Overtraining the Canine Athlete: How to prevent it and increase performance

Posted on July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

Most of what we do here at FITDOG NATION is the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle for dogs. But there is a large segment of people who also want to achieve world class canine performance. If you’re one of these people then you must read on.

One of the biggest challenges a working or sporting dog will experience in their lifetime is something called ‘Overtraining’

Overtraining is when your dog has ‘done too much’ to the point that they are unable to effectively perform or you see a decline or plateau in their performance. More often than not, overtraining goes un-noticed so here are some signs your dog could be over-trained:

Loss of appetite

Dogs that consistently perform intense work higher than their threshold with insufficient recovery will eventually experience stress which is higher than what their body can handle. When this occurs, their body will begin to use their vital energy reserves as food instead of eating. This is your dogs way of preserving balance in their body. A sign of this happening is if your dog begins to refuse food or becomes a picky eater. If this continues your dog can experience serious conditions that affect their cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems. That’s why all our 12 Week programs are specifically designed with training systems that make sure your dog does not become overtrained.

Decline in performance

Another sign of overtraining is when you notice a decrease or plateau in your dogs performance. This could be an obvious decrease in strength during weight pulling sessions, slower agility scores or lack of endurance in treadmill races. That’s why we always recommend tracking your dogs performance levels (at least weekly) so you know what is normal for them.

Irritability and anxiety.

Overtraining can affect your dog’s stress hormone levels, which can cause them to display abnormal behaviour. This could be an increase in rank aggression in the home or less patience around other dogs or young children.

So what do you do if your dog is showing any of the above signs? Well first of all do not panic. Our advice is to firstly see your veterinary professional to assess their vital signs. The next step would be to put the following in place.

Rest

Make sure your dog has access to the opportunity to have good quality rest. This should be in an undistracted place that allows them to sleep and rest with the ability to spread all of their limbs and joints.

Hydration

Provide your dog with access to water 24/7 and if necessary you may want to offer them an electrolyte solution. Also avoid feeding foods which will dehydrate your dog further such as main stream kibbles and treats.

Nutrition

Ensure your dog is being fed the appropriate macronutrient quantities. Every dog is different based on their breed, age and ability. That’s why our Custom made 12 Week Conditioning program focuses on tailor made nutrition plans. However, we recommend a basic guidelines of 35% Carbohydrates, 40% Fat and 25% Protein for active and working dogs.

Muscle Recovery (Rub down)

Give your dog a rub down daily especially after workouts. This will allow the lactic acid in their muscles to be releaved and will increase blood flow and oxygen to their muscles which improves recovery and prevents overtraining.

Recovery Days

All good conditioning programs provide recovery days. A recovery day does not mean a rest day of doing nothing at all. A recovery day will be a day of activity that compliments the more intense days. We believe all dogs should be active every day. That’s why we use a cyclical conditioning systems which plan all your dogs workouts to maximise performance and reduce the risk of overtraining.

American Pit Bull doing Bite work (Credit @team_vida_loca)

Track performance

It’s important to track your dog’s workouts and performance so that you know how they are progressing and what is normal for them. There are four components you must track; That is the frequency (how many sessions they do) The intensity (How hard they go for example did they do a trot or a sprint?) The time (how long did they sprint for?) and the ‘type’ (was it interval treadmill sprints, drag pull sprints, sprints with a chute? Etc)

If you have any question or concerns feel free to contact us at support@fitdognation.com

Keep them fit,

FITDOG NATION

P.S. Boost your Dogs Power and Endurance with one of our World Class Dog Treadmills

>>>>>Check them out now

Dog Running Economy: The Canine Gait from Waking to Sprinting

Posted on July 21, 2020July 21, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

*Bella of Elite Bully UK in a Single Suspension Gallop*

How much attention have you paid to your dogs gait recently? You may or may not know that your dog’s ‘Gait’ is their mechanics or quality of locomotion. In other words, it’s how efficiently your dog can move. Yes! There is actually a standard for this and it can by divided into eight phases, however not all dogs can perform them (as we will explain!)

Why should you care?

Understanding a dog’s gait has two main benefits. 1) It allows you to identify imbalances and poor movement dysfunctions. 2) It assists you in tracking and improving your dogs performance.

