A New Workout For Us All

Homer, Cookie, Gigi and Me (Photo taken by Vange Papastefan)

Last week, I went to see a trainer at Petco. She was nice enough to talk to me about Homer's behavior. It came down to the same thing--he wasn't getting enough exercise. Well, I thought to myself, if taking him on a walk three times a day isn't enough then what can I do?

The answer was: ROLLERBLADING!

Taking the dogs all together on rollerblades would be possible, but I knew that Cookie would not have as much fun as the other two. Cookie gets overwhelmed by the heat and humidity and the trainer suggested that I take her separately.

Since the weather has been pretty hot during the day, I figured the best time to skate with the dogs would be in the morning for the first walk. There would be enough sunlight and it wouldn't be too hot yet.

Taking the two of them turned out to be pretty well. When my speed got a little too fast, I would slow down by swiveling on my skates (The same way you would do with skiing) or jumping on the grass. Luckily, I haven't fallen yet.

It always starts out with Homer pulling me but ends up with me pulling them both. The higher speed gives them the quality of a run but the convenience of me using a leash. Better yet, it keeps my weight down. After I take Homer and Gigi home, I then take Cookie for as short or long of a walk as she is up for. She usually lets me know when she's had enough and she's ready to head back. I will probably continue to do this until at least the end of summer, if not longer.

Rollerblading Tips

I only recommend this as an activity to do with dogs if:
• The person is an expert skater. You need great balance and patience for this to go smoothly.
• It also helps to have lots of sidewalks or a smooth parking lot.
• Start out in short distances and build up your speed.

I've been doing this for a week now and it's made a huge difference in Homer's behavior around the house. He's not as compelled to chew up things he shouldn't because he isn't as bored. We'll see how this works down the road.

Let's Discuss!

What is the best way for you to exercise with your dog? Do you have a dog with boundless energy like Homer?

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