One of the greatest joys of having a dog is being able to go on runs with your pup. Whether it’s a busy city sidewalk, a tranquil trail, or a wide open road, nothing beats running with your best friend. I’ve been slowly working up Kaipo on the miles. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to run with him every day of the week, so our long runs are mainly limited to the weekends. As a special treat I like to take him for long hikes in the woods as we lose ourselves among the trees. He loves it; I love it–it’s my perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
One of my biggest concerns with him is nutritional requirements. My goal is to work him up on the miles so that he can eventually accompany me for long runs up to 20 miles. But how do you feed a dog to run long? With humans, it’s rather easy. I know that I burn roughly 100 calories per mile, so on days I run long I up my calorie intake. And on weeks when my training is extra high, my body craves larger amounts of protein. But how does it work with dogs? Does he need extra fat, protein or carbs? How do I make sure I’m fueling my dog properly to be my lifetime running companion? So far, I’ve just been giving him a peanut-butter filled Kong on days we run long. But I realized that if I wanted to make sure I was giving him the right post-run treats, I’d need to do some research.
To get answers, let’s look at perhaps the greatest endurance dogs of all time, the sled dogs. At rest, a sled dog at the weight of my dog (56 lbs) burns approximately 1450 kcals/day. But while racing (up to 80 miles per day), these dogs can require up to 11,000 kcals/day. To put it in perspective, that’s about twice my caloric burn the day I race an Ironman.
Although it’s comfortable for us to always look at things from a human perspective, we can’t make direct comparisons between human metabolism and canine metabolism. Canine muscle is different from human muscle and contains different proportions of the various types of muscle fibers. In comparison to humans, canine muscle is better adapted to burning fat. Perhaps that explains why dogs fed a high fat diet (53-67% fat) could run more miles to exhaustion than dogs fed a lower fat diet (29%). If you look at most dog food, you will find relatively low fat composition (the brand I feed Kaipo, for example, has 16% fat). This is because the majority of pet dogs are not running high mileage; in fact, they’re lucky to get walked around the block. So, according to the results from the fat diet study, I should be supplementing my dog’s diet with some extra fat if I want to train him to run long. So it looks like the peanut butter filled Kong was the right decision after all!
Right now Kaipo’s running limit is around 7 miles and his hiking limit is around 10 miles. Once I start working him up in miles I’m definitely going to do even more research and consult with my vet. Remember, it’s just as important to pay attention to your dog’s nutrition as it is to pay attention to yours. Here’s to happy and healthy running partners!
Lisa
Interesting! I didn’t even think about this issue. My boyfriend and I are getting a dog (someday)–we can’t decide on a breed. I want a dog I can go running with and we both want a dog that will hike with us. There’s so much to learn about!
frayedlaces
I spent a long time researching breeds, but am beyond happy with my pound mutt. Good luck finding the right running partner: it’s unbelievably rewarding!
Jamie
Once Riley gets bigger. I’ll probably get a running pack for her. That way she can stash some goodies for both of us on long runs and hikes. Water and PB for her. Some gels for me.
frayedlaces
Yes I’ve been looking into those packs. Would be amazing for the trail. Good luck with Riley!
Craig
I always bump up Mitts food on days she runs with me or swims a lot; however, I’m grateful to learn of the increase in fat is a positive for her. Now my problem is convincing her to want to run with me. She seems to have entered into retirement at the age of 4. No noticeable change in her otherwise. I’m hoping it is just the winter weather she is taking issue with.
frayedlaces
Oh so sad! Hopefully Mitt will get spritely again!
EnduranceAddict
I agree – nothing beats a good long run with your best friend. I’ve got a golden retriever, and aside from increasing the amount of dog food given to him, I don’t pay much attention to his nutrition for runs. Never tried more than 18 miles with him, but I’m sure he would be up for a couple more! Especially in cool temps. Anything less than 8 isn’t even worth upping the nutrition for him.
frayedlaces
Glad to hear you’ve been running with your dog too! Maybe next time give him something fatty as a treat!
alett
What an informative post! You really did some great research, seriously. Nicely done
Paul
Usually, vets recommend that you don’t run with a pup. Depending on the size of the dog, there is significant risk to their hips and joints. Most people wait until the dog is 18+ months to really run with them. I’m not sure how old Kaipo is but might be something to ask your vet about.
frayedlaces
Ah yes you bring up a a good point which I forgot to mention. Kaipo is about 10 months, and my vet said that slowly working him up would be okay since he’s almost full grown. Definitely make sure you talk to your vet before you run with your Pup! Thanks for that tip, Paul!
Cinthia
I live in Alaska and run on trails used by sled dog teams, and most mushers supplement their dogs’ diets with fatty fish, such as king salmon. You can also buy fish oil to squirt over traditional dog food. My dog is now 13 but she used to run up to 15 miles with me (uphill mountain miles, which probably translates to about 20 flattish miles). I fed her steaks and dark chicken meat mixed with high protein dry food. I also carried extra food for her on runs, usually just dry food, since I didn’t want to attract bears with stinky jerky, hee, hee. Have fun running with Kaipo. I swear, there’s no better running companion than a dog.
frayedlaces
Thanks for those tips! I eat a lot of salmon, so maybe the next time I’ll cook a little extra for Kaipo! Nice to hear you were able to run far with your dog!
holisticguru
Great idea for a post! Coraline runs with both of us, sometimes up to 20+ miles. We have checked with our bet several times and she has suggested puppy food and increasing her calories. She’s a 4 year old shepherd/lab mix. I will definitely give her more peanut butter kongs after reading this. And I like the salmon suggestion as well! Canned salmon is cheap and could easily be added to her food.
frayedlaces
My friend, who has a dog that also runs up to 20 miles, saves the yolks from her eggs and fries those up for the dog. That’s a great (cheap) way to get fat and protein as well.