yea I'm a nerd). I have a pacer and something to keep me occupied while I run and Hoot gets some exercise and gets to check out the neighborhood. All in all it's a pretty good deal for the both of us. That's not to say that it hasn't been without it's challenges... I quickly learned that I couldn't use our black extendable leash for runs because I got tired of pressing down the lock button, but when I permanently locked it I couldn't quickly adjust the length of the least. Maybe my thumbs just aren't dexterous enough, but I struggled shortening the leash when we had to pass another runner or wait at a light. Instead, I took Hoot's short orange leash and that's made things easier on the both of us (although I still get jerked occasionally when he spots a bird). We also had to work on running together to avoid the awkward hopping on one foot because Hoot decided to stop and smell something. It still happens on occasion, but for the most part I just have to say "let's go" or cluck at him like I used to do my horses and it keeps him moving forward.
Of course there are times when that doesn't work because he has to go to the bathroom, or he spots a bird or just absolutely needs to smell that plant and you just have to go with it. I've also learned that we do better running in the morning. Hoot's not as big of a morning person as I am (notice the yawn) and it makes him a little bit
more manageable on our runs ie not sprinting for 3 miles straight. How sad is it that even when he's not fully awake he is still faster than me? When we run and I start lagging behind he has this habit of looking back at me just to make sure I'm still there. It's just his way of saying "Hey lady let's move it!"The morning runs have another added perk because Hoot always goes home and takes a nap afterwards, whether we've run a mile or 3. This is great on work days when we have to put him in his kennel while the BF and I are working. Of course none of this happens before he gets his favorite post run treat, an ice cube. I tried to take a picture of that this morning, but he just gets too excited and it turned out to be a big blur of white and black fur!
I haven't taken him on any runs longer than 3 miles yet, but in the next month or so I'll bring him along for some of my 4-6 miles runs. I have no doubt in my mind that he has better endurance than me and will have no problem on those longer runs. Plus for him it's good practice for hunting season when he will be up in mountains searching for pheasants all day long (setters are excellent bird dogs).
Here's the little guy after this morning's run, getting ready to go back to bed (apologies for the poor picture quality, it was with my iPhone).
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