Training and exercising your dog is without question, its own reward! But it is not risk-free. There are common training mistakes made regularly. Looking at agility dogs, about one in three dogs doing sport suffer a training or sport-related injury. These types of statistics shouldn’t put you off training or exercising your dog […]
If you have painful joints and arthritis, you know the symptoms all too well. Your pet with arthritis has the same experience. They slow down, have difficulty getting up, or appear to limp (especially after exercise and at night). Your first instinct may be to your senior dog relax and rest as much as they […]
We all want long comfortable lives for our senior dogs! Heck, we want that unrealistic ideal of having our dogs live forever. That eternal search for the fountain of youth eludes even our pet world. But that doesn’t that we can’t help our dogs stick around longer and provide extra comfort into those senior years. […]
What are the main reasons people don’t progress in canine conditioning and fitness? Or their program is just not giving them results they need in their sport? I have seen people on various dog sport/training groups talk about things that truly changed the effects conditioning has on their dogs. In particular, they mention the […]
I have noticed that there are quite a few people, from sport and working dog owners through to pet owners that feel that canine fitness training is really just a fad. I actually know some handlers who actually laugh at some of my observations – they think it is overly dramatic. Of course, I […]
Your dog’s structure matters! You may not realise it, but it actually matters a lot! It is a very important consideration to look at when doing sport or when designing your fitness program to complement or enhance your dog’s sport or improve their health or fitness condition. The video below is taken from my live […]
A dog that is properly conditioned and has performance fitness for the sport that he partakes in or for the job that he has to do, performs better and is less likely to get injured. When an injury occurs, they are generally less serious or severe and recovery is quicker. Fit sporting and working dogs […]
This article I found very informative and certainly provides handlers of canine athletes with information on how we can assist our dogs to remain injury-free. by Amie Lamoreaux Hesbach, PT, DPT, CCRP, CCRT Empower Physio PeT, Maynard, MA The number of dogs and owners involved in canine sports in the United States has grown exponentially […]
Sport dog rearing programmes and philosophies – yes there are many of them out there. Many programmes centre on the concept of controlled resource allocation. Heavy crate time, restrictive devices are generally called for, placing much responsibility on the human. They will tell you that you need to control all access to reinforcement – […]
Injuries happen, but they don’t need to be the end of the world! Dogs, like humans, get injured. Whether by accident, through sport, training or fun, injuries happen. There is much that we as handlers and caregivers of dogs can do to prevent or lower the risk of injury. Some things you can do […]
Most dogs are so brave that they don’t even show signs of pain. Well, signs of pain that may not be obvious to us humans. To follow are, however, some clues that you can pick up on which may help you see whether your dog is in pain or not. This list is not exclusive, […]
Your older dog may have difficulty in moving or be less agile. This will affect his ability to perform some activities. However, it is still important to keep them as agile and active as possible. Help ensure that they still have a life packed with good quality and enjoyment. There are a number of things […]
There are still plenty of exercises you can do with your older dog! The only thing to remember is to observe your dog and go at his pace. Stop if he looks tired or maybe struggling somewhat. Here are some exercise ideas that your older dog will enjoy: Walking No matter how old […]
Senior or older dogs are more prone to health conditions or factors that limit their movement to do general exercise. Our older dogs will generally slow down a little and rest more, but just like older humans, it is still important for them to remain active and healthy. Age or breed-related health problems may develop […]
During the first 10 – 14 days of a puppy’s life, his movements comprises mostly of drinking and sleeping. Therefore, a puppy’s movements are limited to searching for warmth and milk, that is to say, his mom. Likewise, even while sleeping, his movements are mostly of his face, ears and legs. By week three, […]
The first question I hear you ask: What is a Weekend Warrior? Generally, this expression is used to describe people who do very little exercise or physical activity during the week and then go out on an occasional weekend and play sports like squash or beach volleyball intensely or they decide to try out some […]
Dogs need exercise. This is something everyone agrees upon. But how does your dog’s workload make your dogs become better, fitter, stronger, faster with exercise? Like humans, their exercise program requires a progressive increase in workload. Only this feature will help get your dog fitter, faster, stronger. Otherwise, you are just exercising in order […]
There is great value in recognising inflammation-causing symptoms sooner rather than later. The later you recognise them the poorer the long-term outcomes may be for your fur buddy! Sometimes recognising these symptoms may even be a precursor to a more serious underlying condition. Early recognition may lead to early diagnosis and more successful treatments. So […]
Ever wonder why some people can stick with an exercise program and others find it difficult or cannot maintain momentum and stop after 2 or 3 sessions? Let’s set you up for getting into the habit of successfully executing your K-9 Fitness Program! The benefits of regular exercise are without dispute – even […]
Just as human athletes benefit from warm-ups before workouts, practice drills and competitions, so do our canine athletes benefit in much the same way. Proper warm-ups increase several physical functions as well as all those processes responsible for cellular heat and energy, tissue repair and growth. What do warm-ups do for your dog? Improved […]
Why does a joint develop arthritis? There may be a number of reasons for this. But let’s look at the ones at the top of the list: Mechanical Damage This happens when the mechanics or the normal workings of a joint is not correct. A torn ligament would cause a joint to not work […]
Hind leg and in particular, hamstring strains are a very common injury in sport dogs. Hind leg muscles are very important for all K9 sports: fighting helpers in IGP and PSA, fast, explosive jumps, pull aways (acceleration) in dumbbell retrieves, accelerating out of a turn for a new jump etc deceleration to target in agility, […]
Can he stand still for just 10 seconds? Ask this question whether your dog is a young puppy or is a seasoned veteran. Determining if your dog can or can’t stand for 10 seconds, may provide loads of information. What does this Stand Still show? If your dog is not comfortable to stand for […]
Do Canine Athletes have an off-season while training for their sport? Have you considered: What we are putting our dogs through to get to the ‘big’ events? Are dog sports unique? Should we push our dogs to go and go and go? What about treating them like human athletes? Consider taking time off of training? […]
We have all heard about Green Lipped Mussel for joints. But what is the big idea about them and is any mussel okay? New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel or Perna Canaliculus is an edible green-lipped mussel sourced from the waters of New Zealand. This particular species of green-lipped mussel is a proven powerful relief for […]
Athletes – person(s) trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; participants in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill. From school sports to professional sportsmen and women; when you are an athlete, it’s not just about playing the game. As per the definition, even dogs that compete […]
Extreme Fitness Exercise — We see these with humans all the time. The circus, sports for strength, flexibility, speed, endurance – they all have extremes. We have seen some of these extreme outcomes, but we also gasp thinking: are they Safe? I come from a family where extreme sports conditioning was a “norm”. The sport […]
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