What are the types of gait?

In order to keep this practical and focused on canine fitness, we are going to describe four out of the eight types of canine gait (the main four). For the record the eight forms are 1) Walk, 2) Amble, 3) Pace, 4)Trot 5) Flying Trot 6) Canter 7) Single Suspension 8) Double Suspension.

Walking

When it comes to canine gait, walking is the initial phase and also the lowest in intensity (because it’s the least taxing). There are a number of walking gait types but the main walking gait is characterised by a pattern that involves the dog’s three out of four legs actively supporting their body at all times. During this phase, each foot is raised from the ground one at a time in a regular sequence. Walking well is essential for all dogs. Most dogs spend most of their ‘exercise’ in the form of walking in the park or round the block only, which is a shame as it’s not very challenging or stimulating for a dog (dogs were born to run). That being said there are ways you can increase the intensity of a dog walk. This can be done by altering the ground such as incline walking. More intense adjustments involve adding a weighted vest, doing drag pulls, using a weighted collar or just simply increasing the speed of the walk.

Trotting (Jogging)

A step up from walking is trotting otherwise known as jogging. It requires more energetic effort than walking which makes it higher in intensity. Canine jogging is characterised by a unique rhythmic two-beat diagonal gait in which the feet at diagonal opposite ends strike the ground together; i.e., right hind with left front and left hind with right front.

Running (Single Suspension Gallop)

As a dog moves consistently faster they naturally break out into a run, otherwise known as a single suspension gallop. Unlike the trot, the single suspension gallop is a four-time gait. The dog supports their body weight with their feet in an unsymmetrical sequence: Right Front, Left Front, Right Hind , Left Hind. (it can happen that the two limbs LF and RH hit the ground at the same time). Just after taking off from the front left foot the dog achieves suspension. Each front foot must be lifted off of the ground before its corresponding rear foot is set down. The rear foot may hit the corresponding front foot if the timing is wrong. Most dogs can achieve a single suspension gallop and it’s commonly performed through the good ol’ game of fetch!

Sprinting (Double Suspension)

The most intense form of gait is Double Suspension Gallop (also known as sprinting). Just like the Single Suspension Gallop (Run) the Double Suspension Gallop is also a four-time gait. However, the dog’s weight is not supported by the feet at all. This is the only gait in which a dog is in either in full extension or full contraction. The dog’s front legs are in full extension forward while the rear legs are in full extension rearward. Likewise, the dog’s front legs are in full contraction forward while the rear legs are in full contraction rearward. Also, the dog’s spine is fully extended as they perform a max overreach during the extension phase and their spine is fully flexed when their feet are in the full contraction phase. A double suspension gallop is a very intense form of gait and cannot be achieved by all dogs; as a result it is more common in working dogs such as greyhounds.

Canine Gait: Double Suspension Gallop (Full extension)

Here is a short clip in real time looking at the temp and rhythm of the canine gait. TOP TIP Pay attention to the head movement 🙂

There are a number of ways you can improve your dog’s gait. The best way is by letting them use it more! Sounds simple but as the old adage goes; if you don’t use it you lose it and this is no more truer than today. With more than half of the USA’s and UK’s dog population obese most dog’s simply cannot walk or run with ease anymore.

A great place to start is our Ballfit12 Program. It is a specifically designed 12 Week Canine and Nutrition program that will increase your dog’s running ability and over health and performance. When you order now you get 60% OFF! Pretty cool huh?

Cool, then go grab it now:

>>>>>>>>>>Ballfit12

If you own a high energy or working dog you may want to look into investing in a dog treadmill such as a Slatmill or Carpetmill. Dog treadmills make it easier to manage high energy breeds (most need at least 2 hours of running a day)

Check out our Dog Treadmills here:

>>>>>>>>Dog treadmills

If you have any questions just let us know at support@fitdognation.com

Keep Them FIT!

FITDOG NATION

3 Myths About Dog Treadmills

Posted on July 17, 2020July 17, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

There’s a ton of misconceptions about dogs running on treadmillswhich have caused many social media battles online recently so in this article we are going to bust some of the main myths and put to rest the misinformation!

