by Mary Green
The new year always brings me to a place of renewed commitment to keep my dogs healthy. Admittedly, my dogs are far fitter than I am! They swim and dock-dive all summer, play Frisbee, and are active daily. The winter months mean we spend more time indoors lazing around doing nothing, but there are so many things I can do to change that! Here are some of my suggestions.
Get Moving
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, “It’s a common misconception that giving your dog access to your backyard means he’s getting all the exercise he needs. But dogs require interaction to get moving (and they don’t have the benefit of
Instagram challenges). As a pet parent, you are your dog’s main motivator — to get fit and stay healthy.”
Daily exercise requirements vary depending on the age, breed, and size of your dog. The ASPCA has some good guidelines: www.aspcapetinsurance.com/resources/how-much-exercise-does-my-dog-need/.
The American Kennel Club has a program called AKC FIT DOG in which you can earn titles and medals for walks and other means of exercise. All dogs, regardless of breed, can participate. Check out www.akc.org/sports/akc-family-dog-program/akc-fit-dog/.
Of course, neighborhood walks and hikes are extremely beneficial for dogs and their humans. According to the American Heart Association, “There’s a wealth of evidence showing walking improves heart and brain health and helps people live longer.”
How about including your pups in those walks? Their overall health and wellness can benefit greatly from routine walks. If you’re not sure how to begin a walking program, here are some helpful tips from the AHA: https://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/start-with-a-step-and-walk-your-way-to-better-health.
Exercise Indoors Too
My friend and colleague Kim Sykes, a certified professional canine fitness trainer, has given me some easy routines to help keep my dogs fit during the indoor months.
Uneven surfaces: For this, use pillows or sofa cushions. If I’m using three cushions, I space them apart about the same distance as the space between my dog’s front and rear legs when she is standing (about one foot apart for my dog). With a treat in my hand, I lure her across from the cushion to the floor and to the next cushion until we reach the end. Do this at a slow walk. The instability of the cushions helps her proprioception and works her core.
Next, using only one cushion or pillow, I lure my dog to a sitting position on the cushion. Gradually, I increase the length of time she can stay on the cushion (remember, it is unstable), building up to 30 seconds or so. I also do this with her standing on the cushion, which really gets her to work her core. As she becomes experienced in this, I work on her being able to do “puppy push-ups” (stand, down, stand, sit) on the unstable surface.
We also do isolation of front paws only on the cushion, then rear paws only on the cushion. Using a treat in my fingers, I can lure her head slightly up and slightly down while she is in this position.
Platforms: I love using the Cato dog-training platform for these exercises! It is very sturdy, is just the right height, and has many uses. Check out the website, catooutdoors.com.
We do the same exercises as for uneven surfaces and add more.
With my dog standing with all four paws on the board, I lift up each paw slightly — not more than an inch — and hold it for about 10 seconds. Lift one paw at a time, starting with the front paws. Then we can progress to a “bird-dog” pose, holding opposite limbs — left front, right rear then right front, left rear. This is a great balance exercise for dogs. When the dog is very advanced at this, I can do same-side front and rear paws.
Never elevate the paws more than about one inch from the platform, and build up the duration very gradually.
Other exercises: I also like to teach my dogs to back up. My lazy way to do this is to sit in a kitchen chair close to the wall or close to the sofa. With my dog standing in front of me, I drop a treat between my feet just under the chair. The dog goes in forward to get the treat but has to back up to get out. I gradually move so the dog has to back up more but still can’t sneak around behind the chair. This is a great exercise for rear-foot awareness and strengthening.
Mary Green is a Certified Professional
Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), Certified Dog Behavior Counselor (CDBC), and Certified Nose
Work Instructor (CNWI) at K9 Manners & More in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
