Tag Archives dogs

Health, fitness, dogs, dancing and coffee!

I take my health and fitness very seriously. I am committed to healthy (and balanced) eating and exercising most days of the week. I love to run outdoors and I also love heading to my favourite gym and jumping into a weights, yoga or cardio class. I love my fitness instructors and my workout buddies.

I also love to dance and I have a whole community of dance friends, including my lovely teachers. The older one gets, the more important it is to keep moving, do some resistance training, stretching and balance work.

Sometimes you can get stopped dead in your tracks. I’ve had to take some time out from my fitness regimen as I’ve had a couple of health issues to deal with, including numerous tests, biopsies and a surgery.

When I say time out, I mean from my full on routine. I haven’t entirely stopped. Well, not until Covid bit me again – that stopped me for a whole couple days!

I had to slow down on the weights training after the surgery to give myself time to heal. No problem, I went for super long, brisk walks and a hike in the countryside. Then returned to dancing once the surgeon gave me the all-clear. Which was literally a week after surgery as I was healing so well.

That is why I stay healthy and fit. It helps my day to day life, eases life stresses, keeps me emotionally balanced and prepared me for facing a couple of health scares that I really did not anticipate.

I was back running and hit a cardio class last week. This week I was cleared to head back to weights training.

Then I got bloody Covid again! Seriously?!? I had it last July and not too bad, this time was about the same. I felt absolute garbage for a couple of days with a temperature/fever. Then that cleared and I started to feel better day by day and today I am feeling fine and dandy.

I know that restrictions and isolation rules have ended. However, I am mindful that other folk are more susceptible to getting really sick, so I have spent all of this week at home.

Yesterday and today I was able to get outside and go for a couple of long (6km) walks with George (my dog) and a quick car trip to the drive through coffee place. I took Georgie-boy with me, so he could get his dog bikkie from the server. The pic above is George waiting on his dog treat – that face!🥰

I also have a favorite YouTube exercise woman who does a weights workout that I enjoy. I have weights and exercise equipment at home, in fact, one of my spare rooms is set up like a mini gym. Useful when I can’t run in the dark or on heavy rainfall mornings.

So, for the first time in a while I did some weights training and oof! I am feeling it today, but you know what? I’ma going to do it all over again today. It’s such a wonderful feeling to notice my muscles are in action again!

I am giddily excited at the idea of going back to my full on training next week. Really cannot wait!

I tested negative to Covid this morning, and fortunately so, as I have an action packed weekend coming up. Two dances – tonight & tomorrow night💃🕺

Plus my gorgeous partner has booked us in for a private lesson to learn the Viennese Waltz tomorrow during the day. That’ll be a challenge for me. I can do the basic box step regular waltz. I’ve watched couples dance the Viennese Waltz and it looks so elegant and flowy! I surely hope I can channel my inner elegance and learn this lovely dance routine! I’ll let y’all know how I go…❤️

 

 

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Even therapy dogs need a bath!

George goes to the groomers for a bath and haircut every few weeks. In between times I take him to the local pet supply store who offer a free hydrobath for local dogs!

Having a bath is not entirely his favorite activity. He does always get a treat afterwards (don’t tell him it’s a dental hygiene treat 😉) But he’s pretty chill and relaxed about it.

His groomer, my friend Ang, tells me that when he’s having a bath there he is so relaxed he almost falls asleep!

My daughter came along with me this time, so she was able to snap some pics of bathtime for good boy!

woman bathing her dog

He looks pretty chill here… don’t mind the li’l bandages on my arms, I’d just been to have my bloods taken that morning 😊

I give him a good scrub down with the shampoo, comb it through his fur and rinse… then he rewards me by shaking water and shampoo all over me 😂

Then it’s the baby wipes to clean his eyes and ears and a vigorous rub down with the towel.

woman drying dog with a towel

Then we are done! Much to his relief!

I usually take him for a walk to the park to air-dry him further, less likely to have my place smell of wet dog! 😂 Not that I mind…

He’s a happy doggo and everyone loves him. He brings so much joy to people’s lives.

Love to you all and I hope you have a fabulous day 🥰

 

 

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When your dog is sick…

My poor boy George was unwell yesterday. Dogs can get really sick really fast and then recover just as quickly. He had been nibbling at some grass at the park in the morning which made me wonder if he was not feeling great.

I went to the gym mid morning and stayed for a double class. I stopped for a coffee on the way home and as soon as I opened the door I was like hmmmm, that smells a bit funky!

George had had a couple of bouts of diarrhea on my bed and on the floor in the living room and he had also vomited on his dog bed. It was a bit of a smelly mess. I gave him lots of pets and used my most soothing voice to reassure him that it was all ok and to rest up whilst I cleaned up.

Thank goodness for latex gloves, paper towels and my mop! I stripped the bed and put the sheets in the wash, I scrubbed the mattress and then sprayed it liberally with Glen-20. I scooped up all the loose poop on the floor and the vomit on his dog-bed and threw it all and the gloves in a trash bag and flung it in the bin outside.

He had to go outside a few more times to poop and I just hosed it into the grass, there was no scooping of that loose mess!

I washed his dog bed, but it’s not ideal, the cover doesn’t come off and it’s been shoved in the machine a few times over the last few years and it’s become all lumpy and hard.

