In Batesville, AR the Humane Society of Independence County came up with an ingenious way to get volunteers to help exercise their residents.

What is it?  They started a walking club, a win-win for dog and human.

The society used to have trouble recruiting volunteers, but since the walking club began in September, “we’ve got a core group of five to eight, depending on the weather and what they have planned,” says Augustus, a board member who takes off work for the walking club.

“It’s been tremendous for the dogs,” she says. “The turnaround [in their mood ] has been amazing. And we get out and get exercise, and it makes us feel good just to be outside with them.”

Many of the dogs start out scared and apprehensive, she says, but quickly take to the adventure.

What a great idea, wouldn’t it be wonderful if it spread to shelters across the country.  I’m sure it would also help increase the adoption rate, how could you not fall in love with a dog you walk every week?

It’s free exercise for dogs and people. And the dogs come to meet the people in a central location.

“You go at your own pace, with a dog you feel comfortable with,” says volunteer Sue Augustus. “We generally have between seven and 13 walkers.”

Any and all dog lovers can join the society’s volunteers in walking shelter dogs at 8: 30 a. m. Wednesdays in Batesville. The club meets at the city’s North Complex recreation center at 3451 E. Main St.

Anyone who wants to walk with a (very grateful ) dog is welcome. Volunteers merely ask that you call ahead to (870 ) 251-4145 or (870 ) 307-5305 so they bring enough dogs for everyone.

Yes, it’s exactly as it sounds.  There is a man in Britain that actually walks his dog while driving his car.

A father has been named one of Britain’s laziest men after taking his dog for a walk while sitting in his car.

Kevin Pyle gets his son Karl to drive him round the block in Newcastle while he leads four-year-old pet bull mastiff Bruce alongside.

Bruce covers about four miles a week but Mr Pyle does not walk a single step.

Wow, that is lazy.  According to his son Karl, since his father started working the early shift as a wagon driver he never gets out of bed. His father expects the entire family to bring what he needs up to him in bed while he watches TV.  This  latest stunt started out on a rainy morning.

‘One morning it was raining and Dad looked out the window and told me to start the car. I wondered what he was up to then he said we were taking Bruce for a walk.

‘I thought he was only joking. But he said “I’m serious, I can’t be bothered” so off we went.

‘Dad had his arm out the window holding Bruce’s lead. He just lolloped alongside.’

Okay, I confess,  when we lived in NY and it was snowy and cold out Bo’s walks did get shorter.  Very short.  But this…I can’t really think of much that would beat “walking” your dog while driving.

If you’ve ever shortchanged your best friend out of laziness give me a bark.

* The big cutie above is Dogster’s own Fergus Willoughby.  He’s a Mastiff, not Bull Mastiff, but I couldn’t resist the alfit.

Here’s a great story about a study done in Australia  showing kids with dogs were in better shape than those without.

As experts grapple with Australia’s escalating childhood obesity epidemic, new research has found owning a pet could keep children slim and healthy.

A Deakin University study found that young children who own a dog are less likely to be overweight or obese compared with those who do not have one in the family home.

The study of more than 1100 children aged five to 12 found they were in much better shape if they had a dog, even if they did not walk it regularly.

Head researcher, Associate Professor Jo Salmon, said the findings suggest even incidental play with the dog helped children keep the weight off. She said physical activity was the key to maintaining a healthy weight and the results were likely to be the same if children owned other pets such as cats or rabbits.

I would think this would apply to anyone, young and old, who has a dog.  I know it gets Lisa and I to the park everyday, even when we don’t feel like it.

“For parents who are trying to get their kids off the computer and switching off the TV and getting out and playing, having a pet might be a really good strategy for doing that,” Professor Salmon said. “Social support for physical activity is vital, so this research suggests the extended family network - not just parents and siblings but also dogs and pets - is important for children’s health and their physical activity.”

Do you find your owner being more active thanks to you?  Give me a bark.

* Click on the pic above and you can visit Pop,  he’s Bo’s good buddy.  Pop has a two-legged sister who takes him for walks in the woods.

When I first saw this article I was very excited.  It was about a gene that has been linked to exercise-induced collapse.

I could now explain to Lisa why I fell to the ground after exercising, it wasn’t simply because I was out of shape.  I was sure I must have this gene defect and I was going to have to give up exercising for the sake of my health. Life is good.

As I read further I discovered this has nothing to do with humans, I’m on my own, and everything to do with a mutated gene that has been found in Labrador Retrievers.

PARIS (AFP) - Genetic scientists said on Sunday they could explain why Labrador retrievers, the most popular dog breed in the world, may be prone to suffering a collapse of their rear legs after having exercise.

The answer lies in a mutation of a gene called dynamin 1, or DNM1, on the dog’s ninth chromosome that controls a key chemical in the nervous system, they said.

The syndrome, called exercise-induced collapse, was first spotted by vets in the 1990s among a group of Labradors who were undergoing training.

Some five to 15 minutes after getting strenuous exercise, some of the dogs would develop a wobbly gait and a high temperature, followed by a near-complete loss of control over their rear limbs.

This is actually a very important discovery and is the first naturally occurring mutation of this gene identified in any mammal.

“Its discovery could offer insight into normal as well as abnormal neurobiology in both animals and humans,”  stated James Mickelson, a professor of veterinary sciences at the university.

I took the kids for their evening walk at the park tonight. It was another wonderful evening; 90 degrees, high humidity with a slight coating of city smog. Ahh, summertime in Atlanta. Truth be told, I actually prefer this type of weather, outside of the smog part.

The park we frequent is actually a civil war battleground and is heavily wooded with dirt paths for walking the dogs. There’s a creek in the middle of the park that we like to let the kids play in, and it’s something they look forward to all day. So much fun for them and so much fun to watch.

Tonight, as I’m walking along I see this big ‘ole dump in the middle of the dirt path. A big ‘ole canine dump. I think to myself, if the owner can’t be bothered to pick it up, they could at least have the decency to kick it off the path. It’s just common courtesy.

I walked over to the poop and, making sure there were plenty of leaves between my sneaker and the turd,  kicked it off the trail. As I thought about this latest incident, I realized the only reason I do this is so the rest of us dog owners don’t get a bad rap from the sad, dogless folks out there.

So I have to ask, when you see  dog poo on a trail, sidewalk, park path, beach, etc, what do you do? Do you leave it alone, pick it up with an extra doggie doo bag, kick it off the beaten path, save it for Rover to eat later?

Do tell.