While driving the other day I observed a man riding his bike with his Irish Setter in tow.
As he rode his bike along the sidewalk his dog was in a full gallop on leash beside him.
A dog running on leash beside a biker is nothing new, but what was concerning me was this dog was in obvious physical distress trying to keep the pace of the man on the bike. And the man seemed oblivious to his dog's distress.
When I got home I got to thinking. Do some people think that dogs are athletic machines with countless stores of energy, capable of endless endurance?
It is true that dogs love exercise and are designed for physical activity regardless of their energy level -- but they are not fitness machines.
Even the most high-energy, fit and healthy dogs go through physiological changes in heart rate and body temperature when they are physically active. If these changes are not monitored a dog is capable of suffering from exercise induced collapse.
I think some of us take it for granted that our dog can keep up with us while we ride up and then race down a mountainside or set out on that 20-kilometre run. They have four legs after all!
But those four legs suffer the same aches and pains our two legs do.
A yearly check up with your vet will ensure your dog's joints and heart are healthy enough to keep up with a demanding pace, even if you are only a weekend warrior with your dog.
Once you get the vet's OK, take the time to get your dog in shape if it's not used to intense exercise and/or on the pudgy side.
The same routine for people applies to dogs. For example: five minutes of walking, then five minutes of running over a 30-minute period. Over a week, that ratio can increase, to five minutes of walking to 10 minutes of running intervals over a 45-minute period. This type of interval training is the best way to get your dog in shape without putting excessive strain on their heart and lungs.
The average resting heart rate for a dog is 60-100 beats per minute for large breeds and 100-140 for small breeds. Larger dogs have slower rates than small dogs, and dogs that are in good physical shape will have lower heart rates than dogs of similar age and size who are not physically fit. Puppies typically have higher heart rates, up to 180 beats per minute is normal up to one year of age.
But you don't need to carry a stethoscope with you on the trails, just be aware of your dog's behaviour while you are exercising to ensure they are not in exercise distress.
When dogs are active it is completely normal for them to pant. Panting serves two purposes. First, it keeps the body cool, as exercise raises a dog's body temperature -- Canine "normal" body temperature range is 100.5 -102.5 Fahrenheit (38 -39.2 Celsius). A body temperature below 100 or above 103F warrants a call to your veterinarian. Panting also brings large volumes of air into the lungs to ensure a dog has enough oxygen in its blood to fuel the muscles.
But panting is also a sign that your dog may be taxing his cardiovascular system beyond its healthy range of fitness level.
Just like humans, dogs need to train their bodies to be able to perform a physical activity. If your dog is not active, it will suffer the same aches, pains and strains on their heart -- and the rest of the body for that matter -- that an out-of-shape human will if he or she jumps on the weekend fitness bandwagon.
If a dogs is salivating heavily and their tongue looks swollen and wide, is pale in colour or deep red and is hanging off to the side of its mouth, this is a sure sign your dog needs to take a break.
Slow your pace so that your dog is able to walk, cool down and slow its heart rate down.
Before you take your dog on a marathon-sized run or mountain bike ride, please be sure they are fit enough to maintain the pace activities like these demand.
