Enhancing Strength and Resilience in Operational Dogs

At the Essex Police Dog Training Ground, Essex Police Dog Section invited Born To Run to deliver a focused training day on canine conditioning for working dogs and basic massage techniques that promote recovery and performance. Physical demands on service dogs continue to rise.  Proactive injury prevention and mobility support are now critical to preserving capability and career length.

Why Conditioning Matters for Police and Service Dogs

Working dogs – such as German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Spaniels, Labradors, Dutch Shepherds, and multi-breed operational dogs – face physically intense roles, from detection to protection. They navigate unpredictable terrain, high-stress scenarios, and repetitive tasks that demand sustained strength and control.

On the training day, Angela introduced four essential exercises targeting:

• Core muscle activation
• Proprioception and balance
• Joint range of motion
• Flexibility
• Overall strength and movement stability

These exercises, part of a wider program, are proven to reduce injury risk, correct movement imbalances, and improve functional fitness, ultimately extending the dog’s working life and reducing time off due to musculoskeletal issues.

What Makes Born To Run Stand Out?

Despite the competitive market, where many businesses focus on tangible products, Born To Run’s commitment to providing tailored rehabilitation, and exercise programs for dogs sets it apart.  Angela has dedicated herself to reducing pain and improving the quality of life for dogs with mobility challenges, brought about by conditions like arthritis.  Angela is also known for treating some of the world’s fastest dogs.

Over the past decade, Born to Run has won multiple awards and maintained a five-star rating across all services, a testament to their commitment to service excellence and expertise.

Recovery Techniques and Pain Awareness for Handlers

In addition to conditioning, handlers were trained in basic effleurage massage techniques, a practical tool to:
– Boost circulation
– Ease post-task tension
– Support muscle recovery
– Reduce the impact of intense workloads

Another vital element of the training day was discussing how service dogs often hide signs of pain.  Many officers shared examples, such as dogs reluctant to jump into vehicles or hesitant to be harnessed. These subtle signs are easy to miss but often signal discomfort.

We also addressed the reality of PD Officer deployment: police dog handlers can be called into action at a moment’s notice, making formal warm-ups impractical. Together, we explored fast, field-friendly solutions for mobility prep, and strategies to reduce injury risk without delaying response times.

Practical Welfare Enhancements

The discussion extended to small but impactful changes that support canine wellbeing.  One key example was the use of non-slip mats in the back of police vehicles, preventing dogs from sliding during transport and reducing physical strain.  It was an open and honest exchange, and together we identified solutions that covered real-world operational challenges.

Angela shared insight into pre-pain indicators, and how proactive handler awareness could help detect issues early, potentially saving dogs from chronic pain or early retirement.

Conditioned Core = Operational Readiness

Just as officers train and maintain their own physical readiness, working dogs require structured conditioning to stay operationally fit.  Regular core work improves posture, mobility, and functional strength while decreasing the risk of compensatory movement patterns or injury.

This isn’t about luxury – it’s about preparedness, longevity, and welfare.

Future Potential for Service Dog Units

Born To Run proudly supported the Essex Police Dog Section.  While this was a one-time collaboration, the need for ongoing work in this area is evident.

Angela Day, founder of Born To Run, shared:

“These dogs are trained to protect and serve.  Supporting their physical health is not optional – it’s a professional obligation.  I’d welcome the chance to assist more operational units across the UK.”

An Open Invitation to the Forces

For agencies like the British Army, Ministry of Defence, and other operational dog units, structured canine conditioning for working dogs and recovery strategies could be a vital part of welfare and performance strategy.  By embedding this kind of evidence-informed support, units can:

• Improve outcomes in the field
• Reduce unnecessary career-ending injuries
• Demonstrate leadership in animal care and operational readiness

Service dogs are on the front line.  They deserve front-line care.

Born To Run is committed to enhancing the wellbeing, strength, and longevity of working dogs through core conditioning, rehabilitation, and handler education.  We look forward to supporting more dogs who serve.

It was an honour to contribute in any way to helping these incredible dogs stay healthy and work longer.

🔗 Learn more at: Canine Conditioning

The Impacts of One-Sided Activities on Your Dog’s Health

It may come as a surprise, but consistently engaging your dog in activities that work one side more than the other can significantly affect their muscle development and joint health.

By performing a simple exercise, you can identify muscular imbalance and possible muscle tension that your dog may be experiencing.  If not reversed this imbalance can lead to restricted movement, compensation, increased risk of muscular injuries, and uneven, excessive loading on healthy joints.  None us of want that! 

The statistics tell us that 35% of dogs over the age of 12 months have arthritis and up to 80% of dogs over the age of 8 years old.  It is a progressive disease and there is no cure.  Uneven loading on healthy joints is thought to be a significant contributing factor.

