FitDog Friday Hop Archives - Page 2 of 4

Shoe Dog Adventure: Finding The Right Fit and Shoe

June 28, 2013

Mom and I took a break from our workout as her foot is hurting. She said that her gym shoes are causing pain and she needs to get new ones. Mom’s gym shoes are fairly new (4months old) but it’s the wrong shoe type for her foot. This is the reason why mom decided to go to Road Runner Sports, a running and walking store. Road Runner offers a Shoe Dog Program where they provide analysis on your foot and assists you in finding the right shoe type.

I watched my mom as she went through her shoe dog adventure which is broken into 7 parts.

1) Basic Foot Sizing was that first step of her adventure. Due to her ankle injury, her one foot is larger then the other foot.
2) What’s the main Purpose of the shoe? It is very important to use the right shoe for running. There’s a big difference of buying a walking shoe vs a running shoe.
3) The Balance Board which helps determine what kind of arch you have. It also lets you know how you carry your weight on your feet. My mom did not expect the result that she has a high arc.
4) Running/Jogging on the Treadmill which helps analyze your stride. Mom’s run was video taped and she had to run barefoot.
5) Shoe Recommendation based on the 1)-4) tests.
6) Optional to use/buy Road Runner custom Insole Mold of your foot which you can place in the shoes you purchase.
7) Shoe Shopping Time

Guess who helped mom? His name is Mike, known as Magic Mike.
Based on analysis there are only 3 brands that would be a perfect fit for my mom’s feet.
She was not pleased with all the (loud) colors so it took her a long time to decide which ones. She said gym shoes are not the most fashionable shoes to wear. Comfort and stability are very important and style should be the least priority.

She found the shoe style most similar to what she had. The new lace color was a bit loud so she switch it with her old laces. She plans to donate her old gym shoe once she switch the laces.

Shoe Dog Adventure is great marketing for Road Runner Sports. As a retriever dog I am very familiar with the word SHOE, on how it … looks like, used, and smells like too. I guess that is why they call the process a Shoe Dog Adventure.

Just love that the mascot they selected is a dog. I just wish it’s a Golden dog (me) and it will be called Golden Shoe Dog Adventure. Well, human feet are precious, like gold.

Shoe Dog Adventure is a great helpful program. We hope Road Runner can attract many dog owners to find the right shoe and help fight pet/human obesity.

For a location in your city, check out Road Runner Sports website.
Lots of Golden Thanks Road Runner. My mom was totally sold on the excellent service and your “method” for finding the right fit and shoe. Road Runner Sports totally brought a top notch experience in buying a gym shoe.

Lastly, Lots of Golden Thanks for making your establishment dog-friendly (totally makes sense since Shoe Dog mascot is a dog).

Mom gives Road Runner Sports 2 Thumbs Up and 4 Golden Paws from me.
Mom and I were not compensated for this post. We just wanted to share our experience shopping at Road Runner Sports.

Lots of Golden L♥VE n Woofs

SUGAR

Stair Exercise With Your Dog

June 20, 2013

Stair exercise is one of my favorite workouts with my mom. I’ve talked about it on several posts. My mom also participates in a yearly climb and I helped her train for the event. How did it start? It started when I was a young pup. My mom just recovering from her ankle and hip injuries and stair exercise helped her gain motion control. Stair exercise also provides an intense high calorie burning exercise, perfect for an active dog, ME.
Stair exercise is a great workout for legs, shoulders, hips, and lower back muscles. It is more intense than running as each step requires the lifting up of a dog’s entire body weight through the height of the stair. Going down the stairs involves negative contraction which intensifies the workout greatly. Lastly, stair exercise helps a dog with coordination and agility.

These Basic Commands are the Foundations of Stair Exercising With Your Dog.

1) Your dog needs to know sit/stand/stay commands.
2) Your dog needs to know the heel command.
(The heel command is the key for your dog to be off leash during your stair exercise.)

How To Stair Exercise With Your Dog (Steps/Method my mom taught me).

1) Find a good set of steps/stairs. Start on short steps/stairs.
2) At the bottom of the steps, ask you dog to sit/stand on your right side.
3) Go up the stairs with the command heel.
(You may take off your dog’s leash. If your dog is not skilled being off leash, use a shorter leash. We recommend a 24″ leash to have a better control of your dog to stay by your side during your stair exercise.)
4) Once you reach the top stair, have your dog face the steps and ask him/her to sit/stand.
5) Go down the stairs using the heel command. Same way as #3).

It takes a lots of patience and practice to stair exercise with your dog.
Being in-sync is a PAWsome achievement (you’ll see in the video).
Mom has a current knee injury so it is a bit harder for her to go down the stairs.
So here’s a 30sec video of our Stair Exercise …

I’m a senior active dog … in need for more movement. Due to my mom’s current knee injury, she gave me permission to climb up and down the stairs by myself.

