Hi, we’ve recently become dog-owners, and as our dog’s need for activity coincided with my own (dire!) need for physical exercise I decided to take him out running with me in the mornings. It’s been going quite well for those first few days, he (a Labrador Retriever) is running with me very willingly, stays on one side etc. and, sadly, outperforms me routinely at each slope …
We’re taking it easy for the time being as both him as well as myself are just getting into the running thing again (I ran my last marathon years ago and have almost doubled my weight since then, well at least it feels like that …), and because he’s just a puppy.
Having read up on the topic at a few web sites I just wanted to hear from other forumosans who are running with their dog(s); their experiences etc… Most of all I’m curious as to where you guys go running as virtually all the parks etc. I could think of in my area are forbidden for dogs …
[quote=“Xpet”]Hi, we’ve recently become dog-owners, and as our dog’s need for activity coincided with my own (dire!) need for physical exercise I decided to take him out running with me in the mornings. It’s been going quite well for those first few days, he (a Labrador Retriever) is running with me very willingly, stays on one side etc. and, sadly, outperforms me routinely at each slope …
We’re taking it easy for the time being as both him as well as myself are just getting into the running thing again (I ran my last marathon years ago and have almost doubled my weight since then, well at least it feels like that …), and because he’s just a puppy.
Having read up on the topic at a few web sites I just wanted to hear from other forumosans who are running with their dog(s); their experiences etc… Most of all I’m curious as to where you guys go running as virtually all the parks etc. I could think of in my area are forbidden for dogs …
Thanks, Xpet.[/quote]
Hey Xpet, your dog is still too young to be a jogging partner - it could have a bad effect on his bone development and possibly lead to problems in a few years. Pups need short bursts of exercise, followed by periods of rest. They’ll sleep a lot. If you’re running around with him, do it on a grassy place - it’ll be easier on the pads of his feet, and certainly on his joints. The bigger the dog, the more this applies. Don’t go running with him if it’s too hot - keep in mind that dogs can overheat by running on hot surfaces - the pads of their feet are normally used to cool their bodies, along with their nostrils/tongue, but this effect can be reversed if the surface they are running on is hot. Take your dog up to Qintiangang (擎天崗) on the top of Yangmingshan if you haven’t yet - I know it’s not too far from you, and your dog will love it - lots of wide open spaces for him to run around in.
Thanks guys! Yes, I’m aware that he shouldn’t be running too much as a puppy, we’ve been keeping it to appr. 15min with short stops in-between (as I say, I’m also just getting back into it, so this suits me just fine …), and so far he hasn’t even been panting once after we arrived back a the house. We run at 6:00am, before I have to go to work, so far no problem temperature wise … as I say, I’ve read a number of sites that discuss all these issues at length and am aware of the dos & don’ts.
Thanks for the tip re. Qintiangang, I am plannig to go there soon, but it’s not the right thing for a morning jogg on a work-day, unfortunately …
Bu Lai En, we always carry plastic bags with us when we take him out and practice poop & scoop (he poops, I scoop …). Still, you have to run slalom once out of the house as there are quite a few street dogs around our area that seem to have never heard of the proper etiquette regarding public defaecation, ts ts ts …
I sometimes walk or cycle along the path by the Danshui River with my collie-cross bitch Feifei. I do realise it’s too much for a dog to keep up with a bicycle over a long distance, so I keep the speed down, take breaks and I know where I can find water for the dog. Once we ran from Taibei Bridge out to the end of Shezi Peninsula, which is a bloody long way, and then ran/limped back home again. Anyone like to join me some time?
(Taibei Bridge is where Minquan West Road goes over the river to Sanchong. There is a riverside path on the Sanchong side, too.)
Thi is off topic, sort of, but does anybody know where I can get some info on honest, gentle or legitimate dog breeders?
I would like to buy a dog, but I looked in Jian tan and the conditions were miserable and the prices were, to say the least, laughable. About double what you would pay for a papered show dog in Canada.
Any info?
[quote=“why does it hurt when I p”]Thi is off topic, sort of, but does anybody know where I can get some info on honest, gentle or legitimate dog breeders?
I would like to buy a dog, but I looked in Jian tan and the conditions were miserable and the prices were, to say the least, laughable. About double what you would pay for a papered show dog in Canada.
