In This Lesson

• Recovery Introduction
• Recovery Nutrition and Body Condition
• Safe Recovery Skill Training
• Recovery Fitness and Exercises
• Exercise Schedules for Non-Breeding & Recovery ONLY
• Exercise Video Links

Recovery Introduction

Once your pups are fully weaned and are no longer nursing, it's time to start your girl on the road to recovery. That may be at 8 or 9 weeks for some litters, but may be as late as 10 or 12 for others. Regardless of when it happens, start rebuilding your dam's physical health now.

Recovery Nutrition and Body Condition

Now that your bitch is done nursing, it's time to recover and take her off of the lactation diet she has been on. She no longer needs lecithin, folic acid, or additional calcium. You can leave her on an all-life stages food or put her on an adult maintenance food, based on what you normally feed.

Assessing Body Condition

Determine your bitch's body condition as she finishes with the litter using the Tissue Tent Test and her weight. Hopefully, she lost little to nothing with the litter. If so, then take her food quantity back to her normal maintenance amount. You can leave her on an AAFCO "all-life stages" food or the equivalent or, if she isn't going to be bred for a while and puts on weight easily, she can go on Adult Maintenance food.

However, if she gained or lost weight with the litter, tweak her food now. If she finished the litter overweight, then start taking weight off now using the info below. If she is underweight, then leave her on an "all-life stages" food and increase the amount and/or calories until her weight is where it should be. The easiest way to increase calories is to increase the fat content diet, if her GI system can handle it. Adding a tablespoon of butter or olive oil to a meal will increase a little more than 100 calories.

• Audio
• Transcript

Recovery Nutrition

• Nutrients for Breeding (recovery, which is the same as "before she's in season")

Here are some ideas about recovery diet.

• Audio

Getting Weight Off Your Bitch

Her are eight actions you can take to get weight off her.  

1. Know the calories in your dog's food

2. Weigh or measure every meal

3. Have the right measuring tool

4. Include the calories in supplements in your calculations

5. Count the calories in training and other treats

6. Offer low-calorie recreational chews

7. Supplement weight-loss dog foods

8. Use the Pumpkin or Canned-Food diet (see video below)

The Pumpkin and Canned Food Diets

These two diets can help your bitch get the excess weight off during recovery.

• Audio

Recovery Skill Training

Your bitch can go back to her pre-breeding skill training but please go slowly if she participates in highly demanding sports like agility. Get her fit first to avoid injuries!

• Skill Activity Risk Chart

Recovery Fitness and Exercises

During the Recovery Stage, you should re-assess your bitch's fitness using the Fit To Be Tied Assessment.

The assessment will give you a better idea of whether your girl lost fitness during her pregnancy and while raising the puppies. You don't have to assess your dog to get your dog's exercise programs but there are some real benefits of assessing your dog’s fitness!

Assessing regularly enables you to:

• get an establish a baseline for your dog’s fitness
• see how your dog is progressing
• adapt your dog’s exercise routine as it changes
• catch subtle injuries early before they become long-term problems

Complete and submit the online form below. If you want to print or download the assessment form ahead of time to have with you during the assessment, do so now. Then come back to this page to input your dog's results into the form.

Fit To Be Tied Monthly Exercise Schedules for Non-Breeding and Recovery ONLY

Below are your dog's exercise schedules for months 1 through 9. We recommend doing each month's exercises for at least 28 days before moving onto the next month. Remember to go back to Lesson 3 to determine what stage of the breeding cycle your dog is currently in!

If you would like to assess your dog's fitness and condition, fill out the form below the exercise schedules. Do not perform the assessment on pregnant or lactating bitches.

FTBT-Month 1 Exercises
FTBT-Month 2 Exercises
FTBT-Month 3 Exercises
FTBT-Month 4 Exercises
FTBT-Month 5 Exercises
FTBT-Month 6 Exercises
FTBT-Month 7 Exercises
FTBT-Month 8 Exercises
FTBT-Month 9 Exercises

Fit To Be Tied Exercises Videos

• Flexibility Exercise Videos
• Balance & Proprioception Exercises
• Front Leg Strength Exercises
• Core Strength Exercise
• Rear Leg Strength Exercises
• Good for the Soul Exercises

Fit To Be Tied Lessons

• Lesson 1: Why Fitness Matters to You, Your Dogs and Bitches, and Your Puppies
• Lesson 2: Exercise Changes Throughout the Breeding Process
• Lesson 3: What Stage is Your Dog In?
• Lesson 4: Before & While Breeding Your Dog (3 months prior through breeding)
• Lesson 5: First Trimester (Ovulation - Day 21)
• Lesson 6: Second Trimester (Day 22 - Day 42)
• Lesson 7: Third Trimester (Day 43 - Birth)
• Lesson 8: Early Lactation (Birth to 21 Days)
• Lesson 9: Late Lactation (Days 22 - 49)
• Lesson 10: Weaning (Days 49 - Pups Are Fully Weaned)
• Lesson 11: Recovery (After Pups Are Fully Weaned)
• FTBT Resources