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ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > Swimming your GSD how often and how long per session? (9 replies)
Swimming your GSD how often and how long per session? by clc29 on 29 June 2012 - 03:40 |
| Hi Everyone :) Cisco and I have a trial coming up in December where we will be completing his BH and AD. I've started swimming him once a week for 30 minutes (with rest periods), in addition to his regular SAR and ScHH trainings during the week. My plan is to swim him over the summer and start bike training (for both of us) in August/September. I asked the people at the pet facility, how often and long, should I be swimming him and they responded only once a week. That doesn't seem like enough to me. I mean yes, we should start out with once a week, but shouldn't we be working towards swimming more often? How long and how often do you swim your (competition/working) dogs to get them fit and keep them fit? What other (low impact) exercise's would you recommend for a young dog (16 months)? Thank you, Cheri |
clc29 by howlk9 on 29 June 2012 - 05:02 |
| Once he builds up to it, you should be able to swim him several times per week. At my facility we will swim dogs recovering from injuries and seniors once a week in 30 minute sessions. the key is to remember that he will be using different muscles and moving in a different way when swimming. |
howlk9 by hunger4justice on 29 June 2012 - 05:49 |
| I used to take one of mine swimming almost daily but I don't force it. |
hunger4justice by clc29 on 29 June 2012 - 13:22 |
| Thank you HowlK9 and Hunger4justice for your replies.......I thought as much......We are starting off slow but eventually I'd to be swimming him three times a week. Cheri |
by K9Sport on 30 June 2012 - 12:14 |
| My dogs swim 4 times a week... I start them off at 10-12 minutes and we increase from there to tolerance. By the end of Summer my dogs can swim for long periods of time next to my Kayak. We usually do 1-2 kayak swims a week (this is continuous swimming for them) and 3 days of tossing the ball far into the lake and have them retrieve it. We also so some shallow tosses which make the dog pull through the water at a trot to get the ball. Working different muscles... Laurie |
K9Sport by GK1 on 30 June 2012 - 12:19 |
| The folks in the pet facility that advised once a week probably exercise themselves no more than once a week... I saw something on nat geo not too long ago regarding a wolf pack that covered 20-40 miles a day in order to sustain the family business. Not across a golf course either: mountains, rocks, forests, ice and across water. I swim my pup almost every day if I can, even for a few minutes. I have an eight month old Cz W/L. With the hot summer, the pool serves as a great way to cool the dog down after some ball work in the yard. Swimming is a superior form of cardio conditioning for dogs as it is humans, working many muscle groups at once and gently. Tones and elongates the muscles while stressing the joints very little, as compared to jumping, sprinting and hitting the sleeve etc. Burns calories and will keep the dog lean. I am sensitive about my pup's joint development and I believe swimming is perhaps the best form of exercise to strengthen the hips and elbows. He tolerated water initially, but now will play and chase me around in the pool. He's no Labrador, but can swim/tread decently. I have a diving pool so fun is had in the deep end. We both get some exercise. Just watch your face and eyes from the paws under water. I hope someday to get him to dive to the bottom to retrieve objects. Maybe some amphibious PPD work...I digress. |
by clc29 on 30 June 2012 - 13:23 |
| I would love to be able to swim Cisco like you guys do. Unfortunately, I live in the desert and the closest body of water is 3 hours away.....The only pool available to me. is at the Pet facility and they charge $25 per swim. Hopefully our next house will have a pool :) |
by magdalenasins on 01 July 2012 - 11:20 |
| I like using a spring pull for low impact (all 4 legs on the ground) conditioning as well as swimming. For the AD I plan to use an electric bike lol. |
by Kalibeck on 01 July 2012 - 18:24 |
| My co-worker has one of my pups, now an adult, & he took out his knee a couple years ago. After surgery they recommended swimming him, & he's been swimming in ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans & pools every day the water's not frozen over ever since. And he loves it! And he is in superb shape. jackie harris |
Kalibeck by myret on 05 July 2012 - 13:04 |
| We swim about one a week In a doggy swim and In the summer we swim at the beach severel times a week for about 15 min to 45 minutes |
myret
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