Effective Tripawd exercise can increase stamina, improve balance and strength. But longer walks and open water swimming isn’t the best place to begin. First, you need to start building up your Tripawd’s core muscles. Maggie’s story is a perfect example of the benefits of working on building a good, solid core.
Dogs need strong core muscles just as humans need strong stomach muscles to avoid spinal issues and maintain good balance.
One of the best examples of a Tripawd who has achieved the ideal canine amputee fitness level is Maggie the Agile Cow Dog. It’s been a joy watching Maggie go from surgery recuperation to flowing gracefully on the agility course:
Maggie’s strength didn’t come naturally. She can do what she does as a senior dog because of her mom Tracy’s dedication to keeping Maggie strong, lean and fit. Tracy says “I work Maggie about three times per week (or more during winter) on the therapy equipment.”
How to Do Maggie’s Three Legged Dog Workout
Tracy’s choice of fitness gear for Maggie is made by FitPaws, creators of the Balance Pad, Balance Dome and Balance Disc. Here is a demo of Maggie’s typical workout using FitPaws gear:
Tracy says “The amount of repetitions varies but typically I do three reps per exercise (1 rep = 1 reach toward a hip, for example). Here’s Tracy’s explanation of what she’s doing in the video:
Maggie’s Balance Pad Routine
Here is what Maggie is doing in the above video:
Reaching for treats: Present treats at shoulders, hips and between front legs- Sits, downs and stands
- Weight Shifting: Manually rocking her side to side and front to back – not knocking her out of position but just shifting her weight some.
- Walking on and off Balance Pads: sometimes stopping with either front feet on or off, leaving rear foot on or off
Maggie’s Balance Dome and Balance Disc Routine
Watch Maggie’s video and see how she’s doing these exercises:
- Front feet on: Reaching for treats side to side as far as she can to hold balance
- Front feet on: Reaching between front legs for treats
- Back foot on: Reaching for treats side to side and between front legs
Front feet on: Maggie rotates around the dome with front feet remaining on in both directions – this is more challenging on the side where her leg is missing- Obstacle course: Walking onto dome and then onto Balance Disc as a ‘mini obstacle course’
Stay tuned for more of Maggie and Tracy’s fantastic tips, including how to create your own Tripawd agility course.
If you have three legged dog fitness tips you’d like to share, let us know!
Recommended Reading:
FitPAWS Balance Pads Help Tripawds Adjust
FitPAWS Disc Strengthens Canine Core Muscles
More Fun with FitPAWS Balance Discs
Maggie the Agile Cow Dog Tripawds Blog
Maggie’s YouTube Channel
Nice guys!! Good work! As Maggie ages to almost 12 years old now, I can see that this work is going to be even more important for her aging Tripawd body….
Tracy, Maggie’s Mom
Hey Tracy and Maggie….Racquette and I do similar exercises and love doing them! Racquette will be 13.5 yrs old next week….and thinks Maggie is a great example of Aging is not a disease! Rac is going to do a Tunnelers Run later this month at an agility competition. She’s been competing for 12 yrs….so being minus one leg won;t stop her!
Thank YOU Tracy, you guys did all the hard work with this one!!
Wendy, we would love to see Racquette in action and would be hoppy to post her story on Tripawds too, just let us know.
Go Rac!!! I’d love to do a Tunnelers run with Maggie again but don’t want to stress her that much as she’s taller than a tunnel…maybe I’m just being much too careful but I’m not sure how comfortable a whole course of tunnels would be for her at her size and at speed…. Have FUN Rac! You are smaller than Maggie so you won’t have an issue! 🙂
Tracy, Maggie’s Mom
GREAT JOB MAGGIE and TRACY!!!! Nicely put together for folks to use and enjoy. Good job Tripawds! :-)))
Thanks Aunt Gina for the help in videotaping me 🙂
Maggie