Well, we ran about 2 miles today. It was 87 degrees when I got home from work, so we waited until the sun got behind the trees and it had cooled off a little. I didn't know how she'd do since we hadn't been out in temps that high - I didn't know how I'd do - but it went pretty well. We stopped and rested under a tree after about 15 minutes, drank some water, and then continued - she picked the pace right back up. So far we're just doing run intervals with walk breaks - no running straight through. I might look into a vest for her - those look like a great idea. We got a chance to run through someone's sprinkler system. Worked great for me but Abby went to the grass on the other side of the sidewalk where the sprinklers don't reach - she didn't like it one bit!

I'd heard that booties aren't a good idea because dogs sweat through their feet, but I also found an article yesterday that said one of the most common injuries dogs have with running is pad wear. I've noticed Abby sometimes licks her feet after or during a run or walk, but I can't find anything like a sticker in her foot, etc. Our LPS (local pet store ) told us pavement is our friend because it helps keep the toenails worn down, but maybe we need to watch the pad wear, as well as potential orthopedic issues, by giving her some field running time and not all pavement. We do have a small park that I've run laps in occasionally, and we may just have to clip the toenails a little more often.

We won't shave her. We were told about that when we used to have a Husky who was slow to blow off her undercoat in the summer. We just brushed and brushed - we'll do the same with Abby. It's supposed to provide some insulation against the heat as well. I expect her to overheat more than I would, so I'll keep an eye on it.

Susan, I loved the video - that guy must have a blast - and the dog too! - roaring around the bike trails together.

I did find a website on running with your dog that had some helpful info, if anyone is interested:

http://www.clickertraining.com/node/2928

It's a lot of fun and we get lots of smiles from people. Maybe they're actually amused because I can't keep up with my little dog - but what the hey!