CANINE FITNESS

Many dogs are used to moving forward, but have difficulty moving in other planes (side to side, backwards, spinning). Learning to diversify movement ensures that your dog is using all muscle groups well and correctly. This benefits a young, active dog as well as an older dog who may need support to prevent injury from a slip or fall. Maintaining muscle strength and flexibility ensures healthy movement as dogs age and can prevent wear and tear of over-used muscles or joints.

How a Canine Fitness Program Works:

Your dog will spend a day with us once each week. During that day, they’ll receive three training sessions of about 10-15 minutes each with ample rest in between. If your dog is utilizing the Underwater Treadmill, they’ll have 2 training sessions and 1 UWT session at each visit.

First, we focus on foundational behaviors — how to use the equipment, listen to commands, and safely navigate a fitness session. Once your pet has the foundations down, we’ll move on to more advanced and specific exercises based on the dog’s needs and goals. 

We’ll teach you how to modify the 3-5 exercises your pet is learning, so you can work with them at home. Home sessions should be performed 3-5 days a week with 2 days of active rest in between, for a total of 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, you’ll receive a new set of exercises to practice.

Private sessions are also available and held once per month.

Injury Rehabilitation and Canine Fitness

Customized plans are offered for dogs who are rehabbing from injury or surgery. Dr. Katie works closely with Kat, our Canine Conditioning Coach, to develop a plan of care for each dog. Working together, they continuously monitor and reassess the needs of each dog as it recovers or progresses in fitness.