GUiNNESS: A FRiSKY FiTNESS Success Story

Guinness was a big, huggable knucklehead of a yellow lab, and one of my best buddies. Guinness’s person, Cheryl, hired me to exercise her big boy twice a day, three days a week, for the remaining couple of months that she would be attending classes in California. She was concerned about Guinness’s health, because for the weeks since she had left town, eight year-old Guinness had been staying with her well-meaning but only semi-lucid elderly neighbor, Kay. Kay loved Guinness, but she didn’t fulfill his needs for exercise, discipline and a healthy diet. My guess is that she didn’t merely feed him table scraps, but three or more square meals a day. This was how Kay showed Guinness affection. But in actuality, she was - quite literally - loving him to death.

Cheryl had come back to Denver during a school break. She was shocked, as it appeared that Guinness had gained a lot of weight in a very short time. It was then that she hired me to come get Guinness at Kay’s each morning and afternoon, and take him on vigorous walks around Washington Park. After a couple of weeks, she called and asked me if I would take him to the Wash Park Vet while we were out walking, put him on the scale, and give her the verdict. She was concerned and curious, but it wasn’t until she found out that Guinness weighed a horrifying 120 lbs that the gravity of the situation really struck her. His ideal weight was 85 lbs.

Cheryl had a meltdown. She was ready to quit her program and come back to Denver immediately to save her dog. I told her not to leave school; that Guinness could move in with me, and together, we would work hard to get him into shape.

For three or four days, Guinness would not even touch dry dog food. But eventually he was back on a regular diet of weight-control dry dog food, and strictly limited cookies. Guinness and I began a jogging regimen, which included a daily run downtown, where we would often bound up the massive Capitol Building staircase. I’ll never forget the moment we got to the top for the first time. Guinness gave me a big lick across the face, and we both reveled in our achievement. We felt strong; and it felt great!

Within a few weeks, Guinness’s weight loss became evident. He had transformed before my eyes. No longer the worn out, tubby dog I had met weeks before, it now seemed that his inner-puppy was waking up, happily in a body that once again matched its resident spirit. Needless to say, I was overjoyed, and so very proud of Guinness for reaching the lofty fitness goals I had set in place for him. At his final weigh-in after six weeks, I was flabbergasted to learn that Guinness had lost twenty-five pounds!

The day before Cheryl came to pick up Guinness, I had the groomer make him as shiny, fluffy, handsome and delicious-smelling as possible. I tied a blue ribbon and bow around his neck. When Cheryl arrived she was greeted by a happy, healthy dog, wagging furiously as he scrambled into her open arms. Cheryl later told me that both she and her vet credited me with saving Guinness’s life. I’m not sure about that. But what I do know is that it is my life’s work to help others – people and dogs alike – achieve the satisfaction that comes with frisky fitness!