by Bobbie Lyons, CCFT. KPA CTP

The exercises you choose for your dog should always match the dog’s level of fitness and support the movements and demands that your dog places on his body. You also have to consider that dogs don’t always do what we want, and their movements can change in a split second due to a variety of factors. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the demands placed on a dog’s body during performance sports such as a poorly timed or trained box turn in flyball, falling off agility equipment, being called off a committed direction, chasing/catching frisbees and other common activities in a dog’s life such as hiking, playing fetch, or playing with other dogs. Strength training helps to support those erratic movements in the life of a dog. A dog that has developed good balance, coordination and strength will handle mishaps without injury, or a decrease in severity of injury, better than a poorly conditioned dog. Read more ›