What age are Body Mind Dog activities appropriate for dogs?

All physically healthy dogs can participate to various degrees in movement and fitness.

Young puppies are naturally active, but sometimes (most times 😊) lack coordination. Fitness can help them gain focus and develop stability. We do require puppies to be at least six months to participate in AKC Fit Dog classes.

We may periodically offer puppy movement classes, designed for puppies younger than six months.

Older, healthy dogs may not be as active, but working on fitness at their pace and focused on their needs can be incredibly rewarding and helpful to keep them active for longer. Age is not a disease.

My dog has never done any type of structured movement/fitness before. Do you have anything for us?

As long as your dog is physically healthy, we can start wherever you are. Basic canine fitness movements start pretty easy and build at your pace. You can always do a personalized plan for where you’re at. The AKC Fit Dog Level One is another great place to start.

What type of methods do you utilize in Body Mind Dog activities?

Fitness should be a fun, voluntary extracurricular activity. We are utilizing a leash and treats for most skills.

However, we do not discriminate against most types of properly utilized dog training aids. Participants should feel that they can safely handle their dog, and we respect the choice of each dog owner in this regard. Two types of equipment we do not allow are head halters and flexi-leashes, however, for safety reasons.

Does my dog have to be super obedient? He’s… a little naughty around other dogs. Can we participate?

If your dog is very distracted (aka: not obedient) around other dogs, you might consider starting with a personalized fitness plan to make the process the least frustrating for you and your dog.

If your dog is too distracting to other participants (excessive barking, lunging, etc) we may recommend a different type of program such as private instruction or offer a refund on unused classes.

Another option would be to go to a trainer first, such as Sit Means Sit, for a consultation on training specifically.

Have other questions? Contact us! We’d love to hear from you.