If you’ve ever wondered how your dog’s posture impacts their movements, fitness, or even sports performance, you’re not alone.
Many dog owners feel unsure about where to start when it comes to dog fitness—whether it’s identifying key body points or understanding how weight shifts during different activities.
I find people often struggle with simple things, like locating their dog’s knee, measuring their height at the withers, or pinpointing the shoulders.
So, why not explain it all in one place?
Let’s look at the picture – try to locate the most important points of your dog’s body, and feel them on your dog.
Once you have a better sense of their anatomy, read on to learn how weight distribution impacts dog fitness exercises and why this knowledge can transform your training sessions.
Did you know that a standing dog carries 60% of their weight on their front end and 40% on their rear end? This natural distribution means the front end is built for support, while the rear end acts as the “engine,” powering movements like running, jumping, and climbing.
Now, what happens when a dog starts trotting?
Can you tell the difference in weight distribution between the two pictures of the same dog? Look more closely at the head position, and the weight distribution between the front and rear end – in which picture do you think the dog is loading the front end more? Which head position requires the dog to put more weight on the hind end?
When a dog starts trotting, the weight shifts depending on the position of their head.
Understanding these shifts is essential for targeting specific muscle groups during fitness exercises.
If you’re doing dog fitness exercises, by understanding the relation between the dog’s head position and weight distribution, you can deliberately change and load a particular body part more. This will help you strengthen specific areas of your dog’s body.
A simple exercise like “Front Feet Up” is a great example.
Here’s how it works:
This foundational exercise helps engage the rear end and core. But here’s where things get interesting: the position of your dog’s head changes everything.
Here’s how this exercise works:
Learn more about the importance of stable vs. unstable dog fitness equipment in this post!
What to look for in this exercise:
- You want to have a nicely balanced body and neutral head position (above spine level, we can also lean a bit towards the dog to help with shifting weight to the hind end).
- The back should be straight (you do not want to strengthen muscles in a crouched position!)
- Rear feet should be fixed and positioned nicely behind. If your dog puts them under the belly and arches the back, it is usually a sign of poor core strength – something for you to work on! Placing a target under the rear feet can be helpful in such cases.
“Front Feet Up on an Object” is a perfect foundation exercise, as it helps engage the rear end and core.
But here’s where things get interesting: the position of your dog’s head changes everything.
Look at the pictures below, and think about whether the left and right photos are having the same effect on the dog.
Are they both working the same rear end and core muscles?
In both cases, the dog has front feet up, so there can’t be any difference, right?
WRONG.
Look at the head position in relation to the spine:
Even though the dog is performing the same exercise (front feet up), the head position changes which muscles are working, and therefore changes the exercise entirely!
So, if you want to target your dog’s rear end, keep their head higher. If the goal is to work on the front end, lower the reward or target to encourage a downward head position.
The position we want our dog in, and the body part to which they shift their weight, is highly dependent on our reward (or target focus/touch) placement. Remember this the next time you enjoy your fitness training session with your dog!
If you want your dog to live a long, happy, active, and healthy life (or even excel in sports), prioritizing their physical preparation is absolutely essential.
But this knowledge isn’t just for dog sports enthusiasts—it’s also helpful for any dog’s everyday activities, injury prevention, and improving your dog’s overall quality of life. After all, doing fitness exercises is also a great bonding activity for rainy days.
Ready to give it a try? Let’s start building your dog’s fitness routine today!
With just 10 minutes a day, you can make a meaningful impact on your dog’s health and happiness.
COMES WITH 12 EXERCISES AND LESSONS & covers topics like:
➜ Bony Landmarks – Get to Know Your Dog
➜ The Core – Center of Gravity
➜ Introduction to the Skill Room
➜ Starting Points – Front Feet Up
➜ The Cavaletti Exercise
➜ Walking backwards
➜ Workout: Rear + Core
➜ Resting day
