Going for the Gold: Fitness for Recall

After recall, dogs entering the guide dog training program hit the ground running! An active training schedule includes several miles of work each day at a brisk pace. Gradually building up puppies’ stamina towards the end of their time in puppy raising helps prepare them for the physical demands of learning to be a guide dog.

Why It’s Important
Guide dogs are athletes! Entering training with a lean body condition and good level of fitness helps minimize the risk of injury as they begin learning guidework and pulling in harness. 

Pre-requisites

• The puppy is healthy, sound, and a good weight (BCS between 4 - 6)
  • Overweight dogs (BCS 7+) need a weight loss plan before building fitness and stamina. Reach out for support if your puppy’s BCS is over a “6”. Remember, the ideal BCS for our guide dog puppies is “4” to “5”.
• The puppy is 12 months or older
  • Wait until the puppy is around a year old before introducing these purposeful trotting workouts. Young puppies who are still growing should not be asked to engage in extended “jogging” (trotting).

• Walk fast enough so the puppy is trotting comfortably and keep the puppy moving with you at this pace. This can be more physically demanding than walking or even romping off leash, so start small with maybe 5-10 minutes depending on the puppy’s initial fitness level.
• Choose an area with few distractions and consider having the puppy wear a head collar to help keep the workout focused on building physical stamina!
• Over the next several months, with a couple of brisk exercise walks per week, try to build up to around 30 minutes (about 2 miles) where the puppy can comfortably maintain a trot.

Here’s a Tip!

• Use a happy voice to initially encourage the pup to move along with you. If they’re initially eager to keep up but start to lag behind after a while, they may be getting tired.
• You can ask a trusted friend to help take the pup for longer exercise walks!

As we build up our puppies’ fitness, we need to build stamina slowly. Gradually work up to longer walks at a faster pace. Watch carefully for signs of fatigue that might include:

• Lagging behind
• Refusal or avoiding engagement
• Panting excessively
• Lip licking
• Becoming mouthy, vocal, or getting “zoomies”

If the puppy begins limping or otherwise seems sore, pause this exercise, and reach out for support.