Monday, May 23, 2011

Mack's New Ride

Hu-mom here.....If you have been following our blog you know that Mack, being a Pug, has a hard time handling the heat and humidity of Northern Virginia.  Well the H&H  (heat & humidity) are back and will continue to get worse as the summer wears on.

In the past, Mack has had to only enjoy long walks in the dark or wee hours of the AM.  I'm not a fan of walking the dogs at either of those times.  Therefore, Mack has been left behind.  I feel bad leaving him at home or just taking him on a quick trip on our cul-de-sac.  We usually take at least one walk a day with our neighborhood friends and their doggies so it's a time of socialization for both humans and dogs that we all enjoy.

After trying different things to help Mack out, like cooling collars (don't work on a pug with no neck), wetting him down before we go, trying to stay in the shade as much as possible, we even bought a used Radio Flyer wagon, but Mack refused to get into it from the very beginning and it was really loud as we pulled in on the sidewalk.  I think we finally came up with an idea!


A stroller for Mack!   

There are strollers made especially for dogs BUT being a frugal person, I couldn't see spending that much money on a dog stroller!  So I started hitting the yard sales.  The first stroller I snagged was only $1.  It was an umbrella stroller.  The seat was too small for Mack (think of the area a doggie like Mack would need when sitting down.) So I continued to check out the yard sales.

Then yesterday, while walking the dogs, we came upon a yard sale!  and they had this beautiful blue stroller for $4!  Bingo!!!  Mack's New Ride!  It's a regular stroller that has a reclining seat.  So when seat is all the way down, he can sit comfortably in it with room to spare. There is also a sun shade which will help, too. And there's room for poop bags, dog water, cell phone, etc in the basket under the seat and a place for a human drink.  I was excited to try it out this evening on our group walk. 

So....half way through our hour walk, Mack was getting really hot and tired. He had taken care of his business so  I plopped him in the stroller and off we went!  No resistance at all.  At first he was facing forward but then he turned around so he could see me.(see picture above.)  It was like talking to a baby!  Below is a picture of Mack in his stroller with his friend's checking him out. I think they were somewhat jealous!!  He seemed to really like it and was able to cool down and breathe normally.  I sure hope  we can take him out more even as it gets warmer and warmer.

I also thought I would have trouble pushing the stroller when it was empty and handling 2 leashes but I had no problems at all. It rolls really easily for being from 2002. I highly recommend this method!   



Is there something you do for you flat or short snouted friends to help with the heat?



19 comments:

Noodles said...

My Mommy used Sham Wows and a fan to cool me down. They stay moist a long time. and half of one drapes over my whole body.
Love Noodles

Payton said...

Mack, you are so cute! Unfortunately, nothing seems to work for me either, so when the temperature gets above 85, we just have to stay inside with the AC.
Love,
Payton

Elgor82 said...

Cute stroller. We have a couple of strollers - one holds about 40 lbs of pug so we can put Liberty and any one of the other three in with her ... but she doesn't really like to ride in it. It belongs to Zoe - she doesn't "need" it but she loves it! The second one is huge and will hold all four but they really aren't crazy about it so we only use it when we take all four out ... like to the pet store. Most of the time we just take walks around town and we don't need a stroller for that.

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

A MACKMOBILE!!! How cool is THAT??? COOL... get it??? As in.. gettin to go..butt staying cool at the same time!!! I LOVE it. Tell your mom that she is a SUPER SHOPPER!!!
Job well done!

Wilma said...

Love Mack's new ride. Very cool. Brigitte is the rider in our family. She has arthritis in her front paw, so even in the cool weather she can't walk far without paying for it later with pain. She has a doggy stroller that mom got at a consignment store. Sshe's a big bargain hunter too. Plus she has two bage (Britte bags) one is one of those baby slings, the other and outward hound carrier. Mom and dad just fling her in the bag and off we go. She LOVES it! Both of those items were also bargain scores.

Maddy and Owen said...

Wow! What a great idea and a great find! Glad that you will be able to join in the walks from now on :)
Wags,
Maddy and Owen

Southern Fried Pugs said...

