Body by Shiba?

There are a number of things that I do or want to do with Tierce, activity-wise.  I’m compiling a bunch of things I can do with him that will encourage me to exercise more effectively more often.

Walking:

This is generally what we do – or what my boyfriend and Tierce do – most often.  Walking burns a decent amount of calories if you do it for an hour or more.  There are a lot of places in Nanaimo to walk a Shiba, which is why I started my blog Places to Take a Shiba in Nanaimo (currently derailed due to family issues that are largely being resolved, fortunately).

Geocaching:

This is a variant of walking where you’re following a GPS unit to find caches hidden by other geocachers.  Depending on the terrain, this can be anything from a stroll to a hiking expedition.

Hiking:

Hardier form of walking that Shibas take to very well.  They are little mountain dogs and like nothing better than scrambling up and down mountains, stopping to cock a leg along the way.

trailerCycling:

I am an avid long-distance cyclist, but a bicycle going at full speed – or even a speed suitable for long distance touring – is too fast for Tierce to keep up with.  I therefore have set up my trailer to accommodate him.  Drawbacks include slower speed and a harder time securing everything if we want to hop off and explore without dragging the bike/trailer around.  I have been looking into getting an adult tricycle with a back basket large enough to accommodate a Shiba or that would support modification so that Tierce’s crate could fit on it.

Running:

I have been running with Tierce regularly this summer, but shin splints have laid me low.  I’m starting out again, but it’s slow going and I wonder if I’ll ever be able to run without pain.  Which brings me to:

Rollerblading:

Not something I have tried with Tierce.  I’m on the lookout for a modestly priced pair of inline skates and protective gear.  I also keep having nightmares about Tierce dragging me off balance while I’m going full-tilt.  But I’m going to try it anyway; maybe I’ll learn how to skate first and then try taking Tierce out.

Cross-country skiing:

Tierce has his own little sled dog harness and, if he put his mind to it, could actually pull me down a gentle slope.  But no, he wants to jump into the nearest snow drift.  In Nanaimo, snow falls about once a year, so every year I grease up the skis and go out to enjoy the winter weather and yelling at Tierce for pulling me off balance.

Sledding:

Tierce’s harness is better for him pulling my plastic sled up hills (yes, I’m 32 and yes I still sled, dammit).  He’s happy: he can pull it and bounce uphill.  I’m happy; I don’t have to pull the sled.  Sliding down the hill with Tierce running beside me is fun, too.

swimSwimming:

I have a couple of photos of Tierce actually letting water touch his shoulders and back as he swam after a stick for about 7 seconds.  He’s repeated the experience only under protest.

And that’s all I can think of that Tierce does with me.  I need to make this more of an inclusion in my daily routine to get a lot of cardio benefits from it – leisurely walks or letting Tierce run around in the yard don’t count!

5 Comments

  1. Any room available for side-by-side treadmills? One for you and a doggie one for Tierce?

  2. Hee, this is totally the same reason we decided to get Koji. We’re definitely getting out more, though I admit that I leave all the chasing after the rabbits to the two boys (Koji and the hubby.) We have also been thinking about rollerblades, and it’s good to know that the bike will most likely be too fast, though I like the trike idea.

    Have you guys liked the geocaching?

    • thepaisleyfox,

      Geocaching is awesome! I wish I had a better GPS system, but one day… 😀 I once saw a lady with a trike that had a crate set up for her Belgian Tervuren. The dog had to sit, because it was too narrow for lying down, but it was secure enough for the lady to traverse the streets and get to the parks.

  3. Having a Shiba has definitely encouraged me to run more too. If I don’t take Kiara for her daily jaunt, she punishes me by turning into a holy terror. As a side note – shin splints are usually the result of bad running shoes. You aren’t running in Nike Shocks are you? Anything with too much heel will cause you to have hellacious shin splints.

  4. I run in the early morning 4 days a week, but I found out early on with Tonka I just dont run fast enough for him,. So now when i get home from work we go for a walk 2 laps around the neighborhood (about 1 mile each). then I pull out my mountain bike and he runs next to my bike at a galup almost half way around then trots the rest of the way and that seems to wear hime out. Im trying to get video of him running next to my bike it is so imazing how fast he runs…..

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *