Why warm up?
Warm ups are important. They help prevent injury and help your dog run faster! So what does a warm up look like? It should take between 15-30 minutes! Once warm, your dogs muscles stay warm for about 30 minutes.
R.A.M.P.
RAMP is an acronym coined by Conor Murray, World Famous in Wellington Physio. It's meant to help us think about the best way to warm up our dogs. So ramp up your performance with RAMP!
Raise | the temperature/heart rate
Activate | get the muscles firing
Mobilise | get the full range of motion going for your dog
Performance | do the behaviours your dog is going to need in the ring.
R.A.M.P.
RAMP is an acronym coined by Conor Murray, World Famous in Wellington Physio. It's meant to help us think about the best way to warm up our dogs. So ramp up your performance with RAMP!
Raise | the temperature/heart rate
Activate | get the muscles firing
Mobilise | get the full range of motion going for your dog
Performance | do the behaviours your dog is going to need in the ring.
Perimeter sweep
Quietly walk around the area you’re going to be working. Let your dog check everything out, let them have a sniff. Go at their pace. Not strictly a warm-up - but this should be a vital part of your routine.
Raise body temperature and heart rate
Do some vigorous walking. Go in a straight line, go in a circle (both directions), go backwards!
Pick n mix
Do any combination of these tricks in any order. Build your own routine. Keep any stretches short (2-3 seconds).
Bending | Get the dog to touch their nose to their shoulder, then straighten, then touch their ribs, straighten, then their bum. Stretch both sides and you can support your dog while they do this. They're not holding the stretch just turn and reach for the cookie.
Also get them to bring their nose between their front legs - I support Frank's chest when doing this too
Check out a video of Frank
Puppy calisthenics | Transition from sit to down to stand. Throw those commands out randomly. Reward each transition. Do it fast. This is about getting muscles firing and getting the dog to focus on you.
Shadow handling | Walk in a circle, with your dog trotting on the outside. Do your front cross footwork to change direction (this warms you up too!). You’re looking to get your dog following you on the outside of your circle. (the bigger the dog the bigger the circle). You want the dog to focus on you and to move with smooth strides. Get to know your dog and how they move, you might spot an injury!
Spins | Get your dog to spin to the left and to the right. This stretches the fascia over the ribs. (You can use this as a base for left and right turns off jumps and out of tunnels.) This should be a controlled slow turn, not a crazy spin.
Leg weaves | Slower and more controlled than a spin, get your dog bending.
Crab walking | Get your dog stepping sideways (a half pass for horsey folks). Keep their head neutral (not high or twisted to the side) and stepping rather than hopping or jumping.
Recall out of a sit | Leave your dog in a sit, start running, recall your dog to your side. Also use this as a chance to practice your blind cross.
Paws up on your forearm from a sit | This is about engaging your dog’s core - your arm shouldn’t be much above your dog’s wither. This requires a lot of core strength. Get your dog to:
Take a bow | Stretches gluts and hammies. Can you place one foot slightly further back than the other (then do it the other way round).
Bending | Get the dog to touch their nose to their shoulder, then straighten, then touch their ribs, straighten, then their bum. Stretch both sides and you can support your dog while they do this. They're not holding the stretch just turn and reach for the cookie.
Also get them to bring their nose between their front legs - I support Frank's chest when doing this too
Check out a video of Frank
Puppy calisthenics | Transition from sit to down to stand. Throw those commands out randomly. Reward each transition. Do it fast. This is about getting muscles firing and getting the dog to focus on you.
Shadow handling | Walk in a circle, with your dog trotting on the outside. Do your front cross footwork to change direction (this warms you up too!). You’re looking to get your dog following you on the outside of your circle. (the bigger the dog the bigger the circle). You want the dog to focus on you and to move with smooth strides. Get to know your dog and how they move, you might spot an injury!
Spins | Get your dog to spin to the left and to the right. This stretches the fascia over the ribs. (You can use this as a base for left and right turns off jumps and out of tunnels.) This should be a controlled slow turn, not a crazy spin.
Leg weaves | Slower and more controlled than a spin, get your dog bending.
Crab walking | Get your dog stepping sideways (a half pass for horsey folks). Keep their head neutral (not high or twisted to the side) and stepping rather than hopping or jumping.
Recall out of a sit | Leave your dog in a sit, start running, recall your dog to your side. Also use this as a chance to practice your blind cross.
Paws up on your forearm from a sit | This is about engaging your dog’s core - your arm shouldn’t be much above your dog’s wither. This requires a lot of core strength. Get your dog to:
- stretch up, you want them to stretch their hips out
- duck their head under your arm
- stretch over your arm.
Take a bow | Stretches gluts and hammies. Can you place one foot slightly further back than the other (then do it the other way round).
Once they’re warm | get the competition muscles warm
Do a few jumps, think about the range of motion you'll require on the course. Do straight jumps, slices, wraps.
Do a weave (not too much) - this isn't training - this is warming up their muscles!
Do a weave (not too much) - this isn't training - this is warming up their muscles!
Cool down
Don’t forget to cool down. This helps your dog's muscles recover so they're more ready for the next run and the next day of competing.
Basically, do your warm up routine in reverse. a brisk walk, then a more sedate walk, then your stretches.
Basically, do your warm up routine in reverse. a brisk walk, then a more sedate walk, then your stretches.
Image copyright: Courtney Moffat Photography
