Search Results for: blog the trouble with walking two dogs

Survey Says: Dog Walking Better Exercise than the Gym!

One of my pet-centric newsletters arrived today, with the news that people who walk their dogs regularly end up working out more per week than people who own a gym membership. Five thousand folks in the United Kingdom (three thousand of them pet owners) responded to a survey sponsored by U.K. manufacturer Bob Martin Petcare. More than half of the survey participants said that dog walking was their main form of exercise — that makes sense, since more than half of the survey participants are dog owners! The average dog owner in the survey walked their dogs twice per day … Continue reading →

The Top Pets Blogs of 2007: June – December

We started out with a list of the Top Blogs from January through May. To conclude the Year in Review of the Top Pets Blogs, here’s the last six months of the year. June 2007 Top Blogs Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month Starts Today: How to Participate Moose’s Special New Trick The Trouble With Walking Two Dogs Life Without a Fence Moose’s Bad Luck Continues Murphy, Kitty, and Tabby’s Dilemma: What to Get Wayne for Father’s Day? Fitting a Harness Moose Update: He’s Healing and We’re All Adjusting Animal Movies = Torture: How I Fared Through Evan Almighty July 2007 Top Blogs … Continue reading →

Walking For Seniors

Walking is a great form of exercise at just about any age! A study from Japan — recently published by the Mayo Clinic — reports that walking is especially good for elderly adults. The elderly population is growing rapidly in many countries around the world. High intensity walking (and other forms of exercise) can decrease the chances of disability and lower the risk of some age associated diseases. Moderately paced walking — a pace around six kilometers or 3.7 miles per hour — can help protect against disability. Walking and other exercise can strengthen muscles, improve balance and flexibility, and … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Jun 4-10

For the first full week of June, here’s what Aimee and myself covered in the Pets Blog. Monday, June 4 Moose has got a special new trick (slipping out of his collar) that’s giving Aimee fits –and potentially a heart attack. Apparently it’s not enough he just slips his collar, he also thinks Aimee chasing after him to get him hooked back up is a fun game. Tuesday, June 5 The Great Cat Rehabilitation Project made even further progress. I got my Mr. Meow shower buddy back. This is a big step! Aimee and crew have had to make a … Continue reading →

The Trouble With Walking Two Dogs

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I love my dogs. They are my constant companions, and I’ve jumped through a lot of hoops to get us all relocated across the country. One thing we’ve all had to adjust to is the lack of a backyard. Back in New Jersey, I could just open the door and let Moose and Lally romp in the yard for as long as they wanted. Here, we don’t have that luxury. Instead, we have to take walks — usually four per day. Sometimes, I can trust Lally to be off the leash and stay close. When we’re walking a new route, … Continue reading →

I Want A Dog – Part 1

For the past few days, Dylan has been talking a lot about animals. He has not said much about the lions, tigers, monkeys, and other jungle animals that we see in many of the books that we read or the movies that we watch. He seems acutely interested in domestic animals – cats, dogs, cows, and the like. A couple of times, he has asked me to go for a walk or a drive in the afternoon for the specific purpose of finding cows that he can touch. Even though we live in Vermont, many of the farms near us … Continue reading →

Heatstroke in Pets

With the approach of summer, we pet owners need to start thinking about how our animal family members might be affected by the heat. Pets that go outside, particularly dogs and cats, face danger from heatstroke. In fact, even when an animal isn’t technically outdoors it can still get heatstroke if left in the car. I admit I’ve been guilty once or twice of leaving my dog in the car for “just a few minutes” in fair weather. Here’s the thing: according to a Stanford University study, a parked car on a sunny 70-degree day can reach dangerous internal temperatures. … Continue reading →

File Under “Poor Decisions”

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I was out walking the dogs before work the other morning — it’s just about the first thing I do after I get up every day. On this particular day, I spotted a cat with strange markings. (Thankfully, the dogs did NOT spot the cat.) The cat was a brown tabby with a white belly and white socks on three feet. The fourth leg — the back left one, if you want to be particular about it — was white all the way to the hip. But after I noticed the coloring, I noticed the way the cat was walking: … Continue reading →

Forbes’ List of Pet Friendly Cities

Forbes magazine recently released their list of the most pet friendly cities in the United States. I’m proud to see my area made the top five! Here’s how they determined the best in show: Public park acreage, including dog-friendly park spaces. Number of pet supply and pet service businesses. Number of veterinarians and other care facilities. Cost for veterinary care. The Forbes folks also looked at air quality, but didn’t end up using it in determining their rankings — pets are pretty adaptable. With such short life spans, air quality generally doesn’t have as big an impact on a pet’s … Continue reading →

How Not to Approach a Strange Dog

My two dogs have very different personalities. Moose (my eight year old shepherd mix) is very easygoing. He loves just about everyone, and would happily follow a stranger home if he thought there would be snacks or petting or both. Lally (my seven year old boxer/shar-pei mix) is far more skittish. She’s easily startled by things like sudden noises and quick movement. When we’re out walking, I have to keep a careful eye out for things that might frighten Lally. When she gets scared, she can exhibit signs of fear aggression, including growling, barking, and lunging. I saw trouble coming … Continue reading →