I have to admit, when I picked up <i>Kyra's Canine Conditioning</i> by Kyra Sundance, I was not expecting a book filled with pictures. And while I won't say that this is an inherently bad thing about the book and many of the pictures were useful, I don't think they were all necessary and I would have much preferred more writing and explanations for various aspects of the sorts of activities described in the book. I'm by no means an expert dog trainer and I've only ever seriously participated in training a dog with my new puppy recently so I cannot fully account for the usefulness of this book for those who are seriously invested in their dog's training, however, I can say that this book does appear to be one that would be far more useful to those who have a large amount of time to dedicate to training and not something I would recommend to the typical dog owner.

Many of the activities portrayed in this book were very interesting and several are definitely things I would like to, at some point in the future, try with my puppy. I do think that it is possible to find this information in other books, of course, and aside from the descriptive dog stretching, I didn't really find anything excessively new that I hadn't gotten from somewhere else to make this book unique. Even so, it was a good read and definitely had some helpful tips regarding how to teach your dog various new tricks.

My biggest gripe, however, with <i>Kyra's Canine Conditioning</i> lies in the fact that much of the material she uses is incredibly expensive. There's an implication that the reader should be spending an excessive amount of money on all of this equipment and the average dog owner simply may not have the funds for such expenses. I certainly don't. Naturally, I don't think that readers would <i>have</i> to use this costly equipment, but the implication that they should is definitely present throughout the book.

I think that there are parts of the book that were useful, but overall I didn't see it as a book that I would turn to a friend of mine with a dog and recommend. It has some good tips, but I think there are better books out there and much of this information can be more easily found online anyway.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

In Canine Conditioning, Kyra discusses the importance of conditioning your dog and the anatomy of different breed types that affect their performance, flexibility and susceptibility to injury.  The rest of the book is split into four sections - Level I through IV.  Each section includes exercises increase Flexibility, followed by activities to increase Balance, Stamina, Coordination and Strength.  Each level is more challenging than the next.

Throughout the book, the importance of starting slowly and making everything a very positive experience with verbal and food rewards is emphasized.  The book is filled with illustrations and photographs showing proper procedures and demonstrations of all activities.  However, I did find two major negative aspects to this book.

First, as the owner of a dog whose hind leg was amputated, I would really have liked to have seen some activities that I could use to boost his flexibility, balance, stamina, coordination and strength.  It is so important that an amputee dog retain as much flexibility and strength as possible in its remaining limbs in order to prevent injuries and joint deterioration.  I was disappointed that this book did not take the opportunity to include special needs dogs.  Perhaps, she will write a similar book dedicated to this topic.  

Second, all of the activities included props that need to be purchased.  Some of these items are very expensive.  The FitBone, for example, is $75.00.  Several activities in the book involve the use of six FitBones.  The Platform is $160 - with activities that utilize four to six of these at a time.  Some of the  rainbow-colored ladders and scatter poles could be replaced with cheap PVC poles and elbows purchased from a home improvement store.  However, it would be much more difficult to find cheaper replacements for some items, such as the FitBones.  This fact is a huge financial deterrent for many dog owners.  I can only assume that the author intends that readers of this book purchase these items; therefore, making her program financially impossible for many dog owners to implement.  

For the two reasons above, I have rated this book 3 stars.  I really liked the other aspects fo the book, so, had some mention of special needs dogs and ideas for ways to reduce the cost of the equipment been mentioned in this book, I would have rated it 4 stars.

(NetGalley ebook -  I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I was really curious about this book because I have two dogs with musculoskeletal issues - one cervical, one thoracic - and I hope I'd discover a few exercises to help my boys. There is so much information here! Exercises focus on flexibility, balance, stamina, coordination and strength and are grouped into four levels, increasing in difficulty, so the reader can choose what best suits their dog's current skills and ability. Each exercise is clearly explained along with photographic illustrations. Very handy reference for any dog lover!

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Really good information for dog owners who want to condition their dogs for activities. Great ideas to keep dogs fit. I will recommend this to my clients at training classes. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC. reviewed on Amazon and Facebook.

This is a fun and interesting book! I learned how to work with my puppy to increase her confidence, strength, coordination and focus, all while having fun with her.

I was particularly interested in the areas that focused on following directions. I now have several practical, simple exercises to try with her, some with and some without props.

This book is fun, simple, practical and user-friendly. It is a serious training guide but it doesn't take itself too seriously. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Kyra Sundance, Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry Books and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was filled with great tips to bond with your dog while also keeping them physically healthy. I am definitely going to be using many of the exercises with my 3 dogs!