so if you are a reader of this blog, you know that my pets are my children… well today is kylie’s 4th birthday. my little puppy is all grown up!
chris and i bought our house in april 2006 (yes bad timing), and before we even bought our house we had gone to see a litter of newborn rottweiler puppies (chris wanted a rottie). we picked her out and the weekend we moved into our house, we went and picked her up. she was a tiny little baby then, only 6 weeks old, and only weighed 9lbs… now she is over 100! from day one, she was a very independent girl but such a lover. she was an "only dog child" for 4 weeks before we got emma.
if any of you have met kylie, you know she is the queen of wanting attention (as well as much bigger in person i keep hearing). she will not let you just sit there without you petting her or her giving you lots of kisses… she is definitely in your face, but in a good way. she is strong, protective and a big cuddly baby all at once. she thinks she is a tiny dog and tries to sit on my lap, and i of course let her. she has become a great runner and although she has her difficult moments, i always enjoy bringing her with me.
she hops around like a rabbit when she is excited (see video), she does the cutest "down" i have ever seen (see video), and to this day when she wags her "butt tail" i still think it’s the cutest thing ever. she likes to talk (also see video), and will actually tell you when she needs something.
i love this little puppy <3
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in honor of kylie’s birthday i wanted to repost some information i previously posted about running with your dogs as a reminder. spring is around the corner, so people are getting outside more, but it also means the temps will be increasing, and your dog will be warmer. be careful with your pups, be cautious, pay attention, and keep your dogs safe and healthy when they are with you. they can be the best running partners when trained correctly and taken care of!
i found this great article on runners world which helped answer some of my questions.
i had heard you should watch their mileage increase, just like humans do, so i pay close attention to how much i am taking them in total each week, plus how far is the furthest they have run. i take them on days when i am not worried about my pace so much, so i can go slower for them. they are getting better about not pulling hard at the beginning, but they still always want to start off too fast 
i started them off at about 2 miles each and have gradually increased up. kylie is up to 5 as her "long run", and emma just over 6. i have been taking them about 3 days a week and try to make one of those 2.5 miles or shorter right now.
some of the excerpts i got from the article that both helped me and help answer some of the questions above:
age:
Smith doesn’t recommend starting to run with a puppy until it is fully grown. "The age depends on the breed of the dog," she explains. "Bigger dogs mature more slowly, some not until 10 to 14 months. While you can start working many smaller dogs at six months, I wouldn’t start a large-breed dog until a year. Bones and cartilage are not mature until then."
increasing miles:
Start slowly, even with a young adult dog. Especially if you’ll be running on asphalt. A gradual increase in miles will toughen up your dog’s pads and make him or her less susceptible to injury. Sore pads are usually the biggest indicator that a dog has done too much too fast. Tenderness, raw spots and bleeding are reasons for your canine pal to take a few days off.
overheating:
Most importantly, you need to monitor your dog for overheating. Dogs do not sweat; they cool themselves by panting. "You definitely can kill your dog," says Smith. "And it happens fast." Warning signs that your dog might be in trouble include slowing down, an extremely lolling tongue, possible foaming at the mouth and glazed eyes. The dog may become weak and wobbly or even collapse.
this has happened to chris before, so we are both reallllllly careful to monitor them and make sure they aren’t overheating. i don’t take them if it’s too hot and i just bought a fold up bowl that i can attach to their leash and bring with me so they can get water during the run.If you suspect heat exhaustion, get to the closest source of water and immerse your dog. "You need to dunk them," says Smith. "Offering them water is great but is often not enough." If immersion isn’t possible, cool the dog’s abdomen with water.
feeding:
Smith also cautions against feeding a dog a large meal before running. "Some breeds, especially large breeds, are prone to gastric torsion," she explains. "Filled with food and gas from digesting carbohydrates, the stomach dilates and twists back on itself. The dog can die within 12 hours."But light snacks are okay, even good, if you’ll be running for more than an hour or two with your dog. Milkbones, granola bars and energy bars (except chocolate, which can cause heart attacks in dogs) make good munchies.
this was one thing i was really curious about. my dogs (especially emma) WANT their breakfast first thing. after reading this i am no longer feeding them until they get back, no matter how much i hear about it. i have milk bones or other snacks for them, and they need fuel on longer runs just like humans. plus then they get to refuel with their breakfast when they get home.
one important thing to remember is, like humans, every dog is different. kylie gets tired a lot faster than emma does, which is why she typically doesn’t go as far or as long. i just make sure to monitor them, to take a walk break if they need it, and to get them water or food when they need it too. i have had to stop and walk emma back home before because she was dragging and i could notice a drop in her energy and didn’t want her to push it. just make sure to pay attention because we want happy healthy safe dogs out there running with us!
happy birthday kylie!
oh and if that wasn’t enough cuteness for you check out the slideshow of pics i made on her 2nd birthday
Happy B'day Kylie. I know I've mentioned this before, but she looks a bit like my Bandit – he's a rotty cross, so that's why. We never run him more than 2 miles at a time.
OMG!! How cute is that pup!
awwwwwwwwww such adorable pics (as always!) happy birthday kylie!!
Kylie is a cutie! My dog Connor used to run with me (I posted on this a few months back) and can't anymore. He's 11 now and just not up to it. I miss him as a running partner.
Happy birthday Kylie!
Awwww what a cutie!
I actually ran with Zoey for part of my run last night and was thinking what it would be like to run with a larger dog (and maybe one that didn't pull soooooo much).
Happy birthday Kylie!
She's so sweet. I swear she was smiling when you told her Happy Birthday
!
Happy birthday Kylie!! Your pups are so cute.
What a cutie! Thanks for all the great info, I really want to start taking my 6 year old lab on runs but I'm going to have to start out real slow because she's kinda lazy.
Kylie is adorable – Happy Birthday! These are great tips! I too run with my dog (Dash), my old dog ran up to 18 miles with me during marathon training (he prob could have gone further, but as warm weather approaches, I drop their mileage) you def have to watch them to see how they handle the mileage/heat. Just like people, not all dogs love long runs! Pick a looped route that if the dog starts to have problems, you can drop them at home and then continue your run! I agree not to start running with them until 12 months, but when they are puppies, get them used to jogging by your side for little sprints during your walks. It really makes a difference when they are older, they quickly learn the diff between a run and a walk. Happy runnings Kylie and Emma!
awww! she is sooo cute aron! Happy Birthday Kylie!!
I love Kylie! Happy Birthday!
Excellent tips and always a good reminder since, just as you said, spring and summer are almost here.
I love being an Auntie to your dogs – they are so sweet and cute and I can tell they love their momma. You take really great care of them and I love when pets are valued like this. Pets deserve so much love. ♥
Happy Birthday Kylie!!! I love having my dog. She is a big Golden Retriever lap dog
AW she is such a sweetie! Love it! Happy Birthday Kylie!
yea for our pets!! they are the best members of the family.
she looks like she's smiling in that one picture. such a cutie.
Yay, happy birthday Kylie! I was so glad to meet her last weekend.
Happy birthday Kylie!
Great info, Aron, and happy birthday Kylie!
Happy Birthday Kylie!!
Man, I soooooo wish I could have a dog, esp. having been nearly attacked twice while out running
Run safe!
AWWWWWWWWWWWW…I'm about to die of cute over here. Happy birthday, Kylie!
Both your dogs are SO CUTE. I can't wait till me and Eric get a house and can get dogs. We both want a boxer and I also want a lab! I LOVE the look of rotties too though. So cute.
My mom's dog, Murphy, is a golden lab (he looks a lot like Emma!) and I run with him whenever I go home. He's always SO gung-ho to run at the beginning and yanking at our leash, but by the end of the run he's lagging behind me. Haha. Unfortunately my mom doesn't run so he's only used to running with me when I go home. I've never taken him further then 4 miles, though!
Happy Birthday Kylie!!
Happy Birthday, Kylie!!
SO SO cute!! But I bet during dark-hour runs she looks like a tough bodyguard for you
Happy birthday to Kylie!
Happy Birthday!
And thanks for the running with dogs information. I run with Buttercup a lot and her furthest run is 5 miles.
Happy Bday Kyle girl! Be good on your leash and don't give your mom too much trouble!
<3
Happy Birthday Kylie! Oh it's posts like this that make me really want to get a puppy!
She is adorable!! I love big dogs that think they are little. LOL
Great tips on running with our pups. Especially about not feeding them beforehand. I worked at a pet clinic and torsion is a horrible thing to deal with, but so easy to prevent.
Happy Bday to your sweet Kylie!
What a cute doggie! Happy 4th Kylie!
Happy Birthday Kylie! Those are great tips for running with a dog…my husband and I are thinking about getting a Wheaten (so cute!) soon. We'll definitely need this advice when we get one.
Such a cute post…and Kylie is adorable. I enjoyed the video a lot…she is so eager to do what you tell her to do. Happy birthday, Kylie!
Awesome pics of the girls <3 Happy birthday!!!
What a cutie! Happy Birthday Kylie!
I run with my husky all of the time. She is the best training partner. She never turns done a run!
She was such an adorable puppy! Happy bday Kylie!
Awww, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLIE!! I am glad I am not the only one who celebrates my dog's birthdays.
We bought our place in 2006 too and at the time I thought we were getting an awesome deal. *sigh* It is because of that house I am still stuck in Sacramento now.
happy belated b-day kylie! i love her. my fam's rottweiler rabbit-jumps like that too lol. it is too cute. they are definitely lovable dogs – i hate the 'scary'/mean vibe people give them.
Thanks for shariing that info! I took Daisy for her first run last weekend. She's six months old and a very small (6.5 lbs) shihtzu bichon cross. I was hoping for three miles and we made it to just about 1.7. We took breaks when she needed them but we called it quits by lying down.
I had been running at a park adjacent to our home so I
picked her up and carried her home. Next time I'll bring water. And now I'm starting to think maybe it's too long for her…..especially with her tiny legs!!!
Mmmmm……
And Happy Birthday Kylie!!!! I now know what it's like to completely love a dog and I couldn't imagine life without one!
ssssssssooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo CUTE!!!! ♥♥♥
Thanks for the link about running with your dog…I took mine on his first run today. Just a mile, but watching him enjoy it made it worth it. Thanks again!