Athletic Assessment & Conditioning Plans
Whether your dog competes at the highest level, spends their weekends hiking the trails, or simply loves having a job to do, conditioning can help them become stronger, more coordinated, and better prepared for the activities they enjoy.
Our Athletic Assessment & Conditioning service is designed for the sport dog, the weekend warrior, and the active canine who wants to develop an at-home conditioning program that works toward their individual goals.
Your plan will incorporate daily exercises and activities that complement your dog's existing training and chosen sport/sports, using the equipment and resources you have at home as well as, where appropriate, the resources available at Pawsio.
The goal is to give you a practical conditioning program that fits into your dog's life while helping them become stronger, more capable, and better prepared for the activities they love.
Athletic Assessment & Conditioning Plan - $175
We'll start with an interview about your dog's history, activities, chosen sport(s), and your goals for their conditioning. We'll then have your dog perform a series of movement and conditioning exercises while we observe, take notes, and record video. We'll look at areas such as strength, balance, coordination, mobility, body awareness, and movement quality.
Assessments are available in person at Pawsio or virtually. For a virtual assessment, you'll record the required exercises in advance and we'll review them together during a video call.
After the assessment, we'll use what we've learned to create a personalized weekly training and conditioning plan for your dog. Your plan will include exercises and activities to work on throughout the week, selected around your dog's goals, abilities, chosen sport(s), and the resources available to you. This may include equipment you have at home as well as appropriate resources available at Pawsio.
Your plan will be provided as a PDF by email, giving you a practical program to incorporate into your dog's regular training and activities.
Conditioning Plan Review - $75
As your dog progresses, their conditioning needs can change. Reviews are recommended every 8–12 weeks to assess progress, revisit exercises, and adjust the program as needed. A review may also be appropriate sooner if your dog's activities, goals, or needs change.
Reviews can be completed in person or virtually, depending on you and your dog's needs.
Prerequisites & Suitability
Your dog must be healthy, sound, and physically able to participate in an exercise and conditioning program. A veterinary referral is not required to book an Athletic Assessment & Conditioning Plan. However, your dog should be under the care of a veterinarian and have any known medical or physical concerns appropriately assessed before participating.
If a dog is determined during the assessment to be not ready for conditioning, an exercise plan will not be provided. Instead, you will be referred back to your veterinarian for appropriate examination, diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitative therapy before beginning a conditioning program.
An Athletic Assessment & Conditioning Plan is not a substitute for veterinary examination, diagnosis, medical treatment, or rehabilitative therapy.
The program can be adapted for dogs of different ages, abilities, and experience levels, although it is particularly well suited to adolescent, adult, and senior dogs with some basic training skills.
Ideally, your dog will be comfortable with skills such as:
Sit, down, stand, and come
Following a food lure
Hand targeting and holding a sustained target
Targeting with the front feet and back feet
Going to a designated "place"
Backing up
Don't worry if your dog hasn't mastered all of these skills. They are useful foundations for many conditioning exercises, but they are not a reason to exclude your dog from the program. Where needed, foundational skills can be incorporated into your dog's conditioning plan.
Meet Your Athletic Conditioning Specialist
Kate Barnett has spent more than 20 years training, showing, and competing with dogs she has owned and bred. As a breeder, she has had the opportunity to watch and work with dogs from their first days as newborn puppies through adolescence, adulthood, and into their senior years. That experience has given her a firsthand understanding of how dogs develop, how their needs change throughout their lives, and how the foundations built early on can influence the athlete they become.
An active conformation competitor, Kate has trained and shown dogs throughout North America, with her Manchester Terriers consistently ranking among the top in Canada. Her experience in the show ring has also given her a practical understanding of the physical demands placed on dogs as they train, compete, travel, and perform.
To complement her hands-on experience, Kate has completed the Elite K9 Athlete Program through Northeast K9 Conditioning Academy, as well as certifications in canine hydrotherapy and nutrition.
Her goal with athletic conditioning is to bring together that practical experience and continued education to create programs that are purposeful, achievable, and tailored to the individual dog, whether they're just starting out, actively competing, or enjoying their golden years.