Do you own or are you thinking about getting a dog to compete in sporting activities? Regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle are obviously important for any dog, but particularly for a sporting dog that will use up more energy and put its body through more than a regular canine. Much like human athletes need to take their health and wellbeing very seriously and train throughout the week, you need to know how to properly look after a sporting dog so that it can maximise performance, stay happy and healthy and avoid injury. Keep reading for a few tips for looking after a sporting dog that should help.
Know The Sport
First, you need to have a clear understanding of the type of sport or activity that you want your dog to compete in. Much like regular sports, these are all different from one another and will require different types of training in order to improve performance and prevent injury. This is why you should spend time researching the sport – you might find it helpful to join online communities or visit events in person and to ask advice from other dog owners.
Get A Physical At The Vet
Before jumping in with training and competing, you should always take your dog to the vet first for a full physical. Sporting dogs put greater strain on their body, so you need to know that there are no underlying health issues that would make it dangerous to do so. You also need to maintain a close relationship with your vet and ensure that you take them anytime they exhibit any kind of health concern.
Practice Proper Conditioning
Much like a human athlete, you need to use conditioning to improve their physical endurance, but you need to do this in the right way to prevent injury. This will include warming up and cooling down as well as giving them enough time to recover between periods of exercise. You will also find it helpful to exercise with the dog both to create a stronger bond as well as to improve your own health.
Provide A High-Performance Diet
When your dog is a sporting dog, you also need to make sure that you are providing the right diet so that they get the nutrients that they need to succeed. Here you can find a detailed and structured high-performance dog nutrition information guide that will tell you all that you need to know. If you can get their food right, then you should help their sporting performance, but also ensure that they have a healthy life.
Have Fun With Your Dog
You also need to make sure that you have fun with your dog and that their entire life is not about competing. Dogs often enjoy sporting activities, but they also will want to play, rest at home and spend time with family, so you need to allow them to do this and the other things that a regular dog will enjoy to keep them happy and healthy.
Hopefully, this information will come in handy and help you to raise a happy and healthy sporting dog that enjoys competing and life outside of sports as well.
