Have you ever been out enjoying the day with your dog, maybe on a trail or at a show, only for them to suddenly start limping? It can be a gut wrenching moment when your normally happy and free moving friend is suddenly showing signs of pain or discomfort.

A limp or gait issue is a common visual clue that something is wrong with our dogs but unfortunately our dog's can't communicate with us directly to tell us what's wrong.  The challenge with a limp is that it can indicate a simple issue that may go away with time or some easy care or a limp can indicate something much more complex! Which means we as their trainer partners sometimes have to put the puzzle pieces together to get a clear idea of what's going on.

In this week's blog, I'll cover some of the common reasons why your dog may be limping and what we can do in our conditioning programs to reduce the likelihood of a future limp or gait problem. 

​There's a saying that the most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog and I'm sure dock diving competitors would agree! Dock diving is a fast-growing sport that has become even more popular in this year of required social distancing. As trainers and dog owners we may find ourselves at a bit of a loss on how we can best prepare our dogs for the sports they do. One way we can help our dogs perform their best and reduce their risks of injury is to understand the physical demands of the sport our dogs participate in.

For many dock diving competitors, one of the biggest challenges of the sport is its short training and competition season. In Canada, a dock diving season may only have 12 weeks of good weather. This means that competitors in dock diving will need to keep up a consistent conditioning routine during their off-season so their dogs are prepared to return to the sport. In this week's blog, we'll take a deep dive (pun, fully intended!) into the sport of dock diving!