Abstract
Simple SummaryIt is important to understand how typical exercise regimens for sled dogs affect their behaviour. Furthermore, rest and recovery are an equally important part of a conditioning period. Understanding how behaviour and voluntary physical activity change throughout both exercise and rest periods may assist in optimising conditioning to maximise the exercise capacity of dogs, while keeping their well-being in mind. Sled dogs decreased their voluntary activity and locomotive behaviours as they progressed throughout their training but seem to demonstrate a recovery of the reduced voluntary activity when given two consecutive rest days. These findings could be used by mushers and working dog owners to improve the conditioning periods and overall wellbeing of their sled dogs.Participation in repetitive endurance training decreases sled dogs’ voluntary activity and locomotive behaviours; however, the changes in their voluntary physical activity over consecutive rest days has not been examined to assess exercise-recovery. The objective of this study was to examine the changes in behaviour and voluntary activity of sled dogs throughout repetitive incremental conditioning and intermittent rest days. Fourteen dogs (6 males, 8 females; age 3.7 ± 2.7 years; BW 21.5 ± 2.8 kg) underwent 10 weeks of conditioning. Once a week, 5-min video recordings were taken pre- and post-exercise to measure the time spent performing agonistic behaviours, chewing on the gangline, digging, jumping, lunging, posture changing, sitting, standing and lying. Additionally, voluntary physical activity was measured on a day with an exercise bout during baseline, week 4, 5 and 7 and two consecutive rest days during baseline, week 1, 4, 5 and 7. A repeated-measures mixed model was used to analyse data in SAS (v 9.4.). As dogs progressed through their conditioning, the time spent changing posture prior to an exercise bout decreased (p < 0.05), suggesting that dogs may reduce their voluntary locomotive behaviours with increasing exercise. Additionally, dogs were more active during the second consecutive rest day than the first (p < 0.05), suggesting that rest days may provide a short-term recovery period.
Highlights
Introduction ditions of the Creative CommonsAt-Sled dogs regularly perform repetitive bouts of endurance exercise when training for, and throughout, a racing season
Week had an effect on the time spent performing agonistic behaviours, changing posture, standing and lying down prior to an exercise bout (p < 0.05; Table 3)
While we have previously suggested that repetitive endurance exercise could lead to a decrease in motivation to exercise in sled dogs [7], results from the current study indicate these dogs may be motivated and capable of adapting to perform high duration repetitive bouts of endurance exercise
Summary
Introduction ditions of the Creative CommonsAt-Sled dogs regularly perform repetitive bouts of endurance exercise when training for, and throughout, a racing season. Excessive repetitive bouts of strenuous aerobic exercise can have deleterious physiological impacts, such as increasing oxidative stress [2,3], muscle damage [4] and promoting gut dysbiosis [5] In human athletes, these symptoms may negatively impact mood, contribute to the onset of fatigue and reduce the motivation to exercise [6]. Prior to an exercise bout, sled dogs are placed in their respective positions on the gangline, which is the line that tethers the dogs to the musher’s sled or ATV During this period, dogs demonstrate locomotive behaviours such as jumping, lunging forward, digging, postural changes and agonistic behaviours. One way to combat any potential negative behavioural and physiological effects of exercise experienced by sled dogs is through the incorporation of consecutive rest days between training bouts
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