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Community Corner

Your Loss Is Fido's Gain

A walk can take you places—look at my quick flick about where OP took me last night (Halloween Central) right in the middle of a nearby neighborhood horror decoration.

"I've lost fifteen pounds so far—put that up against your green coffee beans!"

I walked OP more and more this month, and I've lost fifteen pounds so far. Good? Put that side-by-side against the green coffee claims. Walk a loving beast around town? Or drink another capsule?

Frankly, green coffee beans have a much better claim: "Change nothing else; lose 17% body fat from beans alone." I have actually had to watch my snacks, drink more water without other added flavors or sweeteners, and take up yoga as well as increase the dog walks. 

Yoga is like God's way of tapping you on the shoulder about the age thing. In fact, he tapped me on the shoulder, elbow, neck, back, major joint areas. I'm a little tapped out from all the tapping.

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But there is room for a nice hike, something to which most bodies adapt quickly. A loving doggie looks up at you, wagging, excited just to be outside with the smells of nature? Fantastic!

I'm down fifteen now. How much of that comes from dog walking? A lot! That is my biggest change of habit, not rationalizing a long walk into a decent but not expecially long walk.

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My loss (of weight, fat, nervous over-excitement—what modern mankind calls "anxiety") is the dog's gain. He gets necessary exercise, too, and smells the world around him. He loves the sights, the many splendid places to pee, and the noises of life.

As all trainers will tell you, obedience starts with and stems from the walk. So like at home with OP is much more pleasant as well. He does more side-swipe hug bumps. He asks for lap time and cuddle time more often. (He is a terrier, after all.)

Our latest hike started in the day, with ordinary encounters.

We walked around , dogs as big as pygmy ponies, young kids, older citizens including a wheelchair vet and a woman in her walker, several medium pooches and a bushel of weenie dogs. OP loved every smell and sound.

We walked later in Fryman Canyon, where the weekend turnout in Studio City's favorite hiking spot seemed to rival Woodstock at one point. I almost never see that parking lot full. I had to park outside of it. Studio City Woodstock—main attraction? Exercise surrounded by things not man-made.

And, in the evening, as my rather odd quick-flick reveals, ghouls and goblins teased us as we drove home. We stopped and hiked through Halloween-ville in North Hollywood.

If you do take your dog out for a hike close to Halloween (or on Halloween), make sure Fido is already exercised a bit before heading into the flashing lights and strange noises and ghosts and skeletons. Dogs can get freaked out by these confusing rituals of ours.

OP loved this madness in the movie, oddly enough, which should have sent him into my pockets. Nope, not the OP. Have some pocket treats on hand for your pet, so it can easily drop candy, especially chocolate, tossed or dropped by a child. Chocolate can dangerously hurt dogs.

Happy Trails—and happy Halloween. I'm down 15. My loss is also my gain, and OP's gain is having me walk more!

For Studio City pet treats check out these below, and let us know if you have other ideas:

* Mark's Pet Supplies

* Maxwell Dog

* Petco

* Rusty's Discount Pet Center

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