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By: Dr. Amanda Glew
With the advent of Yoga becoming more and more popular, I have decided to join the bandwagon and make our downstairs (which used to be a playroom) into a studio. I have collected mirrors from garage sales, and placed them haphazardly throughout the room, and invested in a smart TV. With the help of environment electronique, (I am not very tech savvy), to be able to talk to it most of the time, I can now select YouTube videos and do Yoga, Zumba or any exercise to my heart’s content.
Of course, it is more fun to do it with someone, so recently my friend Tracy and I would go for a power walk, then cool down with Yoga. The dogs began to join us in the room, and funnily enough, Lexi started doing poses…. So we say we are now doing “Doga” with Lexi! A great way to decompress… People are doing yoga with goats and children, we have decided to go to the dogs…
But dogs get us to do so much if we allow them to. Not only the daily exercise, they simply can make any day lighter. It is hard not to laugh when a puppy jumps on you, or when a dog keeps nudging you with their cold nose asking for you to stroke them. When they play with a favorite toy, and keep asking you to throw it. Or the sound of a squeaker breaking the calm of a quiet day. Or when they are quiet, too quiet, so you go in search of them to find out they have been in the waste paper basked (again) or jumped on the counter and ate your special bread that you were saving, or they have chewed something they should not have. This is when you reach into your patience box and use it.
There is the other side of dog ownership which is not so pleasant- having to make decision about care, the costs involve, the emotional drain when the time comes.. Finally, for the dogs who end up unwanted and looking for homes. The 2nd chance dogs.
Rescue can be such a difficult area to negotiate – so it can be so rewarding to take in a dog needing a home, and it fitting properly. I know many clients who get a little frustrated when trying to adopt a rescue, and finding no response from the groups involved. They filled in the paper work, they feel they will be good owners, but because of a lack of coordination and volunteers, many just fall through the cracks. Then they find themselves paying an exorbitant amount for what is essentially a designer mutt. Nice dogs, but still have the same amount of problems as a pure breed.
Which brings me to why it is so important to support our local rescues so that they can continue to improve and meet the ever growing need of people wanting a dogs. Dogs can get us to exercise, and some clients of mine decided to do a fun exercise fundraiser for Animatch which will be happening on August 17 at the St. Jean Plaza, from 11:30-4 PM. Studio balletvolution is providing high and low intensity courses, with adoption fair and prizes, and all proceeds will be donated to the animals. Check out Animatch for more details.
It would be great if their venue sells out, and more dogs will be available for us to do Doga with!
