Lovely Lucky Pet

How Much Exercise Does Your Dog Need?

Just like people, dogs need a proper diet and the right amount of exercise to stay fit and healthy. But it can be hard for owners to know how much time to spend at the dog park.

ILoveDogs.com said that a good basic guideline is 30 minutes of exercise a day. But owners need to see how that works for each pet, because some dogs will be able to go nuts for much longer than that, while others poop out at 20 minutes.QualityDogResources.com gives the same guideline, but also notes that dogs bred for working farms such as collies may need two hours a day.

Regardless, the time can be broken up into chunks so that neither owner nor pet gets too tired. But remember: You can't really judge based on a dog's size, WiseGeek.com notes.

The breed, however, can give a clue.A small Jack Russell, for instance, may need a lot of play time each day, but a huge mastiff could be happy with a 15-minute walk.You can also vary how much exercise your pooch gets by changing up the activities.

PetFit.com says that walking burns twice the number of calories as resting, while jogging or playing fetch burns three times. Swimming, doing agility trials or working with livestock burn six times the calories.

Still, you must be careful about how much exercise a dog gets.

VetMedicine.com says that owners need to be careful not to overwork young, excited dogs, as well as keep an eye out for damage to feet from running or playing on hard surfaces.The site also suggests a complete health exam before starting an exercise program with a dog.

Source: wftv.com

Hey, Shaggy, time for a snack!

Kelly and I share a love for snacks. Now we've discovered that we can enjoy the same snack--well, almost. I started giving Kelly these Snausages Scooby Snacks, shaped like little dog bones, for rewards or treats. A short time later, I discovered Scooby Doo Graham Cracker Sticks, in the same great dog bone shape. At first when I saw them in the grocery aisle next to the crackers and chips, I thought they'd been mis-shelved. It took some close reading to decide they really were intended for human consumption.

Scooby Doo Graham Cracker Sticks are low in fat, and not too bad for you, in moderation. (They are so good, however, that I tend to keep dipping into the box for "just a few more.") Rarely one to turn up her nose at any food, nonetheless Kelly loves her Scooby Snacks. Now, if I don't get the two mixed up.

Some organizations have found ways to combine Scooby Snacks and physical fitness. "Popular Crunchy Dog Snack Takes a Stand to Help America's Youth "Get Out & Doo" describes a fitness campaign designed to help kids, and the family dog, get active and fit. Citing that today's youth are too sedentary, they promote playtime with pets as a healthy route to physical activity for both dog and owner. And, of course, why not treat your dog with Scooby Snacks as you play?

Scooby Doo Graham Cracker Sticks are available in honey or cinnamon. They contain 130 calories per 9 dog bone pieces. I've yet to eat just 9. They have 4 grams of fat per serving, which is better than most cookies and crackers. The Daily Plate, a website for "helping you eat smarter" tells us that the average person could burn off the 130 calories of a serving of Scooby Snacks by jumping on a trampoline for 34 minutes or hauling water on a farm for 27 minutes.

Tail's End: Watch what you eat. Not only in terms of calories and fat, but make sure it's not intended for dogs, too.

"Lazy Day"

Our new family member

Our previous puppy, Hershey - adopted through a rescue agency whom we won't name here - became extremely ill and died from canine distemper just three weeks after our family adopted her. It was a heart breaking (and financially expensive) experience.

But we never lost the desire to rescue another puppy, and visited Animal Welfare in Chicago Ridge, IL on an almost weekly basis.

One lucky day, we met Dixie ...

Dixie had been adopted from Animal Welfare, received all her puppy shots and had been spayed. Unfortunately, her adoptive family had lost their home and couldn't keep her in the apartment they were moving to.

We adopted Dixie on the same day she had been returned to the shelter.

Dixie is a wonderful, sweet, loving little girl. She's already a valued and adored member of our family.

Dixie is one lucky dog - she gets all the USA rawhide bones she can possibly chew. One of the perks of i-pets.com being the family business!

We think Dixie looks like she's a Rottweiler, shepherd mix - anyone have any other suggestions?

Photos by Julie Corsi