Category: Dog and Other Pet Lovers

I’m No Hero

 

Hoppybeach

It all started with a Pyrenees puppy in 2004.  He was a surprise birthday present from my sister.  While I don’t EVER recommend surprising someone with a pet, we fell in love with our dear sweet Dillon.  He was our fur baby and made our two person family more complete.

Raising Dillon led to more adoptions and the fostering of special needs dogs that needed extra care physically and emotionally.  Some went on to new homes and others stayed.  They gave us joy and a sense of purpose.

When we lost Dillon and our toy poodle Baxter within two months of each other in 2013 we were heartbroken.  To be honest, we still shed tears to this day.  After they passed, we still had three dogs in the home and we decided that was plenty for the time being.  However, I secretly fantasized about a poodle showing up on our doorstep.  Baxter had been like a baby to me.

That fantasy quickly formed into a reality two months later.  A unique situation popped up with a friend of ours.  He had rescued a standard poodle who was a retired therapy dog.  Her owner had become mentally ill and was suffering from dementia. She became abusive to her dog and the people around her so the family asked our friend if he would like to adopt the dog.  He bravely said yes and let us know he was bringing her home.

The night they arrived I watched from the window just to get a peek at her and I quickly sensed something was wrong.  When I looked out the front door, I saw our friend running down the street yelling “Jennifer please help!”  The poodle was loose!  She had bolted from the car out of fear and was running on a city street.

She is black and it was dark.  I was terrified!  I quickly prayed and asked God to protect her and deliver her safely to us while I ran for treats to lure her in.  She did not know us and we were chasing her.  Not a good combination for catching a dog.  After several close calls while I stood in  the middle of the street waving my arms to stop traffic, our prayers were answered and she came to us safe and sound.

Rehoming a dog can be traumatic in itself for the animal, so this was a double whammy for her.  Things had not started off well.  Our friend took her inside, got her settled,  and since he’s a professional brewer decided to name her Hoppy.

Our friend lives right next door, and it wasn’t long before I started noticing constant barking whenever she was home alone.  I began to suspect separation anxiety and recommended our friend contact our dog trainer.  After an assessment it was confirmed that Hoppy was experiencing separation anxiety when alone and was basically having panic attacks.  Being someone that had experienced and overcome panic attacks in my thirties, I knew her pain and my heart ached for her.

Our trainer let us know that it is not uncommon for retired service dogs to develop separation anxiety.  They are always with people and if the owner does not leave them alone a few times per week, they never learn how to manage being home by themselves.  When people are provided service dogs they are advised to leave them alone from time to time to avoid anxiety issues when the dog retires.

Separation anxiety in dogs is treatable, it just takes time and commitment.  Working with a professional trainer is critical and you only leave them alone for as long as they can handle it.  Every situation is unique, but over time they can learn to be home alone.  Until then they need to be with a person at all times.  This was more than our friend could handle as a single man with a busy career.

Hoppy’s options were very slim because she had not come from a rescue so there was nowhere to “take her back” to.  The pound was out of the question so after a lot of consulting with our trainer and prayer, Matthew and I suggested that we adopt her.  Our friend was relieved and Hoppy came to live with us in January of 2014.

Hoppy is getting more and more comfortable every day.  She has learned to live the life of a dog and has fun.  Just like her mom, she’s a huge fan of the beach.  We have a fabulous daycare she goes to while I see clients and a lovely college student that has become like family to us doggie sits when we go out.  She gets along with her other dog siblings and we plan lots of activities that are dog-friendly.

When people hear Hoppy’s or some of our other dogs’ stories, they say such kind things like “what lucky dogs” or “you are their heroes.”  While I am always grateful for these complements, the truth is I am no hero.  I am blessed.  These dogs have made us better people, taught us things that I may have never learned otherwise, and most of all brought us such joy and unconditional love that I can only point up to Heaven and thank God for each and every one of them.  He loves His animals and I believe He works through them to teach us things and soften our hearts.

It’s often said “who rescued who?”  Over the years I think I’ve learned that it was the dogs that God used to rescue me.

Shared with much love,
Jennifer Ledford

 

Lose 14 Pounds in One Year Walking Your Dog

 

That’s me and my dog Dillon above!  Years ago I had a strong desire to leave the gym and knew that many of my clients wanted other options as well.  However, it was an article in Vogue magazine that really inspired me to take action.  The article high lighted several Hollywood celebrities that had decided to take their exercise outdoors and leave the gym behind.

Since staying in shape was there business I was intrigued.  Drew Barrymore shared how she had switched from going to the gym to hiking in the hills with her dogs.  So, I left the gym and started walking my dogs daily for the majority of my exercise.  I’ve been teaching clients how to exercise outside of the gym ever since!

Since I have successfully lost weight and maintained it for years walking my dogs daily, I got really excited when I came across this University of Missouri-Columbia study!

You can lose weight walking your dog 20 minutes a day.

 

The study showed that walking a dog 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week produced an average weight loss of 14 pounds for participants.

Study participants were people who were not regular walkers. They began by walking loaner dogs 10 minutes per day, three times each week. Eventually, the participants walked up to 20 minutes per day, five times each week. Those who followed this program for 50 weeks lost an average of 14 pounds.

