I am a 6 yr old 38 lb GBGV and my sister Katie is a 10 ½ yr old 75 lb Kuvasz and our vet has declared us fit as fiddles, with healthy hearts and ideal weights. Today I am joining the Show Off Your Dog’s Waistline Blog Hop. Fit dogs make for healthy and happier dogs!
Slim and Trim me!
Mom is an outdoors lover and a fitness freak. One of the main reasons she got her first dog was that she wanted someone to run and walk with. Mom does run by herself but she never walks by herself and trying to always find people to go walking when she wants to and where she wants too is difficult. Thus, we say that we are each other’s fitness buddies!
I am sure getting started is the hardest part but mom has been waking up and running or walking for over half her life so it is just as much a part of her day as getting out of bed. As puppies we were included on the walks with mom as soon as we arrived. When we were little she would carry us off and on when the walks were longer but we learned to be outside on walks, which was the main thing. We also have a house rule “The yard is not a bathroom”. No landmines in our yard! Even during potty training mom took us to a “poddy spot” off our yard to do our stuff. Normally we walk 1 ½ to 2 hrs a day, with our long walk
Slim and Trim Katie!
(at least an hour) first thing in the morning. If you are trying to get into walking this is a great way to start the day! Get your blood flowing, your mind thinking and be done with your walk for the day – no room for excuses like I have to work late or I am too tired after work or something more fun came up. Make it a morning habit to stay on track.
Mom likes variety so we never walk the same route on our morning walks more than once a week. At least once a week mom drives us somewhere for one of our other later in the day walks so we have even more variety. Variety keeps us all more interested.
Being a runner, mom used to run a lot with Katie. Katie actually helped mom train for her first marathon, running up to 15 miles with her, but now that she is older she has retired from running. Mom credits having Katie as a training partner for her 3:37 time in the Hamburg, Germany Marathon 7 years ago! Occasionally, I run with mom but I can only go about 4-5 miles with my short legs so she usually does her run first and then walks with us afterwards for a nice cool down. 2 years ago when she trained for the Twin Cities Marathon she trained alone and said it was much harder than with a dog but knowing we were home waiting for her to walk us motivated her to keep running and get back home faster.
We also walk 365 days a year, weather does not matter. Mom has clothes for any weather, rain, snow, ice, hot or cold. The only change in our routine is when it is more than about -10 Fahrenheit, then we only walk about 20 minutes because it is just dangerously cold.
People that don’t know us very well think we dogs are old because we are so mellow, but we are just happy, balanced and worn out! With all our exercise and playing in the yard, we are content to just sleep a lot when we are in the house. We also go to dog parks but usually just the larger ones where we can walk. We meet other dogs and play for a few minutes but we aren’t into the really wild play.
Using us dogs for fitness buddies is the best idea ever because the humans and dogs stay fit and healthy. One other benefit – if mom feels like we have gained some weight or she feels heavier, we just exercise more rather than dieting and get our figures back in no time! Mom also follows one rule – no ear buds and music or phoning while walking because it is a time to focus on the three of us and our surroundings. We take the phone for emergencies or a fun blog photo, but it is not for chit chat on walks.
Stay fit with your dog…start walking tomorrow morning and making a habit out of it!
Very inspiring!
Great..I want more dogs to be out walking with their humans!
Very good advice. It sounds like you have your fitness routine down!
Emma you and Katie both look super…a true testament to the value of exercise…And you’re a great motivator for me and momz…when we’re lazy (well, when she’s lazy, cause I never am) she thinks of you, Katie and your mom and sez “Emma would do it” and out we go Thank you for inspiring us!
Awww…that is sweet. I am so happy to motivate anyone I can and if you lived nearby we would walk together 🙂
Whooohooo, look at those super waist lines 🙂 Mines in trim too…Can’t say that about Humom..Have made her read this.. She’s starting on Monday, gonna be a fitness freak has a stone to lose..We will see… Have a wonderful Furiday Emma xx00xx
Mollie and Alfie
Trust me, you may not want her to be a drill sergeant like my mom but getting out and moving does wonders for the body and the mind!
