dog walk versus brisk walk

I had a quick serach on forums to see if anyone else had asked this already but when you do a search of "walk" it brings up heaps!

Anyway my question is when recording my activities should I use dog walk or brisk walk? I tend to walk pretty briskly with my two 7 month old pups with a combined weight of about 15kg (33 pounds) pulling on me.

Yes I know I sound a bit desperate trying to add in extra burn points but I need all the help I can get at the moment.

Thanks

only you can judge your effort.  i go with "walking for fitness" (3.5mph) except on days when i'm tired and slow.

Dog walking is definitely slower than brisk walking.  I walk at 4.0-4.5 mph and haven't found a dog that can keep pace.  You probably walk 3-3.5 tops. 

If you wanted to get very accurate about calories burned, a heart rate moniter is a good option.

what kind of dog do you have, caitling?  mine kicks my ass at 6-minute kilometers (that's better than 6mph).  off leash, she covers easily three times the distance that i do at a walk.

Thanks I think I'll be conservative at 3.5 mph. I do walk pretty fast and dont let the dogs stop unless they need to go toilet or sniff something absolutely undeniable. I have 2 spoodles (cocker spaniel/min poodle cross). They can out walk/ out run me any day of the week if they wanted to! The only time they really push themselves is when I take them down to the park to play fetch with the tennis ball - they they go like hell racing each other to get to it first.

Go to the map my walk website and you can put your walking route into the program and it will tell you exactly how far you went and what your average speed was... so then you'll really KNOW what to put into calorie counter for logging purposes instead of just guessing. One day you might be going really fast and be close to four miles an hour, and the next the dogs might stop to sniff every tree and you're only going at three.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

what kind of dog do you have, caitling? mine kicks my ass at 6-minute kilometers (that's better than 6mph). off leash, she covers easily three times the distance that i do at a walk.

LOL I was thinking that too! I would fall over dead before my dog even thought about being tired on a walk! However, he doesn't add any resistance because he is an awesome leash-walker and never ever pulls. *shiny shamelessly brags on her doghead*

I timed how long it takes for me to walk a mile and figured my MPH that way.

Apparently I walk very slow, tired dogs!  I walk greyhounds, labs and retrevors mainly.  Right now my family is considering getting a dog, so do you have any suggestions for fast ones?

How exciting! Getting a dog is sooo cool and they are great motivators for exercising. They make it fun because they love going for walks/runs.

There are heaps of fast ones out there - hunting dogs like German Short hair pointer or spaniel, sheep dogs like collies are all pretty fit dogs that like a lot of exercise. If you get a young dog it will probably have heaps of energy anyway. Dont get anything with too short legs unless it has terrier in it. My mum has a pekinese and it is fat and lazy (although kinda cute).

I recently discovered a cool accesory called a dog walking belt that allows you to attach your leash to a belt around your waist. This leaves your arms free to pump and get your speed going. It also has a zip pocket for pooh bags, water my keys etc. Most major pet stores sell them.

Original Post by bigtum:

How exciting! Getting a dog is sooo cool and they are great motivators for exercising. They make it fun because they love going for walks/runs.

There are heaps of fast ones out there - hunting dogs like German Short hair pointer or spaniel, sheep dogs like collies are all pretty fit dogs that like a lot of exercise. If you get a young dog it will probably have heaps of energy anyway. Dont get anything with too short legs unless it has terrier in it. My mum has a pekinese and it is fat and lazy (although kinda cute).

I recently discovered a cool accesory called a dog walking belt that allows you to attach your leash to a belt around your waist. This leaves your arms free to pump and get your speed going. It also has a zip pocket for pooh bags, water my keys etc. Most major pet stores sell them.

Thanks for your advice, I've never had a dog before.  We just lost our family cat (he was 15) and my mom is really pushing for a dog. However, no one is home in the day so we're thinking about adopting a retired police dog, definately not a puppy.

My husband and I both work during the day so we got 2 puppies (brother and sister) and they keep each other company and entertained. But I agree a puppy by itself during the day will get anxious. If getting something like an Alsation (common police dog) make sure you get its crucia ligaments checked out by a vet (these are ligaments in the legs that old dogs sometimes have a problem with and they can get arthritis etc). Apologies for my crap spelling, hopefully you understand what I mean.

yes, exciting!

mine is (i think) a rhodesian ridgeback cross and she's a rocket!  she's an adult - maybe 2.5 years (it's all a bit of a mystery, because she was a stray from the spca).

most medium to large dogs will have no problem keeping up to you, provided that they're fit.  don't over-feed!!  my mutt eats a little more than 3 cups a day, or about 1200-1300 calories, but that's a lot for a dog her size (65lbs).