Posted on: November 26, 2008

Getting Fit: A Pet Project

Fitness partners come in the unlikeliest of packages and, for pet lovers, with a wagging tail. Find out how these odd workout couples take the healthy road together for the betterment of human and animal

By Beth Kujawski
CTW Features

Pets are our pals. They turn a bad day better. They inspire smiles with a wag of a tail or a well-timed purr and they make terrific cuddle buddies during a lazy day on the couch. Unfortunately, fitness isn't found between the cushions. Everyone knows that exercise does a human body good, but and the same holds true for our furry friends, which is why many pet owners have begun to turn pets into workout buddies.

Melissa Hillebrand, an editor in Chicago, and her black and tan short-hair mini dachshund, Nahlah, bike many miles on the city streets in matching pink helmets. Nahlah, tucked into a bike basket made specifically for small-breed dogs, joins Hillebrand on outings to various parks. Hillebrand reaps the benefits of cycling while Nahlah runs around at their destinations.

Exercise is important for all pets but Hillebrand points out Nahlah's specific needs. "Dachshunds have long backs and short legs," she says. "I knew that by being a dachshund owner I would have to make sure that she stays at a healthy weight so her back does not have any additional pressure on it. Dachshunds are at a high risk for intervertebral disk disease so I like to make sure she is slim and trim."

Tracy Cooley, D.V.M., owner of Cooley Animal Clinic, Highland, Ind., says, "I recommend that most pets get a physical annually when they get vaccinated." If you're not taking your pet to the vet on a regular basis, Cooley recommends taking it in for a physical before embarking on routine exercise.

Keep in mind that all pets are not created equal; some, like Nahlah, have breed-specific traits that may affect what they can do or for how long they can do it. Be sure to talk to your veterinarian about your pet and heed any advice. Exercise requirements vary says Dr. Cooley: "Greyhounds, Labs and hunting dogs need about one hour of good running a day, but a Chihuahua running around the house barking at the doorbell is probably getting all the exercise it requires."

In addition to your breed's needs, where you live plays a big part in how best to exercise with your pet. Bre Johnsen, a research assistant in Santa Monica, Calif., and her dog Indiana (named after the state, not Harrison Ford's fedora-sporting alter ego), love to run in the California sun. Indy, as she's called, is a Boshih, a Boston Terrier Shih Tzu hybrid, a breed "known to have breathing difficulties when in hot or cold weather since they are short-faced dogs," Johnsen says. "If it's too hot, they can actually experience heat stroke."

In such a chronically sunny state, Johnsen adjusts their workouts based on the weather. "When it's too hot, I wait until the sun sets for our long runs," she says. "I also make sure to carry water with me and not push her too much. I can tell when she is tired and ready to head home."

Dogs are a lot like people. Just as older people should stay indoors on days when ozone levels are high, so too should older dogs.

"Small dogs will start sitting down before they overdo it," Cooley says. "But larger, eager-to-please dogs such as Labradors are more prone to hypothermia because labs will do anything for their owners."

Cooley also points out that it's better to exercise on grass than asphalt. Concrete and asphalt are tough on paws, even more so in the summer heat, just as ice and salt pose problems in colder climes. Depending on where you live, the weather may not be conducive to exercising outside. While you might not mind going for a run in the rain or walking in the dead of winter, consider your pet's needs.

Catherine Allred, an office manager in Alpharetta, Ga., and her dog, Lucy Puddin (Lucy for short), hike and climb the hills in a private dog park, but Lucy's main exercise is agility training. Agility courses feature jumps, climbing obstacles, weave poles and tunnels. In the south, training and competitions happen outdoors, but facilities in northern climates often offer training indoors.

"I subscribe to the popular notion that a tired dog is a good dog," Allred says. "I can no longer run as exercise so we had to find something fun to do." Lucy, a mixed breed of Bull Terrier, Field Spaniel, German Shepherd and Newfoundland, has won two titles. "You couldn't order up a better blend," she says. "All healthy, hardworking dogs, which make her perfect for agility."

People who exercise with their pets tend to be dog owners, but while "cats don't need as much exercise" as dogs, Cooley says, toys that encourage a cat's natural instinct to hunt or a laser pointer that creates a dot of light for a cat to chase "exercises their minds as much as their bodies." "You're not going to make a cat go jogging," he says.