muscle?
- Thread starter Ashelee
- Start date
I find alot of the time females are harder to muscle up. I road worked Jazz 15km a day at a steady trot EVERY day getting her ready for our specialty. Eack dog is different tho. Jazz was mature and in great shape allready. But she still didnt have stand out muscles. Tone yes but wasnt like Lilbit. Email Lilbits owner (Gamedogs) talk to them about how they condition. What breed do you have? This can make a huge difference
You can't tell with my dogs since they're 'little fluffies' but I've really been working on Summer. Though I don't want her too 'buff and cut' but she needs to be in good enough shape to run and jump. We're exercising a lot- walking, running, working on jumps, etc. She's also on a higher protein diet than the others.
When Beau was showing, we conditioned him too. Raw diet, lots of supplements, and a lot of exercise- particularly treadmilling. He was in great shape by the end.
When Beau was showing, we conditioned him too. Raw diet, lots of supplements, and a lot of exercise- particularly treadmilling. He was in great shape by the end.
Oz is pretty ripped now from playing frisbee and chuckit a lot. I have a large backyard, so there is plenty of room to chase a chuckit ball, and he goes running about every other day for at least two miles with my SO. The vet tech even noticed how much more muscle he has lately. You just cant see it under his coat. You can definitely FEEL it though, and its noticeable when we are playing frisbee, he doesn't get tired as quickly, or as easily.
What I did in the begining, and gradually upped all the times was,
five minute warm up
ten minute work out
ten minute cool down.
That really works. It takes a bit before you can see results, but Id rather wait than risk injuring my dog.
After about a month or so of doing just that, and gradually increasing the time (and I used a stopwatch so that I knew exactly how long we had been working) Oz and I have a ten minute warm up, mostly obedience recalls, and a bit of light flirt pole work...
we can work out for thirty minutes, (hard running, Chuckit work, frisbee catching, etc..) and then we have our cool down which is a twenty minute jog around the block..
Though when I dont feel like going around the block, or I know certain dogs will be out at the time, I lunge him out. (yes, like a horse,
, he trots in a circle around me. It works!) So thats what we do. And you can definitely tell.
What I did in the begining, and gradually upped all the times was,
five minute warm up
ten minute work out
ten minute cool down.
That really works. It takes a bit before you can see results, but Id rather wait than risk injuring my dog.
After about a month or so of doing just that, and gradually increasing the time (and I used a stopwatch so that I knew exactly how long we had been working) Oz and I have a ten minute warm up, mostly obedience recalls, and a bit of light flirt pole work...
we can work out for thirty minutes, (hard running, Chuckit work, frisbee catching, etc..) and then we have our cool down which is a twenty minute jog around the block..
Though when I dont feel like going around the block, or I know certain dogs will be out at the time, I lunge him out. (yes, like a horse,
, he trots in a circle around me. It works!) So thats what we do. And you can definitely tell.
Whatever exercise you decide to do, ALWAYS give your dog a warm up walk first.
Take it SLOWLY. I cannot stress this enough. I'm working on getting some muscle definition on my pit bull, but it might take me a bit because I'm not going to jump into working her out as much as she'll go. It's because she's not used to a real heavy workout, so if I start her out doing a LOT, her muscles and joints are going to be sore. AND I could cause damage. Just like with humans, if you're not used to running at all, but then one day you run five miles, you're going to be sore and could possibly hurt your knees, ankles, or hips.
Take it SLOWLY. I cannot stress this enough. I'm working on getting some muscle definition on my pit bull, but it might take me a bit because I'm not going to jump into working her out as much as she'll go. It's because she's not used to a real heavy workout, so if I start her out doing a LOT, her muscles and joints are going to be sore. AND I could cause damage. Just like with humans, if you're not used to running at all, but then one day you run five miles, you're going to be sore and could possibly hurt your knees, ankles, or hips.
I do a ton of uphill work with the dogs jogging beside my bike. Really gets those arse muscles looking nice. Spanky and Bandit have such sexy thighs. Spanky demands a butt massage after a workout though so you are warned. If your dog is anything like mine expect your hands to be sat on by a furry butt.
I have to agree with Chewb
some people take 'warm ups' for granted, and don't even give a second thought to warm ups for dogs.
I was concerned about Maddie being overweight, so decided (with vets ideas) for her and myself to get more exercise and tone up ourselves. I try to stretch (sometimes I slack on myself haha) and then I stretch Maddie's limbs. I invite her to reach up my body with her paws and s t r e c h her torso and front legs... I also gently stretch one leg at a time - she seems to enjoy this, and has made the connection that stretching = fun [exercise]!
Swimming is great exercise! Not all dogs like swimming though, and some need to be taught... lol...
I've found hiking on-leash has toned Maddie a lot. I love letting her off leash, but she just races back and forth, over the easier paths Walking with me uses her mind and body. Keeping an eye on me to not pull on the leash, as well as checking out the envoirnment, alternating up hill, down hill with speeds of the walk helps (in my opinion) way more than just jogging or walking - even if your walking longer distances.
some people take 'warm ups' for granted, and don't even give a second thought to warm ups for dogs.
I was concerned about Maddie being overweight, so decided (with vets ideas) for her and myself to get more exercise and tone up ourselves. I try to stretch (sometimes I slack on myself haha) and then I stretch Maddie's limbs. I invite her to reach up my body with her paws and s t r e c h her torso and front legs... I also gently stretch one leg at a time - she seems to enjoy this, and has made the connection that stretching = fun [exercise]!
Swimming is great exercise! Not all dogs like swimming though, and some need to be taught... lol...
I've found hiking on-leash has toned Maddie a lot. I love letting her off leash, but she just races back and forth, over the easier paths
Walking with me uses her mind and body. Keeping an eye on me to not pull on the leash, as well as checking out the envoirnment, alternating up hill, down hill with speeds of the walk helps (in my opinion) way more than just jogging or walking - even if your walking longer distances.
Man, I'd kill for some muscle tone...
It's not fair. even at the height of sledding season, where Kena was conditioned to run 4 miles while pulling me, he was a scrawny lil' thing. I work him so much, and nada!
He runs, pulls, jumps, wrassles, swims... What else can I do?? I guess he's meant to look the way he does.
My agility instructor says he has a girl body. LOL!
It's not fair. even at the height of sledding season, where Kena was conditioned to run 4 miles while pulling me, he was a scrawny lil' thing. I work him so much, and nada!
He runs, pulls, jumps, wrassles, swims... What else can I do?? I guess he's meant to look the way he does.
My agility instructor says he has a girl body.
LOL!