I teach a wide variety of classes – from puppy classes to intermediate and advanced level classes to specialty classes. I am always looking for creative ideas for my clients who are interested in trying new things and doing more with their dogs. Last year I began offering my Strength, Balance and Body Awareness class, which has been very successful and really enjoyable to teach.
The idea behind this class was to work on a pet or performance dog’s core strength and body awareness, but the great thing is that it doubles as an excellent source of mental stimulation and enrichment for all kinds of dogs, which helps keep them sharp and burn energy in a healthy way. It has been beneficial for very young active dogs, middle-aged dogs, and senior dogs alike. While I may modify exercises and choose certain exercises or equipment for different dogs, it really is beneficial for all.
We start and end each class by doing some basic warm-up exercises and stretches – just simple body positions such as Sit, Down, Stand, Sit Up, spins and bows, and then gentle stretching. I generally play calming music during this portion of the class to help the dogs relax even more. After the dogs are warmed up, we start our training.
For body awareness, I use a lot of targeting. Targeting is when a dog is taught to touch a target with a specific body part. This could mean touching his nose to a stick or your hand, both front feet onto a perch, or his whole body on a mat or platform. We start with nose targeting and as we move on through the weeks, we add other body parts to add challenge and increase awareness.
We also do Cavaletti work when focusing on body awareness. Cavalettis are simply low jumps that the dog has to learn to move his feet over. Because I specialize in working with show dogs, I use Cavalettis a lot. It helps teach proper gait and movement, increases body awareness, and builds confidence.
Eventually we move on to balance and strength training. For this, many of the equipment and props are things found around the house, like rubber bins or bowls turned upside down for a perch or an aerobic step for a platform, but I also have invested in quite a bit of actual fitness equipment. Some of it is not specifically made for dogs – such as Bosu balls, pilates or balance discs, and yoga blocks – but I have a lot of specialty equipment made just for dogs.
For example, we have large inflatable peanuts, an inflatable donut, individual inflatable foot pods, a large balance disc, a wobble board, and an inflatable balancing bone. And I keep investing in more. Every piece adds a different challenge or opportunity for the dogs to learn something new.
Dogs are shaped, or trained, step-by-step to get onto the equipment where they do very small body movements that isolate certain muscles and require core strength to balance. Very comfortable or confident dogs are often able to sit or lie down and stand back up fairy easily; for others, it takes time and practice.
It may not always look like the dogs are moving a lot or working hard but, trust me, they are. It is important to always be modifying and not overdo it because it is more work than it appears to be. If a dog is not comfortable, we do not push, but rather modify as needed so the dog gradually builds confidence. Almost all dogs I have worked with readily take to the equipment and enjoy working on strength, balance, and body awareness.
One very important thing I teach dog owners in this class is the importance of safety. Challenges are good, but we never want to overdo it or push a dog beyond what is safe and comfortable for his body. Our work sessions are not long and we stop when we realize the dog is starting to tire out. We want these activities to be challenging, but also enjoyable and comfortable for the dogs.
I require that dogs wear body harnesses in class so we can safely assist them while on the equipment. Any dog that is recovering from an injury or has an issue with a particular body part should be checked out by a veterinarian before participating in the class or in a specific exercise.
Strength, Balance and Body Awareness has become one of my most popular classes. People really like watching their dogs enjoy this type of training and exercise. Not only does the class burn energy and enrich the dog, it also helps build a great working relationship between dogs and their people. And that’s the biggest reward of all.
Vicki Ronchette (CPDT, CAP2) is the owner of Braveheart Dog Training and author of Positive Training for Show Dogs – Building a Relationship for Success. She lives in San Leandro with her husband Rick and their dogs, cats, and birds.
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Main article photo by: Vicki Ronchette
