Around the Campfire, K9 Kampers Tell All!

FitDog Friday is sponsored by Peggy's Pet Place, Slimdoggy and To Dog with Love.

If time flies when you're having fun, we must have been having a lot of fun because K9 Kamp flew by in a wink of a puppy dog's eye!

1. How much fun did we have? How did Kamp go? What did you learn? In addition to our regular FitDog Friday blog hop, today's the day for all Kampers to post your results and link up. And if you didn't have a chance to join in the fun, link up anyway with any fit dog topic. Don't forget to check out all the activities that kept our K9kampers busy.

2. What? Awards too? Yup! All K9 Kampers were so amazing, on Wednesday we'll be announcing our annual Kamp awards! Last year we had awards such as Most Stylish Kamper, Abs of Steel Award, Most Creative Kamper, and more....see what you or your favorite bloggers won!

3. Still Time for Prizes! We've got a great K9 Kamp prize package for one lucky winner worth more than $200, from our sponsors  EzyDog, NiteIze, and Only Natural Pet Supply. There's a leash, toys, books, and much more. Entries close Tuesday June 25 at 12 NOON PST. Enter at http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.ca/p/k9-kamp.html or http://kolchakpuggle.com/k9kamp. We'll announce the prize winner on Wednesday.

5. How'd we do? So before we go, we'd love to hear from you--what worked, what didn't work? Any tips for how we can make K9 Kamp even more motivating and exciting? We'd love to hear your suggestions and are always working to make K9Kamp the best it can be.

6. See you in the fall! The next K9 Kamp will be in October. Everyone can join. See you then!

 2. Can't wait for Fall? We've Got Mini-Challenges! Kelly and Koly believe that fitness is a year 'round consistent need, not just a special occasion. So to keep the K9 Kamp fun rolling between Kamp Challenges we're excited to announce that You Did What With Your Wiener is joining our K9 Kamp Team with the new monthly "Keeping Up With K9 Kamp" mini-challenges! Mini-challenges will be easy ways to help you make sure your pet's fitness is on track. Visit FitDog Friday on the first Friday of every month to get the new challenge. Welcome Jessica, Chester and Gretel!

Join the blog hop!

Want PAWsitive pet tips, good news and special bonuses? Content not already on the blog? Fetch our free newsletter! Kelly and I can't wait to see you there!

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K9 Kamp- The Challenge

Welcome to K9 Kamp, sponsored by Peggy's Pet Place and Kol's Notes! We're so excited that you've joined us. K9 Kamp is open to EVERYONE, and we're going to have a great time!

Each year we've issued a fitness challenge for you and your dogs, and we have to admit they've gotten pretty creative. This year we've decided to make our challenge just as fun, but more flexible. We believe that fitness should be an everyday focus, but it means something different to everyone. You should do the things you and your dog love to do together. But we won't let you off THAT easy!

THE CHALLENGE:
 Get active with your dog in the way of your choice, 30 extra minutes at least 3 times a week*
AND Our THEME for you to focus your challenge activities around is summer sunshine! The weather is turning nice (when it's not too hot!) and it's a perfect time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and boundless possibilities with your dog.

Possible Activities:
Walking
Running
Agility
Swimming
Training exercises
You name it!

(*Please consult your veterinarian if you have ANY questions about your dog's health or fitness capacity. Adjust times to you and your dog's needs...for some senior dogs or dogs with certain conditions, it may not be safe to get active for as long, while dogs who are already active may require more.)

C'mon Mom, let's get moving!

Okay so simply decide upon your activity or activities, keep track of your progress, and report in on ANY FITDOG FRIDAY and link up to let us know how it's going. Then, on June 21 come back on the last day of Kamp and share your results. How did it go? What worked for you? What didn't work?

What else is going on?
*We'll feature posts on fitness and nutrition to keep you going.
* 14 Featured Bloggers will also be posting about their Kamp experience on their blogs
* We'll introduce you to our 14 Featured Bloggers in longer interviews throughout the year!
* Our Official Trainer, K9 Fit Club, will offer exercise instruction How-To's for you to follow along
* Don't miss special tweets and tips that might pop up on social media
*Oh yeah, and we have a great prize package valued at more than $200 including:

An EzyDog Vario6 Leash & Fold-a-Bowl

A NiteIze LED glowing fetch ball & collar charm

A Natural, chemical free pest tag (can be used on its own or in conjunction with a traditional flea/tick preventative)

A copy of my book Dieting With My Dog

A bag each of Kol's Veggie Snacks & Green Bean Crunchers

An assortment of active toys, such as ball, frisbee, tug etc.
How do I enter the contest?
JUST VISIT OUR RAFFLECOPTER ON OUR K9KAMP PAGE TO ENTER!


Those Featured Bloggers Must be pretty special. Who are they?

