Keeda encountered a kangaroo up close for the first time and, of course, felt the need to chase it, going “deaf” to my calls (aka ignoring me) in the process. She first bolted after a female kangaroo with her joey. We didn’t know where she went at first and I was starting to get worried, straying to look for her. Then I get a call from C saying Keeda is back with him.

Apparently he was standing there, keeping a lookout for her and suddenly hears these long “POOF — POOF — POOF” stamps against the ground. He sees the two kangaroos leaping through the bushes. There is a crashing, rustling sound behind them and whaddaya know – it’s Keeda, chasing after them.

When I got back there Keeda was so tired and out of breath that I thought she learned her lesson. We gave her water and moved on, on the lookout for any more kangaroos in case she takes up the chase again (though I was hoping she was too puffed out after the first time).

Unfortunately we didn’t see the big male in the bushes until after he moved. And Keeda was off again. This time I was really scared. This was a huge male, muscly and tall. I immediately went after Keeda, calling after her, but alas she was already gone. I chased after them, but they were too quick and disappeared from sight within seconds. Then everything went quiet. I was calling out to her with no response and then I hear this high pitched whimpering and yelping in the distance. My heart sank and I thought “This is it, this kangaroo turned around and clawed or kicked her to death.”

Keeda post-chase

I kept calling and searching for her, but by this time she was silent and I was fearing the worst. I came upon a little cliff/hill top and see Keeda trotting toward me, seemingly unhurt, puffed out more than before. She came up to me, nuzzled my leg, and crashed in the shade under a bush with this panicked look in her eyes. I checked her over, running my hands over her paws, legs, ribs, back, everything, and thankfully found no blood or tenderness. She drank a full bowl of water and we had to sit there and wait for her to get her breath back again.

C said he suspected the roo may have leapt down this little cliff-edge/sharp hill slope type of thing and Keeda may have followed. The drop was too high and sharp for a dog of her size and she may have fallen down, which is when she would have yelped. I’m not sure if this is what happened, but I suppose it’s possible. Thankfully after 10 minutes or so Keeda seemed good as new (if more tired) and we continued our hike at a slower pace, me making sure Keeda was always nearby and didn’t have a chance to chase after more kangaroos. I thought about putting her on the short leash I had with me, but by this time she was so puffed out and I doubted she’d have the energy to chase after a kangaroo again. Besides, she would never catch one and needs to learn that it’s a fruitless (and potentially dangerous) exercise eventually.

Keeda and I on the hike

Either way, after the male roo chase incident it was a good hike. However I noticed the ground was too warm and suspected Keeda wouldn’t have been too comfortable. Thankfully there were always large patches of shade on the trail with cool ground where Keeda could trot along comfortably, but if that shade wasn’t there she certainly could have burnt her paws. Next time I’m definitely either buying her dog boots for this reason or perhaps we will stick to the dog beach in the summer and do most of our hikes in the fall and winter, when it’s cooler.

Has your dog ever encountered a kangaroo? How did he/she/you react?

Stay safe on your hikes – watch out for kangaroos!

Some photos from the trip:

And a couple of videos:

Suddenly, I see Keeda tense out of the corner of my eye and a dog barking in the distance. I rip my earphones from my ears and see the bigger of the two dogs across the road bolting at Keeda. It gets to us and bares its teeth, lunging up to her. Keeda silently pulls in front of me toward the dog and I pull her behind me, putting myself between Keeda and the big snarling dog, which is weaving back and forth and growling at Keeda behind me. I pull my leg back and kick out at the dog. When the bigger dog sees me going for it, it runs off back across the road and to its owners.

This whole time, the owners said nothing. They didn’t even call their dog. Heck, I didn’t even see them watching what was happening even as their dog was snarling at mine. When the dog runs back the man calls out a “Sorry” and goes back toward his garage.

Now, here are three things that were reinforced for me from this encounter:

1) When out walking or doing any sort of activity with your dog, never listen to loud music. Make sure you can hear everything that’s going on around you. If you’re in an area that’s known for aggressive or loose dogs, don’t wear earphones at all, or at least keep one earphone out at all times so you can hear better. I made the mistake of not doing this today. My area isn’t known to be particularly dangerous, but as I learned today this can happen anywhere. I had my music up loud, relaxedly walking back home (in fact I could already see my house from this spot), and by the time I realized what was happening this other dog was already upon us.

