Reconnect with your Best Buddy
By Bill Ignacio, DVM
We’re in the midst of winter—the season of colder weather and holiday hustle and bustle. But it’s also a time to concentrate on and appreciate family; and family includes pets! Each year around this time we must remind ourselves to spend more time with our pets. Hibernating in winter is a natural tendency for us humans as well as for our pets, but winter is perhaps the mildest of the four seasons here in central Arizona. Enjoy the cool, refreshing air of the outdoors without being soaked through or trudging through snow! When we take steps to get or stay healthy we feel better about ourselves—and so does the family dog. Here are a few ideas for taking advantage of the season to reconnect with your best buddy.
Get a fitness evaluation
Always a smart first step. Especially if you or your pet is not normally active, this is a great excuse to get a checkup. It can actually be fun to see if you have similar areas for improvement, and then work on them together. Waistline expanding? Cholesterol a little high? Seeing your doctor and getting a veterinary exam will give you a health checklist for what to focus on. Especially with older pets who may be arthritic, find out what’s available to help minimize chronic pain and maximize fun.
Run or walk a 10 K
Or at least 1 K! This is a great goal for a pair that’s getting into an active routine. And it’s also a good solution for counteracting the effect of holiday sweets on your body shape. Take your buddy for a three-mile brisk walk between dinner and dessert. Make a preemptive strike on stress with a ten-mile run before the in-laws arrive. In December, take the dog along with the family on walks through nearby neighborhoods to admire the light displays. There is a variety of options!
Find an agility course
Or maybe Rex can do all the running for both of you! While it’s typically herding or working breeds we associate with agility, I’ve seen all types of dogs enjoying the courses. It’s fun for both of you, it’s a great training tool, and it could lead to a healthy habit. Several training outfits or doggie daycare centers in the area may have a lead on agility equipment.
Try geo-caching
Geo-caching is a fairly new fad that a lot of people and their dogs are getting into. The premise? A cache of “hidden treasure” is stashed somewhere and you have the GPS coordinates to find it. Once you do, you sign the logbook, take something from the stash, and add something for the next explorers. It’s a great experience for any family member and you get a chance to practice “sniffing out” a find alongside your dog! Just Google geo-caching for more information and some potential caches—and you’re off!
Camping
Camping out in an Arizona winter can be pleasant. Camping is a favored activity of my dog, Maile, who loves spending a few nights out under the stars. She enjoys the exploring and friend making that goes along with this event. Just make sure the camping grounds you’re visiting are dog friendly and all their restrictions are followed.
It’s easy to forget how privileged we are to live where we do. Get out and enjoy the season together!