If you’ve been training or competing with dogs for any length of time, you’ve probably had this thought at some point:
My dog looks fine… but are they really moving as well as they could be?
Most dogs don’t break down suddenly. Issues tend to develop quietly over time. A shoulder that carries a little more load than it should. A rear end that doesn’t quite contribute evenly. A stride that shortens just enough to change efficiency. None of it obvious enough to stop training, but enough to slowly influence performance, confidence, and long-term soundness.
This is exactly why I decided to host Bobbie Lyons in New Zealand this December.
Not because dogs need more exercises.
Not because handlers need to train harder.
But because many people are missing critical information about how their dogs actually move.
Fitness isn’t about doing more, it’s about seeing better
One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen, both in my own dogs and in the dogs I work with, happens when handlers learn to truly observe movement.
Not just whether a dog can jump, turn, heel, or sprint, but how they load their body, how they stabilise, where they compensate, and how they recover. Fitness done well doesn’t just build strength. It builds awareness, selectivity, and better decision-making.
This is where Bobbie’s teaching stands out.
She doesn’t hand out generic fitness plans. She teaches handlers how to assess, how to recognise patterns, and how to align exercises with the individual dog in front of them. The result is training that supports performance rather than quietly undermining it.
That knowledge stays relevant long after the seminar weekend ends.
A bit about Bobbie, and why her background matters
Bobbie Lyons is the owner of Pawsitive Performance and one of the most respected canine fitness educators internationally. She is the Program Director and Lead Instructor for the Certified Canine Strength and Conditioning Specialist program through North Carolina State University, a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty member, and has spent nearly two decades teaching canine fitness, conditioning, and movement education worldwide.
What matters most to me, though, is how she came to this work.
Bobbie’s path into canine fitness began with one of her own dogs, who had structural limitations that made traditional sport training risky. Rather than accepting discomfort or injury as inevitable, she went looking for answers. That search led her deep into biomechanics, gait analysis, rehabilitation, and collaboration with veterinary professionals.
Along the way, she realised something many handlers still overlook: even healthy, high-performing dogs often lack body awareness, core strength, and efficient weight distribution. Addressing those gaps early can change the trajectory of a dog’s training career entirely.
That philosophy underpins everything Bobbie teaches. Fitness not as rehab. Fitness as education. Fitness as prevention.
Who this seminar is actually for
If you’re wondering whether this seminar is “for you,” there’s a good chance it is.
This event is designed for sport and working dog handlers, trainers, and professionals who want to better understand movement and support long-term soundness. That includes agility, obedience, IGP, ring sports, herding, flyball, conformation, and more.
Your dog does not need to be perfect.
Your dog does not need to be finished.
Dogs with quirks, asymmetries, or “something that’s always been there” often provide the most valuable learning opportunities.
Day 1: Posture Evaluation – Connecting the Dots Between Posture and Performance
The first day of the seminar focuses on learning how to see your dog more clearly.
Posture is often treated as something static, but it plays a significant role in how a dog moves, loads their body, and distributes force. Small postural deviations can influence performance and injury risk long before anything looks obviously wrong.
On Day 1, Bobbie teaches participants how to evaluate canine posture and understand how it connects to movement and performance. This isn’t about diagnosing or labelling dogs. It’s about recognising patterns, identifying weak or overloaded areas, and understanding what those patterns mean for the work your dog is doing.
This day is especially valuable if you’ve ever wondered whether your dog’s posture is supporting their sport, whether your current fitness work is appropriate, or why injuries seem to occur despite careful training.
Working spot teams receive personalised feedback on their dogs, helping connect structural observations with what handlers feel in training. The goal is to provide a framework that participants can take home and apply to future training decisions.
Day 2: Performance Conditioning – Supporting Jumping, Turning, and Core Strength
Day 2 shifts from assessment into application.
Once posture and movement patterns are understood, the next step is learning how to support the physical demands of sport through conditioning. This day focuses on strength work that directly supports jumping, turning, and efficient movement.
Bobbie demonstrates exercises that build core strength, rear-end engagement, and the ability to lift and stabilise the front of the body. Emphasis is placed on how these components work together, rather than training them in isolation.
A major focus of Day 2 is jump mechanics. Participants learn how take-off skills differ for straight jumps, collected jumps, extension jumps, and wrapping, and how appropriate conditioning supports cleaner take-offs and landings.
This day is particularly useful for handlers looking to improve jump form, reduce bar knocking, increase hind limb strength, improve turning efficiency, and decrease injury risk without over-drilling sport skills.
By the end of Day 2, participants have a clearer understanding of how to align conditioning work with their dog’s structure, movement, and workload.
Day 3: Psoas and Shoulder Injury Prevention
The final day of the seminar focuses on two of the most commonly discussed and misunderstood injury areas in performance dogs: the psoas and the shoulders.
These injuries often present as vague changes in movement, reluctance to extend, or inconsistent performance rather than clear lameness. They can be difficult to diagnose and frustrating to manage.
On Day 3, Bobbie breaks down how and why these injuries occur, and how thoughtful strength, conditioning, and mobility work can reduce risk. The iliopsoas muscle group is explored in depth, including how overuse, slippery surfaces, insufficient core strength, and repeated long jumps can contribute to strain.
The shoulder complex is also examined, with attention given to the significant load placed on the forelimbs during speed, turning, repetition, and surface changes. Understanding how to support this area through appropriate exercise is key to longevity in sport.
Participants gain a clearer understanding of anatomy, common injury mechanisms, predispositions, and how to align exercises to the individual dog rather than relying on generic programs.
Exercises range from foundation to advanced, with guidance on progression and modification. This workshop is suitable for any healthy dog with basic foundation skills.
The takeaway from Day 3 isn’t fear of injury. It’s confidence. Confidence in understanding what your dog’s body is being asked to do, and how to support that work over time.
Final thoughts
This seminar isn’t about chasing perfection or fixing broken dogs. It’s about developing better eyes, better judgement, and better strategies for supporting canine athletes throughout their careers.
That’s why I wanted Bobbie here.
And that’s why I believe this weekend will quietly change how many people approach training.
If this sounds like the conversation you’ve been wanting to have about your dog, full details about the Bobbie Lyons Canine Fitness Seminar, including working and auditing options, are available on the CANINE.NZ website.
https://canine.nz/products/bobbie-lyons-canine-fitness-seminar-nz-2026