Miles and Mutts is moving on up in more ways than one.  

First, the distance hounds have a new personal distance records.  Xena and Athena each ran 7 miles on the last group run.  They also easily found the treats left for them as well.  

Second, the dogs have a new ride to allow more dogs and runners to come to the group runs.  The initial ride over was a bit shaky but tired, happy dogs made for a pleasant and quiet ride back.  What a quick transformation with a bit of exercise.

Third, with room for more dogs, more dogs need tested out and added to the running pack.  We started this week with two strong, energetic boys.  Lucky and Rafiki were both handfuls to start but each found their magic of the mile spot during our test run.  With Lucky, it took about one mile and then he settled in pace right by my side.  Rafiki took a little longer but hit his stride as well.  Both enjoyed some loving post-run which was actually possible since they were calm and relaxed after their run.  

The adoptable running pack for the last two weeks:  Xena, Athena, Trinket, Allie, Jack and Zeus.

A great group to wrap up July.  Photos speak louder than words so enough talking.  Here are the dogs!

Doesn’t running with an adoptable dog from Better Days Animal League look like a good time?  Join us!

While working on some Miles and Mutts housekeeping, I realized the last post was 2 weeks ago!  Time flies…when you are having fun…or just really busy.

Last week’s run was unexpectedly cancelled at the last minute due the terrible heat wave.  At first, we thought just a walk would work but after feeling the temperatures at 5 AM, it just didn’t seem wise for our scheduled time a few hours later with the shelter dogs.

The week before, it was pretty hot as well so the run was low-key with some walking as well but Jazzy still seemed to enjoy it.

Lounging for the car ride.

In fact, I’ve never witnessed a dog who better mastered the popular run/walk method.  After running a couple miles out the trail, we turned around and headed back.  I decided to walk to make sure she did not overheat.  She hadn’t slowed her pace at all but it was pretty humid.  After a walk break, I started to jog again and suddenly she seemed to enjoy this method.  We slowed again to a walk.  Then, she looked back at me, started to run again as if to alert me that our walk interval was up.  I was game for running and we repeated the process.  Walk/Run for dogs, maybe it’ll become a trend.  🙂

We’ll try again this week and hope the heat stays away.  Want to join us?

The first dog that headed off shelter grounds for a Miles and Mutts run was Xena.  I knew Treeing Walker Coonhounds were bred to hunt and could cover some ground, but still did not know what the endurance level would be of a dog that spent most of her life in a kennel environment.  The first time we went for a run and covered five miles and knew we were no where near her limit.

The next week, I headed out with Xena’s sister, Athena.  Once again, it was a success (other than a bit of car sickness!).  We covered five miles and she could have gone further.

As the two sister’s have continued to go on more runs with some amazing volunteers, they continue to steal my heart.  They are both extremely sweet, gentle dogs.  They can probably run forever but once they get out some initial energy, they calm down too and their true personalities shine.

If any runners are looking for running partners who would never stand you up, be late and would always be eager to head out the front door for a few miles, these are your girls!

They are leading the pack in number of miles and it would be great if we could get them out even more often…of course, I’d really like to take them off the pack list and move them to retired from Miles and Mutts once they are adopted into a loving home.

They hit the trail again last week along with new addition to the running pack, Jazzy!

Interested in running, join us!

Running with a dog isn’t exactly rocket science but it can be a little frustrating and have a learning curve at first.  The good news is it’s very easy to train a dog to run by your side on leash.  Most pick it up quickly and will be running in perfect pace with you in no time, often improving their behavior on a leash for both walking and running.  Running is a task that forces the dogs to concentrate more than they would on a leisurely stroll.  This makes it easier for a higher energy dog to get into a zone while running over walking.

I’ve run and walked many, many dogs over the years and have tried virtually every kind of harness, collar, head collar, leash and waist belt manufactured.  Most of these products have their place in the market.  However, what I have found works the best for running with the majority of dogs is very simple – a 4 foot lead attached to a Martingale type collar.

4-Foot Leads

My absolute favorite 4-foot leads are those made by Lupine.  I purchased my first one somewhat by accident.  I was bringing home another dog and realized I didn’t have enough   leashes for all of the dogs in my house.  I was at a local store that did not stock a lot of supplies but they had a few Lupine products for sale.  I bought a leash and did not even realize that it was a 4-foot lead instead of the more typical 6-foot lead that you’ll find in most stores.  It quickly became my absolute favorite leash for a variety of reasons.

First, 4-foot is the perfect length for running.  It is short enough that you can keep the dogs by your side and not have too much slack to deal with.

Second, you’ll quickly discover the handle is much better than a standard leash handle.  It is slightly padded, fitting perfectly into your hand.  Additionally, it is connected to the lead with a metal connector.  This allows the handle to stay firmly in your hand while the leash still moves around a bit while you are moving and pumping your arms during running.

