Benefits of Exercise for Dogs

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle not just in people but in animals, too. Some dogs are naturally active, so they don't seem to need to be taken out for a run in the park. Most dogs, however, need to be taken outside and played with or exercised in some way.

Our exercises on our equipment were designed to help your dog move his muscles, joints and overall body awareness in every natural conceivable way. On the trampoline, the movement is up and down, stimulating lymphatic flow and enhancing joint strength and balance. Working the cavalettis, the focus is on fine motor control in the front and rear legs and paws, with secondary focus brought to the abdominal area. Moving straight ahead, on flat or slight inclines, jogging on the treadmills help develop stamina, flexibility, muscle tone, and bone density.

The Labyrinth is used to increase flexibility and balance as your dog moves to the right and left in wide and tight turns. It also increases bonding as he focuses on and coordinates his movements with those of his handler's.

Labyrinth

Etymology: Middle English laborintus, from Latin labyrinthus, from Greek labyrinthos a place constructed of or full of intricate passageways

Jonathan Rudinger envisioned what is now affectionately called the Double-dog Labyrinth while meditating on the image of two drops of water expanding their rings through each other. Jonathan described his concept to Damian Mason who enthusiastically rose to the challenge to both create the design and transfer it to the floor of the new PetMassage™ Health and Fitness Center. The Labyrinth provides a time, place and method for dogs and their people to work through physical, emotional and behavioral issues as well as bond with each other at the deepest levels. This is the only labyrinth in the world that was constructed solely for dogs and their companions. The DD Labyrinth is listed with the National Registry of Labyrinths.

Some more information about labyrinths can be obtained from the internet:

People have always sought out those special places where there seems to be a strong connection with the divine. The ancient Celts referred to them as "thin places," where the veil separating Earth from the spirit world was virtually transparent. These are the places that inspire feelings of awe, of reverence, of reassurance. Every person who walks and prays the labyrinth will find the way that works best for them.

Praying or walking the labyrinth isn't a complicated process and there are many ways you may accomplish it. The easiest way is to quiet your mind then step onto the path, let whatever thoughts and concerns float through you and on to the Holy Spirit. When you reach the center stop and listen to the world around you, let the peace of the Holy Spirit wash over you. As you turn and walk out of the path ask your Spirit to accompany you, to give you comfort as you return to your daily tasks. This allows you to slow down and to take stock of what is most important.

One way to pray the labyrinth is to softly sing a favorite hymn as you walk. Or you may listen to music as you walk, letting the music fill you and draw pictures in your mind. Listening to quiet meditative music can help block out stray thoughts and the sounds of the world; giving you a space that is all your own. This is especially important if you are trying to resolve a problem or concern in your life. Another way is to dance the labyrinth. Some people like to sing when they have something to celebrate and just dance to the center and back, not unlike our children. You may also dance slowly as an expression of love, grief or sorrow. The movements don't have to be planned just heartfelt.

The DD path was created for you and your dog to support each other in your individual and partnered healing. Walk the labyrinth by yourself or with your own dog. As your dog aligns his movements with yours, his attention span narrows and expands, as does his physical & emotional connectiveness with you. He becomes more flexible turning to the right and to the left in tight turns and wide arcs. He focuses on your movements and adjusts his pace to yours. His intuitive nature and uncompromising love, supports you in your journey, as you in turn, support him in his. As he follows you through the twists and curves your bonding is enhanced. Your dog's physical and behavioral natures are also intertwined with his memories – his perceptions of his past training, traumas, fears and joys.

There is a technique to walking and breathing and pacing that will make your experience more meaningful. For your first couple of walks, you might choose to schedule sessions with our Center staff trainers.

Our labyrinth is a path from the outside of the design to the center. There are no dead ends or confusing cross backs. As you and your dog move through the tight and open turns of the Labyrinth, you both access and stimulate every part of your bodies, minds and spirits. You both develop increased balance and heightened awareness of your movements. You develop increased flexibility and muscle tone along your spines, shoulders and hips. Your breathing slows and deepens through the turns and you increase the depth and internationality of your circulation. A labyrinth walk is a physical as well as a spiritual exercise.

Moving through the labyrinth is a walking meditation. The pace is slow and methodical. Each step is separate and unique, yet an essential element in the whole journey. Exhale as your foot moves forward; inhale as your bring your back foot up to your ankle. Exhale as it moves past the supporting leg to its new position. Step gently, with reverence for the earth and the intention within the design. Place your toe down first and then the rest of your foot. Place each foot completely on the ground before transferring your weight onto it. This movement increases your body awareness; it connects you to your deeper emotional levels as well.

As you step, pause and step, transferring your weight and awareness from side to side, you access and stimulate both the left and right sides of your brain: your creative/intuitive side and your logical/rational side. Moving through the labyrinth, each turn represents a turning point, a decision, an interaction, or a relationship in your life's biography that has, in some way, been influential in creating the unique creature who now is you. At each turn, pause, take a slow, even breath, and open yourself to your lifetime of memories. Some may be joyful, some painful; whatever you recall has surfaced so that you take notice. Reevaluate, as you experience old experiences anew through your current perspective, understanding and maturity.

Allow your emotions to surface for healing and to guide you toward your reconnection to the real purpose of your life's path. In this accepting and peaceful place, allow yourself to feel your emotions. Give yourself permission to feel, to smile, to laugh, to cry.

Returning from the center back to the outside world leads you through another journey. It may be a continuation of your earlier walk, or it may direct you toward reflection on your present life situation to help you make wise, considered choices about where you go from here.