The Costco Connection
Costco warehouses and Costco.com offer a
variety of healthful dog and cat foods and
treats and supplements, as well as pet beds,
flea and tick items, kennels and crates. Also,
Costco members can fill prescriptions for
their pets at Costco Pharmacies.
By Susan Johnston Taylor
CANINE COMPANIONS can motivate you
to get active—and they’re good for more than
a leisurely stroll through the park or a game of
Frisbee. In fact, researchers at the University
of Missouri found that people who walked
with dogs improved their balance and increased their speed and distance more than
those who walked with a human companion.
Dogs benefit, too. Not only does regular
exercise help them maintain agility and a
healthy weight, but research published in the
Journal of Experimental Biology shows our
four-legged friends also get the neurobiologi-cal reaction we call “runner’s high” after moderate and intense activity.
Here’s a look at several exercise options
for you and your dog.
Walking and hiking
Walking and hiking are perhaps the most
obvious forms of mutual human/canine exercise, allowing you and your dog to get fresh
air and vitamin D. Shane Allen, a certified
weight-loss specialist, personal trainer and
sports nutritionist with Personal Trainer
Food ( personaltrainerfood.com), a fit meal
home delivery service, suggests walking with
your dog for at least 20 minutes at a time
rather than just letting her do her business
in the backyard. “That’s a good amount of
time for your dog to walk, get their energy
level down and heighten their senses,” says
Allen, who exercises with his dog, Molly, a
fox terrier mix.
Keep your dog alongside you, not in front
or behind. “Doing this will make sure your
pet isn’t pulling you as you’re walking or running,” Allen says. “It also makes sure you don’t
pull your pet, potentially injuring its neck.”
Running
Some medium to large dogs make good
running buddies (smaller ones and those with
short noses can have difficulty keeping up),
but just as humans need to pace themselves
to avoid injury or fatigue, so do dogs. Steve
Pelletier, CEO of SlimDoggy ( slimdoggy.com),
recommends increasing your mileage or
time spent running by no more than 10 to 20
percent per week—for the sake of you and
your dog. “If you go from zero to 60, you
might hurt yourself,” he cautions. “Dogs are
very similar to humans [in that respect].”
Dr. Sara Williams, a Costco member and
owner of Northwest Animal Hospital in
Plymouth, Minnesota ( nwveterinarian.com),
suggests waiting until dogs are at least a year
old (when their growth plates close) and run-
ning no more than 6 miles at a time. “If your
dog seems stiff or sore or loses interest in run-
ning, they may be in pain and should be
examined by a veterinarian,” she says. “Every
dog has a different threshold for exercising, so
pay attention to your dog’s signals and don’t
push too hard.”
Swimming
What human or dog doesn’t love a
refreshing dip in a pool, lake or river on a hot
day? The resistance of water against the body
makes swimming a good exercise, and it’s
easy on the joints. In addition to swimming,
“walking or running through the water is
a great form of strength training,” according
to Pelletier.
Strength training
Wearing a weighted vest (no more than
10 percent of body weight) can help humans
and dogs build strength. “There are a plethora
of moves that both the human and the dog
can do, including burpees, hills, over-unders
and more,” Pelletier says. “To do these moves,
you have to have a relationship with your pet,
training them to sit, stay, heel.” His dog, Jack,
a formerly overweight yellow Lab, can perform burpees and other moves on command.
As Pelletier explains, “Dogs are great
workout partners and will make you smile as
you sweat.” C
When not writing about business and lifestyle
topics, Susan Johnston Taylor takes her dog
Sebastian on long walks.
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