Trail Running with a 35 kg Dog
My dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix named Ferro, 35 kg, and built for sustained running. He paces at 5:30/km without effort and can go 20 km in mountain terrain without tiring. Trail running with him is one of the best things in my life, and it required adjusting nearly every assumption I had about solo trail running.
The biggest change is water. Ferro needs roughly 100 ml of water per kilometre in warm conditions, which is 3 times what I drink. I carry a 2L bladder for him and refill from streams whenever possible. In summer I won't run trails longer than 10 km without knowing there's a water source en route.
The second change is pace control. Ferro would run at 4:30/km if I let him, which is his aerobic sweet spot. That's also about 30 seconds/km faster than my comfortable pace. Running him ahead on a long lead means he sets the pace and I chase — fine for intervals, exhausting for long runs. Now I keep him at heel when I need to control effort.
Ticks are the ongoing management challenge. Post-run tick checks take 10 minutes on a dog with Ferro's coat. I use a fine-toothed comb and go systematically from nose to tail. This year: 4 ticks found and removed in time, 0 cases of tick-borne illness.