Doggie and Me Boot Camp!

Drop down on all four paws and give me fifty! Introducing DogZenergy's Doggie and Me Boot Camp! 

After years of feeling guilty for going to the gym and leaving my dog Daisy at home, I realized that dog owners need a workout that they can do that will give them a challenge and exercise their dog all at the same time. I attended a human boot camp and asked if I could bring Daisy to the workouts. The trainer, Ray Wetterlund (best trainer in LJ!) agreed to let me try it out with her. Daisy loved it! I ended up getting my booty kicked and Daisy loved all of the action. Dog training in motion is much more effective because dogs love to be on the move. While I was doing crunches and pushups, Daisy had to be in a down/stay. As we were doing lunges and crab walks, Daisy had to do loose leash walking. Daisy most enjoyed the part where we had to jog and pass a tennis ball back and forth! The boot camp was not only tough, but really, really fun for both me and Daisy. We were more bonded after our workouts together and the best part was that we were both completely exhausted, balanced and zen. 

DogZenergy has now designed a workout and training regime for both dog and human. It combines fitness with physical and mental training, as well as team work and clear communication with body language. For most dogs, behavioral problems are the result of not enough exercise. It's important to get dogs on the move and do training at the same time so that the energy is released and the mind can be opened to learning new positive behaviors. Exercise also increases human and canine natural endorphins, which makes for a happy, zen dog and human combo! By releasing all of the stress and tension, it allows for a much more enjoyable and successful training session. 

So be prepared to sweat, power walk and get down and dirty! We will be starting at Windansea Veterinary and then power walking a mile long circuit from the vet, to the bike path and around down by beautiful Windansea beach. Along the way we will be doing a combined human and canine exercise circuit. Expect to do some push ups, sit ups, lunges, squats- you name it! All the while we will be training our dogs to do down/stays, sit/stays, watch me, loose leash walking and impulse control exercises. It's perfect for excitable pups and dogs with lots of energy that need to learn how to control themselves around other dogs and people. It's a great socialization experience in a controlled setting and it will teach your dog to walk nicely with other dogs. Don't worry if your dog doesn't know how to do the above mentioned commands, because we will be covering all of the basics and building on already learned behaviors. It's all about having fun and getting all of the energy out of our dogs while getting a good workout in for ourselves!

Please join us every Tuesday evening at 6:30 in the parking lot of Windansea Veterinary. Bring sneakers, water for you and your dog, and a towel. Don't forget your smile, a clip on treat pouch with delicious treats and a six foot leash that can be tied around your waist. Contact me, Brittany for more info and to sign up at (951) 538-5200 or dogzenergy@gmail.com. Can't wait to see you there! 

Fiesta Island Puppy Party

Five days a week, I drive around La Jolla and Pacific Beach and pick up some happy, excited dogs for a morning adventure. Most days we go to Dusty Rhodes dog park and other days we do an hour and a half walk along the coast. Lately we've been going to Fiesta Island because the daisies are in full bloom and are as tall as most of the dogs. It has been so cute watching all of the dogs leap for joy in the daisies as they bounce around in all of the flowers. They crouch down and then chase each other all over like crazy little hooligans! It's hard not to smile and laugh as they run all over! I love my job!! Here's a few photos from the last few weeks of my morning adventure group in action.... 

Daisy in the daisies

Ale, Soley, Nini, Willow and Taro

Handsome Taro

Cute little Ale with a big smile!

Little Rascal!

10 Fun Things to Do With Your Dog

The key to a happy, zen, relaxed dog is exercise, exercise, exercise! Training is futile if a dog is not properly exercised. Most dogs suffer from cabin fever and are trapped for hours upon hours indoors with hardly anything to do, yet their owners expect them to be perfect and sleep all day. A fifteen minute walk around the block on leash is not exercise and is just a potty break. Dogs need to run and play off leash to burn off all of their energy. Dog parks are great for dogs that love all other dogs and love to wrestle, but your dog will be in dog world and will not be focused on you. To keep your exercise sessions fun and your dog physically and mentally tired, get creative and do more than a walk around the neighborhood or a trip to the dog park. Here are ten things that you can do with your dog and have a lot of fun doing!