First of all dog treadmills are nothing new, in fact the first dog treadmill was patented by John R. Richards, of Oak Park IL in1939. The design was conceived from an idea John had whilst seeing an earlier version of a manual treadmill which was used to automate farm and domestic chores by live stock. By the 1960’s the treadmill was no longer used for chores but instead was being used by working dog enthusiasts to help condition their dogs. The pit bull community were the first to use dog treadmills particularly as a way to exercise dogs in preparation for the illegal activity of dog fighting. Unfortunately this has tainted it’s use and created a hysteria about dog treadmills despite the fact that it is used today by a variety of breeds including canines in military and police departments around the world. For a more in depth history of the dog treadmill read the following article>>>>History of Dog Treadmills

3 Myths about Dog Treadmills.

MYTH 1: Dog Treadmills Are Cruel

It has been claimed that dog treadmills are cruel because dogs are forced to run on them. This is a complete myth especially in the case of the non motorised dog treadmills such as our Slatmills and Carpetmills. The fact that they are non motorised (manual) means the dog is in full control of the treadmill belt and it therefore only moves when the dog moves. You can learn more about the different dog treadmill models by reading the following article but suffice to say that manual dog treadmills (when made and used correctly) are100% safe >>>>>Dog Treadmill Types

*See Above: Our Unique Shock Absorption System on our Slatmills for Extra Joint Care*

MYTH 2: Dog Treadmills Are Dangerous

First and foremost running is a natural activity for all dog’s. A dog treadmill merely facilitates this natural canine movement pattern with an added layer of safety since all dog treadmills have safe and secure fixing points which keep your dog running securely on the treadmill in case they get distracted. In fact, we have even added more safety to our dog treadmills recently through our unique shock absorption system. This provides your dog with extra support while they are running to mimic a soft ground and therefore reduce any possible tension on their joints. Furthermore, when you introduce your dog to the treadmill in the proper way and maintain good treadmill etiquette it’s virtually impossible for your dog to have an accident. To find out how to introduce your dog to the dog treadmill read our article here >>>>How To Introduce your dog to the Dog Treadmill

MYTH 3: Dog Treadmills are for lazy people, just take your dog for a walk!

While it is true that all dog’s are born to run, it is also true that there are of course variations between dogs based on their breed and ability. It is important to note that certain breeds require more robust forms of exercise in order to maintain a balanced physiology. For example, the herding and shepherding breeds such as Border Collies, Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds have extremely high energy levels. This is primarily due to their past use as herding dogs which involved them running in fields for up to 5-6 hours at a time non stop. As a result of their selective breeding they have developed the physiology that requires at least 2-3 hours of moderate intensity exercise a day.

Moderate intensity exercise for a dog is defined as an exercise that is at least 60% of their maximum capacity. Running is an example of a moderate intensity exercise. Walking on the other hand is a very low intensity exercise for most dogs let alone for a working breed such as a herder. Not only that but there are times when weather may not permit a dog walk or run which means a dog can miss the opportunity to ‘release’ their energy. Therefore the dog treadmill is of paramount importance. For more information about breed specific exercise guidelines, read the following article:

>>>>>>Breed Exercise Guidelines

If you have any questions regarding the use of dog treadmills feel free to contact us at support@fitdognation.com

To view our full range of dog treadmills go here: >>>>>Dog Treadmills

Keep them FIT,

FITDOG NATION

What is the Best Exercise for your fit dog?

Posted on July 16, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

One of the most common questions we get is ‘What exercise should I do with my dog?’

Well, there are multiple factors that will dictate the best exercise for your dog, some of which include your dogs age, ability, medical condition, injury history and your personal goals for your dog not to mention your dog as an individual.

However that being said there is one form of exercise that ALL dogs should do (AND DO WELL) and thats running!

It sounds common sense but common sense is not so common! I mean at the moment 59% of dogs in the USA are obese and 54% of dogs in the UK have been diagnosed with weight issues. That’s over 70 million dogs worldwide not even receiving basic exercise never mind running!

