How is conditioning important to canine athletes?

The new millennium is an exciting time for the sport of dogs. More dogs participate in athletic events now than at any other time in history. Dogs and owners alike enjoy preparing for and participating in a variety of new performance events.

In the past several years the AKC alone has more than doubled the number of sponsored events. Retrievers, pointers, setters and spaniels can now enter non-competitive hunting tests at a variety of levels of difficulty, sighthounds can try their paws at lure coursing, herding breeds can work sheep in herding tests, terriers can test their mettle by going to ground, and dogs of all breeds can participate in agility, an exciting sport that tests the timing, coordination, and athleticism of dog and handler alike. Additional organized canine performance events include flyball, sledding, draft dog tests, coonhound trials, free-style heeling, weight-pulling competitions, Schutzhund, water rescue and more.

It is our responsibility to understand canine structure and locomotion, to learn how to condition dogs for specific performance events, and to feed nutritionally balanced diets — in essence to view and respect the dog as an athlete.

A coach for humans selects the best potential athletes, trains them in the skills of the game, provides them with appropriate conditioning exercises and diet, ensures that they receive expert medical care, and gives them emotional support and encouragement when needed. Those of us involved in canine performance events must play this role of coach for our dogs.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes

Dogs are the most varied of all species. Humans have taken advantage of the plastic genetic make-up, short gestation period, and large litter size of the dog to mold his best friend into a variety of shapes and sizes. It is astounding to consider that the Irish Wolfhound and the Dachshund are not only members of the same species, but that both are members of the Hound group. Therefore, before beginning a program of conditioning and skill-training, it is necessary to objectively evaluate your dog's structure.

First consider whether your dog is of a heavy-set breed such as the Clumber Spaniel or the St. Bernard, light-boned like the Afghan Hound or the Whippet, or of medium structure like the Labrador Retriever or the Border Terrier. The heavier a dog is in relation to its height, the more stress will be exerted on the musculoskeletal system. Thus, although a Clumber Spaniel and an Afghan Hound may weigh the same, the Clumber Spaniel carries that weight on a smaller frame and will therefore create more stress on the musculoskeletal system while jumping, running, and some performance events, proper conditioning and appropriate modifications in training can provide significant compensation.

Whether a dog is being prepared for the conformation ring or the Iditarod (the hardest and most important sled race in world), it is essential that canine athletes be maintained at a correct weight. There is no breed standard which states that the ideal dog of that breed should be "flabby, moderately overweight, and with a pendulous abdomen!" Instead, many standards expressly state that the dog should be shown at peak fitness. Excess weight increases the stresses on the musculoskeletal system regardless of the performance event. How can you determine whether your dog has excessive fat? When palpating the ribcage and the loin, you should be ble to feel the bones of the vertebrae and the ribs under the skin. How can you judge whether your dog is fit? Stand behind the dog and feel the muscles of the rear legs. They should be firm and well-defined.

In addition to understanding the dog's overall shape and level of fitness, you should evaluate your dog's conformation, both standing and moving. Get the assistance of someone familiar with canine conformation and with the standard for your breed. Keep in mind your chosen performance event(s). Make a list of your dog's strengths and weaknesses (for no dog is without both) and use it to create a conditioning program unique to your dog. For example, while agility training a Doberman Pinscher that has minimal shoulder layback and a short upper arm, the jumps should be at full height only when excellent footing and a soft landing surface can be provided.

Prior to starting a conditioning program, your dog should be given a thorough physical examination by a competent veterinarian to ensure that he is free of any pre-existing medical condition that could compromise his health. In addition, your dog's hips should be radiographed, and the radiographs evaluated for hip dysplasia by a qualified radiologist. Evaluations for american residents can be performed by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or veterinarians involved in the PennHip Study at the University of Pennsylvania. In some breeds, elbow radiographs should be obtained and evaluated. In some breeds a cardiac examination is also recommended. Finally, to ensure that the dog has no abnormalities of vision, your dog's eyes should be examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist.

Designing a Conditioning Program

Once your dog has been given a clean bill of health, a conditioning program can be established. What exactly does conditioning mean? The dictionary defines it as "developing a state of health, readiness, or physical fitness." Simply stated, conditioning consists of a planned program of exercise and nutrition.

