Nose Work & Target Training - Useful and Fun For All Dogs
Last week, we saw a Facebook post that really caught our attention - a Corgi named Daisy competing in K9 Nose Work. What jumped out was that this Corgi had degenerative myelopathy (DM) and was in a wheelchair, and her mom wheeled her around in a wagon, going from station to station to compete. In their last competition a few weeks ago, this dynamic duo came in 9th overall! This is Daisy, in...
Foundation Training - Essential Basics for Conditioning (see PROMO CODE)
When building a home, most builders agree that a solid foundation is the most important component - without a solid base it's just a matter of time before the home's structure becomes damaged. The same is true when training your dog - without a proper foundation, dog's body is more prone to damage and injury. Here's a great self-guided, online course on this very subject (use PROMO CODE: VitalFoundations10) From the Ground Up: Foundation Essentials for...
4 Ways to Help Prevent Injuries in Companion Dogs
Do you know how to prevent injuries in your companion dog? When many of us hear the term “canine injury prevention”, we typically think about sport and/or professional working dogs. However, it is not only our sport and working dogs that get injured during activities. On any given day, I see many people sharing on social media or hear people talking about how their companion dog was injured while playing...
Could My Pet Benefit From Rehabilitation?
There are some obvious cases where rehabilitation can benefit animals including spinal injury, osteoarthritis, or cruciate ligament rupture. But small injuries can happen during normal life and dogs are generally quite stoic and are very good at hiding subtle injuries. If these injuries aren’t picked up on, then as the dog ages, they will adapt how they move and hold themselves, either making the injury worse or causing other areas...
Exercising Your Dog in a Small Space or Apartment
How to Exercise Your Dog When You Live In an Apartment Living in an apartment or having limited space with no yard is not a barrier to giving your dog exercise. There are many ways to exercise your dog by getting out and about or providing activity indoors. Daily Walk The daily walk is crucial for all dogs, especially dogs that live indoors. Firstly, they have toileting needs. Many people...
Muscle building and Strength Exercises for Dogs
When people think of muscle building and strength exercises for dogs they picture the big Pitbull or Rotti conditioning for protection sports or protection work or even the skinny dog needing to gain weight. However, muscle conditioning exercise has benefits for all dogs and is also beneficial in the rehabilitation of dogs recovering from injury or suffering degenerative issues such as hip dysplasia or spine related problems. See “Exercising a...
Easy Exercises for Canine Conditioning
Just like us, dogs can benefit from a stretching and strengthening program. It can build and maintain muscle mass, improve body awareness and balance, and provide a physical and mental workout. Canine athletes definitely gain an advantage from this type of conditioning, but senior dogs also need to stay limber. Couch potatoes and bored dogs can reap rewards too, because the activity is mentally stimulating. And some of these exercises can...
Understanding Behavior Conditioning in Dog Training
It is important to understand behavior conditioning and how it works in order to best control it when it comes to our canine companions. First, let’s get the technical “speak” out of the way and then we can talk in more layman’s terms. There are different types of conditioning when it comes to behavior. We normally refer to two types of behavioral conditioning when it comes to our dogs: classical...