Please bring lots of treats--high value and low value treats. Please use a harness or a buckle collar. Do not use a prong or choke collar.

Transcription

1 Lisa Bonker, CCFT Conditioning Handouts January 2017 Please note that I am not a veterinarian, a certified rehabilitation specialist nor a veterinarian technician. I am a FITPAWS Master Trainer, and a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer through the University of Tennessee. I have taken many classes, seminars, workshop on Canine Conditioning as well as reading and watching many books and DVD s. The exercises taught are geared toward healthy dogs with no physical problems. I do not treat or diagnose problems. Please consult with a vet, physical therapist, chiropractor or rehabilitation expert prior to starting any exercise conditioning program. Please bring lots of treats--high value and low value treats. Please use a harness or a buckle collar. Do not use a prong or choke collar. Canine Conditioning is very important for all dogs. From puppy to senior, from couch potato to the canine athlete, there are fun exercises to help improve your dogs overall well-being. These exercises improve body awareness, balance, flexibility, mobility, and muscular strength. If you have a canine athlete that competes in agility, conformation, obedience, flyball, herding, or a companion that talks walks with you, a fitness plan can improve your dog s performance and help prevent injury. f you have pet dog or an older dog, fitness and conditioning will help your dog move better and enhance their quality of life. Besides the incredible physical benefits, doing these exercises will provide mental stimulation, strengthen the bond with your dog, increase your dog s confidence and create more focus. Plus it is really fun to do!! Conditioning Program should consist of warmup/cool downs, stretching, strengthening exercises, muscle/joint mobility flexibility, body awareness/balance/stability exercises and core strengthening. It also should include endurance exercises and skill training. Core strengthening is very important. The core consists of the large muscles of the trunk and pelvis. These include abdominal muscles, muscles along spine (back) and pelvic muscles such as hip flexors (iliopsoas). Core strengthening exercises are extremely important for the overall condition of the dog to help the dog safely control his movements. When the core is strong, the correct muscles are being used properly allowing the dog to move fluidly and efficiently. The stronger the core, the less stress there is on the back and other parts of the body. When the core is weak, the dog will overuse or incorrectly use other muscles which can contribute to injury, lower back pain, poor balance and posture. A strong core increases stability, endurance, strength and speed. It improves athletic performance as the core will allow the dog to align his body more efficiently and easily as it moves. A strong core also helps to protect the back and can reduce injury. Core strength and balance go hand in hand- when you improve one the other improves also! Balance, and stability exercises are important to do as dogs need them in everyday life from getting up from laying down to running around in the backyard to competition. Balance exercises challenge the body to maintain proper postural control while keeping the dog from falling down or over. It is the ability of the dog to stay in control of body movements while stationary and in motion. Stability refers to the ability of the body keep the spine and joints in proper alignment while in stationary and in motion. We need to work the muscles that stabilize the joints. Strong stabilizer muscles protect the joints against the concussive forces of athletic activities and repetitive motions because they will absorb the force/shock so the bones and ligaments do not. Spine and joint stabilization is critical to injury prevention and improved performance. Body awareness exercises (proprioception) refers the dog s awareness of its individual body parts in relationship to space and environment. Body awareness is the ability of the dog the know where his body is in space ~ what and where are the body parts are doing while moving or stationary. If a dog understands where his body is in space and knows how the body is 1

