North County Grand Opening Class

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Today was so much fun! I met many new friends and even a guy named Truffle that kind of looked like me! After a year of mommy trying to get the North County classes up and running, today was the Grand Opening Class.  There were close to 20 people and dogs there for class and they were working really hard.  I think they even enjoyed working out–imagine THAT! Mommy gave prizes for different fun stuff and had a few raffles at the end.  The people and dogs got cool stuff from Pawtopia Dog Training, My Puppy Dog Tales Pet Photography, Dexter’s Deli, and 3 free classes from Leash Your Fitness. All of the new people got Leash Your Fitness goody bags with treats in them from Tigertail Food, coupons from Carefree Companions, body ache gel (just in case they were sore after their first class) from Gilden Chiropractic and other cool stuff!

We hope that we see all of our new friends again soon and that they tell all of their doggy friends about our new class.  We give you a FREE class if you refer a friend and they purchase any class package at full price! So…….. who are you going to bring to next week’s class with you?

Enjoy the photos!! (click on image to enlarge)

 

Elle Lane Hike

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This past weekend we had 19 people and 18 dogs on our 4 mile Elle Lane hike.  Us dogs got to swim, get dirty, romp around and eat lots of treats! The people got to tough it out on the rocky climb then got treated with homemade cookies and fruit while they enjoyed the amazing view from the top.  We had all ages and fitness levels present, everyone had fun and new friends were made by both us dogs and our mommies and daddies. We even had some cute gal dogs on the hike that I was checking out! (I don’t think they saw me!)  Next month’s hike is 6 miles–we hope to see you there, sign up on Leash Your Fitness Events Page! Enjoy the photo’s! (click on image to enlarge)

Walk.Run.Wag 5k –Team Leash Your Fitness

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This past weekend was our debut 5k with Team Leash Your Fitness. We had 22 runners/walkers out bright and early with their 4 legged workout buddies for the Walk.Run.Wag event.  It was a cloudy morning but the sun broke out as the race began in Del Mar.  We had everyone from marathon runners to a woman with a leg brace on our team. Every kind of dog from a Great Dane to a Chihuahua.  Everyone did AWESOME and we are so proud of everyone who came out. Our team even got presented with a plaque for coming in 3rd place.  The event was really fun, well organized and everyone went home with a swag bag full of goodies!  Our next event is the Helen Woodward Puppy Love 5k in February–we hope to have you on our team! Enjoy the pictures.(click on image to enlarge)

Dog Birthday Cake Recipe

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It is a new year and your dog is bound to have a birthday sometime this year.  Cathy is sharing with us her pup, Andy’s, favorite birthday cake recipe for you to make for your furry child’s birthday party!! We have a little party for all of the pup’s in our Leash Your Fitness classes!! Why not!!?  Let us know how your party goes!!

Andy’s Birthday Cake (Adapted from The Honest Kitchen recipe)

This is a gluten free, grain free cake. Serves 12 easily.

Cake:

4 cups The Honest Kitchen Embark (also you can use Force or Zeal) dehydrated dog food

2 Tablespoons The Honest Kitchen “Ice Pups” frozen treat mix

1 c chicken broth (can also use vegetable broth or cooking water from sweet potatoes)

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons honey

1 cup yogurt (I substituted 1 c mashed cooked sweet potatoes with 1/4 c cooking water for a dairy sensitive dog)

1/2 c smashed banana chips (also can use smashed Smooches or Nuzzles cookies)

Frosting:

1 c plain greek yogurt

1 tsp honey

“Happy Hips” chicken jerky, duck jerky, or bacon bits

Mini treats

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease a 10 inch cake pan or line with baking parchment. (I like the parchment- it makes clean up easy).

Combine the dry Embark and Ice Pups mixes in a medium bowl.

In a mixer bowl, combine the 2 eggs and  1c. sweet potatoes (or yogurt) and whisk at high speed for 3 minutes. Gradually add honey and mix thoroughly. Reduce speed on mixer to slow and alternately add dry ingredients (about 1 c at a time) and broth to make a batter. Stir in the smashed banana chips (or smashed cookies). The batter will be a bit lumpy but should be relatively easy to spread in the cake pan (Ok to add a little broth or water if you need to make it spreadable). Bake the cake in the oven for 25-35 min or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool at least 10 min before applying frosting. (OK to make and let rest overnight). Flip the pan and release the cake onto a serving plate.

