Stunt Puppy to the Rescue!
Mesa is one unhappy camper. Not only does she normally hate it when I
taper, but I’ve been in taper mode for the 2 weeks before Chicago and
the 3 weeks between Chicago and NYC.
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| Don’t let her cuteness fool you… when she is not run, she gets crazy eyes. |
To sum up how much energy she has when she isn’t run: I decided to send her outside because she was acting crazy when visitors were over. I was hoping she’d find a bird, squirrel, or stick to occupy her. I opened the glass door and was just about to slide the screen door open… when… you guessed it, she charged as fast as she could into the screen. The company I had over burst out laughing. I hit my head with palm. Try to visualize this scene in your head… it actually is quite funny. Except now we have a broken screen.
Her favorite thing to do during my taper is to find
something “interesting” to roll around in. Seriously. Not sure if it’s
to punish me or that’s her form of entertainment in lieu of running…
whatever her motivations, it is NOT cool. NOT COOL AT ALL, MESA.
Enter Stunt Puppy to the rescue (again) . Not only have they made all of our training miles
more enjoyable, but we now have an awesome taper stink-free collar! SWEET!!!!!
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| Beautiful! Nate is excited because it will be her “hunting collar” as well as “taper collar” 🙂 |
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| Mesa with the new collar! Can you tell she needs to RUN? 🙂 See her eyes. I thought she’d be cuter in pink, but Nate insisted on hunting-orange. Anyone with me? |
Mesa, roll in whatever you want. It’s easy to give you a bath. Not so easy to wash the stink out of your collar… ’til now! 🙂
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| Famous puppy! This was on display at the TCM expo and Stunt Puppy was awesome enough to print a second copy for us. Nate said we should frame it – but no idea where we should actually hang it? No, we are NOT going to mount it in our bedroom. We love her, but… on another note, take a look at how HAPPY she looks while running. I would find it fun just to see the two of us out on the roads someday 🙂 PS – I swear we feed her. A LOT. |
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| After a run w/ our Stunt Runner! *Love* |
Truly, I don’t want to make this into a “you should buy this” type of blog, but if you either have a dog and are running with a regular leash (ug, tired arms) or know someone who is, this would make an awesome gift. Seriously, awesome. I absolutely love it, and I don’t say that lightly. The leashes last forever and are USA made. Ari, do you have one yet for Gussie? Sara C for Winston? 🙂
My favorite is the Go Dog Glo collar and matching Stunt Runner. Just a little bit more expensive (maybe $4?) than the non-reflective version and it really makes a difference when running at night.
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| You can see how much more reflective this is vs. the normal version. I am all about safety! |
Our other favorites:
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| The “Stink-Free” collar (as we call it) – also a great hunting option as it’s “indestructible” (via their website), waterproof, and smell proof. Win. |
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| Yes, I have a dog that wears booties in the winter. Never thought I’d be that person. But Mesa really is happier when wearing them while running through snow and ice (can’t blame her). Plus, the dancing in them prior to running in them is quite comical!! |
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| Probably excessive, but I LOVE this! If you’re running a lot at night, this reflective vest is super nice. Mesa and I are SO noticeable now! |
LOAD UP – early Christmas shopping! And special for readers of my blog, Stunt Puppy is offering you 20% off the entire order using the code “MESAMILES“!!! Yes, I specifically requested this from them, for YOU! You are welcome. And no, I don’t get anything from your purchase… so truly just doing this just because :).
Let me know if you buy and what you/recipient think! Or any other fun/not so fun dog-taper stories?
Hi Nichole! I really enjoy your blog! I have a question about the stunt puppy leash. I run with my (65 lb) golden retriever, and she's basically great, except she bolts / lunges when she sees a squirrel… which is often. l'm able to control her with a regular leash and prong collar, but it would be awesome to be hands-free, particularly when I'm also pushing the jogging stroller. Do you think the waist-style leash would work for a lunger, or would it be likely to cause back damage of some sort (to md)? (I'm a pretty solid 5'7" 125 lb female.) THANK YOU, and good luck in NYC!!!
Hi! Kudos to you for running with a dog AND a stroller! Wow! 🙂 When Mesa and I first started, there were a few times that she would lunge at something (squirrel, duck, etc). Sometimes it was so quick and jerky that it would make me a little sick to my stomach. So, that is a risk. I now know when she sees something (ears perk up, she takes a different step) and immediately give the leash a little tug and say, "No, Mesa… heel" and then she carries right along without trying to go after it. It didn't take long to teach her that… I can't remember the last time she pulled. I was also really good from the beginning to teach her that this leash meant we were running "together" – that this run wasn't for her & her job was to stay by my side the whole time. She will pull with a regular leash (probably because I haven't taught her not to :)). Hopefully this helps! Running hands free is SO much more enjoyable – let me know if you decide to try it!
Your dog is so cute! That's a great photo with her ears flying in the wind when she's running. My Weimaraner likes to run with me, too.
Thanks for all of the info. I'm definitely going to try it, although I will wait another three months until I am no longer pregnant. Guessing it wouldn't be the best bet for stomach / baby. 🙂 My hands / arms will just have to suffer for a little while longer! So excited to try it out, though!