2 moving it will help prevent the dog from misstepping, tripping and falling down! The more body aware the dog is the more control he has over his body and more fluid and efficient his motion will be. Body awareness is great for injury prevention but also can increase speed by decreasing unnecessary movements. Balance, stabilization and body awareness are the building blocks to strengthen muscles and to move more fluidly, efficiently and purposefully. These exercises will teach your dog to engage the correct muscles which will help the dog control his movement better. These exercises also work the stabilizer muscles that help stabilize the joints. By performing these types of exercises, your dog will improve performance and decrease the chance of injury. Joints (that allow body parts to move) are connected with connective tissues and muscles. Joints allow motion, but also provide stability between the bones to prevent unwanted motion during movement. For example, we don t want our dogs to do the splits. So we need to work muscles that move the body as well as stabilizer muscles around the joints. By putting our dogs on unstable equipment (discs, peanuts, wobble boards etc) we are working the muscles that stabilize the joints. Balance exercises uses instability to force the dog to use muscles to stabilize and balance their body. Front Limb Strengthening Front Limbs are the muscles of the neck, shoulders and front legs. Front limbs are primarily responsible for weight bearing and stability. They also are used to turn, land and slow down or stop the dog after movement. Dogs place around 60% of their weight on their front limbs when standing. This increases as they move. Moving forward is the easiest movement for the dog but they also bend, twist, and turn while in motion. Now add unpredictable surfaces (loose dirt, wet grass etc). The front limb is primarily responsible for slowing the dog down. Performing front limb strengthening (and flexibility) will improve dogs stability when running, landing, moving over different surfaces etc. The stronger the stabilizer muscles of the front limb, the better!! Hind Limb Strengthening The back limb consists of the muscle of the hips, knee, hock and toes. The rear limb is responsible for power and strength. Rear limbs muscles increase dogs speed and power as well as helping them jump and extend their rear limbs. A strong rear helps a dog getup after laying down, going up stairs, going up ramps, jumping and running. Rear limb muscles are usually the first muscles to atrophy as dogs age. So it is very important to keep up with hind limb exercises throughout the dog s lifetime. (All exercises are important!!) Flexibility It is important to maintain and increase flexibility. Flexibility refers to the joints ability to move through a full range of motion. It also refers to the ability of the muscles to contract and elongate to full range of motion so movement around the joint is maximized. The more flexible a dog is the more control he has over his movement. It also increases coordination and reduces injuries. Tight muscles result in restricted movement and compensations in other parts of the body. We want all parts of the body to be in balance and function correctly. Limitations in the range of motion of joints predisposes dogs to injury. Imbalances will alter the gait of the dog. If flexibility is decreased for prolonged periods of time, the dog will be unable to extend that joint so weight bearing will become problematic. Other parts of the body will compensate because of the added pressure placed on those areas. Flexibility exercises help improve joint function which improves fluid movement and balance. Identifying and stretching tight areas can decrease potential strain. We want to dog to distribute his weight as evenly as possible so any weakness in flexibility will create an imbalance. Lateral Strength As we all know, dogs move forwards and backwards, but they also move sideways in life and in sports. Lateral strength (moving sideways) supports the limbs (hips, knees hocks) when turning, weaving and pivoting. In sports, dogs move sideways when weaving, when 2

3 turning over a jump, going around a barrel, doing a box turn in flyball etc. In daily life, dogs use these muscles stepping over things, jumping on and off the couch and bed, turning and chasing things. If the muscles used for lateral (side to side) stability are weak, injuries can occur. So it is important to warm-up and strengthen these muscles to prevent injury and build stability strength. Designing a Program When designing a program, you want to work the entire body. When I think of exercises, I think of working the core, the front limb and the hind limb. I also want to move the dog sideways and increase flexibility. Each fitness program should be tailored to each dog. The conditioning program for you dog should target all areas of the body-front limbs, hind limbs and core muscles. Many exercises will work both the front limbs and core, the back limbs and core or the whole body. Some exercises will only work one area so you will have to choose another exercise to work the other end. It also is not just about putting your dog on equipment. It is very important to have the correct body position and to use equipment in a safe manner. Each session, I pick 4-5 exercises to work on. I will do one set (specific number of reps) of EACH exercise and then go back and do another set of the same exercises. The goal is usually to do 3 sets of 4-5 exercises. I pick exercises that will work the whole body. So I make sure that the some of my exercises work the