Ivyrun Canine Fitness Training

24/01/2024

With agility trial season approaching rapidly it's important that our dogs are fit to compete at their best.

There are many excellent online programs that you can follow but to truly help your dog reach their potential it's important to have a program that has been individually tailored to your dog.
A good program should take into account your chosen sport, your dog's structure, age, history and current level of fitness, plus also any time constraints that you may have when implementing a conditioning program.

Your dog's program should also be based on the SAID Principle: Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands.
When the body is placed under some form of stress (movement) it starts to make adaptations that enable the body to get better at dealing with that specific form of stress (movement) in the future.

A good program will help build the right amount of stress - too little means no or minimal adaptation, too much means injury or burnout.

Get in touch if you'd like to talk about a specific conditioning program for your dog in 2024.

23/12/2023

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our clients and followers.
May you reach all your training goals and set some new ones as well.

28/11/2023

WHY DOES MY AGILITY DOG KNOCK BARS?
Many of us at times ask this question and wish for a ‘magic wand’ answer.

After baby dog returns from her training break I am planning on implementing a ‘tune up’ of her jumping skills to identify areas I may need to focus on over the next few months.

Many dogs knock the occasional bar and while it’s likely impossible to totally eliminate this, sometimes you can pinpoint the reason why. This means you can then provide your dog with a toolbox of skills to lessen the chance of bar knocking happening.

These are my reasons why I think bar knocking occurs, in no particular order except the first one;
1. Handler error
2. Dog processing error- especially in young dogs
3. Lack of jump foundation skills
4. Lack of physical skills/condition required for jumping mechanics
5.Jump training consists of grids only
6. Structure/Physical condition of dog
7. Inappropriate take off especially on a slice
8. Background glare, clutter and surface conditions
9. No ‘bridging the gap’ training between home and club training and getting into the ring
10. Course design

What are your thoughts on why bar knocking happens at times?
Is this a topic that you’d like more information on?
Is there interest in an online looking at jumping skills paired with relevant conditioning work?

Get in touch and join the discussion

19/11/2023

Getting feedback like this makes my heart sing.
I love working with clients who are dedicated to helping their dogs be the best they can be by following an individually designed program.

04/11/2023

Super important to recognise signs of fatigue and not just keep on training through it

Can you spot the signs of fatigue?

29/10/2023

Excellent blog from McIntyre Rehab about the importance of structure analysis and how it relates to dog sports.
Did you know we offer FREE structure analysis with every individual conditioning program?

Do you know why your dog moves the way they do? A lot of how our dogs move and function is dependant on their conformation and structure. While we may think otherwise, no dog is perfect! As our...

19/10/2023

So true.
Also, just because a dog is sound doesn’t mean they are trial fit.

Unpopular opinion:

🔸 Just because a dog "Qs" or wins ribbons does not mean the dog is sound. 🔸

In the human world, athletes often compete, and sometimes win, despite pain, discomfort, and/or injuries. Just because they successfully completed their routine or ended up on the podium does not mean they are 100% sound.

The same goes for our canine athletes. They participate in sports for OUR sake. Many of them CAN complete their runs, many of them get qualifying scores, and some of them win ribbons. However, getting Qs or winning ribbons does not mean they are not working through pain, discomfort, and/or injuries.

🔹 Qs and ribbons are not indicators of our canine athletes' health and well-being.

🔹 Qs and ribbons are not evidence that our canine athletes have no pain, discomfort, or injuries.

It is OUR responsibility to put our canine athletes' welfare first. Winning competitions does not mean our dogs are sound and fit.

📷: Core Pawtential

26/09/2023

Custom set of stacking blocks and low box finally went to their new home.
Now to make some with rubber chip instead of yoga matting

22/08/2023

https://youtu.be/MJHXD0mtM9g
Have you added an agility specific conditioning program to your training yet?

Training methods and courses are always changing and we owe it to our dogs to make sure they have experience with the required movements before asking them to perform in agility.

