Product test

Sleep beats sport!

17.1.2019

Translation: machine translated

Eating and sleeping are clearly prioritised in the life of my elderly dog. Can a colourful rubber bone get her interested in sport again?

Not much can be done about an extended midday nap. It used to be different. ADHD was not an expression for the behaviour of our family dog Jana. Like the Duracell bunny, she ran back and forth, back and forth. Always waiting for someone to take her outside. But the good lady has grown older and calmer. At 16 years old, she prefers to be left alone.

Bad luck, nothing will come of the peace and quiet today. She does sport. With the Fitbone from FitPaws. The oversized purple rubber bone with nubs is designed to revitalise old muscles and joints. The customer reviews give hope, with 4.5 stars for the animal fitness device. Buyers also rave about the bone on other platforms. I want to see for myself.

Dog sports + Training

FitPaws K9 Fitbone

Agility

Bad but robust

There's not much in the parcel. The rubber bone, a small pump with a needle and a few exercise templates. Balancing on the air-filled rubber cushion is intended to train stability and balance and promote muscle development. The PVC product looks robust and well made, but in my opinion it is quite ugly. FitPaws could have worked on the colour scheme in particular. However, the primary goal is not aesthetics, but a full-body workout for the dog. After looking at the exercise sheet for a few seconds, I feel ready for practice. But first I have to find Jana in the house. As she is now almost deaf, the calling doesn't go quite so well. I find her - how could it be otherwise - asleep in the corner. Even after waking her up, she is relatively unimpressed by the purple bone. A lure is needed.

The spark doesn't ignite

With a piece of sausage in her hand, she lets herself be lured out of her reserve. But her enthusiasm stops at the sausage. She is not at all comfortable with the air cushion. She won't put a paw on it on her own. Even with a little human support, things don't go much better. She resists with everything her old body still has to offer. At the same time, her breathing becomes faster and her eyes sadder. This is no fun for her, which is why I leave her alone again.

After lots of stroking and fresh air in the garden, I dare to try again. Perhaps Jana's opinion has changed in the meantime. No, of course she hasn't. And I really did a lot of convincing. I even showed her the exercises. But she didn't care one bit that I was making a fool of myself for her. I also inflated the cushion more or less. That didn't make any difference to our dog either. Wobbly remains wobbly. The result is correspondingly meagre. After about an hour, her front paws were on the cushion for about ten seconds and her bottom for about twenty.

Conclusion

Although it might be good for Jana, the Fitbone will not find a new home within my four walls. Our dog is terrified of the thing and no longer trusts her old bones to perform the balancing act. It's quite possible that things would have been different a few years ago. But I'm pretty sure she would have preferred the meadow then too. The unevenness there also strengthens the muscles.

Nevertheless, I can imagine that the FitPaws product can be useful for some dogs. If you want to train a specific muscle region with your dog, for example. But also for physiotherapy after an accident or illness. As long as your dog is enthusiastic about the product, there is nothing to be said against it. But Jana will definitely not be skipping a nap for the Fitbone. <p

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Carolin Teufelberger

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carolin.teufelberger@digitecgalaxus.ch

My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.

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Sleep beats sport!

Bad but robust

The spark doesn't ignite

Conclusion

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