The Old Trainer: Dogs shouldn’t be surprise gifts

DEAR OLD TRAINER: Our family agrees with you about the love a dog brings because our four dogs make us happy every day. That’s why I want to give my brother-in-law a dog. He never laughs and has a lot of problems. My husband (his brother) is skeptical and says he has always been that way, but I think a dog will help him change. What is your opinion? Jenn, Merced

A: First of all, it is NEVER a good idea to surprise anyone, even a happy person, with a dog unless they tell you they want one. For someone as unhappy as your brother-in-law it can be a disaster.

Unhappy people consider their problems so profound there is no solution for them, and a dog just adds to the burden. A dog requires a commitment of time, exercise, training, feeding, and love for the next 15 years or so.

That’s a big responsibility even for a well-adjusted person and can overwhelm someone who has too many problems already.

The truth is a dog is so empathetic to their human it is more likely your brother-in-law will cause a dog to be depressed than it is a dog will cheer him up.

As for helping him “change,” I am as skeptical as your brother. Most people don’t want to change so they never do. As The Eagles wrote in their song “The Sad Cafe,” “things in this life change very slowly, if they ever change at all.”

So hold off on giving him a dog. Take it one step at a time. First, get him a cactus plant. If the plant is still alive six months from now, try a hamster or a small aquarium. If he proves he can care for a live animal you can then discuss a dog with him, but never give a dog as a surprise gift.

Dear Old Trainer: I just adopted Ranger, a 3-year old blue heeler/Australian shepherd mix. I run 20 miles a week and want him to run with me. Is five miles too much in one day? Barbara, San Francisco

A: No. With those bloodlines Ranger can handle five miles with ease.

Like a human runner though, Ranger needs to work his way up to distance running. Take him one mile the first three days you run. Go two miles the next three running days. Add a mile every few days when he shows he can handle it and he will be ready for five miles in a month.

If he is overweight, take it slow until he loses the fat. Don’t go more than two miles a day until you can feel all his ribs. If there is a creek or fountain on your route stop and let him drink, and always let him drink his fill after the run.

The most common injury a dog suffers when running in a city is abrasions to the paw from the concrete. Humans and dogs both have fewer injuries when running on dirt or grass. There are plenty of places in San Francisco with grass at the side of the trail, so pick one of those for your runs and Ranger will be fine.

This story was originally published January 16, 2015 at 4:50 PM with the headline "The Old Trainer: Dogs shouldn’t be surprise gifts."