My family loves a friendly competition. In the past, it’s been all about who could win the family Mario Kart tournaments and games of Hearts, but these days, we’re making fitness more of a priority. These days, it’s about who can rack up the most steps on our iPhone apps and FitBits! Fortunately, I’ve been winning most of the time – thanks to my fuzzy little helper.
When we first welcomed Ronnie into our home, an Australian Shepherd breeder told us that her circadian rhythms would be very similar to her wolf ancestors. Wolves tend to be most active at sunrise and sundown. Biologically, these are the best hunting times. And sure enough, Ronnie loves to get out and walk at these times. We’ve made that part of her routine to keep her healthy and happy.
As a nice side effect, that has helped us be more active as well. A walk in the morning before I head to class and a walk in the evening after dinner have been wonderful additions to my own health routine. Best of all, I usually win the step competition!
Building healthy habits for us and for our dog goes beyond just walking, though. Nutrition is one of the most important parts of fitness and health, along with making sure we get all our essential vitamins. While we try to get the best dog food we can for Ronnie, it still doesn’t have all the nutrients she needs to be healthy. We supplement her with chicken, but she still needs fiber and vitamins.
However, our picky puppy, who has grown up enjoying treats of smoked salmon and other delicacies you find in a gourmet household, turns her nose up at most treats. She does, however, love her Milk-Bone treats. So when Milk-Bone asked if we’d like to try their wellness doggy vitamins as part of their Milk-Bone Good Morning campaign, I said yes.
And Ronnie says yes to these tasty, and also nutritious, treats!
You can learn more about Milk-Bone’s Good Morning puppy vitamins here.
Ronnie is quite possibly the world’s pickiest eater. She doesn’t like any treats besides her Milk Bones.
Milk Bone was kind enough to supply Ronnie with some great treats, a toy, and a bandana (which kind of gets lost in her ruff, but you get the point).
Hiking Madonna Mountain
This treat is mine!
10 Comments
Andrew Hill · October 19, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Nutrition is one of the most important ways to keep the brain and body functioning well, and any nutritional deficiencies can complicate this process of attaining happiness. For example it had been noted that lack of Omega 3’s can increase your risk of depression. In addition, if your intake of fat includes too many Omega 6’s, the same correlation occurs. Lacking Omega 3’s and too many omega 6’s combine for an even greater risk to depression. Bottom line: vitamins, minerals, and macros are very important in fueling our bodies as well dogs’ bodies, so a healthy diet and a little bit of fitness can go a long way in maintaining our happiness and well-being.
brittanymertzel · October 28, 2016 at 12:35 pm
I love this! It works out perfectly that Ronnie is most active in the morning and at night, because you can go on walks when you are available and she is most willing! No one likes bringing your dog for a walk when they don’t want to actually “walk” (my small maltese at home). When it came to food time for my dogs at home, I have three, and they all ate the same food everyday. I started to feel bad for them because here I am eating a different type of meal everyday and they have the same thing for their entire life. They need special treats once in a while, and I love that you give Ronnie some added protein. Next time I go home I think I am going to cook them up a nice doggy friendly meal, and maybe some milk bones for vitamins as well.
savannahlestes · October 30, 2016 at 2:51 pm
This is an awesome reminder about how dogs can improve our quality of life all around! It’s no wonder these furry friends really are our best friends! They always encourage exercise, playfulness, love, and happiness! Just petting my dog after a long day makes me feel better. I remember in class you mentioned that’s because we are helping each other release oxytocin. Going on walks with your dog is a great way to stay healthy physically and mentally!
LaurenTaylor · November 7, 2016 at 3:07 pm
Dogs really are a great way to keep a healthy and active lifestyle, not only for self benefit but for the dogs benefit as well. My brother adopted a dog over the summer, and I have seen how active it has caused him to be in return. I personally enjoy going on dog walks more then going to the gym, the combination of exercise and the outdoors is a great stress relief. Dogs are great companions that definitely give you a push to get active and healthy.
rachelcarlson · February 19, 2017 at 10:38 pm
All of these things are extremely important to me as well– in regards to a circadian rhythm, I attempt to rise with the sun and go to bed within several hours of its setting.
