Exercising with your dog? Top tips for warm-ups.

January 19th 2021

Exercising with your dog? Why is it important for your dog to warm up before a walk? A warm up and cool down can prevent injury and stretch the muscles. 

For a warm up you should get your dog to do some walking and gentle trotting. You don’t want your dog to go from lounging in their bed to getting up and going full into running. Try a brisk walk for 1 -2 minutes and then move into a gentle trot.

Rub your hands over the muscles of your dog to warm them up and stretch out their forearms. It’s important not to force your dog past where they feel comfortable so just really gently lift and stretch them out. Do the same for the back legs too.

Tricks such as bow, twirl and spin are also great ways to warm up a dog.

For the cool down, do a slow walk or trot and rub your hands over the muscles. Don’t forget to stretch out the muscles again. 

Tip: incorporating treats and interactive toys makes it more enjoyable for the dog.