Mermaid 5K

You might remember from previous posts that I was training for a 5K...well I met my "goal" and finished the Mermaid 5K on Saturday AND I met my other "goal" of not being last!  I actually wasn't even close to last considering 543 people finished after me!  Hayley ran the last 0.5 mile of the race with me.  It was nice to share that experience with her since she's been my running/hiking partner for about 4 years now.  She looked very content with herself as we ran and seemed to think everyone was cheering for her.  

I'm not going to lie, I'd consider myself active but I am for whatever reason averse to structured workout plans and/or running without a real purpose (besides running).  However, I want to stay in shape and running is something I can easily fit into my schedule and I can exercise my dogs at the same time.  Surprisingly my dad is a marathon runner, he even ran two marathons in a year a few years ago when he was in his 50s.  Go figure!  I got a nice bag, t-shirt and some other goodies for running this 5K and I do feel more fit since I started running regularly so I think I'll probably stick with running and maybe even do another 5K...

Hayley takes a break on one of our runs to climb up a fallen tree
and look for squirrels.

Thanks to Walker & Hayley's awesome dog walker/trainer
for this great shot of Walker doing what he does best.

This week in pictures...

Happy Halloween!

Senior Dogs

"Here’s the bottom line. If you have a happy, lively, interactive, and agile senior dog or cat on your hands, throw those age-related numbers and averages out the window.  Rather, I encourage you to observe your pet’s overall quality of life, share some nose-to-nose time with your best buddy, look deep into those beautiful eyes, and make important medical decisions based on what’s truly important rather than simply a number." 

-Dr Nancy Kay, author of Speaking for Spot, from her blog post Age is Just a Number

 
My family's beloved dog Riley is 9 years old and thus, by definition, a senior.  But he has no problem keeping up with my young dogs and they love to play, play, play.  Also, Riley earned his APDT Rally Level 1 title this year just a month shy of his 9th birthday.  He placed 3rd and got an award for Highest Scoring First Qualifying Run.  The only formal class Riley ever took was beginning puppy...around 8 years before earning his first rally title.  Rally is a great activity for senior dogs, for more information visit APDT Rally Obedience.  


I highly encourage owners of senior dogs to find an activity that their senior dog can do and enjoys.  There are more and more opportunities for ways to have fun with your aging dog, the following events in the SF Bay Area are especially for senior dogs:

• The SF SPCA is offering a 4 week long training class especially for seniors called Senior Scholars that starts this Saturday, October 29th.  Enter Muttville's Facebook Photo Contest to WIN A FREE PASS--contest runs until Thursday, October 27th.

• The Rex Center is hosting drop-in senior socials on Saturdays 1 pm to 2 pm through November 12. Dogs friendly with other dogs are welcome and tea and dog cookies will be provided.  They have some great guest speakers coming up:
• Oct 29 - Natalie Bayless presents clicker training for maintaining cognitive ability
• Nov-5 - Heather Sanders talks about Acupressure for Arthitis
• Nov-12 - Dr Ilana Strubel, DVM visits and talks about Chiropractic & Holistic health

Another great activity for senior dogs (and all dogs) is Nose Work.  Hayley and Walker's nose work instructor is Michele Garlick, CNW1 of Whole K9, who teaches classes in various locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

Other Resources for Senior Dogs:

SF SPCA's Senior Dog Seminar "How to Care for Your Aging Pet" 

Good Old Dog by Dr. Nicolas Dodman
Speaking for Spot by Dr Nancy Kay (purchase online and select American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rescue Trust as the donation recipient to help Cavaliers in need)

Happy Birthday Hayley!

Hayley turned 4 on Friday...

Birthday trip to the beach

Gifts from one of Hayley's "co-workers"

Birthday cake from LeMarcel Specialty Bakery for Dogs--
(their goods were mostly Halloween themed)

Bean Bolognese

For dinner tonight I made bean bolognese and it was delicious!  Here's the recipe:

Bean Bolognese (from Eating Well)

Fiber-rich beans stand in for the beef and pork in this surprisingly rich-tasting vegetarian take on pasta Bolognese. Without the meat, the dish has only a third of the fat and 80 percent less saturated fat. To make the perfect meal, serve with a peppery arugula salad and warm, crusty Italian bread.

4 servings, about 3/4 cup sauce each | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 14-ounce can salad beans, (see Shopping Tip) or other beans, rinsed, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Mash 1/2 cup beans in a small bowl with a fork.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and bay leaf; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add wine; increase heat to high and boil until most of the liquid evaporates, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices, 2 tablespoons parsley and the mashed beans. Bring to a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining whole beans; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in the boiling water until just tender, about 9 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
4. Divide the pasta among 4 bowls. Discard the bay leaf and top the pasta with the sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining parsley.

Nutrition

Per serving : 443 Calories; 11 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 6 g Mono; 9 mg Cholesterol; 67 g Carbohydrates; 19 g Protein; 14 g Fiber; 707 mg Sodium; 281 mg Potassium

3 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Shopping tip: A can of salad beans, a mixture of chickpeas, kidney and pinto beans, adds depth and variety to this recipe. Look for it in the natural-foods section of larger supermarkets or natural-foods stores. If you can't find it, substitute a can of your favorite beans.

Just keep swimming

Hayley LOVES to swim.  If we're anywhere near water, it's hard to keep her out.  One time she was with her dog walker and jumped into a lake in an urban park to swim after geese...  Naturally I jumped at the opportunity when The Rex Center asked if I'd be interested in Hayley helping new swim coach students learn how to work with new dogs in their warm-water indoor pool. 


When we first arrived Hayley seemed a bit unsure...the pool is inside, it smells different, looks different, and is just overall very different than the beach, which is what Hayley is used to. The students carried her around the pool, praising her and letting her take it all in. Then they played with her water toys that I brought and something seemed to click and she was playful and enjoying herself. She would fetch her toy then bring it all the way back to the step. She seemed very insistent that after she fetched her toy she had to swim back to the step. The students also did some handling exercises in the water, holding her while she swam, redirecting her, etc. At the end Hayley didn't want to leave.


Here are some short videos of Hayley's swim from The Rex Center:

Benefits of swimming:

• improves body condition & physical performance
• improves strength and stamina
• improves muscle tone
• cardiovascular fitness
• weight loss and maintenance 
• increased body awareness
• low impact; decreased joint stress
• Stronger, toned muscles help to protect dogs against injuries sustained during normal exercise, such as running or chasing a ball, or during more demanding exercise such as agility.
• For a dog, a 5 minute swim is equivalent to about a 5 mile run

Physical conditions that can benefit from swimming are:

• Hip and elbow dysplasia
• Arthritis
• Stroke or paralysis
• Cruciate ligament sprains and strains
• Degenerative myelopathy

Hayley's favorite water toys:


Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper

Kong Wet Wubba

Must have collar for any water loving dog:  Dublin Dog Collars


For canine water safety tips, click on the links below:


Swimming Pool Safety Tips


Near drowning in dogs