Do dogs need to eat during long runs? And if they do, then what should they be given? And how much? And at what intervals? With or without water?
I've been wondering about these things and haven't been able to find any conclusive statements. By 'long run' I mean above three and up to eight hours, at a pace the dog would consider very slow. I'd appreciate any input and/or tips on forums/articles where I could get some useful info.
For the record, I'm asking specifically about my small (15lb) Spaniel/Dachshund mix. She's a tremendous runner (see my blog) and has gone three and half hours with me like it was nothing. On that kind of run, I do bring some snacks along for her, but I've been told that dogs shouldn't do any activities with food in the stomach because it can cause the stomach to flop around and can become dangerous.
But then someone else told me that that only applies to larger breeds... so now I'm a little insecure on the matter.
Also, the reason I'm getting interested now is because I'm thinking about taking her for the entire 45m run at the Ultra I'm signed up for in May. Last year, she only accompanied me for the final 20km or so, and it was like a sprint for her.
I've been wondering about these things and haven't been able to find any conclusive statements. By 'long run' I mean above three and up to eight hours, at a pace the dog would consider very slow. I'd appreciate any input and/or tips on forums/articles where I could get some useful info.
For the record, I'm asking specifically about my small (15lb) Spaniel/Dachshund mix. She's a tremendous runner (see my blog) and has gone three and half hours with me like it was nothing. On that kind of run, I do bring some snacks along for her, but I've been told that dogs shouldn't do any activities with food in the stomach because it can cause the stomach to flop around and can become dangerous.
But then someone else told me that that only applies to larger breeds... so now I'm a little insecure on the matter.
Also, the reason I'm getting interested now is because I'm thinking about taking her for the entire 45m run at the Ultra I'm signed up for in May. Last year, she only accompanied me for the final 20km or so, and it was like a sprint for her.