So why running? Well, although scientists and archeologists still do not agree on the exact origins of today’s modern dog, it is generally accepted that they have evolved from the Genus Canis Family; an ancient form of Wolf who’s main mechanism of survival was through their ability to scavenge, track, catch and kill their prey. And guess what this was dependant on a lot of running!

Todays modern dog has developed into a very different animal but their physiology is relatively still the same as the Ancient Genus Canis. This means that their mind and body is still dependant on being able to carry out levels of the same activities they once did thousands of years ago. Today we have a huge variety in breeds and the modern dog does not need to hunt for survival. However the modern dog still displays a desire to run, scent, track and catch prey. This is because it has been hard wired into your dogs DNA over thousands of years to ensure their survival. When dogs perform these activities their body rewards them with the release of hormones which keep your dogs body regulated, balanced and protected.

Thats why Ol’ Rex gets excited when you reach for that leash…he anticipates going out with his pack (you) to go hunt some prey (sticks, balls, rags or even squirrels LOL). Due to the variation in modern day breeds through selective breeding there are variations in this ability too. In fact we still have multiple breeds of dog with a strong desire to track and hunt prey such as the hound and bull breed families right down to dogs of lower ability such as the toy and exotic breeds. Yes the ability may be different but the desire is still there!

One of the best ways you can nurture and develop this desire is through running an hunting activities such as the good ol’game of fetch! Fetch not only feeds your dogs desire to run and hunt but it also saves you time on exercising your dog if you do it correctly. We recommend a specific form of fetching which combines prey work and fast relay sprints with allocated rest times and a natural canine diet. In fact we created a 12 Week Ball Conditioning and Nutrition program called Ballfit12.

Here are just some of the benefits of Ballfit12:

1) Builds strength
Sprinting during fetching stimulates the growth of the nerves that control your dogs muscles. By sprinting you are creating strong, capable canine muscles.

2) Burn fat
One of the best ways to burn fat is to increase your dogs heart rate with high intensity exercise, this makes your dog expend more calories. The most effective way to increase heart rate is sprinting!

3) Boost endurance
Regular sprinting training teaches your dog’s body to store more glycogen in their muscles and use fat for fuel instead of muscle. This means that your dog has more energy for longer!

4) Increase speed and power
Sprinting increases your dogs fast twitch muscle fibres which are the key muscle fibre type that are required for making your dog move fast and powerfully such as jumping high or moving faster across the ground.

5) Saves time
Sprinting is hard work, 20 minutes of hard sprint training is equivalent to a 1 hour walk. That means you will have a nice tired and chilled out dog in a quicker amount of time. This is gold for people who lead busy lives!

If you really want to take your dogs running to the next level you should consider a dog treadmill. Not only will a dog treadmill provide your dog with a higher level of running training but it will also guarantee your dogs exercise on days when the weather does not permit exercise. There are many varieties of dog treadmills on the market today but we only recommend mechanical treadmills because these are the safest and most natural form of dog treadmills. These types of treadmills include Carpetmills and Slatmills. We explain the differences between them in our article which you can access here >>>>>Dog Treadmill Differences

No matter if your exercising your dog using basic fetch work or high level dog treadmills the most important thing is that you exercise your dog to ensure they live the healthiest life possible. If you have any questions feel free to contact us anytime at support@fitdognation.com

Keep them FIT!

FITDOG NATION

Dog Exercise – Intensity as a key variable for Canine Conditioning

Posted on July 15, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

I visited a friend on the weekend who currently has a fine litter of athletic sport competition puppies.

The parents hold a number of records in weight-pull, treadmill racing and wall climbing. I took a buddy along with me as he’s planning on acquiring a new pup (it will be his first sport dog) The breeder has several adult dogs on his yard too and my buddy was in heaven as we toured the place (we all know that feeling when we first started out 🙂

When we got to my friends main stud we started talking about his conditioning. I asked the breeder what he had planned for his conditioning and my buddy who is new in the dogs was amazed at the precision behind all of the stud dogs conditioning sessions.

”It’s like he’s a pro-athlete” he said. That’s right, I replied, he is.

