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View Full Version : Conditioning for a non-APBT? [OT]



badboy_caesar
04-19-2007, 07:32 PM
I know my dog Ollie is a mutt--she is a supposed Boxer/APBT mix so she is halfway there. She weighs 55 pounds and although she is fit and in good condition, I was thinking about dropping her weight a couple pounds. What she seriously needs however, and what I am hoping for the most, is some good muscle tone. She isn't very toned at all in my inexperienced opinion and I need some advice on that.

I run her on my bike roughly one mile a day, and then will play with her and the flirt pole for between 10-15 minutes afterwards. She has a lot of wind and stamina, but should I be pushing her further? Can anyone give me advice on how to tone her up and make her look "conditioned"? I know she'll never be up to par with the wonderful dogs on this website but I figured if I wanted to make my dog better, who else to talk to but people that frequent this website? My mutts are just preperations for my future game-bred dog :)

A lot of people tell me she is too skinny and I should feed her more, but I like how she looks. You can see her ribs, but her spine nor her hip bones are visible.

Thank you!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/OllieMore1-2-07072.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/IMG_0776.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007066.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007071.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007070.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007014.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007041.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007042.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007045.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007053.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/cajuny/LakeTahoecabin2007054.jpg



Fedor23
04-19-2007, 08:39 PM
She looks good, how old is she. First you need to increase her run to two miles or more. I run my dog 6 miles a day, and walk her 2 miles a day. But do different things everyday, like swimming, flirt pole, spring pole, fetch etc. You can feed her a bit more, since you are working her out, the food will be used for the muscle increase, and will burn off.
simms
04-19-2007, 08:53 PM
She looks good. What a ocean view you have....awsome!
miakoda
04-19-2007, 09:45 PM
You can definitely increase the workouts & vary them up even more in an effort to acheive the desire effect. But just remember that a dog's physique is also attributed to genetics & not just exercise. ;)
badboy_caesar
04-20-2007, 12:07 AM
She looks good, how old is she. First you need to increase her run to two miles or more. I run my dog 6 miles a day, and walk her 2 miles a day. But do different things everyday, like swimming, flirt pole, spring pole, fetch etc. You can feed her a bit more, since you are working her out, the food will be used for the muscle increase, and will burn off.Thanks. I'll try to increase the time I am out with her, normally it's around 45 minutes of running around the entire neighborhood. What I need to really do is develop a path to go on where I know the exact amount of miles. That'd make exercising her and keeping track a lot easier.
badboy_caesar
04-20-2007, 12:08 AM
She looks good. What a ocean view you have....awsome!I wish that is what I got to see every day! I live in Sacramento, so no beaches near me, unless you count the rivers. Those pictures were taken at Lake Tahoe :) Thank you though.
badboy_caesar
04-20-2007, 12:14 AM
You can definitely increase the workouts & vary them up even more in an effort to acheive the desire effect. But just remember that a dog's physique is also attributed to genetics & not just exercise. ;)Yes, I'll keep that in mind. She must have totally inherited a Boxer's body, because that is how she is built. I just want her to peak at her best physical condition is all, and I personally don't believe she has reached that yet.

I guess I'll find out soon though. I'll start exercising her more, and figure out when she is at her height. Do you know how a person can tell when a dog is at it's top condition?

Also--does anyone have any reccommendations regarding getting her to swim? I've taken her to beaches, lakes, and ponds and she'll get into the water up to her shoulders but won't actually start swimming. I own a pool and I am hoping during the summer when it starts hitting the 100's, that she'll go in willingly, but other than that I cannot get her to do it. She isn't afraid of the pool, but she cannot figure out the steps. She tries sticking her paws in the water to reach the steps.
purplepig
04-20-2007, 12:23 AM
Go and get your boat and go to the river. put in and go upstream for a ways, maybe 5 miles. Turn the boat around, and throw the dog into the river and encourage the dog to follow you back to the landing. Low impact, and works every muscle.