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Fit Tip: Be As Excited to Exercise As Your Dog Is

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Early in the morning, my dog Bonnie is raring to go. She wakes me up with tons of licks, and paces coyly around the room until I pull my lazy bum out of bed. She can't wait to get outside, not only to "do her business," but to run and jump and chase and play. Every day her boundless energy inspires me to get my body moving, too. She reminds me to stretch and I feel I should do a down dog every time she does. So the next time you see a dog zooming by, catch their buzz and be just as excited to exercise as they are.

If you have a dog that motivates you to get up and go, be sure to check out PetSugar's giveaway to win $250 worth of food, toys, and grooming supplies. Plus, two Kuranda beds will be donated to the animal shelter of your choice. It's a great way to thank your dog for encouraging you to get off the couch and move.

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Ask Casa: A Sand-Friendly Vacuum

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:00:59 -0700

Dear Casa,
I have seen posts on pet-friendly vacuums, but my problem is not just dog hair. It is massive amounts of sand that my beautiful Chow Chow drags in from Crissy Field [in San Francisco]. I need a recommendation for a vacuum for wood floors and carpets strong enough to pick up the sand. Any ideas?
Thanks,
MaryBeth

To hear my response to MaryBeth, read more.

Hi MaryBeth,
Funny you should ask . . . literally just two days ago, I spilled a fine-granule cleaning solution that is very much like sand, and used my Dyson DC24 ($399.99) to suck it up with no problems. I didn't even have to run over the sandy solution twice; first time was a charm! If you read Casa regularly, you may remember that I reviewed the Dyson DC24, so you can read about it for more details. If not this particular vacuum, I highly recommend Dysons in general for your dilemma, as they exhibit great suction power. Some other vacuum brands that I highly recommend are Electrolux (vintage ones are best) and Miele. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Casa

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Love It or Hate It? Dog Hook

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:00:28 -0700

Do you love dogs enough to hang your hat on them? This Restoration Hardware Dog Hook ($14) will let you do just that.

You Asked: Can I Use My Dog to Get to My Ex?

DearSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,
I realize that I am supposed to cut off all ties with my ex-boyfriend, but I've broken the rules. We didn't talk for a month and I haven't seen him since we broke up, but I just texted him about my dog, whom he had cared for a great deal. My dog just got diagnosed with cancer, and my ex about this opened the floodgates for communication. We have arranged for him to see my dog without me present. We haven't talked about ourselves or our lives, it has just about the dog, but I want more. Can I use this tragic situation to my advantage? - Pining Penny

To see DearSugar's answer, read more.

Dear Pining Penny,

Using your dog's condition to get to your ex will certainly do the trick, but I think it would behoove you to be honest with him from the start. While I'm sure he appreciates being able to see your dog, it just seems a little cheap to use the dog as a way to get close again. If you miss your ex, just tell him! If this situation does in fact bridge the gap between you, great, but make sure he's aware of your intentions or your plan could actually backfire - he could end up resenting you for using such a sad scenario to your advantage. Like I've said a million times before, honesty is the best policy. Good luck with everything.

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Group Therapy: Should I Apologize?

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0700

My mother-in-law's puppy is being put down today; he's had a heart defect since birth, and against everybody's advice to put him to sleep when he was little, we decided to keep him alive as long as he was doing well and could still run around. He's had a wonderful, happy life for the past 15 months, but with the Summer heat, he's been having more and more trouble moving around, and for the past few days he cannot get up at all. His heart can't keep up anymore, so it's obvious it's time to let him go - he's suffering now.

I called my mother-in-law this morning to tell her I was thinking of her and to try and comfort her. We talked for a few minutes, but then she started to cry and we hung up. I feel terrible because she was holding it together and I fear that I made her break the dam of sadness, so to speak. I was reassuring about the fact that she's doing the right thing and commiserating about her grief. I told her I was sad too (I named that dog!) and asked her to give him a kiss for me before they put him down because I couldn't be there, and that's when she broke down in tears.

Should I apologize? I was going to write her an email later today to see how she was doing, but should I also include an "I'm sorry I made you cry this morning," or do the tears just come with the territory?

[EDITOR'S NOTE: To be involved in more GROUP THERAPY, click here]

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Interspecies Lovin' Has Bittersweet Ending

GiggleSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0700

You know how long-term couples find it hard to keep the passion alive? One person may wanna be intimate, and the other has a headache? Well, this cat and Chihuahua pair exemplify that problem perfectly. Kitty's in the middle of lovingly kissin' on her tiny Chihuahua lover when, out of the blue, he just turns on her. I love how kitty gives Chihuahua a total "WTF?! dude" look. What an ingrate! Communication is key, little guy. Learn how to do it!

Cute Alert: Duckling Loves Doggie

GiggleSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0700

We refurbished one of the cutest vids around with a new soundtrack. Just when you think this interspecies BFF video couldn't get any cuter, a little girl wanders into the frame and bumps it into cute nirvana. Enjoy!

Cute Alert: Doggie Method Acting

GiggleSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Brando the pooch here reaches deep into the center of his being and experience to show us: "Confused." I bet he's going to be hearing from James Lipton and the Actors' Studio peeps pretty soon . . .

Turn On or Turn Off: A Man With a Dog

DearSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0700

I’m a total animal lover, but nothing does me in quite like an adorable, floppy puppy. So when I see a man with a dog, I can’t help but find myself staring. It may be totally clichéd, but there is something completely sweet and very sexy about a man with a pup. What do you think of the man/canine combination?

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Fit Tip: Get a Dog Exercise Buddy

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Feel like you're not walking enough each day? Then you maybe want to get a dog.

Recent research has found that dog owners walk an average of 300 minutes per week whereas folks without dogs only walk around 168 minutes. Being accountable to someone else, even if it's a dog, makes us feel more motivated so I totally believe these findings. For me, I always take my dog on a long walk before I leave in the morning and when I get home because I feel bad that he's in the house while I am at work. He loves it and I know that I'm burning calories - everyone wins!

I'm curious about you guys. If you have a dog, do you feel like you walk more because of him?

Fit's Tip: I do want to add that a dog is a lot more responsibility than just having an exercise buddy. Be sure to do your research before you make the commitment.

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