By steve

We received a lot of feedback on our article on beginner plyometric drills to do with your dog at home. Several readers commented that they are unable to perform these exercises due to the winter weather. While it is true that these drills are more fun outdoors, they can be done in a gym or home gym, or almost anywhere.

Jumping: you can jump anywhere, in your basement, on your porch, or in your gym or doggy gym. Set up your start and end markers (cones) 10 or 20 yards apart, or as far apart as you can, given space limitations. Now get hopping!

Medicine ball overhead toss: this one can be tricky. Depending on the size of the ball and your strength, the ball should normally travel 20 yards or less. I recommend choosing a ball that will only travel 10 yards each toss (including the roll) so that you can do it in most gyms and canine gyms. That said, this exercise is not optimal for someone who is working out with their dog at home. Here is an alternative medicine ball drill that you can do anywhere with your dog and will build power and endurance while you wait for the winter to turn to spring.

Medicine ball slams with your dog

This drill is a full body plyometric type of drill. It is best performed with a non-bouncing medicine ball of a moderate to heavy weight. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and holding the ball at your waist. Raise the ball overhead and bend your arms so that the ball is behind your head. Forcefully slam the ball down into the ground about 6 inches in front and in the middle of your feet. The ball should bounce just a little. Quickly squat down to grab it as it rebounds off the ground and before it falls to the ground again. You will need to squat down to do this: don’t simply hinge at the back. As you grab it on the rebound, quickly lift it overhead and repeat the sequence. Really try and slam the ball using all of your core and back. Don’t just rely on the arms to slam the ball. Do 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps each. Your heart rate will be elevated after this.

Progression: use a heavier ball, speed up the cadence, or drop into a full squat during the rebound phase.

With your dog: teach your dog to sit as you slam the ball and rise when you rise for the next rep. This will likely require some training but you can use your typical ‘sit’ and ‘stand’ commands to get your dog to move in proper cadence with your slams. This can actually be a great training drill as you are teaching your dog …read more

From: Plyometric Drills with your Dog Update: Ball Slams