Spring has Sprung! For some, the winter weather is still lingering.
With long and harsh winter, many dogs were cooped indoors. For sure you and your dog can’t wait to get out for outdoor fun adventures.
Most of the snow in our area has melted. Sugar is so glad to see the ground/grass. Sugar and I welcomed the time change for the season. Horray for more daylight! We both love when it’s sunny as we can enjoy playing more outdoor fun.
Sugar, 12 year old senior dog, remains active. Sugar continues to enjoy activities involving “speed”, such as running and a game of fetch.
For the past days, we’ve resumed our outdoor workout.
Here are 7 Tips for Getting Back Into Working Out With Your Dog
1) Start SLOW – Walking is the best way to start.
2) Walking is the beginning stage of running. If you and your dog enjoy running, do INTERVALS of walk n run. Start with a 5 minute brisk walk then gradually proceed, 2 minutes of walk and 1 minute run. When you and your dog feel comfortable, increase your running minutes. A 5 minutes (or more) cool down walk is always recommended.
3) If your dog loves Fetch Play, bring his/her favorite toy. Make fetch play as your break from your walking or running.
Sugar recently enjoyed a Fetch Play with her new Smiley Banana toy. It was a bit muddy on the field, her new toy got dirty. She ended her fetch play at the basketball court. Check out the 15sec video below.
goldenwoofs’s video on Instagram
4) Boost your dog’s workout with K9FITvest, a wearable fitness apparel that helps to increase the intensity level of any dog’s activity. For more information about K9FITvest, check out our previous post Canine Senior Staying Fit with K9FitVest.
5) If your park has hills, take advantage of it. Hill Climb accelerates your workout and a fun running alternative.
6) Always CHECK you Dog’s Health condition before and after your workout. Check with your vetenerian if you have any concerns.
7) Make your workout with your dog FUN! Happy Dog = Healthy Dog
Sugar is in remarkably great shape for a twelve year old! Looks like a good time was had by all!! Love the vest and especially love the personalized fetch toy!!
All great points. We are going the slow and steady route – building up a little each day until we are back to our full summer exploring mode 🙂
All good tips from an expert Sugar. We’re gearing up for Winter ‘Down Under’ but don’t think there’ll be any chance we get stuck indoors here 😉
Great tips Sugar. Of course it is really cold here again today. It just needs to warm up already.
Great tips Sugar. We do intervals with Jack and Maggie because even though they both would PREFER to run, run, run…being seniors, we have to keep track of their running and put some limits on it. So intervals are a good way to keep seniors in shape too!
LOVE Sugar’s Smiley Banana toy. She looks great too. Glad it’s finally warming up so you can head outside more! Great tips!
Diane and Rocco
Those are great tips Sugar! Thanks for sharing!
We still have a ton of snow, but the warm weather is on it’s way according to the weather channel!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Sugar you crack us up with those boots
Lily & Edward
Sugar you have a golden look of happy in all your pictures. You are for sure a fit Friend.
Hugs madi your bfff
Great advice! I LOVE seeing senior dogs staying fit and active, so many people just let them laze around. Sugar looks amazing for 12 and I am sure it is because you make sure to keep her active!
You’re an excellent example of how lifelong fitness can lead to a great quality of life as one ages. Good tips!
Very nice and informative Sugar , we will sure go out and run more now that the weather is warmer ♥
I can’t imagine Sugar being anything but a happy dog. 🙂 You’re such a good mama.
Great tips for those that take a winter break. This is the time of year we start slowing down as it is so messy and then everyone that normally never walks is out and we don’t like a crowd. Early mornings are always our favorite time. Enjoy the springy weather.
Great tips Sugar and very apt for fabulous fit Friday.
Best wishes Molly
Sugar looks great! So fashionable and fit! Cant wait for Spring to finally get to us!
Great tips. So glad to see Sugar in such great shape and enjoying springtime after a winter of surgeries!
You do look happy, and healthy for sure!!
Sugar looks so happy. Toys covered in mud are the most fun to play with..
The snow was here for so long, when it started disappearing I would only poop on the little patches of snow! Can’t wait until it’s warm enough to fill up the pool!
Thank you so much for sharing! We love that you are using the K9FITvest! You are an inspiration to all dogs!
Great tips, Sugar! I’m not a runner myself, so while Callie, Shadow and Ducky LOVE to run around the yard, I’d rather watch them or walk around with my iPod (or camera) taking pictures or videos of them playing together. Of course, most of the pix I do take end up being badly out of focus or super close-ups of my fingerprints. 🙁 But that’s okay since I still get to watch them having fun. Some days I take the Kong toys outside and we have a group game of fetch/keep away. Ducky and Shadow LOVE that game! Callie prefers to lay down in the grass and mulched leaves and gnaw on the toys once she gets hold of one.
And, it’s wonderful to see sweet Sugar having a great time walking, running and playing with her Mom again! You’ve all had a tough winter and deserve a break! It warms the cockles of my heart to see Sugar having fun!
Thanks for your post, Sugar. We will start slow too, that’s better for me an the other end of the leash. Have a great weekend!
I am glad that your snow finally melted! Now if the mud will dry, you can really enjoy the spring. I am glad that you are in such pawsome shape!
Excellent tips! I wish our Spring would spring… Still waiting.
Thank you for the great tips! We can’t wait to get more walkies!
We’re getting a Fit Vest! I’m excited to try it out on Mr. N.
Sugar….
“Spring has Sprung!”. Uh, not for us!! It has felt just like a “normal” Winter with pouring down rain!! ;op
–Raelyn and Rose
Great info for the spring.
We love videos of you Sugar! You’re so beautiful!
Great tips Sugar, you’re looking good for your age.
Sheba.
Yay for Spring! ^.^
That Sugar Banana toy is the greatest thing I have seen today!
Those are all such great tips to getting back into the swing of things. I have to admit, I’ve been slacking a bit these past two weeks do to life getting crazy but I’m start working out with Niles again. 🙂
I’ve had a lot on my plate whilst looking for a house to buy this month and I’ve really neglected both mine and Chowski’s exercise time. We did however go for a long walk today and it felt so good!
I like the tips and although here in Australia we are going into Winter – we won’t get snow. So there really is no excuse for us not to get u and about. 🙂
Great advice! We can’t wait for our snow to be gone so we can get back out there walking. I like your ideas for keeping it interesting too. Especially when walking in the same place a lot, it helps to change it up with some running or some fetch.