Exercise programme for my dog and me ..

Has anyone come up with a exercise programme or plan for their dogs that helped themselves? ..

When Saba was getting back to fitness after her TPLO last year, we got into Canicross. Started with lots of power walking, and then I built up the amount of running gradually. I used the NHS C25K podcasts, which build you up over 9 weeks until you can run non-stop for half an hour. It was perfect for getting her stamina back, and building muscle. I found it so much more enjoyable than normal exercise.

I still take Saba for a short run every night to warm her up before she goes off lead. Never, ever thought I'd enjoy running, but I really do love it with a dog attached.

i never really see overweight people where i go dog walking as it is in the middle of nowhere and it is quite a trek to the place, no parking you see, i think just having a dog takes people out of the sedentary element.
The NHS podcasts as described above which my partner used to regain fitness after chemo will help but obviously do not run too far with a pup or if the dog is sedentary now then a slow build up will be best.

I started C25K with Kiki, when I decided to have Casper join us I dropped back to week 2 to give him the same gentle introduction. There's a similar program called Pooch to 5k which is 11 weeks instead of 9 so might be slightly gentler.

Off topic, I know, but has anyone else noticed that overweight owners seem to have overweight dogs?

Same goes with kids on the whole.

Sorry, I'm a bit of a people watcher and these things tend to fascinate me

No, cos I'm overweight due to ill health although until I hit 50 I was as fit as a flea and yet I walk for miles every single day and my dogs are all extremely fit. My kids have never been overweight either.
It p*sses me off that people judge a book by it's cover and assume skinny people are healthy people and anyone carrying a few extra stone are a fat lazy b**tard. Why is that?

My thyroid has gone haywire and Ozzie's gained a few pounds because of that and my worry of his hip.....

Same! I have Hashimotos disease, which means I have hypothyroid. I am a round and my dogs are very healthy We walk, we don't drive and we have an excellent time!

Of course, there are exceptions, but, and this is just my observations, it seems to be prevalent.

I've been both - incredibly skinny and overweight - and am conscious of the weight of my dog so ensure that when she has extras, she has less of a main meal. However, I'm 'into' dogs and realise the importance of it. I can imagine though that it's very easy to give dogs the extras and not think to cut down on other things when it happens - hence the weight goes on.

Sorry if I offended anyone. Didn't mean to. Just thinking out loud

Don't feel as strongly as you do about this but I understand where you are coming from.

I too was fit as a flea and had been more or less the same weight all my adult life without really thinking about it or having to work at it. Until almost 3 yrs ago when I inflicted some horrible injuries on my left knee, hamstring, ankle and what have you in an accident on ice.

In fact, when I got the little minpin I was still having trouble walking without limping at all or without a stick and needing to force myself to excercise even though it hurt like hell to do so - it was one of the things that spurred me into getting another dog. I HAVE TO GET UP AND OUT! Can't put it off or promise myself to do it later or tomorrow.

I'm still about a stone heavier than I was before the accident as although there has been tremendous improvement I ain't out of the woods yet and cannot do breastroke (bad for the knee) don't know any other stroke and get bored 'walking' the pool or just lunging exercises where I used to do min. 20 lengths in the morning and more at night for about 9mos of the year.

And can no longer RUN or take the stairs without paying the price for it for days afterwards.

Dog still gets taken out 3 or 4 times a day with one of them being her 1 to 2km walk and the others just pee breaks round a few blocks really.

My regime is an easy one to follow:

• Open my eyes when dog wakes me - stretch and yawn - go for a quick pee and drink of water - pull on crops and Tshirt - take dog out for a walk. Wake up about ten mins after we set off!
• Do mini version of the above 2 or 3 times before bedtime!
• Repeat every day of the year!