Today I got an email from a friend asking me if I’ve stuck to, or quit on my new year’s resolutions. Already!! It’s only been 16-days. It’s tough that while I’m writing out my hopes and desires for 2011 there are a contingent of people out there who seem like they’re waiting for us “well-wishers” to fail. This is why I’d like to give a bit of encouragement to you all this post holiday season.
As humans, we likely have the all too familiar “get healthy/lose weight” goal listed on our to-dos. As dog owners, we also have a list of resolutions that are Fido focused – with anything from mastering that inconsistent come command to giving your dog the happiest life possible. And if no one else has said this to you yet, I’d like to be the first to say – “you can do it!” Whatever has made it to your list of wants and desires for 2011 it’s yours for the taking.
To get you started, I recommend picking one thing off your list and making a plan for how you can make that resolution/goal a reality. It may take you a day to accomplish or it may take you three months. Don’t worry, it’s not a race J you’ve got all year.
For those of you with fitness goals (you and/or your dogs), you can “get two dogs with one bone” here. The tried and true method, of course, is getting out and walking your dog at least once a day. A recent issue of AKC Family Dog has highlighted some additional recommendations that sound like fun for both you and your pup.
- Running agility
- Practice “doga”
- Participate in the YMCA Power of Pets program (offered locally at the Silver Spring YMCA)
There are also an endless number of outdoor activities, a myriad of which we feature here at Outbound Hound. Are you going for a fitter you and more balanced pup in 2011? If so, please share what activities you will be doing to obtain that goal. Have a different goal? We’d love to read about it so please share!
You already know exercise is key for your dog. But exercise combined with mental challenges is even more effective. Have you ever noticed that your dog is more tired after a tough class than an hour walk in the park? It’s because your best pal needs to think his way through the task at hand not just mindlessly sniffing and playing.
My very favorite reason to build this type of engagement with your pup is just that – engagement! Working together builds that all-important bond while increasing confidence in both of you!
Here are several ways you can amp-up your exercise regime. Hopefully it will give you even more ideas:
Active commands | “Pushups” or “Puppy Pushups” are a great example of combining physical movement with thinking and general control. Have your dog begin in a “sit” then ask for a “down” then have him push up back into a sit. You’re conditioning muscles and mind while creating a great distraction behavior to use next time you’re waiting in the vet’s office.
Aerobics | Maybe not Jane Fonda style, but your pup needs to get his cardio on regularly. Just like you, your dog’s body gets used to the usual lap around the neighborhood and it can cease to be much of a workout over time. Vary the lengths, speed and intensity regularly.
Fun in the rain | Well not in the rain but while the weather is yucky bring a little agility indoors. Jumping through a hula-hoop started close to the ground can be another way to combine physical and mental challenges. Just watch the breakables and do not do this on bare, slippery floors!
Tag, you’re it! | Want to strengthen those recalls and improve cardio? Work distance recalls and increase the speed at which your dog returns to you. Leave the dog in a sit/down/stay position and go out only as far as you think your dog can be successful. Call your dog (or whatever your recall command is). Only when he starts to come and get closer do you turn and run, increasing distance and speed over time. Reward the dog only when they run to you, not by you! You’ll get faster and more consistent recalls and get those hearts beating (both of you!).
Get into the box | One of the best “shaping” exercises you can do – indoors, too – is interacting with a plain ol’ cardboard box. With the top of the box open, reward your dog for stepping in it – front feet, back feet, all feet. Then flip the box over and have him put his front paw(s) on it, then back feet then (depending on the size of your latest UPS delivery) all feet. The idea is to reward the dog for interacting with objects on his own. Not until they reliably do a behavior do you start to name it. The hardest part is not luring them, but letting them offer up behaviors in an attempt to earn the treat. Now if Karma even sees a box he will start offering me behaviors with it.
I work a bunch of these things into our daily lives. Often I will “announce” one of these ultra-short sessions with the question, “Do you want a chance to earn?” Guess what the answer is?
Because the summer has been so hot, it’s been difficult to create opportunities for Karma where he maintains his conditioning. For instance, long walks are greatly reduced And throwing the ball for more than a few times can also get tricky. So much for building stamina and getting his heart rate up.
Ah, but thankfully a water workout disguised as fun is a near-perfect solution. This past weekend Karma and I went back to Riverbend Park in the morning before too many people got the same idea.
We picked up the green trail just left of the waterfront at the information building. In less than five minutes we came upon a perfect “beach” that would let him play safely in the water and be off leash (shhhhhh!).
As luck would have it another woman, Sarah, and her Standard Poodle, Lilly, had the same idea. Now Lilly was a MUCH better swimmer than the Karmalicious but the competition was good for them both.
Sticks ended up being the preferred fetch “toy” and was a catalyst for increasing cardio and getting the dogs to really go for it. I had started off with his preferred water toy from Ruff Wear but a moment of distraction allowed it to float on down the river out of reach. I imagined it going over Great Falls later in the day, captured in the background of a family photo – Ha!
