I actually too took up jogging around a yr ago, and I make sure I do plenty stretches beforehand, and some lunges, these help me to avoid strains and pulled muscles.
If you are going to stretch before jogging, you must warm up first. Never stretch cold muscles, you are likely to cause a tear.
Warm up first by jogging on the spot, stepping up and down on a low bench or stool and also do some mobilisation exercises, like arm bends, shoulder shrugs and knee bends. You can then stretch.
A warm up can also consist of just walking at a moderate pace and then to a brisk pace, for around 5-10 minutes, before breaking into a jog.