K-9 Kids pick up dog conditioning tips

On January 5, the K-9 Kids of Monroe County had a guest speaker at their meeting. The guest speaker was Dr. Heather Beaudry-St. Germain from Animal Rehabilitation Center of Rochester. The topic covered in the presentation was how to condition your dog.

Because this event coincided with a 4-H horse event, some 4-H horse members took advantage of the opportunity to listen to the presentation. Beaudry-St. Germain incorporated tips on conditioning horses too.

Most of the kids use their dogs for performance activities such as agility so the stretches we learned to do on the dogs can make them even better performers and keep them healthier because they won't be as prone to injuries. The canine model was Archer who was very patient as Beaudry-St. Germain used him to show how dog owners can stretch different muscle groups to maximize a dog's performance. She also had a model of a vertebral column in which we learned about the curvature of the dog's spine and how the two curves work in opposition to one another in the dog's movements. In addition to learning about the spine, we also learned about the different muscle groups and how they work together.

There was an opportunity for everyone to ask questions after the presentation. This presentation was a great learning opportunity. (Submitted by Dakota Wong, 14, club reporter for Stable Minds 4-H Club).

January 14, 2007