At first, Bryan Barrera’s dog-running service was less about helping dogs and more about maintaining his own running routine. The former bookkeeper had just finished the 2012 Dallas Marathon—his first 26.2—when he read about a Chicago-based company that paired experienced runners with active dogs. Having a few standing dog-running appointments a week, Barrera figured, would keep him in shape. A search for similar companies in the area yielded nothing, so he drafted a Craigslist post and papered his neighborhood with ads. “I started this company with a pair of tennis shoes and, like, $40 worth of flyers,” he says with a laugh.
Within three weeks, he had his first client. And when Barrera and his family relocated to Washington, D.C., his humble side hustle quickly evolved into D.C. Dog Runner, a nine-person operation that runs up to 40 dogs a week. Owners come to him with overweight dogs, pups that are struggling with anxiety and aggression, and some that have developed destructive behaviors. More exercise, they’ve been told, may be the solution to their pet’s problems.
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Dog Handlers Heel Strike Again at Westminster trail run in Rock Creek Park gives the D.C. Dog Runner pups a full hour to burn excess energy, leaving them more relaxed and receptive to instruction. “It’s very clear to owners—night and day—whether we’ve been there or we haven’t. That dog is going to return home much more laid back,” says Barrera.
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Each of his employees are charged with running two to four dogs at a time, and the groupings constantly shift. It’s a structure that allows the business to stay lean and nimble, but it also offers his canine clients socialization benefits. “There’s this constant changeup of who they’re meeting,” says Barrera. “They start to understand, ‘Other dogs are okay. I can be with them.’ ”
Not so far off from our own running groups, right?