You see, conditioning a dog for world class performance is WAY different to exercising a dog to burn off a little energy. One of the key fundamentals is the focus on performance. When you condition for performance your conditioning must be highly organised and you must track the frequency, intensity, volume and type of conditioning you do daily. It’s not just a matter of hooking your dog on the lead and going for a walk.

I’ll give you an example using one of the main conditioning variables we track on our 12 Week Conditioning Programs….. ”Intensity”

Intensity can be defined as the quantifiable amount of physical exertion your dogs body uses when performing an activity. Most people do not track the intensity of their dogs conditioning. This is a huge mistake and by not doing so you are not maximising your dogs potential.

Below is a table that shows the fitdognation intensity continuum.

As you can see, there are different levels of intensity based on the exercise. This is important to note because it will massively impact your dogs performance. For example, if you want to improve your dogs strength, power and lean muscle mass you must focus on high intensity exercises as they increase the demand on your dogs type II muscle fibres and burns body fat percentage at a highest rate.

A great form of high intensity exercise is sprinting. We prefer sprinting on a Slatmill because apart from the fact that it’s safer (and bad weather proof LOL) it’s also the most effective way to control, track and measure your dogs intensity.

You can also sprint your dog by playing fetch but this does not give you full control and management of your dogs sprinting intensity which is how much distance your dog covered in the quickest time possible.

Not only that but dogs can get distracted during a game of fetch by either stopping to scent or by showing interest in other prey articles or animals.

This reduces the intensity of your dogs sprint workout massively. Compare that to a dog hooked up on a slatmill who is 100% focused on the task at hand, no distractions, no scenting, just pure intense sprinting.

Unlike most other Slatmills and dog treadmills on the market, all of our slatmill models now come with speed computers to provide you with extra key data about your dogs sprints. Combine that with a well planned conditioning program and your dog is truly on the path for elite canine excellence!

That’s all for today,
Keep them FIT!

P.S.
Order your Slatmill now and you automatically receive a FREE custom designed logo of your choice! Just email us your Logo after your purchase and we will upload it for you 🙂

Jennymill VS Slatmill Canine Conditioning

Posted on July 14, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

I was asked recently about my thoughts on the use of the Jenny Mill VS Slatmill and I wanted to share my views here…..

For those that don’t know the Jenny Mill resembles a miniature version of a horse walker. The dog is harnessed to one of three spokes that projects from a rotating centre shaft. A lure is attached to a spoke just in front of the dog. The lure brings out the dog’s natural prey drive and entices them to run on the track.

In essence the Jenny Mill provides many of the same benefits as the Slatmill does. It’s a mechanical free running tool (which we prefer to electric mills) and the dog is in full control. However there are some additional pro’s and con’s to the Jenny Mill when compared to the Slatmill.

PRO #1
One of the main pros is how cheap it is to set up. A car or truck rear end / axle is used for the rotating center shaft. This part can be found at your local junk yard, on craigslist or on Ebay. We recommend finding a local source to avoid shipping costs. A car rim or steel pipe is attached to the axle as a base for your spokes (2″ square tubing). Eye bolts are used on the ends of each spoke (For the lure, chains, and to attach the cable to the dog’s harness). In total you can probably get everything you need for less than $100 that’s a lot less than a good quality Slatmill (ours start at $1300).

PRO #2
On the slatmill, your dog can only run in a linear pattern of movement (straight ahead). However, the Jenny gives your dog the opportunity to run in a circle . This might not seem like much but the rotary movement gives your dog the chance to work additional muscle fibres than it would just running in a straight line. This is important especially for working dogs as many of the stability muscles are worked in multiplanar movements not just in a straight line. In fact one of the most dynamic forms of multiplanar conditioning is the flirtpole. Many of the elite canine athletes we condition have programs combined with flirt pole and Slatmill work and the results are outstanding.

NOTE: If you are using a Jennymill we recommend that you run your dog both directions so they do not create an imbalance.

CON #1
One of the most obvious cons to the Jenny Mill is space. Unless you have access to an open undisturbed space, Jenny Mill work is virtually impossible. Not only that but unfortunately the Jenny has been flagged as dog fighting paraphernalia so using it openly with a bull breed is really calling for some unwanted attention.

