Tag: agility fitness

Let us turn back the clock ….
Rest,
rest,
rest.
I’m pretty sure if Bolt could talk he’d say,

                                          “ENOUGH! I’m done! I’m Fiiiiiine!”

Bolt’s injury was to his toe on his front foot. A joint on an outside toe, specifically. Initially, he was on complete rest. No more agility, no more jumping on and off couches, chairs or the bed, and no more running around freely after his daily walks. It was now time for short leash walks just to potty and his days were spent in an exercise pen. When things did not improve within a week, his daily residence changed: crate living was now his new existence. Less freedom means more rest. If you’ve ever met Bolt, you’d agree that he is a high energy dog.

He needed to do something before his little head exploded!

Fitness training is not just for the body, but also for the brain. After all, it is just as important to workout the brain as well as the muscles. I suggested that Meg start doing some trick training that would not require Bolt to put any strain on that toe, would benefit them down the line, all while improving the close bond the two had already. She worked on things like nose touches, giving a paw and waving to name a few. In our previous conditioning sessions (B.I.=Before Injury), Meg would get Bolt to turn his head by using a treat, or physically lifting his paw. Soon, she’d be able to work his brain and his brawn at the same time while using less treats! After all, we didn’t want him to gain a bunch of weight on top of all of this.

Working on tricks helped to keep Bolt engaged and also tire him out because he had to think. Doing these “exercises” aided him in his rest because he now settled down faster while he was in his crate. As a side benefit, the bond between the two grew even stronger as they waited patiently for the doctors to give them the thumbs up to get back to “regular life”.

The time came that the veterinarians, specialists, and chiropractors (who were also veterinarians) gave Bolt and Meg the green light to get back to their regular activities. Yay! We could start back on the road to fitness! It is important to note that before embarking on any fitness program your pet should be cleared by a veterinarian. Bolt was getting back to his previous fitness level, NOT working with me as a rehab dog. As a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer I do not diagnose injury, nor am I a rehabilitation specialist. I work with dogs who have been given clearance by a veterinarian.

Even with the veterinarians’ blessings, Meg wanted to take it slow. Bolt had “laid low” for a long time, she did not want to over do anything, including agility, hiking or conditioning. Just as we would do if we had an injury, we would not jump right into running a marathon, but instead we would start our training with walking/jogging on a treadmill or outdoors, along with some light weight training for example. She began their slow return by taking short walks with some off leash playing, short agility sequencing with the bars low and limited turning, and conditioning training too.

We also resumed some of the exercises that we did when they began working with me in the past.

We did some simple manual weight shifting exercises- first on the ground or on a raised stable platform (such as an aerobic bench or Klimb platform).

Bolt would stand in a natural position and Meg would gently add some steady pressure with her hand to each of his shoulders and hip joints. We then progressed these same exercises back onto the balance pads and then finally to the K9FITBone which increased the difficulty due to the unstable surface.

Weight shifting is a seemingly simple exercise but it requires the use of many stabilizing muscles in the core, front and hind legs.  As we add in various components (such as looking right, left, up and down or lifting a leg), the level of difficulty increases.  Try it yourself.  Stand on the floor with both feet planted firmly and have someone apply pressure to your shoulder. Now lift one leg and look up to the ceiling.  Getting harder, right?  What if you did it standing on a pillow or balance disc? You’ll notice how many more muscles are engaged and how much harder it will get as you continue to add more challenges.

So what happened to those tricks we taught him while he was resting?

We were able to incorporate them into his fitness regime right from the start. For instance, while standing on the aerobic bench or K9FITBone, Bolt would touch his nose to Meg’s hand on the right and left side to shift his weight.

Instead of grabbing his right or left front paw, she would ask him to lift it himself.

We did the same with other foundation exercises, such as the folding down and kick back stand, starting on the ground, progressing up to bench, balance pads, and then a balance disc or K9FITBone. It did not take us long to add these progressions as Bolt already had a strong fitness base.

And so began Bolt’s return to his normal, happy life. Onward and upward little man!