Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 12:03:11 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I'm toying with walking 48 miles around Jersey for charity - is that mad?[/quote]

Not at all, go for it. But like all sporting endeavours, the more training you do, the more you'll enjoy it. Otherwise it will hurt. A lot.

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]3 peaks is something like 25 miles, but with a lot more up and down[/quote]

True, but the pain of long distance walking isn't related to your aerobic fitness, it is about using muscles and joints continuously for many hours. If you're not used to it, it can be excruciatingly painful during, but especially so afterwards. I know people who have been unable to climb stairs at all for a few days! (I loved the Yorkshire three peaks, but did it in the rain and fog so didn't get the benefit of the views that day.)

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Wren — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 08:42:52 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

I'm toying with walking 48 miles around Jersey for charity - is that mad?

(3 peaks is something like 25 miles, but with a lot more up and down)

[/quote]

Nope. You could try the Lyke Wake Walk as a warm up - your neck of the woods (sort of!) and traditionally done in a one-er. It's about 40 miles and fab.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Michael Woodhouse — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 23:41:43 GMT

I'm toying with walking 48 miles around Jersey for charity - is that mad?

(3 peaks is something like 25 miles, but with a lot more up and down)

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 23:34:51 GMT

[quote user="Utlendigur"]If the dog happily manages 20miles, it sounds like the sort of dog who would happily manage 100. [/quote]

Couldn't disagree more.

Anybody else here actually walked 100 miles non-stop?

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Utlendigur — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 23:07:13 GMT

As far as human training for long distances goes, I've done a few mountain marathons and ultramarathons, and for 35-40mile races, the longest runs I'd do beforehand would be 15-20miles. Once you get beyond a certain distance it's not really about fitness - more about eating small amounts regularly and matching your energy expenditure to intake (plus not getting so knackered you throw up) - and just being too bloody mindedly stubborn to give up. Probably the same things are relevant to dogs. If the dog happily manages 20miles, it sounds like the sort of dog who would happily manage 100. My first dog was the reason I started running silly distances - because once off the lead, he'd just keep running and I was expected to keep up until he ran out of summits. Another made it very clear he didn't enjoy it, and I didn't push him. The other thing I've found is, like Claudia says, they go at their own pace - on a short walk they'll tear around like mad probably covering 4-5x the distance I take, but on a long run/walk they just trot along the route. The owner's probably going to have to make sure the dog eats little and often, maybe take some protective boots in case of worn pads (having once carried a Jack Russell with sore paws most of the way up Glen Sligachan..not fun). I assume that it's in the UK so it should be possible to arrange for someone to pick up the dog if it did start to struggle since even in the wilder areas there are road crossings.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 22:56:44 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]But it won't really be continuous will it?[/quote]

Yep. It may seem unrealistic, but plenty of people (idiots) like me do long distance walking, without sleeping.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 22:54:05 GMT

No, they should be told that to take their dog is unacceptable.

I do long distance walking with my dog, and have built up distances over 5 years or so. My dog (border collie) did up to 37miles in any one day without too much difficulty (although the longest was a winter walk in the snow and she struggled for the last 5 miles or so). If the distance was spread over a few days then I'd say that, with appropriate training, it would be fine.

HOWEVER

I have also done a couple of 50s and one 100 mile continuous walk - and they are a completely different matter. For 100 miles you'll be walking continuously for at least 30 hours (I took 46 hours) and the bodily trauma and fatigue, not to mention sleep deprivation and difficulty in managing nutrition, makes the walking extremely tough. If you haven't covered that type of mileage, it is very hard to describe. I personally think that it would not be right to take a dog. Indeed, on the long organised walks I did, dogs were not allowed. There is usually approx a 30% failure rate on events like these and the organisers have enough to do looking after the humans, without worrying about their dogs too!

