The Active Dog

As dog owners we all know that spending time with our dogs makes us feel happier, less stressed and much more positive. They can even help to improve our social lives!

But did you know that whether your dog participates in fun classes, competes and trains in sports, or simply loves a good run around the fields, these extra activities may place additional strain on their musculoskeletal system?

Activities your dog may participate in:

  • Scent work
  • Field Trials
  • Agility
  • Flyball
  • Canicross
  • Working Gun Dog Tests
  • Trick Training 
  • Obedience 
  • Dog Showing
  • Tracking
  • Heel Work to Music
  • Parkour
  • Hoopers
  • Chasing squirrels, rabbits, deer (and any other fast-moving animal!)

Canine Rebalance can support your dog 
whilst they enjoy their activities by:

  • Relieving myofascial pain (tight restricted soft tissue caused by multiple trigger points)
  • Releasing trigger points (hyper-irritable tight bands of soft tissue)
  • Rehabilitating scar tissue (tears to the soft tissue)
  • Advising and supporting you on your dogs' activities of daily life 
  • Providing therapy to increase mental clarity, focus and reduce anxiety/stress
  • Increasing performance 
  • Providing and supporting you with Prescriptive Conditioning Exercises to improve your dogs' strength, power, balance and proprioception

There are so many different ways a dog moves regardless 
of what they are doing. 

Here are a few examples of what your dogs’ body maybe getting up to:

  • Travel at speed across uneven ground
  • Perform significant bursts of acceleration and deceleration
  • Twist and turn at speed
  • Negotiate pieces of equipment/trees/undergrowth slowly or at speed
  • Sustain impacts on landing on or off obstacles 
  • Holding a static pose for long periods of time
Just like us our dogs are susceptible to injury and issue. For maximum performance our dogs need to be in a great muscular health and if we want them to have fun they need to feel well!  
Most dogs are quite stoic and often do not tell us when something is wrong! This makes it difficult for us, as their owners, to know when they maybe uncomfortable or in pain.

However, there are a few signs that you maybe able to see and these usually show up in activities that your dog does regularly.

Here are a few examples:

  • Speed decrease
  • Stiff on arising from their bed
  • Struggling to climb up the stairs or get onto the sofa
  • Struggling with negotiating pieces of equipment 
  • No longer being able to hold a static position or have trouble with standing still 
  • Sitting or standing with a leg underneath them or out to the side
  • Turning one way becomes more difficult 
  • Carrying their head lower
  • Lameness or limping
  • Choosing to sleep more and hide away from the family
  • Change in personality 


With all this in mind, your dog may well benefit from a Musculoskeletal MOT with Canine Rebalance, to address muscular imbalance, alleviate any discomfort and improve strength, balance and proprioception. 



Remember to download the Veterinary Referral Form

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