This is a future online course in the pipeline so please let me know if it's something you might be interested in.
Alternately, get in touch to ask about an individual program for your dog.

14/08/2023

This is so true. I feel as if I’m rarely trialling these days but I choose to no longer run on courses where my dogs have to contort their bodies and slam on the brakes to find a line to the next obstacle and if that means I enter a lot less then so be it.
We definitely get to choose what our individual agility journey will look like and longevity through not just chasing a bit of cardboard at all costs is important to me

What choices have you made on your journey?

You get to choose:
✅ the trainers you train with
✅ the dog you compete (and live) with
✅ the organizations you compete in
✅ the types of courses you run
✅ the locations/rings you compete in
✅ the judges you show under
✅ the number of days you'd like to attend
✅ the events you'd like to attend
✅ the achievements you're training for
✅ the lengths you're willing to go to for those goals
You have the power AND the responsibility to choose what this game looks like for your team. Keep hold of those two things and be careful not to give them to someone else.

11/07/2023

Adding to the data - we’ve done all of these

Did you know you can connect with Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainers in a variety of ways? To find a CPCFT that offers the type of service you are looking for, please go to www.cpcft.com/find-a-cpcft.

05/07/2023

Custom colour set. This one includes stacking blocks, balance beams, long beam for ipsilateral work,standing board and large board that converts to a slanted board.
All have grip tape on the underside.

We are thinking of making up some with rubber chip surface instead of yoga matting.
These will be fully customisable for both size and colour.
If you’re interested then send a message and we’ll choose the rubber chip colours we purchase according to the most popular.

20/06/2023

I have emailed all invoices to those who expressed interest in the upcoming CAVALETTI UNLEASHED online course.
If you didn’t receive one please let me know.

I still have a couple of places left if you’d like to join in.
Just send a private message.

06/06/2023

Cavaletti online program is open for enrolment.
If you'd like to take part send a private message with your name, your dog's name and your email address.
Once minimum numbers of working positions are received I'll send you an invoice with payment details and add you to the Facebook group.

03/06/2023

https://youtu.be/EyrM17FYG78
Looking for a fun way to keep your dog fit over Winter or to add some variety to your training?
New CAVALETTI UNLEASHED online program will open for enrolment next week.
Suitable for all levels of experience.
All the information will be posted shortly so make sure you are following our page to stay up to date with all the relevant details.

23/05/2023

Yes Yes Yes and Yes
The result is just very small icing on a very big cake at the moment.

Eh, I'm not sure I care even 25% about the paper results during my debut strategy, but I"m human and I do like having good paper results, so let's go with it.

My main focus, however, is definitely the experience my dog is having in the ring. I need the dog to say HECK YES to entering that ring every time, and I know the reality of my goals is that I'll be asking for that 'yes' in some super-charged and sometimes difficult places. I want my dog to enjoy competing as much as I do, which is why it's been a minute since you've seen me competing.

This sometimes feels like I'm starting completely over, but I know I can count on all of my experience to help me through this strange period of getting out there again with a new teammate. I know that if I take care of her and stick to our routines, Sprint will rise to the challenge and we will create the experience we both thrive on.

It's exhilerating, it's nerve-wracking, and I can't wait. My main goals for a first event are to observe how the routines and behaviors compare to how I've observed them in training settings.

Who else is stepping to the line for the first time soon?

19/05/2023

HOW CAN I PREVENT INJURY IN MY PERFORMANCE DOG?

Unfortunately injuries happen and it's not always possible to prevent these, no matter how hard we try.

The good news is that although we can't prevent every injury there are still things we can do to minimise the risk.
Here are my top tips.

1. Always warm up adequately before any activity - whether training, trialling or any sort of session at home. A cool down session after activity is also important.
Last year I shared a video on this page demonstrating warm up activities that should still be available to anyone who hasn't seen it and wants some ideas.

2. Implement a balanced conditioning program to work alongside your performance training. It's important to have a program that is individualised for your dog rather than a generic program from the internet. A good program should also include movements based on the sport you are training for plus active stretches rather than passive stretches.

