OK.....I have kind of a rant. The point of a walk is for your dog to burn off some energy from being cooped up all day. It is to burn some calories to help them maintain a healthy weight (Significant calories can't be burned if you are not actually covering some ground). It is to help their joints stay flexible and their muscles strong. Your dog should know you mean business - a walk is actual … [Read more...]
When we announced that we were switching to grain-free kibble the support was overwhelming. I didn’t have one person say it didn’t work for them. Everyone had rave reviews and said it made a big difference. A lot of those people offered some good advice. Jenn ay Health Mutt and Kol’s Notes gave me the low down on the issue of going grain free and potential weight gain. Jenn said the basic … [Read more...]
I decided to change Chester and Gretel's traditional kibble to grain-free because of the many health benefits of this diet. Some of my other friends are feeding raw but grain-free kibble is the best choice for me because it is more convenient and the best choice for those on a tight schedule (like me). I stopped by Health Mutt for a visit the other day and got talking with the owner about … [Read more...]
I frequently get asked how I keep Gretel and Chester so trim. Really, it is no secret. It's just like with people: calories in vs. calories out. Measuring calories can be hard though. Don't get me wrong - I am not suggesting that you could every calorie your dog eats and expends like a Weight Watchers Program. It's really difficult to do that anyway. Most dog foods don't have calories on the … [Read more...]
Chester and Gretel are lucky that they can eat a lot of treats and still stay trim. They hike and get exercise regularly. When they hike they burn a lot of calories so feeding them a lot of treats isn’t really an issue. When hiking they actually NEED the calories. However, there are a lot of times I feed them treats while I am shooting photos at home or when we are out and about on the town. … [Read more...]
We are always talking about the benefits of exercising with your dog. We love to hike, and even occasionally run, with our dogs (yes, believe it or not, Dachshunds are good runners – why do you think there are so many weiner races out there?) but walking is the easiest, bet way for you and your pooch to get exercise together. We think that any basic exercise plan has to start with walking. If … [Read more...]
Last week I told you that I was going to start a Couch to 10k training program with Gretel. I wanted to provide weekly updates so you can follow us on our adventure in spirit or physically if you have decided to start our training program yourself. I have found that the only way for me to be motivated to actually train for anything is to set a goal. Our goal here, of course, is a 10k. I decided … [Read more...]
Chester and I used to be runners. Chester helped me train for my marathon and ran all of the short runs with me. In his younger, more in shape years he could run 5 or 6 miles before he got tired. An injury stopped my running career for a few years and since then Chester and I have never gotten back into running regularly. We will still run on occasion but it is only a mile or two here and … [Read more...]
Summer is just around the corner which means the days are longer and the sun is out more. Most of us have spent the winter hibernating inside or only getting outside to move our body once every few weeks. Now is the perfect time of year to start a new exercise routine or just simply vow to get out more with your dog. Walking is the simplest form of exercise and often the one that you are more … [Read more...]
There are many reasons to get out with your dog and go for a walk or hike. Maybe your doggie has gotten a little thick around the middle. Maybe it’s you that have gotten a little thick around the middle. Maybe you just want to live a healthier lifestyle. If you are thinking about starting an exercise routine or getting back in shape then I say there is no better training partner than your … [Read more...]
I get that all of the time. I tell people “I starve them”. I am joking of course, but there is some truth to that. When I tell people that I ration my dogs food I typically get some variation of, “Oh, my dog would never go for that. My dog is always hungry so I leave food in his bowl all day” as a response. Um, sorry, but no wonder your dog is overweight. Just like people, keeping … [Read more...]
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