14/09/2023
Great information to know and be able to observe. It doesnโt matter if you are doing canine fitness, playing frisbee in the yard or practicing a specific sporting venue. All dogs fatigue. (They donโt think so). So it is our job to know the signs and stop prior to fatigue.
A very important topic in canine fitness -- signs of fatigue! Sharing this again because it's *that* important.
๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ ?
Knowing when your dog is getting tired is a KEY part of fitness training!
Dogs can only communicate to us with their bodies, so it is OUR job as handlers to watch for signs of fatigue and to RESPECT what they are telling us.
Reaching fatigue during fitness training is important for progress & muscle development, but ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Many dogs will work through fatigue, pain, and discomfort (especially in the presence of food rewards!!). Itโs up to us to not let them go too far past physical limits.
Muscles that are tired cannot work as effectively as rested muscles. Working a fatigued muscle too long will put strain on other parts of the dog - weaker muscles, ligaments, or tendons - which can lead to compensation, overuse, and injuries!
SEEING the fatigue is not easy!! Especially if you are just getting started with your canine fitness journey. ๐ฅฐ
I made this little cheat sheet to help the humans be more aware of what fatigue might look like in the dog!
Youโll notice the word โCHANGEโ a lot in the descriptions below. This is the main thing I watch for with my own dogs when training. Watching for a ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ in posture, attitude, speed, topline, (etc) from the dogโs normal, or from the start of the session, is the best first step in reading your dogโs level of fatigue.
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๐๐๐๐๐๐
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- FIDGETING - excessive foot movements, dramatic change in foot position, dog is no longer staying still or starts to offer other behaviours, etc.
๐ - AVOIDANCE - dog starts to avoid or refuse well-known behaviours, or leaves work entirely.
๐ - TOPLINE - change in the dogโs topline from the dogโs normal or from the beginning of the session (often showing up as roaching/hunched/rounded back or a dip behind the withers (swayback).
๐ - INTENSITY - change in the dogโs speed, intensity, and/or attitude of the exercise.
๐ - GENERALIZED STRESS SIGNALS - watch for excessive stress signals: lip licking, yawing, tucking tail between legs, sniffing, avoiding eye contact, hard mouth, loss of confidence (โshutting downโ), becoming frantic, etc.
๐ - USE OF LIMBS - changes in weight distribution between limbs (dog offloads or favours one leg), change in leg position (tucking hind limbs beneath pelvis, or โpostingโ with front legs), etc.
๐ - EXTERNAL ROTATION - watch for external rotation of elbows, carpal joints, hips, stifles, and hock joints - especially if different than the dogโs normal posture.
If you see ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐:
1๏ธโฃ Stop and give the dog a rest!
2๏ธโฃ Reassess your session - At what point is the fatigue showing up? Can the dog comfortably & with good form complete more reps? Did you make it too hard too fast?
3๏ธโฃ EITHER
A - Continue the session if the dog seems better after a rest.
OR
B - End the session if the dog continues to show fatigue!
โ ๏ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ ๏ธ If you are seeing these signs of fatigue REGULARLY (during training and in life) - keep track, make notes, and most importantly ask a veterinary professional. Your dog may be showing signs of chronic pain/discomfort instead of just fatigue! If so, it will be important to STOP canine fitness training, and figure out WHY your dog is displaying these signs, before you carry on with any training.
