Tails from the trail and tips on training your human

There is no shortage of articles on the internet stating the health benefits of walking your dog outside every day. It helps you dog stay fit, burns off excess energy, keeps their mental health in check, and keeps a number of health problems at bay.

But what of you? The dedicated dog parent who regularly goes out and gets their dog the exercise that they require. Actually, this activity does you a lot of good, too, but you barely find anything on the internet focusing on the benefits of walking your dog for you. If you have been wondering what you get out of it, here are a few advantages of dog walking for you.

Helps You Control Weight Gain or Obesity

We all lead largely sedentary lives these days. We go to work and sit in front of a laptop, we come home and sit in front of the television. This lifestyle has already had a huge effect on the physical health of most of us, as we do not get enough physical exercise. One of the most common problems that this has resulted in is obesity. We are generally a lot less fit than our grandparents were, and we are definitely gaining more weight as well. Those of us who are health-conscious try to stay on strict diets and go to the gym to make up for the lack of exercise.

Having a dog automatically goes some way towards solving this problem. With a dog, you cannot afford not to go out for walks multiple times a day. Whether you do it for yourself or not, walking your dog ultimately leads to you getting in far more exercise in your routine than you would have otherwise, and stops you from becoming a complete couch potato.

Positive Mental Health

Getting some fresh air can always make you feel a little better. Being cooped up in a house can start to feel dreary, and having no social interaction can dampen your mood significantly. You might have noticed that as soon as you step out and breathe in the fresh, crisp air, you automatically start feeling a little better. If you’re surrounded by a scenic view of the ocean or the mountains, it is even better.

When you’re feeling down, you might be too lazy to go out on your own, but because you have a responsibility to your dog, you do end up stepping outside. It helps you feel better, and spending time outdoors in nature drastically improves your mental health.

There is nothing better than a pet and some peaceful time outdoors to lift your spirits and make you feel reenergized and alive.

Lower Blood Pressure

It has long been known that the best solution to controlling your blood pressure is to walk, walk, and walk. Even ten minutes of brisk walking everyday can give help you lower your blood pressure and lead a more active lifestyle. Walking helps with blood pressure as it reduces the stiffness of your blood vessels, allowing blood to flow through more readily.

The effects are evident during and after you work out or walk. With a dog, you have to walk briskly for more than just a few minutes every day. Your dog gets to burn his calories, and you get to walk to relieve the blood pressure. Win-win!

With bigger dogs, you might even have to walk faster than you normally would to keep up with their pace.

Stronger Muscles and Bones

Weak muscles, joints, and bones are the direct consequence of inactivity and immobility. The more you keep your limbs and muscles moving, the healthier they will be. If you let them be and stay without too much exercise, you will notice that your joints and bones will start deteriorating after a point. With a dog, you can’t help but maintain a healthy lifestyle. You take him out for walks regularly, play with him, run him, hike with him, and exercise with him. All of this benefits you more than you can imagine.

Going out regularly with your dog to walk already keeps your muscles, joints, and bones active and fit. Even if you don’t squeeze in any more exercise in your schedule, your regular dog walks should be enough to keep you healthy for a while.

Your doctor must have told you a million times that you need to walk and exercise daily in order to stay fit, but most of us cannot take the time out from our busy routines and schedules to actually squeeze in some exercise. But for our dogs, we do because we love them so dearly. And in the process, we end up benefitting ourselves.

Keep going on long serene walks with your dog, and keep both of you fit. Whether you are walking around your neighborhood, the beach, or the mountains, make sure that wherever you and your dog go, you don’t harm the environment in any way and don’t litter. Let’s keep our surroundings clean, and it will surely serve us well in the future.

by Bobby J Davidson

We are in business to provide great products for the outdoorsy hikers, campers and their dogs; and to help clean our parks, rivers and oceans for a better planet earth for hikers and their dogs.

Parks Clean

Parks are high-traffic areas in most cities. This means that trash is bound to show up in and around your park and playground.

When discussing ways your family can help clean your local park, don’t overlook a literal cleanup! Picking up trash will make a huge difference in the appearance and vibe of your park. A clean area will encourage others to keep the park pristine. When picking up trash and debris, make sure to wear gloves to protect yourself, and put trash in appropriate receptacles or lawn bags. You can also contact your local trash company to schedule a pickup when you are finished.

Rivers Clean

The storm drain on your street collects the water from your roof, driveway, and sidewalk and funnels it directly in your local lake or river. Nutrients from grass and leaves, pet waste, and fertilizers “enrich” our lakes and streams — feeding algae blooms and harming fish. Chemicals from washing your car in the drive and household chemical spills add up, taking a nasty toll on our favorite swimming areas and fishing spots. Soil can also be picked up by runoff, reducing the clarity of water and hurting fish.

So as you prepare your lawn and garden, here are a few helpful tips to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and safe for all of us.

Use mulch and vegetation to keep soil from washing away.
Sweep or rake grass and leaves away from street curbs.
Mulch and compost grass clippings and leaves.
Keep paved surfaces to a minimum.
Capture water runoff with a rain garden and rain barrels.
Wash your car on the grass, where the water will get filtered.
Keep chemicals away from storm drains.
Collect your pet’s waste.
Aim your rain-gutter downspouts onto grass.

Beaches Clean (do it for the ocean)

In 2007, the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed the National Clean Beaches Week Resolution to recognize the value of beaches to the American way of life and the important contributions of beaches to the economy, recreation, and natural environment of the United States.

Clean Beaches Week, celebrated annually July 1-7, offers the perfect opportunity to encourage stewardship and volunteerism along our coastlines. But where do you even begin? Follow these tips to get started.

Identify a clean-up site. Choose a place that needs some TLC, making sure that volunteers can safely access the site. Get permission, if needed, for your clean-up event, perhaps from the local parks agency.
Choose a site coordinator. (That might be you!) A beach clean-up takes a lot of work and needs an organized person to keep everything on track before, during, and after the event.
Visit the site in advance. The coordinator will need to know where to set up a volunteer check-in station, where to leave trash and recyclables, and what area(s) volunteers will clean.
Gather supplies. Depending on your location, you’ll need supplies such as trash bags, a first aid kit, hand sanitizer, wipes, and large coolers of water. You should also provide (or ask volunteers to bring) items such as reusable work/garden gloves, reusable water bottles, sunscreen, and bug spray.
Plan how to handle the recyclables. Reach out to recyclers in your area (and perhaps your community’s solid waste departments) to make arrangements for accepting any glass, plastic, and aluminum that you collect.
Line up event partners. Contact local businesses for donations of drinks, food, and supplies. Ask a local solid waste hauler to donate their services for trash removal.
Plan for handling hazardous waste. Determine how you’ll dispose of any medical and sewage waste you might find. One solution: A wide-mouth container with a tight-fitting lid, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle. Clearly label that it contains hazardous waste.
Get volunteers to help. Recruit friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Create an event on Facebook and ask volunteers to sign up online. This will give you an idea of how many people to expect and will help communicate event details.
Stay safe. Be prepared for a variety of health emergencies, from minor cuts and scrapes to heat stroke.
Take photos! Post pics online to share the success of your event and recognize volunteers for their hard work.