Walking buddies don't have to be human. If you own a dog, you have a ready, willing, and able walking partner. But keep in mind that, though most dogs make eager walking companions, they don't walk to get in shape, so they may have a different agenda than you do. Here are some tips to make exercising with your pup an enjoyable experience for both of you:

• Precede each workout with a 5- to 10-minute walk to let him relieve himself and mark his territory. You can use this as your warm-up.
• Obey all leash laws. That means honoring all pooper-scooper laws as well.
• If your dog constantly stops to sniff and inspect, give a firm but gentle tug on the leash. After a while, he'll bypass all but the most irresistible sights and scents. If he absolutely must stop to check something out, cut him some slack.
• When walking on or alongside a road, face traffic and train your dog to stay on your left side so you don't interfere with traffic flow. Teach him the heel command so that he doesn't charge across busy intersections.
• Bring along plenty of water for your dog to drink, especially on hot days. Consider teaching your pooch to drink from a water bottle. (The training time for this learned behavior may extend over several months, but the feat probably is within your dog's range of possible performances). The neighborhood pet store is likely to offer a clever (and cheap) contraption that enables convenient water-carrying: a water bottle with a trough attachment. When your dog is thirsty, you simply pour water into the trough, and the dog can lap it up.