Fitness gives a new leash on life...for pets and their humans

Photo Credit Charmaine Hammond Team Toby June 2015

It's me Toby... a dog with a blog!

How active are you?  How about your pet?

Mom and I walk about 6000-12,000 steps together a day, that doesn't include all the running through the house as I chase my toys. I get lots of exercise and I make sure mom and dad do too.  

When I am in St Albert, I love to visit my friend Kaytie's K9 Awareness Centre and go on the doggy tread mil.

Mom interviewed Tricia Montgomery on her PAWsitive Radio show.  Tricia is the  CEO & Founder, K9 Fit Club® who is the  Nation’s leading expert and pioneer in human/canine fitness. Her diverse experience in veterinary medicine, public relations, animal rescue, personal training, and her own weight loss journey gave her the perfect combination of skills to create a nationwide community of certified trainers – dedicated to the health, fitness, and wellness of dogs and their people.

Several years ago, after a visit to the veterinarian with her dog Louie, Ms. Montgomery realized the need for a fitness program, not just for Louie, but for herself as well. She ended up losing 130 pounds and Louie was able to shed four pounds. After her personal journey, she wanted to help all people and their dogs be happy and stay healthy and fit together. Her passion and love for both people and dogs led to the creation of K9 Fit Club. Montgomery introduced the nation’s first online education platform for teaching the standards of excellence in human and canine fitness. Today, K9 Fit Club is now turning those certified trainers into franchisees around the globe, as they roll out K9 Fit Club franchises Summer 2015.   K9 Fit Club, giving both humans and canines a New Leash on Life™

You can listen to the show here:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/teamtoby/2015/06/22/what-dogs-can-teach-humans-about-health-and-wellness

How can you improve your fitness with your pet?

What 3 things can you do to improve your health and your pet's health?

What you can do to ensure you move with purpose, every day?

 To find out about our upcoming Million Acts of Kindness Tour or to order a copy of Toby’s books check out our Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalTeamToby    For people who love to travel, please check out canadiantraveller.com for awesome destinations, travel tips, bucket-list adventures and so much more.

Does your dog have etiquette?

It's me!
Toby the dog.
A dog with a blog and
a big mission of kindness.

I tried to sneak the crumbs from my pupcakes at my last birthday picnic...and was caught.

Mom interviewed behaviourist Amy Shojai on her PAWSitive Radio show, and Amy was talking about pet etiquette.  

Now, I think I am pretty good...most of the time.  I don't mooch from the table.  I mostly don't drool when humans are eating. I've never stolen food off the counter, but I did help myself to mom's friends' leftovers (and discovered I like Pad Thai noodles) once and sometimes I like it when someone drops food so I can grab it. But mostly, my etiquette is pretty good.

How about your four legged family member?  How does he/she rate on the PETiquette scale?

 

Amy Shojai a certified animal behavior consultant, and the award-winning author of 30 best selling pet books. She created the Puppies.about.com site as the Puppies Expert and was the cat behavior expert at cats.About.com, and you can find her half hour Internet Pet Peeves radio shows here. Amy has been featured as an expert in hundreds of print venues including The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, and Family Circle, as well as national radio and television networks such as CNN, Animal Planet’s DOGS 101 and CATS 101. She’s been a consultant to the pet products industry and a host/program consultant for select “furry” TV projects.

You can listen to mom and Amy talking about how to stop your pet from stealing food at the picnic or mooching at the table, here.  

Guess what September is?  Our Million Acts of Kindness Tour.....

To find out about our upcoming Million Acts of Kindness Tour or to order a copy of Toby’s books check out our Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalTeamToby    For people who love to travel, please check out canadiantraveller.com for awesome destinations, travel tips, bucket-list adventures and so much more.

 

Natural products for your Dog

Toby the dog here...
A dog with blog

You might remember when I was on my tour last fall that mom had done posts about the ear spray that she used to get sticky pine needle sap off the inside of my ear.

My ear  was a mess!

I smelled like a Christmas tree.

Then mom used a product from a lady she knows from WIPIN (Women in the Pet Industry Network).
 

