Wordless Wednesday: Flight

Photo by Brian Padow of Canine Adventure

Wordless Wednesday

Photos by Brian Padow, Canine Adventure

Wordless Wednesday

Photos by Brian Padow, Canine Adventure

FitDog Friday: Take a Hike!


 

If you've been following my blog, you know that mom and I like to hike.  A LOT.  We haven't been posting as much about our hikes lately, but we've actually been hiking more than ever.  

Posing for a photo during a hike of the flood wall

We enjoy hiking because we both love being outside and moving.  I get to really be a dog when I'm hiking, and mom gets a break from stuff, and we both get great exercise.

But we don't just hike with each other.  We lead hikes with other people and dogs because we love getting other dogs out and showing them a great time, and showing people the awesome trails we have right in our own city.  Mom and I have been leading our Dog Scout troop hikes for a while now, and we recently started leading hikes for a Meetup group called Canine Adventure's Human Adventure.  If you live in or near Richmond, Virginia (or if you happen to be passing through), you could come join us!

Can you believe this is in the city?

Hiking with others is a GREAT way to exercise for both dogs and humans because it's FUN.  It's also a wonderful way for dogs to socialize.  A lot of dogs who aren't comfortable with other dogs in a dog park-type setting are very happy hiking with other dogs.

Hiking is also pretty easy to do.  You don't need any special equipment to go hiking other than a good pair of shoes (or hiking boots if you plan to hike on steep trails with uneven footing).  Mom always carries a daypack with a dog first aid kit and a human first aid kit, water for both of us, and a water bowl.  

If you don't know the trails, start by hiking with a group such as a local Dog Scout troop or Meetup group.  Exchange numbers or emails with people you meet on the hikes and arrange your own hikes once you know the trails. 

Do you know your dog needs to lose weight, but you don't know how?  My friends at SlimDoggy have created an app that can help.  It's available in the Apple app store.  You can also try out the new SlimDoggy widget on my sidebar.

FitDog Friday




My friends at Slimdoggy.com and Peggy's Pet Place teamed up to create the FitDog Friday blog hop, and we're participating because we want to help educate humans about the importance of keeping their doggies fit.  Doggies who maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly live longer and have fewer health problems.  A few months ago, mom wrote an article that has some great tips on how to help your dog become and stay fit:  

How to Keep Your Dog Fit and Healthy: Part 1

How to Keep Your Dog Fit and Healthy: Part 2

You may now admire my physique

People and doggies often admire my physique and ask how I stay so fit.  

My Baywatch bod

Doing Zumba in the back yard

Well, mom and I walk every day and play frequent games of fetch, and we go hiking every weekend and sometimes after work.  I also go on an Adventure Hike every Wednesday with my buddies Tim and Nicky while mom is at work.

Hiking with Nicky
Photo by Tim Kondas of Canine Adventure

Hiking is a GREAT way to exercise because it's fun for humans and doggies, especially when we get a group together for a hike.  

Because mom and I love to hike, and we love to give other dogs an opportunity to get out and hike too, we lead hikes for our local Dog Scout troop and a local Meetup group called Canine Adventure's Human Adventure.  

Dog Scout hikes are REALLY fun, says Ruckus

Hiking with my Human Adventure 
buds Enzo & Choco

If you live in or near Richmond, Virginia, and you'd like to go hiking with other people and dogs, check out Human Adventure.  If you don't live near us, you can steal our idea and create your own dog hiking group!  

Taking a dip during a hike last Friday
(This trail is within our city limits)

We have been amazed at the wonderful trails we have in our own city.  Get out and explore your local parks and see what you find!

We led a sunset hike on Monday
(This is less than a mile from downtown Richmond)

Need some help getting your dog fit?  There are lots of resources available:

Slimdoggy.com makes an app that helps you help your dog lose weight.  They also offer email consultations and one-on-one consultations.

K9 Fit Club offers fitness classes for humans and dogs.

You can purchase Dieting with My Dog, written by Peggy of Peggy's Pet Place from Amazon.

Fit With Fido offers exercise classes for humans and dogs.

