The folks over at DogVacay sent me this fun infographic that features fun dog facts and dog-inspired exercises (click to see full size).
I loved this! As for the dog facts...
- Django always kicks after he goes to the bathroom. It's really bad when he does it because he has such muscular, powerful legs that dirt and grass go flying, so we always try to prevent him from doing it. I suspected he does it for the reason in this infographic because he especially loves to pee and kick in the direction of a dog that's barking at him from a window or behind a fence.
- As for sitting, the sit position is difficult for greyhounds because of their physical shape. Some greyhounds sit naturally, but most don't. You have to teach most greyhounds to sit, and even then, some take a really long time to learn it. This is why on the Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International tests, greyhounds have the option to down-stay instead of sit-stay. So it is interesting to learn that dogs in the wild also don't sit!
- Django is definitely a digger. He will dig in the yard for fun if we let him (we don't), but he also loves to dig at his bed.
As for the exercises...
- I think the first four would be a great mini-workout by doing three sets of them with a warm-up before and cool-down after. I usually do all but the fire hydrants as part of my regular strength training routine. I'll be trying these as a workout for sure.
- I've read of the ladder technique of intervals but haven't tried it. I'd like to try more variations on intervals, so I'll definitely try the ladders.
- I frequently do Downward Dogs as part of my post-run stretching routine. Django does about 100 of them a day it seems--he is always stretching. I will not, however, model mine off of his since his usually culminate in a loud fart!
Does your dog do any of these behaviors? Do you do any of these exercises?
Labels: django, dog, exercise
