How This L.A. Marathoner Turned Running With Dogs Into a Full-Time Job

Bob Wilcox never runs without a four-legged companion by his side. He’s done so since the the early ’90s, when his own dogs kept him company while training for marathons. The puppy eyes that awaited him when came home from work as a healthcare consultant were just the motivation he needed to get out the door each day. 

“They were always my best training partners,” Wilcox told Runner’s World. “I’d come home and if I’m tired, there’s the dog ready to go.”

However, after his German Shepherd passed away soon after moving to Los Angeles, he felt like his runs were missing an important component. 

So he borrowed training partners from neighbors, friends, and rescue shelters. The more he did this, the more runs without a canine left Wilcox feeling almost guilty. There were so many dogs out there in need of the same exercise and weren’t getting it.

Instead, he’d see the city’s dog walkers lugging 20-some leashed dogs slowly around the block, and believed they deserved better. 

“There’d be these huge packs of 20 dogs all moving at the slowest pace of the slowest dog,” he said. “I know the benefit of running for dogs. It makes a huge difference, just like it does in humans.”

Thus, L.A. Dog Jogger, a professional dog running company in Los Angeles, was born. 

For the full story and video: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a28353492/bob-wilcox-los-angeles-dog-runner/