Over the Labor Day weekend, we picked up a new addition to our family – Addie. You can see our current dog Meeka and Addie in the photo below. Meeka is six and Addie is about 18 weeks.

Today, as the three of us were walking, running (jogging),walking, stopping, walking, stopping, untangling, jogging, repeat…it came to me that I have a few personal rules about running with dogs. My top three, in no particular order:

1.  The workout is for and about the dog. What this means is that if the dog is looking tired, hot, cold or otherwise uncomfortable – the workout ends. Sometimes I take them home and finish my own workout and sometimes I call it quits too. 

2. When working with a pup, workouts are about good manners and obedience. When I have a new puppy, “runs” are really more about the pup learning where to be so I don’t step on her feet or she doesn’t cause both of us to end up in a pile on the ground. Working with two dogs adds extra challenge, as you can imagine.

3. I’m the boss. I decide:

                a) who can and cannot approach the dogs.

                b) where every human and fur-person is located during a run. 

                c) when it’s time to stop and smell something or eat crabgrass.

                d) it’s not okay to pull on the leash.

                g) nearly everything…