SO YOU WANT TO EXERCISE YOUR DOG?  We’ve come a long way in how we spend time with our dogs. If you’re ready for more than walk, tug, and fetch, you’ve come to the right place.

Our entire business is built on providing education and products that help you exercise/play with your dog safely and simply, for maximum health benefit.

Ten minutes in the morning and evening doing simple conditioning exercises with your K9 BFF can improve mobility, energy level, and quality of life.  The conditioning exercises we recommend can be everything from fun bonding time for you and your dog, to a great way to enhance manners training, obedience training, or agility training.

And we know what we’re talking about:

Dr. Debbie Gross Torraca literally wrote the book on canine rehabilitation and has been working with young dogs, old dogs, healthy dogs, injured dogs, performance dogs and well-loved pets for the last 20 years.  Martha raises and trains Bernese Mountain Dogs for conformation and performance. 

We both love animals and practice what we preach with regard to canine fitness and lifestyle.

We can’t say enough about the importance of a strong core. And, in fact, we have an entire blog article about it HERE. A strong core is essential, whether you want to improve and extend the quality of life for a well-loved pet or sharpen the performance and stamina of a competitive athlete.

Which is why we want to talk to you about the K9 Kore Disk. This product and the core strengthening activities we recommend are a great place to start.

 HOW-TO Begin a K9 Core Exercise Program

RULES to REMEMBER:

  1. Do no harm – no pain during and after exercise
  2. Everything needs to be positive
  3. Everything needs to be safe
  4. Successfully perform the exercises on the ground before doing them on equipment
  •  Stand for Ten Seconds 
  • Standing for ten seconds without sitting, shifting weight or moving its paws is the first basic core strengthening exercise your dog should learn.  Begin standing on the floor and advance by increasing time.  As the dog builds core strength, this can be performed with both, front or hind legs on the K9 Kore Disk.          
  •  Stand with Head Lifts Up-and-Down and Side-to-Side
  • While your dog is standing still, it should have paws placed squarely underneath shoulders and hips and move its head up and down ten times.  Then side-to-side ten times.  This may be progressed with increased repetitions and varying surfaces such as the K9 Kore Disk                       
  •  Sit-to-Stand
  • Your dog should be encouraged to sit tightly without its legs and paws falling out to the side.  Start with repetitions of up to five, doing only what your dog can safely perform. Incorporate this into every day activities, such as asking for five sit-to-stands before eating dinner or going outside.  The number of repetitions may be increased as the dog is able.  After your dog can do this on the ground,  try it on the K9 Kore Disk.                       
  •   Walking Backwards
  • To start this exercise, chose an area with good footing to prevent slipping or tripping over objects.  For example, a matted or carpeted surface works nicely.  Tile or vinyl floors are often too slippery to start with.
  • As your dog progresses, the goal is to increase the number of backwards steps it takes, while making sure you are maintaining quality.  Your dog should walk straight backwards and not veer off to one side or the other, and should be leading with the hind legs.  Backing over the K9 Kore Disk may be added to increase the challenge of the exercise, along with increasing repetitions and steps.
  •    Side Stepping/Lateral movement
  • Try to work on both sides to develop equality on a flat surface.   Once your dog is able to take steps symmetrically, the distance may be increased.  To further increase the challenge, different surfaces may be utilized to work on lateral or side stepping.  For example, this may be performed on grass, sand, another textured surface or on an incline/decline. In addition, the K9 Kore Disk may be used to add increased difficulty.

More detailed explanation and videos of these exercises can be found here:  FIVE BASIC EXERCISES essential to building CORE STRENGTH

More exercises for our K9 KORE DISK can be found here: EXERCISES for the K9 KORE DISK

** We always recomend that you consult with your veterinarian before starting any kind of exercise program with your dog. 

*  PHOTO: John Chipperfield practices with a skipping rope and a French Poodle before his performance at Tom Arnold’s Harringay Circus, London. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 6th January  1950.  

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