The ones who walked only 26 weeks didn’t see much weight loss.”Even though we didn’t see a significant amount of weight loss in the group that walked for a shorter period of time, by the end of the study, all the participants were walking for longer periods of time and walking for daily errands instead of using some other type of transportation,” said researcher Rebecca Johnson in a press release.

Dogs are great accountability partners!

“Many of the participants reported that they didn’t necessarily walk in the study because they knew it was good for their health; they enjoyed walking because they knew it was good for the animals,” said researcher Rebecca Johnson in a press release.

I’ve been a personal trainer for over 22 years.  From my experience, most people need a “reason” to exercise.  Doing it just because it’s good for you is usually not enough.  Walking the dog gives the activity a purpose.  Being around animals is also relaxing.  On the days I feel like skipping our walk, all I have to do is take one look at my dogs and even a short walk is going to happen.  Let’s face it, we tend to take better care of ourselves when another life depends on us.

Top reasons canines make great walking partners:

1)  Always eager to go!  Humans can make excuses due to weather, lack of sleep, or too many other priorities.

2)  Always on time!  Your furry friend will not make you wait.

3)  Allows time away from chatter!  Being with a dog allows you to unplug from electronics and every day stimulation.  It’s a great time for meditation and fresh ides.  You won’t be wearing head phones because you need to pay attention to sounds around you.

4)  See the world through your dog’s eyes!  Dogs stop to smell the grass.  We should stop and smell the roses!

Proof  that walking works for weight loss!

Walking with a dog can often be more of a stroll, and this study used participants who were new to walking for exercise. That’s great news!  The good results seen for those who stuck with the program for a year, proves that simple regular walking for weight control and lifestyle change works!

Beyond the 20 minutes they spent walking, researchers reported that they began adding more activity into their lives. The additional activity beyond the 20 minutes of dog walking is probably a large factor in their continued weight loss. Some even adopted dogs themselves or began volunteering to walk dogs at the local dog shelter.

These results are so encouraging!  It shows that consistency and focusing on one healthy habit eventually lead to more.  The most important thing to note here is that the participants had a purpose that helped keep them from giving up!

Don’t have a dog?  Maybe you might want to volunteer to be a dog walker at the local animal shelter.  If you are thinking about getting a dog please consider adopting.  Petfinder.com is a great place to find a loving dog that needs a home.

Whether you have your own canine or not, I would encourage you to have a purpose to exercise. Mowing your yard, playing team sports, walking your kids to school, and working out to improve your looks are all examples of purpose-driven exercise.  Having a reason to exercise makes it more meaningful and you’ll be more likely to stick to it!

Have a personal dog walking story or “reason” you exercise  you’d like to share?  Please leave me a comment below.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer

 

The Benefits of Outdoor Exercise

You’re going to say “no way!”

Years ago I switched from being a “gym rat” to an outdoor exerciser. I remember it well.  I looked around at the flourescent lighting and the hamster wheels (“cardio” equipment) and said to myself “I’m done!”.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re a personal trainer. That’s not possible!

Please don’t get me wrong. Gyms are a great place to exercise and I am a huge fan of indoor cardio equipment — especially when it is raining! I just realized that I live in California. The weather is great most of the time. And, what the heck was I doing inside exercising?

My dogs led the way!

At the time, I had overworked and over-trained myself and was dealing with low energy as well as depression.  I wasn’t up for super intense workouts so I left the gym and started walking my dogs every night.

The transformation was amazing! I got my energy back — and my enthusiasm. I also realized that you do not have to beat your body to a pulp in a gym to be fit.

I realize that not everyone is where I was at. However, sooner or later everyone deals with stress in their life.

Research Confirms it!

A recent review of studies published in Environmental Science & Technology that focused on “outdoor exercise” discovered that physical activity in natural areas decreases the risk of mental illness and improves one’s sense of well-being.

Here’s what the researchers found:

  • Two out of three participants said they had improved self-esteem.
  • Two out of three people had improved mood.
  • Three out of four people felt less depressed, tense and angry.

It gets better! The study found that just five minutes a day does the trick!

Here’s what else they said:

Exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement, as well as decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression.

Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.

This may explain why walking is still the number one exercise of choice for Americans. We like to be active and outdoors. Even more important, we tend to exercise more consistently when it is outdoors!

Here’s how to get started:

So what does this mean for you? If you already exercise outdoors, you are benefiting in multiple ways. If you are just getting started, start with five minutes of outdoor exercise to improve psychological well-being. Work up to twenty minutes and you have now started an exercise routine!

You will get more value from consistent shorter bouts than inconsistent hour-long workouts.

Here’s some ways to get started:

  • Walk at lunch
  • Walk after dinner
  • Play in the park
  • Take a hike
  • Walk on the beach
  • Try light jogging
  • Play a sport
  • Swim
  • Walk your dog

If you really like the gym, do not stop! Consider cross training with some outdoor activities. It doesn’t have to be formal exercise. Just being outdoors is what matters!

With summer here and so much positive research behind outdoor activity, I encourage you to get creative this summer. Try new activities. Visit new beaches and parks. Turn off the screens and get outside!

Let me know what you come up with. I love to hear from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer