I must be truthful here, I’m not much of a “dog walker.”
Don’t get me wrong; I take my two dogs out all the time and hang with them while they run and play, nose to the ground, scouting the place out.
My husband plows the whole yard, so they have plenty of room to do what they must do. They are both small dogs, so I stay out with them. We don’t want a fox or coyote to sneak up on them or for them to wander and get lost.
I think we can all agree that to stay healthy, eat all the correct foods and keep our body and minds sharp, we need to move. The last thing that we want is to have our pets thinking that we have become “chubby.” Dogs around the world need to take action.
Here are some tips from my dogs to yours on how to have healthier humans.
Keep your human close…this will help in not allowing them to “wander off.”
Be mindful that your human will need to have the occasional break; we dogs love to stop and sniff often.
Since humans have such a short attention spans, yip and bark frequently.
A good aerobic exercise for your humans is to make them bend and retrieve after you do your “doggy business.”
To really get your human’s heart pumping faster, pull, drag and run as quickly as possible.
As is often the case, humans tend to be a bit lazy — so don’t let them shirk their duties by taking shortcuts. Sitting in protest does the trick most days.
Be sure to display extra tail wagging and face licks to your human to let them know that their time and love are well appreciated.
If you are looking for a new fur baby, check out the wonderful animals we have at the Central Aroostook Humane Society here in Presque Isle.
There is nothing more satisfying than a rescue pet. Do some homework on the breed before adopting, be smart and ask the shelter staff questions about the animal. This saves you and the animal added stress that may happen after the adoption. Be prepared to make that new fur baby part of the family. He or she is a living being and needs love and support like we do.
Happy winter, and stay safe. Please be responsible: spay and neuter your pets.
Gail Wieder is a member of the Central Aroostook Humane Society’s board of directors.
