GM News - August 2022

Fitness for the Adult Dog

[Puppies (ie dogs with immature bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles) have special considerations and the young body should never be over-taxed]

Erica Boling of Northeast K9 Conditioning specialises in canine fitness. A significant part of her work is with working dogs and dogs involved in competitive sports, however, even the 'ordinary' dog can benefit from her knowledge or tips. Check out Erica's 6-step process for designing a fitness program for your dog (video and PDF). Here's an overview:

The first step is to evaluate your dog’s physical strengths and weaknesses.
Then consider the demands of the fitness options you give your dog - strolling, free running over long/short periods, jogging with you, bush trails with log climbing/steep terrain, swimming, repetitive retrieving, etc. Would your dog benefit from strength training, aerobic (high-intensity) and anaerobic (endurance) cardio?
What could be added to your dog's exercise to make for more well-rounded fitness?
Incorporate warm-up, cool-down, and stretching (Petra Ford, a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, models her dog's routine in a 3.32-minute YouTube video)
Do the preparation. Examples: Prepare your dog before incorporating long-distance running with you. An overweight dog will struggle if suddenly expected to double his walking distance.

When we overdo it in the gym or the garden, we risk muscle soreness and injury; our dogs face the same risks with ill-prepared activity.

Swimming is good for fitness, right?

Dogs will naturally attempt a doggy paddle in the water but this isn't the same as being confident, safe swimmers. In particular, "brachycephalic (aka short-muzzled) dogs who can tire easily or have respiration problems in the water, “top-heavy” dogs with deep chests and smaller hindquarters, or dogs with short legs" can all have difficulties in water. Check out Modern Dog Magazine article 'Can All Dogs Swim?' for more advice.

Note that Erica Boling says that because swimming isn't a weight-bearing exercise, if you're aiming for well-rounded fitness you will need to have other elements in your dog's fitness program.

When nature provides you with an inbuilt sleep mask :-)

Sleep

Uninterrupted, deep sleep is critical for wellbeing.
Mike Clark at Dogtime.com has an fascinating article all about

Ideal amounts of sleep,
Sleeping Positions,
Sleeping Behaviours

Dogs’ Sleeping Positions And Habits Tell You A Lot About Their Personality And Health
And
Robert DiGiacomo at American Kennel Club has a thought-provoking take on Sleep Schedules for Dogs
Should I Let My Dog Sleep Late Every Day?

Nails

Nail trimming can be something animals hate and people with pets are afraid of doing! However, over-long nails can be a source of pain or injury. Get some DIY tips from Pooches at Play.

The Mouth

August is pet dental month so it's a good time to think about bad breath and its causes:

Dental Disease and Poor Oral Hygiene
Bad Diet, Unsanctioned eating (think poo-eating!) and Food Allergies
Underlying Health Issues: Dog's breath fruity or sweet? This might indicate that your dog has diabetes. Breath that smells fishy or like urine? This could indicate that your dog has chronic kidney disease.

Preventing Bad Breath by VetProductsDirect has more details