When can we start building muscle?

Lola is going to be 1 nxt week and im wondering what i the right age to start intense training. And its not because i want the biggest dog, to look hard or anything like that its because i beleave she is a working breed and should be worked. Also does any1 else feel that there dog has to prove people wrong all the time?

You should wait until at least 18 months and preferably two years. That allows their neuromuscular system to be fully devolped. Also start off slow and gradually build up.

Afraid I can't help, Daisy muscle has just built naturally through exercise   

What sort of training are you thinking about? Purely out of interest. Xx

Honestly i dont know, im a fan of muscluer staffies, but havent looked into any exercise. At the monent all i do is walk her and play frisbee. Are spring poles any good?

Personally I wouldn't, but Moo got arthritis at the age of 4 so would never encourage stress on her joints, however a lot of people use them Xx

ive been told an old tyre tied to something in back garden builds their strenght but i think if your dog is well trained dog friendly and can be let off on a good long country walk they run and roll and are naturally muscular! willow has become alittle portly over the winter months as the fields have been so sodden we have stuck to lead and street walks but the last 2 weeks we have been out in the fields and she runs and even caught a rabbit last week (she let it go and it ran off fine) if they are a fetch ball dog thats working them dont over feed is probably a golden rule as a fat staffy is not a good look! i must live in a good area as i almost always get good comments on what lovely dogs i have!

I walk lola mainly in the fields that my house backs onto, but like you when its wet she is walked on the lead. As for over feeding she seems to only ever eats wat she wants, (obviously only has acess to what i give her) so hopefully she will start to build some muscle over the summer.

Is she still just over a year?

They develop so much in themselves, Moo is just settling down now but yours has so much development. They only fill out after 2ish years Xx

Two years minimum for a healthy dog. Im training mine for weightpull and bikejoring and while marley has been doing some hard work for the last 6 months laska has been on light duties until she hits two. They will muscle up before two but dont be tempted to work them hard as its the joints that count. Work slowley and after a workout suppliment with a good protein source, oily fish is great. And before you start go to vets for a health test. Explain that you intend working the dog and ask for a full checkup, its essential you do this and then start a steady workout building up slowley. Weigh out food and document everything, make a full hands on examination of the dog each day and feel for heat spots near joints etc. Above all never ever push to hard and keep it fun. A dog will work for you if its enjoying it and after a pull marley comes back to me and acts all goofy rolling on his back. If he stopped enjoying it id stop working him straight away.

I've heard not before 18 months atleast for any intense training.
We are looking into getting Bane a weighted backpack for when he gets older, also interested in doing CaniX with him or getting into weightpulling Nathan have you got any further info on weightpulling in the UK? We looked but couldn't really find much.

i was also told they grow upward for the first year then fill out for the 2nd and 3rd year! so u dont really need to (gym) train them general exercise is good for dog and good for you! chester has a dislocated knee cap and was only allowed 4 15 minute walks a day and he will be 3 in oct and hes so muscular youd think he went weight training daily! ive never used a tyre either my dogs just get regular walks and we play tug of war which they love but my poor old body doesnt! i think there are so many various types of "staffies" its hard to say whether they are going to be thick headed short legged very muscular etc etc ive seen loads of varied types but i do know they dont stop growing at 1 year old!

Bane wrote:I've heard not before 18 months atleast for any intense training.
We are looking into getting Bane a weighted backpack for when he gets older, also interested in doing CaniX with him or getting into weightpulling :)Nathan have you got any further info on weightpulling in the UK? We looked but couldn't really find much.

Nope its a ballache finding anything In the uk. Ive been trying to get into the players club for nearly 6 months now but they never answer email or requests. The guy I got marley from recomended the southern working dogs alliance which is my next port of call. All the other clubs are breed specific which is crp as they will only allow pure breeds. Kilo for kilo marley is up there with the best and its so frustrating as he can out pull all the pures and by my reckoning alot of the players club. Shame we can get the chance to prove a husky cross staff is more than capable of pulling with the best. And to top it off laska has a frame of a husky but muscle of a staff! High hopes for her when she is old enough. Will let you know if I make any breakthroughs.

I would recommend you supervise if you let him have a tyre. Most have metal reinforcement running through.

That Southern Club has a Website. They work their Dogs. They do fill out and develop between two and three. Do you want definition and muscle or fitness and strength?

We sort of accidentally created a body builder out of Biscuit last summer lol, just from feeding raw, lots of hiking, swimming and tug games. We regularly go on 10-15 mile hikes on rough terrain (we live 5 minutes from
Dartmoor) and she swims a few times per week. She put on and softened a little now, but she's also a cross and generally leggier and a little more slight than your traditional staffies. I like her to look athletic, but prefer a little more weight on her than this.

I think most do really enjoy hard exercise. The staffordshire crosses that I grew up with both worked and were in great shape, though Jake was generally mad and would run for 8 hours a day if you'd let him!!

have you considered a gym membership?

Hargar wrote:Lola is going to be 1 nxt week and im wondering what i the right age to start intense training. And its not because i want the biggest dog, to look hard or anything like that its because i beleave she is a working breed and should be worked. Also does any1 else feel that there dog has to prove people wrong all the time?

they were never 'working' dogs at all. fighting dogs, maybe but not working.

they shud be fit 7 muscular but not extra lean over muscled body builders.

just exersise her and she be what shes meant to be.

Wow Biscuit you were buff! o.o

Nathan, I think The Players Club was the one I found, but it didn't look like it was alive anymore. I was speaking to my friend who has Huskies and she said she's tried to get hers into it but because they are all rescues, they're not allowed to enter either. It's ridiculous!

I thought they had gone too Bane but I found a comp shedual which had dates for this year on it... no idea whats going on.
Im going to keep with the pull training anyway as something may pop up in the future but going to focus on the bike joring for now. May even get me fit also lol. I have a friend who has been doing it for a while with all bully and bully crosses and she has been doing great in comps. No breed prejudice and and it doesnt matter how fit the humans are or what type of super duper bike they have the dogs have to be infront at all times so it comes down to obediance and dog fitness which appeals to me. Good luck on the canicross! That looks way way exhausting to me... being dragged across the park after a squirrel kills my legs

Are they close enough that you could possibly pop along to the competition and speak to someone there?
Ah the biking sounds like good fun And thanks! I think I need this next year in the gym preparing for it if I want to enter when Bane is big enough