228 Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
Benefits of conditioning
There are two broad categories for the benefits of
conditioning. The first comprises the benefits
provided by improvement of health span.
Exercise has proven to have both physical and
psychological benefits in people, including the
extension not only of life span, but also of health
span, or the length of time that an individual
remains healthy and active (Maitland, 2012;
Mason & Holt, 2012; Vina et al., 2012). In fact, the
psychological effects of exercise are so powerful
that at least one study suggests that exercise
should be considered a psychoactive drug (Vina
et al., 2012). Because of the similarities in the
musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous
systems of dogs and humans, the same benefits
of exercise are afforded to dogs. Dogs that exer
cise have better body condition scores and
cardiovascular function than more sedentary
dogs, and experience the same psychological
benefits (Menor‐Campos et al., 2011; Warren et al.,
2011; Bauer & Moritz, 2012; Raichlen et al., 2012).
The second benefit is that appropriately condi
tioned performance and working dogs perform
better and are less likely to suffer injuries. When
injuries do occur, they tend to be less severe, and
recovery is faster. In addition, fit working dogs
suffer less stress, which translates to greater
stamina and longevity as working dogs—a win‐
win situation for both dog and client.
Most of the conditioning that a canine athlete
experiences is provided at home by the client,
rather than in the clinic. The rehabilitation pro
fessional can have a significant impact on a
canine athlete’s career by providing the client
with specific guidance regarding the most
appropriate exercise program for his or her
dog. There are several points in a canine ath
lete’s career at which experienced rehabilitation
professionals may be consulted regarding con
ditioning programs:
Three types of conditioning programs
(1) Athletic readiness conditioning. Clients
will frequently ask rehabilitation profes
sionals who understand canine structure
and the requirements of the various canine
performance events or working activities
to evaluate their young dog’s structure
and provide them with a tailored exercise
program. They know that an appropriate
conditioning program for a young dog
will yield benefits in better performance
and reduced likelihood of injuries once the
dog is old enough to compete.
(2) Comprehensive athletic conditioning
program. Rehabilitation professionals
often are consulted by clients with actively
competing canine athletes or working
dogs to develop a comprehensive condi
tioning program for the active adult dog to
ensure that the dog is best prepared for its
various activities and to help prevent or
reduce the severity of injuries.
(3) Athletic retraining. Canine athletes and
working dogs that have achieved pet‐level
fitness (able to easily and repeatedly sit and
lie down, climb a flight of stairs, and walk
on leash for at least 30 minutes) through
rehabilitation therapy and therapeutic exer
cises still require a conditioning and retrain
ing program that will move them to a state
of appropriate fitness for the specifics of
their athletic competitions or jobs. Much of
this work will be in the hands of the client,
who needs and wants to follow a detailed
conditioning program to reach the goals.
This pattern parallels the retraining pro
grams of injured human athletes, who are
provided a detailed program for regaining
the specific physical requirements of the
sport. This previously unrecognized type of
exercise program is essential if the competi
tive or active dog is to regain full function
without re‐injury or compensatory injuries.Communication with the client is key. It can
not be overemphasized how important it is to
spend time providing the specific details that
will allow the client to apply the conditioning
program optimally. In general, this type of
rehabilitation appointment takes 1 to 1½ hours
and might include several follow‐up appoint
ments to monitor the client’s activity and the
response of the canine athlete to the exercises,
and to modify the prescribed exercises accord
ingly. To develop a sports‐specific conditioning
program, it is essential that the rehabilitation
professional understands the requirements of
the sports or working functions in which the
dog participates (see Chapter 1).