Exercise

[Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>]

Hi All,

It's winter I know but recently I have been seeing a lot of really out of 
shape dogs.  My grooming practice, some of our own extended family Brier 
dogs, and even some of my own, own dogs...  Last weekend at the dog show on 
one of DiTTo's critiques the judge noted "out of shape" or "needs more 
muscling" in at least three categories, and well I guess DiTTo could use 
some shaping up...

But the real point of this note is to say please, please and please 
everyone find places you can allow your dog to run free off of leash and do 
this often at least 3 times per week.  These are Golden Retrievers and they 
should be in hard working condition as much as possible.  Leash walks are 
great for socialization but they are really not exercise.

I know it's not desirable to be out in the weather but the dogs need to 
be...  A funny to share on that is, we set our play pool ( poor white trash 
spa) up in the small dog yard a few weeks ago as I have been trying to keep 
Lucy in shape for shows.  Well we have actually had a bit of rain lately 
and the pool filled up with out me noticing, as I had jettison using it for 
Lucy and I just forgot about it being in that yard.  Well yesterday which 
was actually quite a nice day here I opened up the kennel gate to that yard 
so the dogs could play out there, did not even think about the pool being 
out there.  Well when I went to get the 4 dogs that were in that run ( 
Scarlette, DiTTo, SeaJay & Lucy)  to actually get them out into the pasture 
to run they were all soaked head to toe. For the life of me I could not 
figure out what they had gotten into.  Figured they had broken a water main 
or something, ( #@#@@$%$^)  but they were not muddy...  Scratching my head 
I went oh well, and took them out into the pasture.  Then I noticed the 
pool....  So see no one forced these dogs to go swimming but they 
did...  And it is still February, that water is cold.. And can I tell you 
how happy they were?

Gina