You don’t have to travel to Mexico and spend a year living with an ancient tribe to find the perfect running partner. Your next best running partner might be chasing squirrels in your back yard right now and was truly born to run! While some dogs are better suited for running than others (don’t expect your 8-pound Yorkie to run 10 miles with you, especially in sweltering Carolina summers), most love to run and can become a dedicated partner with the right training to match their breed and temperament. Running with your dog can be a bonding experience for you both, but it’s up to you to ensure your dog is ready and able to tackle the distance you want to run, says Dr. Tom Watson of Carolinas Veterinary Medical Hospital in Charlotte. Start off with a short distance and increase mileage by 10% to 20% weekly, just as you would with any beginning runner. Dogs, like people, are creatures of habit and will quickly pick up on your running routine. If you want to go long and slow, short and fast, or hit some technical trails, some breeds definitely fit the bill better than others. Here are a few Endurance Magazine picks categorized by type of running.
