Exercise with a dog can be great but be careful
Wanted:
A perfect exercise partner. One who improves physical capabilities and
mental outlook, lowers blood pressure and raises morale, has no qualms
going out at any hour of any day, is always happy to be with you, and
who will never call to cancel your workout. Plus (added bonus) licks
your face when you're finished.
"They always want to
go," says Leslie Blake, 57, of her dogs, Jake and Charley (Cha Cha). "It
doesn't matter what time it is or what the weather is like, and that
gets me out when normally I might skip my run."
Studies abound touting the benefits of dog walking.
People
who walk their dogs are more likely to engage in additional forms of
exercise, according to Michigan State University research.
A
University of Western Australia study found that seven of 10 adult dog
owners get 150 minutes of exercise weekly, compared with four out of 10
nonowners.
A study published in Preventative Medicine
reported that dog-walking dog owners are 25 percent less likely to be
obese than people who don't own dogs.
"I have many
clients who come in and say, 'My dog and I are going on an exercise
program together. We're going to walk every day,'" says veterinarian
Lynda Van Antwerp, owner of Carrollton West Pet Hospital.
When
Van Antwerp talks about the benefits of exercise -- healthy joints,
active digestive systems, weight control -- the line's blurred as to
whether she's talking about the pets or the owners. Both, usually.
"Diet and exercise is a huge portion of all our (pets') health problems like it is with people," she says.
When
people call the pet hospital and are put on hold, they hear, not
elevator music, but information about health benefits of owning a pet.
Alexandria
Williams is co-founder with Whitney Patterson of Sporty Afros
(sportyafros.com), an organization that encourages exercise, especially
in black women. At community events, she touts the benefits of
exercising with dogs.
"I say, 'You have a pet? Walk.'"
says Williams, 28. "Fifteen, 30 minutes a day, four to five days a
week. You could lose a pound every other week doing that without
changing anything else. Plus, psychologically your pet enjoys it, and
you're getting out of the house, letting your mind flow."
Blake
walks her two yellow labs every day and runs with them three or four
times a week. She was bitten by a dog when she was a little girl, she
says, and has always had a fear of dogs. When she moved to Heartland, a
residential community near Forney, Texas, she decided a dog would help
her feel safe while running. Plus, she wanted the companionship.
"I actually talk to them when I'm running," she says. "It's very good company. I don't like running by myself."
The three tend to go the same speed, though sometimes her dogs are faster.
"They're much better runners than I am," she says. "They don't seem to get injured either."
They usually go about four miles, she says, less during the summer: "When it's too hot for me, it's too hot for them."
Angela
Turnage and Michael Friedhoff adopted their dogs, Shasta and Nevada,
from the SPCA within a few weeks of each other three summers ago. The
couple first walked the dogs, teaching them not to pull ahead, then
began running with them.
Turnage tends to run with Nevada, who weighs 45 pounds, and Friedhoff with 75-pound Shasta.
"Nevada
and I run really well together," says Turnage, 51, a former DISD
teacher who took a buyout last year. "She's skittish, though. She tends
to sidle up to me when a big truck goes by. I have fallen down. She got
underfoot and wasn't looking where she was going."
That's
one reason Turnage doesn't take the dogs to group runs or to races, a
courtesy that Lewis George, owner of Mellew Productions, appreciates.
His company produces such events as the Hottest Half and doesn't allow
dogs at any races.
When people ask why, he tells them,
"You're involving a dog with a string attached to where people aren't
looking. That's why I have liability insurance."
In
addition to the danger issue for people, he also knows that many dogs
aren't ready or cut out for a race. The second or third year of Dadfest,
one of his 5Ks, a dog collapsed at the finish line.
"It
was an overweight dog with a big thick coat," George says. "There were
people ready to beat the woman who was running with him. People just
don't take responsibility. I don't blame the dogs. I blame the people
with the dogs.
"You want to exercise with your dog? Do it on your time, not on mine."
Ron
Billmyre, 29, of Dallas runs with his Weimaraner. He says if a dog
cannot hold a pace faster than yours, you shouldn't be running with it.
"Unfortunately, most people assume since it's a dog, it can run, when in fact most are not bred for distance."
Ready to go, girl? Heed this advice before grabbing the leash:
Get
the medical nod. After you get the OK from your doctor about starting
an exercise program, take your pet in for a vet checkup, says James
Bias, president of the SPCA of Texas. "It's not rocket science," he
says. "Like people, you need to build up. If you're going to participate
in a 5K with your dog, build up your dog's capacity prior to the
event."
Build up. Would you wake up one morning and
decide to run five miles? Probably not. Nor should you submit your dog
to that. "If people are making poor decisions about themselves," Bias
says, "it stands to reason they're making poor decisions about their
pets."
Limit races to those designated for dogs. The SPCA has several, including Strut Your Mutt on April 28 (spca.org).
Think
outside the run-walk box. Alexandria Williams of Sporty Afros suggests
playing fetch with your dog. "Throw the ball hard," she says. While
waiting for Fido to retrieve it, do squats or lunges.
