Running Corgi Update

I thought I'd give everyone an update on the running corgi (Jasper) and his sidekick Merlin.

Its been an exceptionally cold winter here in the Tragic Kingdom. That meant the corgis were able to do more training with me than in a typical year. We finished up the year (its getting too hot for them to run now) with both Merlin and Jasper making it up to 7 miles before they tire out. My former dog training instructor told me corgis can't handle running more than a few hundred yards at a time and making them run any further distance would be cruel and cause arthritis and other injuries later in life. I have to wonder about that advice. These guys get so excited about doing these runs. and they don't want to stop until I do (I would never force my corgis to run further than they want to). Plus, other than some post-run stiffness, they don't exhibit any ill effects.

As you can see from the photo, the trail I primarily train on is asphalt. This surface has caused some unexpected issues. The asphalt seems to rub the corgi's foot pads raw and ground their nails down to the quick. In fact, the asphalt grinds the nails so well that I haven't had to have either of their nails trimmed since marathon season started. I know this must sound painful for the dogs, but they never slow down, limp or show any signs of pain. Still, its not a good situation and I'm trying to find some booties or other alternative for protecting their feet. I know running on dirt or grass would be better, but I haven't found any good alternatives locations yet (see reasons below) Reader suggestions are welcome!

Last year, Jasper was a strong runner. In fact, he could actually outrun me for the first mile. This year, he seems to be slowing down a bit and getting into the groove. However, Merlin is turning into a little speed demon. I also started shifting my training from run-walk to straight runs. The corgis have had some trouble adjusting to straight runs. They can make it a couple miles on a strait run but then need the walk breaks after that. The optimal run-walk ratio for them seems to be a 1-1 or 2-1. We will see what happens as they build up their endurance.

Another thing I tried this season was letting them run with me off leash. They actually ran much better off than on leash. Both kept to my side or slightly behind me and they ran further before shifting to run-walk. When I run with them together on leash, Merlin always tries to be the "sled dog leader" and pulls quite hard. I would love to do more off leash runs with them, but the park I train in gets lots of bicycle traffic and the riders get pretty angry when they see unleashed dogs. We do have some other natural areas around here with trails and old logging roads, but they are all overrun with hunters during the dry, cool, non-buggy times of year.

So things are winding down this running season. I'm thinking of entering one or both corgis in a dog-friendly 5K next year. I want to learn more about running with corgis and sharing that knowledge with others. Who knows, I might even start a "running corgi" blog

Jasper (left) and Merlin (right) get a bath