2) Don’t trust other people to have control of their dogs. I kept an eye on the two dogs across the road as we were passing them. They seemed OK. But when we were already past and the house wasn’t in clear view anymore, that’s when the other dog made its move and bolted at Keeda

3) Have your dog on leash. Keeda acted very well in this situation, in my opinion. We’ve had a problem with her running at other dogs when she’s off lead to play. When the other dog ran up to her, she knew this wasn’t the time to goof around. She pulled toward the dog once, but stayed behind me once I stepped in front. After the other dog left, Keeda went back into her heel position and walked back home with me calmly. She acted courageously, not barking or lunging back at the dog out of fear or aggression. She moved to defend herself, I pulled her back and when Keeda saw that I would take care of the situation, she trusted me to do so. However, had she not been on a leash and heeling, there’s a real chance that Keeda would have run across that road to play with that big aggressive dog and gotten herself in some real trouble.

So what should you do if another dog runs up to you and your dog and displays aggression? I have fortunately never had to deal with a full on dog fight before. But in cases like this, when the dog is snarling at my dog but hasn’t made contact yet, I step between them and do my best to chase the other dog away by yelling or mock-kicking it. If the other dog was to actually make contact and attack mine, I would probably go in there with guns blazing and kick the heck out of the attacker, or grab the nearest stick I could find and use that. I wouldn’t even hesitate or bother to yell at it first. I love all dogs, but my job is to protect my pet and I’ll do anything necessary to get the attacker off of my dog.

While exercise is always a good thing even for dogs who don’t have proper diets, it’s always best to tackle your dog’s fitness from all angles rather than just one. Talk to your family about keeping your dog healthy through workout sessions and a proper feeding plan. Here are some points you can bring up to convince your family that your dog needs a healthy, balanced diet:

A diet of human leftovers can make your dog ill

Human leftovers can make your dog very sick if you don’t watch what’s in the food you’re giving it. Dogs’ bodies can’t digest various foods that humans can, so if you aren’t careful with what you give your dog you may see harmful effects hours, days, months, or even years down the road.

Human food is not a balanced diet.

High quality dog food is specifically formulated to give your dog the various nutrients it needs to stay at its peak physical condition. This includes your dog’s digestive system, joints, coat, muscles, and everything else in your dog’s body. Leftovers simply cannot provide your dog with all of the benefits it needs to stay as fit as possible. Many dog owners make their own food for their dogs, but a responsible owner will take all of their dog’s nutritional requirements into account and do proper research into what their dog needs. Leftovers simply don’t cut it.

Talk to a vet

If your family is still not convinced, see if you can arrange a talk with your vet about what kind of a diet your dog should be getting. A veterinary professional holds a great amount of authority in the field and your family may be more willing to listen to a vet and apply his or her suggestions.

Huskies were bred to be used as sled dogs in the cold northern climates, but now many are kept as pets. Unfortunately while Huskies can make excellent pets, a lot of people don’t realize just how much exercise they require.

If you love running, hiking, various sledding-type dog sports like Skijoring, Bikejoring, and others, and have a large enclosure (by enclosure I mean a fence tall enough to prevent your Husky jumping out and a ground surface that won’t allow it to dig under), the Husky may just be the perfect dog for you. Here are some ideas for exercising with your Husky:

Husky Exercise

Husky Exercise Tips

• Get up early and go for a 5km run or 10km cycle before work. Especially if you live in a hot climate, try to exercise your dog when it’s cool – this might mean early morning or late evening Husky exercise sessions.
• Get a long rope. Unless your Husky is amazingly well trained, you probably shouldn’t risk allowing it to run free in your front yard or park. Huskies are escape artists and you don’t want one running off. Not to mention an untrained Husky can cause a lot of damage to a smaller (or even larger) dog should it run off and get into a fight. Many Huskies have a strong hunting drive, so even the best trained Husky has been known to bolt after smaller animals, mistaking them for prey. Huskies were bred to run – your Husky may take off and not realize that you’re nowhere in sight until it’s too late. To be safe, keep your Husky on a 15 meter lead at the park. This will allow it to still have a run around and stay safe.
• Take your Husky to obedience classes. Mental exercise can be just as tiring and challenging as physical exercise for dogs. Besides this, Huskies are also an independent, bold, and dominant breed of dog. Without proper obedience training they will establish themselves as the head of your pack. When this happens, you’re in trouble.
• Take up a dog sport like Bikejoring, Cani Cross, Skijoring, Scootering, or even Weight Pulling.
• Play with a toy daily and make sure your Husky has a dog toy to play with when alone. Huskies get bored easily – they need something to keep them occupied. Consider investing in a Kong treat toy.

