Author: Dogsontheball

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More than just exercise- the added benefits and joy of training for fitness

Most of us start training our dogs in fitness for the obvious physical benefits. For me, it started in 2014 when I realized that my lightning fast whippet, Flash, could hurt himself just sprinting around the yard. I never had a dog that moved that fast, like a rocket! In my “vet tech mind” of years past, I cringed with visions of cruciate tears and worse. I realized that I could not take Flash’s genetic gifts for granted. We had been training in obedience, parkour and tricks, with lots of reinforcement with things like games of fetch with a ball or a flirt pole, (caveat-I since learned safer ways to reinforce with those items). My lack of scrutiny for form and conditioning increased the risks in these training actvities, exacerbated by Flash’s natural ability for speed. So I started taking classes and webinars to learn what exercises would be best to keep my “rocket dog” safe in our chosen activities.

Meanwhile along with Flash I also trained fitness with my 2 senior mixed breeds Haley and Abby, ages 11 and 14 yrs. at the time. We loved our fitness sessions and all 3 dogs would clamor for their turn. Abby and Haley would light up the room when their turn came and it was especially gratifying to see that level of engagement and joy from my sweet girls, who were now retired from a lifetime of training in sports.

Fast forward to 2017 and enter Wilkie, my Cirneco dell’Etna Whippet cross. At the age of 4 in 2019, Wilkie was diagnosed with IVDD (degenerative disc disease). He fortunately fully recovered from 2 separate cervical episodes. Of course strength and conditoning became even more critical in an effort to maintain muscle support and mitigate risk of further damage. My vet at the time had background in canine fitness and was able to prescribe some initial exercises for Wilkie’s neck, forelimb and core strength. I expanded on this inital program as I was able to learn more.

As time went on I continued to train in earnest with all of my dogs. As my senior girls passed on, I continued to prioritize strength and conditioning training for Flash and Wilkie. Wilkie has since remained healthy for 4 years, now age 8. Flash will be 12 years old later this year, has not slowed down at all, and remains healthy and strong.

But this is what I really want to say: Fitness training with my dogs has been one of the most rewarding activities we have ever done. Building relationship, trust and confidence that comes with teaching exercise skills to proper form and precision. Learning how each dog moves and what their physical strengths and deficits might be. Appreciating their individualities in structure, motion, abilities and stamina-both mental and physical. I love seeing them learn to move with intent, control and precision and then those benefits carrying over into other activities. There is no pressure or deadline with fitness training because the goal is simply to make progress, and progress in fitness is fluid and variable. Because I prioritize my dog’s positive state of being in all that we do, they enjoy training for their health or any other reason!
I appreciate all of these benefits so much that I went back to school to earn professional certification as a Canine Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCC) from NC State U College of Veterinary Medicine. I now have the joy of sharing what I have learned as I have been teaching canine fitness since 2022. As this field evolves, I continue to evolve with it as a trainer.
My current local course offerings are listed here: https://dogsontheball.com/current-class-offerings-and-updates/

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Lost Item Recovery- FUN, Practical scent training!

I recently completed a training course through Fenzi Dog Sport Academy on NASDA Lost Item Recovery. I found this to be one of the most satisfying scent activities that my dogs and I have done. For one thing it is practical-finding lost items like glasses, jewelry, ear buds, etc. And the other thing is teaching your dog to not only find your lost items, but also the ability to find anyone else’s lost item by sniffing a sample and matching their scent! These are the same basic skills that are used in search and rescue, tracking, etc. and this is what makes this program unique from other scentwork/nosework titling programs. This is a great standalone activity, but is also a great complement to any other scent sport.

Link to NASDA program that also includes an online titling option: https://nasda.dog/NASDAResources/NASDA_Master_Handbook.pdf?cache=0

Below are links to videos of my own dogs searching for a credit card wallet in bales of straw, and ear buds on ring gates:

Wilkie, earbud search: https://youtu.be/XDY_QNh5KDs

Flash, Credit Card wallet search: https://youtu.be/cl-6extHnCs

If you would like to train for this fun activity, I can help! Classes forming upon request. Email dogsontheball@gmail.com

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Fit Dog Training 101-More Than Meets The Eye

Helping your dog to be fully functional in whatever the chosen lifestyle, is one of the best gifts you can give your dog and your relationship. The benefits are many including physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, working together as a team and reducing the risk of injury in daily activities and/or sports. Additionally, training your dog in strength, conditioning and fitness will improve your skills as a trainer.

First let’s take a look at what is required for basic fitness training. Not unlike other activities, this will require a dog who can focus on the task and want to work with you. Food motivation is key, toy motivation is also an asset. Fitness training is hard work both mentally and physically, so a high rate of reinforcement is required to keep your dog motivated to play, along with a trusting and a positive working relationship. Short training sessions in the learning stages are more beneficial than longer sessions, as true with most training activities.
Does your dog need more focus? More confidence? Do you need to improve your working relationship? A dedicated fitness program can get you there!

I break fitness programs into 2 types of sessions for my students: 1)Learning Sessions, for the purpose of training new skills. 2) Workout Sessions, where fluent skills are put to use in actual strength and conditioning exercises. I stress the importance of keeping these sessions separate.

Observation skills, communication and relationship: To be effective and safe, fitness skills require precision in the best form possible. Learning to recognize what this looks like in your individual dog is key. There are subtle signs of fatigue, mental and physical, which must be honored. In this relationship based approach you become keenly aware of your dog’s communication and how to appropriately respond in their best interest. This builds trust.

Dog’s Choice: “Opt-In” or “Start Button” behaviors are great to have on board in all training programs. Fitness training is no different. We must honor our dog’s willingness and ability to participate. This is also part of building trust. It is up to us to make fitness training desirable, safe and fun so our dog chooses to participate. We want a happy dog who enjoys the process!

Trainer Skills: Proper use of luring, shaping, targeting, marker/reward systems and clear communication all come into play here! The better your trainer skills are, the more precise and effective your training will be! This is key to fitness work.

I introduce all of this in my 4 week starter class, Introduction To Fit Dog Training. Thursdays in April 2024- 4, 11, 18, 25 at Love On A Leash. Email Char for more info: dogsontheball@gmail.com See latest updates and offerings here

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What kind of partner are you?

In response to the recently well publicized incident in which a judge was attacked and seriously bitten multiple times at an agility trial, comes a sad and unspoken truth about dog sports. My opinion on this is not popular, but that is not my goal. My goal is to advocate for the dog’s emotional and physical well being as the priority in the relationship and training. Hopefully this will make some people think, if they are honest with themselves…

Too many people fail to prioritize their dog’s emotional state, both in training and at trials. This is something that handlers need to learn early on! From the very beginning, the state of mind and emotion needs to be the priority in order for a dog to feel comfortable and safe about working with you, in whatever activity you are doing.

But people become too narrowly focused on specific skills for a sport so they can get into the ring ASAP. They cave to peer pressure to start trialing. Not prioritizing-or even recognizing-their dog’s need for comfort, security and trust in what they are asking them to do. Too often this is not even on their radar, much less an integral part of training. The human puts blinders on and neglects the peripheral aspects needed to perform in trial environments. The human pressure coupled with environmental dynamics etc. that comes with trialing, is all thrown at the dog who is now expected to perform. The method is simply throw the dog in the deep end and expect them to swim.

Dogs are not machines to be operated by a human. Emotions are in play from each side, including human expectations. Competition is addictive for many people, to the point where their human goals overshadow everything else including the dog’s best interest, both emotionally and physically.

This is when dogs are put into competition no matter their temperament or how they feel about doing it. Many dogs can, and do, fly through the motions of an activity in a negative emotional state.
This is also when bad things can happen, both to the dog and others who are directly involved.

The human is always responsible. Let me repeat. The human is always responsible. They made the choice to trial, they pay the fees, drive there with their dog and go into ring.

Do they ever consider the dog’s preference? Do they ever give their dog a choice? Are they considering the affect on their relationship if they prioritize their sport over the dog? Far too many handlers do not. Fortunately there are some who do, but it still seems far from the norm in dog sport culture. A culture that has grown exponentially in the past two decades and continues to expand.

Dog sports can be a good thing for dogs and humans. Or humans can use it in attempt to fulfill themselves to exclusion, at an emotional cost to the dog and their relationship. What kind of partner do you want to be to your dog?
Char

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Shed Hunt-a super fun scent activity!

I love training all kinds of scent sports, mainly because I love seeing my dogs’ enthusiasm as they fulfill their hunt drive with a fun, safe activity! I recently completed a 6 week Shed Hunting course through Fenzi Dog Sport Academy, taught by Erin Lynes who is founder of National Dog Sports, located in Canada. The course was packed full of fun and all of the details of training shed hunting both as a hobby hunting activity and as a titling sport. I also took the Shed Hunt webinar through Scentwork U presented by Dr. Donna Morgan Murray of the North American Dog Sport Association (NADSA). NADSA offers a variety of scent sport titling programs, including shed hunt by video.