When designing an exercise program, consideration should be given to the dog's age and current level of fitness, to any pre-existing medical conditions or injuries, to the performance event(s) that the dog will compete in, and to the handler's time and physical constraints. Although young puppies can be introduced to some of the skills and tools of their future trade, conditioning exercises should not begin in earnest until well after a dog's growth plates have closed (at approximately 10 months in small dogs and 14 months in the larger breeds). The growth plates are the locations in each bone where new bone forms and damage to the growth plates can result in serious limb deformities.

Dogs that have physical conditions such as hip dysplasia that can result in arthritis should be given only moderate exercise throughout their lives. The best exercise for these dogs is swimming, because it is a non-weight-bearing exercise. The owner of a dog with hip dysplasia should ensure that it trains and competes only in ideal conditions, and should carefully monitor it for signs of fatigue or pain.

An exercise program should start gradually, should be consistently applied, should provide variety, and should progress towards a specific goal. Conditioning is not just a weekend activity. A Golden Retriever that is being prepared for the National Specialty 2 months away may be taken swimming on Saturday when there is more time for travel, and on Sunday it may undergo skill-training (practice stacking, free-baiting, and gaiting) in the morning and a 30 minute trot in the evening. During the week, when the handler has less time to devote to conditioning, the dog may be trotted for 30 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday. On Monday and Wednesday, the dog may be worked on cavaletti and conditioning jumps, and on Friday it gets to watch a movie on HBO.

Exercises  should include both general conditioning exercises and specific skill training. Some examples of general conditioning exercises are: swimming, retrieving, walking or running with the dog, mechanical trotters, conditioning jumps, canine cavaletti, specific agility exercises, and stationary exercises. Retrieving is a popular method to exercise a dog, but it has a high potential for injury. Frisbees as a retrieving tool should be avoided if at all possible, or thrown low to the ground to prevent the dog from twisting on landing. Mechanical trotters can be useful, particularly in hot or cold weather, when it may be difficult or unsafe to exercise outdoors. However, they can be exceedingly boring for owners and dogs alike. Agility obstacles can be very helpful in strengthening specific muscle groups and improving coordination. For example, the weave poles can help to strengthen the muscles of the spine.

Stationary exercises  can also be used to strengthen specific groups of muscles. For example, teaching a dog to sit up can strengthen the back muscles. Stretching exercises, such as the play-bow should always be used to warm up a dog prior to training and competition.

Although physical conditioning is important, mental conditioning is also essential. The best way to mentally condition a dog is to provide frequent periods of play and to incorporate play into the skill training exercises. Play is an essential part of a dog's emotional make-up. Games such as tug-of-war and chase-the-owner are a great way to relieve your dog's stress while at the same increasing his focus on the owner and strengthening the dog-human bond. Be careful not to over-train, whether it be in physical conditioning or in skill-training. Remember—just like you, every dog needs one day off a week!

This decade's explosion of interest in canine performance events will have many positive effects on dog and owner alike. Training a dog is one of the best ways to strengthen the human-canine bond. By learning as much as we can about canine structure and its relationship to performance, we can contribute to our dogs' general health and ensure success in our chosen performance event(s). Take time to appreciate your dog's marvelous athletic ability and to learn new ways to keep your dog fit and healthy throughout his life.

Corpulent or fat?

Our dogs depend on us to put food in their bowls. And, more often than not, we are putting in too much! I have assessed the weight on hundreds of dogs of a variety of breeds over the past year at seminars all over the country and a conservative estimate is that about 50% of the dogs that I see are overweight; approximately 25% are actually obese. These are not couch potato dogs. These are dogs whose owners expect them to jump in obedience, to run over rough ground in retrieving tests, and to perform in agility. And we are seeing the sad results: ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments (often both legs), severe degenerative arthritis in dogs in their prime, degenerative disk disease, and many more conditions that are caused by, or exacerbated by, excess weight.
Why are so many working dogs overweight? The following are some possible answers to this difficult question:

1. Keeping a dog at working weight is incompatible with showing in conformation. I have never understood why dogs whose breed standard states that they should be shown in "hard working condition" don't win in the conformation ring unless they are FAT. The only thing that I can think of is that we are mistaking fat for muscle. For breeds such as Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, assume that if your dog is winning in the conformation ring, it is probably about 8 to 15 lb. overweight. When you are finished showing your dog in conformation, take the weight off, for his own good.