You two are lookin’ good! You have the best mom ever!
Well, I sure love her, thank you 🙂
I love Katie – my mother had a Kuvasz named Alex that she totally adored for a number of years. We had always been a bird dog family when I was growing up in the piney woods of rural southeast Texas, but after my father died, she remarried – a man who wooed her with Alex. She fell in love with Alex – and married the man.
I read this to Katie and it made her happy 🙂 Every dog is different and has a special place in your heart!
Your mom and my mom would get along perfectly! Mom loves to walk, hike, and she used to run and do triathlons. We are healthy too, mom keeps us on the move. I would for you to post some walking pictures, if you can, and tag them #roxysdogwalkpicaday. It’s just a fun little thing we do on instagram, twitter, and facebook. Walk on!!
post them on twitter? I do think our moms would get along wonderfully and probably kill us dogs 😉
WOW 1 hour to 2 walks WOW that is great!
We love it but sometimes we are just tired out!
Way to go being so fit you guys!
Too bad all our blogging pals don’t live close as we could walk as a group!
You two sure looking mighty fine!!!
Thanks, kitty 😉
Emma, what a fabulous figure you have!!! I love going for long walks and hikes with mom and dad. They don’t run…bad knees…but we walk briskly!!! Have a great weekend!
*Cairn cuddles*
Oz
PS Thank you for your sweet comment the other day while Ma was away.
Thanks for being my friend 😉 Happy walking!
Emma, Jess has the Team Dogventurers blog hop open now on her blog…Make sure and post your update and link up http://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/we-almost-idita-havent-walked/#comment-11826
Thanks, I haven’t been there yet today. I will check!
You are looking awesome! And nothing like being fir as a fiddle! Great to see! Thank you for participating in the campaign!
Thanks for having it as it is very important!
Woof! Woof! I run with mom but due to injuries mom can’t run long anymore so we do a combo. She got hurt when she was training for a marathon. One reason she is into stair climbing (helps her hip). Interesting they think you are an old dog … many thinks I am a pup (just so surprise to see a white face or many thinks I am a mix). Working out and being fir I just have so much energy and yes happiness. As we said in our post yesterday, just have to be committed. Wish we have a walkathon bloggie meet-up. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
A blog walkathon meet up would be a blast! We have lots of energy but when we are not out playing, walking or running we are napping. Hope your mom’s injury heals up.
This is so inspiring! We definitely need to be more active. The weather sometimes makes it difficult, though. You look great, Emma. 🙂
We love walking in just about any weather, even rain can be fun if you are mentally prepared for it.
Chester helped me train for my marathon too! He could run up to 6 miles with me but that was when we was young and spry (me too. Ha, ha). Now we get out for walk and short distance runs. Gretel comes along for the longer runs though.
I get bored with the same walking route. I try to change it up as much as I can. When I am walking my doggy clients I don’t have much choice though because I can’t drive them anywhere.
The main thing is that you and the dogs are out moving, so many dogs seem to never leave their yard or if they do it is the same trip around the block and we find that sad. Keep on walking 🙂
You guys are looking super fit!
We try to walk alot too, and when I’m fully grown daddy hopes to take me out on his bike (more for his benefit than mine BOL)
Always keep your human in shape
I love, love, love my walks with the pups. I do it for me as much as I do it for them. Sadly (for me) all that walking isn’t really helping me drop the weight, which is somewhat discouraging, but won’t keep us from walking. Like your mom, we walk in all weather, although in extreme cold or extreme heat I will shorten the walk or adjust the time. Except for freezing rain, it isn’t worth it to have someone slip. 🙁
Ooops, I also meant to add that you both look great!
🙂 Mom says running is best for weight control, walking is more maintenance.