Road Walking

[colliejohn 840]

I do alot of road walking with my dogs, and i also take them running with me, three times a week, i,m lucky because my dogs are very steady and i don,t need leads for them, they just walk at the side of me on the roads, i find road walking beneficial, for dogs, it hardens the muscles up, keeps there nails down, and done at a brisk pace, helps abit with their fitness, i do anything from 6 to ten miles a day with my dogs, as well as them working, and mooching about, and they are certainly fit, and it keeps me fit to, and i enjoy it. regards collie john.

[Guest reload]

I live in the countryside, so don't bother doing much road walking at all.........whats the real point, nails? and the ease of using a bike? its not all that important is it??

I used to do allot of biking when getting a dog fit for long ears.

 

Personally if a dog is out everyday free running, jumping swimming, mooching for a few hours daily and lamped 3 times a week, they stay well fit enough.

[jedandlevo 8]

i do quite a lot of road walking as i live in a built up area with not as much greenery as i would like but for fitness i ride me bike and for muscle building i run me dog up sand dunes about 20 - 30 foot high should see how strong the front end of your dog gets after a few months of this intense training cant beat it

[Guest bigredbusa]

used to use a bike until the mutt saw a cat , so then changed to the motor 1 mile walk one mile jog etc..

 

athletes do not compete to get fit , they get fit first to compete .

[ratkilla 35]

When i was over in the states this season staying with Kye off here he had his running dogs real fit we'd trot the dogs behind his truck. One night we roaded them for 22 miles, his staghound had their toughs out after but nothing major atall but his saluki just jumped back into the truck after with her tounge still in her head still wanting more. After roading them 22 miles on the drive home we spotted some racoons on his permision so we droped the dogs and they ran a very nice sized field to get them by the time we got there the dogs had the coon dead and still their fitness showed.

I love a good mooch and bush to get out and get the dogs fit but after seeing the results of road work with Kyes running dogs i'd like to be able to do it here back home but the roads are to busy where i live.

[halfmoongh 0]

I have heard that the pace should be a walk for the dogs, not a trot.....so which is better for them if all you have access to at the time is you walking them on leash? Fast as you can walk, or slow so they walk. Reason given for walking pace for dogs was it works the same muscles as galloping does.

 

Rumor has it, many UK folks condition their dogs this way....enlighten me! Sometimes I can't get out into the fields and my dogs love going for walks. Just want to know the best pace to use.

 

Heather

++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

me & Gyp walk miles every day, on & off road. i keep a pony on a field in the next village, so we walk there & back, on the road mainly, or if we can go on the cross-field footpaths, we'll walk the road on the way there, and the paths on the way back. we've also got a nice quiet lane around the back of the village, so we walk round there, keeping on the lane to the end for a 3 mile walk, cutting back on the first footpath for a 2 mile walk, or the second for a 2 1/2 mile walk.

i love being out with the dog, i'm getting a tattoo on my wrist that says "I'd rather be walking the dog", cos come rain or shine, there's nothing i enjoy more

we're getting in training to walk the Peddars Way in June to raise money for a local charity

[Rocks 77]

I hunt almost everyday in the fall, winter and spring. When the crops are in I walk only twice a week and not very long as to let them come out of condition and get a little fat and lazy. come September it is short road work to get there feet and legs right, when they get over sore feet and muscles it is five to ten miles a day untill hunting hard. Then it is walks only when not hunted for more than a day. I only road work to get the feet right then the walks are all on hunting ground off leash in a pack so to tune there noses and excersice all there muscles and if game jumps it is fun to watch and compare the dogs against each other, also helps pecking order at home.

 

edited to say that the road work is behind a truck

Edited March 19, 2008 by Rocks

[Paul in North Lincs 15]

i must be the only one who finds road walking boring then she gets a little bit now and then 3-6 miles whenever i go but id much rather be out just mouching or walking the woods. the dogs cover a far greater distance that way and are using more muscle groups.

 

 

Im with you............... I get about all over out of season...just mooching and reccying new spots forthe next season...

 

and my dogs are fit........................

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

I don't drive, so I have to do it on foot - it's good for me as well as the dogs! I try to keep the pace steady and fast when we're on the roads. Mine don't work atm so I do everything I can to keep them fit. Lots of fields and woods near me too so they're running, jumping etc just about every day.

 

If I tried to ride a bike with my dogs beside me I'd be dead before I hit the top of the road: I'm rubbish on a bike

 

I also think that getting them onto the roads is good for them mentally. Getting the used to loud traffic, ambulances etc. helps to keep them steady I think.

[collie/grey 238]

Mine get an hours free running, mooching, playing about in the fields then an hours road walking everyday rain or shine, it's good for tightening up feet and muscle tone, also keeps the nails short. My dogs are buff!!!!

[Guest smashygadge]

yea lots of great awnswers but road work is road work basically building muscle and tightening of feet.

u can have a dog that walks on the tips off their feet or one that is flat footed which u find without roadwork.roadwork should be done at one pace to build muscle and gradually speed up over a space of months as when the dog is at a course or run it is burning muscle and will not build up threw running alone

[slip 1]

i really rate road walking id go on 1 hour to 3 hour walk daily pending how im pushed for time as it provides stamina in a dog a thoughns up their pads right tuff prevents noked toes as such!!what i do do is use a show slip collar on them an leave them pull like f**k i actually encourge it like a dog doing weights but when get in a field their is bno messin on the slip she nows this!! thats were the obedience training kicks in i feal it builds a right strong neck an a pair of back legs second to none power house

[Guest smashygadge]

i really rate road walking id go on 1 hour to 3 hour walk daily pending how im pushed for time as it provides stamina in a dog a thoughns up their pads right tuff prevents noked toes as such!!what i do do is use a show slip collar on them an leave them pull like f**k i actually encourge it like a dog doing weights but when get in a field their is bno messin on the slip she nows this!! thats were the obedience training kicks in i feal it builds a right strong neck an a pair of back legs second to none power house

 

i thats the one slip my dog takes me on road work and they are at a pace right for them and i agree with what u say as gaining muscle and keeping feet right

[halfmoongh 0]

Do you walk as fast as you can so they are trotting, or slow so they are walking? Sometimes I cannot do free running. 2 feet of snow with ice crust on top does more harm than good to feet and legs. It really rips them up. So we have to make do with leash walking.

 

Heather

 

i really rate road walking id go on 1 hour to 3 hour walk daily pending how im pushed for time as it provides stamina in a dog a thoughns up their pads right tuff prevents noked toes as such!!what i do do is use a show slip collar on them an leave them pull like f**k i actually encourge it like a dog doing weights but when get in a field their is bno messin on the slip she nows this!! thats were the obedience training kicks in i feal it builds a right strong neck an a pair of back legs second to none power house

 

i thats the one slip my dog takes me on road work and they are at a pace right for them and i agree with what u say as gaining muscle and keeping feet right

[skycat 6,173]

i must be the only one who finds road walking boring then she gets a little bit now and then 3-6 miles whenever i go but id much rather be out just mouching or walking the woods. the dogs cover a far greater distance that way and are using more muscle groups.

 

Your'e not the only one! I HATE road walking, or walking anywhere at all if I have to have the dogs on leads: does my head in, and no, they don't pull on the lead: I just find it dead boring: I'd sooner be watching them hunting. Biking them is OK but as so much of my biking has to be done off road that's a bit difficult in the winter in inches of mud! One reason that I don't mind the summer months too much: a good long bike ride off the beaten track along the bridleways is great and makes it interesting for the dogs too.