I had briefly mentioned in one of my first posts as a blogger that we enjoy rollerblading with the pups (Understanding & Fulfilling Your Breed), but hadn’t actually written about it.
Well, the weather in NC has its temperature roller coaster moments, so when mother nature spoiled us with sunshine & blue skies in the low 60s this past weekend, I decided to dust off my rollerblades & take the pups for a spin.
Great Physical Activity
If you have a medium to high energy dog, rollerblading is an excellent means of providing some additional exercise. Breeds who are extremely hard to tire out could also wear a doggie backpack, adding a job and thus mental stimulation.
Safety First
You should obviously be fairly comfortable on rollerblades before taking your pup for a roll. Wearing a helmet should be a no-brainer. I also like to add kneepads during spring & summertime.
Rollerblading With My Dog Missy
Checking with your vet is advisable before adding the new activity to your exercise routine. Take your pup in for a health check-up & discuss rollerblading with your vet.
Start Slowly
Before you begin your rollerblading adventure, you should get your pup used to those funny shoes on rolls. I wore mine inside our apartment a few times & rolled around a little bit, allowing the pups to see me in rolling action & to familiarize themselves with the new activity.
Prior to rollerblading with the pups for the very first time, I had them observe me on the blades for a few minutes. We had all walked downstairs into a little park area at our apartment complex. I exchanged my shoes for my rollerblades, tied the pups to a tree and gave them a yummy treat. I then began rolling around the area within their sight.
High-Value Treats To Focus
After a few spins in the park, I added a pup to the rolling equation. In order to keep her focused on walking nicely next to me, I handed out quite a few treats at first, and it worked out very nicely! [I had the treats in one of those clip-on treat bags on my shorts for easy access.]
My Clip-On Dog Treat Bag
I alternated between rollerblading with Missy & Buzz in that park for about a week. We then ventured into deeper waters and began rollerblading together, all three of us. Daddy would join us on occasion, but his rollerblading involvement was limited to a demanding job schedule.
Water Breaks & Doggy Boots
I would always bring a water dish down to the park with us, and incorporate frequent water breaks for both the pups & myself as well 😉 We didn’t rollerblade when it was too hot outside, simply because the pups don’t have an insulating undercoat and don’t do well in the heat.
For those of you whose pups have built-in insulation: Adding doggie boots in hotter weather will protect your pup’s paw pads from burns & cracking. Checking his pads after each rollerblading session is a good idea as well!
I’m so glad we tried out this new activity back in 2012! We’ve been having lots of fun with it since ~ do you rollerblade with your pup(s)? As always, we’d love to hear from you in our comment section!
[maxbutton name=”Newsletter Signup”]
We’re joining the FitDog Friday Blog Hop hosted by SlimDoggy and their co-hosts To Dog with Love and My GBGV Life. Join the Hop or just enjoy the links below – lots of fun fitness tips and advice!
We’re also joining the Pet Parade hosted by Rascal & Rocco and their co-hosts Jan’s Funny Farm, Bionic Basil, Love Is Being Owned By A Husky, & Barking From The Bayou!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.