http://www.care2.com/greenliving/jog-with-your-dog.html
Jog With Your Dog
By Vicky Uhland, Natural Solutions
You count calories with your cousin, hit the gym with your girlfriends, and commiserate with your cubicle mate. But according to a new study, you’ve left out a vital component in your weight-loss support network: A jog with your dog.
Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Wellness Institute in Chicago tracked 92 overweight and obese people for a year as part of “The PPET Study: People and Pets Exercising Together.” Results of the study were published in the October 2006 issue of Obesity. Thirty-six of the study subjects were paired with their obese dogs; the other 56 participated in the study alone. All of the people received diet and physical activity counseling, and the dogs were fed a calorie-controlled prescription diet.
At the end of the year, 61 percent of the pet owners were still participating in the study, compared with 58 percent of those without pets. The pet owners exercised 3.9 hours a week compared to 3.5 hours a week for those without dogs and spent two-thirds of their total physical activity time with their trusty companions, leading researchers to conclude: “Consideration of social support for weight loss of family members, friends, and coworkers should be extended to include pets.”
Before you lace up your running shoes and leash up your dog, consider these pet exercise tips from the Partnership for Animal Welfare and the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:
• Dogs like routines, so if you establish a regular exercise time, you’ll never have to self-motivate–your dog will beg you to get up and get going.
• If you want your dog to run rather than sniff the flowers, try using different leashes. One leash signifies sniffing and potty breaks, while the other means serious jogging only. Your dog will soon learn the difference.
• If your dog is a puppy or a big breed, don’t jog for long periods of time. It’s too hard on their joints.
• If your dog is a bulldog, boxer, Pekinese, or other breed with a short nose, opt for frequent but short walks to limit breathing difficulties.
• Asphalt and concrete can be too hot for furry feet, and rocks and gravel may cause cuts. Monitor your dog’s pads for cracking and wear.
• Dogs overheat easily, so avoid exercising with them on hot afternoons, and make sure to carry water for them.
Natural Solutions: Vibrant Health, Balanced Living offers its readers the latest news on health conditions, herbs and supplements, natural beauty products, healing foods and conscious living. Click here for a free sample issue.
More from Mel, selected from Natural Solutions magazine (133 articles available)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
27 comments
add your comment »thanksss...
Kabin
Konteyner
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Wanted to add that it also depends on what kind of dog you have... Some breeds are more sedentary by nature, then smaller breeds need 'less,' since a mile for a Great Dane with his long legs is probably equivalent to 2 or 3 miles for a Chihuahua. Also, some dogs, like Labradors, have a tendency towards obesity if not properly fed & exercised.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Hi Donna. :-) Yes, you are right - in that most dogs do need more than the recommended amount of exercise you read/heard about... The thing to keep in mind here is: These are Minimal amts recommended... Not total needed. Your dog will (over time) begin to suffer &/or grow fat if not exercised at Least the 20 or 30 minutes, once or twice per day (depends on where you get your information, but that's the general consensus). But these are most always for people who want a dog but will only put in the least "required" amt of trouble... er, I mean time & care, they can get away with. A dog is in essense an athlete - & technically is in need of much more than the "minimum daily recommendation." A happy & healthy dog gets several romps per day - w/o getting to the point of exhaustion... Take your Lab mix for that 8 miles - he'll stay in better shape (& so will you!), & just be watchful for signs of tiredness or stress that seem to go beyond the expected normal... Make sure he gets enough water - if you drive him to the place(s) where you walk/run with him, bring a bowl & some water in the car. Be sure he's getting a high quality food, & suitable ration (not necessarily the recommended amt on the bag or box). Especially since you said he's gotten chunky while you were down, bring him back up to speed gradually, same as would be best for you. Something else to bear in mind... your dog is not a puppy anymore, so do expect him to slow dow
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
http://www.spca.bc.ca/animalissues/exercising.asp
The SPCA article about dog exercising is very conservative--or is it? "A half hour walk twice a day should be sufficient for most dogs." ?!
Aren't dogs made just like us: muscles and joints and joint fluid and lungs and minerals. Exercise serves the same purpose for dogs as it does for us. They are also smaller and lighter and more efficient than humans; there was an article in the Smithsonian about how if humans were built with four legsl we'd be more efficient and we'd live longer.
But maybe I'm wrong. I need to reconsider my thougths after reading that article. My dog can easily run 6-8 miles and he's tired, but still ready to play. He'll often continue to read ahead of me if I slow down and I have to tell him to heal. And he's just a lab mutt; not a special breed. I check his joints and his paws and am very aware of any discomfort he has, and that has not been an issue so far.
Now I'm left uncertain.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
It's great to read people's comments. I am often concerned about keeping with up with my 5-year-old 90-pound lab mix's stamina. He's a large breed and I do worry about his joints, but I also agree that regular exercise will help alleviate issues in the future. But how far is too far? How far is pushing too much? 10 miles? We've done 8 miles together and he was very tired at the end, but--fatigue isn't detrimental to anybody's health. He got chubby over a period of time that I was also sedentary after surgery, so I may wait for him to lose another 3-4 pounds before going past 8 miles. Thoughts?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I jog with my 3-legged rescue Tripod. He is a min pin daschund mix...maybe? He's black and tan and full of energy :) Everyone is amazed at how fast he is. Since he's only 2 we can only jog a mile before he's tired and ready to stop but he absolutely loves it. We motivate each other and I know that because of his "handicap" I need to keep him lean and in good shape.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I'm not a runner, but Behrke and I walk every day unless it is too slippery out to be safe. She is a Schipperke, aka energizer dog. You are right about getting into a routine. We usually walk in the afternoon, and she is quite insistent about when it is time to walk. However, she doesn't mind in the least if we walk more than once a day or take a couple of short walks insead of one long one. She makes up for my slow pace by running back and forth so she can check out both sides of the road. Got to keep up with the "p-mail"!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
It's so nice to jog with our pets, especially dogs.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I have a long-haired dachshund who sometimes jogs with me. She's very fast, though doesn't have much endurance! Only problem is she can't stand to be separated from the rest of the family- even if its only for a little while- she whines and digs in her heels: very cute!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Go all the dog lovers in this world who care enough to exercise their best friends. I too have two dogs and they are both getting on in age now, my Rottie is 12 and my bull terrier x is 8. The Rottie unfortunately has slowed down and gotten quiet wobbly on her feet so we go to the park and do a circate and she goes back into the car so that my bully and I can have another round of ball chasing. My bully also has problems as she has arthritis in one hock and the onset of dysplaysia in the other leg so keeping the daily walks/running to their abilities is my main focus as Deborah S said you need to keep to their pace when they are flagging.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: