“Friends Walk Together” is the motto of National Walk Your Dog Week.
October 1st kicks off “National Walk Your Dog Week,”and this coming weekend we have two PuppyUp Walks just in time for this special week-long event:
October 1 from 12 noon to 4 PM: PuppyUp Memphis at Overton Park, Rainbow Lake Pavilion, Memphis, TN. For Information on registration and events, please follow this link.
October 1 from 1 PM to 4 PM PuppyUp Des Moines at Gray’s Overlook Terrace, Des Moines, IA. For Information on registration and events, please follow this link.
What is National Walk Your Dog Week? National Walk Your Dog Week was founded in 2010 by Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate Colleen Paige, to bring awareness to the ever-increasing problem of canine behavior issues and canine obesity in America. Walk Your Dog Week aims to improve the health and well-being of America’s dogs and sends the message to unchain your dogs!
“Thanks, Dad! I love walking with you.”
“With more and more people becoming sedentary and gaining weight due to a lack of exercise, say’s Colleen Paige, founder of the day, “too many dogs don’t get the necessary outlet they need to stay physically and mentally healthy. I feel that part of the overpopulation of dogs in this country is hugely associated with our growing waistlines. Generally, the less a person exercises, the less their dog exercises. Having trained thousands of dogs, it’s my estimation that at least 75% or more of dogs in shelters are there, due to a lack of exercise, which has resulted in serious behavior issues such as aggression, destruction and separation anxiety. Often, dogs run away from home because they’re left alone and bored or kept sequestered all day long in a crate or a small yard, which only exacerbates a dog’s destructive, aggressive or anxious tendencies. This, coupled with a lack of exercise and too much fatty food, leads to obesity, as well as medical issues like pancreatitis, diabetes, heart disease and the number one killer of dogs, cancer. [emphasis added] October is a beautiful time of year everywhere to get outside. Walking your dog on a daily basis not only increases the endorphins in both human and canine brains (happy chemicals), but it improves the bond between dog parent and dog.”
Initially founded for October 1st, as a “one day” holiday, Colleen later felt that one day was just not enough time to stimulate a continued walking program, so she then founded National Walk Your Dog Week to be celebrated the entire first week of October. She believes that when people witness the changes in their beloved dogs by giving them a week of exercise they normally don’t get, not only will they see a massive difference in their dog’s behavior but the dog parent will feel so good…they won’t want to stop. This not only helps to save the life of the dog by promoting proper health and quelling behavior issues that might otherwise land them in the shelter facing euthanasia – but it will also help to improve the health of the human companion and possibly save their life down the road as well.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 40 percent of dogs…a total of about 17 million in the United States, are overweight. “If you walk your dog just 30 minutes a day, you will meet national recommendations for heart health, says Paige. Asking your children to accompany you by walking the dog themselves while you supervise, will set them up for a better chance that they’ll continue to not only crave physical exercise, but that they’ll be responsible dog stewards when they’re adults.”
So, come walk with us this October 1st, in Memphis or in Des Moines, or check our schedule for the PuppyUp Walks coming later this year. If you can’t make one of our walks in person, why not send us some photos of you and your pup taking a stroll, and post them on our Facebook page. Please tell us where you are walking, and the name of your pup. And if you can, we hope you’ll donate to one of our walks as well.
We hope to see you and your pups! Puppy Up!
