Have you ever thought of your dog, or any dog, as an athlete? Dog sports and competitions are gaining popularity in South Africa. Almost every dog training school offers an agility class. Many of these are for fun but formal competitions do exist. Other dog sports include flyball, freestyle, and IPO (formerly referred to as Schutzhund). There are also competitions that are designed to test the genetic abilities of certain breeds. These competitions would include herding (primarily supported by Border Collies and their people) and field trials. Field trials are setup to test the retrieving abilities of setters, pointers, spaniels and retrievers, over land and water. Breed shows remain well attended and supported. These dogs must perform in the ring, often a number of times in a day and over a weekend.
Working dogs are also athletes. Guide dogs for the blind and other service dogs must be able to perform when called upon. Their charges are dependent on them. Security dogs, police dogs and detection dogs are important for the safety of the law-abiding public. These dogs often spend most of their day still and confined but must be ready (and fit) to spring into action in a heartbeat. Airport dogs keep the runways clear of birds and therapy dogs visit schools, hospitals and homes for the aged bringing joy and peace.
Moving away from formalised sports and ‘jobs’ have you ever considered the dog that runs a number of times a week with their guardian at the local running club as an athlete? What about the Golden that plays fetch every day with the children? The weekend warriors that participate in charity walks or are taken to the park for a run on Sunday are all athletic.
Canine sports medicine is an emerging branch of veterinary medicine and integrates orthopaedics (the skeleton), exercise physiology (looking after the heart and lungs), conditioning and fitness (muscles and ligaments), nutrition and biomechanics (movement). Rehabilitation practitioners are trained to rebuild your injured dog but also to help in the prevention of injury. Programs are designed which include exercises that target increased strength, enhance endurance, create body awareness and train specific skills. If this sounds like ‘doggy gym’ that’s because it is. Programs can be devised specifically for you and your dog that you can enjoy at home.
At Animal Health and Hydro, we have the privilege of working with the Guardians of Canine Athletes. Preventing unnecessary injury and facilitating full recovery are just two of the aspects of our role. Helping our Patients achieve show readiness and world class fitness are other aspects.
So, If your companions are service canines, sport professionals or even weekend warriors, you have the opportunity to make sure that they perform, safely, at their peak.