Fitness goes to the dogs

Forget the disappointing diets, costly health clubs and pricey personal trainers. Patti Lawson had gone that route and discovered a simpler solution.

She got a dog.

By walking with her dog, Sadie, twice a day, Lawson lost 30 pounds (and kept it off), started eating healthier and got off the roller coaster of fitness that millions of Americans ride on a daily basis.

The government lawyer who lives in the other Charleston, the one in West Virginia, chronicled her experience in a book published in 2006 titled "The Dog Diet: What My Dog Taught Me About Shedding Pounds, Licking Stress and Getting a New Leash on Life."

It won her the Dog Writers Association of America's Maxwell Award for humor book of the year in 2007, an appearance at the banquet prior to the Westminster Dog Show in New York that year and made her an advocate for a novel niche — getting people to exercise with their dogs — in media and in appearances throughout the country.

Lawson says people regularly talk to her or e-mail her about the book, often confessing that they don't think to walk their dogs. But her message is getting out there. For example, Women's World Magazine is profiling a woman who lost 60 pounds by walking her dog.

"It's such an easy thing to do," says Lawson, who walks Sadie a mile in the morning and up to four miles in the evenings, even in the gloomy cold and dark of West Virginia winters.

Regularly walking a dog, Lawson says, can be as much a spiritual journey as a physical one.

"I notice things in my neighborhood that I never saw before," she says. "This spring, we had a rabbit in my neighborhood. During walks, every time we turn the corner (near the rabbit-sighting spot), Sadie would pick up the pace. She kept doing that long after the rabbit disappeared. ... Things like that lighten up my spirit."

Four-legged trainers

Unfortunately, most Americans likely are not taking advantage of what Lawson calls the "four-legged personal trainer."

With 65 million dogs, Americans lead the world not only in dog ownership but in obesity rates.

And while there's not a groundswell of support for efforts to get poochy Americans out with the pooches, there is evidence that such an effort could pay dividends both in pounds and dollars.

Researchers in Australia found that if dog owners walked their dogs 150 minutes a week (the same amount of exercise recommended by the U.S. surgeon general) 71 percent of the Australian population would get the minimal requirement of exercise and that the savings would result in $175 million (Australian) a year in reduced costs for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and colon cancer. And it's not like the dog owners are the only beneficiaries.

The Journal of Nutrition published a study showing that the pets of overweight owners were three times more likely to be obese than those of normal-weight owners. And Purina has a long-term study showing that dogs kept to a healthy weight live 15 percent longer than overweight dogs, which is statistically similar in humans.

Getting started

Of course, sedentary humans and dogs should not jump into vigorous exercise with two feet and four paws. The key is to do it gradually.

Also, like humans, some dogs can't walk or run as far as some may believe, such as puppies, seniors, overweight dogs and dogs with short snouts (pugs, bulldogs, etc.). Out-of-shape humans and dogs also must get in shape in slow, deliberate increments and also avoid overeating.

Veterinarians say if a dog is notably sore or stiff the day after a run, the owner has put the pet through too much. They also advise dog owners to be observant. If a dog trails behind you or can barely keep up, it's probably time to stop.

Remember that the Lowcountry is heading to more ideal, cooler months for increased human and dog activity, but the days still can get warm. During those Indian summer days, keep with early morning and late afternoon/early evening exercise times.

And try to find softer surfaces to walk on. Harder surfaces, such as concrete, could cause damage to the pads of the paws, especially after lots of hard running.

Goals, events

Motivation for humans often comes in the form of training for an event, such as running a marathon or walking a half-marathon. So one way to jump-start an exercise program for pet and owner could include one of an array of events taking place in the Lowcountry.

While it's too late to enter the Low Country Dog Agility of Greater Charleston tournament and agility test Oct. 4 and 5 at Palmetto Islands County Park in Mount Pleasant, it is an opportunity to see how dog owners work with their dogs, rather vigorously, to display physical and mental fitness. More on the events and classes at http://lcda.bravepages.com.

Now's the time to start planning to be part of the Charleston Animal Society's Paws in the Park and Dog Walk for Animals on Oct. 25 at the Felix C. Davis Community Center at Park Circle in North Charleston. www.charlestonanimalsociety.org.

While the noontime walk is only a half-mile, your pooch will need to build some endurance for all the fun and festivities.

Work yourself and dog up to a 5K run and walk this fall in preparation for the very dog-friendly 18th annual Reindeer Run and Walk on Dec. 6. www.reindeerrun.org.

And if you want to move up ...

If the dog walking goes well, then maybe you and your canine buddy will want to chew on something bigger: a day hike or weekend hiking trip.

With cooler temperatures arriving in the Lowcountry, now is the perfect time to head out for hiking.

Two good guidebooks on the subject include Doggin' the Carolina Coasts: The 50 Best Places to Hike With Your Dog Along the North Carolina and South Carolina Shores by Doug Gelbert ($11.95. 128 pages. Cruden Bay Books) and Best Hikes With Dogs: Georgia & South Carolina by Steve and Ashley Goodrich ($16.95. 240 pages. The Mountaineers Books).

The books provide helpful information on topics such as preparation, gear, etiquette and safety (such as keeping dogs out of coastal waters because of alligators) as well as suggestions on hiking locations.

Among the ones closest to Charleston, "Doggin' " recommends Magnolia Plantation, Palmetto Islands County Park, Edisto Nature Trail and the Awendaw Passage of the Palmetto Trail among others, while "Best Hikes" recommends I'On Swamp and Sewee Shell Mound trails in the Francis Marion National Forest near Awendaw.

Local beach rules for your pooch

The three major public beaches in Charleston — Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach — have different rules at different times of the year. All require that dog owners or handlers clean up after their pets. Here are the current rules:

Isle of Palms: Dogs are allowed off-leash (though must be under voice command of the owner/handler) 5-8 a.m. every day. Afterward, dogs must be leashed.

Sullivan's Island: All dogs must have an annual Sullivan's Island dog tag, which can be purchased at Sullivan's Island Town Hall for $25. The tag requires proof of rabies vaccination.

--From Nov. 1 to March 31, dogs can be off-leash 5 a.m.-noon. Dogs must be on a leash noon-5 a.m.

--From April 1 to Oct. 31, dogs can be off-leash 5-10 a.m., are not allowed on the beach at all 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and on-leash 6 p.m.-5 a.m.

--Also, leashes cannot be longer than 10 feet. During off-leash times, the owner/handler must have a leash in hand.

Folly Beach: From Oct. 1 to April 30, leashed dogs are allowed on the beach at all times. From May 1 to Sept. 30, dogs are allowed on-leash 6 p.m.-10 a.m. Dogs are not allowed on the beach 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Reach David Quick at 937-5516 or dquick@postandcourier.com.

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