Your Most Devoted Training Partner

We have four little Chihuahuas; Peanut, Butter, Toast and Jelly, who are a handful. But amazingly, their little legs, courageous spirits, bossy and demanding personalities, keep them out front "towing the line" as to who leads our pack and who will follow. Hence, at the end of our dog walks, we are sweaty and a tad out of breath. These little breeds are not necessarily bred for an ideal exercise buddy(s), but you get where I'm going.

We don't have to confine our exercise medium to "going to the ____" (you fill in the blank: Gym, yoga, Pilates, bleachers, whatever). Let's focus on our dogs as an example, for a source of energy/calorie burn. Based on just looking around, my bet is that at least one out of every two households owns one or more dogs. Think about you and your friends. Almost everyone I know owns a "fur buddy" or two, and considers them family.

Since our furry friends need exercise too, why not incorporate their need, with your need to work out and buddy up? We've all seen the skateboarding English Bulldog, dogs who can surf and dogs that do acrobatics catching Frisbees, so those dog-loving owners get it. But perhaps, they are a bit more, let's say... advanced. My little pack can't catch anything, except hugs and kisses. They can ride in my lap, but that's about it.

Let's start at the beginning, with the dog walk. Look at it differently and change up the order. Let your dog take the lead and go where they want to go. Most dogs are so well heeled that they just follow us. My little pack wants to lead, but I do tend to "steer" them. Why not follow them? You might be amazed where those ever-curious noses take you. Hence, the terrain will be different for you, as well and the smells and excitement will add another level of exertion to their (and your) workout.

If you have a dog that is close to running with you, about to, or actually is; please bear in mind their exhaustion levels as you and they begin. Some breeds are better built to run. A walk around the block for my pack, due to their gait, is considerably farther than for a long-legged breed. Your actual running gait may be a two- or three-stride gait for your dog. Keep in mind dogs age quicker and have shorter life spans, so take it slow and be wise. Stop when they pull up, they may be using the "Oops, what's that smell?" as a diversion for slowing down the pace. I have known dogs that will chase a tennis ball, or dive in a pool for a racquetball, until they have a heart attack, they love it so much. It's so exciting for them that no end is ever in sight. My arm might be about to fall off, but they keep on wanting more. Gotta be wise and take five.

Your dog's ability to participate in the same exercise as you will be dependent on its current fitness, hydration and nutrition levels. Like Mom used to say, "Don't go running around after you just ate, you're going to get sick or get cramps..." It's the same for dogs. A well hydrated, well rested, well fed, but with ample time to digest a meal, is the best canine fitness pal. If your dog isn't very fit, you'll need to tailor your exercise to help him/her reach a better and improving fitness level, over time. Just like us, if you aren't very fit, you can't do a level ten workout off the bat, with ten being all- out effort. Their aim is to please us, so don't let their willingness to please, take you to a vet's emergency room.

Some dogs are trackers, some are fetchers, some love agility, swimming, running or chasing you on a bicycle. Some have won "America's Got Talent" and even have a show on the Las Vegas Strip. Dogs are God's gift to our hearts. One, for the love they give us and get from us; and two, to actually improve our heart function and cardio vascular health... if we use that love to fuel that need, for both canine and human.