All French Bulldogs can benefit from muscle conditioning exercises, and it is also beneficial to Frenchies recovering from injuries or suffering from degenerative conditions like hip dysplasia or spinal problems. Exercises such as this one can also help tire a high-energy French Bulldog. If you are using strength and muscle training on your French Bulldog, you must consult with a veterinarian first.
When determining your French Bulldog’s health, several factors include diet, weight, body composition, and muscle mass. The condition of their muscles largely determines your Frenchies’ overall health. If your French Bulldog is older, injured, or out of shape, it might be necessary to begin a muscle-building program for them.
In the event of muscle loss, your French Bulldog loses strength, its immune system is weakened, and its recovery time from illness or injury is slowed. An older Frenchie, an injured Frenchie, or a Frenchie who is sedentary is more likely to experience muscle loss. You can enhance your French Bulldog’s muscle condition by incorporating muscle-building exercises into their everyday routine.
How to make your French Bulldog gain muscle?
Exercise to build muscle in dogs
Make sure you start slowly and gradually increase the resistance and volume while exercising your dog. The best way to avoid injury is to follow this advice. Exercise should also be enjoyable for your French Bulldog. Before starting these exercises, a warmup should be performed with your French Bulldog. During a warmup, you might walk slowly for five to ten minutes before increasing the speed. You might also play fetch or something similar to warm up. This will accelerate the heart rate and increase blood flow to the muscles, preventing injury to a cold muscle.
A of exercises recommended for building muscle and increasing strength:
| Weighted Exercise |
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| You can use weight-pulling exercise as part of your French Bulldog’s strength and muscle development program. It is also a serious dog sport, believe it or not. Use a proper weight-pulling harness as it is vital to your French Bulldog’s safety. They are designed to distribute weight evenly over your French Bulldog’s body. You might want to start your Frenchie by dragging a small amount of weight ten to twenty meters. Repeat after 2 minutes of rest. When conditioning your French Bulldog, starting slowly and gradually increasing the weight and repetitions should be a rule of thumb. Several other options for pulling conditioning, such as pulling a skateboard or a sled, or pulling a sled or scooter, are available. A parachute can even attach to a weight vest for extra resistance—link to Weighted Harness. |
| Tug of war |
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| Crouch and pull back while they use their strength against you. Most dogs enjoy playing this classic game. Some dog trainers oppose this game because they encourage dominant behavior. It doesn’t matter how your Frenchie reacts to the tug toy as long as you can control the game and show that you when in the end by saying given. |
| Swimming |
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| It is one of the best exercises you can give your French Bulldog if you want to keep him in shape. The equivalent of 10 minutes of dog swimming is the equivalent of 1 hour of walking. The whole body is worked, and resistance is provided, especially the front end, which does not require much work from walking alone. With the support from the water, your Frenchies joints and bones will be relieved, and it is also low impact, therefore suitable. Learn more about French Bulldog swimming here: https://littlefrenchdog.com/can-french-bulldogs-swim/ |
| Spring Pole |
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| Many dogs enjoy tug of war games, especially bully breeds like French Bulldogs. An attached lure or toy hangs from a tree branch or pole attached to a spring. When you’re not home, your French Bulldog can play tug of war by themself. |
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Good Quality Dog Food
Your French Bulldog’s protein requirements are made up of 22 essential amino acids. Half of these amino acids are manufactured by your Frenchie, but the remaining amino acids must be obtained through diet. It is possible to have a weakened immune system due to a lack of essential amino acids. In addition to low energy, your French Bulldog may have poor skin and coat conditions, and injuries and wounds may take longer to heal.
Ideally, you will want to feed your French Bulldog high-quality proteins, meaning those that are easily digestible and absorbable. This is the case for poultry, such as chicken.
The topic of dog food can be a contentious one. If feeding a premium kibble, make sure that meat is listed as the first ingredient. Corn or wheat are common ingredients in many foods, which act as fillers. Your French Bulldog would not receive the energy they need because it has very little nutritional value.
A very popular diet is the raw meat diet. However, there is no guarantee that it contains the right proportion of protein. Raw meat sometimes contains a high-fat content. In and of itself, fat is not necessarily harmful. Dogs can use this as a source of fuel provided they are active. The low-fat content of chicken makes it an ideal source of protein for your French Bulldog.
Rest and Recovery
It is important to provide your French Bulldog with ample recovery time between exercise sessions so that you do not overwork your Frenchie. Strength and muscle-building sessions should be limited to three times per week to ensure that your French Bulldog gets adequate recovery time. It is advisable to wait one day between sessions and to go for a light walk.
Can Old French Dogs Build Muscle?
With age, dogs lose muscle because they aren’t as active, and their joints deteriorate. They also suffer from more inflammation as they get older. Age-related muscle loss is called sarcopenia. Creating a dog strength training routine that prevents muscle loss is great for building muscle in older dogs. The strength training routine should include the following:
| Exercises such as swimming are great for joint-friendly resistance training. | Playing Frisbee, fetch, and tug-of-war are great ways to be active |
| The cross-training exercise is an energetic and fun cardiovascular workout | Walking for 30 minutes a day |
Regain Muscle After Injury, Surgery, or Illness
Muscle atrophy is a natural consequence of illness, surgery, and injury. Pain, disuse, and weight transfer all contribute to muscles losing strength. It is also possible for dogs to suffer from cachexia, a condition in which muscle loss occurs due to heart failure, cancer, and chronic kidney disease. If you don’t exercise and feed your French Bulldog properly, their muscles will not return. You can help your Frenchie recover faster and regain mobility by incorporating a muscle-building routine.
Be Skeptical of Supplements
Many people are still unsure about dog supplements. Do they contain any real health benefits? If your dog is unfit, you would not be alone in considering buying something to help it reach its ideal form. According to some experts, many supplements can be harmful to dogs, even though some might work. Thus, caution is advised.
It Takes Time
Muscle growth doesn’t happen instantly. The best food and an exercise regime can help your dog see results, but it still takes time to see an impact. You should not give up on your French Bulldog just because it continues to resemble the runt of the litter instead of the leader of the pack! It’s a great motivational tool to be able to see how your Frenchie improved over time. Take before and after pictures to be able to evaluate their progress.
Conclusion
Exercises that build muscle and improve strength are beneficial to all dogs. Older French Bulldogs with muscle wasting or Frenchies competing in canine sports to build their conditioning are included. In addition, you can also use them to strengthen the immune system and improve your pet’s health. For muscles to grow and repair, a quality diet that includes high protein levels and rest, and recovery is crucial.