Current trend for canine conditioning, philosophical questions!

[mum24dog]

Scorn, not quite. I just don't understand why anyone would want to.

 

I don't like HTM / Freestyle for the same reason.

 

My dogs run, jump, negotiate unsound surfaces and confined spaces, twist, stop and turn tightly in real life. Don't yours? Agility isn't that different. Whatever I ask my dogs to do I question the purpose and whether I am doing it just to show that I can.

 

Why rubber contacts? TBH I don't really know never having seen a problem with the wood and sand ones. Dogs can slip on rubber too, especially if wet.

 

I've seen all sorts of jump cups here over the years without problems. We've never had to change them. The criteria are how easy are they to take in and out and do they hold the pole well enough but not to well that the dog can't dislodge it. We've never used fixed bars though.

 

Tunnel fixings are a simple case of predictability for the dog.

 

Why are more injuries being reported? Is it just proportionate to the increase in numbers taking part or is there more too it? There are plenty of old timers who say that there were fewer injuries in the days before it got all technical and the jumps were lowered but they may have a rosy view of the past. However, there is research being carried out here that suggests that they may be right in some ways.

[mum24dog]

If I may just add, I have a dog that will do handstands voluntarily without being taught to do so. He's a terrier that is built like a brick on legs, freakishly strong for his size and very inflexible.

[juliepoudrier]

My only concern, philosophically, about any of this is the people who will invariably overdo ("if a little is good, then a lot will be really good!") it. Or the folks who will not be careful in introducing their dogs to the exercises and therefore actually increase their risk of injury. But such people exist in all walks of life.

 

I will say, though, that my rehab vet, although she had all the peanuts, etc., at her office, was very good about giving options that didn't require a bunch of specialized equipment. This was important for me because there have been periods in my life when I just couldn't afford to spend a great deal of money that way. Even now, if I can come up with a homemade or found object that will serve the purpose (as some of you have so eloquently described), I'll use that.

 

For me personally, given that I work a job and a half, plus raise livestock, time is simply at a premium. I have to choose where I will spend my time (and my money), so I have not spent a great deal of time with conditioning, beyond what my rehab vet has had me do for various dogs who did need the conditioning work to come out of injuries and then to help them stay sound (and I have transferred those conditioning exercises to the others if feasible). I have been slack with some of that, but I do try to throw that stuff in when I can. I'm just not systematic about it and I do try to combine stuff to save time (so long walks over varied terrain serves the purpose that the whole pack participates at once and I get exercise too).

 

If you (general you) or your dog is going to participate in athletic games, it makes sense to do the conditioning that will help both of you stay more fit and injury free.

 

J.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Doggers,

 

I haven't bought a 4-wheeler. My dogs would get more exercise. I'd get less. And - I'd lose the bonding of walking with my pack.

 

Donald McCaig

[mum24dog]

When I got Charlie I had no intention of reentering the world of training but I discovered that it was possible to train all sorts of things I had never imagined so I did just to prove I could using my preferred methods.

 

However, as the years have passed I have questioned my personal motives more and more and nowadays rarely train something just because I can.

 

I used to think an elderly trialling friend who disapproved of "circus tricks" was old fashioned and the dog didn't feel demeaned, which is true, but as I get older I am increasingly leaning towards ditching more and more things which I personally do not feel necessary. Life really is too short and I no longer feel I have anything to prove.

 

"Necessary" will vary depending on the human - dog combination and others will have their own reasons for doing what they do with their dogs.

 

I am involved in agility because it is necessary for my mental and physical health to experience the social activity it provides and the work I put in is a social service. Our dogs that enjoy it have provided the excuse, those that don't come along for the ride. None of the competing dogs has ever needed special conditioning to enable them to take part and if they are lacking in fitness we do the same as Julie.

 

Some formal obedience training I also consider necessary, even maybe a few competitions, to increase self control and focus.

 

Beyond that we play it by ear. Body building by proxy doesn't appeal.

[Root Beer]

So, being of a creative bent, is it "necessary" for me to do things with my dogs that allow me to channel my creativity into my work with them?

 

I guess I wouldn't call it "necessary", but I sure as heck love it.

 

I had to retire Dean from Agility because of his hip. He is doing Freestyle now. We are both having more fun training together than we have in years.

 

Necessary? Maybe not. Beneficial to both of us. Absolutely.

 

In a way I'm having more fun with him than I am with my shiny new puppy (although I am having an absolute blast with that one!). Maybe precisely because with Dean none of it is necessary. He's retired from everything he doesn't absolutely love. And he is absolutely loving the CRO Dance Divisions and the work that he and I are doing training for them.

 

So, I say . . . why not? Should he do nothing because he isn't supposed to jump?

 

He loves the Freestyle training. He is enjoying the fitness/conditioning exercises (we aren't doing much, but he loves what we are doing).

 

I'm all for making these the best years of his life. If "trick training" is part of that, it works for me.

[gcv-border]

I have no issue with people 'conditioning' their dogs if done in a thoughtful manner - meaning not training to exhaustion or when the dog is not enjoying it. Overdoing it is fully human issue, and it is not surprising that some people will push beyond what is reasonable.

 

Having said that, cross-training has been known for decades to benefit athletes (improved performance, reduced injuries). I don't see why the same philosophy can not be applied to dogs for their benefit. I think it is important to use/train not only the major muscles most used in your chosen activity, but also to use/train the ancillary muscles which support the major muscles.

 

As far as financial outlay, many people here have suggested substitutes for training equipment. In reality, other than a treadmill, I haven't come across any piece of equipment that is hugely expensive. For example, I was just checking the price of "Fit Paws". $34 doesn't sound outrageous. How much does it cost to enter a sheepdog or agility trial?

 

But if you WANT to spend a lot, there is a way to do it. One of the latest fads (at least in the major urban areas) is the canine gym. Daycare, swimming, playtime, room/ring rentals, classes, etc. are being offered to pet owners who don't live in suburbia or rurally. My initial reaction was "You have got to be kidding", but I have to admit, IF I lived in a congested urban environment, I might seriously consider this option (dependent on the facility).

[Maralynn]

Tricks for me are a way of sharpening *my* skills. It makes me more observant, helps me break behaviors down more, makes me figure out how to best communicate with my dog.

 

The end behaviors are a cool side benefit and give me something to show off (want to impress a 2 y/o? have your dog help her pick up the toys! want to teach your teenage dog how to act around a 2 y/o? have him her pick up the toys!). But the real motivation for me is that it is an excellent way of building communication and observation skills that I can apply across the board to a variety of dogs.