3. Understand what is 'normal' for your dog in relation to movement. Video is a great tool for this - try and video a basic jumping exercise every month to watch in slow motion as this will highlight any movements that may not look quite right.

4. Read Carolyn's blog that I posted above and learn how to look for any subtle signs of injury that may be present.

5. Schedule regular sessions with a relevant canine professional- physio, chiro, myofascial therapist, etc.

6. Never let your dogs out of a crate or the car to start running full pelt. Put them on lead first and make sure they are warmed up before flat out running, especially with other dogs.

7. Be aware of any potential 'bad' lines on an agility course that may cause your dog to contort their body in an unsafe manner. Inadequate distance for turning and inappropriate angles are just a couple of examples. I'd rather scratch a run and lose an entry fee than potentially be paying to rehab an injury any day.

8. Pay attention to toes, nails and pads, especially over summer when the ground is hard. Being aware of any small tears and dealing with these promptly can stop these turning into something bigger.

9. Consider adding a complementary therapy you can perform at home but always make sure you research this thoroughly before outlaying your hard earned money. Look for independent studies rather than testimonials linked to the manufacturer.
PEMF is our tool of choice at the moment, coupled with regular use of Back on Track products but there are lots of other alternatives as well.

10. Don't beat yourself up if your dog does sustain an injury- I need to take my own advice here at the moment and it's easier said than done. Sometimes things just happen and it's out of our control.

16/05/2023

Always important to be aware of the signs

I have a question for all agility dog enthusiasts:

Could you tell me confidently that you could spot the signs of injury in your agility dogs with 100% confidence?

Believe me when I tell you that many dogs assessed at my rehab clinic started showing minor, subtle signs of injury MONTHS before booking an appointment with me!

Today, I'm sharing the first of a two-part series on subtle signs of injury in our agility dogs. This is a MUST-READ if you want to learn why the subtle signs of injury are hard to detect in our high-drive agility dogs, how to identify if an injury is already developing in your agility dog, and why we need to discuss this.

Take a look: http://www.mcrehabilitation.com/blog/subtle-signs-of-injury-in-our-agility-dog

30/04/2023

Some great information

Watch this album for the month of April, where we will reshare some awesome Structure and Movement information

22/04/2023

ARE YOUR TRAINING SESSIONS DESIGNED TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR AGILITY DOG?
If you're only training agility related skills in each session then probably not.
You might have started to include a conditioning program which is great, but if your program consists of mainly strength related exercises then that's still only going part way towards your dog performing at their best.
It's important to work to an individual program for your dog that incorporates exercises that mimic the movements they will be performing on the agility field (or any other performance discipline)
So ideally an effective program will work on all three areas in the diagram to help your dog be the best they can be.
No area is more important than any other but needs to be implemented in a holistic manner to be effective. Course running for my agility dogs is minimal - it's important to run a course every now and then to sharpen your skills but it' shouldn't be the total focus of every training session.

Get in touch if you're considering an individual program for your dog - we can help your dog to shine by focusing your training efforts in a targeted way.

30/03/2023

https://youtu.be/-PAmgp3Mk3Q
Some cavaletti variations we've been working on over the past couple of weeks.

Cavaletti are one of my favourite exercises to improve core strength, body awareness and balance, flexor muscles and overall fluid movement and paw placement.
Once your dog has mastered basic cavaletti, the variations are many and each one has different benefits associated with it as well.

Ladder work is also valuable for dogs but has a slightly different focus than cavaletti.
For those interested in finding out more about the difference between the two as well as a lot more information, I am planning on offering an online class later this year that looks at some different exercises you can do with your dog on each piece of equipment. Plus we will compares the benefits of each one.
Let me know if this is something you may be interested in

16/03/2023

So true

I can not stress this enough. Especially high drive/hunting/sporting breeds. People……they aren’t born this way. Temperament is bred, but not handle that is EARNED with these breeds.

