Okay, let’s be honest here. I bet you are just like me. When you get home and settled the last thing you want to do is go back out. When it comes to letting the dog out, there are times that it feels like a burden on you. You’re tired, it’s hot, or you just plain don’t feel like it. Guess what? You aren’t alone! Most of us feel like that at some point.

Dogs are one of the best motivators for getting you up and out of your house.

Dogs HAVE to go outside to potty. That is, if you don’t want a huge mess inside. Most dogs also need at least a little exercise. I find that some days are harder than others to get motivated to get up out of my comfy house to take Lily outside, downstairs, and out into the big bright world. She’s an Australian Shepherd and needs at least a little walk a couple times a day. The heat has been brutal here in Tampa Florida not to mention the rain too, so it’s harder to take long walks, but that’s a story for another time. As a lifestyle pet photographer living in Florida I am outside a lot for photoshoots. So, when I come home I typically want to stay indoors with the A/C. Today I’m here to let you know about some fun apps that are helping tons of people including me get out in the world, move, and have fun doing it.

There are some great apps out there that are getting people motivated to walk and move.

There are a ton of great walking apps but the ones that are the most interesting to me right now are are phone app based games that require you to walk around and use Augmented Reality (AR) to immerse you further into the game. AR uses technology that superimposes computer generated game images into the real world around you via your phone camera. This essentially makes it seem as if the game has come to life in a way.

The breakthrough of the app Pokemon Go sparked a large group of gamers and Pokemon lovers to get out in the real world, interact with others, and exercise. There was even one animal shelter that jumped on the bandwagon saying if you were looking to score a rare Pokemon you could come walk one of their dogs and search the streets around them. Shelter dogs getting walks, the shelter gets exposure, and people getting out there moving like no ones business. It’s a win win win!

Check out more about Pokemon Go Here!

So now there is Wizards Unite for the Harry Potter lovers like me out there.

It’s the same phone app gaming concept, just Harry Potter instead of Pokemon. This has really inspired me to start taking longer walks with my pup. It has also motivated me to start working more with WAG the dog walking service again. I love working with WAG walking other dogs and this is just that little added motivation to get me doing more of that. If you’ve ever wanted to work for WAG or Rover nows your chance to play a game, walk a doggo, and make money all at the same time! (Please remember to be aware of your surroundings at all times.)

If you’ve been looking for a way you can volunteer, reach out to your local shelter to see if they have a program where you can walk the pups. This is your chance to have a little fun, exercise, and feel good about what you are doing. Plus, the doggos get out of their cages and have a great time too. Remember not every shelter will be able to offer this but if you’re interested, please take the time to ask. You never know, this could even lead you to adopting a new family member. Then you can name them after a character like Lily who is named after Lily Potter in the Harry Potter series.

Check out more about Wizards Unite Here!

 

So get out there and don’t forget to come back to tell us all about your adventures. Talk to you soon!

 

Love,

Jess & Lily