Stretching for Your Dog

Admittedly, this post isn't nearly as fun or as stimulating as squirrel agility, but it's still important none-the-less.  If your dog does any sustained physical activities (jogging, hiking, frisbee chasing, or, ahem, agility), then stretching is vital to their health and performance.

Canine stretches should be done on a regular basis, but especially before and after agility practice and trials.  Your dog should be slightly "warmed up" before you begin the stretches and it's recommended you use a lot of treats.  Make sure you never force your dog into a painful position!  I like to do the leg stretches from a cradle position, but most people do it while the dog is standing.  Each way has their pros and cons, so choose what works best for you and your dog.  

There are three main areas to stretch: neck/back, back legs/hips, front legs

In these two pictures, you can see this dog stretching on his own (and completely enjoying it).  You've probably seen your own dog do this because they also know it's important.  Cheri always stretches after coming out of her kennel or getting up from a extended down-stay (3 plus hours).  However, dogs don't necessarily know when it's time to stretch: before/after an activity, so that's where you come in!  Handler induced stretching mimics these more natural dog stretches.

While getting a good stretching routine takes some time and practice, it is well worth the effort.  Here are a few diagrams to help with stretching the legs.  

Now you've stretched your dog's legs, here is a great video about stretching your dog's neck and back.

And to end, if you have a few minutes, here are some links to check out: Nature's Corner: Stretching and Simple Neck, Shoulder, and Back Stretches  (this is where the above video came from).