The Art of Running With a Stray Dog

It has been five years since we adopted Molly, our first dog.

My family had many reasons for wanting a dog, one of which was a running partner for me.

At the time, I ran in the early morning hours before work. I loved the quiet, but so did all the wildlife around my mountain home, a few species of which were quite intimidating. Running with a dog seemed like a good safety measure.

When Molly joined our family, she was a 7-month-old puppy who had been living on the streets. She was thin and scared and needed a forever home. We needed her, so it was a perfect match.

We didn’t know anything about her former life, except that it must have been hard given her physical condition at the time of adoption. Despite her history, she was an incredibly sweet and loving dog with just one notable challenge — her leash behavior.

On every walk, she pulled with all her strength in every direction. She loved going for walks and would happily sit while we put on her harness, and then she took off like a racehorse. Molly had some natural sled dog tendencies!

I took her to multiple training classes and tried a variety of different harnesses (including no harness), but she continued to be very difficult on a leash. Despite the struggles, I decided to try running with her to see if the faster pace would make her more cooperative.

Running wild

On our first run, Molly took off at a full sprint despite my pleas and attempts to control her. I could barely keep up, and after a half-mile, she stopped to lay down. She was exhausted and had no intention of going any farther.

After a long rest, she eventually walked home.

I continued working with her as I was determined to mold her into the perfect running partner.

After several months, I was having no luck. I could not seem to train this dog to run the way I needed her to run. It was frustrating and started to steal my joy of the activity.

I finally conceded defeat and accepted that Molly was not well suited for running on a leash, a requirement in our community.

The first morning I ran without her, she sat by the door and loudly reminded me that I forgot her. It broke my heart. It continued like this for a few days until I realized that I missed having her on my runs more than she frustrated me.

Four years later, we are still running together. Molly starts too fast and needs frequent breaks, but we have developed a comfortable rhythm. I run because it keeps me healthy and improves my mood — I feel even better with my dog by my side. Through my runs with Molly, I have learned some important lessons.

Enjoy the little things

Although I have been running similar routes for years, I always see something new with Molly. She frequently stops to enjoy the sights and loves rolling in the grass or digging in the snow.

Halfway through our run, she has a favorite sunny rock that she enjoys sitting on. While she smells the air, I appreciate the beautiful mountain views. This has become a great mindful moment in the middle of our run which makes us both happy.

My runs are now less about time and distance and more about the journey.

Communication is important

Before Molly, I would put on my headphones and concentrate on the run. I would wave to people I passed, but I rarely said more than “good morning” and I never stopped to chat. My primary goal was to run.

Running with Molly has become a social hour. She enjoys greeting everyone and will sprint ahead to catch up with someone on the sidewalk. People are always happy to see her too!

Initially, her outgoing personality was frustrating to me because it interrupted our flow, but I realized that she was helping me connect with my community. I started to learn the dog's names (and even some of the owner’s names!), and I now look forward to seeing our friends on the morning runs.

It is nice running a route where everyone knows your (dog’s) name.

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.”

— Orhan Pamuk

Prioritize rest

Before Molly, I was not good about listening to my body when I ran.

I would set a mileage goal and run until I completed the course, even when my feet or knees were hurting. Over the years, I have struggled with shin splints and plantar fasciitis, medical conditions made worse by not listening to my body.

Molly has taught me the importance of rest. When she gets tired, she stops. Her behavior has helped me be more mindful of my body. With each rest, I pay attention to how I’m feeling, and if I notice some pain, I make adjustments to the run.

I am less plagued by injuries now that I’m more carefully listening to my body.

Focus on the good

Molly presents some challenges as a running partner, but there are far more benefits. She is always up for a run and has never canceled on me. She lets me do all the talking and rarely interrupts or offers unsolicited advice.

I feel safer running with her. This feeling might be a false sense of security because I often see the bears before she does, but I know she would help if I got into trouble. Molly motivates me when I am feeling sluggish and is great company when the weather keeps the rest of our friends inside.

Despite our rocky start, it turns out that she is a great running partner.

Life doesn’t always develop as planned. There are times we need to adjust our expectations to better fit with the reality of the situation.

A stray dog entered my life at exactly the right time. Although she is not the running partner I expected, she is the one I needed. There is growth in relinquishing control and embracing acceptance.

Life lessons often come in unexpected packages, and Molly is a pretty amazing one!

Originally published on Medium.