By Nora Krug, Washington Post

One of the most important things a running partner can provide is conversation. Many runners are looking for a kind of coach, to push them to go faster or longer; others want a confidant or a gossip or someone to swap the latest tips from Runner’s World with. But for some, the best running partner is one that says only one thing: woof.

Human and dog have been running for millennia. But is it always a good idea for them to run together? The answer depends on weather, fitness level and, yes, personality — of both species.

Beth Slotman, a 36-year-old health-care contracts researcher in Germantown, says she runs with her dog as much for the dog’s benefit as her own. “I mainly do it because it makes her so happy,” says Slotman, who has taken her pit bull-Lab mix, Abbey, on runs as long as 11 miles. “She knows on Saturday mornings when we get up and I get dressed that it’s a running day, and she dances around with such excitement that it’s hard to say no.”

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