Does Muscle Really Matter?

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290 – October, 2025

By Sandy Weaver

When most people talk about “show condition” they’re talking about maturity and coat. Some do recognize the need for good muscle tone, so they use a treadmill or they road work their dogs. For most dogs in the ring, muscle condition seems to be an afterthought on the part of their owners. Dogs go into the show ring with muscle tone that comes from lounging, not working, and the judge never really gets to see their full potential.

Muscle condition is the key to your dog being able to hold a beautiful show stack, and gait to their maximum ability. If you want to showcase your dog to their best advantage, you need to create and stick to a plan to get them into condition–and keep them in condition. It doesn’t have to be the rock-hard condition of a dog that spent the winter putting in miles every day in front of a rig or sled. It does have to be condition that produces strong, flexible muscles, especially in the topline, abdomen, and pelvic girdle–and you can achieve that condition in the comfort of your own home and yard.

Do you ever see your dog nail a perfect stack on their own? Built correctly, many dogs do–and it doesn’t last very long when it happens, right? They get excited about something–maybe a squirrel, or a cat, or a leaf blowing in the next county–and they pull themselves up into full alertness. Once the fascination fades, which nearly always happens before you can get a picture of it, that beautiful free stack is gone.

Click here to read the complete article
290 – October, 2025

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