I have a very high energy Golden Retriever mix, how can I teach my dog that running with me is fun?

Dear Cindy,

My 18 month old GSD/golden retriever mix has an extremely high energy level. The way we (try to) tire her out now is by playing lots of fetch with her ball, which she absolutely loves. I would also like to start taking her on runs and eventually on bike rides. My question is whether you can 'teach' a dog that running is fun? Walking her is fine, the issue is that when I run with her now, she lags behind and really doesn't want to pick up pace. I'm trying to encourage her, giving her lots of praise and sometimes treats when she is running next to me, but that only works for 20 seconds or so and then she falls behind again. I've also tried popping the leash, which works well, but I feel like I have to do it too much, which, I can imagine, is not making running a fun exercise for her. As soon as I'm turning around to go back home, she's full of energy and can't wait to get back. Back at home, she immediately heads for the place where her ball is kept, giving me the impression that the run is physically not too much for her (we've only been on slow 1.5-2 mile runs anyway), but that she would just rather play with her ball. Is there a way to encourage her running along with me, or do you think I'm asking too much of her?

Thank you very much,
Silvie

Thanks very much for your prompt response and advice! I was actually already thinking along those lines, I guess it really is all about common sense.

Thanks very much for all you do for us, partly because of the information on your website, dvds and newsletter, our dog is such a sweet, happy and well-behaved dog. Keep up the good work!

Silvie