If you have a Husky or are considering getting one, remember to keep its exercise requirements in mind.

Obesity can cause serious health problems in dogs. Weight gain and loss can also be caused by underlying health problems. If your Husky is obese or experiences sudden weight gain or weight loss, it is always recommended to take it to a vet for a checkup.

Scott takes his dogs’ health and exercise seriously. No matter the weather, they go for a 45 minute walk each morning. Then, in the afternoon, they also go for a bike ride:

Our rides are generally between 15 and 20 km and take an hour or a little more. – Scott

Scott’s dogs are expected to behave properly when walking or cycling.

Dogs are clipped to my belt, one on either side and are very good at keeping in proper position beside me with the leash slack.

We take a different route every morning. In the afternoon we go for our bike ride. Either I have the two dogs both clipped to my belt, or my wife has one and I have one. We generally ride on the trails in the dry weather where Kona-dog gets unclipped. He is still expected to maintain his proper position beside a human while running though.

Penny Lane is still in training… In the wet weather we have a series of paved bike paths we ride and especially enjoy one that follows the seaside. Both dogs are always clipped to a human rider when near traffic and, as with the walk, are expected to keep a slack leash. – Scott

Scott says that diet plays a critical role in Kona’s and Penny Lane’s health and fitness. He feeds his dogs a dehydrated whole food called N.R.G. and uses the Vitality or Raw One blends.

Both of them smell clean and fresh and have neither dandruff nor excessively oily skin. Both are in tip top condition. – Scott

I’ve had a couple of people ask me about Husky fitness before, so it was fortunate that I got to speak with Scott, who has Kona the Husky cross. I asked if Kona tends to be an overall more natural runner than Penny Lane as that is, after all, what Huskies are bred to do. Scott’s answer was very insightful:

I think that both Kona and Penny are equally matched for endurance and speed, Both have a top measured speed of a little better than 50 kmh and they both go on all the same runs. Penny, though, has more fire and really loves to pour in on and run as fast as she can. And while Kona gets like that now and then, he is generally happy lopping along at a nice easy 15 kmh or so. – Scott

I also wondered if the heat has any impact on Kona because of his warmer coat and breed:

Kona has no trouble with the heat. He runs everyday so is acclimatized. We always have water for them and when it’s really hot we soak Kona with the hose before the ride and do routes where there are places he can swim part way along to cool off. Penny hates the cold and wet weather and so wears a coat in all but the warm season. – Scott

So there you have it. Huge thanks to Scott for sharing his information and experiences about cycling with dogs. Check out some photos in the gallery below:

Reading about the EasyTone and their method of toning your legs by forcing you to work to keep your natural balance reminded me of an exercise tool originally designed for people, but one which an increasing number of dog owners are starting to use. It’s called a balance trainer and the one I’m seeing pop up over the internet is the Harbinger Balance Trainer, although I’ve seen others as well.

On first impression, the balance trainer looked like a UFO-type inflated contraption to me. It has two sides – one nibbed and one smooth.

Your dog’s improved balance can be great in all situations and can be especially useful for dogs who participate in dog sports like Agility, which require great balance when traversing the obstacle course at great speeds. Balancing on a balance trainer can be a great challenge for your dog to overcome.

I’ve seen two particular balance trainers being used for dog balance training, these being the Harbinger balance trainer and the Bosu balance trainer, but the Bosu balance trainer, to me, seems ridiculously expensive.

There are many different ways to teach your dog how to jump onto the balance trainer and attempt to stay there for as long as possible without falling off. If it were me, I’d probably opt for clicker training to shape the behavior (I might make a post about clicker training later, but it’s basically a method of operant conditioning used on various species of animals (humans included)).

