Dog athletes need special care in terms of nutrition, regeneration and exercise. What basic facts should you know and follow if you have a dog athlete at home?
Doing sports with a dog is a great way to spend time together and keep you both in shape. Even if you only do recreation sports with your dog and don't compete, you should always think about your dog's health first and then about results.
Let's start with nutrition. It's clear that a physically active dog needs high-quality food. Unlike regular kibble, its food should have a special ration of nutrients, as they need more energy and protein. You should therefore choose food with the labels sport, endurance, energy or maintenance. The ingredients in this food are put together especially for physically active dogs.
You also need to tailor your dog's exercise regime. Warm him up before intense exercise. Do not forget to take regular breaks during exercise, and finish with light running or walking. You also need to remember to rest between individual exercises either with a quiet walk or undisturbed sleep.
Training should also be regular; one-off exercise (just on the weekend) would be hard on your dog's body, and could even cause muscle fever. On the other hand, he shouldn't overexert himself; you should avoid doing the same exercise for too long. I have written more about this in the article When excessive exercise is harmful to a dog.
So if you don't have time for full training, keep your dog in shape by running together, he can accompany you during a bike ride, or you can do balance exercises or swim with dogs.
It is clear that not only a dog's joints but also his bones, ligaments and tendons are under strain. We need to remember this and give them extra nutrition in the form of balanced nutritional supplements. Vitamins, minerals and amino acids help slow down cartilage degeneration and strengthen ligaments and tendons. They also improve mobility and reduce joint pain.
In addition to nutritional supplements, salmon oil or brewer's yeast are also great for dogs. Salmon oil not only contributes to a healthy joint and musculoskeletal system, it also promotes a healthy heart and blood circulation and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Brewer's yeast promotes metabolism, has a beneficial effect on digestion, improves resistance to stress and disease and is also a source of energy under stress.
We can also help the musculoskeletal system through regeneration. Massages are very beneficial. In the event of problems, the Dorn method or physiotherapy can help.
How do you and your dog stay fit during the winter?
If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...
Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...
If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.
In individual rodents, we’ll find breeds that are more popular with breeders than others. One of those is the American Teddy, typical with its peculiar hair structure that gives it the appearance of a teddy bear.
There is certainly no doubt that the Labrador belongs among the best known and most popular dog breeds. The reason is his extraordinary versatility, adaptability, intelligence and loyalty. Like the British Shorthair cat, the Labrador Retriever can be...
To spend a few days outside of civilisation - in the forest, on the ridges of the mountains - away from the hustle of the cities, in the wilderness and ideally with your dog. An imaginary return back to nature is the trend that did not avoid even the...
Hunting and exercise. If the dog loves both these activities, then coursing is the perfect activity for it. This cross-country race is based exactly on the desire of the dog to catch its prey.
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.
There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
