Walking with dogs

By Dr Hilldidge Beer

City slickers pay thousands each month to sweat it out on treadmills at the gym but for those of us fortunate to live in a seaside village surrounded by glorious walking trails, cliff paths and dog-friendly beaches, exercise costs no more than a little time each day.

And if you’re a dog owner, you have an ever-willing exercise buddy who’s more than happy to walk whenever you mention the word. Exercise isn’t just good for our health, it’s essential for your dog’s health, too, and will save you a fortune on vet’s bills in the long run.

What you need

• Harness/collar and lead Though you won’t need to spend a fortune on lycra gym outfits, your dog does need a comfortable harness or collar and lead. Before heading out, make sure the harness fits properly and doesn’t rub your dog’s skin. Broken skin is a bacteria magnet

and you don’t want to have to fork out Rands for expensive antibiotics. Harnesses are best for brachycephalic dogs (those with flat faces and big eyes) like Pugs, French Bulldogs, Bulldogs and Pekingese as they don’t inhibit the dog’s airways the way collars can. Harnesses are also great for strong dogs that need handling. If you’re not sure what to get for your dog, pop into your nearest EberVet Vetshop and ask for advice. The Vetshops have a wide range of harnesses, collars and leads for all shapes, size and breeds – from teacup Yorkies to Boerboels.

Click on the newspaper below to read more (see page 17).