Weight Distribution: How Dogs Carry Their Weight

Weight distribution percentages in dogs

The front legs support the majority of the dog’s weight, 60% (30% through each front leg) making the front legs pivotal for absorbing impact, particularly during activities like walking, running, digging or landing from a jump, for example when your dog jumps out of the car.

Conversely, the back legs, although carrying less weight 40%, (20% through each back leg) are crucial for propulsion, acceleration, deceleration, twisting, and turning.

Overworking muscle causes compensation

Understanding the nuances of weight distribution is fundamental when considering potential muscle weakness.

When a dog’s back legs are weaker or underperforming, the weight of the dog’s body will shift to the front.  This means the muscles at the front have to work much harder.  They become overdeveloped, tight, sore and restricted.

The dogs front end weight bearing percentage will increase to more than 60% in total.  Weight bearing may even differ from left front leg to right front leg.  As a consequence of weight shifting forward the back end will carry less that the expected 40% weight bearing total.

This theory underpins the importance of balanced exercises or activities that engage both the front and hind quarters equally ensuring even muscle development to effectively support the dog’s musculoskeletal frame as they grow older.

In other words if the dogs body is out of balance they will overcompensate, resulting in uneven loading on healthy joints.  Remember those arthritis statistics?

The Stance Analyser:  A Tool to Measure Weight Distribution Through The Limbs

You can measure weight distribution using a stance analyser (Force Plate Analysis).  A dog will stand still on an analyser platform that will electronically measure the weight of each leg.  But not everyone has access to one.  However, if you do get an opportunity to try one out, please bear this in mind:

1. If you don’t have a normal reading for your dog how can you know what is an abnormal reading?  
2. Does the perfect 30/30 front end and 20/20 back end even exist?
3. And if the perfect body does exist, in what % of the dog population is that?

I would guess that there are very few humans with equal weight distribution left vs right and we only have 2 legs to contend with.

What it can do though is determine significant weight shifts.  

Test The One-Sided Theory with this Simple Exercise

To observe the effects of one-sidedness firsthand, there is a very simple exercise you can do using just an upright pole and have your dog on a lead.

By slowly walking your dog around the pole 3 times one way and then 3 times the other way with your dog closest to the pole, you may notice one direction is more challenging for them than the other.  So for dogs walked consistently on the owner’s left, the right turn will be more difficult.  

How can you gauge which way is more difficult?

That’s the easy part.  Observe how close your dog can get to the pole without knocking it, and if they can walk slowly in a neat circle around it.  You might find your dog needs to be further away from the pole in one direction.

The difficult part is performing the exercise without physically influencing them.

Common Causes of Uneven Muscle Development

Various factors can contribute to uneven muscle growth in dogs but here are some of the most common:

• Walking your dog just on one side
• Training your dog just on one side
• Conformation (How they are built)
• Inappropriate exercise
• Over exercise
• Inappropriate use of equipment (eg untrained use of balance balls, wobble cushions)
• Sport-specific training only
• A restrictive or poorly fitted harness, headcollars
• Constant pulling on the lead
• Injury
• Poor diet
• Orthopaedic conditions like arthritis, cruciate disease, hip / elbow dysplasia
• Poor posture
• But one of the biggest contributors I’ve found is when a dog has a weak muscular core

Recognising these factors is crucial in taking the correct steps needed to prevent imbalance and weakness. With core conditioning you can turn this around at any age to optimise your dog’s musculoskeletal health and well-being.

Strategies to Prevent Asymmetrical Muscle Growth in Dogs

Encouraging symmetrical activities is key to promoting even muscle growth in dogs.  Being aware of your dog’s physical and emotional state during activities can help prevent fatigue, discomfort, and injury. Understanding that dogs have a complex muscular system is essential in appreciating the importance of balanced muscle and avoiding overcompensation at all costs.  

The easiest way to counter movement which causes imbalance on one side is to perform the same movement on the opposite side.  For example, if you always walk your dog on the left – walk them equally on the right.

From Understanding Weight Distribution to Getting Wise About Core Conditioning

Recognising how a dog carries its weight is just the beginning. While not every pet owner has access to advanced tools like a stance analyser to monitor their dog’s weight distribution continuously, there’s a practical and accessible approach to ensuring balanced muscle development: Core Conditioning.

Bridging the Gap with Core Conditioning

Core conditioning closes the gap between canine physical therapies and sport-specific training.  These exercises are meticulously designed for each dog to be slow, controlled, and low-impact, aiming to target and address muscular weaknesses across the body.

This tailored approach makes core conditioning the ideal program for dogs of all ages, from young pups at 12 weeks to senior dogs at 14 years.

Angela Day, multi-award winning therapist and founder of Born to Run says, “As a CCA Core Conditioning Instructor, and Small Animal Rehab Specialist I rely on meticulous, skilled, visual assessments of gait, posture, and various ground and dynamic tests, muscle measures, and photographic evidence to gauge true muscle imbalance.  I then put together a unique plan designed specifically for the dog in front of me.  Because every dog is different right?  After all these years I am still amazed at the incredible, positive changes that Core Conditioning brings to a dog’s demeanor, mind and body.”

