Athleticism

Athleticism - physically active and strong. 

Is your dog athletic?  Mine is, she is a super athlete; far beyond what I could ever hope to be.  She is built to move and does it with ease.  She has immense muscle mass which enables her movement to be easy.  Plus she has the heart of an athlete and loves moving. 

We are all different and so are our dogs.  What comes easy to some is difficult for others.  But we can all move, no matter our build, weight or structure.  So can our dogs.  The other day I was in a store waiting in line; the man in front of me had a little Dachshund who had leapt up onto a bench off to the side.  She was wagging madly at me so I bent down and pet her.  "She's so cute" I told her Dad and stated that it was a big jump for her to get up on the bench.  He beamed and said "she's a super athlete, like her Dad."  I smiled, he was crazy proud of his little girl; and for her stature she was very athletic. 

It doesn't matter how short our dog's legs are, how tall they are.  Short body, long body, lean and mean or stocky; they can all move and move they should.  Some dogs want to move more than others but they all need to move, just like us.  I am not a big runner but my hubby is so Elsa and he run a lot.  I do speed walking with running mixed in so when Elsa and I are out we do several miles.  Plus she is always up for some chuck it fun which involves intense sprinting which she loves and excels at.

So what about those little guys?  Of course you have to factor in leg length and body type.  If you are just introducing exercise then do it slow.  If your dog is overweight then do it slow.  Short bits of walking first and working up to running.  Never over do it.  Watch the heat and get out early.  I find that an early walks means that I can get one in every single day; before the rest of the day takes over. 

I hate to see overweight dogs and sadly there are so, so many out there.  Too much food, wrong food and little movement; the same issue that we humans have. 

Is your dog a super athlete?  They could be.