New Year's Resolution #37: Use dog as a workout partner, not a hairstyling model

Anyone wanna buy a set of barely-used high-end dog clippers? I guess my good luck had to run out sometime. Roughly 7 hours after we began Freddie's groom, I gave up. Called Dan from Aussie Mobile Pet Groomers — went back to him with my tail between my legs, as it were — confessed my failings, and begged that one of his professionals come and do whatever's possible to repair the damage and finish the job.

After just a bit of brushing and combing, Freddie still likes me.

Once the electric clippers are a-buzzing, he's not so sure. Wise dog.

Botched belly shave, incomplete hack job on the legs, matts in the undercoat ...

It's probably appropriate that his blanket looks hospital green. Poor Freddie-weddie. :-( 

Dan's van is coming Thursday. Today's morning outing was for romping and fetching ... which got me thinking: I need to take better advantage of this dog's boundless energy. Sure, I get some exercise just taking him for his daily walks, but how else could I exploit this completely reliable source of energy and motivation?

I did some Googling this morning and found a very groovy-sounding class that combines dog obedience with bootcamp .... near Toronto. Bah. I think my brother, a dog lover and fitness expert, should start up something like that in Vancouver. In the meantime, I shall exercise my creativity ...

Here's my attempt at a speed-agility course for me and Freddie to run together. The orange things are plastic cones.

Here's what Freddie thinks one does with agility course cones.

"This bootcamp thing is all right, but why don't we just play?"

Good point, Freddie — though I did persist with my original objectives by sprinting from the beach up to West 2nd (holy anaerobic threshold, Batman) then carrying roughly 50 lbs of extra weight (backpack + dog) up five flights of stairs.

I felt ready for this ....

May your senses be stimulated to just the right degree this evening!