Any ideas?

I run my dogs on a bike outside and 3/4 run at a trot but demon my boy runs 20 mph, he's a freak a nature soooo much drive you'll never stop him! and I love that BUT, The very first day when he turned 1 yr old I started mountian biking him (real training). After 4-5 miles I returned home and was like DANG, the cement that we had run on (side walk) had filed his nails down to the quick and he was bleeding pretty bad! so I bought some iditorad dog shoes (denier cordura 1000) and they work good except for that at about 7-9 miles into it they get worn down (rip) and his nails start to get filed down and I have to stop and walk home. His actual paw is fine but the cement just grinds his nails away fast because we go soo fast, and second they cost $10 a pair plus shipping so.... i'm really runninig out of money and he's just getting more excited to go out side, he isn't the same on the mill though I do also pull him and he's GREAT at that, spring, and regular walk, but the biking has been best for conditioning and helping aid his pulling so anyone else have this probelm and or solution nail protactor?/ pad gaurd? I just haven't taken him out biking in a couple days and just walked him- he really pulls me now and it sucks for me and him, he's ricky bobby-" just want to go fast" , for anyone that watched the movie, any kind of durable shoe? there aren't trails around either so??? NEED HELP PLEASE. any ideas?:o

 

Yah i got an idea stop running him so much, 9 miles is alot of running for him on top of all the other training you do with him . Start walking with him and you wont have any problems with his feet. You can even take him swimming that will burn his ass out.

 

thanks for the comment, I don't do it all at once, I do a variety of things to keep it fresh, and he's got insane wind why wouldn't I run him that much he started at 3-4 miles and worked his way up. I worked him 3 times a week 4 total rest days. On the training days we would work 2-3 hours, it's in his blood to work that's the way he was bred and why I got him. Any suggestions though? besides stoping

 

I agree with not running him so much. Also, try to run him on grass or sand instead of concrete. It's hard on their joints too.

 

Can't go on my bike on sand or grass, though I have a good bike. There isn't any, water near where he could swim either. I'll give some time for replies, hopefully some more knowlegable dogmen can help me out.

 

Crystal is right , very hard on the joints . Yeah he was bred to work but hes not a machine 9 miles is to long. How often do you work him out? There are so many things you can do with him , flirt poll will give him more than enough exercise and wont tear up his feet.

 

You said you cannot go on grass on your bike? Is it illegal or what? If it is due to the difficulty of biking on grass, heck, that can be used as additional drag. I wish I could tell you something else but running on cement WILL run his paws and claws. If you cannot do anything else, do you have hills? You might want to cut the distance and add the escalation.

 

There is a difference between conditioning and running a dog into the ground.
Running a dog at 20 MPH just because he can is not a good idea. Just because the dog physically stand up to the 9 mile runs doesn't mean you are not breaking down the joints. We as owners need to be the brains behind the dogs.

My suggestion is not do so much on concrete but like the other said sand, or grass. Coming from a performance dog back ground I would never do that much repetitive hard running on concrete. I think your dogs cardio is probably great but if you are looking to condition the dog and get a nice muscular look then handwalking on grass or sand would be a good substitute for half of your workout.

I am not saying you should stop working the dog it's just you don't want to ruin your dogs body before he is 3.
Slow your pace and downsize the miles you do with the running. I see people ruin dogs getting them ready for Agility, weight pull, or Schutzhund by over working them and causing structural problems.

 

Good Point Mite, Springpole Great Work Out And Play Tug-a-war With Him Swing Him Around


Also It Sounds Like U Got A Problem With The Running I Suggest Just Run Him On The Mill If He Looses Interest And Starts Slowin Down Incourage Him An Put Somthing In Front Of Him That He Will Go Crazy Over.

 

living in the country, i use "B" maintenence dirt roads and rum em behind my jeep. 20-25mph for maybe 4 miles daily, (just got back as a matter of fact) and Riot is a happy boy..plus i have a HUGE yard, so a little fetch w/ some big tree branches tops it off. i will swim him in a farm pond when summer rolls around. i had a treadmillmill in my basement when i lived in town, but i never got used.

 

nine miles is too much especially at the beginning of a keep. the dog can not take that much mork for ever. if you are conditioning a dog for a show or just to keep in in shape you should do it in cycles. take about a month to a month and a half off in between. as for the nails i no you want a solution but their really is not one he might have weak nails. i take my dog on the bike usually five days on two days and her nails are fine and ner pads are fine to and i have never used tough pad or anything

 

Yeah to me that is a bit extreme!!!!