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?
A dog’s coat is one of its greatest characteristics that requires great care. It does not matter whether your canine companion is a short-haired or long-haired dog. Attention is required by all of them. How to take care of dog fur and what to do...
In the previous article, we wrote about what rescuing people entails and which dog breeds are suitable for searching for people in collapsed buildings. This topic is so interesting that we decided to focus even more on dog training itself, i.e. on the...
Guinea pig shows are an attractive opportunity for breeders. In addition to the animal displaying itself, guinea pig lovers get to meet and share valuable knowledge and experience. If you have a guinea pig at home, you may have considered taking part...
Let’s be clear, cats are carnivores by nature. They love meat. It is completely natural for them. Meat must be the basis of their daily nutrition. A cat cannot live without meat! Cats instinctively prefer foods high in meat. Feeds with meat aroma and...
There are questions that run through a person’s mind upon seeing dogs searching for people lost in the woods, stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building or drowning in a reservoir. How difficult is it for a dog to find such people? Can I train my...
It is an unenviable situation no four-legged companion´s owner would like to get into. When your dog runs astray during a walk, for example because it discovers a hole in the fence or senses another animal that catches its attention, many of us panic...
Probably most of us know dog exhibitions including the organization thereof. However, even guinea pig owners can participate at an exhibition. How do such events work and what is their main principle? How do I prepare my guinea pig for an exhibition...
Not only the Thai cats appearance but also their nature is exceptional. They are communicative, social and together with the owner, they can establish a strong relationship full of boundless trust. However, at the same time, this breed is facing...
We, humans, do take care of our bodies and our health. If our knee hurts, we go to the orthopaedist, if our back hurts for a long time, we probably start considering physiotherapy. The need to go to inspections regularly increases with the level of...
At dog shows, many dog lovers meet to show off with their beloved pets of pure breed. However, such events are not only beauty pageants as they could seem. They are also important for breeding and for pure-bred dog to mate. What happens on such shows...
One of the most important parts of Christmas is Christmas Eve’s dinner. For example in the Czech Republic, it usually includes fish soup, fried carp or schnitzel and potato salad. However, the most important thing is that all loved ones should be at...
At Christmas, we want to make our loved ones, those who are our loyal companions throughout the whole year, happy. It also applies to our furry friends. If you have a cat at home and you are thinking about what to give it at Christmas, we have a...