Last Tuesday, very special bloggie friends from Seattle had a surprise visit in my town. Of course, I just had to show them my town’s park and the steps I often climb up/down.

Sugar with Cascadian Nomads. Wilhem can’t keep his eyes off of me

I am joining FitDog Friday Hop,
hosted by SlimDoggy, Peggy’s Pet Place and To Dog With Love.

Click Here to read our review of SlimDoggy App.
Read our previous posts on my Dog’s Health page.

Lots of Golden L♥VE n Woofs
SUGAR

I know it’s only Thursday. Tomorrow (Friday), I have a special post.

Tailoring Your Fitness Accessories With Your Dog’s Toy

June 13, 2013

With the warm weather, many personal trainers bring their clients to a park.
We see many of them working out with various fitness accessories.
My mom is my pawsonal trainer and I am her workout buddy. We decided to accompany our morning walks with some workout fun and brought our own fitness accessories. Well, I can say mine is really fun. It is the Kong Bounzer. From my WW photo yesterday, many of you commented that is HUGE. Yes, it’s a HUGE over-sized KONG. It is made with medium soft rubber that it compresses when grabbed then bounces right back to its original shape. A Kong Bounzer dog toy replicates a (for human use only) Kettlebell, a cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle. A kettle bell is a tool used by Russian strongmen for training/competition. Kettlebell is becoming a popular fitness accessory that you can find in many gyms.
Our Workout Plan is while mom does her Kettlebell workout, I’ll play fetch with my Kong Bounzer. First, mom had to modify the handle. Even though mom can use the Bounzer handle to throw it and I can grab it, for safety and trouble free long distance fetching, mom attached a nylon string using a square knot at the top.

Okay I’m ready … 1st I get into position: mom’s side where I sit and wait till she throws the bouncer. When I’m just too rowdy and excited I stand about 5ft from her then she throws it. While I fetch my Kong Bounzer mom does her Kettlebell swings and she stops when I return and drop the Kong Bounzer. I Woof! Woof! at her to go again …
Believe it or not we do this about 10-15 minutes. I can go longer but mom says we have to do other workouts (which will be sharing in the coming weeks).

Here’s a snippet 14sec video of my short distance Fetch Play with my Kong Bounzer.

Did you know? …
that a dog burns about 38kCal from playing 15 minutes fetch? For humans a kettlebell workout builds strength, cardiovascular endurance and burns about ~250 calories (10lbs/15minutes)

If you plan to tailor your workout/fitness accessories with your dog, here are
5 Safety Reminders Tailoring Your Workout With Your Dog

1) Must know your dog’s Capacity then decide what kind of workout you can do together.
a) Intensity – Depending on your dog’s age, breed,body and/or mental energy, your dog’s intensity requirement vary. I am a senior dog but I have lots of energy and with safety in mind I do require high intensity activities.
b) Interest – Every dog has different interest. It varies and don’t assume same breed will have the same interest. On our last post about swimming. Many have told us that some retrievers do not enjoy being in the water. We also found out some retrievers do not enjoy fetch play.

2) Make sure to do your workout in a Safe Place wherein you and your dog feel comfortable. This is important especially if your dog is off-leash. Basic Commands of sit, stay and come, become very handy and your dog must know these commands to be safe.

3) Choose the Right Time of day to work out with your dog. We suggest morning hours are the best time for outdoor workouts.

4) Don’t Misinterpret your Dogs Behavior. Slowing down and sitting/lying down often are a good sign that your dog is tired. Many might interpret this as stubbornness. Always allow a rest time to hydrate and relax.

5) Have FUN! Turning a regular dog play into a workout for you and your dog is FUN. Be Creative on your toy choices and mix it up to make more varied experiences for both of you.

I am a retriever dog that can be toy obsessive and enjoys carrying a toy.
I found a silly way to carry my Kong Bounzer.

Your DOG is the Best Workout Buddy that Never Lets You Down

I am joining FitDog Friday Hop,
hosted by SlimDoggy, Peggy’s Pet Place and To Dog With Love.

Click Here to read our review of SlimDoggy App.
Read our previous posts on my Dog’s Health page.

Lots of Golden L♥VE n Woofs
SUGAR

I know it’s only Thursday but tomorrow, Friday, is our 1st anniversary of
{This Moment} See Beautiful. Hope you plan to join us.

Doggy Paddle: Safety Measures Teaching Your Dog To Swim

June 6, 2013

Golden LOVE to swim. Last year, I had a Golden Blast swimming in Maui HI Ocean anytime I want. Now that I am back home, Midwest Lakefront Beach is not ideal place for me to swim. When I was young I had a seasonal beach pass and swam in the lake.
However, the lake water has been unsafe for my Golden Sensitive Skin.

