Fitness and Conditioning for the Canine Athlete – The Fitpaws Way

By Iain MacDonald, FP-MT, CCFT and Small Animal Physiotherapist

Who are Fitpaws?

Fitpaws, part of Ball Dynamics International, are an American company producing fitness and balance equipment specifically for use with dogs.  In addition to providing the products, Fitpaws offer training in canine fitness and the use of the equipment through their Fitpaws Master Trainer Program (FP-MT) and in partnership with the University of Tennessee offering the Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT) course in which the Master Trainer program forms part of.

What is Fitness and Conditioning?

Fitness
Fitpaws views fitness in dogs as comprising five elements:           
1)    Cardio
2)    Strength
3)    Flexibility
4)    Balance
5)    Mental

In an ideal world a fit and healthy dog would be well balanced in all these areas, however this is not always the case.  By using different exercises, each of the elements can be targeted to improve the dog’s fitness in that area.  In reality many exercises will crossover multiple fitness elements.

Conditioning
Conditioning is the preparation of the body for particular activity or activities, eg agility/flyball/canicross etc

Why is Fitness and Conditioning Important

We only need to watch our dogs in slow motion to see the efforts on the body when performing normal tasks.  If we then add an activity such as flyball or agility, and we are suddenly asking a huge amount form the dog’s body.  Below is a slow motion video form the 2012 International Border Collie Competition.  Whilst watching this video it is evident that performing the normal tasks we ask in an agility round, demands a great effort of control, balance and strength from our canine partners.  However, not every run is smooth or plain sailing and things go wrong.  It is at these times that we are taking the control, strength and balance elements to the extreme.

In human athletics and sports, the athlete will spend a large proportion of training time in the gym and exercising appropriately for the sport in which the partake.  As with human sports, the exercises and conditioning we undertake should be appropriate for the activity we plan to do.  For example, the exercise and training a marathon runner will do is very different to that of a 100m sprinter.  In a similar way, the exercise and training we would do for an agility dog is very different to what we should do with a canicross/sled dog.  We should always be mindful of the requirements on the body of the activity we are training for.

By undertaking an appropriate fitness and conditioning programme, you can better prepare the dog’s body to undertake the tasks we ask of it.  By having the right strength, balance and flexibility your dog will be able to adjust itself better, handle more difficult tasks easier both of which may lead to better performance but more importantly reduce the risk of injury should things not go according to plan.

How can Fitpaws Help?

Firstly there are a number of Fitpaws Master Trainers and Certified Canine Fitness Trainers across the UK which can help develop fitness and conditioning programs for your dog.  As with human fitness, these can be in the form of general workshops or personal one-to-one sessions. Workshops will generally be targeted at the average participant whereas one-to-one sessions would develop personalised training program, based on your dog’s current fitness level and tailored to meet your goals and working activities.     

Secondly, the Fitpaws balance equipment now being sold by Agility World will enable you to take your fitness exercises to a higher level whether working on your own or with a specialised trainer.  There is a number of different pieces equipment that will direct the focus or increase the difficulty of an exercise which in turn will increase the results you get.  Different pieces of Fitpaws equipment can be combined to create new exercises or to increase difficulty of existing exercises.

At all times the use of Fitpaws equipment and exercises should only be undertaken as appropriate to your dog’s current fitness and condition.  If you are unsure, you can seek the guidance of your local Master Trainer or Certified Canine Fitness Trainer.

At no point should the equipment be used by a dog with an injury except under the guidance of a rehab specialist where the equipment can be of benefit in the rehabilitation of an injured dog.  

Useful Links

https://fitpawsusa.com/ -  Fitpaws Website

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=168982566918013 – Fitpaws UK Facebook Page

www.superflydogtraining.co.uk   -   Fitness, Conditioning and Rehabilitation in the Southeast