Paws To Run: Glorious Winter Walks

A few pics of beautiful Hertfordshire, England, as my k9's and I take to the countryside around us .

Paws To Run: Dog Days of August!

A few more pics of English cocker  spaniel Lilly and new found friends during herPaws To Run  Summer Camp stay.

Paws To Run: Summer Camp!

English cocker spaniel Lilly, one of my k9 athletes, signed up for a Summer Camp holiday with me. A few pics to show what a treat it is for her!

Strength and Beauty

Just a quick post to show off my top Super k9 athlete : Doberman Biscuit. She is now 9 years old and is still enjoying cross country bike rides 3 times a week. This keeps her joints supple and maintains her sleek and toned build! This freedom to run as fast as she wants knowing that I can keep up on the bike has created a strong bond between us. I have noticed that all my k9 athletes are particularly eager when they see the bike coming out, they love to let loose and run at full pelt !

Paws To Run: Busy K9 fitness instructor!

It's  been a while since I've posted! My Paws To Run K9's are keeping me very busy indeed! Every day 3,4 or even 5 teammates take to the fields for either a cross country bike ride or a run. This is perfect for the extremely high energy dogs who thrive on speed. The consistent "trot" builds stamina and is also good for those needing to lose a bit of weight. Plenty of rests and water breaks are provided. While some rest, others continue running around or chasing a scent. For example, Biscuit  the 9 year old Doberman, does NOT rest, she'll drink some water and off she goes! My newest recruit Pip, a Jack Russell/Dachshund cross, is right up there amongst the fastest despite his tiny stature! It's all in the heart! All my dogs enjoy these sessions and I love seeing them run at full speed!

Happy is as Happy Does!

This is what Paws To Run is all about : making sure your dog has the best time possible. This photo says it all: Beau grinning after her play session during which she sprints after her ball !

Paws To Run: Beau Ball Chaser

Paws To Run : Tis the Season for my k9s to be Jolly!

Pyramid à la Dance Moms! My K9 Athletes' Weekly Evaluation

A bit of "tongue in jowl"!  I try to do a weekly evaluation of my K9 Athletes. It's all in good fun, but I do take a keen interest in their progress.  I like seeing them gain muscle tone and stamina from exerting their bodies as all dogs should get an opportunity to do, with the added bonus of relaxed and well balanced family pets. This was taken from my Facebook page. You can follow daily updates on there http://facebook.com/runningpaws


Happy Sunday all! I haven't done a "pyramid" in a while, so here goes:
FiTNESS
overall top fitness levels: Biscuit and Beau have the leanest bodies, all muscle! BISCUIT, who will be 9 in March, has incredible stamina combined with amazing speed, none of the younger members can quite keep up during our cross country bike rides.
BEAU is the ultimate sprinter, lightning fast; her stamina comes from being able to do these sprints over and over again as she chases her ball! She is 20 months old.
LILLY, along with Biscuit, easily does regular 6km runs, and is a contender for Beau as far as speed at ball chasing. Like Beau she has incredible focus. She could lose a tiny bit of "pudge". She is 5 years old.
HONEY, 2 years old, has a once a week session joining the team for a 6km run and it is getting easier for her. She also needs to lose a tiny bit of weight.
BONNIE, 2 1/2 year old labradoodle, has recently joined the team of Super k9 Athletes, she also has a weekly session, and her stamina has increased already. She is on her way to gaining more muscle tone!

OBEDIENCE
They all have their quirks!
BISCUIT and BEAU are both super obedient during their sessions, and stick to what they like doing, but they like to finagle a few extra minutes at the end!
HONEY very obedient, she likes to stay by my side, she will meet other dogs and say hi but comes back when called.
BONNIE and LILLY stay with the pack but they do like to sneak in a roll in deer poo, then they find it great to encounter people and dogs along the way, making sure they see how nice smelling and clean they are!

URSEN, the honorary member, as he is mine, he's 10 1/2, major arthritis and a badly injured leg (from previous owner's abuse), hold him back from the cross country runs, but he does join in the more easy paced walks. He has always been extremely fit. Champion swimmer (never leaves my side in the water!). True to his breed, he is very loyal.
#dogsareawesome #dogscorner #dogexercisingstevenage #ilovedogs #dogsofinsta

Paws To Run : Lilly's remarkable nose!

Lilly is a highly spirited 5 year old English Cocker Spaniel. She is one of my top k9 athletes, an all rounder capable of sprinting after her ball, running cross country 6k's with her team mates, and sniffing a scent, tail wagging furiously! If we go for a walk and she takes her ball with her, she can virtually retrieve it from any spot, even the most difficult to access. This pretty little girl has no qualms about diving into a thicket of brambles, rummaging around until she reappears with the precious muddy ball firmly grasped in her jaws! If she leaves it somewhere as she goes off on a trail, you can be sure that if I say "Lilly, find it" she will put her nose to the ground and circle the area until she does.

Paws to Run athletes are Happy k9's!

Just a quick post as I literally barely have time to sit down these days! A few photos of my Paws To Run athletes. They illustrate that a well exercised dog is a happy one. He or she will be relaxed and less likely to get into unwanted mischief at home. A bored dog becomes destructive. Working dogs have a job and expend their energy and intelligence that way. Pets must be given a "job", in this instance, learning to stay with the pack all the while using what nature intended: their sense of smell, hearing, and using their legs to full capacity. The happiness I get from witnessing their joy at running together through the fields is priceless. It is the reason I do what I do.

Paws To Run: one happy cocker!

Paws To Run: Ball chaser Beau

Dog Days of Summer

We've had a bit of a heat wave these past few days in the UK. As a dog walker I am responsible for my dogs' comfort and safety.  For my most energetic athletes, I provide a cooling vest which enables them to cope with the warm weather without giving up their favourite activity : running or cycling! I carry a back pack with plenty of water for water breaks, and we also make a stop at a beautiful little pond where they now have the habit of taking a refreshing (albeit sometimes muddy) dip! Even for those just going for a normal walk, the cooling vest can be helpful.  I used one on a little bull terrier cross the other day during our walk/play session, she also drank close to a litre and half of water!