Exercising Properly/Safely

[Celesteandthebullies]

I've started introducing more exercise into their daily schedule, primarily for getting Dakota ready for the competition this weekend. (I plan on stopping on Thursday to let him build some energy)

At the moment, it's a good flirt pole session with some jumping, and my ghetto spring pole thing. (rope with a spring and toy but not off the ground.)

If we're doing heavier work outs, should I walk them out more afterward? At the moment we just do a lap around the yard.


Also, should I give them anything, ice? Some have suggested frozen yogart or ice cream but I wanted to check first.

[FransterDoo]

I don't require them to "walk it out" but we do have some quiet time in the yard afterward. I like to see any heavy respiration back down and have them enjoy fee time in the yard.


The ice/ice cream/yogurt thing has be totally scratching my head. I've never heard that one at all.

[MMSmith]

Celeste, I always have a good warm up and cool down for Henry. As a cyclist/triathlete myself, I know I feel like crap without my warm up and cool down before/after moderate-intense exercise. I also experience a lot of stiffness and soreness later without them.

I know many dogs are inherently in better shape than the average American, and that their cardiovascular fitness/capacity for work is probably better than a typical human, but I still don't think a warm up and cool down would hurt, and it might help.

And for the cold stuff, I wouldn't mess with that either. You can make animals (I'm thinking horses here) really sick by giving them something super cold when they're really hot. I have no medical knowledge behind this, just my papaw's good horse sense. Again, for myself, while I may want a gallon of ice water after a race, if I consume it immediately or too quickly I'm screwed. Hurts like hell, messes with my lactic acid breakdown, all that.

[Leslie H]

http://www.usdaa.com/article.cfm?newsID=2043

Here's an article from the USDAA agility website you might find helpful.

[Celesteandthebullies]

Thank you for all the responses, they helped quite a bit. I'll do a longer warm up/cool down next time.


And yeah, I get a lot of cruddy advice around here, every now and then I get one that actually had some legitimacy to it. I'd ask a local vet, but I'm iffy about them. (One said I should stop feeding raw meaty bones and give tug ropes instead for their teeth.) So, gotta check first!