It may take your dog quite a while to learn how to balance on a dog balance trainer correctly, but the fitness and coordination benefits should be well worth the effort. Not to mention it’s another fun activity to do with your dog. Dogs love variety in their training and exercise, so I’m adding this to my list of things to try with Keeda.

If anyone’s tried or regularly uses the balance trainer with their dog, I’d love to hear what you think of it.

If your dog is the type to crawl out of its skin to greet the other dog in this situation, it’s important to realize that the other dog may not be as friendly as yours – and neither may the other owner. Some dog owners just don’t like being interrupted in the middle of exercising or training their dog and it’s important to keep personal space in mind in this situation.

If you know your dog will attempt to bolt and jump on the other dog, here are some things you can do to avoid a potentially nasty confrontation:

• Move to the other side of the road
• Stop and have your dog sit while the other dog owner passes with their dog
• Make sure that you have control over your dog at all times, not just when you see another dog. It’s important not to suddenly clench your fist and tense up in anticipation of what’s to come as soon as you see another dog. Your dog will sense this and get even more wound up about the approaching animal. Just make sure that you have a secure grip over the leash all throughout your run.
• If you’d like to let your dogs sniff each other, always ask from a safe distance. If the other owner says no, don’t push it – move on. They have their reasons.

There are just some short term solutions you can take if your dog is the type to run at others. In the long term, it’s always best to correct the behaviour with consistent training. For example, using a long 15 meter lead has been working for Keeda and me. We use it to set boundaries for her in our training and more freestyle exercise. We still run on a regular 6 foot leash. Some dog owners also teach their dogs to move over when being passed by other dogs on their runs.

First, we played catch in the backyard. We used her favorite rubber wheel toy, which she loves to sink her teeth into.

Then, we cycled to the nearby oval. It was quite hot, but she kept up:

Next, we goofed around a little. Keeda crawled under my legs to rest in the shade.

Then played some catch at the park with her favorite deflated rubber ball:

And did some running. We didn’t go for a proper leashed run today as it was very hot, but we ran around the park.

We then went for a hike at the sand dunes:

Where we did some more running. It’s great for Keeda to run up and down sand dunes. Hill training is great for dogs just like it is for human runners.

And more goofing around:

It was a great outing overall. Keeda’s never been a fan of the heat and looked thoroughly exhausted by the time we got back home. I made sure she cooled down properly, checked her paws, put out a fresh bowl of water. I’ve been reading about dog collars that you’re meant to put ice into to keep your dog cool on hot days, maybe I’ll find one and buy it for Keeda.

Keeda may not be so great at catching flying discs yet, but she is excellent at catching other toys like tennis balls, her favorite chew toys, or her beloved sock.

Dogs love a game of catch. When your dog is a puppy, stick to a light, easy game as excessive jumping isn’t healthy for their developing joints. And by the time your dog is fully developed it’ll be on its way to becoming catch champion of the world…or at least of your household.

A friend of mine recently asked me how you teach a dog to catch a ball in mid-air. Such a simple concept can seem quite difficult for some dogs to learn.

• First, find a toy that you know your dog can grab in its mouth comfortably, but isn’t small enough for your dog to choke on. You can even use a piece of material or sock that you don’t mind getting chewed up. Socks are lighter and won’t fall to the ground quite as quickly as a proper dog toy would, giving your dog more time to react and catch the object.
• Then, make sure your dog likes the toy. If it isn’t one of your dog’s regular toys already, let it hold it in its mouth, maybe play a little tug of war with your dog using the toy, throw the toy for your dog to chase.
• Hand the toy to your dog from your hand a few times and praise the dog each time it grabs the toy in its mouth. Then, begin to lightly toss the toy from a couple of centimetres away, like a handover with just a second of air time in-between. Keep the praise going each time your dog grabs the toy.
• When your dog can catch the toy as you’re lightly tossing it from a few inches away, continue increasing the distance and begin to throw the toy up more so than across to your dog. From here it’s just a matter of continuous praise when your dog gets the toy and making the throws more challenging for your dog. You can associate a command with the action by saying “Catch” or whatever cue you want to use as you throw the toy into the air.
• Remember to keep the game fun for your dog. Make the sessions short and sweet, a few 5-10 minute sessions per day should be enough.