But I digress. We stayed for just over an hour and Karma let me know he was done by coming out of the water more often and laying in shallow water. He was a tired and content boy the rest of the day and I believe he got a decent workout out of it.
The author of this is unknown, but it was passed onto me and we think it’s worth sharing on a bigger level. For all of you who have ever competed with your dog on any level, we are confident you can relate!
What Is A Title Really?
Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher Title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores.
A Title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honor the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard. And though the dog himself doesn’t know or care that his achievements have been noted, a Title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.
A Title says your dog was intelligent, and adaptable, and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed. And a Title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog, and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed, and that in the end your faith was justified.
A Title proves that your dog inspired you to have the special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a Title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return. And when that dear short life is over, the Title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials before or after the name.
A Title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received permanently.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
This past weekend Karma received some new gear to make his life even better! Both came from our friends at AgileDogs Rock!! who travel to agility trials with all the best goodies stuffed in their truck. If you need, want or desire anything for your active pup, find them on Facebook!
That yellow thing in the photo is called an eGGe and it’s even better than a soccer ball! Karma can’t “cheat” by picking it up because it’s made of hard plastic. And when he pounces on it, the eGGe sort of “squirts” away because of its irregular shape and the game is on! We originally tried it out in snow and the eGGe travels even faster on the white stuff! The downside is it doesn’t kick quite the same way as a soccer ball – ha! – unless you have some seriously hard-toed shoes. Oh, and when you throw it, make sure you don’t accidentally hit your boy in the face (not that I would ever do that!).
His new fashion accessory with the red trim is a K9 Kool Coat. As you know from previous posts, Karma’s generous coat makes him melt in the heat. When I say heat, I mean anything over 75 degrees! Ha! The coat is made of a mesh fabric that breathes while it reflects the sun. The added bonus is you can wet the coat and it increases the cooling properties. I like it much better than RuffWear’s Swamp Cooler as this one doesn’t trap the moisture and thus heat up. It worked really well after Karma played fetch with the Border Collies and got overheated – he cooled down faster in his new duds! I’m sold!
With spring little less than a month away I’m already planning my first hikes and camping trips of 2010. Still, warm weather can’t be here soon enough! This is why I recommend pulling your tent out and setting it up indoors. Sound crazy?
A few weeks ago I did just this. Setup was pretty easy since my Marmot Limelight 3 tent has a rainfly and footprint that can setup without the tent. This is meant to be used in warm weather camping and in Virginia it doesn’t get any warmer in winter than indoors at 72 degrees. Cannon got really excited when he saw me pull the tent polls out. And I gotta admit that having only used my tent a couple times, I got excited when I got a whiff of that new tent smell! The moment I go the ten setup my 80lb Ridgey was wandering around inside, waiting for me to get the sleeping bag laid down.
I made a couple small modification to this camping trip. I set the tent up over the rug in my living room to give me some extra cushion. I unzipped my sleeping bag and laid it out across the entire sleeping pad and then stacked a couple down comforters on top. We camped right in front of the tv and watched the olymipcs… it was fantastic!!!
For some extra ambiance to the night I made indoor smores. Graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate bar and fluff – just put it in the microwave for 7 to 12 seconds and you’re all set.
Now, I’ve been thinking – for those of you who haven’t done any tent camping with your dog, this would be a fantastic way to give it a test run. You can get your pup used to sleeping in the tent and see if he’s gonna try to sneak in your sleeping bag with you. Tip – sometimes dogs can pace around the tent a lot the first time they’re all zipped up in there with you. Don’t be alarmed, this is typical. Just relax and give him some time to get used to it. If you relax then he should relax and be curled up next to you in no time.
If you’ve got any tips on how to make a bigger better indoor camping experience then we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment here and share your tips and/or stories!
We’ve all been affected by this long stretch of cold snowy weather. Even those of us with winter loving dogs have hit roadblocks with unpaved roads, snowdrifts, deep snow and well… ice cold noses (for both dogs & their owners). It’s time we stopped fighting Mother Nature, take the hint and head indoors.
For me the perfect cure for cabin fever is a little shopping. If you can relate then I’d suggest grab’n the leash, your pup and heading to Lucketts, VA to the The Old Lucketts Store. This pet friendly shop touts a “vintage hip” style, which definitely delivers. Both the Store and its neighboring Design House allow our four legged friends. So, if you’ve got a critter that’s good around others then I recommend taking him out for a little shopping. It’s good mental exercise for him and a bit of retail therapy for you.
Warning – enthusiastic tail waggers beware!
It’s the final day of gift ideas and unless you’re going to brave the crazy shopping traffic then I’m guessing you’re not going out to get that doggy gift you had earlier wanted to purchase. Not to worry! Like I mentioned in an earlier post about volunteering, when it comes to your pup… simply spending time with him may be the best gift of all.
Christmas day for me will include Cannon unwrapping (okay… he shreds the paper) his gifts, an Orvis plush bunny and a bag of organic treats. That will be an exciting for him for all of 2 minutes. His favorite part will be what comes next. We’ll both get our coats on and head out for a good run in the cold air. Not our usual trails, we’ll be in upstate New York. There will be lots to see and to smell. We’ll do an extra long trek, after all there’s treats and xmas dinner waiting for us.
