Meet Bernard Lagat and Ms. Piggy

Event: Track and Field

Hometown: Nandi District, Kenya

Bronze medalist at 2000 Sydney Olympics. Third Olympic Games.  

Pet's Name: Ms. Piggy

Breed: Pug

Age: 3-years-old

Petside: Where did you get your Pug?

Bernard Lagat: Pet store. There weren't any small breeds available for adoption and I needed to make sure my dog was small because she goes everywhere with me!

PS: What is your dog's favorite thing?

BL: Running

PS: Has Ms. Piggy the Pug mastered any tricks?

BL: I taught my Pug to sit and wait for my command before crossing a street (without a leash), so now when we walk and she gets ahead, she will wait for me at the crossings. I did this by holding her back and repeating "wait, Piggy." Then when it's clear, I say "run, Piggy!" and she crosses and waits for me on the other side. She also loves lots of praise (petting her, rubbing her neck and calling her a good girl) when she does something correctly.

PS: Does your Pug help you train?

BL: When we do strides on the track, she runs beside me on her own lane. When she is faster than me, she will look back and bark at me to hurry up! Also, on hill repeats, she paces me on the second half, and pushes me to run faster when I am getting tired.

What is something you love about your Pug?

Piggy is great at traveling (she sleeps the whole time, flying from US to Germany!) and Piggy is very good with my 2-year-old son. They cuddle together, and when my son wants to climb into her bed, Piggy moves over and shares the bed.