Man's Best Running Friend

After having watched the Westminster Dog Show on television for the past two days , I revisit my domestic fantasy of having a four-legged companion to trot around with me during my runs. Of the many varieties of herding, sporting, and hunting breeds to choose from, which canine makes the best running partner?

I personally have a few favorites that seem to be game for a few miles around the park, but I also have to consider the fact that we live in an apartment, which may limit my options. Some breeds I've considered have been:

Rhodesian Ridgeback: Handsome dog, athletic, and low shedding. Bred to hunt lions, pretty badass.

Austrailian Cattledog: Smaller and compact, but athletic and bred to herd cattle. Being the Max Max dog is also cool.

Greyhound: the second fastest four legged animal on the planet, next to the cheetah. Athletic, but also very lazy and a bit of a couch potato, kinda like me.

Shiba Inu: Also compact and athletic, described as a "big dog in a small dog's body."

DogBreedinfo.com has a good comprehensive list of traditionally good "jogging dogs," and exploring online has turned up some interesting discussions. The forums on Runner's World and Breeder Retriever have many stories of breeds that, while supposedly bred for hunting or working, end up being lazy bums. I guess like humans, it comes down to the individual doggie.

The best alternative is probably to head to a local shelter and adopt a mutt, not only for the good of the animal, but pure breeds seem to have hip displaysia problems.

Here's a good article on choosing a running dog, as well as keeping it healthy during your runs.

In the end, I'll probably have to be content with my stout grey cat.