All posts by: gardner

Dog running – how I run 15 miles per day

I try to write about what no one else knows. no one can copy that. no one can fake that.

What do I know?

I know what it’s like to run 15 miles every day in all weather.

Fifteen miles is an average day. often I run (and walk) 20 miles. often five or six.

I am in the best shape of my life.

In may I ran in my first full marathon, and I was nervous about hitting the dreaded wall (the point where the marathoner literally runs out of energy). The wall normally happens around mile 20, and then it’s survival mode.

I never hit a wall. Ikke engang tæt på.

At the end of the race, I felt like I could run another 26 miles.

I’ll probably end up running one of those damn 50- or 100-mile races just because I feel like I should.

You know what I’ve realized? I’m a professional runner.

I started a small service in August of 2008 where I take people’s dogs on 30- or 60-minute running sessions. This changed my running.

Before I started my pet dog running business, I always wanted to complete a marathon, but I never could.

I followed a normal marathon training plan two or three times. The plan always started with daily 2- or 3-mile runs and a longer weekend run starting with 6 miles and boosting over time to about 20 miles.

This plan always kicked my ass, and I was never able to complete it without injury. I would end up with damaged hamstrings, a sore ankle or bum knees. Or all of the above. No matter how slowly I tried to build up the mileage, I always got injured.

Eventually, though, I was at least in “good enough” shape to start my business. I’m not sure I believed “Run That Mutt” would actually take off. I just had a new obsession based around running with my own pet dog and a few rescue dogs. If someone would pay me to run her crazy mutt, I would be in.

If you want to become a distance runner, just start slowly.

And I indicate slowly.

Like, run a mile once a week for a couple months. forget about speed.

Then build up to the point where you can run three miles at one time. increase that over time to about six miles. then run six miles a few times a week for an entire year before you even think about training for a marathon.

Get your body adapted to running so running itself is not such a big deal. then shoot for 10 miles after six miles seems like nothing. Do that for a couple of months.

When I started my pet dog running business, I had to build up my miles slowly and that worked to my benefit. I didn’t have lots of customers at first so I would run three miles a day. then four. then a few months later I had a few a lot more customers and I was running six miles in a day. then eight. After a year or so I was doing 10 miles consistently and so on.

As far as marathon training is concerned, you’re better off doing less and remaining injury complimentary than training too hard. At least you know you’ll make it to the starting line.

The finish line is not what you must be anxious about at this point. a lot of people don’t even get to the starting line.

Me, a runner?

I still don’t think of myself as a runner. I’m pretty darn slow, actually. I run at about an 11-minute mile pace a lot of of the time. “Serious” runners would laugh at this. They might even say that it’s not running. It’s jogging.

As far as I’m concerned, if you are not standing or crawling or walking, then you need to be running. jogging does not exist. I have never gone “jogging.” I never will.

Many of the people in my life do not view me as an athlete. They think I play with dogs all day.

“Oh … you have a ‘dog walking’ business? Do you get paid?”

I know I bring this upon myself. I don’t brag about myself at all, normally. I don’t even talk about myself unless someone asks.

I forget that what I do is excellent to a lot of people.

I can run a marathon on a Saturday and then go back to work Monday and run another 16 miles without a problem. and then on Tuesday get up and do it again and then again on Wednesday.

Most people struggle to even run 3 miles. I forget that. I take my ability for granted.

The body’s ability to adapt to high mileage

My body has adapted so well that running 15 miles per day is generally as easy for me as it is for a couch potato not to work out at all.

People say things like, “Wow! You need to be able to eat whatever you want!”

Actually, not really. because our bodies adapt. It’s not a big deal for my body to run 15 miles per day. It’s like, if you walk a mile every day, it’s not really much of a challenge after awhile, is it? You don’t lose any weight. You maintain your weight or even get weight.

Since I run somewhere around 15 miles every day, it is no longer a challenge.

To lose weight, I would have to mix up my exercise routine, and that seemsimpossible for me ideal now. lift some weights. Svømme. Sprint. I haven’t made this a habit, so I accept the consequences of my actions.

Adapting to the cold

Another odd thing I’ve observed after four winters of pet dog running in North Dakota (this wintertime is my fourth) is that my body heats up really fast in the cold. Like, really fast.

