Warming Up Your Dog Before Your Run?

This thread is great so far, thanks for all the replies! I forgot to add that I also potty my dog as we are walking over to the waiting area.

Once we move to excellent, I should have more dogs ahead of us, but in Novice and Open, the most I've had was 8 dogs in front of us after the walk-thru. Usually it's about 4.

How do you stretch your dogs? I think I'd like to get her to stretch a little when I first take her out of the crate. Other than that, it sounds like I'm doing everything I can with the limited time I have.

This is the Back On Track coat: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2618 It sounds great! What about when it's hot out, do you still use it?
 
take4roll10 said:
This thread is great so far, thanks for all the replies! I forgot to add that I also potty my dog as we are walking over to the waiting area.

Once we move to excellent, I should have more dogs ahead of us, but in Novice and Open, the most I've had was 8 dogs in front of us after the walk-thru. Usually it's about 4.

How do you stretch your dogs? I think I'd like to get her to stretch a little when I first take her out of the crate. Other than that, it sounds like I'm doing everything I can with the limited time I have.

This is the Back On Track coat: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2618 It sounds great! What about when it's hot out, do you still use it?
Click to expand...

I use the routine that our rehab vet gave to us--but super simplified. We just do a couple cookie stretches.

Exemplified here: http://agilitynerd.com/blog/dog/health/SimpleStretches.html

I will probably still use the Back on Track coat in the summer, though less often. Right now I put it on the dogs as soon as we get to trials, and it goes right on when they're done running.

Not sure, though, as I haven't had it that long.
 

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corbinam said:
I use the routine that our rehab vet gave to us--but super simplified. We just do a couple cookie stretches.

Exemplified here: http://agilitynerd.com/blog/dog/health/SimpleStretches.html

I will probably still use the Back on Track coat in the summer, though less often. Right now I put it on the dogs as soon as we get to trials, and it goes right on when they're done running.

Not sure, though, as I haven't had it that long.
Click to expand...

That site is great, thanks! Your dogs look so cute in their coats! I will definitely consider that coat in the near future. Right now I want to buy a cooling coat and cooling mat. We have 4 outdoor trials this June.
 
take4roll10 said:
That site is great, thanks! Your dogs look so cute in their coats! I will definitely consider that coat in the near future. Right now I want to buy a cooling coat and cooling mat. We have 4 outdoor trials this June.
Click to expand...

A little OT, but do you know a lot of dogs with cooling coats? It always seemed to me that they didn't work well on long-haired dogs because the coolness doesn't penetrate the fur. And I've always heard that it's the wind blowing through the coat that cools them (moving the heat away from the body).

I feel like a mat might work better since their fur is thinner on their stomachs.
 
corbinam said:
A little OT, but do you know a lot of dogs with cooling coats? It always seemed to me that they didn't work well on long-haired dogs because the coolness doesn't penetrate the fur. And I've always heard that it's the wind blowing through the coat that cools them (moving the heat away from the body).

I feel like a mat might work better since their fur is thinner on their stomachs.
Click to expand...

I think it's supposed to cool down the top coat, not so much the skin. So, I think it's more about protection from the sun when we're walking around. You can also wet it and then put the fan near the crate, so it'll really cools them down.

I was thinking about this one: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=918&ParentCat=155

There's also this one: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2909&ParentCat=155

Both look good to me. I've done some online research and people seem to like both equally, so I'm probably gonna go with the Cool Coat since it is cheaper.

Here's an old site discussing their sheltie and the cool coat http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/AWSS-Shelties/message/4566
 
Great thread. I admit, when I was in Novice and Open. Um, I'd basically have XH potty Koji and then I'd take him after my walk-through do a few jumps and off we'd go. Like you, I was always a few dogs in, so no time to do much and I would use a lot of the walk-through time to walk.

Now, in Excellent and I have more time. I will potty Koji. We'll walk around for awhile (if he's not being obnoxious). If he's being naughty, I'll run in circles with him, great heelwork too, lol. Then I use food and get him to put his front paws on me and STRETCH for the food. Don't worry, I give it to him. Usually about 10 dogs in, I'll go use the practice jump. I work on my stay (what we had issues with) and then I'll get him to jump tightly at 12" (he jumps 16") to mimic the weaves. Then move it up to 18-20" to get him to really extend and loosen up.

And while we wait, I'll have him go for that food, WAY up high to stretch him one last time. Because after that. I put him in a down on his mat cuz he's obnoxious. And then I carry him in the ring. So until then, all he's doing is lying down.

The only time I skip a lot of this is if it's really warm. How long he's been lying around also determines what we do. I mean, if I have him out of his crate, walking around, training, etc I warm-up less. In the cold, I try to warm him up even longer (and warm up this old ladies joints too).

The above is my typical. The rest is, as always, play it by ear. And let's be real, there are times I have run him "cold" because I was late, missed something, etc. Oh. I also try not to just shove him in his crate afterwards either. I let him walk around, we play a bit, etc. Kinda like a cool-down before he goes to sleep. LOL
 
Edan and CJ got Back on Track jackets for Christmas. With year-round indoor trials I wanted it to help their muscles during down times. In the winter, it's warm in the building and cold outside and just the reverse in the summer.

Before a run either Glen or I will take the dogs out for a quick potty break. As I'm waiting my turn I'll stretch Edan a bit by holding a treat above my leg and have him stretch up to reach it with his front paws on my leg. We'll also walk around and work on some rally exercises.
 
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