front, and or core and hind limbs. I also make sure that I have a flexibility and lateral strength exercise in my routine. Some exercises will by whole body workouts such as crawling or roll over. Others will focus on one area. For example, putting front legs on stool and hind-limbs on the ground will shift weight to the hind-limbs so that is the area that is being worked more. If you reverse the same exercise but now put back legs on stool and front legs on ground, weight is shifted to front legs so the forelimb is being worked more. I work each dog about 15 minutes or so 3-5 times a week. Give your dog 2 days off of strength training each week. If you have a competition, do not strength train the day before or after an event. You want to do the same exercises for 2-3 weeks. Each time you perform these exercises change the order up. When performing exercises constantly watch for form and signs of fatigue. We want to maintain good form with controlled quality movements to ensure that muscles are being enaged. GO SLOW~In order to work the intended muscles of the exercise, you want the dog to move slowly. Slow, sustained fluid movement is the goal. Think about stepping down a step if you go slow you are really engaging your quads. If you go fast, your quads are not working that much. We want slow controlled movements to engage the proper muscles. When you are first training an exercise, you really are not exercising but training the dog to perform the exercise correctly with good form. It takes time to learn. Take your time and be mindful of form. If you see any signs of fatigue, it is time to stop. Watch your dog and know your dog. He may just need a break and then you can continue working or he may be done for the day. Once your dog understands the exercise, then you can start working on doing more repetitions of the exercise, incease hold time and perform more sets (doing the exercises again). For example, when we are teaching the dog to kickback stand we may have to help the dog stand with good form by pushing their feet back. Once the dog understands the kickback stand, then you can start working on reps/sets/hold times. Once the dog can perform the kickband stand reps/sets easily on the ground (or bench) then you can progress by performing on unstable equipment or elevating front or back limbs. In order to increase strength, muscles need to be challenged in different ways. This can be performing more reps/sets, adding duration of the exercise (for example sitting on bone for 15 seconds instead of 10 seconds), performing exercises on unstable equipment and changing up the equipment, adding height (shift more weight thus engaging the muscles differently) and changing up the exercise routine. When it comes to the number of reps to do I will 3

4 quote Debbie Gross Quality over Quantity. It will take time to build muscles and balance in order to perform them. Start with low reps and work up to more reps. You always want to look for proper form. When your dog starts to lose form, it is time to stop. So it is better to do 5 reps with good form than 10 reps with bad form. Once your dog can perform the recommended amount of reps and sets, then it is time to make the exercise more difficult. You should keep doing the same exercises until your dog is strong enough to move on to more difficult exercises. That being said, it is important to vary the exercises so that the dog s muscles are frequently challenged in different ways. Please remember the number of reps (sets) you have your dog perform in a session should be determined by the dog! You should always watch your dog s form and signs of fatigue. It is important when conditioning to recognize signs of fatigue. When the dog starts to fatigue, he will have a harder time maintaining proper form and posture. So always watch your dog s form. Some signs of fatigue (depending on exercise) are arched or roached back, knees and elbows start to kick out, feet splay out. It can also be lick lipping, yawning or panting. When they lose form, refuse an exercise or even start licking and panting, it is time to stop. Really watch your dog and pay attention to what they are telling you. I am always watching for a flat back because it is a good indicator if there is anything wrong. There are 3 types of toplines: level (flat), arched and sloping. Most dogs have a nice flat back/topline. Some dogs naturally have arched back such as sighthounds. Some dogs has sloping topline like German Shepherds. It is important to know what your dog s normal topline is. A change in a dog s topline can indicate weaknesses, poor conformation, bad posture, pain, age, growth or even internal issues. If a dog has a sudden change in his topline, he may have stomach issues (bloat, diarrhea etc). If this happens, take your dog to the vet promptly. Changes in the topline can also occur if there is an injury as the dog will adjust his posture to take the weight off the injured area. A weak core can cause