Week One of Glimmer’s boot camp is underway. We began the first session with a stretch-out:
As seen in the video, Glimmer has some joint and muscle stiffness occurring due to a lack of daily exercise. Taking five minutes to stretch out and warm up the muscles and joints before beginning physically demanding exercises not only makes it easier for the dog to perform those exercises, it also helps to prevent injuring those muscles and joints during the exercises.
Each lesson starts with a stretch-out and a walk on the treadmill. The treadmill is a phenomenal tool that helps the dog release pent-up physical and mental energy so they can focus and perform specific exercises much more easily. When your dog is focused, the lesson time is much more pleasant and far more productive for both of you. Glimmer worked a total of 15 minutes on the treadmill before we started working on the less strenuous lessons of sit, down, stay, and recall. As the video below reveals, she was releasing a lot of pent-up energy:
It’s important to state that when working your dog on a treadmill, start them at the very slowest setting, regardless of their level of experience with the machine. Remember: Unlike we humans, who can do it without thinking about it, a dog has to focus on maintaining balance while being continuously moved forward; he can’t just sit down if he wants to or he’ll fall off. So it’s important that you help set him up for success by always starting him off at the lowest setting.
Have a great day, remember to stay calm and lead on, and subscribe to follow Glimmer’s progress in this year-long Basics Boot Camp.