Activities For Firefighters With Dogs

The image of a Dalmatian riding alongside a crew of Firefighters has become ingrained within the collective subconscious of our society thanks to numerous TV shows, movies, video games and books that continue to propagate the concept. It's not an entirely off-base concept, mind you - Dalmatians actually have a very storied and intricate connection with the Firefighters of old, serving as guard dogs for Firefighters and their equipment back when most departments relied on volunteers to fill their ranks. In the end, however, dogs just don't accompany Firefighters during high stakes missions as they used to. If you're able to gain access to a fire engine on a slow day at work, however, you and your dog can ride along together just like canines did with Firefighters of old.

Nothing is certain in the life of a Firefighter except death, taxes, and having to run up and down a lot of stairs. Not only that, but Firefighters have to run up and down flights of stairs while wearing and carrying around very heavy pieces of equipment. It'll be much easier to get in and out of a burning building on the brink of bowling over if you've spent enough time training with stairs - strengthening your legs, lungs, and heart in the process. Your dog can get in on the fun as well, allowing both of you to motivate each other. An excellent workout on the cheap, you don't really have to worry about weather conditions either, as you and your dog can complete this activity indoors if need be.

In the line of fire, the grip strength of a Firefighter is one of those key factors that can spell the difference between success or failure; picking up and pulling victims, carrying heavy equipment, climbing up and down precarious terrain - strong and reliable grip strength is needed in all of those scenarios and more. While dogs don't have hands, they are reliant on the grips of their jaws in the same way that humans are reliant on our hands. Your hands and your dog's jaws can be strengthened using similar techniques, meaning that you and your pet can workout together after you spent about a little cash purchasing the equipment you'll need. You can also likely use some of the equipment at your station on a slow day, cutting costs down considerably.