Why should my dog have a fitness evaluation?

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Whether you have a senior dog that just isn't moving as well as they used to, a puppy you want to grow up to be strong without putting excess strain on their joints, or a performance dog you want to be in the best shape possible, a fitness evaluation can help your dog achieve and maintain its optimal health and wellness.

Every dog is unique- they vary in terms of activity level, what they were bred to do, their physical structure, and the goals you have for them (e.g. primarily a pet or also a performance dog). The fitness evaluation helps to assess what your dog needs to work on based on your goals  and helps Carolyn to create an individually tailored exercise program for your dog. It also provides a baseline so that if they are injured in the future, we have an objective way to see what changes have occurred. Baselines measures also help us track changes in muscle size, strength, and flexibility so that you can feel confident your home exercise program is having a positive effect on your dog's physical abilities. 

Fitness evaluations are recommended anytime you are looking to improve your dog's physical functioning. If you are preparing for a big canine sport competition (such as an agility trial or flyball tournament), a fitness evaluation scheduled every 2-3 months prior to a big competition will allow for enough time for the dog's fitness to reasonably improve before the event. Follow-up appointment are typically scheduled every 4-6 weeks as required to re-evaluate your dog to ensure you are on track to achieving your goals.

Ongoing Education

 In addition to being taught how to progress your dog's exercises when they are ready to make them more difficult, Carolyn also provides education in the form of how to use positive reinforcement training within your at-home conditioning program. She will coach you on how to utilize shaping, luring, and placement of reward to build your dog's understanding of what is being asked of them. Outside of their fitness program, this can have a huge positive impact on your relationship with your dog and your dog's love for engaging with you.

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