I decided we needed to go to his favourite pet supply store and buy him a new bed. He came for the ride as the store is pet friendly and he’s allowed inside on a leash. Bit of a risk as he might have hurled on the back seat, but he just lay down and napped. He perked up at the store, it’s his favourite place to visit (that and his doggy daycare).

We looked around for beds and chose the one in the pic above. It’s one of those calming dog beds and it has a removable cover, so it can be washed easily and the bed itself will maintain its structure. He sniffed it suspiciously when we got home, but you can see he decided that he does love it afterall.

He only drank water for the remainder of the day and didn’t seem to want food. I gave him a small handful of dog kibble this morning and he has brightened up considerably.

It’s good to see him back in top form and he was all a-gallop at the park and played with a couple of his doggy friends. If he’d been sick during the night it would have meant a trip to the vet, animals can get dehydrated really quickly, but because he got up in the night to drink more water I figured whatever had upset his stomach had passed and he was ok.

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Georgie-boy…

My dog is the best!

George went to the groomers yesterday and had a day of doggie daycare as well. He had a slightly shorter cut this time as it’s close on summer time in our neck of the woods and I don’t want him overheating. I took this photo of him and he looks so sweet and neat & tidy too! He has the most beautiful soulful eyes 🥰

So I thought I’d share the picture and share the love. I gave him a treat after taking his photo as he’s very patient with me. He sat there all nice and chill whilst I snapped a few pics until I got one that felt like I got the composition right. He has the nicest temperament, is very relaxed and calm and very loving.

Sometimes the world can be a bit hectic. Our lives can feel unbalanced and people or things happen that may disappoint. Sometimes you just need to see a photo of a lovely, friendly dog looking into your eyes and to remember that there is kindness, caring, love and peace in the world. Sending you all loving and peaceful vibes 🥰

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My dog George

George the Spoodle…

My daughter paid for a photoshoot for my dog (and me, but mostly for my dog George). It was a lovely and thoughtful gift. Part of it includes one of the photos being transferred onto canvas so I can have it up on my wall. 🥰 When it’s ready, I’ll do another post so you can see how it turned out.

George is super photogenic and looks gorgeous in pics, he’s pretty good at posing too! 😂 He is quite the character. We went to a beautiful park on the other side of the city, in the late afternoon, so the photographer could catch the late afternoon/early evening light. The photographer was really relaxed and gentle with him and she had plenty of treats as well, much to George’s delight!

We actually had really good fun, George posed in between scampering about and catching up with new doggie friends. A couple of times the photographer and I actually fell about laughing at his antics. I think we were there for around one and a half hours and it never felt forced or stressful, which is important when working with animals. It all has to be natural and gently engaging for the dog and also allow the dog to feel comfortable being photographed.

The photos she sent me are really beautiful and captured his nature perfectly. I also know he is getting older (shhhh, don’t tell him, he thinks he’s still a puppy!) and at 11 years old our time together is at the shorter end. Which literally brings me to tears.

I can’t thank my daughter enough for this gift. ❤️

 

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In the park having a scamper

Happiness is a joyful dog!

 

Took George for a walk in the park, it’s about to rain soon, so I thought we’d get out before it hits! I managed to get this video of him scampering about, watching him run makes me happy too!

Not that he minds going out in the rain, he has a yellow raincoat and neither of us care about getting wet. But getting out before it rains means I don’t have to dry him off when we get home, he’s a total water sponge! 😂💦

It’s true that having a dog is good for your emotional and physical wellbeing. Dogs need a walk and for some folk that’s their exercise for the day, which is a good thing.

Going outside is good for the spirit too. Grass, trees, the sky and a dog, what’s not to love?

 

 

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Trails, tails and my daughter too!

Walking the trails

My daughter came over yesterday to spend the day with me 🥰 I love it when it’s just the two of us. We are really close and have a special bond and really enjoy hanging out together.

She suggested we and my dog, George, head over to our local nature reserve and hit the trail.

Dog and woman walking

The weather was good, mild and sunny and perfect for getting out in nature. It was a bit muddy, we’ve had some rain lately, which is a good thing.

George was thrilled to get out for a long walk/run. We started on leash, but it’s a leash off area, so he had fun galloping around and rolling in the grass and dirt! 😅

There’s a certain joy in watching a happy dog. His happiness in his freedom to run around gives me an almost visceral pleasure to watch.

My happiness quota was off the scale! Spending time with my daughter and watching the un-selfconscious joy of my dog are two things that elevate my wellbeing. It’s the simple pleasures in life and being present in that exact moment that work for me!

 

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Goin’ for a walk!

We were enjoying the sunshine and my dog was scampering around joyously. There were a few lads playing cricket with a makeshift pitch and a tennis ball. A couple of them smiled and waved and I did likewise.

There was another fellow going for a slow jog around the perimeter of the park. Good for him! Nice to be out getting some exercise.

We all minding our business, best way to be. My dog stops to poop as dogs do and I was standing next to him with a bright yellow doggie poop baggie, ready to scoop and drop it in a nearby bin.

Jogger jogs past, glares at me and says “that really pisses me off” and then on he jogs.

So. Ok. I get not everyone likes dogs (except look at this face, how could you not love him?) 

However, the park is a public space and shared by joggers, dog walkers, kids and people setting up temporary sports.

He then jogged on out of the park and we continued to enjoy the sunshine and scenery.

 

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