Every Dog Deserves the Opportunity to Move Well, Perform Well, and Stay Active for Years to Come. 🐾
Whether your dog competes in agility, obedience, rally, flyball, dock diving, conformation, or simply enjoys an active lifestyle, how you prepare and recover their body matters.
The goal isn't just performance. It's helping our dogs stay healthy, sound, and doing what they love for as long as possible. ❤️
Ask 100 dog owners if warm-ups and cool-downs are important and most will say yes.
Ask those same owners what their warm-up and cool-down should actually look like and you'll likely get 100 different answers.
The challenge isn't understanding that warm-ups and cool-downs matter. The challenge is knowing what to do.
The Result?
Introducing the 2nd Edition of
Warm-Up & Cool-Down for the Canine Athlete
Digital eBook
An Evidence-Based Approach to Improving Performance and Preventing Injury
This is your comprehensive guide to implementing practical, effective warm-ups and cool-downs for active and sporting dogs. 🐾📘
Whether you're looking to improve performance, reduce the risk of injury, support recovery, or simply help your dog stay healthy and active for years to come, this book provides a clear, evidence-based framework you can confidently apply to your own dog.
Who Is This Book For?
🐾 Sporting Dog Owners
🐾 Active Companion Dog Owners
🐾 Working Dog Owners
🐾 Dog Trainers
🐾 Canine Fitness Enthusiasts
🐾 Rehabilitation Professionals & Veterinary Teams
Whether you are new to warm-ups and cool-downs or looking to refine your current approach, this book provides practical, evidence-based guidance you can confidently apply with your own dog — or use as a teaching resource with the clients, students, and dogs you support.
This Book Will Help You:
✔ Better prepare your dog for the physical demands of training, competition, and activity
✔ Implement warm-up and cool-down routines with confidence
✔ Select appropriate exercises based on your dog's activity, sport, and individual needs
✔ Support performance, recovery, and injury prevention
✔ Modify your approach based on the demands of different sports and activities
✔ Overcome common barriers that often prevent consistent implementation
✔ Move beyond guesswork and develop a structured approach to preparing your dog for activity
What's Inside
📘 74-Page Digital Book
Comprehensive instruction covering the science, application, and implementation of warm-ups and cool-downs for active and sporting dogs.
🎥 Video Demonstrations of Every Exercise — Built Right In
Every exercise includes a scannable QR code linking to a video demonstration, so you can watch each movement performed and confidently apply it with your own dog. No searching, no separate logins — the videos live right alongside the instructions.
📋 Ready-to-Use Sample Routines
Staged warm-up and cool-down routines for agility, obedience/rally, and general activity/hiking — laid out as printable tables with exercises, reps, and timing, plus Notes/Observations space to track how your dog is moving over time.
🏃 Sport-Specific Considerations
Learn how the physical demands of agility, obedience/rally, dock diving, conformation, hiking, and other activities may influence your approach to warm-ups and cool-downs.
🐾 Common Barriers & Solutions
Discover practical strategies to help overcome the challenges that often prevent owners from implementing warm-ups and cool-downs consistently.
📚 Real-World Application
Learn not only what to do, but when to do it, how long it should take, and how to adapt your approach based on the activity and your dog's individual needs.
🔬 Grounded in Research
Built on current evidence from sports science and clinical practice, with cited references and practical research highlights woven throughout — including what the science actually tells us about dynamic vs. static stretching, active recovery, and warm-up timing.
Sneak Peek Inside The Book 👀
Step-by-Step Exercise Instruction
Photo Sequences for Every Movement
Concepts Made Simple
Here's what veterinarians, rehabilitation professionals, trainers, and competitors are saying about the 2nd Edition.
"One of the biggest challenges veterinarians face is helping owners consistently implement safe exercise and conditioning strategies at home. Warm-Up & Cool-Down for the Canine Athlete bridges that gap with clear instructions, practical exercises, and an easy-to-follow framework that owners can confidently apply. I feel confident recommending this resource to clients with active and sporting dogs and believe it is equally valuable for veterinarians and canine rehabilitation professionals looking to improve compliance and support long-term soundness.
This book should be part of every veterinarian's and canine rehabilitation professional's library."