No matter how cold it gets outside, I still run. My body seems to have adapted to this, and as long as I’m moving I don’t need lots of layers to keep warm. I’m normally hot.

If it’s 0 degress (F) outside, I might wear a single long-sleeve tee shirt created for warmth and my running jacket and I’ll be warm within 15 minutes. My cut off for wearing any gloves in any way is 18 degrees. If it’s above 18 degrees, it’s too hot for gloves.

I just find it fascinating how our bodies really do adapt to whatever we give them.

If you eat mostly fast food and soda, your body adapts. If you only sleep four hours a night, your body adapts. If you swim 80 hours per week, your body adapts. It’s really amazing.

I know I will never have to deal with injured knees or hamstrings or ankles anymore.

Sure, I might slip and fall or trip over my own feet like any idiot, but my body has adapted well to the abuse of running.

And what about the dogs? how do they do it?

The dogs adapt, too.

Running with a pet dog for 30 minutes or 60 minutes really isn’t a lot of work for a lot of dogs. When they run with me every day, they become fit, too. I wish I could find a way to take them all running together for about 15 miles at one time. It’s just not sensible because of their various speeds and temperaments and excitement levels.

If I come up with a sensible idea to allow for group runs of four or five dogs, I’ll let you know. That could really be something.

I’ve also thrown around the idea of using longer runs for dogs, something like 13- or 15-mile runs. A 15-mile run is exactly what some dogs need. and they are very capable of running at least that distance.

Search for pet dog friendly races to make with your pet dog here.

The possibilities of a pet dog runner are endless.

Who would’ve thought?

Follow this link to learn how to start your own pet dog running business.

I’d love to hear your running stories, whether you are a seasoned runner or just getting started. Also, what are some crazy ways your body has adapted?

Here’s a picture of Ranger and Annie. They go running with me several times per week. They take their running very seriously. Both have ran a lot more than 750 miles with me considering that September 2010. Annie is close to breaking 1,000 miles!

Is Your dog Smarter Than a Puppy Kindergartner?

Does your dog know more than a 3-month old puppy kindergartner?

Of course she does, but I thought it would be fun to share what my puppy Remy is working on in Week 1 of puppy classes.

I know some of you also have new dogs or puppies and whether or not you take your pup to training classes (I recommend it!), these are some things you can work on at home with a dog of any age.

Puppy classes Week 1

Here are four things we’re working on this week.

1. “Watch Me.”

This simply means to make eye contact. A dog looking at you can pay attention.

I shortened the command to “watch.” So it’s, “Remy, watch.” You hold a treat right up to your face and the moment your pup makes eye contact, you give the treat. practice 10 times in a row each day. very simple and works well.

“Remy, watch.” Behandle. “Remy, watch.” Behandle.

Do your dogs know this one?

2. Coming when called – back to basics.

Anyone have a dog who ignores you when you call him?

Going back to the basics is a good idea for reinforcing “come!” because it’s probably the most important command to teach a dog.

With the puppies, we held a treat right up to their noses, ran backwards and THEN called them once they were already driven to follow us.

So it’s:

get their attention
run back
call the puppy
belønning!

Come = fun & treats!

Other tip: Play “puppy in the middle” calling the puppy back and forth between two people.

3. A new situation each week.

For our puppy homework, our class is encouraged to have our puppies walk on a new surface every week. This could be things like sand, snow, pavement, rocks, shiny floors, concrete, leaves, whatever.

Sometimes new surfaces can seem scary or at least surprising for puppies so it’s good to expose them early on. See Puppy In Training’s post on this here.

For those of you with older dogs, it’s still a good challenge to try to introduce them to something different or new each week in general. This is fun for the dogs but also continues their ongoing socialization and experiences.

For example, visiting different dog friendly stores or cafes, walking in a different neighborhood or standing on a random “obstacle” like a picnic table during a walk. Remy walked on a new walking path last week (pictured above).

4. selecting a consistent release word.

A release word is the word that signals to your dog the training exercise is over. So if he’s sitting, he should sit until you say “OK!” or “Free!” or whatever word you choose.

I have always used “OK!” with my older dog Ace. Some advise against ok because it’s used so often in normal conversations and could potentially confuse the dog. This has never been a problem for me and I’ve chosen “OK” as Remy’s release word too.