Although I have a love hate relationship with my iPhone, I, too, enjoy the step tracking feature and use it DAILY to ensure that if I cannot make it out on a hike or to the gym, I at least walk two miles.
Nutrition is an essential component of health as well. I make a point to eat more vegetables and lean meat than anything else, and avoid sugar as diligently as possible. I have long felt that adding a “fuzzy” friend to my daily routine would not only be fun, but additionally beneficial to my own health.
Amy Edelstein · April 16, 2017 at 5:15 pm
This post was so extremely relatable! It absolutely true that those quick (or long) walks that we take with our dogs have a powerful effect on our mental well-being. I remember when I was in high-school, my mom would always tell me that the best study breaks would involve me taking my dog out on a walk – as a way to relax my brain and get my blood circulating again. Sometimes, when we are sitting for too long in our seats, our body becomes numb and stagnant. It is important to get our bodies moving, and it is only extra beneficial to our mental state when we can hug a furry animal at the end of our walk. Petting my dog always gave me great satisfaction… if only I had him here in college during my stressful midterm weeks! The topic of nutrition was also mentioned in this post, as “nutrition is one of the most important parts of fitness and health…” The interconnection between nutrition and psychology is commonly glanced over, but there is growing evidence that the food and vitamins that we supply our body has a strong correlation with our emotions, feelings, and thoughts. For example, lacking Omega-3 Fatty Acids (the nutrient that you find in foods like salmon) may affect your mood, making you feel depressed. It is essential to keep a balanced diet, supplying your body with the nutrients that it needs to make you feel energized and happy. The food we eat strongly correlates to the way we feel!
emilyknighton · November 30, 2017 at 11:31 am
Walking is such good exercise, I love it as an alternative to running sometimes when I’m worried about keeping things low impact. I’ve read that walking has a lot of the same health benefits as running, as well as a lower risk of injury, and that for any fitness routine it is definitely a comparable activity to running. Maybe you’re able to confirm that! Either way, getting into the habit of exercising is so valuable. I know I always feel better when I can find time in my schedule to regularly go to the gym. Plus, what a great workout buddy! I’ve found that working out with others can keep me more accountable, and I’m sure that a dog will make it very known that she wants to walk regardless of any changes to your human schedule. In a way, it’s impossible t make excuses because she simply can’t understand them! So what a fantastic way to stay active!
Britnee Archambault · February 12, 2018 at 10:26 am
I have always loved Australian Shepherds and after reading this article, I love them even more. Studies have shown that owning a dog makes you happier, live longer, and healthier. Since I was young I have always asked my parents for a dog for my birthday or Christmas, and unfortunately never got one.
I am aware that you said Milk-bone good morning puppy vitamins were the most beneficial treats for your dog being happy and healthy, but I am curious if you saw any differences in your dog’s mood when eating the old treats versus the new treats.
Kendallhawkes · February 20, 2018 at 10:24 am
There’s no doubt that nutrition is an important aspect of health for both dogs and humans. I think it is particularly interesting for dogs though. A lot of time we will feed dogs food that we would eat, but that isn’t necessarily good for dogs. For instance, my dog gets rashes whenever we give him gluten, which makes sense, because his ancestors never ate any sort of grain as a part of their diet. I think it is important that we always try to discern what food is the best for our furry friends.
monjazeb · February 21, 2018 at 10:51 am
I couldn’t agree more with the statement “nutrition is one of the most important parts of fitness and health”, this can be applied to both humans and dogs. As a dog owner I can understand how easy it can be to give in to the begging of a cute face, but not all human foods are in the clear for dogs to consume. It is fine to give your dog certain foods that we eat as well, but it is important to take precaution, because too much of it can be detrimental.