Love your PUP and keep them healthy - goodbye Bella

Today I am so sad that my good friend Mike lost his 18 month old lab Bella.  I can't imagine the pain that someone feels at the loss of a dog.  I have not experienced that type of pain but I can only imagine how hard it would be to lose your best friend.  I met Bella in February when I stayed with Mike for a few days.  She was such a goofy, energetic, lab that had an amazing personality.  Just being near her made me laugh!  When I found out that Bella was gone I was saddened and as I write this I have tears streaming down my face.  Mike said being heartbroken in an understatement of how he feels.  Bella apparently had a congenital defect in her kidneys, her death was totally unexpected.

My dogs give me so much happiness.  I often think of my life before dogs and after dogs.  I know at some time in my life I will have to experience the death of a pet ( hopefully when they are very old).  Having a pet die old or young is difficult.     Having a pet die at a young age is like a punch out of the dark.  You don't expect it and are not prepared in the least.

My heart goes out to Mike and his pain.  His loss had made me love my pets even more today (if that is possible). 

Love your pets, exercise your pets, and keep them healthy because you don't know how long they will be here! 

Hill Repeats, Track Workouts, Agility, and Dock Diving - she does it all!

Tigger the super dog!

Today my training plan called for hill repeats.  We planned on running a hill that was .75 miles long and doing it four times.  I decided to take my dog Daisy to see if I could drain some of her energy.  I was getting ready to leave and somehow she knew she was going.  Leaping like a kangaroo she was excited about her adventure. My other dogs were not too happy that they had to stay home but I knew they couldn't handle 7 miles.  Daisy on the other hand is unbelievable and could run forever.  As we were driving to the hill the excitement is building and she can hardly control herself.  The whining was getting worse and worse the closer we got to our destination.  We get there and do an easy warm up mile which was like a walk in the park for her.  Then hill number one and she was pulling me up the hill the entire time.  Michael and Jeff ran with us. Michael was ahead of us on the other side of the street and she kept her eye on him the entire time.  She didn't want him to get up the hill first.  She is a very competitive dog, somewhat like her owner! We repeated this for a total of 4 times. Each time we got water at the end of the downhill (recovery) portion.  By the last one she was running behind me (finally she does get tired).  We finished a total of about 7 miles. Then it was off to Dunkin Donuts for a treat (no she didn't get a donut).  She got egg whites and turkey sausage.  Last week our Sunday workout was a track workout.  I took Daisy to the track with us and let her off the leash since nobody was there and the area was secure.  She was so fast I am sure she would have set a world record if she was human. 

After our hill workout and Dunkin Donut  stop, we rested for a short time at home.  About an hour later it was time to go to our Dock Diving appointment.  This time Tigger got to join us.  We have only done this 3 times and Tigger is already jumping off the dock like a champion.  At least I think he looks like a champion.  The instructor said today his jump was about 10ft!  I thought that was outstanding but little did I know that was only half of the distance

Looks like 10ft!

 of the national champion.  So maybe we have some work to do.  Daisy won't jump off the dock just yet.  She jumps off the ramp and will go in the water to retrieve the ball but is nervous about the dock.  I hope to get her over her fear.  But if she doesn't she is still an amazing and super athletic dog.  Most important she has fun even if she only jumps of the ramp. Last year I took her to agility training and she was really fast.  I was the one that would make errors on the course not HER! 

Look at Daisy going over hurdles!

It is so important for people and pets to exercise. It is simple to find ways to do it together.  It may take some creative thinking on your part. Involve your pet into your fitness routine and you both will be happy and healthy!

He really wants that ball!

Flying Fido He Walks On Water!