Third, the clasp is easy to connect to the collar D-rings.  The clasp is much sturdier and lasts longer than other brands.

Finally, the nylon holds up very well, even after many, many miles and plenty of rounds in the washing machine.  And, as they state, they are guaranteed (even if chewed).  A guarantee like that probably means they are pretty high quality!

Well loved lead on the bottom, brand new lead on the top.

Martingale Style Collars

Martingale style collars go by many names but the idea is simple.  The loop has a ring which attaches to the lead and tightens if the dog pulls or tries to back out of the collar.  They are not restrictive like a choke collar but tighten enough to allow for training the dogs not to pull.

Lupine makes a Combo collar which can be used as a training type collar (D-ring in the front of picture) or a regular collar (D-ring on the right).  For running, I always use the martingale loop.  It should be noted that these types of collars should not be left on dogs unattended due to the tightening feature of the looped section.

The Lupine collars are high quality just like the leads.  The only drawback with this style of collar is it is an over the head type.  This makes it a little more difficult to fit on the animal shelter dogs as opposed to those that also have a buckle.  The shelter dogs are usually quite excited and not overly patient to wait on the human’s ability to re-size the collar a couple of times before getting it right!

This type of collar is the only type that I’ve never had a dog be able to get out of in some way.  With virtually all other types of collars or harnesses, dogs who really want to try to get away from you to chase something usually can but I’ve never had it happen with this type of collar.  This is particularly important when running with the shelter dogs since they sometimes get spooked by something and try to get away.

Starting the Run

To start running with a shelter dog, I slowly move into a jog.  For the first quarter of a mile or so, I let the dogs go in which direction they want which often includes some zig-zagging.  If running with my own dogs, I discourage the zig-zagging and start them directly on my left side.  After the dogs start to figure out what we are doing, I begin to reel them in to my side.  To do so, I grip the lead about halfway down to encourage staying on my left.  Usually, they’ll fall into pace after practicing a few times and you can run with a slack lead.

If the dog gets distracted, usually it is easy to pull up on the leash and collar to redirect the dog straight ahead.

With a little experience on the dog’s part and a little patience on the human’s part, you’ll be running together harmoniously in no time.

Miles and Mutts has been using Lupine leads and Martingale style collars to run with the dogs.  Often, we were scrounging for enough supplies to make due for the day when multiple dogs were involved.

My previous stash that I guarded closely!

After contacting Lupine and talking with their incredible customer support, Miles and Mutts runners now has the appropriate collars and leads in the correct sizes.  Thank you Lupine!

Interested in running, join us!

Have you ever heard a conversation like this?

Person #1:  “What kind of dog is that?”

Person #2:  “We’re not really sure, she came from a shelter/rescue.  She’s some sort of mutt”

Person #1:  “Oh, shelters make me so sad.  I can’t go to them.  I just want to take all of them home with me”

Any time I hear this conversation, I want to do everything in my power to change the ‘stay away from shelters, they are sad places’ way of thought.  Yes, there are many animals in kennels looking for a home.  Yes, there are many heartbreaking stories.  Yes, the world is full of idiots who often do terrible things to innocent animals.  Yes, shelters are often over-extended and under-staffed.  However, if people stay away, then how does anything ever change?

It is easy to fall in love and want to take every animal home with you.  Is that realistic?  Of course not.  However, spending some time to help in any way possible is realistic.  If a dog gets to spend 15 minutes with a person on a walk, that is likely the best 15 minutes of the dog’s day.  Without the help, well, then, they might be sad places.

These look like pretty happy dogs and people to me.

This week, Trinket ran a little over 3 miles while Bandit, Athena and Xena all ran (with a few walk breaks for Bandit!) 5 miles during the scheduled weekend run.  Interested in running?  Click here for more information.  Interested in the stats on all the dogs running?  Click here!

What is better than taking a shelter dog for a run?  Taking several shelter dogs for a run!  This weekend, that’s what happened thanks to some wonderful volunteer runners who came out for a morning run.

Saturday, Xena hit the rail trail for a five mile run.  She didn’t even a break a pant.  Looks like she truly is a distance hound living up to her breed.

Sunday, it was our first full house.  Three amazing volunteers showed up to run with Trinket, Cricket and Abigale.  They ran three, four and five miles respectively.

Both days were cool mornings perfect for running.  Trinket remained calm, cool and collected like normal enjoying her morning exercise with a buddy.

Cricket enjoyed another morning run with a new friend, her third time out for a run in the past month.  Finally, Abigale was able to stretch her legs with a brisk 5 mile run falling into perfect pace during the second half.  She’s a natural runner and could easily go further as well!

Furry Fun Days was also kicking off in the park both days.  Running prior to the event, which benefited the attending shelters and rescues, provided a perfect opportunity to provide much needed exercise for some higher energy dogs.  The dogs were able to take part in the day to show off what great dogs they truly are in their search for the perfect home.

