Power to the Dogs!
“In 2010, FitPAWS launched for the canine market after we discovered canine rehabilitation professionals to condition and rehabilitate dogs. And since dogs are different from humans, we researched and developed a new product line specifically designed for canines. Professional-grade heavy-duty materials were spec’d and formulated into products to meet dog-specific standards.”
The confidence each dog gets from exercise makes them a happy, well behaved dog!
FitPAWS equipment used at K9 Club will help us mentally and physically stimulate the dogs in our care while help building their confidence. The equipment we will be using will help work many muscles in their body that are not activated in their daily lives. It’s kind of like when you go to the gym and do a new work out. The next day you are sore, but in a good way!
So, what kind of equipment will we be using?
From paw pods to klimbs, to peanuts, oh my! Instead of listing every equipment to start, let’s watch a video of some canines using FitPaws equipment that we will be using!
I know your probably thinking “How will I ever get a dog to jump onto an inflatable ball, my dog is scared of a blanket!” But don’t worry, we will get into the in’s and out’s below. Just remember we don’t expect you to be a trainer. We are just providing this service for our customers to make their experience more enjoyable. First, we have to know how to safely train the exercises.
You will see in the video below you need to know what signs of fatigue to look for. If you are working with a dog and they begin to show trouble completing an exercise they can usually do easily, it’s time to take a break. Other signs are licking lips, heavy panting, and shaking muscles.
First, we always want to warm a dog up before beginning a work out. You can begin with a simple jog around the room to get their muscles warmed up. Next, you can go into stretching individual parts.
- Play bow
- Shake/Wave
- Lateral spine stretch
- Up to Down
- Circles
These are a few warm up exercises to practice before each work out. Watch the video below to see them in action!
Agility Gear
Agility helps develop a stronger bond, confidence and self-awareness for dogs of any age or breed. Mix and match to create new mental challenges and incorporate exercises that strengthen hind limbs, front limbs and core. Practicing 3–5 times a week is recommended to improve body awareness, gait movement, and teaching collected balance.
Balance Discs
Changing the level of air in the cushion will encourage your dog to engage different muscles to maintain balance. The micro-movements created in the body from the act of balancing will strengthen the core and limbs. Let’s watch how to begin training with balance discs.
Giant Rockerboard
Active Play, Everyday. The FitPAWS® Rocker Board is a great contact surface for a variety of activities. The integrated fulcrum makes it perfect for practicing weight shifts
- Improve Body Awareness
- Develop Balance Confidence
- Condition and Strengthen
- Contact Training
K9 FIT Bone
Similar, to the balance disc is the K9 FIT Bone. Instability training is a fun way to bond with the dog, teach them a new behavior and strengthen the core- which is the powerhouse the dog’s body. Fun fitness training with the K9FITbone™ is also a great way to reduce stress, burn excess calories, and it’s a healthy “job” for dogs to do.
Paw Pods
Here is one exercise using paw pods. This exercise is great for teaching limb awareness. When first training on paw pods it’s important to go slow. Begin with either the front pods or back pods. Always reward! We can use markers to help the dog know what we are rewarding. This may be difficult in a setting with 12 dogs because of food aggression. It’s important to know what dogs you are working with. The reward may have to be praise.
FitPAWS Peanut
The FitPAWS® Peanut is a peanut-shaped Stability Ball designed for Canine Fitness and Core Conditioning.
- Build Core Strength
- Promote Good Form
- Boost Confidence
- Improve Joint Health
TRAX Donut
The FitPAWS® TRAX™ Donut Ball is uniquely-shaped inflatable fitness ball designed specifically for dogs. Its flattened base offers more stability than other inflatables. With your assistance, your dog can learn to stand, sit, lay, side step and perform other beneficial exercises.
Recommended to use with the product is the circular holder. The FitPAWS® Circular Product Holder is an inflatable ring that helps stabilize the FitPAWS TRAX Donut and other products like the Wobble Boards, Giant Rocker Board or K9FITbone. This is a good training tool to build confidence if your dog is new to balance exercise.
Wobble Board
The FitPAWS® 36” and 20” Wobble Boards are great dynamic balance training tools to add to your dog’s cross-training as they rotate a full 360°.
- Multi-Directional Balance
- Improve Body Awareness
- Increase Range of Motion
- Condition and Strengthen
Blue-9 Klimb
Where did the concept of the KLIMB™ dog training platform come from? Dog training methods used by professionals often involve a “Place”, “Climb” or “Pause” command. The problem is that many times the command is associated with a mat or dog bed and the dog has a tendency to ‘creep’ out of position. A platform is a more effective training tool than a bed or a mat, as it keeps the dog in position. The platform takes advantage of a dog’s natural tendency to seek a higher vantage point. Being elevated requires more focus and defines boundaries.
So what are some activities we could do on the Klimb?
Here are a few commands we can practice on the Klimbs, but really the options are endless. The Klimb is designed to connect with the dog and help with training. Practicing stay on the Klimb will help solidify that cue, which will help in many different situations. Can you imagine have a room full of 12 dogs and able to have each and every dog deliver stay on your cue? Now that’s a pack leader!