Over the centuries, the dog has evolved from assisting man in the hunting of game for food and the protection and herding of flocks to participating in the world of canine sports. These include activities such as racing, lure coursing, field trials, obedience, protection training, sledding, agility, flyball and conformation. Participation in any of these activities requires an owner's conscientious commitment to a well-rounded physiological and mental conditioning program for the dog. It would be a crime to expect a canine 'couch potato' to participate in these events and perform at the level expected of a conditioned animal. Condition refers to a level of quality of physical and mental development that allows safe participation within a particular sport to occur.
Proper conditioning is paramount to the training of dogs for any event.
Well-trained Border Collies competing in sheepdog trials often cover more than 100 miles in the course of a day. When you carefully consider all the variables, you begin to appreciate why conditioning is so important. Strenuous exercise places excessive demands on the body, particularly the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. Doctors Feldman and Lessard, in a study entitled 'Hematologic and Biochemical Analytes in a Sporting Breed,' state that the metabolic rate, which refers to the physical and chemical processes required by living tissue to function, must increase 50-fold from a state of rest to maximal exertion. Conditioning Experienced mushers, race or lure coursing trainers, herders and handlers all agree that conditioning is essential for a sporting or working dog.