Hello, it’s me, Heidi, to write about a thing I do that other dogs don’t get to do. Peoples usually train dogs, but I train peoples!
I am myself a very trained dog. I know how to sit and stay and catch treats in my mouth and shake hands, just say to me “Heidi, shake!” Also I can speak, big (ARF!) and little (grrrrrr). For my being an actress dog, my trainer Sue DiSesso from movies and TV taught me how to do even special-er things like hit a mark, put my ball into a bucket and play dead. I am a good dog, and a smart dog, too.
But on Wednesday and Friday mornings, my goes to a gym to work out, and I get to go with him. It is not just for fun. I am a working dog so I find a job to do wherever I go. Like at the park if two dogs get rowdy I jump in between and stop them, stop it, that’s not your Frisbee, give it back! (Of course I get to take the Frisbee if I want it as my reward for helping out). I go to the gym so I can help the owner David Farhit work with the peoples to make them strong. That way if someone ever tries to take their Frisbee they can hang on tight and will never have to bite anyone.
The gym is called Executive Personal Fitness on Laurel Canyon in Valley Village, and I am the official Executive Personal Dog. You don’t have to be a person to do personal fitness. Alan is supposed to be there by 8 a.m. but we are usually not there yet by then, David says.
Usually I sit out on the patio and watch through the glass but I get to come inside when it’s raining or if I am needed to consult on any peoples workout program. It’s not all executives, there is one famous actor there whose name I am not supposed to say but that’s OK because I don’t know it anyway, just what he looks like. Everybody has to work hard like me, even if they are famous. There is also Janice training there, I know her name and she likes me. I like her, too, and she’s super-fit because of me!
First I have my breakfast on the patio, from my portable dog dish that is soft so sometimes it moves and makes it hard to get my nose in for last bite out but I always get it. Not everyone wants to work out with me helping so I watch from outside until David brings somebody out on the deck to do “lunge walks” or “abs” or to stretch. Lunge walks are the funnest because I can walk along too while Dad or somebody else goes up and down, almost kneeling and then regular tall again, all the way across the deck. I don’t do “abs” because I don’t know what they are. I think dogs don’t have them.
Stretching I don’t like because David does it to Alan and the other peoples and I think, stop it, you’ll make their parts way longer than they are supposed to be! The first time David did the stretches I stuck my nose under Alan’s leg close to where David’s crotch is and did my “little speak,” grrrrrr. David stayed very still like cats do when they see me outdoors. “What do I do now?” he asked in his little-speak voice. “Just don’t make me scream out in pain,” Alan advised.
But now I am David’s friend and he has my picture on the wall. I even interviewed him about how much he likes me, and this is what he said: “I have owned Executive Personal Fitness for 10 years. I have been a personal trainer for more than 25 years. In all those years I have trained many people from all walks of life; athletes, business people, celebrities, seniors, kids, doctors. However, I have a very special client and her name is Heidi. She has been coming to my gym for the last 6 years. Heidi is a great client and always does what I tell her. She hardly ever complains and when she has an outstanding session, I reward her with turkey bacon. Every client I work with has different needs, and one of Heidi's needs is to be petted. In fact, now that I think about it, she is my only client I pet.” That is funny, David!
OK, this one time David didn’t bring any turkey bacon so he didn’t have any to share with me. But then I looked so disappointed he had some delivered to the gym from a restaurant before I went home, just for me.
I work very hard at the gym so I’m really more of a trainer than a client but David says I don’t have as much experience as he has “even in dog years.” Alan says I am getting very spoiled here but I think I smell just fine. In fact, I smell better than most peoples do when they are working out at the gym.
