It's not your everyday walk in the park.
For the second time, Sara Faulhafer and her dog, Millie, of Guelph will get down and dirty at the annual canine obstacle adventure, Ruff Mudder, this summer.
The event, set to take place on June 21 at the Abernant Veterinary Hospital in Stayner, invites dog owners and their furry companions to traverse a 5.5 km cross country course that includes over 80 obstacles through forests, fields, streams and, yes, lots of mud.
The Ruff Mudder aims to bring people and their dogs together for a true bonding experience.
“It was amazing! It was the best day ever for me and my dog. Millie just loved it,” Faulhafer said.
“She had a great time! It took me a couple weeks to recover. She was tired for just a couple of days.”
Two years ago, Faulhafer conquered the course with her now two-year-old black lab. This year, the pair is ready to do it again, but hopefully this time, with a bit of help.
“I’ve asked a lot of people. So far, I have one friend who says, ‘it’s a maybe’,” Faulhafer said. “I definitely would be up for someone else to join us for the adventure.”
Faulhafer says she would love another human, with or without a dog, to join in for some companionship, and to also to lend an occasional hand up the odd muddy bank.
“It was okay to do it on our own, but there were a few parts that were a bit tricky. So, it would be helpful to have another set of hands,” she said.
Ruff Mudder was built over four years ago by a veterinarian and a paramedic on their family farm in Stayner. Both outdoor adventurers, the goal is to provide a fun-filled, dog-friendly event for participants of all fitness levels and for dogs of all abilities.
Chihuahuas to mastiffs, and even three-legged dogs have all participated in the course.
The ‘less screen and more green’ motto puts dogs and their owners out in nature. The event encourages participants to stop along the route, enjoy the sky, chase a butterfly and breathe in the beauty, before slipping down into the next mud pit.
“One of the reasons I got a dog was I just wanted to get outside more and go on adventures,” Faulhafer said.
“Millie loves running, she loves the woods, and she loves water, so I thought this would be a fun thing for us to do together and to really help create that special bond between us.”
However, the course comes with some unique challenges.
“It’s not a race, but there were people who were running it. There are no winners. We took our time. We stopped for water breaks and just to catch our breath and enjoy the scenery,” Faulhafer said.
“The year that we did it, there was a challenge to find fairy doors hidden in the forest and they encourage you to take a selfie. It was a little side trail. We found them and we won a prize.”
Millie enjoyed jumping on top of giant hay bales. Along with tunnels, the course went through creeks, fields, water and, of course, a lot of mud along the way.
“You can go around the obstacle if it’s something your dog won’t like doing. When I did this with Millie, she had never done anything like this before. She didn’t really know tunnels, so we went around some of those,” Faulhafer said.
“It was challenging, but fun. We laughed and and met people along the way. There are people of all ages and all athletic abilities. You don’t have to run it. You don’t have to be super fit, but it is challenging, for sure!”
Ruff Mudder volunteers are on hand throughout the course.
“At one point, there is a rest station with musicians playing. At the end, there’s volunteer firefighters. They have a hose to wash everybody down. And there’s a beer tent and food trucks too,” Faulhafer said.
“It’s a really unique space. I don’t know of anything else like this. Because it’s coordinated by a veterinarian and a paramedic, they really take into consideration dog and human safety. There are so many volunteers who are so helpful.”
Millie is not only Faulhafer's best friend, she is her service dog.
“We registered last year, but unfortunately I had a severe burn accident, so we had to skip last year. I am still recovering from it and I am using this as motivation to rebuild my capacity,” Faulhafer said.
“Me and Millie, we are going out for walks outside and I’ve also taken her to an indoor walking track. And we are just slowly rebuilding our capacity to do this together.”
People can reach by email at [email protected] if they would like to take part in Ruff Mudder with Faulhafer and Millie.
"To finish, I felt like a superhero when I was done. I felt super proud of myself and proud of Millie for doing it,” Faulhafer said.
"This year, I just want to have a lot of fun together. She’s my service dog and she works really hard for me. I like to try to find ways for her to just be a dog and live her best life.”