a roached back also. So in most cases, with proper exercise, you will be able to make a positive change in the dog s topline. We need to do enough reps to fatigue the muscles in order to gain muscle strength. But we have to watch for signs of fatigue so we know when to stop. Watch your dog and know your dog. He may just need a break and then you can continue doing another set or he may be done for the day. So you maybe be able to do 1 set take a break and then do another set. Or you may be able to do 1.5 sets.. Watch your dog and watch for form and signs of fatigue. Always avoid painful movements. Some dogs with issues (arthritis, HD, luxating patellas etc) may not be able to perform certain exercises. If your dog shows any pain,stop! For example, dogs with HD or psoas issues may show signs of pain with hips extension. Know your dog and listen to your dog. Remember when coming up with a conditioning program, you want to make sure that you work the entire body each workout session. So how do you know what area your dog is working? The area where weight is being distributed to is generally (not always) the area that is the focus of that exercise. So when thinking about what area the dog is working front or rear- think about where is weight being shifted too. If you stand on one leg, weight is being shifted to the leg on the ground..so you are primarily working the muscles of the leg on the ground. Your core is also engaged to keep your standing upright. This is not an absolute rule, but it is true most of the time. For example, if we teach the back leg lift (like male dog peeing) we are working muscles used to lift that leg up. The other 3 leg muscles will work also to balance the dog. So many exercises work multiple parts of the dog. When you want to work the hind limbs, elevate the front legs over the hind limbs so that more weight is being distributed to the hind limbs. When you want to work the front limbs, elevate the hind limbs over the front limbs so more weight is being shifted to the front. If you have 4

5 proper form, the core will be engaged also. When you use unstable equipment, the core will be activated to balance the dog. Dogs place 60-70% of their weight on their front limbs when standing or walking. Once the dog starts running, jumping, turning etc, the percentage increases. By performing fitness exercises, we are trying to teach the dog to distribute his weight more evenly among each limb and move more fluidly. Making exercises more appropriate for your dog s fitness level: Make sure your dog is able to perform the exercises on the ground or an aerobic bench before moving on to balance equipment. We want to make sure the dog has good form on the flat first J Next time some balance equipment. I love balance pads as a good place to start and a great prop for senior and puppies. I stack them to add more challenge. If you don t have balance pads, use your couch cushions. I also use stool,s benches for many of my workouts. Once your dog is comfortable, strong enough and has good form on stable equipoment, it is time to more to unstable equipment- discs, bones, donuts, pods, peanuts etc. Speaking of equipment, start going to thrift stores and see what you can find! I have different sized aerobic benches, stools, other fitness equipment (wave, Zumba stool) as well as some kids toys I have uses (kids wobble board). NEVER feel bad or be afraid to make things easier if you need to!! Always advocate for your dog and do what is best for him! That being said, if your dog can usually do a nice tuck sit on a bone and all of sudden he cannot hold it.. may be a good idea to take to a professional to get checked out. I am a huge advocate of chiropractic and massage care. If my dogs look off my first phone call is to my chiropractor. Once your dog can perform the workouts easily, it is time to make the workouts more challenging. We need to continue to challenge the muscles. Progression of exercises/adding more challenge 1-increase hold time (duration) 2-Increase repetitions 3-Add unstable props (discs, bones, etc) 4- Add air to your prop (generally the more air, the more difficult) 5- Change the height of prop (stack equipment) 5-Pair equipment (put various props together such as 2 bones for workout) SAFETY: I always want ot make sure I am working out my dogs in a safe manner. Make sure you are working on a non slip surface. You can use yoga mats, carpet to put your equipment on. Make sure your equipment is not slippery too. I often put bath mats over some equipment (Stools, benches). Make your dog can get on and off the equipment safely. This is very important for puppies and seniors. I often create steps with balance pads to help my dogs can on and off equipment. You can use couch cushions or other stuff. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING A HARNESS ON SENIOR DOGS. If your senior dog will wear a harness than put it on.. just in case you need to help them. Factors when designing program -Age of dog (pups should not put back feet on discs or do wobble board til growth plates closed for any sustained amount of time, no sustained exercises) -Physical condition of dog (weight, level of fitness) -Prior injuries or diseases -Performance activities of dog -Physical limitations of dog and handler -Structure and breed TRAINING THOUGHTS -Make sure you warm up and cool down your dog -Use positive methods to train your dog. -If needed, use a harness on your dog -Pay attention to body position. Most positions want dog in natural standing position- flat back, front legs under shoulder, rear legs under hips, eyes forward, dog standing on feet not hocks -Want slow sustained movements that will engage the muscles -Please make sure your dog is not on a slippery surface when doing conditioning exercises 5

6 -Please take your time and be very positive and happy with your dogs. It takes awhile to build muscle and confidence to perform some of these exercises. -Make sure you stabilize equipment. You can put some equipment up against a wall, hold it with your hand, foot etc. - As you watch my videos, I treat my dogs a lot yeah yeah I am a pez dispenser. I do use low value treats usually gold fish. If I use high value treats, my dogs don t think as well. That being said, I am trying to incorporate a nose touch to get proper movements so my dogs will think more about their movements and not the food. It is a work in progress. -Always monitor your dog for signs of fatigue or pain. You should never cause pain. -When you are first teaching backing up to equipment, do not place equipment against a wall or solid surface. Dogs use their tails to know where they are in space so you want to make sure the dog has room to wag it tail. -Make sure your dog s nails are cut short -Most dogs distribute 60-70% of their weight on their shoulders and front legs when standing or walking -When front feet are elevated above the back feet, the hind limbs are engaged -When back feet are elevated above the front feet, forelimbs are being worked -Whenever there is a weight shift it engages the core muscles and the muscles the weight is shifted to. When dog moves head up, weight is shifted to back legs. When dog moves head down, weight is shifted to front legs. Examples of weights shifts are shifting weight forwards and backwards, side to side or head movements up and down, and side to side. -When your dog moves laterally (pivot, sidestepping) it is strengthening the muscles use to change direction, pivot, wrap and side to side motion like weaving. It also engages side abdominal muscles. -By performing the exercises on balance equipment, you further challenge the muscles and work muscles that help stabilize the joints. If front feet are on unstable surface (disc, bones etc), they are working the stabilizer muscles on the shoulders. If back feet are on unstable surface, they are working the hind limb stabilizers. Working the stabilizer muscles will help dogs move more efficiently and distribute weight correctly. -Exercises should be trained on the ground before attempting to perform them on balance equipment. Always pay attention to form and technique. -Start out doing low reps and watch for form. Gradually increase the number of reps or sets but always watch for proper form. -Always watch for signs of fatigue or pain. If your dog seems tired, stop the exercise. If there is pain, please consult vet, chiropractor, physical therapist or rehab expert. -Quoting Debbie Gross Exercise should NEVER EVER EVER cause the dog to limp, be lame, or be in pain - I recommend having 2 of the same item (2 disc, 2 bones) with one inflated higher than the other. -Buy an aerobic bench (I get mine at thrift stores) or make a plank that is just a little wider than your dog. I use my bench for many things! It really helps with a good square sit. I also use it as a bridge with other equipment and to help my dogs get on pieces of equipment. -Verbal cues: My dogs paws means front feet, feet means back feet and I am working on teaching individual feet behaviors. I also say Side when I want my dogs to move laterally away from me. -If you have multiple dogs, work each dog throughout your whole program for that day and then move on to the next dog. -GOOD IDEA to take pictures of your dogs from many angles standing, sitting and down. I take videos of my dogs and use screen shots to create a document for each dog. Take some video of your dog trotting mat to mat side view, front view back view. Take video of your dog running around. These are good baselines pictures and videos so that you can see if there is a difference. You should try to do this every 6 months or so. OTHER ACTIVITIES TO DO : (We wont have time to do this in this seminar) STRETCHING- You should stretch your dog at least 3X a week. Good book/dvd Healthy way to Stretch your dog by Sasha Foster ENDURANCE TRAINING- You should try to have sustained trot for 20 minutes few times a week. 6

