Accidentally Fit : How My Dog Got Me in Shape

Everybody loves a puppy. Who has ever seen a puppy and wondered, "Why would anyone want that?" No one. Because puppies are inherently adorable and when you see one you can't help but want one. That's what happened to me. I was actually just leaving my favorite Mexican restaurant with a to-go box full of delicious food when I spotted an adorable little mutt rooting through the garbage in the alleyway next to the restaurant. When I say mutt... I really do mean mutt. I still haven't quite figured out what he is. (greyhound, collie, german shephard, chow mix?)

I've always had a weakness for small cute animals, particularly dogs, but I simply hadn't been able to convince myself that getting one was a good idea. I was living in a small apartment that I'm pretty certain could not withstand the force of a full-grown dog. But this sweet little thing tugged at my heart strings like nothing else. He was obviously malnourished and a tad shy, but once I convinced him to come near me he was the most affectionate puppy I've ever seen. Of course, that might have been because my hands smelled like meaty Mexican food. I certainly couldn't in good conscience leave the cutie in the alley. So I took him home with me.

It wasn't difficult getting him in the car. I just put down a trail of Mexican food, opened the door and then let him have what was left in the box. Which actually ended up being a bad idea. Here's a lesson... never give a malnourished puppy greasy Mexican food. Generally it's a bad idea to give any dog greasy Mexican food, but apparently you have to wean malnourised animals back onto solid food slowly... otherwise they throw it back up all over your brand-new white furniture. Yes, that's what happened, and there begins my doggy adventures.

After satisfactorily nursing him back to health I put up all sorts of posters and contacted dozens of animal shelters to see if anyone had reported a missing puppy. Nobody had reported a missing puppy and nobody came foward to claim my adorable puppy. (Thank goodness!)

From there we went through potty training and obedience school, but a puppy is still a puppy and he would come up to me with his favorite toy just begging to play fetch. We would go out into the small common green area that my apartment building boasted and play. Of course Pepper's favorite game was keep the toy away from me once I had thrown it. After a good 45- minutes of chasing and cajoling I would finally get it back. Although, once I saw his expectant face looking up at me with his ears all perked up... I just had to throw it again... welcome to another 45- minutes of chasing.

Let's talk about walks now. I made the mistake of not neutering my baby while he was young. Several years went by before I finally decided to get around to it. By this time Pepper was a full-grown male with a need to mark his territory. Walks consisted of him stopping a minimum of 15 time simply to pee on some tree or fire hydrant. Walks also meant I ended up running more than walking. I'm a rather petite person and my small puppy had grown into what's known as a large dog. His brisk walk started me running. Of course once I was running he felt the need to go even faster. Apparently my energy spurred him on. So really, these "walks" were runs. And he had to be "walked" twice a day. Once before I went to work and once when I got home. Otherwise he had too much energy and would chew on everything.

With twice a day "walks" and a mid-day playing romp on my lunch hour, I was being more active than I had ever been. I dropped pounds like no diet or gym had ever helped me. It was shocking. My health improved beyond anything I had ever expected. I had to buy a whole new wardrobe. All because of my pet! My dog has turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Not only do I have a friend I can go home to after a bad date but he has motivated me to take better care of myself better than I ever have and has helped me to maintain my health. If you simply can't seem to stay healthy or can't seem to get into shape. Get a dog. They will motivate you like nothing else.