What is Canine Conditioning?
Canine conditioning fitness involves teaching dogs how to safely perform strategic, relevant exercises that build; muscle mass, proprioception awareness, coordination, speed, endurance, strength, and flexibility. Fitness should be fun and safe; watching your dog improve through exercises is rewarding for owners and dogs alike.
Not all exercises are safe for every dog, so it's essential to consult a suitably qualified Canine Fitness Professional. Fitness programs are distinct from canine rehabilitation, with fitness being suitable for healthy dogs and rehabilitation being relevant to dogs recovering from an illness or injury. Often dogs who have completed their rehabilitation will move on to fitness conditioning programs.
Fun
Safe
Engaging
Fitness can peak and wane over the years - mine certainly does - so we take an individual approach to our fitness programs. We coach participants in improving their dogs; body awareness, condition, flexibility, endurance, strength, balance and coordination to promote healthier bodies and minds.
Specialising in Canine Biomechanics, at Canine Body Balance, we draw on a wealth of diverse knowledge to teach participants specific exercises that engage your dog to strengthen muscles and exercise their brains. We cater for dogs of all occupations, be they lap dogs or highly competitive athletes.
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Who will benefit from Canine Fitness Training?
Pet dog fitness
Canine conditioning fitness with your pet dog is a great way to provide enrichment, build rear-end awareness, and exercise both body and mind. Workout your pooch at home or out and about at your local pet hang. It's a great way to bond with your pup while improving their physical condition. Like us, animals need to move and stretch their muscles - learn how to exercise safely by booking an appointment with our canine personal trainer.
- Enrichment
- Fun
- Improve body awareness
Sporting dog fitness
Sports are a fun way to interact with your dog, and we know how important it is to keep your canine athlete in top form. We look at sport-specific goals to help maximise the performance of your sporting companion while keeping things fun and light-hearted. Maintaining the functioning of your sporting dog at its optimum is a priority, so consider combing fitness and manual therapy to maximise their performance - read more about Canine Bowen Therapy here
- Build muscle mass
- Improve coordination
- Increase speed or endurance
Senior dog fitness
Lack of activity is associated with cognitive decline; getting your dog moving safely helps keep their mind sharp. Exercises are tailored to the individual, reducing the hazard of slips and falls while increasing their mobility. Senior dogs gain the most benefit from a combination of manual therapy and fitness. Read more about WEBB or Bowen Therapy.
- Reduce the risk of injury
- Improve cognitive function
- Increase mobility
Puppy fitness
Puppies are amazing; they have so much energy and are filled with so much happiness they often can't stop wiggling. Safety and body awareness are the two most significant focus points for puppies. Learning to avoid slipping while building their confidence, trust and coordination helps create balanced bodies and minds. Puppy fitness training is fun, and it's setting you up for years of more fun.
- Exercise safely
- Fun and enriching
- Build confidence and trust
How can I build my dog's fitness?
Building your dog's fitness can be achieved with simple conditioning exercises. However, mitigating risk is an important consideration when building fitness. Injury prevention is a welfare concern, so undertaking a canine conditioning fitness program should be done with a suitably qualified canine biomechanics or fitness specialist.
Before you begin a fitness program, we encourage you to talk to your vet and have your dog's health screened.
What Equipment do I need to do canine conditioning?
The equipment needed for canine conditioning depends on several factors, including; current skill, desired outcome and budget. You may find you already have everything you need to get started in canine conditioning fitness.
Some people find they become engrossed in fitness and are compelled to buy all the fitness equipment (I can sympathise); others focus on getting their senior dog a little more mobile. We cater to all levels of interest and can offer advice to the full spectrum of clients wishing to partake in a conditioning program.
Generally, we use a series of stable and unstable surfaces of differing heights and angles during the exercise programs. There is no need to spend anything, or you can spend thousands.
