I started sprinting full out across the field. Twenty yards in I yelled hike! That was the command for my dog Boomer to catch me. He broke his sit and launched into full pursuit mode. Knowing what was coming, I tried to push out an extra burst of speed. It was pointless. Five yards later Boomer’s mouth had a firm grip on my right pant leg.

And this is how it went. Twice a week Boomer and I would go down to the school yard and run several sprints. I always thought I had a chance to out run him, but he always caught me.

Boomer has been gone for several years. Shortly after he passed, I picked up a Portuguese Water Dog that I named Duke. Duke had and has more energy than he or I know what to do with. Training with him outdoors helps burn some of it off and I like the company.

Training Boomer I made many mistakes. Biting my leg when he caught me during sprints was fun the first few times, but got old quickly. It was not an easy habit to un-train. I tried hard to not repeat the same mistakes when I trained Duke.

Duke is now 6 and is a great training partner. He puts in an honest effort and never complains. All he ever wants is a pat on the head and an Elk antler to chew on.

Having Duke with me when I train outdoors is a huge perk not realized when I was training in a gym. It gives me one more reason to get outside and train.

There are several ideas I have experimented with to get the most out of training with my dog.

Sprint, sprint, sprint. Hills, 100’s, 400’s, snow sprints, whatever I am in the mood for. Duke loves it.
Trail Runs. What better a partner.
I gave him a job. I got a harness for Duke so he can carry my keys and phone during workouts (it’s only fair that way since he is faster and somehow never seems to get winded).
Swimming. I am not a great swimmer and he is a water dog. Fun nevertheless.
Work the commands. I reinforce the basics, sit, down, come, and heel, during the sessions. I get the sense that this is fun for him. It also helps with his behavior around town.
Duke does a great job occupying my daughter when they both come along on my workouts. She chases and harasses him while I train. Everyone is happy.
Speed and agility drills. I use a Chuck it erratic random bounce ball. Throw it and see who can get there first. Sometimes I cheat and win.
Plyo jumps. I like to jump up on stone walls, picnic tables, etc. for plyometrics. Duke doesn’t get it, but he hangs out till I am finished.
Rest timer. When I train out in a field, I will throw a ball for Duke to retrieve. My rest period is the time it takes for him to fetch it.
Exploring new training locales. Duke keeps me good company on these excursions. I talk to him, tell him my ideas and he always agrees.

Is your pup up to it? Take action, create your own list of Outdoor activities to do with your dog.