Do any of you run with your sheepdog??
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| Our first 2 sheepies used to run off leash with me (we had them at different times). Our female would go 2-3 miles easily. Our male ran 2 when he was about a year and would go up to about 5 when he was a couple years older. All at a 7:15-7:30 pace. Never in the heat. The female got to where she would take shortcuts back home if it got much over 1 1/2 miles. That was at about 6 years old. I took about 6 months off from running when the male was about 6. When I started back he got all excited when he saw my running shoes. We took off, rounded the corner and he disappeared. I went back to the house and he was sheepishly sitting on the porch. From then on when I got my shoes he would go to another room. |
Thanks for your input...  |
| Remember they were not bred to be runners.........a Dalmation would be a better choice for a distance running dog. Sheepdogs work in short bursts of energy, moving back and forth, changing the stress on the body. Prolonged pounding in a "straight line" in not impossible, thinking of sled dog Chewie, but your pup should be fully grown before subjecting him/her to the strain. And while pups, increasing exercise gradually. Yeah, heat is out, fall is a great time to take to the "woods" so to speak. JUst work up to distance gradually after a summer off. |
Well, sort of!     and all to get in condition for this!  Fall and cool weather means carting season is coming soon!!!   We condition and build them up. We start with 1-2 mile runs, and get up to 8 or more miles. Some spurts they are actually running full out (like the 1st mile), but most of the miles are at an easy on the body and ground covering trot. We NEVER go on pavement - only gravel or fields. Pavement is too hard on their joints and bodies - and also on their pads. |
| We also do lure coursing - there in a non-sighthound event called the Coursing Ability Test (CAT) where you can title in it. It involves chasing the lure 600 yards in under 2 minutes. That time is very generous - my guys do it in just over and under a minute, on average. Chewie - startline and ready to go!  Chewie last fall - he averages just under a minute in his runs -   Getting his title picture - right after the completed run!  Bond - at 1 year old in his 1st run last October. His time was 1:09 -  And after both ran last fall -  Fun sports your dog can do with you when they are in shape and active! PS - for this sport you get your title after doing 3 qualifying runs. Bond has 2 done - there is one in October and hope we can enter and get his title complete. His 1st run last fall was the week he turned 1 (they must be at least 1 year old to participate) - and it was his birthday present. He LOVED it! |
| Of course Bond loved it, or else Chewie would have gnawed his tail off.............. Is Bond destined for the harness this year? They are great examples of dogs who can do the physical stuff but they are introduced to it gradually. How many are permanently injured by trying to do too much too fast, especially as pups. When grown, fully formed and conditioned, these guys can work all day, but it takes time........and cool weather. |
| No Bond in harness this year - he's still staying in coat and being a show dog. But, he gets to lure course, do rally, herding and go to shows...he will be plenty busy! Chewie is keeping his halfway full coat thru Nationals, then he's getting a short cut and we'll be out carting, also hoping to get some 10 mile pack hikes in with the Mal Club this fall. And of course more agility and herding. My guys have never had an injury - because we train and condition. Being a past competitive distance runner myself, it's very much ingrained. All sports we do are meant to be enjoyed for years and years, and we train toward that end. |
| Like Dawn said! Dogs, like people need to work their way up slowly, in pacing, and duration. Laurie and Oscar |
| And for a gauge, Dorothy - Chewie is 7 years old, and Bond is 23 months old. |
| I don't plan to ever run more then 3 miles with him and no more then once a week.. He loves it but like I said I don't want to cause injury.... He still has energy when we get home and wants to play ball in the backyard.. |
| 3 miles once a week may not let him get in or stay in condition. A shorter distance would be fun for him, more often would let him get in and stay in condition. I'm applying some human exercise logic here. |
| I run with my dogs, my Labradoodle and my Sheepie. In the summer, not as much, but throughout fall, winter, and spring, they love it! My Labradoodle is 4 and my sheepie is a year and 8 months. I don't run distance with them and my doodle can run longer than my sheepie, I'll run with them 2-3 miles, 2-3 times a week with me, together. Then finish if I am running longer by myself. Sometimes my doodle comes for the 5 mile ones. They get conditioned in fall, or in Ramseys case, conditioned now as he is younger and just starting. We start with longer walks, and then start running, maybe a mile, or half mile, and just build up. However, my running is more to them like trotting, it's embarrassing! They make me look mega slow, haha. We also run the beach off leash, they love that, they can go in and out of the water, run ahead of behind, sit and wait for me, whatever, lol, etc. However, this isn't their only form of exercise, they get much more park, yard, off leash, beach, trails, hiking, swimming, than they do running, haha. |
| Thanks for your input. |
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