Border Collie. Hands down. Good luck trying to tire her out! Shepherda and Herders are bred runners. The only problem with mine is that she has a VERY high prey drive (she wants to eat cats, squirrels, and ducks) and a high herding drive (not good around little excitable kids) but she can run FOREVER and is FAST. She makes my parent's German Shepherd look painfully slow.

One note of caution on this. Please be very careful about (a) running your dog too long in the heat and (b) on pavement. My roommate in college rollerbladed with his lab on a paved path and after a while the poor dog's paws bled. Also, I know another poor soul who's dog actually died while running. I'm not saying this will happen to your pet, but I don't think he let the dog hydrate properly. Also, dog's will go forever and are so eager to please they may not properly communicate to you that it's time to stop. I would not run any farther than 5 miles with my pet in temps over 60 degrees. Just to be safe.

George, I can't agree enough with regard to being careful and responsible. You have to be very in tune to your pet and their health on a daily basis. I am constantly petting them/rubbing them -- they think it feels good and it's just cuz mom loves them, but it's also about checking for blisters on their paws, lumps/ticks/injuries on their bodies, etc... I watch their hydration requirements as carefully as my own, and make sure they don't over-run or under/over-drink, leading to the bloat, heatstroke or other injuries.

I've had many a long or hard run slowed to a jog or walk bc/ on that day the dog(s) involved decided they'd had enough and wanted to ease off. Yes, they will run until they drop so it's up to me as their mom to be aware of the signals that I need to make good choices for them. And sometimes that means that I don't achieve the workout I'd expected for that day because their health comes first - no questions asked.

Again, learn about the breed you get and ask TONS of questions of your vets. I didn't run more than a few blocks (literally) with any of these dogs until they were over a year old so as not to damage their developing skeletal structures. And, again, they need to build mileage with you. You don't just take a dog out to run 10miles one day out of nowhere - they need to build a base just like you.

Dalmatians were bred to be coach dogs in the 17th & 18th centuries. They would run underneath the carriages effortlessly keeping up with the horses. We had a Dalmatian who went out with my mom when she went horseback riding. He covered 50% more distance than the horse did - running left and right following interesting scents. This was on open heathland, no danger from cars.

Avoid dogs with heavy coats and heavy bodies.

Geoff

Have to put my 2 cents in, I work with dogs including working and endurance dogs. All of the above sounds like good common sense and great ideas. Remembering that your pooch needs conditioning like us and that they literally will run until they drop and even suffer heatstroke if it's too warm are the biggest things I recommend. Also, keeping dogs thin is the best recommendation for anyyyyyyyyyyy dog.

The working dogs are great for running with, labs, lab crosses, bordr collies, spaniels, etc. And getting a dog that's appropriate for your environment is a great idea too. I get sad seeing huskies in the south, they seem so miserable and their window for cool weather is so small.

Limited distance running while they are still growing is also a great idea. Medium and large breed dogs usually are fully grown in their skeleton by 12 & 18 months. As I write this, my 75 lb, 7 month old lab (who's going to be a tank!) is running circles around the room like a freak!

Sorry I changed Avitars...She is not in this one
Is it Monday again :o
Chris in OH

Hi!!

I have two dogs, a boxer and a labrador retriever and I have to say they are extremely slow and now I run with them just when I know I'll run in a very low pace; by the way, distance is not a problem.

Finally I have to say that I love to do it and they have a great time too!!

Thank you Scott,
She is very sweet too! But did I mention she is very hairy...and no I'm not shaving her ;)
Chris in OH

That's very good. Were you chasing an ambulance at the time?

:D

Geoff

We have an aussie ( australian shepard). She is 12 and is still healthy and loves to go. She still goes for three or four 6-8 eight runs a week, and in her younger years would do our long 18 to 20's with us if cool enough. These dogs are made to be on their feet all day herding sheep and cattle, so running is a natural for them. They also don't have a strong hunting instinct. They would rather be with their owners as a rule vs going off in the bushes to chase a squirrel. This makes runs much more enjoyable. Very easy to train and generally a healthy breed. Ours decided to humor us by letting us dress her up and take this picture.http://www.trifuel.com/photogallery/showphoto.php/photo/535/limit/recent

I was able to see the pic and you are right she is cute. How on earth did you get her to wear antlers?? Freya would eat them :)
Chris in OH..who just got back from a wet run with the "Boss"

I take my dog Buster (Golden Retriever) on shorter runs. I can gauge when he is running out of gas by how much he is panting.
When it gets hotter I take along a collapsible dog dish to give him some water halfway through. He loves to run and won't go dashing after rabbits (unless I let him).
- T

If you're going to get a puppy, make sure that you don't take them out running too soon. Our vet informed us that if you take a puppy out running before they are almost fully grown that they can have joint problems when they get older. We have a boxer/lab mix and she is just a ball of energy. As soon as I get her leash out she starts going crazy because she knows she's getting ready to run. I've heard that Weimeraner's are a good dog to run with. Good luck.

Definately miss our Aussies back home (with the folks). I didn't run with them until the later years, but early on they'd be running up and down the trails between the kids and adults on our longer 10+ mile dayhikes.

On a random note, we have that same wood stove heating our place :)