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.’‘

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.
Which of our dog fitness tools are going to give you and your dog the best results?
>>>>Click here to go to our shop

How to introduce your dog to the Slatmill

Posted on January 18, 2020January 22, 2022 by FITDOG NATION

Its true our Slat mills are the most affordable slat mills in the world for their quality. However, $1500 is still a big investment in your dog. Especially if your dog decides they don’t want to run it.

So how do you know your dog will even run a dog Slat mill? Well, teaching a dog to run on a slat mill is just like teaching them any other skill set. It’s like teaching them to wear a collar and leash or potty train for the first time. Some dogs take to it within the first 1 hour of being introduced to the mill, others might take 1 month to get used to running on their Slat mill. It all depends on your dog’s self confidence and how well YOU introduce them to the Slat mill. That being said, here is how to properly introduce your dog to the Slat mill to make sure your dog gets off to a fast start.

How to properly introduce your dog to the treadmill:

The first step – Present your dog to the Slat mill, allow them to get accustomed to the Slat mill in their environment. Even if you possess a confident pet dog, take this procedure slowly. Set your Slat mill up allow your dog to approach the Slat mill.

Observe the way they react. Don’t make an issue out of it, let them take their time to sniff and investigate the new object that’s in their environment. In the event your dog acts frightened don’t worry, simply take them away from the Slat mill without making a huge deal out of it. Go have fun with a ball or something like that. Do this over and over until the will become yet another object within their area. Just like an arm chair or perhaps a sofa or another piece of furniture. Most people who end up with a frightened dog who refuses to run a Slat mill, owe this to rushing step one. So have patience and let your dog decide when they are ready. Every dog is an individual.

Second step – When they are comfortable. Hook them up to it. Don’t work them. Merely hook them up to it and praise them. Take them out of the Slat mill and go do anything enjoyable. Like play or start a couple of behaviour training sessions, without making an issue out of it. Repeat this daily right up until they’re completely comfortable standing on the Slat mill. Again, at this point you still havn’t worked them on the mill yet, the second step is all about helping them associate a positive to standing on the Slat mill.

Third step – Fit a harness to them and fasten them to the Slat mill. Never expect them to realise how to use it yet. So you have to be patient. Take a position in front of them and give them a call to you personally. Really encourage them to shift their paws. When they don’t, don’t get worried. Halt, compliment them, and take them away from the Slat mill. A couple of things to bear in mind:

Using harness to connect them up to the Slat mill is better than a collar.
Do not lure them. If you have to lure them to get them to run, then okay, however it is much easier for yourself once they figure it out on their own and wish to run on it.

Continue doing this procedure until they learn to walk on it. See we mentioned, walk rather than run. The theory behind this is to get them completely at ease with the Slat mill, staying on the Slat mill, and when they are accustomed to it, your dog will begin to walk unaided.

When they start walking on it, you can encourage them to run by standing in front of them and praising or calling them to you. Important: – Not all dogs will enjoy using the Slat mill. In reality, some dogs which are introduced to them incorrectly get terrified of them. So perform the process with patience and read your dog accordingly. Your dog loving the Slat mill and desiring to use it will be the objective.

Keep them fit,

FITDOGNATION

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

#Nyx FITDOG of the Week

Posted on January 15, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

This weeks FITDOG of the week reminds us that its not just the bull breeds and terriers who can look and perform good. We are pleased to announce that Malinois Nyx is this weeks FITDOG of the week. Heres an interview we did with her owner.

@mostly_belgian_melon

How long have you been into the dogs?

”I’ve been into dogs ever since I was a child. Growing up, I always had dogs around and since I was an only child, I was always playing with them and teaching them little tricks and whatnot. As far as the more serious side of things, Nyx is actually the one that got me into the dog world and competing in sports. ”

What’s an average day of exercise for Nyx?

” Her average exercise right now consists of mostly cardio. Just go out and let them run like crazy in a field. We also alternate between things like parachute training, xvest, fitpaws, some small weight pull throughout the week”.

What do you feed Nyx?

”Nyx has been raw fed for, I think, about 3 or so years now.”

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

‘‘We started competing with dock diving then went to IGP and fast cat, but we dabble in other sports like agility and weight pull just for fun.
Nyx’s titles consist of BH DEX6 AEX2 AM DM BCAT CGCA CGCU.
I believe that’s all of them right now but hoping to add more this year!’‘

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.
Which of our dog fitness tools are going to give you and your dog the best results?
>>>>Click here to go to our shop

The Ultimate Canine Conditioning Method

Posted on January 6, 2020August 24, 2020 by FITDOG NATION

One of the most common questions we get asked is ‘what is the best exercise for my dog’. Well, the truth is that all dogs are different and have different needs. However, the most bang for your buck exercise for all dogs is without a doubt, SPRINT TRAINING.

