# Roadworking



## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

How do you guys get started with this and at what age? Scout will be two end of next month, I plan on getting her hips done early May...and I would love to do some roadwork to practice good stride, build muscle, keep her fit. Although she's already pretty good from off-leash romps...


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

There was a thread on biking a few days ago that has some info...

But what I did last summer to play around with it is took the dogs one at a time, on a six foot leash with just the end of the leash between my hand and the bike handle and did slow at first then sped up then did random speeds. With both dogs they have a different stride and I went as fast as they seemed to want to go and built up the distance and time a bit here and there. I don't like the springer things with the harnesses and such as every picture I see the dog is pulling against the harness and not moving freely. 

As soon as the ice is mostly gone off the road here we'll likely start up again and work on it more. I didn't ever go to the point where the dogs were out of breath either, if they started to pant we stopped for a water break and then took it easy again.

As for getting started, just did the leash thing and taught them not to go in front of the bike - so was prepared for a sudden stop/crash the first little bit then they learned to watch the front tire and avoid it as well as turn if it turned. Used cue words like 'easy' for slowing down or turning into them and that was about it.


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## wakemup (Feb 6, 2011)

I also prefer to hold the leash lightly between my hand and the handle bars. I'd say Bender and I do things pretty much the same with the bike, but I keep my kids at an easy extended trot, no more than about 3-5 mph. It helps to have a speedometer/odometer to be consistent. I started at about 10 minutes with walking first and also walking to cool down afterward. My guys LOVE it!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I think it really depends on the dog. Some dogs (I suspect Scout is one) are just naturally muscular and really don't need roadwork.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I am so accident prone, lol, that I have to stick with hiking and letting them chase seagulls. Copley is 75 lbs of muscle right now, but I know the time may come I have to roadwork him. In that case, watch out neighborhood.


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## gabbys mom (Apr 23, 2008)

Oz and I were disaster prone on the bike - he kept hopping up to say hi to me- so we got one of those springer attachments- since then we've been doing a mile a couple of times a week. 

He was in pretty good shape anyway from field work and from walking our normal 5+ miles, but this is really starting to tighten him up.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Scout is in good shape--and fairly muscular now. I suspect this next year she's going to muscle up and fill out more. Part of the goal with the roadwork is not just keeping her physically active and tired (off leash walks do a good job) but to do some stride training. She moves well now, but I want her to have lots of practice moving at a nice straight trot. Isn't this what people who want to be competitive do? I know I've seen people do a lot of training to get the gait just right, especially to get a dog moving straight and not crabbing (Scout moves very straight--yay).


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

hmmm, if a dog is structurally sound they should move straight anyway....well, except for some dogs who are so used to heeling in the obedience ring they tend to move weird until they figure out that it's okay to stride out.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> hmmm, if a dog is structurally sound they should move straight anyway....well, except for some dogs who are so used to heeling in the obedience ring they tend to move weird until they figure out that it's okay to stride out.


I think so--but don't other factors come in? How the handler is holding the leash and moving the dog? I've been to conformation classes and seen the instructor work with dogs and teaching them to move straight and correct for crabbing.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Yes, I've seen that too, and I know what you're talking about. But if you watch a dog trot out in the yard, and they trot nice and straight and sound, then I'm not sure you need to do roadwork to make them trot nice and straight. Ring practice, maybe, in case you're doing something to make them gait funny (like the examples you gave) but not road work.


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