To make the frosting:

Whisk together the yogurt and honey. Spread smoothly over the surface of the cooled cake. Apply the strips of jerky or bacon bits and decorate with the mini treats. Serve and enjoy!

Andy getting the first taste of his cake before he shares with his friends

Tips on starting your new year on the HEALTHY track…

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Happy Holidays!! Are you going to parties, shopping, sleeping in because it is cold and dark in the mornings and skipping your exercise?  Do you put December “on hold” and then start a New Years Resolution?   If you answered YES then you are like many people so we want to give you a few tips on staying on track and keeping on track through the New Year and beyond……..

1/ Focus on being HEALTHY!! Most people know that an apple is better for you than a bag of chips and that getting up in the morning and taking a walk is better than checking your Facebook page.  If you just THINK HEALTHY and take action then you can’t go wrong.

2/ Avoid DIETS–they do not work in the long term. Focus instead on eating from all of the food groups in MODERATION.  Nuts may be a healthy fat but more than one handful a day and you are going to start seeing the pounds add up.  Moderation is key!

3/ Start an exercise program that you enjoy doing–you will stick with it longer.  People ask us, should I get a treadmill or elliptical–our answer is WHATEVER YOU ARE GOING TO USE!

4/ Start small–don’t go from not exercising and eating fast food to exercising every day and eating salads.  You are setting yourself up for failure. One thing at a time so your body and mind will get used to it.

5/ Avoid diet pills, supplements, quick fixes, and/or infomercials that promise you FAST results.  No matter how you look at it, a pound is 3500 calories and if you want to get off the pounds than you have to eat less and exercise more.  If you drop weight too fast, your metabolism will get messed up and you will gain the weight back.  That is what we call yo-you dieting! Remember, moderation is key!

6/ Do something little every day that will get you closer to your goal: drink an extra bottle of water, eat breakfast instead of skipping it, eat an apple for your afternoon snack, skip dessert, go for a walk after dinner instead of watching TV, stretch when you get up in the morning, etc. Little things ADD UP!

7/ Buy a yoga dvd and start doing it! Did I hear you say that you can’t do yoga because you are not flexible? What would have happened if you would have said “I can’t walk because I will fall” when you were a child?  The more you practice anything, the better you will become. Everyone needs to work on their flexibility, balance, core and breathing.

8/ Start a food journal.  You will make much better progress if you SEE what you are eating every day.  Most people stress eat, eat small bites while fixing meals, or unconsciously grab a piece of chocolate while walking past a friends desk.  If you have to write it down, chances are you won’t eat it and those small bites add up!

9/ Get a pedometer and slowly work yourself up to 10,000 steps a day–especially if you have an office job.  Sitting all day is not only hard on your body but it slows down your metabolism.  Every step counts so park further away, take the stairs, get up during the day and walk to your friends desk instead of calling her, and/or take a walk at lunchtime or after work.

10/ Most important just FOCUS ON BEING HEALTHY and everything else will fall into place! But you have to WANT to focus on being healthy so get your head in the game and visualize what you want: to feel better, lose weight, not hurt when you get up in the morning, have better balance, better flexibility, be able to walk the stairs without breathing heavy, be stronger, lower your cholesterol or blood pressure, prevent diabetes–everyone has different goals which one are you going to work on?

 –Leash Your Fitness has 2 certified personal trainers on staff to help you with any issues that you may have or to set you up on an exercise program. Our clients are getting and keeping their results because we are not about quick fixes, we are about education so that you will continue to live a HEALTHY LIFE!!  Let us know if we can help set up a workout program or help you with your diet or lifestyle change. We work with all ages and fitness levels and may even be able to team you up with a small workout group! NO dog required but one huge benefit is most of our clients bring their dog to their workouts! We also have gift certificates–what better gift then the gift of health!

