dog in my life. And as I became a runner, there was a part of me that wanted to have a dog that I could take with me on runs. This is why Shaina and I decided to get a German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP). GSPs are known for their high energy and tend to be great running buddies — or so I’ve read.
The day that I met Bailey I could tell she was going to be a good runner. My first interaction with her was as she attempted to sprint across a yard to chase her mom. I think she made it about 15 feet before she tripped and stumbled, but give her a break, she was only eight weeks old.
While my desire was to start jogging with her immediately, my Veterinarian had different advice. Bailey’s body needed to develop more before she could start running with me. For a few months I’d get up extra early so we could walk before my run. As often as I could I’d take her to the park and let her run around on her own off leash. From the beginning, she had SO MUCH ENERGY!!! As time past I started to jog around the park as she chased me. She seemed to enjoy running with me, but we’d only do short stints before she would tire out.
When she was about six months old, her Vet gave me the green light to start running with her on leash. However, she cautioned me to let Bailey dictate the pace and distance since she was still really young. Teaching a puppy to run with you can be an exhausting experience. I can’t tell you how many times I began a run with Bailey just to have her get distracted by something and not want to continue. It’s important to remember that your puppy doesn’t have aspirations of taking long runs with you, they really just want to explore and enjoy the outside — be patient.
Our first distance together was ¼ mile and I think we stopped a half a dozen times. After that short out and back I dropped Bailey at home and continued with my scheduled run for the day. This routine went on for weeks. Each day or so we added a little bit more distance to her run, and she’d want to stop less. By week four she was running two miles with only one or two stops per run (bathroom breaks). During those weeks we concentrated on staying close to me. I kept her leash short but still let her control the pace. This was important since we were running in Arlington, VA where there are a lot of people and cars.
I kept Bailey at two miles until she was about eight months old. Before we pushed past that distance I wanted to get the okay from her Vet. After a quick visit we were cleared to run as far as she wanted to. The miles started to add up quickly. By 10 months she was up to five miles, again by adding a little each day. The more we ran together the more she seemed to enjoy it. Whenever we ran together I’d let Bailey set the pace, not that it was an issue for my training since she always wanted to go fast (sometimes we’d keep a 5:40 pace for a mile at a time). Also, if she got tired and couldn’t finish a run — which barely ever happened — I’d let her stop for a breather. Usually she was ready to go again a few minutes later.
Bailey and I had a short break in running together when I went to Germany to visit Shaina for a few months. But once I returned to the states, she picked it back up as if we’d never stopped. By age two Bailey had run up to 14 miles with me. No distance seemed to be too much as long as the conditions were good. She’s not really fond of heat and humidity, so we try to get our runs in early during the summertime and carry water for her if its over five miles. She likes to go fast — she’s won top dog in a two-mile race in 11:30 and ran a sub-19:00 5k. She also enjoys hill workouts on Capitol Hill, but mostly so she can pull squirrel patrol.
I know Bailey may not be the norm when it comes to running dogs. She and I run together between 4-6 days a week, and she just follows my run plan at this point. The only running Bailey doesn’t do with me are track workouts — simply because dogs aren’t allowed! As for distance, Bailey’s longest run was 16.5 miles. Even though I’m sure she can go farther than that, Shaina and I decided that 16.5 miles would be her cutoff point. We don’t run further than that very often, anyway.
Not all dogs can run this much and I encourage you to talk to your Vet if you want to start running with your dog. Bailey gets regular check-ups where her Vet and I discuss her running habits. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that if you’re going to run with your dog they’re getting the proper nutrition to sustain their activity level. Just like human runners, dogs need protein to recover. Based on her activity level my Vet recommend Blue Buffalo dog food. It’s high in protein which is great for active dogs like Bailey.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a four-legged running buddy, remember that it will take a lot of work before you two are running side-by-side on your favorite route. Dogs, like people, need time to build up their endurance for long runs. Be patient and don’t give up. Soon enough your dog will develop into the most reliable running buddy you could ask for.
-Jeremy Gilbert
