Going to the dogs

"Those who run seem to have all the fun" Madonna, Hung Up

Thank goodness we have warmer weather on the way. And that means that it's an excellent time to get out and get in an early morning run with...your dog! Don't have a dog? Make a friend for life and BORROW ONE!

My boxer, Harley, is an animal. Ok, so yes, she's really an animal but I mean an animal, like wild and crazy. This dog wants nothing more than to play with you and run everywhere (she's even better at soccer than me!). Recently I've been taking her on morning runs and she's fallen in love and I'm getting time with my beautiful girl.

Some tips on running with your dog:

Be sure that your breed is a good runner. Labs, boxers...good. Dachsund, terriers...not so good.
Start out with a brisk walk to warm up.
Keep your runs relatively short unless there's plenty of water readily available--and then build up distances slowly.
Be sure to have a good leash and collar...there's nothing worse than seeing your dog slip out of it's collar and run away from you...toward traffic.
Speaking of traffic...if it can be helped, avoid busy roads. And you won't inhale all that exhaust.
Stay on a good surface. Avoid areas which may hurt your dog's paws...or that are littered with broken glass (big no no!). Keep an eye on them for injury.

Don't be surprised if YOU run and your dog walks briskly.
More tips can be found here, here and here.