When the family all gathers there will be lots of kisses and belly rubs for Cannon. There will be crumbs to clean off the carpet from what the kids drop. There will be doorbells ringing, announcing new people to greet. He’ll have more attention than he knows what to do with. Wrapped gifts or not… just like for the rest of us, this will be the best part of all.
When we first got Cannon from the breeder he came home with a simple grey string around his neck. A simple collar to help differentiate him from his brothers and sisters. Now that he’s all grown up we’ve upgraded from this to an Around the Hounds custom collar, which we’re always getting compliments on.
His collar is a 1 ½ inch wide band of blue and white. The white strip is reflective. This helps with nighttime walks off leash in the backyard and roadside walks after dusk, keeping him clearly visible. Cannon’s got a very durable style collar but you can also find holiday inspired and other beautifully decorative styles.
If your dog’s like mine then he plays hard! Cannon’s frequently running through mud, splashing through water, pushing through tall grass or rolling in goose poo. This makes getting him clean, on a regular basis, an important task for me. This turned on the lightbulb for today’s gift idea – bath time products.
There are a lot of shampoos that you’ll find at your local pet supply store. My brand of choice is Earthbath. It’s an all natural shampoo, which means no harsh ingredients that could hurt your dog or the environment. They sell products for dogs, cats and horses. They also sell several wipes and spritzes, besides the old standard, shampoo.
For those of you who’ve waited until the last minute have I got the perfect gift – a donation to your local shelter! Time or money they can use it. These organizations rely on donations to buy food, blankets, supplies and pay regular staff in order to care for animals that have been rescued or surrendered. There are some great local, no-kill shelters that feeling the pain of the recession too… and it’s the animals that pay the price.
If you’re feeling totally broke after tackling all your holiday gift purchasing then I recommend donating what is worth more than money – your time. On any typical day shelters find it hard to give each and every dog a decent walk, if they get one at all. Now think about how many volunteers show up on a cold day or snowy weekend – not many. If you can just spend one afternoon helping walk some homeless pups you’ll put a wag in their tail and earn your spot on the “nice list.”
In all actuality, what your dog really wants for the holidays is more time with you doing fun things and we couldn’t agree more! Be sure that when you are choosing toys, you are choosing things that require interaction because the real goal of toys is to build a better relationship with your dog, not just have your dog keep busy in the corner! In simpler terms, you=play!
One of the best way (according to experts, of course) is to play tug with your dog and I just love the fleece tug toys at Genuine Dog Gear. Their toys are as soft as they are durable which makes tugging for you and your pup more enjoyable.
Playing tug is not only fun for the dog but reinforces what we all know: you control the universe and all the fun in it! Tug toys shouldn’t be left laying about the house, rather they should be a special toy that comes out for interactive fun time! Karma will “steal” tug toys from their hiding spot and bring them to me when he wants to play, demonstrating that he does in fact know I am our home’s “Julie, the cruise director.”
There is no doubt I have enjoyed getting into agility with Karma. While at first glance he is an unlikely breed to be hurling himself over obstacles, he is actually quite athletic and fast – proof that you can’t judge athleticism by the breed!
If you are interested in giving your dog another challenge, agility could be a fun way to go. If you have a puppy or a dog who isn’t full grown, please check with your vet before asking your dog to jump, climb or weave since stress on growing bones can be damaging.
Also, I strongly encourage enrolling in a class or two to learn the basics about introducing your dog to obstacles. Of course I am partial to Karma’s “school,” A Click Above, but there are many who are qualified to give you the basics. Who knows, you may get bitten by the agility bug as we have been and work towards trialing.
For gear, there are LOTS of choices! I have chosen to include just a few including a basics starter kit that may be just right for your backyard. As with anything, you can spend as much as you want and quality will vary so be sure to get the right gear for your purpose!
Clean Run – This is such a go-to for serious enthusiasts!
J&J Dog Supplies – Great for all types of supplies!
Doctors Fosters & Smith – Lower-end agility products, but a great all-around site!
If you do a lot of traveling with your four-legged friend then gifting yourself and your dog some travel accessories might be the way for you to go this holiday season. There are a lot of products out there to make sure you pet stays safe while you’re on the road.
Check out drsfostersmith.com for a longer list of items. Following is a sampling of these.
- Travel crate
- Pet barrier
- Rear-seat hammock
- Cargo liner
As many of you may already know, I’m the owner of an 80 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback – but that wasn’t always the case. I also was a proud mama to an 11 pound toy poodle, Champ. Having bred small dogs and been the caretaker for Champ for 16 years, I know how important it can be to get them buttoned up in sweaters during the winter. I also know how hard it is to find something that cute and classy.
I wish I’d found the Ralph Lauren pup sweater collection back then. I recently stumbled across this site and instantly recognized it as some top notch doggy gear. If you don’t have a dog that needs to be dressed (yes need, dogs closer to the ground need more protection from the elements) then I still recommend checking out the page, if just for the cute pics.