 It was the Natural Paws Ear Wash

It cleaned up my ears and mom also used it after play dates in the dog park and swimming in the lake. 


Elyse from Natural Paws says she's "always been crazy about dogs".

Sweet Pea, her dog, inspired her to find products that would help with Sweet Pea's paw pads as they were really getting worn. When she couldn't find a product to solve the problem guess what she did?

She created one herself. 


 I love it. Another dog inspired product.


Until next week,
Let's be kind to one another.
Toby

Saving the planet together

Toby the dog here

Yup

Dog with blog

PAWS Across Canada Tour (the second leg) launches in just a couple of weeks

We are headed to Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

 

It will be pawsome to head out, spread some kindness and visit thousands of kids at school presentations.  October is bully prevention month which is why we decided to tour during this important month.

Joining us on this tour is our new partner.

The Original Poop Bags.  The are eco-friendly poop bags that return to the earth!  That's one reason we LUV them.

We also luv them because they are great quality bags.  And... they've been saving the planet for more than 10 years!

Thanks Original Poop Bags for taking care of number twos on the tour.

Together we can make a pawsitive difference.

Make sure you follow our tour on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube!

https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalTeamToby

http://www.pinterest.com/teamtoby1/

http://instagram.com/originalteamtoby

https://www.youtube.com/user/TeamTobyTv

https://twitter.com/TeamToby2

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/teamtoby

Share our posts with others.

Until next time.... let's be kind to one another

Getting through grief.... the loss of a family pet

It's me Toby!

Yup, a dog with a blog!

I once heard that animals don't live as long as humans cuz the work we have to do on the planet (being man's best friend, changing the world with luv and unconditionally accepting people) is important work...but work that takes a lot of our energy. So... we are here for a while and make a difference....then we gather over the rainbow bridge to play.

Dealing with the loss of a pet is difficult.

For many children, the first loss they deal with is their pet.

Experiences are like footprints in our future....

How you handle it helps shape how kids deal with loss in their future.

Mom and her radio guest Margot talk about this on PAWsitive Radio. 

Here's a few tips to help your family cope with an aging pet, or pet loss...

1) Journal or write a letter to your dog
2) Talk about it
3) Allow yourself to feel and experience grief
4) Surround yourself with a support system
5) Children can draw pictures of their pet

Listen to the conversation....Mom and Margo talk about more tips on PAWsitive Radio -

We would love you to share your tips on coping with grief.  Please feel free to comment on this blog, or on our Facebook Page (make sure you "like" us too) 

Check out my books....

This book teaches children about kindness, acceptance and respect, and how to prevent bullying.   You can find out more here and check out what other parents, teachers and kids had to say about the book.

Massage can help the humans when travelling with pets

You never know when I am looking around the corner for a good dog blog idea!  Hi, Toby the dog here, a dog on a mission to spread kindness and good news!

When we were on our PAWS Across Canada tour, a lady contacted mom to do a chair massage.... a great treat for mom after sitting forever in the Toby Mobile!  At least I get the whole back to myself and can stretch out in the truck.

 

Here's what Tracey McColm told us about the Chair Massage.

"Relaxation massage is available for: Upper body and head ~ Legs and Feet ~ Head and Face or Full." FULL is what Tracey's gift is to mom was. I stayed in the room to check it all out. It was so relaxing I fell asleep too!

"You remain fully clothed with the exception of your feet (if your are ok with that). I can also work on covered feet. No scented lotions or oils are used unless requested. With permission, I do like to use unscented lotion on the hands and feet.  Re: Head and Face ... your hair will get a bit messed up and it's best not to wear make-up if possible; however, I can work around it so you only need some touch-ups if necessary."

 Here's mom and Tracey the following night at an event sponsored by Transform Travel.  Mom was looking very relaxed and refreshed, thank you Tracey!!  LUV how you take care of our humans!

Tracey McColm is a Certified Chair Massage Provider who also offers Foot Reflexology using Aromatherapy Oils.  After sixteen years with a Clinical Research firm she decided to shift her career focus to hands-on healthcare management.  Ms. McColm is the President and CEO of Chair Massage On The Go.

