The Ultimate key to conditioning
No matter what dog you are trying to condition, the ultimate key is to make it performance based. So many times we see dogs being stripped down to a lean state and promoted as a ‘fit’ dog. While we have no issue with lean dogs, it has to make sense in line with their function. Just because a dog is lean does not mean they are ‘fit’. Our definition of fit is for a dog to be in the optimum physical state to successfully perform a task or purpose. So the question should first be; what do I want my dog to be able to perform well at? An agility show? Lure racing event? Weight pull show? Protection dog trial or boar hunt? The next question should then be what components of fitness does my dog need and what weight does he need to be at to function at his best? Just bringing a dogs body fat % down for no reason is not good enough because that’s purely conditioning for aesthetics (how a dog looks).
the goal should always be performance
Roy Nelson
Performance athlete.
Phil Heath
Aesthetic
athlete
Take for example Roy Nelson (pictured left above) he has achieved great heights in the martial arts arena, he is a former winner of the UFC and is an I.F.L Champion. He is a purely performance based athlete, everything he does in his sport is based on how he functions and performs. Now compare him to Phil Heath (pictured right above) who is Mr Olympia 2017 and a 7x Champion. He is an aesthetic athlete, his success is measured on how he looks. Looking at them, what strikes you is the huge difference in body fat %. You would never expect to see a fighter so fat. But here’s the key, for Roy to be a winner in his sport, at his weight category and with his particular fighting style he can be successful with that % of body fat because he is primarily a strength and power athlete.
Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not promoting fat dogs, I’m promoting function and performance over looks. You need to identify what your dogs function is and then figure out what components of fitness he needs. Only then can you experiment on what body weight your dogs should be at to perform at his best.
Keep them FIT,
TEAM FITDOGNATION.
PS. Want to figure out what fitness components your dog needs to be truly FIT?Check out our Canine Physical Performance seminar and register your interest now for the early bird special!