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

We live in San Diego--why workout in a stuffy gym when we have beautiful scenery

 

Gaslamp Holiday Pet Parade

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Only in California do a ton of people dress their dogs up in holiday attire and parade them through downtown with a police escort! This weekend was the Gaslamp Holiday Pet Parade and there was no shortage of costumes, both dog and human.  Both men and women, young and old came out in the chilly weather to celebrate the holiday season. At one point, a on-looker in a 2nd floor apartment started chanting “who let the dogs out” and everyone chimed in including the dogs! It got a little “noisy” for a few moments but that only added to the festivities! Our buddies, Chopper the Biker Dog and Spike Taylor were the grand marshal’s and mommy and I hung out at the front with them for a little while. I was so happy that mommy didn’t make me wear my grumpy Santa suit because it really does make me grumpy!   Enjoy the photos and enjoy the holidays with your pup! Don’t forget to get Fido a present for under the tree, preferably treats!!

Leash Your Fitness Christmas Party

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We had our 2nd annual Christmas Party this weekend–what a BLAST!! I am so proud of the amazing family that we have created. Since our family is always working out together,  it was so fun to see everyone in “real clothes” with their hair down.  The “all girls” party had to be altered this year because now we have men in the classes! It was fun having the guys take part in the annual gift exchange and we can’t wait to see what Joe grows in  his new herb garden! The food was yummy, the gifts were fun and the group was hilarious as always!

I want to THANK everyone who bought Jack and I the beautiful mats and gift cards.  We are now “on the mat” with our own Leash Your Fitness yoga mats! What a pretty color too!! We LOVE them!

This party at the end of the year always reminds me what is important:  A close family that supports each other, has fun, laughs and gets fit together.  What more could you ask for?  Thanks for another successful year! Our family keeps growing and we look forward to seeing who is added next year! Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

–Dawn and Jack

Book Review: One Good Dog

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by Susan Wilson

Adam March is a very powerful businessman who loses his job, status and the high life he’s been living after a series of innocent mistakes and unexpected events. Adam begins life anew, coming to grips with community service working at a soup kitchen, trying to pick himself up and move on, learning about compassion. In the process, he unwittingly becomes the owner of an equally beaten down, abused, neglected canine, one once subjected to dog fighting. If ever two beings needed each other, these are the two. The book is intricately written with chapters alternately expressing the story from Adam’s perspective and the dog’s point of view. It’s rare to find a novel written about man and dog, rather than woman and dog, but this book makes a success of the pairing and provides a solid story. Not too “chick-lit”, not too testosterone-laden. It’s a tale of growth, mercy, and giving up one’s life in order to find it.

Thanks to Jennifer Casula for our Dog Book Reviews. Jennifer is a group fitness instructor and dog lover.  She lives in Texas with her husband and 3 dogs.

Dangers of Retractable Leashes

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You see it all of the time at a very busy dog event, farmers market, or walking event; people are using retractable leashes on their dog.  The person’s dog is roaming all over the place, the leash is at full length, and it trips somebody or worst cuts their leg.

Retractable leashes are dangerous and should never be used at a busy event.  If the dog starts running and somebody grabs the leash, a dangerous cut or worse a finger amputation could happen and it has, many times.

In 2007, there were 16,564 hospital-treated injuries associated with leashes according to Consumer Union’s analysis of statistics collected by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Of those, about 10.5 percent involved children 10 and younger; 23.5 percent involved injuries to the finger.  The CPSC’s data does not parse the leashes into types but it’s likely that the amputations were caused by retractable leashes.

The person holding the leash does not realize that they really do not have control over their dog; even if the leash is “locked”—the cord is in no way going to control the dog.  There are many reports of dogs dashing into the street or running after another animal, and the owner can not react fast enough to reel in their dog or worse—the cord breaks.   There have been many reports of deaths and injuries, to the dog and/or owners, which have resulted from just this issue.  With a regular leash, you can grab the leash closer to the dog if you need to control the dog.  This cannot be done with a retractable leash or you will hurt your hand.  With a regular leash, you also know the distance your dog can be away from you; with a retractable, it is hard to know how far your dog can wander.  Many retractable leashes even come with a warning disclaimer about the possible dangers.  There is a time and place for everything.  If you are walking your dog in an open area or working on recall skills, then maybe a retractable leash is acceptable.  It will allow your dog a little more freedom than a regular 6’ leash. However, they are not safe in an environment with kids, other dogs, other people or distractions where the leash can cause tripping, cutting or other serious injuries.

