Because of health and physical issues, I have not been as active lately as I want to be. Now we have a new puppy and he forces me to be much more active. He is a bullypit and my understanding is that pit bull types have far more energy than some other breeds. It has been a challenge for me because so often I just feel tired and want to just chill out. But I don’t want him to have behavioral issues because he is not getting enough activity.
One of the reasons that my husband wanted to get a dog was so that he would become more active. He has also dealt with issues that made him less active over the years. Frequent walks around the neighborhood are an obvious important part of the exercise regime. But hiking at our local state park is a more fulfilling way for Nuddie to burn off energy and for us to get some good exercise.
We have several options for hiking close to home so it is good to be able to get some variety. There is an equine trail close to us that doesn’t seem to ever be very busy. Nuddie has made a cow friend on that trail. He likes to be friends with most people and animals. Everybody fawns on him and tells us how awesome they think he is.
It is interesting to see Nuddie learn and check everything out. I love being out in nature and having the chance to practice my amateur photography. Besides dancing, hiking is my favorite way to get exercise. I love to take pictures of nature, but it turns out Nuddie is quite photogenic so I get plenty of pictures of him decked out in his hiking gear.
At some point we also plan to build an obstacle course for him. This is another way to get us off the sofa and outside. I know every time that we are not sitting inside watching television it is a good thing. We are doing something good for our health when we are taking good care of the puppy.
I would like to train the puppy to use the treadmill. I always think dogs look all cute when they use the treadmill. Some days the weather just does not cooperate and we need to find some good indoor activity. The puppy is definitely no fan of cold weather and certainly he hates the rain.
I am really hoping to get Nuddie better trained up so that he cooperates when going on walks and being on a leash. Right now he likes to play with the leash and it can be difficult to walk him. I want to be able to enjoy going on walks with him. It will be good to have the quality time and the benefit of getting exercise myself. I know my husband looks forward to being able to go on longer hikes with Nuddie. Hopefully we both will be in better shape because of our dog.
Photos property of Faithful Homesteader
