Guest limbrooke83 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 My greyhound, DeeDee, LOVES to run (don't they all? ). She's still young enough that she seems to have energy to burn each day, but we don't have a fenced in yard for her to run in. We've been taking her to dog parks (under close supervision), and she really seems to enjoy socializing with the other dogs (and their owners!) and running around if she can find someone to run with her. Last night we found a great running partner for her. He's a 1 year old Australian Shepherd mix, and boy is he fast! Not as fast as DeeDee, of course, but fast enough to really get her going. DeeDee doesn't really have a desire to be ahead of other dogs when running - she's just content to hang out and run alongside the other dogs (hmm... maybe that's why she wasn't a top racer! Lol!). What she tends to do is match her pace to the other dog's, then slow down a bit to let it get ahead of her so she can have a speed burst to quickly catch up and run alongside again for awhile. Seeing her play and run with the Australian Shepherd mix last night was a thing of sheer beauty. :wub: My question is this: I heard the other dog goes there every night at the same time, and plan on bringing DeeDee there regularly at that time to run with him. However, I'm aware that a greyhound running all-out (like during her speed bursts to catch up after letting a dog get ahead of her) is a very exhausting, demanding thing on the body. Is there such a thing as letting a greyhound do that too often? Would doing it every evening be too much? I heard they only race once every 4 days at the track, so I'm wondering if we need to do a maximum of every other day... I should add that DeeDee will lay down, even at the dog park, if she wants to rest. She tends to alternate walking around/running/playing with periods of laying down to catch her breath, but I don't want to leave the decision of when to quit entirely up to her - she is, after all, a greyhound. Also, I'm wondering if it's common for greyhounds to get muscle cramps while running. DeeDee has gotten what appears to be muscle cramps a couple of times since I adopted her several months ago. It's not a common occurrence, but I've noticed when it does happen it's usually in one of her back legs while running. She doesn't yelp or anything - I'll just notice she suddenly stops running and holds one of her legs up, refusing to walk on it. I rub it awhile, and within a few minutes she's good as new. This happened last night, and while she was laying down resting her leg her running mate came over and sniffed her, then, having seemed to communicate with her, he sat himself down in a definite sign of guarding his friend so the other running dogs didn't trample her. Believe me - he wasn't tired - he just wanted to protect his friend. He even laid down with her for awhile until she was able to get back up again. Is there something I can add to her diet if she's going to be running more often? How about something to prevent muscle cramps? It's obvious she really, really enjoys her time running at the park, and I'm so happy she's found someone to run with! I just need to know how often and if I should change anything in her diet now that she'll likely be running all-out a bit more frequently than before... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreysAndMoreGreys Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 If she is running really hard then yes I would avoid going every day and allowing her to run that much. Every other day is a good idea and just see how she does on her day's off. If she is seeming sore then maybe once every couple days. Or you can take her daily and just limit the amount of time. But it does sound like she's doing pretty good at self regulating herself For the muscle craps you can add in a banana to her food, the potassium in the banana helps with muscle cramps and rubbing the muscle when she does cramp up is the perfect thing to do, so kudos there on knowing how to handle that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest longdoglady Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Once I mentioned to friends and neighbours that I have a greyhound who loves and needs bananas I ended up with a steady free supply. All those slightly overripe bananas no one wanted found a home. Maybe the banana fairy will visit your house too. DeeDee sounds as though she has found her perfect playmate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest limbrooke83 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Thanks! About the bananas - how much should I give her? One a day? Does it need to be with her food or is it okay to use as a treat mid-day? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahicks51 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Be on the lookout for what looks like blood in the urine; rhabdomyolysis is a very real risk in any athlete that is driven to extremes. The muscle tissue is broken down, with the myoglobin released in the urine. Very scary, but not necessarily a grave sign in itself- just a sign the animal is overdoing it. Quote Coco (Maze Cocodrillo) Minerva (Kid's Snipper) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 When I was in the military and was into weigh-lifting, I would be sure to eat 1 bannana before my workout, and 1 after the workout. I would think you could do the same. Its not like too many bannanas are bad for a dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DashDad Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Dash (~4 1/2 years old) runs a few laps in the back yard almost every day. It's probably less distance each day than a race at the track, and I'm not sure if he's running full-speed - though it looks like it to me - but when he comes back in, he's thoroughly winded (and seems to be very happy). We neither encourage nor discourage this - he decides if/when he sprints - so I assume his body will tell him if he's doing too much. He does this on top of walking 2-3 miles per day. Might be a little different if there's another dog who wants him to run, but I'm still inclined to think this will be self-regulating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysmom Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 We have a large fenced yard and our greys run when they feel like it or not. They usually have a nice play session everyday of running an wrestling, playing tag, and digging. About 25 minutes and they're all laying in the dirt or the pool - usually the dirt *after* the pool - cooling off. About every three or four days they will really RUN. They've improvised a track and will have about a thirty or 45 second race with each other. Then they won't do it again for several days - just like their former racing/training schedule. If your girl is younger and/or fresh off the track she may want to run more often - or not. Also if she's showing signs of any separation anxiety or bored detructive behavior you should get her more regular exercise - a tired dog is a happy dog. Who also has a happy owner due to the fact that the dog is sleeping instead of causing trouble! I wouldn't worry about her running too much unless she seems sore OR overly tired and slow to recover after her sessions in the dog park. She;ll self-regulate when she's feeling tired. As far as the bananas, mine LOVE them! In the hot weather I freeze them in bite size pieces for a treat, in cold weather they get them mashed on their kibble. They each probably get a half a banana once or twice a week. greysmom Quote Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora) siggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FullMetalFrank Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 (edited) Another good source of potassium is blackstrap molasses; my girl won't eat bananas but she will glady take a tablespoon of molasses! Also, keep an eye on your girl's pads; with the dry grass this time of year they can get pretty torn up. If they get raw, you'll need to let them heal before she runs again. Edited September 10, 2009 by FullMetalFrank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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