7 SKILL TRAINING- you should train your dog in the sport they participate in. tugging. Duration around 5-10 minutes BASIC MOVES It is very important to learn the basic moves of conditioning on the flat (or a bench) prior to using unstable equipment. We want to watch for proper form and technique. Performing the basic moves on the ground (or bench) helps prepare the dog for more advanced exercises. The dog needs time and practice to build up the strength flexibility and balance to perform advances exercises. Stand to Tuck Sit to Kickback Stand: Stand to Down to Stand: 2HTveFo WARM UP ROUTINE Warming up your dog is arguably the most important thing you can do to prevent injury. Warming up with your dog before you run (practice or trial) is VERY IMPORTANT!!! I don t pull my dog out of the crate and just walk to the line. Performing a warm up routine is very important for many reasons. First, warming up prepares your dog (and yourself) for physical activity by raising the body temperature, heart rate and blood circulation to muscles and ligaments. Second, it will show you if something is wrong or off with your dog. If you always do a warmup routine, you will get to know how your dog looks and feels. You do not have to understand the whole anatomy of the dog, but just be observant so you can see if something looks off. Third, this will help connect you with your dog! You want your dog to be focused and connected with you. By engaging with them and doing some fun connection games, your dog will be ready to go. Warm-ups should mimic the activity you are performing. Please note that passive stretching should NOT be part of a warm-up routine unless advised by Rehabilitation expert. Passively stretching muscles prior to activity reduces the power of the muscle and movement. It is OK to do quick active stretching (where the dog does the stretching~ not you, and you do not hold the stretch for more than 3 seconds). Passive (holding for longer periods like 30 seconds) is very important but should not be done prior to activity. My warm-up routine consists of shadow handlingquick trotting includes turns, backup, forward, and sidestep; a few stand sit stand down stand stretch stand, bow. Spins, figure 8 around legs, weave between legs, cookie stretches, warm up wrists feet toes and hocks, friction rubs, paws up stretch and Weight Shifts (manual, give paw, head moves) Turn Tight Circles Sidestepping Backup s Pivot Pivot up: nebasicmoves.html STAND TO TUCK SIT Setup: I like to do this exercise on an aerobic bench first, then add to balance equipment Goal: From a stacked standing position, have your dog sit by bringing its back legs forward without moving front feet. Form: As you ask your dog to sit, rear legs should come forward into a sit, You want the dog to tuck their hind end in. You want a SQUARE SIT with flat back, elbows and knees close to the body, feet (front and back) tracking forward. You want a slow controlled movement into the sit to properly engage the core and hind limbs. Good Form for Sit: -Flat back for the breed 7

8 -Natural head set, muzzle remains parallel to the ground -Front feet pointed forward with weight distributed equally between left and right -Back feet under hips or slightly behind hips, weight distributed equally between left and right leg -Knees close to body and pointed forward -Elbows close to body and not pointing outward Training Tip: At first, you may have to hold to dog s collar to keep front feet from moving. I like to do this exercise on an aerobic bench or a board that is only a few inches wider than the dog. This helps encourage a good tight square sit. STAND TO KICK BACK STAND Setup: I like to do this exercise on an aerobic bench first, then add to equipment Goal: When you ask your dog to stand from a tucked sit, you want the front feet to remain stationary and the back feet to move backwards to naturally balanced stand. The core and hind limbs work the move the dog into a standing position. You do not want a hop into the stand, but a slow controlled stepping backwards of the hind limbs into the stand. Good Form for the Stand: -Natural Head Set, muzzle parallel to the ground -Flat back for the breed -Legs are set a natural distance apart -Front feet under Shoulders, paws pointing forward, weight distributed equally between left and right leg -Back feet under hips or slightly behind hips, weight distributed equally between left and right leg, standing on Feet not hocks -Elbows close to body and not pointing outward ADD BASIC MOVES TO EQUIPMENT. Start low and move to higher and less stable equipment. The higher the dog s legs are raised, the more difficult it is to maintain the position. The less stable the piece of equipment is, the more it engages muscles. Start with phonebook, stool, move to disc, bone, donut etc Some Examples of Balance/ Body Awareness and Core -Standing on on 4 legs with good posture on ground then add standing on unstable surface -Weight Shifts while standing on unstable prop -Bench on 2 bones -Balance on thin surface (4x4, skinny planks) -Figure 8s and Cone Weaving -Dynamic Balance (move up and down balance props) -Sit Stand Downs on unstable props -Cavalettis -slower and higher hock height and trotting lower than ankle height -Walk backwards over poles or props -Crawling -Rotate around object -Sidepass ground then on balance equipment -Hold Sit on stool or balance prop -Sit Pretty -Walk the line of equipment Some Examples of Hind-limb Strengthening -Weight Shifts backwards (on ground, then on unstable equipment) Head lifts to increase weight on the rear Give front paw which shifts weight to diagonal back leg - Forelimbs up on object (low at first, then add height) -Backing up (on flat first, teach independent backup) backup over poles, discs etc backup incline or hill -Sidestepping -Foam Roller Psoas Exercise -Pivot with front legs on disc or similar -Tuck Sit and Kickback Stand -Folding Down -Squats -Walk up hill or incline slowly Some Examples of Front-limb Strengthening -Weight Shifts forward (on ground, then on unstable equipment) Head lowering to increase weight on the rear Give back paw which shifts weight to diagonal front leg leg - Hind-limbs up on object (low at first, then add height) -Walk down Hill or incline 8

9 -Sidestepping -Lateral steps Examples of Lateral Strength -Sidepassing -Ipsilateral Stands -Pivoting -Sidestep over gap -Tight Circles -Circle Cone Examples of Full Body workouts -Weight shifts on peanut or 2 pieces of balance equipment -Crawling -Cavalettis -4 feet on 4X4-4 feet on pods -Rollover with twist FITBONES: Why I love the fitbones - Info on inflating the bones: GETTING ON THE BONE VIDEO: Examples of Flexibility Exercises -Bow -Turn Tight Circles -Cookie Stretches -Back / Psoas Lengthening Stretch -Rollover -Weave Between legs -Shadow handling Important Videos to watch FOUNDATION INFO AND VIDEOS Please watch the following videos and read over the posted notes. I know it is a lot so please ask questions if you have any! INTRO TO CONDITIONING LECTURE: TREAT PLACEMENT VIDEO: 68JhuWFYfc As you watch my videos, I treat my dogs a lot yeah yeah I am a pez dispenser. I do use low value treats usually gold fish. If I use high value treats, my dogs don t think as well. That being said, I am trying to incorporate a nose touch to get proper movements so my dogs will think more about their movements and not the food. It is a work in progress. 9

10 EVALUATION Weight: (over, under, good) Temperament: Is dog nervous? Confident? Do you think your dog is in pain? If so, where? Standing Can dog stand for 10 seconds without moving around, sitting or lying down? -Topline (Is back flat? roached? swayback?) -Note foot placement- Is one leg/foot kicking out? Or in? -Is one leg under the dog more than the others? -Head and Tail Position (will affect posture) -Balance of weight bearing (is dog shifting weight forward or backward? left to right? -Is weight distributed evenly on all limbs? Sitting: Is dog sitting squarely? (Are knees and feet tracking forward) Can dog sit square for 10 seconds? Note if dog is sitting on one hip Down: Is dog leaning on one hip? Is dog laying down in sphinx position (knees under body, square down) Is dog s back flat or roached? Feel Test: (touch your dog all over) Do you feel any difference in size of muscles? Do you feel any twitching? or any pain response? Especially in the back? Do you feel any heat? Do you feel any lumps or bumps? Range of Motion/Flexibility (ROM=joints, flexibility=muscles): Flexion and Extension Left front limb? Right front limb? Left back limb? Right back limb? Measure thigh Assess flexibility through the spine by Turning in Tight Circles Do you see a difference in turning tight circles to the left or right? Try to do it with a verbal/body cue and lure it slowly with a treat. Do you see a difference turning with cue and luring? Always start from a stand. When luring, keep the treat at nose level and keep the treat close to body; bring treat to hip and finish circle. Do a full 360 circle. Gate: Trot and Circle Do you see any weird gait? Is one stride shorter? Hitching? Limping? Take pictures of your dogs from side and back standing, sitting and down. I take videos of my dogs and use screen shots to create a document for each dog. Take some video of your dog trotting mat to mat side view, front view back view. Take video of your dog running around. These are good baselines pictures and videos so that you can see if there is a difference. You should try to do this every 6 months or so. Make note of anything you think looks off or weird and discuss it at your next chiropractic or vet appointment. 10