Pocket & her Dad from Small Tales: the big adventures of tiny terrierists

Pamela and Honey from Something Wagging This Way Comes

Snoopy & Annette from Snoopy's Dog Blog

PupFan, Bella & Tavish from I Still Want More Puppies

Pam & Oskar from Pet Blogs United and the Daily Oskar

Jodi, Sampson & Delilah from Heart Like a Dog

Liz and Daisy from Woof Woof Mama

Steve, Jack & Maggie from SlimDoggy

Diane and Rocco from To Dog With Love

Jackie & Rita from Pooch Smooches

Cinny, Baby Pom & JR from Whirlwind of Surprises

Jessica, Chester & Gretel from You Did What With Your Wiener

Beth & Gizmo from Terrier Torrent

Emma and her Mom from My GBGV Life

We love getting fit and healthy with our dogs. We're looking forward to an awesome K9Kamp this year. Hear that whistle blowing? Time to get moving! Feel free to leave a comment and let us know why you are joining in, and what activity you are planning on doing to keep fit?

Want pawsitive pet tips, good news, and special bonuses? Content not already on the blog? Subscribe to my free newsletter.  Kelly and I can't wait to see you there!

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K9Kamp Challenge 4-- Kampers Choice

Kelly practices jumping over a bench.

This is it! The last challenge! (Do I hear a sniff sniff?) We've had fun so far this kamp season amping up our daily walk...fetching tennis balls...and playing silly games in our spare minutes. Now what's left? Well, that is really up to you. Because this week, it's Kamper's Choice!

Just pick your favorite activity from this year or last, or maybe come up with one of your own. Then commit to having fun with your dog at least three times this week. Oh, and don't forget your own fitness too! No fair letting your dog do ALL the work!

Here are some ideas:
practice on an agility course
Run the bases

Fetch it yourself
Tug with me
Catch me if you can
Jump

Chase

Monkey in the Middle

Take a hike
Jog
swim
Jump on the bed
Dance together
Here are some great ideas from our Featured Bloggers:
Play Hide and Seek

Play Frisbee
Play on the playground
Try sit ups with your dog

Climb stairs
Training exercises
Flex those muscles
Play with toys

participate in a 5k with your dog

Brooks jumps over the bench too.

BONUS:
How about trying an obstacle course? If you have room, you can set up your own using:
something to jump over
something to crawl under
a jumprope
a hula hoop
an excercise stepper
other sports/fitness equipment
Move from station to station with your dog. Have fun! Who's up to the challenge?!

Check out more cool ideas from Kol's Notes. And, we can't wait to hear how you all did next Thursday at our blog hop.
And don't forget to check out our prize page. You can enter to win great prizes like leather collars, plenty of dog toys, fitness toys, and even my book Dieting with my Dog! And if you do all 4 challenges and fill out our Rafflecopter, you will get a free copy of the great summer issue of Modern Dog! There are dozens of great prizes and lots of ways to enter. So check it out now!!

Have fun!

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K9Kamp Challenge 3-- Doggone Minute to Win it

Grabbing a fun fitness moment crawling under a bench in the park.

This past season, the reality TV show The Biggest Loser focused on different excuses for not exercising. The one I related to most was "I don't have time." ie: " I'm too busy to work out." "I can't walk the dog AND get in my own routine as well."


Now we will take a lesson from another TV show, Minute to Win it, which featured quick, fun games using items you could find around the home. That's the idea of our Week 3 challenge. We'll spend the week focusing on quick fun challenges that only take a minute or so each. All those minutes will really add up. Are you ready?

This week, whenever you find a few spare moments, take the opportunity to initiate some fun fitness activity with your dog. Here are some ideas.
A minute of:
1. Fetch-- make sure you get some running in too!
2. Climbing/running stairs
3. Tug of war
4. Keep away
5.  Chasing around the house or yard
6.  You and your dog (along with your husband, child, neighbor or whoever) play monkey in the middle
7. Play roughhousing-- if your dog likes it
8. Walk in place during the TV commercials (bonus points if you actually get your dog to do this with you, lol).
9. Toe touches in between cooking or doing dishes. On your way to touching your toes, be sure to pat your dog!
10. Recall practice. While you have your dog on "stay," sneak in a few jumping jacks or squats for yourself.


Aim for 10 minutes a day. End the day with a cool down and nice belly rub!

I bet you can think up a few more ideas of your own. What activities can you and your dog do in a minute? Check out more really cool ideas from Kol's Notes too. Report back next Thursday for our blog hop too.

And don't forget to check out our prize page. You can enter now to win great prizes like leather collars, plenty of dog toys, fitness toys, and even my book Dieting with my Dog! And if you do all 4 challenges and fill out our Rafflecopter, you will get a free copy of the great summer issue of Modern Dog! There are dozens of great prizes and lots of ways to enter.

Have a fun week. You're doing great, Kampers!

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K9Kamp Challenge 1-- Walking on Sunshine

Kelly and Brooks take me for a walk.

Are you ready? It's here.....

The FIRST CHALLENGE!

WEEK ONE: Walking on Sunshine 

Well, let's hope it's sunny. If it's not, maybe singing a happy little rap tune will help you feel sunnier.

