How This Purchase Took My Fitness To The Next Level

I have always been very athletic I love sports that push me to the next level and are high intensity. Kick-boxing, spinning, running to name a few but I can also take it down multiple levels and enjoy a Pilates reformer class (did I tell you we just added two Peak Pilates Reformers to our home gym? More on this later). I bought a basic dog stroller when we were flying back and forth to Colorado for IVF in 2015.

It took me about five minutes to get over my insecurity of having a dog stroller and I absolutely love it. I quickly adapted to being “one of those crazy people” that have a stroller for their dog. Owning a basic dog stroller has allowed me to take Frenchie everywhere from our little shopping and lunch trips to Norstrom’s, to basic outings like the Post Office and Whole Foods.

I was on one of my speed walks with Frenchie recently and I thought I wonder if this little stroller can take a jog? I started running and looked down at the cheap plastic wobbly wheels barely being able to keep a straight line and decided there has to be something better and safer.

I was thinking there must be crazy dog Mom’s out there that run with their small dogs. I hit the google search for hours inputting words like “dog jogger” “running with your small dog” “crazy people that run with their dogs” and low and behold the DOGGER came up. Dogger Stroller is considered the SUV of dog strollers. I watched the video and read all the amazing reviews. I was so excited! A dog stroller with real rear suspension, a basket that sits higher up than most strollers so Frenchie can have the best view, 12″ air-filled tires! and MADE IN CANADA I couldn’t believe it!

Now for all you out there reading this, it’s important to understand that I have a French Bulldog. If you are not familiar with the special breed let me give you a rundown on why I can’t treat my dog like a Labrador or any other long-nosed dog when outside. French bulldogs and any smoosh-faced breed are classified as Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BAS). BAS is a constellation of problems in smoosh-faced dogs, including very narrow nostrils and it makes breathing through the nose very difficult or impossible especially in the heat. BAS puts a strain on the heart so that, eventually, an exertion of any kind is exhausting. BAS can also cause laryngeal collapse, which will mean near-total or total obstruction of airflow. French Bulldogs can overheat within minutes. Unfortunately, a lot of people that add a French Bulldog to their family are completely unaware of this issue and I have heard and read one too many stories on Frenchies suddenly dying because the owner was not educated on the breed. There is no excuse not to know everything you can about the breed of dog you own.

I take this special need with my French Bulldog very seriously so much so I have a Dog Cooler Ice Vest for her when we are outside in the summer. Living in South Florida we have high humidity and temperatures that for a French Bulldog can be deadly. I will walk Frenchie for a very short period of time early in the morning or late in the evening during the summer months then I will put her in her buggy as she likes to call it with her ice jacket wrapped around her body and neck.

Speed walking with Frenchie in the mornings was great but I wanted more of a workout and I wanted her with me. I ordered the Dogger but of course, it was on back order for almost two months. It arrived this past weekend just in time for my Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend fitness goals (see this blog post on why I love these two holiday’s for goals). Here is the rundown on how the first three days went.

Day 1: OMG, why is this so hard? I figured that pushing 45 pounds (Frenchie weighs 21 pounds and the Dogger about 24 pounds) wasn’t the easiest thing to do while running props to jogging Moms with twins in their joggers. I ran and walked around the neighboorhood still questioning if I was this out of shape.

Day 2: I was ready for some more fierce heavy pushing but found the second day a little easier and I took a more gradual pace instead of feeling like I needed to be running like Forest Gump.

Day 3: LOVE the runners high and Frenchie is thrilled to have a new morning routine. My body felt great and pushing the forty-five pounds of dog and dogger is a great arm workout. So much easier than the first day and my body is going to be on point this summer. The run is smooth, I love the handlebar that is adjustable so if you are a little taller like me your not killing your back with a low handlebar. The grip on the handlebar is ultra squishy and soft. I bought extras like the drink holder that is mesh so your water bottle doesn’t bounce around and pop out like in the plastic trays on a regular dog stroller.

There are other additional features that I bought from the Dogger Rain Cover, Dogger Mini Pump for the tires and Dogger Safety Lights. Remember also that when the temperature outside is rising so is the asphalt. Your dog’s pads can easily be burned and injured.

Now I have a great workout with my little fur baby every morning that will make a huge impact on my fitness goals this summer not to mention sporting some cute running outfits.

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