The running of the dogs: Meet Calgary's need-for-speed canines

Sometimesman's best friend wants more than a stroll, a sniff and a pee and soa Calgary business is tapping into Fido's primal instinct to sprint.For $40, you can have thefitness instructors atDog Gone Running take your fur baby on a six- to 12-kilometrejog.And while that's almost double the going rate of a dog walk in the city the owners say the economic downturn hasn't affectedtheir business. In fact, they'regrowing.

"We're a community of dog lovers and it's a little bit of a 'spare no expense' to have a happy dog," said Tammy Nishimura, who co-owns the dog running business with her best buddyRuth Everett.

Meet Calgary's speed canines:

Jax

This six-year-oldVizslaused to be a bit of menace chewing his way through vacuum cords, remote controls and sofa beds. But that all stopped once Jax started going on regular runs.

Cooper

Cooper is one buff pup. The two-year-old boxer runs 9-10 kilometres, several times a week.

Buster

This is how Buster looks after his daily run. Before he took up jogging, the eight-year-old German short-hairedpointer would try to escape his home by knocking out screen doors and scraping up walls.

Maverick

This Australian shepherd runs six to eight kilometres,several times a week. He is nine years old.

Mira

JaneenWebb, the owner of this four-year-old husky-greyhound cross,says running has saved her sanityand her house.

Ria

Ria will be nine this year. The shepherd cross is a runner literally. Once she slipped away for a week-long vacation in Nose Hill park.

Molson and Roxy

She's eight, he's nine. These spritelygolden retrievers recently crushed the six kilometre loop around Calgary's Glenmore Reservoir.

Kayto

Kayto, a two-year-old fox red Labrador retriever, uses the force of his "big puppy eyes"to lure his owner off the couch and out the door for a run.

Do you have afurry runner in your family? Send a picture and short bioof your athletic pet tocalgaryphotos@cbc.ca

With files from the CBC's Sarah Lawrynuik and theCalgary Eyeopener