WEBINAR: 02.11.2026, 6:30PM, 1 HOUR
Ready, Set, Recover: Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs for Dogs
Plenty of popular warm-ups do more harm than good. Learn the routines that properly prepare your dog's body for sport, and how to bring them down safely afterwards.
Google Meet
1 hour
included
What you'll learn
- Where sporting dogs most often get injured, and why
- The common warm-up mistakes that raise injury risk
- A step-by-step warm-up to use before any session
- A cool-down routine to help recovery after exercise
Can't make it live?
Here's some more information
CanineApex's webinar shows why effective warm-up and cool-down routines are essential for sporting dogs. It covers common injury sites (shoulders, stifles and hip flexors), the basics of muscle contraction, and how proper preparation improves performance while reducing injury risk and supporting recovery. You'll leave with a ready-to-use warm-up and cool-down you can start using straight away.
Why this matters
Sporting dogs face a higher injury risk at the shoulders, stifles (knees) and hip flexors because of repeated high-speed turns, jumps and sudden accelerations. Good warm-up and cool-down routines reduce strain on these areas, improve performance and support faster recovery.
What you'll learn
- Injury patterns in dog sports, and the stresses behind shoulder, stifle and hip-flexor issues
- Muscle physiology essentials: how actin and myosin work during contraction, and why it matters for readiness and fatigue
- The role of warm-ups and cool-downs in preparing muscles, performance, injury prevention and recovery
- What the science says, including the limited but relevant canine-specific studies
Common mistakes to avoid
- "Warm-up" activities that can raise injury risk, like passive stretching before activity, intense tugging and ball-throwing sprints
- Confusing Active Range of Motion (AROM) with Passive Range of Motion (PROM), and using the wrong one at the wrong time
Routines you can use straight away
- Warm-up: loose walking and trotting, figure-8s, bows, lateral side-steps and sit-to-stands to gradually raise tissue temperature and switch on key muscle groups
- Cool-down: loose-lead walking, targeted hip-flexor stretches, gentle spinal flexions and selected passive stretches to help circulation and reduce stiffness after exercise
Dan (CanineApex)
Dan from CanineApex provides evidence-informed canine fitness, conditioning, and rehabilitation guidance to help dogs move better, perform safely, and recover effectively. Their work focuses on strength, mobility, balance, coordination, injury prevention, and long-term canine wellbeing.
Yes. Can't make it live? Book anyway and we'll send you the recording afterwards so you can watch it in your own time.
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