NOVADog Blog

Recently I was speaking with Carol Brooks from DogOn Fitness about some of the obstacles we have dealt with during the Canine Fitness Challenge and I had to be honest and say that if it were not for the accountability factor of the Challenge I (not my dog) would have quit.  I really don’t like winter and we are getting bulldozed this year.  My husband and I moved to Northern Virginia in 1989.  He is originally from South Carolina and I am from Mississippi.  We can take the summer heat here…no really, in 20 summers I can honestly count the number of days I could not go outside for an extended period of time on one hand.

But winter makes me crazy.  How does the dog feel about it you ask?  This is her first snowy winter.  She doesn’t seem to mind it.  She doesn’t beg to get out in the snow but neither does she shy away when we grab the leash. My daughter is walking her as the snow falls now.  Since I don’t love walking her in the snow I have come up with other ways to get some exercise indoors.  I think I mentioned in a previous blog that Tippy’s energy levels are way up so she has become a big fan of tug toys.  She likes to play a version where we tug for several minutes followed by a game of  ”keep away”.  She also enjoys being chased around the house.  She will play some combination of these games for up to 30 minutes.  This works for me because I get to stay warm and she is getting the exercise she needs.

We still use treats with her.  Especially as we have been working through some of her issues.  Canine Caterers generously supplied us with several bags of healthy treats but her favorite is the Crunch-eze health snacks.  They come in several flavors but Tippy will eat any of them.  We have worked very hard to cut back on the treats because we felt that with 5 people in the house she was probably getting “treated” a lot. She still wants more…but she is no dummy.  She is not an aggressive beggar.  She instead prefers to use her cuteness to get us to cave.

But we have become much stronger than even I thought we could be and it is really starting to pay off.  As we head into the home stretch of this challenge I am looking forward to the warmer spring weather  so I can enjoy the walks as much as she does. but I am also excited that the changes we have made have really worked for Tippy! Keep warm!

Amy Peterson and her family live in Herndon, VA. Their dog Tippy, was chosen as the winner to participate in the NOVADog Fitness Challenge. Our vet consultant says that Tippy has about 12 pounds to lose during the 6-month Fitness Challenge, which runs through March of 2010. We invite our readers to check back often to follow her progress and read interesting articles about canine health, fitness, and nutrition.