Strength Training for K9 Athletes with a Certified Canine Fitness Instructor
Bobbie Lyons, Cert CF has been training and competing in agility with her dogs for over 10 years. She has also participates in herding, and teaches in person classes on trick training, improving focus and human workouts with your dog. She currently has three Border Collies and an Australian Shepherd. One of her dogs, Force, has a rotated pelvis that prevents him from fully extending his hind legs when jumping in agility. This structural issue puts more stress on his body and lends to injury. Because of this issue, Bobbie made it a priority to obtain the knowledge and skill to keep him more comfortable, flexible and stronger so that he could enjoy the sport of agility without pain.
What she realized along the way was that Force was not aware of his feet and how to individually move them, nor did he have the core strength needed to support his poorly aligned pelvis.
Bobbie poured over every book, video and class that she could find on massage, gait analysis, acupressure, canine rehabilitation and canine sports fitness. Her favorite authors are Rachel Page Elliot and Dr Chris Zink. She made appointments, quizzed and gained relationships with rehabilitation veterinarians, osteopaths, chiropractors and canine physical therapists. She immediately started implementing exercises suggested by these professionals not just for her structurally challenged dog but her healthy dogs too.
After studying and working with her dogs on core strengthening, conditioning exercises, and stretches, Bobbie taught her first class on Canine Conditioning in 2006. Teaching and working with dogs over the past seven years has given her the experience needed to develop a well-rounded program that anyone can do with a healthy dog. After several years of teaching, Bobbie was able to show her program to Dr. Bianca Shaw of Back on Track Veterinary Rehabilitation Center. (The leading Rehab Vet in the Portland Metro Area) Dr. Shaw put her stamp of approval on the program and now incorporates some of these conditioning exercises in her practice to strengthen the core muscles of her client’s dogs. Bobbie interns with professionals in the field to further her education on a regular basis. She feels there is always something to learn and refine.
Bobbie’s Canine Conditioning workshops and classes are held all over the northwest and across the county. Bobbie has completed the certification program for Canine Fitness through the Companion Animal Sciences Institute. She gets requests from all over the US, Canada, and even from Australia to teach workshops.
Bobbie will be offering her services at La Paw Spa in Sequim, beginning in May 2014. Please contact Cindy for details.