Thank Dog! Bootcamp offers fitness classes.

Thank Dog! Mobile is available at the Apple App Store.

Fur Fitness is a 501(c)(3) organization that educates humans about pet obesity and assists pet parents in helping their pets achieve and maintain optimal weight.

Association for Pet Obesity Prevention has weight loss tools and other great information on their website.

My buddy Choco is 11 years old, and he's a GREAT example of how staying active and fit keeps you healthy and young - he's one of the older dogs in our hiking group, but he still leads the pack!

Wordless Wednesday (also known as TIMDAY!): Air Garth

Photo by Tim Kondas of Canine Adventure
(enhanced with ToonCamera)

My Latest Trick, Today's Hike, and 30/30 Challenge Update

Mom and I are taking an advanced tricks class at All Dog Adventures.  This is my latest trick: 

Garth opening frig

The next part of the trick is getting a beer out of the frig, taking it to daddy, then closing the frig door.  That part of the trick is more difficult, because once I have the beer can in my mouth, I want to run around with it and play with it.  Do you know beer cans roll really well?  They're really lots of fun.  But for some reason, the humans don't like it when I play with their beer.

It's time for our weekly 30/30 Challenge Update.  Mom and I have been doing really well, but we missed a day yesterday because mom said it was just too nasty.  (And if it's too nasty for mom, that means it's REALLY nasty.)  But we've only missed one day so far this month, and we think that's great.  And we've walked more than 30 minutes most other days, so we're still way ahead.

Today's 30+ minutes was very muddy and very fun!

Come on mom! Whatcha waiting for?

Note muddy undercarriage

The river was very high from all the rain & melting snow

Muddy and proud of it

The river was over the steps of the canoe launch

Sticks were plentiful

And the water felt great!

30/30 Challenge Update

Buttermilk Trail & Boulevard Bridge Hike + 30/30 Challenge Update

Last weekend, we hiked the Buttermilk Trail from Reedy Creek to the Boulevard Bridge and back. 

There are some amazing trees
along the Buttermilk Trail

When we got to the Boulevard Bridge, we walked across, because it's such a beautiful view of the river -- a view you can't appreciate at 55 mph.

I'm not afraid of bridges

Of course, no hike is complete without a dip in the river

and some dirt on the snout

One more photo of my handsome self

30/30 Challenge Update

Mom and I are doing very well in the 30/30 challenge.  So far we have walked well over 30 minutes every day in January, even tonight in the cold and the rain.  

How to Keep Your Dog Fit and Healthy + 30/30 Challenge Update

As you may know, my mom writes guest blog posts for doggyWOOF.  Her most recent article, about doggy fitness and weight loss, has some helpful information and ideas.  Her article is in two parts - here are the links:

How to Keep Your Dog Fit and Healthy: Part 1

How to Keep Your Dog Fit and Healthy: Part 2

This article is particularly timely . . .

30/30 Challenge Update

My buddies at YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner.com created the 30/30 Challenge, and a bunch of my buds are participating in it with us.  Our goal is to walk at least 30 minutes per day for 30 days.  

I totally copied my friend Gizmo of Terrier Torrent's idea and created a ticker to track our progress.  (This ticker just shows the minimum 30 minute per day goal -- we're actually going way over that.)

Mom and I have always been pretty active, but she sometimes needs extra motivation to go for a walk in the evening after work when it's cold and dark.  I think the 30/30 Challenge is great because it's helping motivate us during the hardest time of the year.  25 days to go!

A side effect of the 30/30 Challenge

Weekend Fun: Hiking with Bailey!

We had a great time on the Dog Scout hike on Sunday.  Most of the troop had conflicts, so it was just me and Bailey and our humans.  

We missed our other Dog Scout friends, but that didn't stop us from having lots of fun.  Here are some photos mom took during our swim break.  (Every hike at the river must include a swim break.) 

Bailey

Me

A lot of the time I just hike with mom, and I always enjoy that, but it's really nice to hike with one of my doggie buddies.  I'm so glad Bailey came along.