CON #2
Unlike the Slatmill the Jenny does not provide a simple way to track progression or increase resistance. Tracking progression and adding resistance is paramount to canine conditioning. That’s why all our Slatmills come with a speed computer which tells you the exact distance and speed your dog is moving at. They also come with a Resistance Dials which allow you to increase the intensity of the workout to add extra power to your dogs workouts.

The Slatmill is a clear winner for us but then again, we would say that 🙂

What about you, which one do you prefer?

P.S.
When you order your Slatmill right now you get a FREE Custom made logo of your choice.

>>>>>>>>>Order yours now

Dog Treadmills: Do not Buy Until You Consider These Factors!

Posted on July 4, 2020July 4, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

What’s important to you when it comes to your ideal dog treadmill?

We have found that there are four key factors that influence the ideal treadmill selection and thats Budget, Space, Versatility and Noise.

In this article we will breakdown these four factors and the features and benefits of both the Slatmill and Carpetmill

Space

When it comes to limited space the carpetmill wins hands down over the Slatmill. Our new design allows it to be folded and assembled within 90 seconds. That means you can store is away and literally pull it out when needed making sure it doesn’t take up your valuable home space.

>>>>>>>>Check Out How The FITDOG NATION Carpetmill Folds

Budget

Investing in a new dog treadmill is a big step. It’s true that both our Carpetmills and Slatmills are the most low cost dog treadmills in the world for their quality, however you are still looking at a starting investment of at least $900 for a Large Carpetmill and $1300 for a Large Carpetmill (Medium sizes cost less)

A $900 investment is not something to take lightly that’s why unlike other dog treadmill producers, all our Dog Treadmills come with a guaranteed 18 month Warranty.

If you spread that $900 investment over the course of 18 months thats a $1.60 investment per day for the ability to condition your dog to a world class level and save your valuable time and energy. Is your dog worth $1.60 a day?

Either way, the Carpetmill again wins the budget factor because it costs $400 less then Slatmill.

Noise

One of the most common questions we get from our community is regarding the noise of our dog treadmills. If you have seen any manual dog treadmills in person you will know its for good reason too! LOL.

Manual dog treadmills are absolutely horrible when it comes to noise and although they are way safer and economical than electric treadmills, it can be an issue for folks especially if they live in an apartment building or town house with neighbours close by.

The reason for the noise is that the more free spinning a dog treadmill is, the more louder is gets. That being said we have worked very hard recently to reduce the noise of our dog treadmills with our unique spinning design and we are proud to say that our Slatmill is currently producing around 75-80 dB and our Carpetmill is a lot quieter at below 60dB.

Due to this, the Carpetmill again wins the Noise factor round.

>>>>>>Check out How Low Noise Our Carpetmill is with a 100LB PLUS COA Running on it

Versatility

So far we have found that the Carpetmill is a clear winner when it comes to Budget, Space and Noise but how does it compete against the Slatmill when it comes to versatility.

Versatility can be defined as the ability to adapt and serve different actions.

One of the key benefits of our Carpetmill is its High Resistance Belt which offers resistance to your dog during workouts building their Power, Speed and Strength.

The Slatmill on the other hand is naturally designed to be FREE spinning meaning it specifically works your dogs stamina and endurance.

The challenge with this is that not all dogs can run the Carpetmill. In fact the Carpetmill is not suitable for dogs below 30lbs as its simply too hard for them to move the running belt.

Here’s where the Slatmill shines. Not only can any dog run on our Slatmill, but unlike other Slatmills on the market, our Slatmill comes with a unique resistance dial that allows you to increase the resistance of the workout so you can not only work your dogs stamina and endurance but also work Power, Speed and Strength should you choose to.

Also unlike our Carpetmill, our Slatmill comes with brakes so you can help your dog to a safe stop and speedometer so you can track your dogs speed.

So, our Slatmill definitely takes the win on the Versatility factor.

So who’s the winner the Slatmill or the Carpetmill? We will let you decide as everyones needs are different. We will just keep on providing you with the oppportunity to condition your dogs to a world class level for just $1.60 a day whilst saving you time and energy 🙂

Keep them fit!

FITDOGNATION

PS. Ready to make gains in 2020? Order your Slatmill or Carpetmill today!

