Most people know that if you really want to be successul losing weight, you need to exercise. But getting motivated for that walk can be hard so you may want to enlist the help of “man’s best friend” to keep you motivated.

Even if you don’t really want to go for a walk that day, your dog really doesn’t care. They want to go for a walk and may drive you crazy if you don’t take them for one.

Taking a walk is good for both of you. We recently found out that our dog could also stand to lose a few pounds. Even though we live out in the country and our dog can run around outside at will, our vet told us it wasn’t the same as taking her for a daily walk.

So a few month’s ago the daily walks with our dog and my husband started. I go along on the walks but I don’t actually hold the leash because our dog doesn’t really walk, she pulls on the leash like an Alaskan sled dog because she wants to go faster and smell more things. I have a hard time controlling the dog when she’s in the mood to pull on the leash like that, which is most of the time and she’s not a huge dog, she weighs less than 50 pounds but she’s strong enough to nearly pull my husband off his feet if he’s not paying attention when she sees a rabbit or squirrel that she thinks needs to be chased.

At first the walks were only a mile in duration. Now my husband and dog, her name is Montana, walk three to four miles a day, walking for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. There are days my husband does not feel like going for a walk. But, Montana knows the routine at our house. After my husband walks in the door at night and has eaten she knows it is time for a walk. That’s when Montana starts to act like she glued to my husband. She follows him around the house, dancing around him, licking his hand when she can, wagging her tail, and looking at him in that happy “we are going for a walk now aren’t we” way.

They have only missed a few nights and that was because it was storming with lightning. On those nights my husband rewarded the dog by playing a game where he chased the dog (yes, he chased her around the house much to her delight), and played a long game of tug of war with her to tire her out and make her not miss her walk too much.

Has that walking helped? You bet. Our dog had lost two pounds and my husband had lost 10 pounds without making any changes to his diet or any other exercise besides those walks. I’ve lost more, but I’ve also been making an effort to eat better as well.

I’m not advocating that you get a dog just to help you exercise every day. But if already have a dog, get up off that couch and take him or her for a walk every day. It will be good for both of you.

And if you’re wondering where to get a good dog to take on walks, then head on down to your local humane society – they’ve always got great dogs looking for a good home that you can adopt.

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Most people know that if you really want to be successul losing weight, you need to exercise. But getting motivated for that walk can be hard so you may want to enlist the help of “man’s best friend” to keep you motivated.

In fact, dogs love to go for walks (or runs). So you can count on your dog to provide you with motivation to get out there and take that walk you’ve been putting off.

The exercise is good for not just you, but your dog too. The last time we took our dog to the vet, we were told that she needed to lose a few pounds too. The vet then asked us how much exercise she got. I said since we live out in the country, she’s free to go run around as much as she wants to on our property. But he told us that isn’t the same as taking the dog out fo daily exercise like a walk.

So a few month’s ago the daily walks with our dog and my husband started. I go along on the walks but I don’t actually hold the leash because our dog doesn’t really walk, she pulls on the leash like an Alaskan sled dog because she wants to go faster and smell more things. I have a hard time controlling the dog when she’s in the mood to pull on the leash like that, which is most of the time and she’s not a huge dog, she weighs less than 50 pounds but she’s strong enough to nearly pull my husband off his feet if he’s not paying attention when she sees a rabbit or squirrel that she thinks needs to be chased.

We started slow with our first walks being just one mile. That’s important to remember – start slow. You don’t want to overdo it at first so just take it easy and start where you can. Now we take the dog on three or four mile walks just about every night. And the dog isn’t about to let us off the hook when we don’t feel like going. She just keeps on waiting right by the dog reminding us that it’s time to go for a walk.

Now that the dog is used to the routine (and I guess we have been trained as well) we do our best not to miss any nights unless the weather is too bad to go out and walk (i.e. lightning, tornados, etc – a little rain or snow isn’t enough to stop us). The dog still wants her walk, though, so to make up for the lack of her w-a-l-k for that evening he’ll play a game of tug of war with the dog until she’s pooped (or he is).

At this point you’re probably wondering if we saw any results. We did. The dog lost two pounds by taking her nightly walks. My husband lost 10 pounds without making any changes to what or how much he eats. I lost even more than that but I also make some changes to what I ate.

Now I’m not going to tell you to get a dog just so you can get in your exercise everyday. They do require a fair bit of attention, but if you already have a dog, then get your butt off the couch and take the dog for a walk. It will be good for both of you.

And if all this talk about the benefits of having a dog has pushed you over the edge now and you’re ready to get one, head on down to your local animal shelter and think about adoptiong a dog in need of a loving home.

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If you are one of those people that find it hard to motivate yourself to exercise like you should, enlist the help of your furry four legged friend, your dog.

In fact, dogs love to go for walks (or runs). So you can count on your dog to provide you with motivation to get out there and take that walk you’ve been putting off.

The exercise is good for not just you, but your dog too. The last time we took our dog to the vet, we were told that she needed to lose a few pounds too. The vet then asked us how much exercise she got. I said since we live out in the country, she’s free to go run around as much as she wants to on our property. But he told us that isn’t the same as taking the dog out fo daily exercise like a walk.

So my husband and I, along with our dog, took up the habit of taking daily walks. I make my husband come along for two reasons. One, he can certainly use the exercise. And two, the dog doesn’t so much like to go along for walks as she likes to go for a “drag.” She tugs on the leash so hard especially when she sees a rabbit or squirrel she feels needs to be chased that she’ll pull me right off my feet.

At first, we took it slow. we would walk just a mile. Over time, we’ve built up to a 3-4 mile walk every evening. sure, there are days where neither of us feel like taking that walk but our dog really doesn’t care if we feel like walking or not. When the time comes for her to take her walk, you’ll find her impatiently waiting by the door.

We do our best not to miss any nights since the dog has become accustomed to the routine (and so have we). We only skip a night if the weather is particularly bad.

At this point you’re probably wondering if we saw any results. We did. The dog lost two pounds by taking her nightly walks. My husband lost 10 pounds without making any changes to what or how much he eats. I lost even more than that but I also make some changes to what I ate.

Now I’m not going to tell you to get a dog just so that you can have someone to make you walk every night, but if you have a dog, then take advantage of your exercise partner. It’s good for both of you.

And, if you have been wanting to get a dog anyway and are ready for the commitment of caring for a dog and giving it the exercise it needs, then visit your local pound and talk to them about adopting a dog who needs a loving home.

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Technorati Tags: diet, Dogs, health, lose weight, pets, walk dog, weight loss