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Welcome to K9 Conditioning 2.  I am excited to welcome you to the second class. Congratulations on taking the time to learn about your dog’s body and how to appropriately strengthen and condition.  Owning and playing with our dogs is one of the highlights of our lives, and I am a firm believer that the goal of each owner should be to help the dog live the best quality of life for the longest time possible.  Ultimately, it is never about ribbons or awards, but the time we spend with them. 

As always, please feel free to post any questions you may have.  The goal is for you to learn and have fun with your dogs!

General Factors Affecting Condition

Ideally when we look at keeping our canine friends in good condition, we look at the following:

1)Weight

2)Overall health

3)Fitness

4)Age

Weight 

Your dog should be at his optimal weight, which may be difficult to discern and determine.  This may be why about half the dogs in the United States are overweight.  Osteoarthritis, Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory and cardiac problems, kidney disease, cancer, and other musculoskeletal diseases are all consequences of obesity in dogs.  There is a great guest lecture by Dr. Matt Brunke covering nutrition in the canine athlete.  

Consider the following:

1)5 extra pounds on a Chihuahua that should be 12 pounds is similar to 58 extra pounds on a 140 pound woman

2)5 extra pounds on a Dachshund that should be 25 pounds is similar to 28 extra pounds on a 140 pound woman

3)5 extra pounds on a Labrador Retriever that should be 70 pounds is similar to 10 extra pounds on a 140 pound woman

Obesity is completely preventable. If you need help determining the proper weight for your dog, please visit the following websites:

http://www.petobesityprevention.org/ideal-weight-ranges/

https://www.purina.com/dogs/understanding-dog-food/how-do-i-know-if-my-dog-is-at-a-healthy-weight

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/

Overall Health

Your dog’s overall health is pertinent to the activity the dog participates in. A trusted veterinarian you feel comfortable with should see your dog on a regular basis.  It should be someone you could speak with regarding your dog’s behavior, health and sport or activity.  There are many different types of veterinarians out there and it is important to find the one that fits you and your dog.

Veterinarians are wonderful people, but in fairness to them, they are not experts in all animals, all breeds, or all specialties and activities of dog sports. Find someone that understands your breed, your sport or activity’s demands, and understands you. It may take some time to find someone. In addition, you should never be afraid to express your opinion or ask to be referred to a specialist. You and I would not let a general practitioner operate on our knees for a torn ligament - we would go to an orthopedist. The same holds true with our dogs. Trust your veterinarian will refer you when needed and respect that.

My favorite veterinarian has been practicing for over 30 years. When I bring my clumber spaniels in, he willingly admits he has only worked with one in his career and would rather another veterinarian who does see a lot of clumbers see him. I so appreciate the honesty and the guidance. 

Besides all of the obvious reasons to bring your dog to your vet (not feeling well, vomiting, fever, broken leg, annual physical, etc.), you should always bring them in if you suspect something is going on.  I always talk with my clients about assuming it is physical before behavioral.  I promise your dog is not seeking revenge on you by blowing off your hand command in practice because you did not let them sleep on your head the night before!

Some signs that things are not right in a working dog:

1)Refusing an activity

2)Does not want to practice, play, or compete with you

3)Avoidance of an obstacle, activity (going up stairs), or something the dog normally does

4)Increase or decrease in weight

5)Increase or decrease in water uptake

6)Lameness - slight, moderate, or constant

7)Lethargy that is abnormal for your dog - i.e., normally jumps up in the morning but is lazy for a few days

8)Vocalization or other indication of pain

9)Unexplained aggressiveness towards other dogs or people

10)Does not want to be pet or handled as normal

There is so much more, so if you feel something is off, investigate it. The better you know your dog, the better team you will be, and the better you will understand if there is a problem.

Fitness

I am confident we can all look back at different parts of our lives and remember how fit we were or were not.  For example, when we could go on a 5-mile hike with our dog, twice a day!  Or when we could go through a busy weekend of activities and not feel exhausted the next day!  Just like us, dogs are in better shape at different periods of their lives.  Part of this is due to their age, and the other part due to their activity level and training. 

