She is an 18 month old border collie/labrador mix. If you know anything about those breeds, you know that between her age and her breed that she's riding the hot mess express. She's a bit....excitable, if you will.
I love this dog. I grew up with playful, collie type dogs and knew I wanted one for my kids when the time came. Growing up, however, we had a huge back yard. Here we have a fenced in patio, but its not enough for a herding breed to get the right amount of exercise. Because of this, we take her on a lot of walks which include a lot of stopping and leash pulling. She's getting better, but still has a ways to go.
On Monday evening, I decided to take her for a run - just to see how things went. To my surprise, she didn't do too badly! I went out for a short 20 minute jog and she only stopped twice to obsessively inspect a random piece of ground. I noticed that when we were on the side walk and she had a clear path, she was able to follow and stick with me. When we were on a wider path or going through a parking lot, however, I'd kind of lose her. She's also fast. Like, really fast. Like, too fast for me.
I did a little Googling on running and dogs and found these helpful links. I'd love to keep running with her (it makes me feel safer running alone in the evening) so hopefully with a little practice and training, we can get into a groove.
According to Runner's World and their dog running guide, labradors and border collies are some of the most obedient breeds when it comes to running. We'll see Runner's World. We'll see.
Things I learned running this week:
- My run = Penny's light jog
- The Pandora running station is great!
- I need somewhere secure to put my phone - I hate holding it.
- Avoid shiny pavement. At this time of year, its probably not just wet!
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