If the client does decide to take their dog,I would suggest noting that it is against your advice.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Utlendigur — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 22:16:20 GMT

[quote user="Claudia Niehoegen"]Ever experienced a cruciate rupture when the dog got stuck on a stile? Or a pericardial effusion 30 minutes from the nearest road? [/quote]

We did actually have a client whose dog became acutely dyspnoeic while they were up on the mountains. It had been picked up by the dog warden as a stray, possible RTA (but no obvious injuries other than a slight graze) 6 months previously. They adopted it from a local rescue - and it decided to chose the worst possible time for its undiscovered diaphragmatic rupture to become symptomatic. Etched on my memory as it was one of those typical 5minutes before closing at the branch surgery on a weekend cases - dog survived.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Rob Loxley — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:51:56 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]it takes some sort of contingency planning for a pericardial effusion[/quote]

just call the Helivets www.youtube.com/watch

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Claudia Niehoegen — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 21:04:05 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] cruciate rupture[/quote] [quote user="Martin Atkinson"]pericardial effusion [/quote]

Sorry if I didn't make that clear, it was just an anecdote. This is what happened to our dog, I didn't mean it is something an owner could or should prepare for. I was even caught out by a cut paw with the blood looking dramatic in snow. On longer walks I now have a first aid kit, but still no catheter to drain pericardial effusions...

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 14:18:50 GMT

[quote user="Claudia Niehoegen"] Ever experienced a cruciate rupture when the dog got stuck on a stile? Or a pericardial effusion 30 minutes from the nearest road?[/quote]I can see how the dog might rupture a ligament but it takes some sort of contingency planning for a pericardial effusion in a previously healthy dog. I'm not sure that would go in anyone's reasonable risk assessment or they would never go anywhere.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Claudia Niehoegen — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 23:11:37 GMT

[quote user="Claudia Niehoegen"] canters[/quote]

sorry, I meant trot

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Claudia Niehoegen — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 23:09:35 GMT

Our dogs easily run (!) 35 miles in a day on bike tours, and still have the energy to hunt a squirrel at the end of the day. That is spread out over 4-6 hours with numerous stops. They can do that for several consecutive days and would be able to walk 106 miles without problems. The important factor is that they are off the lead most of the time, finding their own rhythm. the 30kg Flatcoat prefers to gallop, the 20 kg WhippetxLab canters. I found that dogs on leads are far mor likely to have damaged pads. On a walk that would probably be not as important. And of course what others have said, plan B . Ever experienced a cruciate rupture when the dog got stuck on a stile? Or a pericardial effusion 30 minutes from the nearest road? It's great to have two healthy dogs at present!

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Dagmar Steele — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 22:28:42 GMT

As the others said, as long as the dog is trained enough I don't see a problem. It certainly will be over more than two days and if it does 20 miles normally it can do a bit more for some days I'm sure. Needs a plan B if something goes wrong of course.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 22:21:35 GMT

Seen some sore pads in dogs not used to long distances which could be a consideration depending on the terrain

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Anthony Dennison — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 13:34:01 GMT

Awaiting a call back from the owner to discuss it further. Dog normally does 20 miles a day routinely, age of the dog not given.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

KMurphy — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 12:49:24 GMT

I've known dogs to complete 50mile ultras but they need to be trained up to it just as we would. What kind of time are they planning on taking for this walk? It's going to be at least a couple of days if they're walking rather than running it, I would think. There will almost certainly be some breaks. Will they be stopping to sleep? Is it a hilly walk or easy trail?

Does the dog keep up on the training walks? What distance has he/she done before?

I wouldn't say absolutely not but I'd like to know the dog was fit for the adventure and that the owners were sensible enough to ensure the dog is adequately hydrated and fed and that they would have an escape plan for the dog if it couldn't go the distance. Dogs here do the West Highland Way in 5 days or so without any problems and it's only slightly shorter.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 12:48:25 GMT

When I did the Yorkshire 3 peaks there were a number of dogs doing it.

Depends on the dog, but no specific reason why not, unless 10 years old and creeky.

RE: Long distance dog walks - how far is too far?

Neil Wheadon — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 12:43:29 GMT

But it won't really be continuous will it?

We have a couple of friends who do ultra marathons. Last year we hired a YHA in the Gower, Dan ran there from Derbyshire but enjoyed the comfort of a bus shelter for a few hours and the coffee in McDonalds was OK.

Neil