During the summer with the Vegas heat, I always struggle to find time to exercise my dogs.  By the time it is 8am it is already 100 degree's outside and too hot to take them outside.  Then I have to wait until dusk and by that time I am exhausted from a long day at work.  I still manage to do it but its really tough.  I recently heard about Las Vegas Dock Dogs - www.lasvegasdockdogs.com.  I thought it would be a great way for my dogs to stay cool, have fun, and exercise all at the same time.  Little did I know how much they would love it and how good they would be at it.  My dog Tigger is a lab mix so of course he was a natural.  Well kind of after he tried to retrieve the chlorine container in the pool instead of his ball I felt like I had a special dog!  Not special meaning good but special meaning not the smartest dog!  He is funny and goofy but not the smartest dog in the dog park!  We had to remove the chlorine container that was floating in the pool because he thought it was his toy.  They said he was the only dog that has ever done that......leave it to my dog. After that it was all air and ball!  He was awesome and actually jumped like a pro several times.  At least I think he jumped like a pro....lol. Most dogs don't even jump on their first visit.  They need a little time to get used to the dock and pool.  But not Tigger. He had so much fun and you can see how much fun from the pictures! 

The second day we went I brought Daisy who is my runner dog.  She has so much energy and can run forever however she doesn't love the water like Tigger.  So I was unsure how she would react to the dock and pool.  But I figured I would give it a try with nothing to lose. She sometimes will go in the lake if Tigger is in the water but this was a completely different situation.   She was nervous at first but once the nerves were gone she was awesome.  I am always searching for ways to drain her energy and this was perfect.  She swam and retrieved the ball for about 20 minutes and slept in the car on the way home.  She didn't do the jumps off the dock yet like Tigger but the fact that I got her in the water swimming was a huge step. 

I plan on including this in their workout plan from now on.  It is so important to keep variety in your pets exercise plan just as you should for yourself.  In Vegas the summer is so hot this is the perfect challenge for your pet. If you are looking for something different for your mutt this is a great change from the everyday walk or run.  Your dog will have so much fun and you never know you may have the next pro and don't even know it!  Even if your dog does not jump you can bring them here and let them swim for exercise.  

You can join the Las Vegas Dock Dog club for $100 a year for one pet and $150 for multiple pets.  You will get access to the pool with your membership once a month for 30 minutes.  You can also pay for additional pool time at $30 for 30 minutes.  The people at Las Vegas Dock Dogs are truly dog enthusiasts! 

I didn't want to but they did!

Yesterday was a really long day for me starting at 4am when my alarm went off.  I was busy with clients working about a 14 hour day. I had a short break to come home let the dogs out grab some food only to leave again.  By the time I got home I was exhausted and the LAST thing I wanted to do was take my 3 dogs for a walk at 8pm.  I got home fed them had a bite to eat myself and was ready for bed.  I let the dogs out (for what I thought was the time that day) and Daisy looked at her leash as I opened the door and gave me that look:)  The look of hope........like its time.......for a walk........because we haven't had one today!
No not today I don't have the energy is what I felt like saying.  But her wagging tail and perking ears kept looking at me with hope that I wan gonna grab the leashes.   Then I felt really bad.  I was close to denying my three dogs one of the best moments of their day.....the walk.  So I grabbed the leashes and worked up enough energy to take them out for a walk.    As we were walking they were in their bliss!  Sniffing everything, Tigger and Spec peeing on everything, and trotting along without a care in the world.  As we walked I started to feel better, more relaxed, and less stressed.  I was thankful that I made the decision to take them walking.  Thankful because it was good for them AND ME!

Everyone has days like I did.  Days that they just want to come home and end your day.  Don't forget about your dog.  Force yourself take them for  a walk. In the end it will be the best thing for both of you! 

Keeping Fido Cool and Healthy In The Pool!

Las Vegas Dock Diving Dogs! 

Here in Las Vegas it can get super hot for humans but how do you think our canine friends feel? Some people resort to shaving Fido even thinking this will keep him cool.  That may be OK for some dogs but depending on the breed it may not be a good idea.  Some breeds should not be shaved and their coat is what keeps them cool.  Shaving a dog with light skin can also make them prone to a sunburn.  Talk to your vet or groomer before deciding to remove your pets hair. 