Any info?[/quote]
Legitimate dog breeders in Taiwan? They don’t exist. Nobody tests for hereditary defects here, and when they do crop up, nobody makes any effort to stop dogs with defects from breeding. You might get a good dog, or you might get a dog whose hips fall apart after a couple of years. If you’re getting a dog in Taiwan, get a mutt. If you want a purebred, get one from New Zealand or Australia, from an accredited breeder. We did, and we have no regrets.
The park along the river by Panchiao (below the Hua-chang Bridge) is great for running with dogs. Unfortunately, my old girl likes it for about 10 minutes, then she wants to go home.
[quote=“Maoman”][quote=“why does it hurt when I p”]Thi is off topic, sort of, but does anybody know where I can get some info on honest, gentle or legitimate dog breeders?
I would like to buy a dog, but I looked in Jian tan and the conditions were miserable and the prices were, to say the least, laughable. About double what you would pay for a papered show dog in Canada.
Any info?[/quote]
Legitimate dog breeders in Taiwan? They don’t exist. Nobody tests for hereditary defects here, and when they do crop up, nobody makes any effort to stop dogs with defects from breeding. You might get a good dog, or you might get a dog whose hips fall apart after a couple of years. If you’re getting a dog in Taiwan, get a mutt. If you want a purebred, get one from New Zealand or Australia, from an accredited breeder. We did, and we have no regrets.[/quote]
I would concur with Maoman, although I have to confess that we took the gamble. As he’s only 4 months now anything might still happen, but at least right now he’s o.k.- according to our vet and our general impression … We got our labrador puppy from a “breeder” in Linkou, probably a similar place as you saw in Jiantan, I think they are more in the business of supplying “material” to the pet-shops rather than being interested in real breeding, but I fell in love with our dog and just couldn’t leave him there … They even gave us a so called “blood certificate” which shows his (alleged) family tree and certifies that he’s a purebred labrador, but interestingly enough we asked for the certificate about a week after we got our dog and it was supplied within a few days, without a blood test … so it’s probably not worth the paper it’s printed on, plus the issuing body (China Dog Lover Assoc.) is not recognized outside this country, just as all similar bodies that might exist here … As Moaman wrote, if you can afford it money & time-wise, go abroad and get your dog, I’m sure it would be safer; we just hope we picked a lucky little dog … !
Oh, and the prices at this place were about 25% of what the local shops in our neighbourhood were asking … if you want to take a look I can give you some directions, bearing in mind all the above …
By the way, our dog sat in some resin that dripped from a tree in our garden the other day and we can’t wash the stuff out of his fur, anybody have a tip how to get it out without using any strong chemicals etc. ?? Thanks, Xpet.
… quoting myself … just in case anybody was wondering about this: we got it out today after getting a tip to do it with peanut-butter (original application: getting chewing gum out of baby’s hair …), just kind of massaging the stuff out. I used olive oil 'cause I thought it might be a little less messy, and it worked like a charm … Xpet.
Thank you for the replies regarding the breeders in Taiwan. However, I was not clear as to my intentions. I do not want or care about having a pure breed dog. I am more interested in not paying retarded prices for fake pure breeds and more importantly looking for some one who actually cares about dogs or animals to buy from as opposed to the brutal pet mills I see.
I know there must be some places here. :help:
The only “breeders” in Taiwan, do so with purebred dogs - and they’re ALL puppy mills, AFIK. Nobody breeds mutts - they seem to come into being just fine on their own… If you want a dog, get a mutt. If you absolutely want a purebred dog, you have two choices: Buy one from a Taiwan “breeder” and take your chances health and temperment-wise. Or, bring in a dog from overseas (Mucho hassle, and not cheap).
[quote=“why does it hurt when I p”]I do not want or care about having a pure breed dog. I am more interested in not paying retarded prices for fake pure breeds and more importantly looking for some one who actually cares about dogs or animals to buy from as opposed to the brutal pet mills I see.
I know there must be some places here. :help:[/quote]
See We Want a Dog!
so it’s probably not worth the paper it’s printed on, plus the issuing body (China Dog Lover Assoc.) is not recognized outside this country, just as all similar bodies that might exist here … As Moaman wrote, if you can afford it money & time-wise, go abroad and get your dog, I’m sure it would be safer; we just hope we picked a lucky little dog … !
just in case anybody was wondering about this: we got it out today after getting a tip to do it with peanut-butter (original application: getting chewing gum out of baby’s hair …), just kind of massaging the stuff out. I used olive oil 'cause I thought it might be a little less messy, and it worked like a charm … Xpet.