Why Does Your Dog Need Slow Movement Exercises?
If you’ve done fitness training with your dog, then you probably know that doing the exercises slowly and with great control is super important in order for the exercises to give you the benefits you’re hoping for. Fast paced exercises generally stay in the dog sports classes while fitness training focuses on slow movements. It is true that we can gradually grow the speed of fitness exercises, but we always...
FUNdamentals K9 Conditioning Course by Jana Gams, DVM, CCRP
MASSIVE SHOUT OUT! It's an honor and pleasure to officially introduce Dr. Jana Gams to the Vital Vet community!! "Think Before You Throw" and "Is Sloppy Sitting Something to Worry About?", are two of Vital Vet's MOST POPULAR articles - both written by Dr. Jana Gams. Check them out if you haven't done so yet. Many of you are asking for more from Dr. Gams. Well, here it is: Dr. Jana Gams is...
THINK BEFORE YOU THROW
Repetitive ball throwing: facts and alternatives Not sure what might be bad about repetitive ball throwing? Read and learn some more appropriate ways of exercising and bonding with your dog. “A tired dog is a good dog” - perhaps, but we are really happy that more and more dog owners are becoming aware of a potentially bad outcome from repetitively playing toss & fetch with a ball. Not only can...
Wraps and Braces for Carpal and Tarsal Injuries
The excerpt below is from an article by Drs. Gayle Jaeger and Sherman Canapp on carpal and tarsal injuries in dogs first seen in Clean Run Magazine in 2008. Though it's an older article, it is well-organized and still relevant. Carpal (front leg wrist) and tarsal (back leg ankle) injuries are common in larger and more active dogs but can occur in any dog and breed. Canine athletes are more prone to these injuries...
The Role of Equipment in Conditioning
When talking to a friend recently, I made the comment that my average client has minimal training experience, so in many cases I need to rely on simple exercises with specialized equipment instead of specialized exercises with simple equipment to get the results I want. This caused me to think about the role that equipment plays in conditioning, especially considering how expensive it is. How Important is Canine Conditioning Equipment?...
Close Quarters: Avoiding Inter-Pet Aggression During Quarantine
With much of the nation under stay-at-home orders, cabin fever is at an all-time high. Cohabitating with our loved ones and furry friends provides many benefits, but being in close quarters for extended periods of time can be difficult—for humans and their animals. Dr. Christine Rutter, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, is an emergency and critical care specialist who has...
Cookie Stretches
Flexibility is an important component of fitness training. It plays a major role in overall health, fitness and function. But just like in human fitness, flexibility is often overlooked in our dog’s fitness program. Cookie Stretches are a great way to work on flexibility with our dogs. The goal of the exercise is to have your dog bring his nose to different parts of the body to get a nice...
Know-How for Dog Fitness: Understanding Weight Distribution Is the Key
If you are already doing fitness exercises, or are interested in starting them with your dog, you need to understand the dog’s neutral position, weight distribution, and what is happening during specific actions, activities or sports performances - how and why something as simple as the direction your dog is looking in can affect your dog’s body, AND how to use this to your advantage when doing fitness! I find people...