Have you used every excuse in the book to skip your daily run? Maybe you’re running with the wrong partner. Here are five reasons dogs make better running buddies than people.

1. They are always positive.
   Sometimes our human training partners use running as a time to wag their tongue and vent about their day, which can easily bring you down. Your dog, on the other hand, will run alongside you while happily wagging her tail – how can you not feel good about that?
2. They’re not picky about your pace.
   Finding a human running partner who has the same pace and goals as you can be tricky! With a dog, they’re just excited to be out with you and it doesn’t really matter to them if you want to slow down from time to time.
3. They don’t care about the conversation.
   With a human training partner, silence can be awkward, but your dog won’t make you practice small talk – or ask you questions about things you just don’t want to talk about.
4. Their schedule is flexible.
   While the best time for you to run might be the morning, your human running partner can’t do Tuesdays or Thursdays due to his child care arrangements. Your dog is always available!
5. They won’t take “no” for an answer.
   While a quick text or call to your human running partner is enough to call off a run, your dog won’t give up that easily. How can you resist those eyes?

Dogs are natural runners, they’ll help keep you motivated and you’ll both benefit from the exercise – and we all know that a tired dog is a happy dog (and a good dog). So get out there and run!