The Best Dogs To Run With

I was heading home from the grocery store and I saw a young woman jogging down the road along with her dog. And it really was more than a jog. She was moving along at a good pace. I don’t know how long or how far she was running, but I got to thinking what if the dog doesn’t want to go running? Is she running too fast for the dog? Is it unfair to the dog to expect that they’ll actually want to go along for the run?

The dog didn’t seem to mind, at least at the brief moment I happened to pass them by, but if you’re a certain type of runner and you want to exercise your dog at the same time you do you should really know something about your breed of dog before you take them out for a run.

• If you’re a distance runner – stick with German short-haired pointers or Jack Russell terriers. Generally medium size dogs with muscular rear legs.
• For brisk, shorter runs – greyhounds, pit bulls, English setters, Golden retrievers and even beagles are the best choices.
• If you’re a sprinter – stick with German short-haired pointers and Greyhounds.
• It’s probably not too hard to figure out the right type of dogs for running in the cold - Malmutes, German shepherds, Siberian huskies and Swiss mountain dogs.
• For heavily used trails you want people friendly dogs – Golden or Labrador retrievers, poodles or border collies.

Do a little research first. If you’re shopping for a dog, find one that best suits the type of runner you are.