Exercising your Human

Hi friends!

Today I wanted to talk about something very important: dog health. Ms. Peggy e-mailed me a while back saying today was FitDog Friday blog hop! I hoped my assistant would remember and she DID! Points for Mommy! Anyway, being fit is important. Ms. Peggy said "According to the 2012 National Pet Obesity Survey, more than 52% of our dogs are overweight or obese." That's a lot and I can't even count! The best way to stay fit is eating right and exercise. Exercise can be tough, but it's good for your human too. I've gathered some tips to help you exercise your human, and by extension, you!

Walking is always better with a cool bandana!

1. Start early. I mean early in the day of course. My daddy is up first and usually feeds me. I nap a bit before waking up Mom. If she doesn't get up when I think she should, I scratch at the bed to help motivate her. Sometimes humans need motivation.

Sometimes it's fun to walk somewhere not in your neighborhood!

2. Speaking of motivation, make sure they feel guilty for not walking you. You might try sad puppy dog eyes or a heavy sigh. I'm expert at both. I, however, usually employ the "I-only-poop-on-walks" trick. When I first came to live with Mom and Dad, I had bad separation anxiety. I pooped in my crate every time the people left me alone. I also refused to poop in the yard, so walks it was. I still won't poop in the yard unless I feel like it, so Mom gets nervous to leave me if I don't walk her.

3. Now that your human is up and motivated, jump around and bark and act like a loon. This helps your human know you appreciate their efforts.

Sometimes you see brides getting pictures taken on walks.

4. Wait for the door to open and to be released. Then run like mad to the first tree!

5. Make sure you stop for frequent breaks. Exercise is tough at first, especially for humans, so stop at every tree, give it a thorough sniff and pee on it. This gives your human a chance to catch their breath. Don't listen when they try to tell you to hurry up. Remember, the longer you are out exercising, the better!

Sniffing trees

6. Once everyone is home from that work place, jump around and bark and act like a loon again. This lets them know you would like your second walk. My second walk is always a short one, just around the block.

Be careful when walking in snow.

A coat can help in cold weather!

Exercising your human is tough and it might take some time before you figure out a good routine. Just remember, you love them and want them to be healthy and, bonus!, it's good for you too. But always be aware of temperatures and safety. I always walk with a harness and my collar. I also wear a coat when it's extremely cold. If there's snow on the ground, I let Mom take me on a shorter walk so my paws don't get too cold. Other dogs wear booties, but I wouldn't stand for that so Mom doesn't try. When it's extremely hot, bring water for your sniff breaks. Mom also shortens walks then, too. Usually she tries to go earlier in the day though, which works out since she has to be at that work place earlier in the summers.

It's important to exercise, even if you're a pot-bellied pig.