It is always important to take an objective look at your dog to determine if they are in the best shape possible for the activities you are asking them to do. Ask yourself if they do things the same way they used to, and with the same enthusiasm.  For example, does your dog no longer enthusiastically go up the stairs at the end of the day?  This may indicate they are experiencing a decrease in strength and a decrease in endurance in their hindlimb musculature. 

An Important part of our fitness level is our balance.  The ability to maintain balance is a fairly complex process that depends on a few major components.  Balance will be key throughout the dog’s life and is a skill that will be needed as a base for ALL of our conditioning exercises. 

The components that contribute to balance are:

1)Our sensory input:  This includes sense of touch from the feet, paws, hocks, wrists, and joints; the dog’s vision; and the inner ear sensors.  In the first class, I had asked all of you to stand on one foot with and without your eyes closed.  I also asked you to stand on one foot and move your head up and down and side to side.  These are simple exercises - but also pretty challenging!  Our eyes help us to determine if we are moving or not.  Our feet and joints help us to determine what the surface is like. In dogs, all four feet and the joints determine what the surface is like. 

2)Our brain’s ability to process the information coming in from the brain.  The brain needs to be able to respond to this information and move appropriately.  Sometimes this ability is affected through disease processes, such as with strokes or conditions causing brain damage. 

3)Our muscles and joints for coordinating the movements required to maintain the muscles. The muscles need to be strong enough to respond and cause the region to react. 

Age

Age is another important factor when looking at your dog’s fitness and activity level.  The body of a growing puppy needs to be respected so there is not excessive stress on their growth plates.  Their coordination, growth, muscular control, and concentration need to be factored in.  Senior dogs will require more balance activities that develop strength in their core as they age.  One of the more common problems with senior dogs is that they are not able to walk across a slippery floor or jump into a car. This is partly due to a decrease in strength and a loss of balance and coordination.

Anatomical Considerations for Active Dogs

It is important to understand a basic review of anatomy so that you understand what we are talking about with regard to the structural components of the dogs.

Dogs normally place approximately 60 to 70% of their weight on the front legs, and the remaining 30 to 40% of their weight on their back legs.   These percentages change with different breeds.  For example, many of the bully breeds will place more weight on the front legs.  It is important to remember this when you are exercising with your dog. When you place your dog on a piece of balance equipment and lift one of their front legs, it will be more difficult for the dog to adjust their balance than it will be when you lift the back legs. 

The core muscles of the body are considered to be the abdominal region, the back muscles, and the large muscles of the hips and the shoulders.  The core muscles are in blue and include the abdominals, the spinal muscles, and the muscles on the sides or ribs.  

 These muscles help with posture and control.  They are the MOST important muscles in the body for movement.  All of the movement of the body stems from there.  If you have ever had a bad stomach pain or back pain, you know that you cannot move well - or perhaps even at all!  Weakness in these areas will affect your entire body’s movement.  Because the dog is quadruped, or on all fours, their back and stomach muscles become even more of a pivotal and central point of the body.  A good, strong core will mean more power, a well-protected spine, and a healthier body.

The other muscles indicated on the illustration are the postural muscles or the Type I muscle fibers.  They include all of the core muscles, as well as the large muscles of the hips, shoulders, and calf area.  These muscles help with balance, control, and endurance.  They are the muscles that help with standing and posture, and they are very important to the overall health of the dog. These muscles are indicated in red in the illustration.  

Advanced Balance Exercises

 

Bird Dog  

We started this exercise in the first segment of the class. Remember, we do this by asking the dog to stand squarely on the floor or another flat surface. Slowly lift the opposite front and back legs up approximately one to two inches off the ground and hold a few seconds.  This should be a fundamental exercise for all of our dogs.

Now we are going to refine it a bit.  Place a sheet of paper, a light CD case, or some other similar object on the mid back.  The purpose of this object is to demonstrate a straight spine.  When we lift the opposite forelimb and hindlimb on the dog, the spine should remain flat without any compensations or weight shifts.  The paper or CD cover (or something similar) will help you see if this happens. 

While you are filming this exercise, you may also be able to see the switch or transition.  Repeat this exercise on each side and hold for 5 to 10 seconds OR until you start to see the dog compensating.  Begin with 5 to 10 repetitions and continue to increase.  As your dog starts to become stronger, increase the length of time you hold the legs up as well as the number of repetitions. 

