This is our beloved dog Cody. He is a Plott hound/lab-something-or-other mix, and we rescued him exactly 7 days after we got back from our honeymoon, which also happened to be my birthday weekend. He is so much fun and has the best personality. He is very cuddly, playful and is just an all around awesome canine. However...when we got Cody, we did very little research about the breed, and had NO idea just how energetic this little guy would turn out to be.
He REQUIRES so much exercise, and we definitely were not prepared. Since Cody joined our family, the transition into becoming an "active" individual pretty much accelerated full-force. I am in much better shape then I was a year ago, and I honestly believe that keeping up with Cody is to thank for that, along with making over all (basic) changes in the food we cook and eat.
Getting a dog forced me to become an "active" person, which I wasn't really before being a dog owner. I'd prefer to lounge and read a book instead of hitting the gym, and even though I've always wanted to become an athletic person, I never had the will power to follow through with behaving like one.
Thank Goodness this guy literally, will NOT let us sit on our butts! Here's how getting a dog FORCED me to become an active person:
1. Accountability: Cody is the best accountability partner there is, and I am serious. When I get home from work and we are not out the door walking/running within 30 minutes, he goes berserk. He has so much energy he can't channel anywhere else, and if I let him, he'd destroy anything he'd get his paws on just to get some energy out. So as soon as I am home, we walk. We run. We trudge up and down the hills that surround our home. And we love every minute of it.
2. You Can't "Skip" A Day: There was a day this past week when it was raining, and I returned home from work so tired and just not wanting to take Cody out in the rain. (Meaning, I REALLY didn't want to walk in the cold rain) Well, that was too bad for me because Cody is so accustomed to our workout routine that he literally BARKED at me until we were out the door. And I felt so much better just after a little exercise.
3. You Pack in the Miles Without Trying: We walk/speed walk/run/sprint/ all around our town and the next town over, and before I know it, an hour has gone by.Today for example, we went on long walk/run and it ended up being a total of 4 miles. When I got home, Cody was EXHAUSTED and I was feeling pretty darn good about myself. You really do cover a lot of mileage you would never do if you didn't have a dog to walk.
4. Your "Idleness" Lessens Drastically: I spend a lot less time sitting around watching TV and lounging. I'm not saying I never do, because I still love the time I get to spend hanging out with Dan and watching a little Friends at night. But I do make more of a point to get outside with Cody and get moving with him, and I feel like my time is being used to both keep my body healthy and Cody's. I feel like I am making a good decision and feel better about spending an hour walking than spending an hour on Pinterest (which I am guilty of!! Who doesn't get lost scrolling through Pinterest and pinning crafting ideas I'll probably never get around to doing?) And of course, a tired pup is always a good sign.
Getting a dog as been a blast. There are always frustrating moments, especially early on in the training process, but being a dog owner has really forced us to become active people, and I have to say-it's awesome to be active and feel good about our bodies and minds! And we love our little guy so much. If you're torn about adopting or rescuing....DO IT!
