CanineGym®… Shh… it’s the secret of Champions!
Whether your dog is a canine athlete or the average couch potato, every dog benefits from their own personal CanineGym®. It’s a great place in your house, maybe the guest bedroom or a nook in the family room, for you to work your dog. You would create the space where you can exercise your dog, condition them for their next big event, and bond with your dog while you teach them new beneficial exercises that will help with injury prevention and increased performance. This space will allow you to work your dog no matter what the weather is like outside! So, let’s create a fun space in your house where you can consistently train your dog to be their best!
CanineGym® Must Haves
1 Core Strengthening Piece
Try the FitPAWS® Peanut, Egg or Donut for Core Strengthening, muscle toning, & stretching.
FitPAWS Peanut Rear Paws
The FitPAWS® Peanut is our most versatile piece of equipment that you can use for whole body core conditioning, stretching, and “log-rolling”. We have even seen dogs that can back up and do a handstand on them – (“Can Your Dog Do This?” blog post). Most tricks that your dog can do on the ground, if done on a Peanut, will increase core & stabilizer muscles. Just 3-4 minute training sessions on the FitPAWS Peanut is a great way to improve confidence, body awareness, trunk & core strength, stabilize weak areas and coordination.
If you don’t have enough room for a Peanut, you can use a FitPAWS® Donut with a Donut Holder for either rear, or front end strengthening for large to medium dogs. For small dogs, the Donut is a nice compact size for whole body conditioning.
Need something more challenging? Try the FitPAWS® Egg!
Looking for additional exercises? Check out our Canine Conditioning Education section for programs to follow along with.
1 Flexibility Piece
After your dog works out, make sure to stretch them out on the saddle of a FitPAWS® Peanut or on a CanineGym® K9FITbed™.
1 Endurance/Cardio Piece
A DogTread® Treadmill and a FitPAWS® Hurdle Set are great for getting the heart pumping.
Choose either a small, medium or large DogTread® Treadmill.
“As dog parents, we have a responsibility to provide for both the mental and physical well-being of our dogs. A well-exercised dog is not only a happy dog, but also a healthy one. Their endorphins, like ours, are activated during exercise. Treading for dogs is not only a great way to keep your dog in shape, but as natural hunters, herders and guardians it also gives them a “job” and adds purpose to their lives. DogTread® provides the basic principal of movement and mobility to help balance your dog’s behavior and at the same time, his or her physique.” – www.dogtread.com
1 Body Awareness Piece
Try a FitPAWS® Balance Disc, , or a set of FitPAWS® Paw Pods.
We recommend at least one piece of equipment that you can use for rear end targeting.
Dogs with rear end awareness have more coordination as they understand how their rear end moves independently from their front. This helps with injury prevention, an essential foundation skill for all sporting dogs!
Tips:
-Teach your dog how to walk backwards first
-Teach your dog how to walk backwards and target a FitPAWS® 14″ Balance Disc or a 22″ Giant Balance Disc. The 14″ Balance Disc has a smaller surface area, so rear end targeting on a smaller disc will make your dog more keen on where his rear is.
Want a more challenging piece?
Try rear end targeting on a FitPAWS® 20″ Wobble Board!
Too hard?
Try targeting with the FitPAWS® Targets first.
Want an extreme challenge?
Try individual Limb awareness with FitPAWS® Paw Pods!
Here’s what’s in my small dog’s canine gym:
- A FitPAWS® Peanut 40cm for core strengthening
- A 14” FitPAWS® Balance Disc® for body awareness
- FitPAWS® Paw Pods!
- A DogTread® Small Dog Treadmill for endurance training
- And, if I want to amp up the work out, I’ll make sure that my dog is wearing her small CanineGym® K9FITvest®
Every dog is unique!
We are here to help you pick out the best equipment that suites your dogs’ lifestyle, so please message us if you have any questions:
info@fitpawsusa.com
facebook.com/fitpaws
@FitPAWSUSA