~Kayla Swanberg, DVM, Agility Competitor
"I am pleased to provide a glowing review of the second edition of Warm Up & Cool Down For The Canine Athlete. The latest edition provides updated references and clear guidelines for creating a warm up and cool-down regimen for a variety of canine sporting activities. The scannable QR codes are a fantastic addition and complement the written work perfectly to enable readers to also see the exercises being performed properly. I believe this book will help active dog owners with preserving and enhancing the physical health of their sporting dog companions!"
~Laurie Edge-Hughes,
BScPT, MAnimSt (Animal Physio.), CAFCI, CCRT, CSmAnimAcup/DryNeedling
"The 2nd edition builds on the 1st with a clear and concise plan that is backed by the latest research and from a “hands on” professional practitioner. This comprehensive guide is packed full of valuable information, and applies to any active dog to aid in detecting a physical issue or preventing injury. It provides a flexible approach, assisting with time management and conflicting priorities. There is clear instruction on several targeted exercises with video links to help guide you. You won’t want to miss a single page of this valuable resource."
~Jan Vlasak, PT, CSCC
"This is a super informative workbook! All the recommendations are science backed, and you’ll finish reading with a clear idea of a strategy you can put in place today! The exercises are well explained, and the overall plan is not overwhelming, just a simple program to help ensure your canine athlete shows up at their best!"
~Grace Heck, Multiple Team USA Agility Member
"Like many handlers, I know countless exercises and fully appreciate the value of warmups and cooldowns, yet I still struggle with execution. Carolyn's book provides a clear, actionable framework that explains the reasoning behind the choices and a systematic way to prioritize exercises, making for an effective, repeatable plan."
~Carol Lawrence, World Disc Competitor, Dog Trainer
"I have always believed that warm-up and cool-down are important for my dog before training and trialling. The problem was that without a structured approach to get me started I found it stressful and confusing. The Warm-Up and Cool-Down for the Canine Athlete ebook has become an invaluable resource in my training and trialling routine. With step-by-step descriptions, photos and videos of exercises (most requiring very little space and no equipment — perfect for a busy dog sport trial location!) and sample warm-up programs outlined for each sport my dogs and I participate in, the guesswork is gone! The videos are my favourite feature. A QR code for each exercise sends me directly to the clip showing it demonstrated. I can access this content on-the-go wherever my dogs take me!"
~Elaine Welbourn, IFCS World Agility Championship Medalist, Dog Agility Coach
"Carolyn has done it again! The second edition of “Warm-up & Cool-down for the Canine Athlete” is a beautiful resource and a MUST HAVE for any dog owner training or competing in sport. This area of sport is an often neglected aspect of training, leading to unnecessary injuries, rehab and time off from competition. Carolyn has laid out a compelling case for taking the time to do a warm-up and cool-down with easy to follow instructions, photos and accessible companion videos. She takes away any excuse anyone might have to skip this vital aspect of training. I highly recommend this resource for all dog owners whether they consider their dog to be an athlete or a companion animal."
~Shauna Slobodian, PT
About the Author
Carolyn McIntyre, MSc.PT
Multiple Team Canada Agility Member
Carolyn McIntyre is the founder of McIntyre Canine Rehabilitation in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. With over 18 years of experience in human physiotherapy and more than 10 years in canine rehabilitation, she helps active and sport dogs recover from injury, return to activity safely, and maintain long-term soundness and performance.
Carolyn holds a Master’s degree in Physiotherapy, a Diploma in Canine Rehabilitation, and certifications in Small Animal Acupuncture and Dry Needling. She has worked with thousands of dogs worldwide and served as the canine physio for Team Canada at the IFCS World Agility Championships in 2019 and 2020.
An active competitor herself, Carolyn has represented Canada internationally at the World Agility Open (WAO), FCI Agility World Championship (AWC), and European Open Agility Championship (EO) with her own Shetland Sheepdogs.
As the author of Warm-Up & Cool-Down for the Canine Athlete, Carolyn is passionate about helping owners better understand canine movement and injury prevention so their dogs can stay active, perform confidently, and remain sound for years to come through practical, evidence-based strategies.
Ready to Stop Guessing What Your Dog's Warm-Up and Cool-Down Should Look Like? 🐾
Whether your goal is improved performance, reduced injury risk, enhanced recovery, or simply helping your dog stay active and healthy for years to come, Warm-Up & Cool-Down for the Canine Athlete provides a practical, evidence-based framework you can start implementing today. 🐾
WARM-UP & COOL-DOWN For The Canine Athlete, 2nd Edition
$39.99 CAD 🇨🇦
Immediate Digital Access