If you wish to do sports with your dog, you should at first think about if it’s right for you pet, no matter if you want to do it for leisure or top-level. And not only from the point of view of your pet’s nature but also of its physical predispositions.
If you wish to do sports with your dog, you should at first think about if it’s right for you pet, no matter if you want to do it for leisure or top-level. And not only from the point of view of your pet’s nature but also of its physical predispositions.
In order for a sport to be beneficial for a dog and not harmful, it is necessary to consider at first whether it is suitable for the given breed considering its physical characteristics. Otherwise, we could cause health problems instead of improving its physical condition.
The basic questions are if your companion is not too large for the given discipline
(or too small) and whether it’s physically mature enough. For heavy, mollosoid breed, i.e. heavier dogs, sports which include jumping (such as agility or frisbee dog) are not very good, endurance sports (e.g. dog trekking or canicross), on the other hand, are not good for small and brachycephalic breeds. Then it also needs to be considered whether the breed tends to have some health problems, such as canine hip dysplasia. In such cases, it is better to consult a vet on the choice of a suitable sport.
You can start doing sports with your companion even when it’s still a puppy. But you cannot overload its developing skeleton and psyche. This doesn’t have to stop you in the preparation of your puppy for a sports career by training putting down things, running around them learning to fetch and so on. But you should avoid jumping and pulling before the end of the physical development.
Before a training session, don’t forget to stretch with your dog and end it before the dog is too tired. After your training, don’t forget about taking a breath and walking and don’t immediately put your dog in a cage or a car. Do not overload it and do not want more than its condition, age and skills allow.
If you aren’t able to train properly and sufficiently with your dog, keep it fit at least by walks, jogging or running. Imagine how you would feel if you were required to suddenly run a marathon or play a tennis match without any other physical activities. It would definitely tire me out. It is also unsuitable for your dog’s joints and muscles to do a sports activity only once a week during the weekend. Simply, for every dog sports it is true that if you don’t prepare your dog’s body for it systematically, it is harmful. Therefore, also fitness training is necessary besides usual training sessions.
You also have to be careful because of injuries. For example for agility, the most common injuries are caused by bad bouncing or falling on the obstacle but also joint diseases. sDuring coursing, there is a danger of a muscle fever. During dog trekking and coursing, we can avoid backaches by choosing a good harness and protective shoes for scraped, cracked or otherwise injured paw pads. When playing frisbee dog, a dog can injure gums or teeth, bite through its tongue and there is also a danger of joint diseases and tendon diseases because of unbalanced or wrong landings.
How did you choose your sport? Did you think about the options and needs of your dog companion? What did you take into account?
Have you ever watched your cat and asked yourself what it might be thinking? It sometimes seems that these furry friends enjoy situations in which you don’t know if they love your or want to claw your eyes out. They only sit and watch you from a...
These special dogs were bred and raised specifically for hunting of puffins and guillemots (water birds). For this reason, they have several very specific and for their purpose very practical physical deviations. For example, they have extremely...
They say there aren’t many activities as relaxing as fishing. And it’s no longer true that fishing is only for men. When my friend told me she takes her dog for fishing, I was really surprised. And I immediately had to question her about how it...
If you like small dogs, it will be easy for you to fall in love with pomeranians. Not only they look like teddy bears with a nice face and look, they will also impress you with their nature. They belong to sociable dog breeds rightfully. Besides their...
Living with dogs is such a natural thing for us dog lovers that we sometimes treat them more like people. We love them, we nurture them but we may sometimes care a bit too much and unintentionally harm our furry friends. Such cases include wrong fur...
Miniature pinscher is also called min pin or German pinscher. There is a great personality with a big heart inside its little body. It is a big warrior,sports dog and a tourist. Perfect sports for this breed are for example dog dancing or agility where...
Some animals are simply talented for water sports. Already as a puppy, Ricochet grabbed people’s attention for her confidence she jumped into sea waves with. Later on, she became a dog hero helping disabled and a role model for many enthusiasts who...
While in the wildlife, their diet depends on natural instincts, rodents kept by humans and other small animals require a regular and balanced diet. What should rodent’s diet include and what should it avoid? What food is dangerous/safe for it? And what...
If you wish to do sports with your dog, you should at first think about if it’s right for you pet, no matter if you want to do it for leisure or top-level. And not only from the point of view of your pet’s nature but also of its physical predispositions.
Have you ever discussed whether a cat or a dog is more intelligent with your friends? Reportedly, scientists already know the answer. In this article, I mention a few facts and observations from a recently published research paper on this topic.
Cats can handle a new human in your family very badly. They are more sensitive to the changes than dogs. Are you interested in what you can do to enjoy this time and not to deal with the problems with your cat?
Are you considering getting a rodent as your new pet but you are afraid it won’t be doing good with your dog under one roof? Don’t be afraid, dogs and rodents can do great together. It is important to teach your dog from an early age that other animals...
