Keeping Up with K9 Kamp- Walk this Way

This month's Keeping up with K9 Kamp activity was to do something new with your dog. This could be as elaborate as geocaching like Gizmo and kayaking like Honey or something as simple as trying a new route when you walk.

For us, it involved walking...but with a twist.


Since we adopted Ike this month, Kelly has had to learn to walk nicely together with him. And that has been a real challenge!

So this month we've been practicing walking nicely with another dog along for the walk. Kelly always wants to get ahead, and gets anxious if Ike walks faster than she does. Or they get tangled up in each other's leashes. Or he wants to play or run and she wants to boss him around.

We usually start off with Kelly in the lead, but Ike is a bigger boy and walks faster, so sometimes he moves ahead. When Kelly gets anxious, I usually ask her to "sit" and distract her. If I pick up the pace, it only seems to heighten her anxiety. They key seems to be to keep her mind active. Sometimes we take an unexpected turn or change direction. Sometimes we jog for a stretch and then slow it down and walk.

Now the two dogs are doing nicely walking together. Ike is learning not to pull on his harness. Kelly is learning to share the sidewalk. We all take a nice morning walk, and an evening walk, and sometimes one in between as well. This is just one way of getting fit, healthy....and tired dogs.

Kol’s Notes and Peggy’s Pet Place and You Did What with Your Wiener are the official co-hosts of K9 Kamp, a fitness challenge aimed at fighting pet obesity. K9 Kamp happens a couple of times  year, however, we believe that canine fitness should be something you work on year-round. This is where Keeping Up With K9 Kamp comes in. Check out Keeping Up with K9 Kamp for a challenge on the first Friday of every month, and check back in with your results on the last Friday of every month.

FitDog Friday and hosted by Peggy's Pet Place, Slimdoggy, and To Dog with Love. Join the hop!

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