Lucky

Tyrene and Lucky

Experts agree that having an exercise buddy produces better results than going it alone. I didn't know I'd be benefitting from that when I adopted Lucky, my 1½ year old female hound mix. I've had her less than a year and my A1C level has dropped twice below 7.0. For a diabetic, that makes me and my doctor happy. Even though I still need to lose weight, I haven't gained any over the holidays either. In fact, I've lost two pants sizes because of Lucky's persistence. My "personal trainer" is my back up alarm in the morning. Once she hears my alarm go off, she is ready for our morning walk. If I don't move fast enough she will jump back on my bed and paw at me until I take steps to physically get out of bed. Begging for five more minutes, rolling over or covering my head under the blankets elicits stronger pawing and short yelps for me to "move it." My workout partner doesn't care what I wear or how many times I've worn it before. With her tri-colored fur, she is always ready and fashionable. I never have to worry about wearing clashing outfits or staying up on trendy togs as I would if I had a human counterpart. Walking her is not only an aerobic workout, resistance training comes into play as well. With her nose to the ground as she picks up the scent of a cat, wild rabbit, gopher or other small animal, we zigzag through the neighborhood. Holding her back requires my two arms pulling tautly on the leash, causing my arms to go from a comfortable 45-degree angle to a bicep curl, performing this four or five times per repetition. If Lucky thinks she might be able to catch her "prey" (which she never does) our walk becomes interspersed with short high impact wind sprints. Yes, Lucky provides me with a well rounded routine. Occasionally she likes to lead me in a power walk to see if I can keep up with her. This usually occurs when she becomes fixated on a bird that follows our path or a butterfly that intrigues her. Our evening walks last longer because I have more time at the end of the day but they can be just as challenging. Don't give Lucky a ball. She'll have you playing keep away, soccer or fetch. You better be quick at keep away and soccer. If you don't get to the ball first, you'll feel her 50-pound frame at running speed on you as she leaps at you to get the ball. I've developed better distance in my throwing arm since Lucky will only chase a ball thrown by hand instead of a Kong device. My minimum 50 throws at the dog park each visit has strengthened my arm and shoulder. I plan on taking Lucky to the beach this summer. I wonder what water sport(s) she'll have me doing. Perhaps water aerobics.