Canine (Dog) Exercise, Conditioning & Fitness | The Martial ARFS® Blog

Part 1: Power

Each of the 4 elements are comprised of several key components that make up that element. Ignoring any component of any element ruins the integrity of the entire process and you will most likely never see the result you’re hoping to achieve. There are 4 components to developing a “functionally” more powerful canine athlete. They are: Strength, Stability, Flexibility, Connection.

By Jeris Pugh

In my intro post, I wrote that the foundation to conditioning was based on functional strength and how to build it. But we can’t use that concept as a foundation to conditioning our dogs if we don’t know what conditioning means. Sure we can copy what someone else does, but we have no idea if that is what we should be doing for our dog.

When I trained people, I was taught “The Core”, in short, were the muscles that stabilize, flex, extend, and rotate the spine. A weak core will usually be the result of a sedentary lifestyle and most likely result in lower back issues now or in the future, along with poor and inefficient athletic movement. Continue reading More Than Canine “Core” Conditioning. →

Martial “ARFS” Dog Gym Helps Owners “Fight Fido’s Fat” For The New Year

Long Island NY. January 5, 2015 –The Martial “ARFS”, Long Island’s only “Dog Gym”, is helping dogs (and owners) lose weight, improve health, and burn off excess energy this New Year (and all year long!).

Gyms, Martial Arts Classes, Zumba Studios, and others provide a place for people to “fight the fat”. What about our pets? According to the latest (2013) Pet Obesity Prevention Survey more than 54% of our furry family members are overweight. The Martial ARFS™ veterinary adviser Dr. Eve Pugh states, “As a veterinarian, I see a multitude of pet ailments related to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Conditions like heart disease, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, and cancer can all be attributed to having an overweight pet. Even worse, on average, an overweight pet can have a decreased life expectancy up to 2.5 years. Dr. Eve Pugh continues, “Simply taking longer walks is often ineffective and sometimes weather prohibitive, especially in the cold winter months.”

Continue reading “Fightin’ Fido’s Fat” →