 During the past 10 years Ms. McColm has served on various Committees, spent time as a Search and Rescue Volunteer as well as volunteering with animal rescue organizations.  Other interests include Artistic endeavors, Ocean kayaking and Skydiving.  Currently residing in Victoria, BC she can be contacted @ chairmassageonthego@gmail.com

Zuke's is fuelling the love!

Did you get a chance to listen to mom interviewing Chris from Zuke's?

This is Chris from Zuke's with his best friends

You should take a listen.

They have great dog treats that are healthy! And super cool news...my doggie daycare sells them.

Yup!  Dogspaw in Edmonton. Totally can't wait until my next trip there!  I'll be sniffing those out for sure.

 Zuke's started because of a dog! that's right, another dog named Zuke became the inspiration for a business (just like how I inspire mom to write books).  Not only did Zuke inspire the business and healthy treats, he also inspired a fund that helps dogs and cats with cancer.  Zuke's is saving lives.

Big bark out to Zuke's for all you do to make our world a better place

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/teamtoby/2014/02/26/zukes-fuel-the-love-keeping-staff-volunteers-engaged-at-work

To order a copy of Toby’s books, or find out more about Charmaine and Team Toby, visit his website at: www.TheOriginalTeamtoby.com 

Come and find, follow and LIKE us on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalTeamToby

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamToby2

Share your favorite story about how an animal taught you a life lesson...We want to hear how your pets have inspired you!

Fuel the Love!

A dog with a blog....that's me!

I think Zuke's motto Fuel the Love is pawsome!

Chris Meiering, from Zukes, is mom's guest on PAWsitive Radio on February 25.

Zuke's makes tasty and healthy treats for pets, can't wait for mom to buy some for me.

Love how Zuke's is helping dogs and cats... Chris is also the founder of The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund, a non-profit dedicated to helping families afford cancer treatment for their pets. www.dccfund.org

To order a copy of Toby’s books, or find out more about Charmaine and Team Toby, visit his website at: www.TheOriginalTeamtoby.com 

Please Follow us on social media and LIKE our page:

https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalTeamToby


Share your favorite story about how animals taught you a life lesson.We want to hear how your pets inspired you!

And hope you will listen to the interview with Zuke's and share it around.   http://www.blogtalkradio.com/teamtoby/2014/02/26/zukes-fuel-the-love-keeping-staff-volunteers-engaged-at-work

Women in the Pet Industry

A Blog from a dog... Life through Toby's eyes

Us dogs make great connectors for you humans... You are always talkin' about us and swapping pet stories. I figure there should be a place where you all can hang out, we have the dog park and offleash parks. Mom joined a group called Women in the Pet Industry Network. I'm going out to find my kong, she'll fill you in.

..............

Charmaine here... Always nice when our dog passes the blog to me so I can have a turn writing... Shawna Schuh is a CSP professional speaker and leads the Women in the Pet Industry Network, which is the only cross category network serving all levels and types of pet professionals in the world. 

Their members are everyone from pet product manufacturers to pet sitters, groomers, authors and pet loss experts and retailers.  They represent all kinds of animals and all types of people so the network realty is a diverse, interesting, supportive and fun network.  WIPIN’s philosophies are to grow (ourselves and each other and the network), to give to each other, which is the focus our pets teach us, and to connect in various ways for mutual benefit.  www.Womeninthepetindustry.com

Building a strong business is one of the themes Shawna sees in members, as well as the desire to be connected to others in the same industry but in different niches.  The network has annual events, learning opportunities for members, and an extremely active group on facebook. Members also receive a member profile page, here is an example..               http://womeninthepetindustry.com/directory/authors-writers-publishers/charmainehammond/

I have found that there is an incredible amount of information shared about events that are taking place around the world such as pet expos, blogger conferences,  and offers connections to other associations in the animal world.

I'm back, no one to play fetch with, so I come inside to get mom.   You can listen to mom's conversation with Shawna on November 26 on PAWsitive Radio.