If your dog is anything like the Dalmation I used to run with, I would definitely count it. I liked the company but he could be a huge pain in the ass. He would pull at the leash so hard I would get an upper body work-out as well. A few times he would decide to take a deuce and make a sudden stop, helps develop the reflexes. I was always glad to get him back home and get back out alone. I miss him now, though.

Why not? You're running for twenty minutes each time aren't you. Almost all my running is with my dog. I run mostly on abondoned rail trails that have been converted to nature trails that go by my house. I'm more of a cyclist than a runner, so having my dog as a running partner is my motivation to run. He also x-country skiis with me.

My dog is a great running buddy. It's too bad he can't also ride a bike.

Since I'm sure he can swim, teach him how to ride a bike and enter him in a sprint. I'll bet he kicks the shit out of everybody in the swim and run.

My dog (a Vizsla) is still in the process of learning how to run with me, he is still under a year. So I hope the upperbody workout is going to stop. But it is pretty much non-stop running. I guess I will wear a HR monitor just to make sure I am getting the usual numbers.

How did you teach your dog to x-country ski ??????????

"Since I'm sure he can swim"

My guy's a black lab with a lot of experience as a mascot on a scuba dive boat. He can most definately swim.

If you're runnin', it counts. My weimaraners are my most frequent running partners...I swear, I think they love to run more than just about anything. When it's crappy out, I've gotta say that they're responsible for about half my weekly mileage. They need to get out, and sometimes that's my entire reason for getting out myself. One word of caution...you said your dog is less than a year old right? Be careful about letting him/her put in too many miles before he/she stops growing (at about a year old, I believe). It can lead to joint problems down the road.

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