Why Small Dogs Tire So Fast

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Hello everyone. Today's talk is a bit of a follow-on or follow-up in regards to walking small dogs at a human's pace. Like how many little strides a little dog takes in comparison to what can look like giant steps of the human. And so perhaps we can shift our mindset to understand more about muscle fatigue and possible future wear and tear on joint function in small dogs. However, this can pertain to all dogs in regards to the way dogs have not evolved to require supersonic muscles and joints within their domesticated biology. If anything, dogs are subjected to more human-like conditions and injuries than ever before. So I'm going to break down aspects of what we call the dog's muscular, contractile, more dominant muscle twitch, also known as muscle contractile function. For many breeds, this aspect of muscle function matches the dog's evolutionary development based on their genetic makeup. In other words, what is the predominant type of muscle twitch, contractile speed, and what has history had these breeds doing in terms of their work or their existence in a family? And how does that relate to the dog and their exercise program? To sustain a healthy, functioning body. Alright, so let's start with the difference between aerobic and anaerobic function in dogs, as this refers to how their bodies produce energy during

Aerobic Vs Anaerobic Energy Explained

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activity. Aerobic means with oxygen, used for steady endurance activities, while anaerobic means without oxygen, used for short explosive bursts of power. Each breed of dog will be more predisposed to one more so than the other, as we will explain via their predominant muscle twitch category. Canine skeletal muscles are composed of three primary muscle fiber types. Broadly we will discuss them as slow twitch, fast twitch and intermediate muscle twitch fibers. All dogs have a variety of the muscle twitch types, regardless of their breed. It is the way in which the muscles function, but each breed will have a more predominant type. This becomes more obvious according to the breed's design and their role as a dog, as in whether they are more of a herding or a hunting type of dog. Do they require quick bursts of speed or do they require endurance? The more dominant muscle twitch type fibre your dog has will determine a dog's athletic quality and exercise considerations in relation to their natural speed or endurance qualities. This can give dog's owners a general understanding of the exercise their dog is better suited to, so that their dog is not being over-exercised. But also the type of exercise to avoid unwanted muscle repeat strain injuries that can lead to joint dysfunction. In purebred dogs, the predominant muscle twitch usually matches the breed well and makes sense for the breed, like a greyhound for quick bursts of speed, versus a Jack Russell, which has a short, robust energy chasing after a rabbit. However, with crossbred dogs and designer crossbred dogs,

Slow Fast And Mixed Muscle Fibres

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this may only slightly alter aspects of the dog's prominent muscle twitch, their athletic ability and conformation. But if a crossbred dog was somewhat extreme in its crossbreeding, then the mix of muscle twitch and the body's conformation may prove challenging to find the right balance of exercise for the dog. Domesticated dogs have evolved to possess a much higher proportion of fast twitch fibers compared to their wild ancestry wolves. But this also relates to a wolf's hunting style in a pack or singular, where the hunt is calculated so that the hunter can sustain the energy muscle contractions and succeed. Unfortunately, nowadays there are fewer wolf varieties compared to the large scale of domesticated dog breeds worldwide. So let's start with the first of these muscle twitches, muscle twitch fibers, slow twitch is first. These fibers contract slowly and utilize oxygen to generate anddenesin triphosphate, commonly seen as ATP, making them highly resistant to fatigue. These dogs generally are suited to endurance. If nutrition and exercise physiology considerations for the breed are supporting their requirements. Breeds in this category have aerobic metabolism matching prominent traits for working, hunting, herding type breeds. This includes hounds, retrievers, shepherd herding breeds, and of course kelpies and healers. But when we're looking at the endurance quality, we can't forget the Siberian huskies that are used for endurance tasks pulling snow or land sleds over many kilometers. Next we have fast twitch fibers. These fibers contract very quickly and powerfully but fatigue easily, ideal for short, powerful bursts of energy because they have fewer mitochondria powerhouse drivers within the muscle contractions, and they rely on anaerobic metabolism energy production. Breeds in this category are best suited to anaerobic types of activity and tend to do well in fast, shortish bursts of energy rather than the endurance activities. These sprinting breeds are like the greyhound, deer hounds, Italian greyhounds and whippers. But also they do include some of the smaller breeds like the feisty terrier types that hunt out rabbits and rodents and other small animals. These can include the Jack Russell, fox terrier, French bulldog, West Highland terrier, even a poodle. But the Pembroke Welsh Corgi has also been used in livestock work as they are very keen to nip at the heels of cattle in short explosive bursts of energy. Again, rather than endurance, it's fast explosive work. Domesticated dogs have significantly more varieties of muscle twitch fibers than wolves, which explains other aids that highlight a dog's energy. So they can use rapid bursts of powerful movements like barking and then also making facial expressions. This all is a part of that explosiveness, I guess, and getting their point across. Number three, we're looking at intermediate fibres. These fibers share characteristics of both slow and fast twitch fibres, meaning aerobic and anaerobic qualities, allowing them to resist fatigue better than the pure fast twitch fibres. These muscle fibers provide the rapid yet sustainable energy required for dogs to jog, walk, or perform everyday physical type activities. In canine physiology, intermediate muscle twitch refers to muscle fibres that contract faster than slow twitch fibers, but fatigue slower than the fast twitch fibres. They provide a crucial balance of speed and endurance. Dog breeds with high fibre profiles are naturally highly aerobic breeds bred for sustained endurance and power. Examples would be a German shorthead pointer, Dalmatian, Vigler, even lab retriever, a Doberman or a pincher. They're all really good examples. Another consideration of what you're asking your dog to do also depends on the nutrition compounds that you feed your dog, how you fuel the body's muscle system. So as I finish up this talk today, please

Practical Walk Tweaks To Prevent Injury

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look down at your small dog as this was really all about small dogs and perhaps overstepping the mark. So please look down at your small dog and consider the amount of steps the dog is taking in comparison to yours as a human. What's the distance you intend on walking today with your small dog? Can you stop and give your small dog a rest? Can you carry your small dog for some of the distance? Will your small dog be overheating, becoming over fatigued? Remember, we know that all dogs, especially small dogs, they love being a part of your family. It's a part of the pack. But does the exercise routine for your small dog need more consideration? Or for your medium or large size dog? What sort of consideration perhaps should you be thinking about now if you need to? This is to enable a better functionality for your dog, no matter whether it's big, medium or small, as it gets older. In fact, depending on your dog, its age and breed, please consider the wear and tear on their body, as they are the one who has to put up with the pain later in life. And you are going to be the one who will be paying for that. Yes. Alright, let's leave it there. We've got so much more to talk about, and we can always break things down more and more as we go along. But today I hope you enjoyed that. Thank you so much for tuning in, and I'll catch you next time. Bye for now.