Look what arrived at our front door this week!
Even though we ended up having to be out of town for the Surf Dog competition, Eukanuba was fantastic enough to send Brody and I our very own surfboard. And what a board it is! It’s not just any old surfboard, but one custom made for dog surfing competitions. By far the flyest piece of sporting equipment I own. Thank you, Eukanuba. It is spectacular.
You know what this means, though, right? Now we have to use it. Ricochet, I know we’ll be competitors next summer, but I’m hoping you’ll still give us some pointers. 🙂
I learned something when Brody and I had our surf dog lessons earlier this summer. (If you missed the videos of Brody learning how to surf, they’re here, and here.) Lots of things, really, like how you need 2 people to lift a Golden onto a surfboard, and how I don’t care for the feeling of seaweed up my nose so I’d best keep my eye on the upcoming sets.
But more importantly I learned this: Attention has an additive effect.
To wit: A pink surfboard will get you lots of attention at dog beach.
But-
A pink surfboard accompanied by a handsome Golden, even more.
A handsome Golden in a pink rashguard with a pink surfboard, well, you’re on fire. The amount of pink on one’s person is directly proportional to the amount of time people want to spend watching whatever it is you are doing. Katy Perry’s first rule of wigdom in action.
There’s more? What is this? Some child’s Halloween costume, perhaps?
What? That small piece of fuschia spandex is meant for me? A handsome Golden in a hot pink rashguard with a pink surfboard accompanied by … a pink middle aged veterinarian? Perhaps that is the tipping point for the law of diminishing pink-turns.
I will admit to no small moment of panic when I first saw this. Though gallivanting about in hot pink beachwear might have been acceptable oh, a decade or so ago, the past few years of sitting and drinking lattes have made this slightly less appealing for all involved.
But I did just say how important it was to incorporate pets into a healthy lifestyle, so I will take this as a sign I need to practice what I preach. And with that, Project Pink is in effect: Can I get into sufficient shape by the next Surf Dog so that I can wear a bright pink shirt in public without getting horrified guffaws?
Knock it off, furball.
Maybe. Maybe not. But I can use it as inspiration to embark on a Healthy Living journey, and I’m going to do that over the next couple of months as we head into the holiday season bacchanalia. Stay tuned the next few weeks for a blog series about all the great ways we can get in shape alongside our furry companions- I call it the “Health is Wealth” series, and it’s going to be great.
There will be running. There will be surfing. There might even be yoga. And if I’m super ambitious, I may even work our way to a Couch to 5K. Because that muffin top isn’t going to dissolve itself.
So let’s hear it- how do you stay healthy with your pet? Anyone here do a doggie 5K? Mushing? Kayaking? I need ideas!
“the law of diminishing pink-turns” – HA! I just love your turn of phrase skill. If you manage to deflate the muffin top, I’ll be cheering. Heck, I’ll be cheering for ya anyway! (But the muffin top has particularly foiled me.)
My brother is a huge fan of skijoring (cross country skiing with dogs in harnesses). Great for those of us with plenty of the white stuff!
I think you’d look pretty fantastic in that pink top regardless but I can totally get behind your interest in finding fun ways to exercise with your dog. It’s not always easy to find ways to work out together, especially now the temperatures are rapidly dropping. For some reason, I don’t see myself mustering up the motivation to go for a run with my dog over the icy sidewalks. I look forward to reading what you come up with!