11 POSITIVE & FUN DOG TRAINING with Lisa Bonker, PhD CCFT NADAC Clinician FITPAWS Master Trainer *Seminars, Online Classes & Online Coaching ONLINE CLASSES AND.html The following classes are available ANYTIME!!! *Senior Dog Fitness *Fitbones Workout *Fitbones 1: learn how to properly use fitbones doing various conditioning exercises *Fitbones 2: progress to other conditioning exercises *Conditioning for Barrels: learn various exercises to help condition for barrels *Startlines *Jumping Class my favorite jumping exercises *Jump Grids various jump grids *Foundation for Contacts Class-learn the foundations for 2020 with emphasis on back feet! *Distance off of Contacts *Discriminations *Barrelers- learn how to perform an efficient barrel in various sequences *Teach Here and Switch *GO GO GO-learn how to your dog to move forward and ahead of you *GO GO part 2 continue to push for more forward distance *Xhoopers *More classes to come BONKER ONLINE DOG TRAINING GROUP g.html Bonker Online Dog Training Group consists of facebook group, a yahoo group, agility video website and conditioning video website. In the bonker seminar yahoo group, we have training discussions, courses/sequences are posted as well as my seminar notes. h.html Do you need help formulating an agility or conditioning training plan? Do you have a hard time creating sequences to work on? Do you want feedback on your handling? I will send you a detailed lesson plan developed specifically for you, your dog and your training space. You will run and videotape your training sessions. Send me a video of your sessions. I will provide detailed feedback and you can resubmit your videos if needed. I will provide feedback including areas you did well and areas that can be improved upon. ABOUT LISA Lisa Bonker, PhD, CCFT has been active in agility for over 20 years. She is a NADAC certified Clinician, FITPAWS Master Trainer and Certified Canine Fitness Trainer. She gives seminars across the continent. Lisa hosts over 15 NADAC Trials yearly as In The Zone Agility and In The Zone Agility of Illinois. Lisa has come home from the NADAC Championships with seven trophies with 4 different dogs. In 2015, Tandem won the highest number of Bonus Points Trophy in Starter Stakes (class at champs that required high level distance skills). From , Moxie and Lisa won their class at champs! In 2007, Expedite won the Skilled Veteran Class and in 2006 Haley (Brittany) won Double Digit Class. Her dogs are consistently in the NADAC Top 10 with Jet was the Highest Scoring Skilled Dog in 2007 and Moxie the Highest Scoring Skilled Dog in Tandem, Synergy, Moxie and Expedite have also earned nine NADAC Platinum Speed Star Awards. Lisa and her dogs have earned over 60 NATCHs. Eight of her dogs have qualifying bonus runs. To view a complete list of accomplishments, videos of runs and photos please visit Over the past few years, Lisa has become very interested in canine conditioning. She has taken numerous seminars and online classes. She is a FITPAWS Master Trainer, and a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer Program through the University of Tennessee. ONLINE PRIVATE LESSONS /VIDEO COACHING 11

12 General Liability Waiver I understand that Lisa Schmit-Bonker, CCFT, is a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer and she designs "strength training" program for healthy dogs. Lisa does NOT design programs for rehabilitation from previous injury, structural issues or any issues causing abnormalities in your dog. I understand that is it MY responsibility to advocate for my dog and I am participating in strength, balance and flexibility training at my own risk (or that of my dog). While participating in a strength training program, if my dog shows signs of weakness, a previous injury resurfaces, or injury occurs, I will stop immediately seek veterinary advice. There can be underlying injuries that are not immediately obvious and it is important to pay close attention to my dog's movement and how my dog responds to exercise so that I can note any changes (positive or negative) and seek veterinary advice when needed. I understand that strength, balance and flexibility training for my dog with or without inflatable balance products is a trial process where we need to see how my dog responds to each exercise. All exercise plans could cause injury if not performed correctly, slowly, with correct posture and body position. I will not hold Lisa Schmit- Bonker, CCFT responsible if my dog gets hurt while completing the strength training program she designed or while completing exercises taught in one of her workshops, private lessons, online classes or while performing exercises in my own home. Waiver for Dog's with pre-existing injury or issues. I understand that Lisa cannot diagnose or treat injury. Participating in strength, balance and flexibility exercises is at my own risk and could make my dog's undiagnosed or diagnosed soft tissue or other injury worse. If my dog has had a previous injury, I should seek advice from a veterinarian and get a written veterinary release before participating in a strength training program, workshops or lessons. PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THE ABOVE LIABILITY WAIVER BY SIGNING AN DATING THIS FORM AND BRINGING IT TO THE SEMINAR 12