2. People are feeding their dogs the same amount of food they were fed as adolescents. This is a common mistake. But just as most of us eat less now than we did as teenagers, your dog needs less too. A dog's metabolism slows down with age and adult dogs need less food to maintain their weight.

3. People believe the suggested feeding regimens that are printed on dog food bags. Even the most active dog doesn't need as much food as most dog food companies recommend. The best way to determine how much food a dog needs is to feed it the amount that maintains its weight. This is a matter of trial and error.

4. The dog has been less active, but he is being fed the same amount of food. Adjust your dog's intake to his activity level. Remember that in the winter your dog may not get as much exercise and decrease his intake accordingly.

5. People don't know how to determine the correct weight for their dogs. Dogs vary in height, bone structure, and muscularity, so there is no one correct weight for a dog of any given breed. The best way to determine whether a dog is overweight is to test 3 different parts of the body: the neck, the ribs, and the hips.

1. To check the neck, press your thumb and index finger deep into the side of the neck just ahead of the shoulder, and pinch them together. If your fingers are more than 1/2" apart, the dog is overweight. (Note: this is where old dogs tend to carry most of their excess fat, and they may actually be thin in other locations.)

2. To check the ribs, stand with your dog beside you, facing his butt. Place your thumb on the middle of his spine half way down the back and spread your fingers out over his last few ribs. Then run your fingers up and down along his skin. You should be able to feel the bumps of his ribs without pressing in.

3. To check the hips, run your hand over your dog's croup. You should be able to feel the bumps of his two pelvic bones without pressing down.

4. Some of you may be reading this and thinking, "I would never want my dog to be that skinny!" Think about the Olympic athletes. If you want your dog to be an athlete then it is only fair that you do what you can to help him achieve the body that he will need to perform and stay healthy and injury free for many years.

6. People worry that their dogs will not get enough nutrition if they feed them less. Premium dog foods are packed with nutrients. If your dog is overweight, unless he has a hormonal problem (e.g. hypothyroidism), he is getting too much nutrition, and cutting back will not put him in jeopardy. Remember: just like humans, individual dogs vary in their metabolic rate and some dogs just need less food.

7. People don't know how to get their dogs to lose weight without all the side effects —begging, that sad-eyed look that says "I'm hungry", etc. Try the pumpkin diet. Reduce your dog's regular food by 33% and replace it with a 67% volume of canned pumpkin (not the kind with sugar and spices, ready-made for pies). For example, if you are currently feeding your dog 3 cups of food, you would instead feed him 2 cups of food and a whole cup of canned pumpkin. Dogs love the pumpkin—it has the texture of canned dog food, it provides vitamins and roughage, it makes them feel full (so they don't forage in the yard for leftovers), and they lose weight!

8. The vet said that the dog was a good weight (or even underweight). I have asked many vets why they don't tell their clients that their dogs are overweight, and I always get the same answer: "I have lost so many clients because they were offended when I told them their dogs were overweight that I just don't tell them anymore". So please, don't be offended—it doesn't reflect on you personally.

The following is a 'real life' example. Julie Daniels, a well-known agility competitor, was showing her female Rottweiler, Jessy, in conformation. After she got her first major (5 points), Julie decided that she would rather compete with Jessy in agility. Now Rottweilers are not ideally structured for agility. So she took 21 lb (yes 21 lb.—this is not a typo) off the dog. The dog looked lovely, and in the process lost 1 1/2" in height at the withers. (For many medium-sized dogs this could mean the difference between having to jump 26" and 22" in agility.) Jessy is the all-time top winning Rottweiler in agility (USDAA National Finalist 5 years in a row) and is healthy and injury-free at the age of 10 (and still competing in Veterans).

So why not do this for your best friend?

* Chris Zink is a DMV, Ph.D., foremost authority on canines as athletes and author of the book Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine Athlete e co-author of Jumping from A to Z: Teach your Dog to Soar and has put over 50 obedience, agility, retrieving, and conformation titles on dogs from three different groups. She is a consultant on canine sports medicine and gives seminars worldwide to rave reviews.