[matese]

Originally Posted by JadeD

Thank you Joan! You reminded me about walking.

Teek could barely walk up and down our block when I got him, he would get so tired. I walked him everyday a couple times just up the street and back down it. Then when he could do that easily I walked him around the block, sometimes I had to pick him up. Now, 3 1/2 months later I can barely keep up with him! We are taking him hiking this summer with us and I have a pack I can carry him with, but I don't know if I will actually need to put him in it. He had no stamina when I got him, but I slowly built that up.

Just a few days ago I had him in the backyard and I practice him off leash by just dropping his leash and letting him walk around with it on the ground. He wanted to play and he has this LOOK he gives me, so I started chasing him and he would run a little and look to make sure I was chasing. He decided it was time to go inside so he ran up to the house and around it and I was chasing him and I could not catch him. I could stay a few feet behind him. I could have stepped on the leash to stop him, but would only have done that if he tried to run in the street, but he ran right up to the front of the house and onto the porch and waited at the front door for me.

Such a huge change in only a few months from a dog that would be exhausted just walking to the end of our block and back and now has energy and stamina and much more muscle tone.

Gabby probably doesn't have the muscle tone to walk much so build it up slowly.