For more information on the dogs available for adoption, visit Better Days Animal League.  For more information on getting involved in the running, click here.  Also, keep in mind the Peace 4 Paws 5K on September 22, 2012 for you and your own dog.  The dogs hope to see you for a run soon.

It’s hot in central Pennsylvania this weekend.  As a general rule, we will not run with dogs when the temperature is 80 degrees or higher.  When the temperature is near that point, we may reduce the length of runs or intensity.  Dogs do not sweat through their skin like humans but cool themselves primarily through panting.  Therefore, dogs are susceptible to heat stroke and must be monitored to ensure they do not overheat.  Luckily the rail trail where we typically run is shaded and we are usually running in the early morning before the temperatures rise too high.

This weekend Abigale and Cricket from Better Days Animal League braved the warmer temperatures to hit the trail for a run.  These two pals get along great but it was also the first time we tried to run with more than one dog during one of the weekend runs.

Fairly quickly into our three mile run we decided both would do better if we ran with them individually so they were not trying to compete with each other.  Quickly after placing some distance between us, both dogs started to settle into the run and relaxed.

Cricket settled into her pace about half a mile into the three mile run and Abigale about the same, although a squirrel near the end seemed to break her focus a bit!  Cricket seems to tire before Abigale but both enjoyed their outing.  After our run, both dogs enjoyed the post-run love we gave them before heading back to the shelter where they’ll await their forever home.

A big thank you to Amy for coming out to run with us this week.  Abigale and Cricket appreciate it as well.  Interested in running?  Click here for more information, the dogs will love you for it!

Just like there are all kinds of runners, there are all kinds of dogs who can enjoy a run.  Not all dogs will be the type that are bouncing off the walls with a high energy level that needs released.  Some may enjoy the routine, a slower pace and the experience of exploring new scenery.

That would be the case with Trinket.  On Saturday’s run, Trinket was calm the entire ride over to the rail trail.  We started with a slow jog and she stayed right with me but never tried to pull or run in front of me.  We covered five miles but it was slow, with occasional breaks and walking.  She was easy to handle as other people passed, bikes rode by and a few other dog walkers passed us by.

I think I found a beginner runner dog.  Any beginning runners want a buddy?  Join us!

Something happened during a four mile run with Cricket on Saturday.  It may be difficult to explain it in words, but I’ll try.  I doubt Cricket even knows about this moment but it was quite special.

When I decided to try to turn this running with shelter dogs idea into a real program, I knew it was a good idea.  However, as with anything, there are always those moments where you question if it’s worth it.  Will it fail?  Is it feasible?  Should I just jump ship now?

Any tiny fraction of doubt I had lurking in the back of my mind was instantly erased during this moment Saturday morning.

It is worth it, every single second invested into making this work is worth it.

What happened?  It was the magic of the mile.

It happened a little under 2 miles into our run at the rail trail.  Runners may relate to magic of the mile.  It’s that sweet spot, that sense of euphoria and joy we yearn for.  The runner’s high.  Those moments where suddenly everything feels right in the world, we can solve life’s problems, release our stresses and relax.  That moment where we feel like we can run forever and our bodies move in effortless motion.

My run with Cricket started a little shaky but suddenly under two miles into it, I looked to my left and saw a focused dog moving in perfect pace beside me.  Her breathing was relaxed and for the first time of the morning, she seemed calm and at peace.  Cricket hit the magic of the mile.

When I picked Cricket up to take her to the rail trail, she hopped back and forth all over the car during our short drive.  She pawed at me.  She turned on the hazard lights with her paw during her attempt to touch every inch of the interior of the car.  I couldn’t be angry with her.  She’s a young, energetic dog who has spent too much time in an animal shelter setting without enough daily vigorous exercise.

We got to the rail trail and started walking.  She zig-zagged back and forth and each breath was labored since she was pulling and choking herself on the leash.  I started to jog.  A biker headed towards us so I stepped off the trail to let him pass and Cricket wanted to chase him.  Her energy seemed endless.

We continued on and she started to get into a rhythm but it wasn’t perfect.  We passed a few people and two dogs.  She did well with each but I wouldn’t say we were in complete harmony yet.

But, soon enough, it happened.  We hit that magic point.  I looked over at her focused intently on the task at hand, smiled to myself and continued on the path.  I knew we hit that magical point.

It was a muggy morning and around three miles, I could tell she was starting to tire a bit.  We slowed down and finished up the day with four miles.  That magic spot may not last long but it was enough.  It was a point she probably never would have reached on just a walk alone.

After getting some water and a few photos, it was time to head back to the shelter.

That dog that hopped all over the car for the ride to the rail trail?  This was her on the way back.  Calm, cool and collected the entire way.

Running with a shelter dog.  Worth it.  Adopting one.  Even more worth it.