#Samson FITDOG of the Week

Posted on February 7, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

This weeks FITDOG of the week is Samson the Rottie!

@ samsonrottie

How long have you been into the dogs?

‘I’ve been into dogs since I was a little kid, I saw my first rottweiler when I was 7.‘

What’s an average day of exercise for Samson?

”Normal days: 10 minutes of fetch, 30 minutes of hill runs, and, 45 minute nature walk where he free roams.

Bitework days: we do our lesson plus 30 minutes of the electric Dog Pacer treadmill at the highest incline and 4 mph, then a cool-down walk around the neighborhood for 20 minutes.

He exercises for a total of 5 minutes per month old per day since he’s not even two years old yet. He’s 17 months old right now, so about 85 minutes total activity per day. We also do recreational lure coursing at my local coursing club.’

What do you feed Samson?

”He is fed dry & canned food.”

What events does Samson take part in and does he have any titles?

‘‘Samson works as my Personal Protection Dog(PPD). He does not have any titles..‘

Do you want your dog featured as FITDOG of the week? Contact us on our Instagram or Facebook page and we would love to give your FITDOG a feature!

Keep them FIT,

FITDOGNATION.

P.S.
Grab Your FREE FITDOG Starter Pack !

>>>>>CLICK HERE TO GET IT NOW!

#Minion FITDOG of the Week

Posted on January 31, 2020January 31, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

This weeks FITDOG of the week is none other than Patriot K9’s Minion! Heres an interview we did with owner Amanda Caldron!

@ patriot_k9

How long have you been into the dogs?

‘I’ve been into dogs for 16 years. Professionally for 7”

What’s an average day of exercise for Minion?

” Minion is mostly an active pet, before the paralysis happened he would drag weight 3 days a week, slatmill 2 days a week, 4 wheel 2 days a week and swim whenever we could. Now he maybe gets some brief slatmill time until it’s warm enough to swim again ‘‘.

What do you feed Minion?

”He is on Raw and 4 health”

What events does Minion take part in and does he have any titles?

‘‘Minion is involved in weight pull, dock diving, obedience, trick/pet demos, film work, nosework, IGP, PSA, hog hunting and lure coursing.
He has several trick dog titles, CGC, a dock diving Senior title, points towards weight pull titles, his BH, and a PSA PDC.‘

Do you want your dog featured as FITDOG of the week? Contact us on our Instagram or Facebook page and we would love to give your FITDOG a feature!

Keep them FIT,

FITDOGNATION.

P.S.
Grab Your FREE FITDOG Starter Pack !

>>>>>CLICK HERE TO GET IT NOW!

#Hattie FITDOG of the Week

Posted on January 22, 2020January 22, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

This weeks FITDOG of the week is none other than Brazen K9’s Hattie! Heres an interview we did with her owner.

@ brazenk9

How long have you been into the dogs?

‘I grew up with hunting breeds such as labs and parson russell terriers. When I was 13 I got my first working breed, a German Shepherd/Malinois mix bitch. She got me into training dogs. I started training for other people and kennels when I was 15 and I’m currently 20. So I guess you could say I’ve been working dogs for about 5 years. ”

What’s an average day of exercise for Hattie?

” Hattie starts her day with about 20 minutes on the treadmill and some fetch. We take breaks throughout the day at work to go outside and do OB and play ball. Once we get home from work we do some variation of treadmill, uphill fetching, flirt pole, and practicing retrieves’‘.

What do you feed Hattie?

”When I feed her kibble she gets Life’s Abundance all life stages with grains and when I feed raw we do Prey Model Raw. She also gets fish oil supplements and the muscle builder and performance supplement by MVPK9.’.”

What events does Hattie take part in and does she have any titles?

‘‘At the time Hattie is not yet 2 so we don’t compete in any sports yet! Once she turns 2 at the end of August she will start training for weight pull, dock diving, and/or fast CAT. She will also begin using her XDog vest with weight and be doing more intense workouts. I hope to also use her as a bird dog next season. I plan on mainly keeping her as fit and healthy as possible and get titles in the events we hope to participate in.’‘

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FITDOGNATION.

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