In a moment of madness, you agreed to do a serious race with friends in a few months. You’ll have to run over 5k and well, you’re not exactly the fittest you’ve ever been in your life. You are however, committed to doing it and you don’t want to let anyone down. To make training a little less dull, you want to take your canine companion along with you. He’s always full of energy anyway and you know he’d love the bonding time. Who knows, maybe this will become a long-term arrangement.
If you can train him to run 5k not only do you get fit, but you kill two birds with one stone, as you won’t have to walk him each day. A decent sized run is fantastic exercise for him. If he isn’t fit now, he will be soon enough!
Training your dog to run 5k is relatively straightforward, but there remain some hurdles to overcome. You’ll first have to gradually build up the distance to make sure you don’t leave him too exhausted. You’ll also need to use obedience commands to keep him running calmly at your side for 5k. You don’t want to be pulled in every which direction for the run, he needs to run in harmony alongside you. To do that, some tasty treats will also be needed to keep him motivated.
If he’s a puppy he should be capable of running 5k and he should also be receptive to training. You could see results in just a couple of weeks. If he’s older and not quite as athletic as he once was, you may need up to a month before you see consistent results. Succeed and you’ll have the ideal running partner to keep you company on long runs.
Before you get to work you’ll need to collect a few items. The most essential ingredient will be delicious treats. Alternatively, you can break his favorite food into small chunks.
You’ll also need a secure, short leash. If he’s big and strong you may also want to consider a body harness. This will increase your control and reduce the strain on his neck.
Apart from that, you’ll just need to set aside time to go for a long run every other day. Then just bring a positive attitude and you’re ready to begin!