You may or may not want to use the same release word for multiple dogs. It’s not a problem for my two, with Ace being so much older. Update: I ended up changing Remy’s release word to “break!” because “OK” is too common of a word in conversation and he was taking advantage of that! Haha.

The other basics we worked on this week were saying our puppy’s names for treats and luring them into a sit, but I figure most of your dogs have that down!

OK, so how is your dog doing on the above?

Which one could she use some work on? Remy needs lots of work on “come!”

How to help my dog pass the Canine good citizen test

As you know, my little foster dog Cosmo took his Canine good citizen test over the weekend.

Passing the CGC test shows that a dog will remain under control in various real-life situations.

“The CGC Program is developed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community,” according to the American Kennel Club.

Well, we sure showed them!

Introducing Cosmo Kramer, CGC.

The reason I wanted to make it a goal for Cosmo to pass the CGC test before getting adopted was because when he concerned live with us he was not a good doggy citizen.

Cosmo was one of those impolite little dogs in public situations and even at home. He used to growl at every person and dog we passed on walks. He used to bark at me, demanding treats. He would not obey basic commands without food motivation. He pulled on the leash so bad his gentle Leader would hurt his muzzle and eyes.

Obviously there is no such thing as a perfect dog, and Cosmo still has a long way to go. He is still aggressive about treats, but he is learning self control. I would never count on him 100 percent around kids. and like many dogs, he still pulls on the leash. En masse.

But little Cosmo has come a long way, and I am proud of him. He did better than many of the other dogs that showed up to take the test on Sunday. many of the others did not pass because they could not sit still when the evaluator spoke with them or touched them, or they could not keep all four paws on the ground when walking through a crowd.

Cosmo and I would like to share some suggestions to help other dog owners prepare for the Canine good citizen test.

How to help your dog pass the Canine good citizen test

1. Make sure your dog has had enough exercise leading up to the test.

I’m not saying you should run your dog to exhaustion, I’m just saying you should give your dog an adequate amount of exercise so he can remain calm and focused. the most common problem I saw on Sunday was a lot of pent-up energy in many of the dogs. They showed up practically trembling with anxiety and excitement, panting heavily.

The dogs would get thrilled and roll around on their backs when the evaluator tried to pet them. They would get onto the leash and try to initiate a game of tug after completing a successful recall. all in all, they were having a great time! but they were not under control.

Cosmo and I went for a 45-minute walk before the test. This made a huge difference for him, and cut back on his pulling dramatically.

2. speak with your dog throughout the test.

Dog owners are welcome to speak with their dogs as much as they need to during the CGC test. Cosmo can get a bit nervous when a new person is touching him. So while the evaluator was lifting his paws and taking a look at his ears, I spoke with him the whole time. “Wow! What a good boy! She’s such a nice lady! You’re being so good, Cosmo! god dreng!” I was a bit over the top, and it worked.

During the loose-leash portion of the test, I also spoke with Cosmo a lot and patted my leg. I knew a tense leash was an automatic fail, so I let him walk ahead of me a bit (quite a bit). All that matters for this portion is that the dog remains on a loose leash and generally stays near his owner.

3. Take an obedience class at a location that provides the test.

Cosmo and I took the CGC test at the Red River North dog Obedience Club in Fargo. prior to taking the test, we took two obedience classes at this location. obviously this dramatically improved our chances of passing the test because Cosmo was comfortable in this environment. some of the dogs had only been in the building a few times, and they were energized and thrilled about all the new people, new smells and new dogs!

4. practice for the test around dogs and people your dog has never met.

Cosmo had a very hard time remaining focused and under control when we approached a new dog during the “reaction to another dog” portion of the test.

We actually failed this element, but if the dog passes nine of the 10 elements he is allowed to retake the part he failed. We somehow managed to pass during our second attempt while meeting a second new dog. Cosmo had trouble with this portion because he really wanted to lunge forward and greet the other dog.

When we practiced for this portion of the test, we practiced greeting dogs Cosmo had already met. This is no problem. What Cosmo does have a problem with is remaining calm when meeting new dogs. To better prepare for this, I should’ve been more consistent with making him sit each time we met a new dog in real life.

But you know what? With an old crab like him, I’m pretty happy if he wants to rush forward and greet another dog. At least he’s being friendly!

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