Related image

Sprint training helps your dog with everything that he/she needs!

Here are the 5 key benefits to sprint training:

1) Builds strength
Sprinting 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, 10 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!

There are many ways to sprint train your dog such as playing fetch, cycling or using treadmill conditioning

However, in our experience the ultimate way to sprint train your dog is using a manual treadmill such as a carpetmill or slatmill. Here are three reasons why:

1) Intensity.
With a dog treadmill you can control the intensity by dictating how much rest your dog gets. For example you can sprint your dog for 30 seconds and then force him into a 3 minute rest. This kind of control over your dogs rest is crucial as it will let your dog replenish his phosphocreatine energy stores for the next set of sprints.

This allows him to go hard and create even more damage to the muscle fibres which stimulates more muscle repair and lean muscle growth. You cannot do this as easily playing fetch as your dog can get distracted such as going to scent before coming back to you or going to play with another dog / human.

Neither can this be done cycling your dog as you may have to detour and make a forced stop such as traffic lights or if you bump into an aggressive dog. This gets in the way of the conditioning session and prevents gains.

With a dog treadmill you have full attention and control over your dog and will get a focused conditioning session in no distractions and make those essential gains.

2) Efficiency.
To sprint train most people need a large open green space which is normally a walking distance or car ride away. With the dog treadmill there is no travel needed, you just set your dog on the mill and away you go, this saves time and is crucial especially for dogmen/women who lead busy lives.

3) Consistency
We cannot control the weather but we can control how we train. Having a dog treadmill means your dog will never miss a conditioning session. When it’s too wet, cold or too hot, if you have a treadmill your dog will still be making those gains while the competition is forced into a rest day due to bad weather.

Keep them fit!

FITDOGNATION

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

How to choose the correct sized treadmill for your dog.

Posted on December 27, 2019April 5, 2022 by FITDOG NATION

So you decided to invest in a new dog treadmill but you’re not sure what size would be best? Have no fear, in this article we will break down exactly how to choose the correct sized dog treadmill for your furry friend plus three tips on how to get your dog off to a fast start on their treadmill!

STEP 1

The first step to choosing the correct sized dog treadmill is to decide whichtreadmill type you need. Do you need aSlatmill or aCarpetmill? If you havn’t yet decided read our article ”Slatmill VS Carpetmill”

STEP 2

The second step is to know your dogs height to the withers and chest width measurements. Why? Because these measurements determine the space your dog will need while running on the treadmill. In the photos below we outline exactly how to take the measurements:

STEP 3

Now that you have decided which treadmill you need and you finally know your dogs measurements, it’s time to select your dog treadmill size. Our slatmill and carpetmill come in two different sizes, large and medium. Lets look at the Slatmill first.

Slatmill Sizing

Large: Our Large slatmill fits dogs with a height to the withers up to 78 cm (31inch) and a chest width less than 38 cm (15inch). It best fits breeds like German Shepherd, Doberman, Rottweiler, Belgian Malinois and other dogs with similar size.

Medium: Our Medium slatmill best fit dogs with a height to the withers of no more than 58 cm (23inch) and a chest width of up to 33cm (13inch). It is Best for American Pit bull Terriers, Bull terriers, AST, Australian Shepherds, Basset hounds, Border Collies and other breeds of similar size.

Width upgrade: For dogs like American Bully’s, Bandogs or other XL breeds with a chest width more than 38 cm (15inch) we can add a width upgrade. This will give your dog better width movement on their slatmill.

Carpetmill Sizing

Large: Our large carpetmill fits dogs with a height to the withers of up to 76 cm (30inch) and a chest width less than 42 cm (17inch). It’s ideal for breeds like German Shepherd, Doberman, Rottweiler, Belgian Malinois and other dogs of similar size.

Medium: Our medium carpetmill best fits breeds with a height to the withers of up to 58 cm (23 inch) and a chest width less than 42 cm. Its great for breeds like American Pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier and other breeds of similar size.

**NOTE: The carpetmill is a power training tool and is ideally recommended for powerful dogs of over 15kg in weight.

So which sized treadmill would suit your dog best?

P.S. Want to Win a Dog Treadmill? Join our Dog Treadmill Raffle to be in with a chance to win a brand new dog treadmill including over $3.5K worth of prizes.

>>Dog Treadmill Raffle

Good luck!

FITDOGNATION