BH275: Reactive Integration

FITNESS & CONFIDENCE BUILDING

Over the last 5 years or so, it seems that physical exercise has gotten a bad wrap! I’m not recommending heart pounding, tongue dragging, muscle fatiguing daily exercise, but it is beneficial for training and behavior modification to have a ‘fit’ dog. We aren’t going to focus on speed, quickness, and power, with advanced strengthening and endurance. But we do want to focus on primary strengthening that includes balance and stabilization, cardio, body awareness, and flexibility.

This is important since fitness will create lower cortisol and stress hormone levels; improved cardio which in turn improves circulation which distributes necessary hormones and nutrients. It also helps to eliminate waste that leads to aggression.

Knowing how to move and control your body can also help build confidence. Being confident can influence competitive performance and overall well-being. Allowing a dog to take risks by exploring novel environments and stimuli can help in the process of building confidence.

Cavalettis

Many dogs don’t realize that they even have a rear end! So, I often start with teaching the dog to simply lift their feet over a low bar. We can even add complexity to that by lifting just one end of the bar, or even putting them at different angles. PVC is your friend!!! Of course, be careful that you are NOT asking your dog to step too high.

Baby Pools

Not only can stepping into a baby pool full of water, balls, or bottles give the dog a novel experience, but if you add food into it, you can even influence the seeking system and initiate some problem solving! All great things to help build confidence and some dexterity.

Novel Obstacle Exploration

Not everyone has access to hiking trails, forests, fields, or safe places for their dog to explore. But there are plenty of things you can do to facilitate giving your dog the opportunity to investigate novel things. Although you can use food to encourage them, as in the puppy video below, many dogs are curious enough on their own to interact with novelty. Allowing your dog the ‘agency’ to explore and investigate novel stimuli allows them to have some level of control in their environment and be able to make choices on their own.

Search Puzzles

Another great way to give your dog the opportunity to explore and experience and conquer scary things is using search puzzles. You can set these up by letting your dog simply hunt for food, or by using a specific target odor.

Balance Equipment/Strengthening

There is a myriad of canine exercise equipment out there, but you can easily use things from around your house to give your dog novel experiences and even challenge their proprioception. Using bean bags, sofa cushions, step stools, tree stumps, broom sticks, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, etc. you can give your dog some footing challenges that can also improve their dexterity.

Cardio

Although we will be covering using toy play as reinforcement later in the class, there is something about some nice aerobic exercise to get your heart pumping and reap the benefits of cardiovascular conditioning. In fact, some dogs really NEED this type of activity to better cope with things in their world. Remember, the effect of the activity isn’t about the activity, it is about the effect! Using a good ole’ game of fetch, swimming, or even using a treadmill can get the heart pumping. Of course, you need to check with your veterinarian if you have any questions about your dog starting a fitness program. There are also other classes here at FDSA that can help you!