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Spank knew she was getting ready to run.
With a University of Kansas handkerchief tied around her neck, Spank, an 18-month-old boxer with a lean, muscular frame, stuck her tongue out happily and followed her racing partner Keith Dowell toward the starting line.
"Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah," Dowell says 11 minutes before Sunday morning's 5K race start time of Spank's race-knowing mentality. "She'll do good – I think."
Lawrence, Kan., resident Dowell and Spank, along with more than 70 human runners and several dogs, lined up at the inaugural Running of the Dogs at Waterfall Park near Bass Pro Shops in Independence. The first benefit of its kind for MoKan Boxer Rescue officially started with the popular 2000 song "Who Let the Dogs Out?".
During the 3.1-mile race around Bass Pro Shops and Waterfall Park, Spank took a brief break at the second water stop. So, Dowell said, he threw two cups of cold water on Spank to wake her up.
It must have worked. Dowell, 56, and Spank remained in – and placed – second place overall with their time of 21 minutes, 42 seconds. The pair took first place among the dog-and-human participants.
"If I grab my running shoes, she's jumping around wanting to go," said Dowell, who takes Spank with him on his runs every other day, running between 2 to 6 miles with her at a time. "If I don't take her on a run, she's like a wife – she gets upset."
Dowell, an avid runner for seven years, has taken Spank on jogs since he got her as an 8-month-old puppy. They started out "nice and easy" on slower-paced three-mile jogs, Dowell said, but once she turned 12 months old, the runs got more serious.
"But now, we're really getting into it," said Dowell, who takes Spank on a 10-mile run one day a week just before a race. "We're hitting it hard. She's dragging me along the first two miles, and then she's done. She's my extra gear."
Originally from England, Dowell is a frequent participant at Kansas City-area races, though Spank is his first dog running partner. With a red handkerchief tied around his neck, a silver hoop earring in his left ear and several tattoos covering his biceps and shoulder blades, Dowell maintains a sense of humor. He's not sure why his dog's previous owner named her "Spank," so on Sunday, he briefly calls her Sadie instead.
With Spank's leash attached to a belt around Dowell, he said the dog will sometimes sway him from side to side during runs. Spank always wants to lead, Dowell said, so it's a good racing strategy to have several runners in front of them so the dog will try chasing them.
Dowell plans to participate among 54,000 runners in September at England's Great North Run, one of the world's most popular half marathon road races. As expected, he can run faster without Spank at his side.
"She's not going with me to England, though," he said.
So why bother including her in the races then?
Dowell laughs. "Because she's so cute, and she loves it. There should be more of these – there aren't enough dog and jogs. I think they'll catch on, though."
"Spanky!" he calls out. Dowell wants a picture of his companion, who is still smiling and is watching the other dogs and human cross the finishing line.
"I don't think she knows she's won today."
Spank knew she was getting ready to run.
With a University of Kansas handkerchief tied around her neck, Spank, an 18-month-old boxer with a lean, muscular frame, stuck her tongue out happily and followed her racing partner Keith Dowell toward the starting line.
"Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah," Dowell says 11 minutes before Sunday morning's 5K race start time of Spank's race-knowing mentality. "She'll do good – I think."
Lawrence, Kan., resident Dowell and Spank, along with more than 70 human runners and several dogs, lined up at the inaugural Running of the Dogs at Waterfall Park near Bass Pro Shops in Independence. The first benefit of its kind for MoKan Boxer Rescue officially started with the popular 2000 song "Who Let the Dogs Out?".
During the 3.1-mile race around Bass Pro Shops and Waterfall Park, Spank took a brief break at the second water stop. So, Dowell said, he threw two cups of cold water on Spank to wake her up.
It must have worked. Dowell, 56, and Spank remained in – and placed – second place overall with their time of 21 minutes, 42 seconds. The pair took first place among the dog-and-human participants.
"If I grab my running shoes, she's jumping around wanting to go," said Dowell, who takes Spank with him on his runs every other day, running between 2 to 6 miles with her at a time. "If I don't take her on a run, she's like a wife – she gets upset."
Dowell, an avid runner for seven years, has taken Spank on jogs since he got her as an 8-month-old puppy. They started out "nice and easy" on slower-paced three-mile jogs, Dowell said, but once she turned 12 months old, the runs got more serious.
"But now, we're really getting into it," said Dowell, who takes Spank on a 10-mile run one day a week just before a race. "We're hitting it hard. She's dragging me along the first two miles, and then she's done. She's my extra gear."
Originally from England, Dowell is a frequent participant at Kansas City-area races, though Spank is his first dog running partner. With a red handkerchief tied around his neck, a silver hoop earring in his left ear and several tattoos covering his biceps and shoulder blades, Dowell maintains a sense of humor. He's not sure why his dog's previous owner named her "Spank," so on Sunday, he briefly calls her Sadie instead.
With Spank's leash attached to a belt around Dowell, he said the dog will sometimes sway him from side to side during runs. Spank always wants to lead, Dowell said, so it's a good racing strategy to have several runners in front of them so the dog will try chasing them.
Dowell plans to participate among 54,000 runners in September at England's Great North Run, one of the world's most popular half marathon road races. As expected, he can run faster without Spank at his side.
"She's not going with me to England, though," he said.
So why bother including her in the races then?
Dowell laughs. "Because she's so cute, and she loves it. There should be more of these – there aren't enough dog and jogs. I think they'll catch on, though."
"Spanky!" he calls out. Dowell wants a picture of his companion, who is still smiling and is watching the other dogs and human cross the finishing line.
"I don't think she knows she's won today."
