New Year, "New Dog" Pt 2

Just like an exercise regime is great for our overall health, so would an exercise regime be for your dog. In the previous post we went over the top 5 exercises we would suggest you start with. Here are 7 other easy exercises you can try with your pup to help with stability, hip strength and overall body awareness.

     Just like an exercise regime is great for our overall health, so would an exercise regime be for your dog. In the previous post we went over the top 5 exercises we would suggest you start with. Here are 7 other easy exercises you can try with your pup to help with stability, hip strength and overall body awareness.

     Fronts up- Don't let the name fool you this exercise helps strengthen your dogs back legs. You can ask your dog to place their front feet on the bottom step at your house or even a curb outside. Have them hold this position for about 10s and build up. If a step is too difficult try a book. 

     Up hill walking- walking up and down hills is a great way to challenge your dog. Walking up hill shifts more weight to the back legs to help strengthen them.  

      Back Feet Up- This is a front leg exercise, as it shifts more weight to the front legs. This helps your pup work the shoulder and elbow stabilizers. You can stop your dog as you lead them down the stair or curb. Shoot for about 10s holds and work up.

     3 Leg Stand- This is a great beginner exercise. It involves gently lifting one paw off the ground having your dog hold that position. You can work your way around your dog lifting each paw. Start with with 5s holds and work up. For the front legs you can ask your dog to shake and hold their paw. Your dog should be able to hold very still for the full 5s before advancing the time. This exercise targets each individual leg and core. If your dog is reluctant to stand on one of their legs it could be indication they have discomfort when standing on that leg. 

    Downhill Walking- Works the front legs more since they front end acts like a breaking system causing the muscles of shoulders and elbows to be more engaged to prevent your pup from tumbling down the hill. 

     Transverse Hill Walking- When walking your dog on an unlevel surface or hill, it causes their weight to shift more to the side that is on the downhill. In the video (take a look on instagram!) we are walking along a drainage ditch where the road is the higher than the grass, the dog, in this case, is working his left legs more than his right due to the hill. 

     Circle Walking- This is a great exercise to practice weight shifting in your dog. As they walk in a circle they place more weight on the legs toward the center if the circle. You can try this on your leash walk, starting with large circles. To make it more challenging make your circles smaller and smaller. 

Please let us know if you try any of these! We'd love to be tagged in your social media posts. Just find us at @oklahomak9pt .