Dogs And Conditioning

Fitness is important for dog and handler. 

If I was a fitness coach, I'd want to know what you are training to do. Football player? Pickleball? Ballet? Olympic lifter? I'd then assess your current fitness with a wide range of tests. From there, we would start with some kind of foundation training to put your entire system in balance. 

If I was a fitness coach for dogs, I would do the same. What kind of job is this dog expected to perform? What kind of stress is this doing going to have to deal with? I'd want to look at the dog's body shape (conformation) and I'd want to see it move. From there, a plan could be developed. 

Most dogs are pets, and most owners aren't going to do athletic events with their pets. However, life can provide surprises to both and then it is game on: your dog falls in a lake; you have to run after your dog as she is chasing a rabbit that has run across the street; your hike has taken a bad turn, you are on a cliffside and you both have to crawl out of a bad situation. 

Or maybe it is just something much more... supposedly... bland, like you are going to play fetch or tug with your dog. 

Dogs get sports injuries all the time. Jumping off a couch and going splat. Sliding into a wall playing with the other dog in the home. Tripping and falling while jogging alongside someone. Ever had to take a dog to the vet because they came up limping from some kind of spill? I have. Last thing you want to hear is your dog has a permanent injury or needs expensive surgery, or both.

The better shape the dog is in, meaning all systems are running efficiently, the less likely that dog will be injured, and if injured, the faster the healing. Same with the owner. 

For many working dogs, the side effect of the work is that they get into shape. However, their vitals need to be monitored. For couch potato dogs, none of that is happening, and an owner can put their dog in a situation that the dog isn't prepared for, and something is going to break. Or the situation has become an emergency, and both the dog and owner aren't in great shape and the outcome isn't so pleasant.

Do you have a fitness plan for yourself and your dog? 

Plan accordingly.