Swimming is such a PAWsome exercise that I want to keep as my regular activity. Indoor swimming is my only current option. Last weekend, I went to Splash Dog and went for a swim. It’s my 3rd time to swim in this facility. Click Here to read my 1st swim post. Since I am already familiar with the place, I Woof! Woof! and More Woofs! before my swim session starts. Mom has to keep me distracted and occupied by taking photos around the facility.

My style of swimming is doggy paddle.
Doggy Paddle is a simple and easy manner of swimming.
How does it work? While in the water, I simply lie on my chest and move my front paw/leg and back paw/leg alternately. It is like running on land.
Did you know? … The doggy paddle was the 1st swimming stroke used by humans, learned by observing four legged animals swimming. The doggy paddle is also the 1st stroke used to teach young kids to swim. Check out my 42 seconds Doggy Paddle Swim Video .…

Not all dogs enjoy getting wet and/or being in the water.
Many dogs don’t always instinctively know how to swim.
Do you plan to teach your dog how to swim? If your dog has never swam before,it is important to know these 5 Dog Swimming Safety Reminders.

1) For some dogs, especially those who are not natural swimmers, a life jacket is helpful.
2) Never leave your dog to figure it out on his/her own. In the beginning, it is helpful for you to join your dog in the water.
3) Lead your dog in the water with encouragement.
4) For some dogs, getting wet for the first time is enough. Don’t expect your dog to learn how to swim in the first session. Be Patient.
5) Provide a toy for your dog to play. Make your dog’s swim a FUN game.

I’m Golden Lucky as I enjoy getting wet and LOVE to swim. At a young age, 11 weeks, I started swimming. Does your dog enjoy swimming?

I am joining FitDog Friday Hop,
hosted by SlimDoggy, Peggy’s Pet Place and To Dog With Love.

Click Here to read our review of SlimDoggy App.
Read our previous posts on my Dog’s Health page.

Lots of Golden L♥VE n Woofs
SUGAR

I know it’s only Thursday but tomorrow, Friday, I have a special invitational post.
I invite you to check out my post. Golden Thanks!

Enticing Your Dog To Drink More Water With Fruity Ice Cubes

May 31, 2013

My name is Sugar and I NEED to DRINK more WATER.

Water is an important drink for dogs. A dog cannot simply live without water. Whenever a dog’s natural urge to drink calls for it, water must be accessible. Do you know that each day a dog loses water through its urine, feces, saliva and breath.

I’ve shared before that I have issue drinking from park water fountains. Mom has to bring water from home in order for me to drink after our long walk. With the weather getting warm/hot and humid, drinking water is essential to keep my body hydrated. Apparently, I am not drinking enough water. I’ve been panting and had an unexpected visit to the vet last week.

Mom had to entice me to drink more water by making fruity ice cubes, which she always makes for herself. She likes her water naturally fruity infused.
Well, its about time for her to share …

Mom made some Fruity (Berry) Ice Cubes. She simply added some small pieces of strawberries and blueberries in an ice cube tray (mom used smiley and lemon ice trays), added water then freeze it. Mom made several of these fruity berry ice cubes and stored it in our freezer.

How to serve fruity ice cube(s) to your dog?
1) Serve it with your dog’s water, which we prefer.
2) Serve it “as is” but must keep an eye on your dog.

Are ice cube safe for dogs to munch? We’ve read many articles on the web that dog’s bloat if you give ice water. Is it true? It is just a myth. The cause of dog’s stomach bloat is due to eating or drinking too fast. The temperature of the water does not matter. There are benefits giving your dog ice water and/or ice cubes. Just keep in mind to monitor your dog.

I surely benefited from ice water and ice cubes especially when it’s hot and humid.
Here are some reasons why …

1) It’s a great way to cool off and alleviate panting especially after a walk/ outdoor play/run.
2) Placing some ice cubes helps your dog to drink slow (preventing stomach bloat). The ice cubes serves as a distraction and more licking occurs than drinking.
3) Ice cubes especially fruity ice cubes entices your dog to drink more water which helps prevent dehydration.

Do you give your dog ice cubes?

Lots of Golden L♥VE n Woofs
SUGAR

Check out our follow-up post: Enticing your dog with Green KALE Ice Pops

Shoe Dog Adventure: Finding The Right Fit and Shoe

Stair Exercise With Your Dog

Tailoring Your Fitness Accessories With Your Dog’s Toy

Doggy Paddle: Safety Measures Teaching Your Dog To Swim

Enticing Your Dog To Drink More Water With Fruity Ice Cubes

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