  

I am using a thin catalogue on Rosa's back to work on her balance.  I have asked her to stand still for 10 seconds, and if there are any shifts in her posture, the catalogue will shift and fall.  These photos demonstrate two different views.

 

Now, I am manually lifting her right front foot a little over an inch off of the table.  I am holding for a few seconds, and as soon as I see the catalogue and/or her posture begin to change, I return the paw to the table.  

We now move on to the back right foot, and again, pick it up approximately one inch and watch for any shifts or changes in posture.  As soon as there is a movement of the catalogue, or loss of topline, I am going to return her foot.  This will be repeated on each leg.  I prefer to start in the front and move to the back, but you can perform the exercise in any manner that works for you.  

Advanced Bird Dog

Once your dog is comfortable with this exercise on the floor, we can move to a piece of equipment.  A good guideline is to progress to using equipment when your dog is able to hold the exercise for at least ten seconds and for ten repetitions on each side. 

This video will show you the struggle is real!  We are working with a German Shepherd, and you can tell, it takes him a bit to get comfortable with this exercise. He wants to pull his hindlimbs in closer to his forelimbs to begin.  As he starts to get more comfortable, he is able to perform this a bit easier.  

Your equipment will depend on the size of your dog. Some options include using an Infinity,  two disks, one disc, an air mattress, or an ottoman.  Whichever piece of equipment you choose, we will want the dog to stand squarely and not be compensating in any way.  In other words, the dog should be able to get into a neutral spinal position on the equipment.   The German Shepherd is on an 85 cm Infinity which allows a large surface area for the dog to work with. Safety will always remain the key. I have found many dogs do well starting on a sofa cushion or a mat, and then working up.  

Back Extensions 

Begin by asking your dog to stand on all fours. Then, ask them to step up on an object.  The height of the object will depend upon the height of the dog, but will vary between 2 and 10 inches. The goal of this exercise is to keep the spine in neutral and not over or hyper extend or arch the back.  While you are asking them to do this, use a treat or a toy to keep their spine in a neutral position by placing the toy or treat right in front of their mouth.  If you find they are arching their back, or hyperextending, bring their nose down slightly to their chest.  This will cause their abdominals to tighten up. 

 

Do this a few times and video it for homework.  We will be looking at how the spine looks in the videos.  I would like you to start on a stationary object, such as a step, four by four, or two by four.  The progression will be to move towards an uneven object.

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This is one of the challenges for TotoFit - and it is great to work on. This will be part of your homework! 

Side Sit Ups 

This exercise will focus on the oblique muscles of the abdomen and are important for control, turning activities, and posture. 

To begin, ask your dog to lie on his side.  It does not matter which side because we will be doing both sides.  The dog should be relaxed and on a comfortable yet firm surface.  Using a treat, ask the dog to move their head towards their hip.  Only guide them as far as they can go without lifting their back legs off the ground.  Your dog may only be able to lift their head off the ground before they start curling their back legs up.  That is a great starting point! They will be able to do a bigger sit up as they develop more muscles. Ask your dog to perform this five times, each time bringing them back to the neutral position (lying down).  Then switch to the other side. 

These still shots are of the starting and ending positions of the side sit ups.  You may perform this on the floor or a table.  Zephyr was more comfortable on the floor, so we moved him from the table to the floor. (Thank you to Doreen Palmer and Z-man for the exercises)

 These videos are of a wonderful Australian Cattle dog that is very fit and agile.  This was his first attempt at performing these, and you can see, they are not perfect.  But I wanted to show you these so you understand, it is a learning curve!  

For your homework, please video the above 5 exercises as indicated.  Please remember to keep each video at approximately two minutes in length, and try not to submit another one until I have reviewed the first one. 

1.  Balance with a piece of paper on the dogs' back with and without leg lifts

2.  Balance with a piece of paper on the dogs' back with and without leg lifts while standing on an uneven surface

3.  Extensions - your choice of dificulty.  As always, go with what you can handle with your dog.

4.  Side sit ups

5.  TotoFit Challenge :)