I had so much fun while on the CRI course, but I also wanted to ‘see it in practice’ before I headed back to Australia. So, I spent my last week in America in Maryland at the Veterinary Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group, known as VOSM.

I have found a new catch phrase in the past few weeks, “normalisation does not mean normal”. 

Just because many dogs in a breed do a certain thing, does not mean that it is normal for the breed.

The things that make a difference to our pets lives may be innocuous. They may creep up on us so slowly that we may not notice the difference. This is where pain/comfort scoring comes in. 

I have had lots of questions about my recommendation against swimming for ED and Cruciate disease (pre or post operatively). 

Swimming is awesome for dogs (and horses, humans or even the odd cat), amazing even. It has a range of health and fitness benefits, but only in certain circumstances, with limitations, with preparation, and with a thoughtful application.

Crate training is an essential behaviour to train for every pet. There are so many benefits to your pet having a safe place, where they feel happy and relaxed,that you can send them to with a quick command. I talk about crate training with all of my puppy clients so I may as well share the love with you. 

Carrying extra weight puts extra stress on joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. This extra strain increases the risk of injury to your dog from competing and training. While injuries can happen in any dog, they are far more likely to occur in an overweight dog.