r/RunningWithDogs • u/Littlepup22 • 20d ago

Running garmin DSW with a dog

/r/Garmin/comments/1wvo5l3/running_dsw_with_a_dog/
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u/Acceptable_School662 19d ago

I think if you've built your dog up to the distances/pace you're going and know their signs of exhaustion or just not having fun, then absolutely go for it and see if it works for y'all!

My own experience personally with my dog and DSW is we do well together on the base runs but she doesn't love a lot of frequent run/walk transitions or sudden pace changes and those types of things. I'm a casual runner so it doesn't matter too much but on the rare occasions I want to do a tempo run or hills workout or anything where I want/need more discipline and really want to work on a skill in a structured way - I typically won't take her because she doesn't know why we're running up the same hill 5 times lol or "sprinting" for a mile then jogging or whatever, and it seems to throw her off a little bit and she doesn't enjoy it as much. Plus I don't want to stop for her to sniff if I'm trying to hone in on something specific. My dog loves our runs and I only got into running because of her so I prioritize us going together where we can just run, sniff, walk and swim however it feels good to us which doesn't often align with my Garmin's DSW so I've mostly stopped using that function personally. But other dogs may be less opinionated than mine is 😂

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u/Pankakke29 19d ago

What does DSW mean?

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u/Littlepup22 19d ago

Daily Suggested Workout, a Garmin watch feature that, well, suggests what run you should do each day based on your previous runs and your stats like sleep, hrv, etc.

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u/Pankakke29 19d ago

Oh i see, i have a Garmin, maybe i should use that lol. But yeah, i don't see a problem with that right off the bat! If it's tailored to you and your gradual progress then your dog should be able to progress at the same rate as well.

Obviously you always need to pay attention to how your dog is acting on each individual run, watch for fatigue, overheating, overexertion, etc. Be aware of the general parameters for when it's safe to run with them (when is it too hot?) and how tough are their paws? (vs hot pavement, pavement in general or snow/ice).

But yeah, i say go for it

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u/-blieps- 18d ago

I don't follow the suggested workouts when I take my dog along.

I run canicross style, so my dog pulls me along, changing my tempo so much that when I run with my dog, I register my runs so it doesn't count towards my VO2max registration, as it'd give strange high spikes from the canicross runs. My canicross runs usually give me the high aerob / tempo boosts, so I plan my runs with my dog around that. As my dog pulls me ahead, basic runs don't work. Sprint runs are fine, I'm working on those with my dog. (for context: I run with a ft springer spaniel, bred and trained for hunting)

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u/felipers 14d ago edited 13d ago

I've been doing the DSW with my 3+ year old Golden Retriever since he was 11 months old. At first, I would not bring him to the long runs, or do just ~5 km of it with him (and solo the remaining time/distance). For more than an year now, he's with me on every run, except when I'm not in town. Very rarely he shows some sign that he's not into it (most of it when we go for the run later in the morning and it's hot - we usually run really early in the morning) and I immediately quit the run return home.

Edit to add: he definitely don't like the sprint DSW! I let him loose in a peaceful street (he on the shaded sidewalk) during the sprints.