Entertainment

Run, Fido, run!

It’s not easy to find a good running partner, but Victoria Brumfield, 33, got lucky and found one who is focused, reliable and inspires her to run more.

The Upper West Side resident, who works in sports marketing and events, runs three to six miles, three days a week with her Boston terrier, Bean. She’s so passionate about running with her pup that in 2008 she started an annual five-mile race called the Doggy Dash for humans and dogs.

“They’re just the best little training partners,” Brumfield says, noting how Bean inspires her to get out of bed and pulls at her if she slows down.

Humans aren’t the only ones who benefit from the setup. Regular jogs can help keep apartment-dwelling dogs healthy and emotionally stable.

“Any dog can be a good city dog as long as they can exercise,” says Seth Chodosh, the founder and owner of Running Paws, a New York company that offers dog-running, not walking, services.

He notes that while some dogs “can barely jog in the summer, as soon as you get a little bit of cooler air they are totally different dogs.” Fall, he says, is the perfect time to grab that leash, lace up your New Balances and try running with your pup. Before you do, here are some training tips:

* Certain breeds “aren’t capable of exercising as well as others merely because of their conformation,” says Dr. Andrew Kaplan of City Veterinary Care. Dogs with squished-in faces, like pugs and bulldogs, can have trouble breathing and overheat easily; dachshunds and toy breeds are also not built for running.

* Wait until Fido is at least a year old, Kaplan says. “There needs to be normal completion of bone development.”

Kaplan recommends a harness, not a collar, “so you’re not putting any pressure on their neck.” Chodosh suggests a thick leash that you can wrap around your hand to keep your dog right at your side. Brumfield uses a special leash made by Cetacea (available at cetaceacorp.com) that clips around her waist, but she notes that such devices work best when your dog is already an experienced, well-trained running partner.

* The owner, not the dog, should set the pace. “The trick is to keep a short leash on them in the beginning,” says Chodosh, noting that dogs tend to “burst out of the gate.”

* Chodosh recommends a four-mile run for most dogs, but Kaplan notes that some can go much farther. “You just have to be conscious and sensitive about how your dog is doing.” The winner of this year’s Doggy Dash in July, with a time of 36:51, was a 3-year-old Jack Russell named Maximus who’s been known to accompany his owner, Marcus Wilhelm, 42, on 22-mile runs.

* “Hot weather is more of a problem than cold,” Kaplan notes. In the summer, owners should run in the mornings or evenings, always bring water and use common sense. “If it’s too hot for you,” he says, “it’s going to be too hot for the dog.”

* Watch that your dog doesn’t overheat, a common problem. Signs include slowing or stopping, heavy panting and a blue tint to the gums. “If you notice blueness and your dog is very uncomfortable and laboring, go right in [to the vet],” Kaplan advises. “If you stop… and the dog’s color improves quickly, you don’t have to rush him in, but he still should be checked out.”