[Getting ready]

Blueberry is pretty good at walking on a loose leash. We reinforce this by giving him treats when he is in the “magic zone” as we are walking. I would like to run or jog a little with him but I’m am not coordinated enough to give him treats and run at the same time. How do I teach this?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Our friend faced a similar dilemma when he started biking with his dog, but he found treats were unnecessary once she got into “the zone.” That brisk forward momentum is pretty powerful. Very different from walking.

He also improved their chances of success by sticking to minimally populated trails to start.

 

[Getting ready]

My brisk momentum is really not so brisk so he just tries to jump on me or run in front.

 

[Liz]

When rewarding heeling, you're really rewarding for being in the right position relative to your body. Even if you speed up or slow down, the dog should adjust his own speed to stay in the correct position. Once the dog realizes this, you should be able to move up to a jog or run with the dog remaining in position.

Some of the obedience folks here should be able to give you better exercises to work on.

 

[Oonapup]

I haven't started jogging with Oona yet except a tiny bit as part of our loose leash practice, and for short one minute bursts one freezing cold day when we had a long walk home and I followed her lead - we were both really cold and it helped reduce our time till home and also warmed us up. Like @PeggyTheParti says, the jogging was very engaging for Oona and it was almost like its own reward, and like @Liz said, she got that the game was to stay with me and that this was extra fun - kind of like adding distance into a game of puppy in the middle. The only catch is that when she was getting overtired or has just seen something exciting, the "stay with me" game can turn into jumping and biting if we are running.

 

[scooterscout99]

My vet suggested using a system like the "couch to 5K" with the dog, as they aren't used to this type of exercise. Maybe that will make it easier to reward the heel position.

 

[Oonapup]

My vet suggested using a system like the "couch to 5K" with the dog, as they aren't used to this type of exercise. Maybe that will make it easier to reward the heel position.

I'm sure I'll need that type of program anyway, or at least an easy ramp up, to get back to jogging for 30 mins!

 

[Newport]

I have given a lot of treat rewards to Violet in heel position while on walks. My mental game is envisioning a treat zone at my side, and when Violet is in this zone then her chances of getting a treat go way up. So I installed this programming into my brain about a year ago, lol, and I can report that these days Violet knows the zone. When she wants a treat I notice I have a dog hanging out in my "treat zone" aka heel position.

I use a rather large kibble (1 cm diameter) that she enjoys kronching between her molars. I discovered she liked this kibble by accident, and just keep it around as a treat option. It's size makes it so easy to poke into her mouth. We are becoming Olympic experts at treat transfers at a fast walk. I can feel her front teeth against my skin as she takes it gently but effectively. We do run sometimes, but at those times she seems less interested in treats.

So to answer your question about running and giving treats, I think finding the size treat that you can easily transfer to the dog is important. Then you just put it down there and its the dog's job to take it. Don't look.

A Charlie Bear treat is an example of an easy to give and easy to receive treat. Also they are light colored so they show up well on ground in case dog or human misses.

 

[For Want of Poodle]

I am trying to get Annie to run with me a bit. Admittedly, my stamina is non existent, and human running no longer triggers 'woohoo!!! nip her in the butt!' but may trigger 'run sideways and bark!' mode

Anyway, I am just using me continuing to run as a reward. Poodle runs ahead or, gasp, pulls? Human slows to a walk or, gasp, stops. Annie finds me running to be highly rewarding.

 

[Darling Darla]

My sister jogs with her pit bull and now a friends lab puppy. She ties them to her waist on a short leash. She doesn’t take both at the same time. The puppy is very excited to go at first until he gets into the rhythm of the jog.

 

[Getting ready]

I will have to try running itself as a reward. I hadn’t really pondered that because running is the opposite of a reward for me