We're starting off easy...but this can be as easy or as strenuous as you want. This week your challenge is to get out and walk --try for for at least an hour total this week. (You can do your one hour all at once, but I recommend getting out and walking every day. Your dog will remind you.) But wait! Don't just WALK...we're going to spice it up a bit.

1. Lace up your walking shoes and grab your dog's leash (Does your dog walk without a leash? I've always been impressed by that.)

2. Start off slow and easy. If you're used to walking 20 minutes a day, keep this pace at first. 

3. Now, spice it up. Increase your time by 5 or 10 minutes (or 1/2 hour for you overachievers.) If you walk in the city, take another lap around the block. If you walk in the park or the country, go a bit farther. You might find that by the end of the week, you've walked much longer than one hour.

If you already walk more than an hour a week, amp up your time. Push yourself. Will you aim for two hours? Three? More? Adapt the challenge to your own level.

 4. Now, add one EXTRA to your walk. Here are some ideas:
try interval walking
walk with weights
include a hill
change your route for variety
climb stairs
jog for a bit

Okay, that's all there is to it! Let's get out there and walk and have fun!

Sound like fun? Peggy's Pet Place and Kol's Notes  2nd annual K9Kamp is a great opportunity to get active, get fit and bond with your dog (or cat, right Kristine?!). Anyone can join in the fun! Just try out this week's challenge on your own any time during the week. Then, come back next Thursday and leave a comment sharing how you did. Or, write a blog post about it and link up next Thursday. That's it! Oh wait, one more thing...
You can win prizes too!
Yup LOTS of great prizes, like:

A Puppia Soft Harness & Matching Leash

Gift certificates to Dogwise, compliments of Pooch to 5K

 Toys, toys, toys

And books, including two copies of my book, Dieting with my Dog,  compliments of Hubble & Hattie!

We have so many great prizes, we've had to make a separate page just for them. But don't worry, it's so easy. All you have to do is click on the following link to reach the form to enter to win these exciting prizes! There's even a FANTASTIC Grand Prize including a Nike+ sports band for you and a collar, tag, and fun fitness toy for your dog!

And...EVERYONE who completes all four challenges and fills out the contest entry form will receive a free copy of the summer issue of Modern Dog magazine! Enter to win the PRIZES now!

Time to share:  What do you do to spice up walking with your dog?

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Welcome to K9Kamp!

Ready for some fun? It's K9Kamp!!

What is K9Kamp?  
An exciting opportunity to walk, play and get fit with your dog, and connect with other bloggers.

How do I join?
It's EASY! No registration, no fees, no time-consuming commitment. Just look for the challenge posted on this blog and on Kol's Notes every Friday from May 18 through June 8. Then, at your own convenience, complete the challenge with your dog. You and your dog will walk, jump, tug, chase and more! 

If you blog, you can blog about your results, and join in on our K9Kamp Blog Hops every Thursday. Just tell us about how you and your dog enjoyed that week's challenge. 

If you don't blog, feel free to leave a comment and tell us how you did. Our first Blog Hop is this Thursday, May 17th--if you blog, we'd love to have you write a post about why you're joining k9kamp (and it doesn't have to be for all 4 weeks, just as long as you want to try to get fit and have fun with us!) and link up to our linky, you will find it here Wednesday night.

Are there Prizes?
But of course! You'll get a chance to enter our drawings for dozens of great prizes! Leashes, collars, tags, dog books, and toys, toys, toys! Here's just a few:

Busy Buddy Rip and Tug Ball

Nike Sports Band

leather collar from Design A Collar

Books including this one (blush!)

We even have 8 special featured bloggers who have committed to participating in ALL 4 challenges and blogging about their journey.You'll meet them here this Thursday.  I can't wait to introduce them all to you!

And Kol's Notes and Peggy's Pet Place will be blogging about diet and fitness tips during the week too. Plus look for us on Facebook and Twitter @peggyfrezon and @kolsnotes and the hashtag #k9kamp to keep up with all the fun. Join me on Facebook too!

So are you ready? Kelly, Brooks and I are excited to see you at K9Kamp!

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Fitness Fun with K9Kamp

Is blog hopping the most exercise you and your dog get together?
Then it's time to join the 2nd annual Koly and Kelly's K9Kamp!
Yup, we're back and we're better than ever!

K9Kamp is an interactive fitness challenge event for bloggers and their dogs. This year the event runs from May 14- June 14. Peggy's Pet Place and Kol's Notes post one exciting fitness challenge each week for 4 weeks.

These challenges are easily adapted for beginners to experts. No registration required. No difficult rules or extensive time commitment. Try one or all! Have some fun with your dog!

You'll even have the opportunity to be entered into contests for awesome prizes like dog toys and training books, and our end of Kamp GRAND PRIZE package!

We already have several FEATURED BLOGGERS committed to participate in all four challenges and blog about their experience, and we have openings for just a few more! Could that be you?? If you're interested leave me a comment here or email me or Kol's Notes, and we'll get in touch.

I hope to see you all there!
Peggy & Kelly 
Jodi & Kol

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