Swimming is another great way to keep you and your mutt cool.  But once again be careful.  Don't just throw your dog in a pool or lake thinking they can swim.  This may disorientate the dog or scare them.  Then if you have to jump in to save them you may be at risk too.  Let your pooch become gradually familiar with the water.  You can also put a life jacket on them and you should always watch them just as you would watch a kid.  I have a lab mix and he is a great swimmer and loves the water.  I still make him wear a life jacket when we are at the lake.  My concern is that he will get distracted and keep swimming away from me.  This has never happened but better to be safe then sorry.  My other dog Daisy was terrified of the water when I got her.  I got her a kids pool and let her gradually ease her way into it.  She saw my other dog in it and suddenly became interested.  She now will follow him into the lake and is not scared of the water.  She will never be a water dog like Tigger but she gets in enough to have fun and cool off.  Also remember to rinse off your pet after they are in the pool or at the beach.  The chlorine or salt water can dry out there skin and irritate it.  Make sure they don't drink the pool or ocean water.  Both the chlorine and salt water can make them sick.  If you don't have access to a lake or pool buy a kids pool and let your dog have fun in that.  It is another way to have fun and stay cool.

For those dogs that are really athletic and love the water you can try out Las Vegas Dock Diving for Dogs!  Check out there website www.lasvegasdockdogs.com.  Looks like so much fun for Fido!

Running In The Rain......with your mutt of course!

We finally got some rain here in Las Vegas. I had planned on a bike ride last Friday night but it was raining and windy so I decided not to risk my life
on my bike in the rain! Instead I grabbed my two mutts(Daisy and Tigger) and decided to head outside for a run. In Vegas, in the summer it is always so hot.
I don't get to take the dogs out as much as I do in the winter because of the heat. I thought I would take advantage of the evening and the cool rain and take them out for a run. They absolutely loved running at night in the rain. It was just getting dark and there was a drizzle. Sometimes when things are not planned it works out for the best. The beauty in the sky at night and the rain with the clouds was amazing. Both my dogs were running with me in the rain, with a steady pace, and they were in the zone without distraction......it was a beautiful thing. I know its the little things make me happy but this was a memorable run for me. It was memorable because they were happy, they were well behaved, and they were beautiful running with ears back, eyes squinting, and nose pointing forward. I love running in the rain and apparently my dogs do too. They got a nice rinse off in the hose when we got home because they were dirty too....... but they didn't care!

When A Walk Just Isn't Enough For Your Energetic Mutt!

Let's face it even I can't run my energetic dog everyday!  She wins.....she has more energy then I do. Most people will tell you I can go, go, go forever!  I run Daisy about 3-4 times a week. The days I don't have the energy to run her or days that I need a day off from running, I will walk her.  But a simple walk is not enough for her.  She will still have a ton of energy.  She will be relentless trying to play with Tigger if she is not tired. !  He is a bit less energetic to say the least. 

On my walks with Daisy I started using a backpack.  I fill this with two medium sized water bottles.  Just a little extra weight makes her work a little harder on our 30-60 minute walks.  If you decide to use a backpack for your dog then follow these guidelines:

• Start with small water bottles for a few weeks and work slowly up to larger bottles.  Don't overload the pack!  Keep it safe they don't need a ton of weight in the pack to make them work a little harder.  Two medium sized water bottles for Daisy is perfect.  The weight may also depend on the size of the dog.  Very large dogs may be able to work up to large water bottles or more weight.
• Keep the weight on each side of the pack even.
• Speak to your Vet if your dog has any joint or medical problems before using a backpack.
• Don't run with the backpack.  I only use this for walking with my dog.
• These can be used for hiking too. 
• Make sure the backpack fits properly and is not too tight or rubbing on the dog.  Most large pet stores carry these so you can bring your mutt to try them on in the store.  You can also purchase them at REI.

Most importantly be safe and have fun with your pets!