Isabelle can walk for a little while but then needs the stroller. She wasn't a fan of the wagon, either, and tolerates the stroller. Mom also got hers on sale, only $50 for a $200 stroller! She wanted a specific dog one that could be completely zipped up with a screen in case someone decided to try to get out.
Plus, we have baby pools that we splash in all summer long. That helps keep us cool and exercised.

Suki said...

Hi Minnie,

Mack's ride is awesome, does it come with racing flames on the side?

Hugs,
Suki

Anonymous said...

Wow! Totally jealous of your stroller! (Well, I--the human am, Riley--the dog likes to run and walk and run and explore...)!

Aren't yard sales great? I started "yard sale-ing" about 2 months ago with my sister and we have scored some great deals--especially on baby things (for her, not me!!). Anyway, I think the thrill of the hunt is the most fun part!

Glad that you have found a solution so Mack can enjoy getting out as well.

Elyse and Riley

Sequoia & Petunia & Emma said...

Mack your stroller rules! Tuni has one too in red!

Hugs
S&P

Unknown said...

Oh, I can SOOOOO relate on the heat & humidity problem. Honey isn't short-nosed but being a giant breed (and being older now), she really struggles when the temp goes up even slightly. I can't tell you how delighted that we're going into the Southern Hemisphere winter now...

Sigh. Wish I could use a similar solution for Honey but somehow, I don't think anyone would make strollers big enough...and I wouldn't fancy having to push her either - not when she weighs 20kg more than me!! :-)

Mack looks like he's having an awesome time!! What a great idea of yours!~

Hsin-Yi

Nicole said...

That's so awesome that you found one for $4! I've (Human..) wanted a dog stroller for Maggie because even though we got her palette surgery done last year, it didn't seem to help. (We weren't able to really tell until just recently, since we couldn't take her out much last summer when she had just given birth to her puppies.)

We have actually rigged back packs to put them in when we went to a winter carnival in the mountains and that worked pretty good. They loved being carried around instead of having to walk, but I'm worried it might be hot for the summer (no humidity here in Idaho, but it gets HOT in the late summer!) maybe I need to show this blog post to my husband....lol

Oliver Tate said...

your mommy is so smart mack! you look great in that stroller. i bet you make all the other walking doggies jealous. doesnt minnie want one though?

Tiffy said...

That stroller is going to be a chick magnet!

Tiffy

Lori @ According to Gus said...

I love it! The fact you scored such a great deal on this one makes it even more awesome! Our jogging stroller has been one of the best gifts we've ever received. We love being able to do things as a family - so I can only imagine how excited you are to have Mack with you on all your walks.

Yay! This makes me smile. :)

Salinger The Pug said...

COOL RIDE MACK!!! Maybe hu-mom can paint up some flames or racing stripes on the sides!

I have a cool thing called a "Frogg Togg chilly towel" that mom got from Dicks Sporting Goods for me. (here's the link to the Frogg Togg page http://www.froggtoggs.com/#cooling/ )

Her Pilates instructor has one and Mom thought it was cool, so she got them for ALL of us. You wet it down and somehow it stays COOL for a long time! Mom packs it wet in a baggie for me if we're going somewhere. She just throws it into the washer when it needs to be cleaned and then it just air dries! Pretty cool...and they were only $14.99 each!

Good luck and stay cool sweet Mackie!

Love,
S-Dog

Pee S. Mom says you need a clip on batter operated fan on your stroller tray!

Adien Crafts said...

Aaaawww Mack what a great human you have getting you that stroller so you can still go out with them. We suggest a couple of racing stripes down the side just for some extra street cred and some sunglasses for you of course! Enjoy your walks! Dex & Lou x

Minnie Moo said...

Mack is totally going to get all the babes in that ride. Lincoln does okay in the weather but I'm miserable. Everyone carries me cuz I hate to be left behind too. Maybe we should try a stroller....hmmmm

Muah,

Minnie Moo

Mariel said...

That is so cute! I love Mack's happy face. :)