1. Skateboarding with your dog is a great workout for dogs that have a lot of excess energy and need a job. Some dogs love to pull and will happily pull you around town, but others that have been trained to not pull on leash may need extra encouragement. If your dog loves tennis balls, throw the ball a few feet ahead of you and say the cue word “Go!” as you throw it. Keep throwing the ball farther and saying the word, “Go!”, till your dog catches on. Also, be sure to teach him the word, “Wait” so that you can slow him down by stopping the board, saying “wait” and then giving him a treat. Pretty soon you and your dog will be zipping all around town and your dog will be so happy to have a job.This dog sport is perfect for working breed dogs that love to pull like pit bulls, huskies and german shepherds. Of course skateboarding can be dangerous so be sure to wear a helmet and make sure that you don’t over exert your dog. Any sort of heavy exercise and long distance running should be limited to dogs over 8 months of age.

1. Surfing is a ton of fun for dogs that love the water! To teach your dog how to surf, start out with a huge longboard or paddle board. Start out on the beach and teach your dog to get on the board by luring him onto the board and then treating him as he is standing on it. Keep rewarding him so that he learns to love the board and doesn’t want to get off of it. Then start out in water that barely has any breaking waves and gently set him on the board and hop on the board right behind your dog. Use lots of praise and encouragement. It’s good to put a doggie life vest on your dog so that you can easily pick him up out of the water if you have to. Practice a lot with your dog and you maybe ready for the next doggie surf competition at Del Mar Dog Beach   

1. Agility is a great dog sport for dogs that have a lot of energy and love to work with their owner. It teaches your dog to focus on you rather than distractions and his surrounding environment. Agililty is a timed event that requires you and your dog to run through an obstacle course that has jumps, weave poles, A-frames, boxes, tunnels and tires. Your dog has to learn how to go through, over and top of all of these obstacles in the fastest and most effective way. It’s competitive, fun, and requires your dog to use his noggin.

1. Doggie Freestyle is a form of dancing with your dog to a choreographed routine with music. It builds a great relationship with your dog as you both learn to effective communicate with one another through body language and highly stylized cues and tricks.

1. Hiking and playing a game of Hide and Go Seek behind trees and boulders is a great game to play with your pup out in the wilderness. Tell your dog to sit and stay or have a friend hold onto him. Then run away from your dog a few yards and hide behind a tree. Then call your dog and have him come and find you. When your dog finds you give him tons of praise and a treat. This will reinforce your dog’s recall tremendously and it’s a ton of fun for both of you.

1. Search and rescue training is another fun thing to do with your dog when you’re out on a hike. Take an old shoe with you and have your dog sit and stay. Toss the shoe a few feet away and release your dog by saying, “ok, go find it!”. When your dog approaches the shoe and smells it, click and treat. Repeat this exercise a few times. Then have your dog sit and stay or have a friend hold your dog. Then go a few yards away and hide the shoe behind a bush or a rock. Then tell your dog “ok, go find it!”. When your dog finds it give him tons of praise and give him a puppy party. Pretty soon you’ll be able hike ahead of your friend and dog, plant an article of clothing, and then run back to them. Your dog will have a ton of fun locating the hidden object on your walk and he’ll be exhausting his mental energy.

1. Dock diving is a dog sport that is gaining a lot more popularity. Dog diving measure how far and high your dog dives off a dock after a thrown object. It’s amazing how far some dogs can jump and they really get into it. Dock diving is a perfect sport for dogs that love the water and retrieving.

1. Kayakking with your dog is another fun water sport for dogs that can’t get enough of the water. For dogs that really love water, you can tie your kayak to your dog’s life vest and have him tow you around. Of course, this is only for the really strong swimmers and don’t overdue it.

1. Taking your dog herding is a ton of fun because you’ll be surprised by how instinctual it is for some breeds. There’s several herding clubs that you can join to work your dog in the field.

1. Biking with your dog can burn off a ton of steam for hyperactive dogs. Just make sure that you have an easy walk harness on your dog for extra control and be careful when you’re biking in the street. Make sure that you don’t over exert your dog and ride with caution. Dogs that need to run, but don’t have access to a wide open field for off-leash running, love to run by your side on a nice bike trail.

 Have fun, be safe and get creative! Life is all about having fun and sharing those times with people and animals that you love! And remember, a good dog is a tired dog and a zen dog.