Author Archive
Product Review – The Buddy System
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I’ve never been a big fan of hands free leashes/waist running belts for running with Guinness. To be honest, the idea scared me – he’s strong and fast and I had visions of myself flying through the air after him, or having the world’s worst rope burn around my middle.
One of our forum readers (thanks Crankygoat!) mentioned in a thread that he used the Buddy System. I had a look and noticed they had a bungee attachment, aptly named the Lunge Buster, and I wondered if that would make any difference.
The only way to find out was to try one!
Pooch to 5k Meets Parkrun
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Parkruns are free timed 5k runs which are conducted by volunteers, and are held in many countries around the world. There are three parkruns in Australia, with a fourth on the cards for next year.
We’ve been trying to get along to a parkrun for a few weeks now, but work commitments and weather haven’t made it possible. Yesterday was the day!
The run was in New Farm Park, Brisbane, and the route followed the boardwalk along the riverbank. It was flat, and lots of people were out walking or cycling, enjoying the fine weather and the view. We were made to very welcome by the organisers; it’s always nice to see people relaxed about dogs joining in a fun run.
Foot Pad Injuries
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You can see the small injury to Sinner’s footpad on the photograph, I didn’t notice he had a problem until he started leaving little bloody footprints. It’s most likely that he stepped on a sharp rock or stick, or even a piece of glass.
What should you do if your dog has such an injury? In Sinner’s case, there was no foreign body sticking out so I chose to play the waiting game. I cleaned it thoroughly with dilute iodine, and I didn’t bandage it. I think a bandage would have lasted two seconds!
Post Surgical Care of your Running Dog
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Since Guinness has just been neutered, I thought I’d post a few thoughts on how to care for your running buddy after an elective operation such as neutering or a lump removal.
The hardest part is keeping your dog quiet to let them recover fully. They feel back to normal within a day or two of their operation, but they really shouldn’t run for a bit longer. The movement of the skin around the surgical site may make healing a little slower, and the increase in blood pressure may lead to a bit of bleeding.
Measuring Temperature
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I recently found some notes I’d taken earlier this year, about how hot Guinness became when I was running with him. How did you measure that, I hear you ask. Well, the only way to accurately take a dog’s temperature is rectally.
While we were running I stopped and took his rectal temperature every 5 minutes. He was less than impressed. I was a bit worried about people thinking I was weird, so I tried to do it behind a bush. I’m not sure this helped. What would you think if you saw someone behind a bush, having a close look at their dog’s bottom?
Cani-Cross
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I have been reading a bit about Cani-Cross lately, a great running dog sport that is popular in the United Kingdom.
Cani-cross is cross-country running with your dog for all breeds, any size, big or small. In the UK there are organized events and races for you and your dog(s) to run together.
The running can be done with a conventional collar and lead but it is easier for you and your dog if you use a cani-cross belt for you, a cani-cross harness for your dog and a cani-cross bungee elastic lead connecting you and your dog. The belt means that your arms can swing freely and naturally; the harness is attached to the dog’s powerful chest rather than its neck and the elasticity of the lead absorbs sudden surges by the dog.