Compass Canine
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27/10/2022
Another round of my 15 Days of Fitness Focus starts on Monday - you still have time to register and join in! All the details are on the link below ⬇️
https://tinyurl.com/ccfitnessfocus
About those sits...
First up, if your dog has a sloppy sit please make sure that you've ruled out any physical issues. This may mean seeking out help from a canine physiotherapist or other professional.
If all is as it should be, then there are things you can do to help straighten up your dog's sit. It's worth working on this, in the same way as we should be conscious of how we sit - slouching all the time is not good for our joints, and it's the same for our canine companions. Teaching good posture will help keep them stronger for longer, which is always a good thing.
In this clip you can see that I have the platform up against a wall. The platform itself is just wide enough for Ripley to sit on, and the height gives him feedback to know when his legs are in the right place. He knows that keeping everything on the platform is what pays! In fairness to him, I did this session after his weekly underwater treadmill session, so his legs were a little tired 😂 Still, I noted that he was having issues with that back right foot so will try facing him the other way next time. I also should have stopped sooner.
Peak's platform is just big enough for him to sit on. Again, he has tired legs and also is still learning the sit to stand transition (that's partly why I have two platforms there - he understands back feet targeting)
28/09/2022
Long before I became obsessed with stands, I was obsessed with sits!
This actually started when considering teaching the 'sit pretty' trick to Ripley (very much a trick, NOT a fitness exercise!). This particular trick needs to start with a strong sit as it's foundation, and it highlighted to me that there was work to be done on Ripley's sit. So I set about teaching him a 'tuck' sit, focussing on his form at the same time. This was also going to be useful for rally/obedience training. In a tuck sit, the front feet stay in place, and the back feet come forward. The opposite is a 'rock back' sit, where the back feet stay in place and the dog rocks back into a sit. Can you picture how the way your dog sits can make a difference to their rally/obedience performance?
Looking at Ripley's sits, I began to see that Vinnie's were also far from ideal. This was at the time that we were working through diagnosing his many physical issues, and it was clear to see signs of those issues in his sits! In fact, after extensive rehab I can still remember my excitement when I saw him do a beautiful, square sit 🥰 I even posted a photo on Facebook!
Now when I see dogs for hydrotherapy, I will often look at how they sit (as well as how they stand) and discuss this with their guardians. As a fitness trainer, I can give some hints and tips on how to improve your dog's sit as well as talk through why they may be sitting the way they do.
One final thing to remember - always look for changes! If your dog has always sat squarely, but they are now slouching or sticking a leg out to one side, then that could well be a sign that something isn't quite right.
So - show me your sits! Peak came with a lovely tuck sit as his default, which has always delighted me 😍 His back feet are nicely tucked in, and parallel to each other. He's at a little bit of a funny angle, but the photo was just too cute not to share 😂
31/08/2022
I've just sent an email to all current hydro clients - I will be away on holiday for a week in Sept, so the centre will be closed.
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Totnes
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