BALANCE BALL FOR DOGS

Whether you have an active competition dog, a happy pensioner, a playful puppy or a pure companion dog, the doggie benefits from having good balance, body control and torso stability. And that is exactly what the dog trains with a balance ball. In addition, it is a fun form of exercise that gives you the opportunity to bond. Pilates ball training is often used as rehab training, but is of course at least as good for healthy dogs.

The benefits of balance ball training are many. The training is good for both small and large muscle groups. It is otherwise quite difficult to access and train the small muscles that sit at joints and ligaments, but which are also good to strengthen to get better protection against injuries. But not enough. This is a training tool that improves both body control, reactivity and coordination. The dog becomes stronger, better proprioception and gets better control of his body and all four legs.

MENTAL TRANING AND BODY AWARENESS 

But it is not just a physical exercise, that balance ball training also helps to build the dog's self-confidence and self-esteem. If you have a careful dog, this can be a great training to get it a little braver. If you have a more active dog, then the training can be good to get the dog to focus and perform the exercises at a leisurely pace.

This is a gentle and controlled form of exercise that is suitable for both large and small dog breeds, for young and old. Because the surface is unstable, the dog must constantly work to stabilize the movements, which makes balance ball training an effective and very difficult training. It is therefore important to put the training according to your dog's level and keep the training sessions short, it starts with just a few minutes of training.

Another advantage of training the dog with a Pilates ball is that you can train at home indoors. In a calm environment without disturbances, the dog can focus on balancing and keeping track of his body. Indoor training also makes it easier to get to the training, perhaps while the potatoes are cooking on the stove or something.

THE BEST BALANCE BALL

There are a lot of different balls that you can use in training. There are peanuts, half balls, cloud, egg balls, discs, fitbone and donuts. And they all work well to train with the doggy. The best balance ball - it is the one that is actually used and that is the right size for your particular dog.

Here with us you will find well-known brands such as Fitpaws, K9Design and Flexiness. These are balance balls made of extra durable material, which are made to fit dogs and their claws. But a tip is still to keep the claws short so that you do not risk getting the ball punctured.

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT BALL AND SIZE?

First you need to think about how you want to use the ball. Should the whole dog be up with all four paws? Or did you intend to train only the front legs or only the hind legs?

If you think that the whole dog should fit on the ball, core training, then it is recommended that you are really careful when choosing the size. In order for the dog not to be skewed or stand with a curved back, the balance pad needs to be quite large and you then need to measure the distance between the dog's front and hind legs. The easiest way to do this is to let the doggy stand in a natural position on the ground, the dog should be able to have the same position on his balance ball. Then choose a balance ball that has an area that is greater than the doggy's distance between its paws. If you are a little unsure of size, then we recommend that you choose the larger size. It is perfectly possible to train a small dog on a large ball, but it will not be as good if you take a small ball and a large dog.

If, on the other hand, your plan is to let the dog partly sow on the ball and partly on the ground, then it is better to go for the dog's height when choosing a ball. It is then important that the ball is not too big, so that the doggie gets too much load on the back and hips. Therefore, choose a ball that is lower than your dog's height.

HOW TO TRAIN BALANCE BALL WITH THE DOG

Patience, calm and lots of sweets (and maybe a clicker) are good to have when you train. And remember that this is as much a stability training and coordination training as a pure strength training. Balancing requires high concentration and focus. Tip: With us, you will find two information-rich and well-written books that can fit into the training: a pure balance ball book by balance ball instructor Amanda Sjöland and a massage book from dog physiotherapist and balance ball instructor Maria Knutas.