…🐾…

12/03/2023

Getting a workout with your dog

09/03/2023

This is the reason why I now focus on balance, paw placement and coordination in my conditioning programs, rather than just strength and flexibility.
Yes he did stay on the dogwalk and ran clean with 1st place. I didn’t even know this had happened until I saw the photo- great capture from Images by Renee.

I can not recommend strongly enough taking the time to incorporate paw placement and body awareness into your conditioning program.
Get in touch if you need help with an individual program for your sporting dog.

Mari Valgma from The Moving Canine also runs entire online programs devoted to Movement Puzzles and Dogwalk safety and these are well worth the investment.

23/02/2023

CONDITIONING WITH PUPPIES
I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with a beautiful litter of Border Collies recently.
No I’m not giving in to temptation and adding another family member just yet but it’s made me happy to see the way this litter has been raised with lots of age appropriate experiences.

However one thing that’s made me less than happy is to see advice being given in another group that it’s OK to do a small number of sets and repetitions of an exercise with an 8 week old puppy.
Let me spell it out - no sets and no repetitions to keep the strain off those developing joints.
No holding positions or even ‘formal’conditioning exercises before those growth plates are closed.

Puppies lack both coordination and muscle strength which makes them more susceptible to injury.
That doesn’t mean you can’t start working with them at 8 weeks old but there’s a whole layer of pre conditioning behaviours that if you take the time to develop will actually speed up your conditioning journey in the long run.
Take the time to build confidence and your relationship first.

Rushing into conditioning with a young puppy will not be beneficial in the long run.
Let me repeat - No repetitions and no sets.

Rant over.

I’m currently revising my puppy training exercises and I’m happy to share here if there is interest.

15/02/2023

https://youtu.be/6bzJsgNQde0
WHAT ARE PLANES OF MOTION AND HOW ARE THEY IMPORTANT FOR DOG SPORTS?
A dog's body is divided into three areas called planes - imaginary lines that pass through a dog's body in three different ways.
Each plane of motion has a particular motion associated with it.
These are:

*Median (Sagittal) plane
This plane divides the body into right and left sides and is associated with forward and backward movement

*Dorsal plane
This plane divides the body into top and bottom and is associated with bending/curved movement

*Transverse plane
This plane divides the body into back and front and is associated with rotational/sideways movement

So how does this relate to dog sports?

When participating in sports we ask our dogs to move their bodies in different ways. Some sports may only require one or two but some like agility require dogs to be able to move through all three planes of motion.

It is important to make sure that your warm up for whatever sport you are participating in mimics all these movements before your dog gets into the ring.
It is also important to make sure that any individual conditioning program that you follow includes exercises from all planes of motion, especially for agility.

Here are some of the exercises that we are including in our conditioning circuits this week to address all the planes of motion.
These exercises are a random selection from Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced exercises and can all be made easier or more difficult through the type of equipment used for each one.
.

29/01/2023

Crazy wild child’s first ever agility photo.

As trialling season starts to get underway it’s important to ask yourself if your dog is ‘agility fit’?
We ask a lot of our dogs when running an agility course and need to make sure their bodies are prepared for each movement.
An individual conditioning program that is designed for your individual dog (not just generic exercises that are put together as a ‘program’ for multiple dogs) can help to minimise the risk of injury and help your dog confidently negotiate each obstacle by working on balance, strength and different planes of motion.
Please get in touch if this is something you’d like to know more about.

29/12/2022

25/12/2022

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all those who have been part of the Ivyrun community this year, both in person and online.
What are your dog’s fitness goals for 2023?

07/12/2022

Rubber stockfeed bowls are amongst my favourite pieces of cheap and versatile equipment.
Mine are now getting an upgrade with some grip tape added.
I’ve.never found them to be slippery at all but they do seem to be a little ‘slicker’ as they’ve aged and gotten dirty and Mr Hapoy Feet is sometimes defaulting to gripping the edge when we use them for finding balance exercise .Hopefully this will give them a new lease of life