With obesity rates on the rise among Americans and their pets, two Californian women have come up with an all-in-one solution - a doggy bootcamp where dog owners and their canine friends work out together.
Thank Dog! Bootcamp is the nation's first outdoor fitness program where both humans and dogs get a full body workout while the pooches also learn basic obedience skills.
Founded two years ago by identical twins Jill and Jamie Bowers, the program has grown to include Classes at various Los Angeles and Orange County locations and most recently in Northern California.
Classes begin as early as 6 am with instructors in urban-camo pants yelling out drill-like commands in the traditional bootcamp style.
The difference here is that instructors are certified in both fitness and dog training, and each bootcamper happens to have a four-legged partner by their side at all times. "People need to exercise, and dogs need to be trained and exercised," said Jill Bowers.
The class takes place on a field in a public park with 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weight training. Each person has a mat with weights and bands. Their dog has its own mat and water bowl beside their owner.
The cardio portion involves bootcampers running around park trails and zigzagging through pylon-marked obstacle courses on the field with their leashed canine companions. Various squats, lunges, jumps and sprints are incorporated for the humans.
Meanwhile, dogs are told to engage in a series of numbered commands ranging from "sit" to "down" to "come."
"A lack of exercise and training causes dogs to have behavioral problems," says Bowers. "If they don't have enough activity to expend their energy, they take it out on your favorite couch or your designer shoes. With bootcamp, your dog is too tired to be bad."
Latest statistics show that in 2009 about 28 percent of Americans aged 20 and over were obese, up from 19.4 percent in 1997, while it is estimated that about 43 percent of US dogs are overweight or obese.
随着美国人和他们的宠物的肥胖率不断上升，加利福尼亚州的两名女子想出了一个两全其美的办法，她们开办了一个宠物狗训练营，让主人和他们的宠物一起锻炼。
“感谢狗！”训练营是美国首家提供户外健身项目的机构，在这里，主人和宠物们一起进行全方位的身体锻炼，同时还能培养宠物的顺从意识。
这一训练营于两年前由孪生姐妹吉尔•保尔斯和杰米•保尔斯共同创立。目前，该训练营在洛杉矶和橘子郡的几个地方开设有训练课程，最近又扩展到了北加利福尼亚。
训练营一般是早上6点开始上课，教官们身穿都市迷彩服，大喊训练口令，和传统的训练营差不多。
但这个训练营和传统训练营的区别就在于这里的教练在健身和训犬方面都需获得资格认证，每个参加训练营的人身边都有爱犬陪伴。吉尔•保尔斯说：“人需要锻炼，狗也需要训练和锻炼。”
训练课程通常在公园内的一块操场上进行，训练内容包括30分钟的心肺锻炼和30分钟的力量训练。每个人都备有一个垫子，并配有重物和腕带。宠物们则呆在主人的身边，有自己的垫子和水碗。
在心肺锻炼部分，学员们要绕着公园里的小路跑步，并和他们的爱犬一起穿梭通过路障。主人们还要进行下蹲、弓步、跳跃和短跑等各项训练。
与此同时，宠物狗们则接受一系列简单的指令训练，包括“坐下”、“下来”、“过来”等。
保尔斯说：“缺乏锻炼和训练会让宠物狗出现行为问题。如果它们没有足够的活动来释放自己的精力，就会在你的沙发或名牌鞋上撒野。而训练营则能让宠物狗们筋疲力尽，没有力气干坏事了。”
最新数据显示，2009年，美国20岁以上的人群中约有28%为肥胖，高于1997年的19.4%，另据估计，美国约有43%的宠物狗体重超标或肥胖。
Vocabulary:
all-in-one: able to do the work of two or more things that are usually separate 多用途的；多功能的；几合一的
bootcamp: a training camp for new members of the armed forces, where they have to work hard 新兵训练营
canine: a dog 犬
work out: to train the body by physical exercise 锻炼身体；做运动
pooch: a dog 狗
identical twins: twins developed from a single fertilized ovum; they are of the same sex 同卵双胞胎
urban-camo pant: 都市迷彩裤
drill: military training in marching, the use of weapons, etc. 军事训练；操练
cardio: 心肺锻炼课程
weight training: a kind of physical exercise in which people lift or push heavy weights with their arms and legs in order to strengthen their muscles 力量训练
mat: a piece of thick material such as rubber or plastic used especially in some sports for people to lie on or fall onto （体育运动用的）厚垫子
zigzag: to move forward by making sharp sudden turns first to the left and then to the right 曲折前进
pylon: a tall metal structure that is used for carrying electricity wires high above the ground 电缆塔
lunge: 弓步
take it out on: 拿……撒气