Back in June we suddenly lost our family dog, Jack. After he died I couldn't bring myself to go for a walk without him. There is just something about the companionship of a loyal pet that is unexplainable.
A short time after Jack passed, we welcomed Emma into our family, a beautiful yellow lab. A yellow lab has been my FAVORITE breed for years, but I didn't feel I could offer the level of exercise they require so we waited. Though it felt very soon to get a new dog, I was willing to open our home and hearts again to a loving puppy :) She has been the best thing to come into our home, I cannot say enough about her! She is the absolute best!
About 5-6 times per week since the day we brought her home at 8 weeks old, I have brought her for a walk. I am training her to be my loyal walking/jogging companion. In the beginning it was as expected, she pulled on the leash, stopped all the time, was easily distracted, and just your normal puppy. In just seven short weeks since she has came into our home, she has transformed into my partner! She now jogs with me, walks beautifully, doesn't pull as much, is focused, and knows exactly where to position herself :) I know this sounds cheesy, but I truly believe that she was brought to me on purpose. She is completely loyal to me, and I cannot imagine our home without her in it.
There are a million reasons why dogs make great workout companions, here are a few:
1. They are always ready to go, and never make excuses why they can't.
2. They need the exercise too, so you're killing two birds with one stone.
3. You are socializing them everytime and exposing them to the world, which ultimately, makes them better dogs.
4. They enjoy it, they just want to be with you!
5. Have you ever watched Cesar Milan (aka The Dog Whisperer)?? lol... He says that walks are the most important training tool you can do with your dog. It teaches them who the pack leader is :)
6. They keep you motivated, even when you don't feel like going seeing that look on their face or excitement in their body when you talk out the leash is absolutely worth it!
7. They can push you to keep jogging, even when you want to stop and walk the rest of the way.
8. Giving your dog the exercise they need gets all of that extra energy out, which helps their behavior.
These are just a few, but I cannot stress how important exercise is for your pet. If you are unable to walk/run them regularly, simple activities like frisbie or fetch can also help get them moving :) Nothing is better than the love and loyalty of a family dog!
I have started to research races that include your dog, my goal is for next spring is to do a few 5k's with Emma!
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