I attended a dog trainers convention a few weeks back and I saw: shock collars, harnesses, regular collars, prong collars, 30′ leashes, 6′ leashes, 3′ leashes–everything BUT retractable leashes.  I do not know of ANY dog trainer that would endorse a retractable leash.

In conclusion, if you are at a crowded event, please be responsible and use a regular 6’ leash made of nylon, leather, cloth or any other material where you can have complete control of your dog and leave the retractable at home.

Common Injury from a retractable leash

Lost Dog!! What do you do?

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Have you ever experienced any doggy parents worst nightmare–losing your dog? Or, have you ever found a dog and didn’t know what to do.  This is the time of year where many people go away and leave their dogs with neighbors, dog walkers or friends. If your dog is not comfortable, they may slip their collar and run off. This happened to a friend and the dog ran off and was never found. This past weekend, a dog was found by the staff at UCSD, the dog had no tag and no chip.  A friend of mine lost her dog and the neighbor had her for many days.  Thanks to Marianne’s research while looking for Sweet Pea, she shared with us some valuable resources:

1/ Make sure your dog is chipped and the information is current. VERY IMPORTANT as this is the first thing that should be done if you find a dog. Take him to a nearby vet or the Humane Society and get him/her scanned.

2/ Does your dog wear a tag and license?  Put your name and cell phone number on the tag. I have mixed feelings about putting your dogs name on there as you don’t want whoever finds your dog to keep him/her.  I have “Needs Meds” on Jack’s tag as most people would be more likely to return a “sick” dog. If you have the license with the tag, they can run the license on the county website and your information will populate.

3/ After the scanning, most people will call their local County Animal Services Dept to see if their dog has been turned in. The dog is put in their data base along with a picture.  If you find a dog, you can take it there and after 3 days if nobody claims it then you get the first right to keep the dog.  You will have to pay the adoption fee.

4/ Craigs List:  Many people post the lost dog on Craigs List Lost and Found section for free.  Make sure you put a good description and any pertinent information.  A picture also helps.

5/ Flyers:  Post flyers EVERYWHERE in the vicinity where the dog was lost or found.  Very large across the top:  LOST DOG so people can see if from their cars. Put a picture, dogs information, your contact information on the flyer. Take to local vets, pet stores, dog parks, Starbucks and many other businesses have boards where you can hang flyers.  Post on street corners where walkers stopping to cross can see it and also cars stopped at the light.

6/ Other sites to post your lost dog:

**www.FindToto.com  How it works: For a fee, they enter the exact address of where your pet was last seen into our mapping system, serving as the center point of the search area, which then pulls the data of phone numbers in a radius starting from the center point out.  It sends out thousands of calls to numbers with a “toto alert”.

**www.LostMyDoggie.com How it works: For a fee, enter your dogs information and where it was lost or found.  The system will send out an automated message to all of the residences in the area.

**www.LostandFoundhound.com How it works: You put in your zip code and all of the pets that are lost or found are listed.

**www.LostDogsSanDiego.com How it works: A free listing can be entered into their system whether the dogs is lost or found.  They are linked to all of the County Animal Shelters therefore if your dog is at any of them, the information will come up.

**Facebook: Scared and Lost Dog San Diego:  How it works:  Post your dogs information on the page, another resource for those searching in San Diego.  Check to see if their is a FB resource page in your area.

Tips:

  • If you are going to be going on vacation.  You may want to leave a harness with the dog walker.  Most dogs have less ability in slipping out of a harness than a collar.
  • Train your dog to sit by the house or car door when it is open and wait. Only allow fido to move when the command is given.  This will keep your dog from bolting and getting hit by a car and/or running away.
  • Make sure you have all tags, chips and licenses up to date.  We once found a dog and the chip was still registered to her former state.

There is nothing worse than losing your pet.  But keep looking, we have seen pets reunited with their families after many months on the road. If you want to watch a cute movie about a lost dog, check out First Dog on video.

Found dog on Thanksgiving in UTC, San Diego