Conclusion

Ensuring your dog engages in balanced physical activities is paramount for optimal muscle development and joint health.

By acknowledging the risks of uneven muscle growth and by integrating core conditioning into their daily routine, you not only ensure balanced muscle development in your dog but also contribute to their overall physical and emotional well-being.

This proactive approach will bring your dog closer to their healthiest, happiest life! 

Work with Angela

You know sometimes you get a feeling there’s more to what you see but you just can’t put your finger on it?

Performing massage with years of clinical work under my belt, I’ve witnessed some of the most incredible moments and outcomes from this results-driven therapy

But sometimes I was left scratching my head.

Some agility, canicross, working, and show dogs would arrive for their pre-season massage and in many cases, I would find that, quite unusually, these dogs had some muscles in spasm.

A muscle in spasm is painful, feels really hard to the touch, puts stress on joints, strangles blood circulation, and irritates the nerves adjacent to it.

My aha moment.

The reason I was puzzled by this change in muscle tone was because the dogs in question were otherwise fit and healthy with no veterinary diagnoses nor did they have muscular injuries.   

So, I’d carry on and release those tight, sore muscles only for those dogs to return for their post season massage having had an awesome season but with the same problem.

During one of my head scratchy phases I was studying to be a Core Conditioning Instructor.

Very early on in my training I had my Aha! moment.

The reason the muscles were in spasm was that the core stabilising muscles of those dogs were weak.  It transpired that the weak core was causing other muscles to overwork and so those overworked muscles went into spasm.  It was classic overcompensation!

Performance Issues

It also explained why as the season drew to a close that owners would report seeing a gradual slowing down, reduced focus, reluctance to work in harness, inflexibility, and flagging energy levels in their dogs.

Some would, almost in passing, mention clumsiness, poorly timed or poorly navigated obstacles, and sometimes accidents involving equipment.

Luckily my amazing sport, working and show dogs clients know when there’s a problem because of the impacts on performance.  They stop working their dogs straight away to investigate the cause.

What they also know is that 45 – 55% of a dog’s body is made up of muscle and so appreciate that if they spot a new mobility or performance issue in an otherwise healthy dog, that muscle injury or spasm is very high up on the list of likely causes. 

Finally I had my answer! 

So, what exactly is Core Conditioning?

Core conditioning programmes are the ultimate in core fitness programmes for dogs.

Running for a period of 6-8 weeks Core Foundations is an absolute must before undertaking any new sport or activity and especially after taking a long break from training.

The Fundamentals 

Working with up to date sporting principles, in-depth canine anatomy and breed knowledge here are some of the fundamentals covered

• Balance
• Core Strength
• Mental & physical agility
• Flexibility
• Strength
• Co-ordination

Sport-specific training alone does not make an athlete.  

Core training is an essential component!

The key to avoiding injury is to prepare your dog’s body properly for their sport or job.

This is exactly what we teach you to do. 

Throughout each programme muscular weakness and imbalance is systematically assessed, measured, and addressed using science-based, controlled, and targeted exercises

This will improve your dog’s movement, posture, demeanour and overall health and wellbeing. 

The better and more efficiently your dog moves his or her body the less likely they are to injure and the longer you both get to do what you love most.

The results are consistent and truly life-changing!

How do I know my dog would benefit from the course?

To be frank I rarely see a dog who wouldn’t benefit.

From puppies – yes puppies! (from around 6 months) to elderly dogs, this programme is adapted to suit all breeds, ages, and abilities.

And believe me, it’s really never too late!  My first foundation graduate superstars were aged between 9 and 14 years old.

What might I see if my dog’s core muscles are weak?

Everything I’m about to list for you needs to be taken into context and so to be sure your dog will require a full assessment by a trained coach.

That said, core conditioning is likely to help your dog if he or she

• Turns easier one way versus the other.
• Cannot hold a square sit or stand.
• Cannot hold a sphinx in the down.
• Back arches in the middle  (Roaching)
• Back dips in the middle (Swayback)
• Has flagging energy levels
• Lacks flexibility
• Uneven movement (Gait)
• Appears clumsy, poor foot placement
• Performance issues
• Lacks drive
• Poor reach
• Muscles in spasm

Train Safely – If lame don’t train!

If your dog is lame, in the interests of their safety we cannot accept them onto the programme unless your vet confirms it’s safe to do so.  For example, arthritic dogs may be stiff and occasionally lame but will still hugely benefit from the gentle, low-impact exercises you will learn.

Learn more about my business Born to Run and Core Conditioning for Dogs

Learn more about Clinical Massage

Angela Day,   MCICM (grad), CM (Dip), MIAAT, MIRVAP (MT)