Letting your dog out in the backyard is not exercise. Did you ever notice, once you do let them out in the yard, you find them on the porch or under the comfort of a shade tree?
Highly intense activities (like running all out) can really boost conditioning and fitness in ways that steady state exercising cannot. The intensity should be between 60 and 85% of maximum heart rate.
A normal heart rate for dogs is between 60 and 140 beats per minute. To determine your dog’s heart rate, put your hand to his chest and count how many pulses you feel in 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get the number of beats per minute. If you have trouble detecting heart beats in the chest area, try placing two fingers on the middle of your dog’s thigh near where the leg joins the body. There, you should be able to feel the femoral artery pulsing each time the heart beats.
Keeping a log of your dog’s heart rate during exercise and training will help you maintain your dog’s over all health. Check with your veternarian before beginning any strenuous exercise for your dog. It is suggested that your dog be 1 1/2 years old before introducing this H.I.T. workout.
HIGH INTENSITY WORK OUT H.I.T.
This workout will provide your dog with 30 minutes of heart rate training zone plus stimulate the metabolic rate and help burn fat, plus effectively allow your dog to use some excess energy. H.I.T. is best done at the end of training. Exercise your dog in this manner 3 times per week. Start out slow with 10 minutes the first week and keep adding time until you reach 30 minutes.
START: Warm -up with a five minute walk at 2 mph.
#1 Run 2 Minutes – 8 mph
#2 Walk 2 Minutes – 2 mph
#3 Run 2 Minutes – 8 mph
#4 Walk 2 Minutes – 2 mph
#5 Run 2 Minutes – 8 mph
FINISH: Cool down – 5 minutes at 2 mph.
Gradually build your dog to this exercise. Take your time do not rush it. In order to obtain the 8 mph run, teach your dog to run along side of a bicycle, or jog with your dog.
