22/11/2025
I get this question a lot. I want an Ausie because I want to jog with him/her. This is one of the best reads I have had regarding the topic
How To Run With Your Dog
This is a photo of my daughter and I with our dogs, Halo and Snap, in 2020. We'd had plans to run a half marathon that year, but Covid caused a lot of events to be canceled, including road races and dog events. So we decided we'd train for and run our own half marathon with our dogs. We called it the Snap and Halo Stay-At-Home Half (SAHSAHH). We got fit, had long talks, and our dogs were happy.
Sometimes I'm asked how to train a dog to run with you. Here are the basic steps to take and some things to consider.
First, you need a dog physically suited to the activity. Small, short-legged, pug-nosed, heavy-boned, heavily coated, or very large dogs might be fine for casual walks, but they aren't good choices for the physical demands of running. Generally speaking, sighthounds, herding, sporting, or working breeds or mixes thereof are better choices.
Secondly, your dog must be physically mature enough to begin regular training. I may begin some light, occasional running with my Aussies between 12 and 18 months (which is about when growth plates will close on my breed), but I don't run with them every day or for long distances at this stage. If you allowed a young dog to run in an open area, they'd cover a lot of ground all on their own, exploring and playing. So while they're certainly capable of running with you at this stage, just like young athletes, we don't want to push them too far too quickly. For even bigger dogs you might want to wait a little longer, as they'll mature even more slowly.
The other reason for waiting until then is so you've had sufficient time to train your dog adequately -- which brings me to my next point.
You can't, or rather shouldn't, start running with your dog until they can *walk* beside you on a *loose* leash. This means following commands. If you ask them to stop and sit so you can tie your shoes or take a drink of water, they should be able to do that. You cannot run with a dog that pulls you, barks at strange dogs or other passing people, or doesn't know where heel is. My dogs run in heel position (on my left) and are trained to 'switch' (to my right) when we come upon another dog so they're on the outside of me and away from the other dog; after we pass, they go back to heel.
If your dog still goes berserk when they see another dog or people, you can't run with your dog yet. It's likely to be disastrous. So use that time while they're growing up to go to obedience class, watch YouTube videos for additional training ideas, and socialize your dog. Socializing does not mean letting them go up to every dog or person they see. It means getting them out in new environments and teaching them the behaviors that you want, as well as those that you won't accept. A running dog must have impeccable leash manners.
What kind of equipment do you need? Please, no harnesses. Harnesses often encourage pulling and going ahead of you. You need a running dog to be at your side, where you can see each other and won't collide. A flat collar or cloth martingale is fine if your dog is extremely light on the leash, but most dogs benefit from a choker collar so you can lightly correct them if they stray out of heel. If your dog is still excitable (even mine will sometimes lunge at wildlife), then a prong collar might be in order, at least initially. I use a very fine chain martingale as a collar, attached to a skinny leash I can tuck into my waistband, but use whatever leash or collar works for you. I've tried 'running leashes' purchased from Amazon and they simply didn't work for me, as most were too bulky. Also, your dog probably won't appreciate a heavy leash snap swinging in its face, so keep that in mind.
Back to manners. Ideally, you want to be able to tuck the leash into your waistband or hold onto it lightly and have an enjoyable run. You don't want to be anxious about your dog yanking you off your feet because it saw a bird a hundred feet away.
Once you have a decently mannered dog and it's old enough, what then? The first concern is toughening up your dog's paw pads. I start with a half mile walk, a half mile jog, followed by another half mile walk. If you've ever followed the Couch to 5k training program or the Jack Daniels method of gradually increasing the number and length of your intervals, those will loosely apply here, too. I coached Cross Country runners for over ten years, but covering all that is way too much or this space. Suffice it to say that your dog needs to gradually condition to longer distances, just as you would.
I'd do that for 1-2 weeks, maybe 3-4X a week, then add another half mile jog at the end. Do that for 1-2 weeks, then do a half mile walk, mile jog, half mile walk. Next, half mile walk, mile jog, half mile walk, half mile jog, etc. Gradually, your half mile jogs will become a mile jog. Eventually, you'll drop the walks in between intervals. Finally, any walk at the beginning or end will just be a warmup or cooldown.
Also, I always give my dogs rest days. At most, they run five days per week. Usually, it's more like three or four.
How long you run with your dog, how frequently, or at what speed is going to be an individual choice, depending on your goals and your and your dog's abilities. Most of you are just running to stay fit. Some might aim to do road races and enjoy taking your dog along to train. Please don't just show up to any road race with your dog. Most do not permit dogs (check the rules on the flyer), but there are races and even competitive events specifically for running owners with dogs. I have actually done interval workouts with a dog at a more intense pace when I was training seriously for marathons, but these days we're just running to stay fit for health and agility, so it's almost all easy running.
Lastly, keep weather conditions in mind, primarily heat. I run on a shaded bike path, but once temperatures exceed mid 70s, I either leave my dog at home or we do a very short, very easy run. Or we just hike. Dogs can overheat just like humans. Plus, imagine running in your bare feet on hot asphalt. Ouch!
Halo's favorite phrases are 'go jumping', 'go running', and 'go walking', in that order. Hopefully, your dog will love running just as much as she does.