At this point I should explain for those unfamiliar that Shed Hunt is searching, locating and retrieving naturally shed deer antlers as found in nature. As with so many dog sports, this natural hunting activity is now growing as an organized titling sport. In a trial, the “sheds” are thrown into a search area (so there is no track) and the dogs are judged on time to locate and retrieve. At the beginning levels some organizations do not require a retrieve, just the dog locating and handler call. In nature, sheds are searched for as a collector hobby or to sell for use in crafts or as dog chews (not mine-they are teeth breakers!).

I have trained my current dogs, Flash and Wilkie, in many scent sport contexts-handler scent discrimination/retrieve, tracking, nosework. The transition to yet another scent sport is not difficult-once the search and locating skills are in place it is just a matter of introducing a new scent. One difference in shed hunt from tracking or nosework is the retrieve component. This can be more challenging, but very doable with positive training and strong reinforcement history. I have trained all of my past and present dogs to retrieve the traditional dumbell, leather and wood articles. But now we are working with antlers-hard, pointy and tricky to pick up. I am selective as to the size of the antlers I use for training, to ensure that my dogs can safely pick up and carry them. Safety aside, if they find it the least bit aversive they will never do it again-so I am careful! In nature, I will be satisfied with them locating antlers without necessarily retrieving them if they are too large or otherwise unable to carry. For titling by video the sheds are handler’s choice, so I will be sure it is one they are comfortable retrieving. UPDATED to add: I am finding that the more experience my dogs have in picking up antlers they are building confidence. I am very gradually increasing the size of the antlers, still with safety as a priority, but they are now picking up 3 point antlers!

To actually train the scent for trials, “rack wax” is applied to refresh the antler scent (which may be minimal due to the age of the shed). IF you are training for real life shed hunting, it is best to only use clean antlers (no added scent) and minimize human scent by wearing a nitrile glove to handle the antlers. There are games to reinforce search and locating skills, and the retrieve is taught separately before adding it to a search. This requires additional steps depending on the dog’s history as to whether or not they already have a retrieve. For some dogs the retrieve evolves naturally in the process of training search & locate. But physically retrieving an antler is different from the usual dumbbells or scent articles in other sports, and some dogs may find it difficult. The good news is that if a retrieve is a real issue for your dog, you can still train and title with NASDA in Level 1 that does not require a retrieve, only scent and locate! And your dog can stay in Level 1 and earn the L1Excellent title if you want to keep playing without a retrieve (and in Level 1 you can use a long line too!).

So where do you get training supplies? I have found Etsy to be the easiest source for natural sheds to use in training, with a wide variety of sizes available-just be sure they are natural sheds! The will be described by the seller as such, and you can do a search for “natural sheds”. You can tell in the photos if it is natural by the obvious ruffled and convex base of the antler versus a straight sawed off cut. Gun Dog Supply online also offers natural sheds for sale, along with rack wax, soft fake training antlers and other items. Rather than a fake antler, I wrap the bar of a real antler in vetwrap to make it comfortable for my dogs when they are learning to pick it up. I also only use smaller spike or forked antlers, at least so far. Online titling makes it nice because you can use the size antler that is most comfortable for your dog rather than whatever the judge at a trial might use. NOTE: Again, the antlers you use must be naturally shed, not cut off from a carcass! This is important from a scent persepective and even more important is the humane aspect. It is also important to obtain the correct species that is found in your region. For me here in VA, that is White Tail deer (not elk, moose, etc.)

Here are 2 videos of Flash and Wilkie in training with the retrieve added to a search:

Wilkie, adding retrieve- https://youtu.be/Ka6WgC2IbHw

Flash, adding retrieve- https://youtu.be/AeWamyeASrw

And here is Flash in a level 1 training run with a naked antler (no added wax scent): https://youtu.be/p9h4Ja3lltk

Video titling is great for this sport that is not widely available in person yet, but it is growing. For those who are looking to title, there are both video and in person options at this time with more coming! I have listed resource links below:

North American Sport Dog Association (NASDA), specializes in scent sports and offers both in person and video options for titling. If you are searching in unfenced areas, the first 2 levels of NASDA allow long lines. NASDA also does not require a retrieve in Level 1, only locating. They also offer excellent titles at each level, so you can continue to work at one level for some time if you wish! NASDA Rules– https://nasda.dog/nasda_master_handbook/ NASDA Video titling rules (scroll down to find Shed Hunt) https://nasda.dog/liotitle/

National Dog Sports-Located in Canada, they offer live trials but will also be offering Shed Hunt Skills testing by video starting some time in 2023. Keep an eye on the website- https://nationaldogsports.com/

In person trials are offered by the UKC and the North American Shed Hunting Dog Association.

If you are interested in shed hunt training you can contact Char, dogsontheball@gmail.com