running with dogs

[stumpygrip]

Hi its my first ever post so be gentle with me everyone!
About to become a proud dad to my first Rotti, so im going to be here asking loads of questions of you lot, here goes the first.
Has anyone experience of running with rottis?
Anyone got cats as well as a rotti?
Oh and hello everyone, glad to of found your forum!


and MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE yipee!!!

[greywolff]

keep in mind jordan is still in rehab to rebuild his muscles but i runn with him at least 3 times a week he can hang in for the first 3/4 of a mile and is getting better he can walk forever. and yes i have a cat to there starting to get along (a month later) but also jordan is 5 years old so i dont think he spent much time around cats when he was young if your getting a puppy you should be fine.

[Canadianrotti]

2 cats and a 1 year old rotti = lots of yelling "get the cats head out of your mouth!"

Our 1 cat is very passive (dumb), and she will let Raelin do just about anything, the other is a different story. She has claws and is not afraid to use them, so if the pup gets to close, she is told to bak off with a smack up side the nose.

We have worked very hard to get Raelin (the pup) to get along with the cats, but she has a VERY high prey drive, and I think it is as good as it will get.

I walk Raelin for about 1 hr every morning, and she could go for more I am sure. But we have built up our endurance over the past 12 months. We started with 20 min moderate paced walks 2-3 times a week and are now up to 1 hr 5 days a week, some times 2 x a day (and we walk at a near light jog pace).

I would go easy on a small pup, but once they are a little older, let them tell you how tired they are and go with that.

Oh, and by the way, welcome.

[KarinA]

I was always told that if you run too much with a young dog you run the risk of damaging their joints. I also take Dasso on long walks every morning. I have added in a couple of bursts of light running. We will continue to work this way adding to the time and distance of the run portion. Very soon, I hope, that I'll have my early morning running partner.

[dmoniz]

I have a rottie and 3 cats. He mostly ignores them, but every once in awhile tries to entice them to play. They growl and swat and he leaves them alone again.

[rotnhouse]

4 Rotties, 2 Kittyweilers! The cats were raised from 10 weeks old by my first Rottie, the other 3 dogs were pups when the were brought in to the house with the cats who were, by then, adults. Senior Rottie girl let the pups all know there would be no harassing the cats. They all sleep together.

[AdonisRotts]

Well we have very prey driven girl (Naya) and a male (Harley) who both adore our cat. But my cat acts more like a dog than a cat. She will go on walks with us around the farm (funny sight two humans, two dogs, and a cat trotting along beside). The Cat was actually a kitten when we acquired her and my dogs were adults. I have seen Naya pick our cat up and carry her around the house. The cat will sleep with them, they ALL clean each other, and Cookie (my cat) has been known to want to share her DINNER with them (meaning when she occassionally catches a mouse, YUCK!!!!) That isn't to say that she hasn't told one of them to get out of her face on occasion.
We also run and bike with our dogs. Most of the time it isn't easy, you have to adjust to each others pace. My husband runs every other day with Naya 2-5 miles. But I have a very active husband and a very athletic dog. You should never run with a puppy or adolescent dog, they should be mature, and always check with your vet first. I had my handler convince me once to run Harley when he was about 18 months old, and he wasn't mature. He said since I had hip and elbow prelims which were good then we should be alright. It was a huge mistake, and I fear that it may have permanently affected his joints. I would definitely never do that again, and always consult my vet first.
Hope that helps,
Jessica Peace-Urgelles

[stumpygrip]

Thanks everyone, its always good to hear not just what our vet has to say but hear from people who have been there and done it with a specific breed. We are hoping that the cats will stamp (well Paw) their authority on our new family member and are intending to try to let them higher up the pekkin order if we can.

[Carol Burke]

I have four adult Rotts and recently aquired a kitten. I introduced the kitten very slowly, keeping it in a dog crate and then an x-pen until the dogs got used to seeing the kitty. I have one dog who was not cat friendly at all, but she has finally come around. This morning she was lying in a crate, with the door open, the kitty is standing in front of the crate smacking the dog with her paw(no claws out). The dog is just looking at the kitty like "what is wrong with you, have you lost your mind?) It was pretty cute.

You don't want to run your dog until it is full grown. A good rule is no forced exercise until around two years old.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Julius turned two in November & Ryan has started running him & also biking with Jules using the Springer. We had prelim. x-rays done on his hips to make sure that everything looked okay before we started....


Brooke

[Bastianboy]

Welcome to the forum!!!! It's a great place to learn things. I do some jogging with Bastian too, not until he was about 1 or a bit older though. I too had heard that it could hinder development. I also waited until I knew I had pretty good control over him. DOn't want him taking your arms off when he sees something fun. I also have a cat. They are great friends. If she's sleeping, he goes and nuzzles her out of her spot, she harrasses him by running by fast and they'll play quick games of chase. She also LOVES wacking him as he runs by the couch. That would be one of her favorites. She came before him and I would say if the dog hasn't been around cats that's the way to do it. He was smaller than her when he came home.

[flyballmom]

I ran with my girl Charleigh but waited til she was over a year old to start. Even then, my idea of running kept her at just a brisk trot. I've introduced both a Rott and a Pit, as pups, to an adult cat. There is no way in H E Double Toothpicks I'd bring a kitten (or adult cat) into my home now. KK would NOT last long.