Running with dogs?

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Mark Wagner

Mark Wagner

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2003
Messages
563
Location
Port Orchard, WA
I just adopted a 'Border Collie' as a running partner. He is a year old, and tonight went on his first run with me ... 5 miles. It was a little tough the first mile, because he kept trying to pull me, then go after cars. I ran with a leash and choke chain to train him. After one mile he overall pretty much stayed in the heel position and to my left.
I was wondering if any of you run, walk or excercise with dogs, and what breed you have? I got done with my run and I was ready for a rest ... he wanted to play lets throw the ball in the house! It will be fun in the months and years to come. Any advice on Border Collies, send it my my way. Thanks.

Mark :D
 
Hey Mark,

Welcome to the world of Border Collies! I orignally got a Border Collie for my sheep...well, really to help me with my sheep! But we have branched out into frizbe, agility and yes, running together. You are right that they have lots of side trips to make on those runs, but they learn. About the only time Jill forgets she is attached to me is when she smells a rabbit hole along the side of the road...and forget it if you are not ready when she sees a rabbit! Being a very intelligent breed that is driven to find something to "work at " if they have no real work, running and playing hard with them is great. They are totally loving and devoted dogs. Your pup is still gung ho energetic...Jill is 9 now and though she can always out last me, she does tire out a little now especially when it is hot. She has helped me get exercise and if I don't have time for "our" time, she reminds me how disappointed she is with those deep brown eyes! Enjoy!
 
Border Collies are STRONG WILLED intelligent and energetic Dogs.
They are a joy but can be a 'handful' :) After ours encountered an electric fence at the back of the property, she would try to 'herd us' away from that 'danger'.

Whenever I 'walk' the dogs, I just let them go free most of the time, but my street is a 'dead end' so there is very little traffic.

'AL'
 
Lucky you .... to have your dog. My dog died earlier this year, and now, per orders of my cardiologist, I continue walking every day but without a dog it is very sad.
My dog Mischa was a Dalmatian--actually, the third Dal we had had--they are a little like border collies, very active, needing huge amounts of exercise, and very self-willed, though not (sorry, Mischa!) as intelligent.
They are also very STRONG. If you've got a stubborn Dal who wants to pull, you've got trouble.
I have a suggestion for walking a dog that's strong and has a tendency to pull away from you: use a "haltie." This is a thing that fits over the nose and head and then you attach the leash to it rather than to the dog's collar.
With it, the dog will pretty much do what you want him to do and it does not hurt the dog. They work much better & are kinder than choke collars.
For those who cannot put pressure on their chests because you are still in recovery, but who would like to walk with their dog, I think the haltie would be a godsend because with a haltie you never have to pull the dog.
We first saw halties being used in the UK and bought our first one there, years ago; since then, I've seen them here in the US occasionally and I know they're available, but they're not as commonly used here as in the UK.
Our second Dal, Cora, was an incredibly strong and stubborn dog who, when she didn't want to come along, would put her four feet down and just dig in--with a regular collar and leash you'd be dragging her along. With a haltie she came along like a little lamb.
Now I think I will go cry a bit thinking about my old doggies: Mischa, Cora, and Demelza (our first Dal, and still mourned).
 
My little Shih Tzu was almost killed by a dog with "haltie" on. The dog wiggled it's head out of the haltie and came running across the street and headed for my dog's throat. She was in a harness and I was able to swing her out of the way, but the other dog came around and continued to bite her all over, throat, sides, backside, tail. I don't know by what miracle she survived, except I kept punching the other dog. The woman who owned the dog was too frightened to do anything. She stood and watched for what was the longest time, stunned. My dog was screaming, I was screaming. She paid the vet bills. Her dog also managed to bite 3 other dogs in the neighborhood. She said her dog was "playing". That dog is now in a choke chain.

My dog was terribly traumatized, and still is to this day. She can smell that other dog's scent when it's out walking, and heads for home, pulling me all the way.
 
If you have the haltie on right the dog should not be able to wriggle out of it, but a haltie is NOT a substitute for training one's dog.
Anybody whose dog has managed to bite FOUR other dogs in the neighborhood either has not trained her dog properly.
Or has a dog she shouldn't have had in the first place. Some owners can handle very assertive dogs; others simply can't & shouldn't have that kind of dog. This dog sounds a lot more than just assertive--he sounds aggressive and dangerous.
I am amazed that dog is still around in your neighborhood, choke chain or no choke chain. After three or four bites, I am sorry, the dog needs to be impounded.
A dog that aggressive could easily escape from an owner even on a choke chain.
Next time it could be not another dog but a child.
 
My neighbour have just purchased their second Border Collie . Poor souls they have never ever seen a sheep or ever will.
Their inborn pattern of behaviour tells them to chase something so what do you think they chase.......cars , trucks any thing that moves. I pray that they will be arround for their next birthdays. It is a dangerous game they pursuing

Joey
 
You are so right, Marge. I reported this dog to the Dog Catcher. The story was a BIG yawn to him!! I thought he would at least stop by and give the owner a warning, Nope. It was a my word against their word thing. Doggie rights. The other owners never reported the bites, but they told me about them.

Then this man told me of another dog which had bitten 8 children, and he was "helpless" to do anything about it?? I don't know what his job entails, it's a mystery to me. He must be somebody's relative. His feeling is that everybody has a right to enjoy their dog.

So I have passed the word to every neighbor that I have come in contact with. Put a little social pressure on these people.

Plus I now walk with a shillelagh. Any four-legged nasties will have a big headache.
 
It's an Irish term--a club essentially, for "head knocking":D

What I have is a walking stick with a large metal top. Figured that would keep the beasties at bay.
 
I love the dog and he is becoming part of the family now. The owners whom had to give him up, because of lack of room and time; said when he was found as a pup running around Seattle, another lady had him for three days. He was such a handful, she named him KAOS. The lady whom then took the dog, didn't want him to live up to his name, so re-named him Zen! So that's his name.
He barks too much, and the neighbor made a comment to my wife. (What little time the dog was outside. He was trying to get a squirel that ran to hide in the woodpile.) I don't blame her, so we bought a shock training collar to stop the excessive barking . Friends of ours accross the drive, have a border collie, and said it really worked on their dog. I hate to do it, but better to nip the problem now, then have the police or animal control knocking at my door. I guess I figure that's just part of pet responsibility on my part.

Thanks one and all for the feedback.

Mark
 
Hi Mark,

There are quite a few members of my running club who have Border Collies as training partners. Most of them take their dogs with them when they go for a run in the countryside. Sometimes when we run in a group there can be two or three dogs running as well. Border Collies need lots of exercise and by letting them off the leash they can then cover lots more miles whilst you are running (some say they need 70 miles per day if they are a working dog). The only problem with letting them off the leash is that they can worry sheep and other farm animals.

Martin
 
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