Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, the study by Brian D. Farr, M. Ramos, and Cynthia Otto describes the development of the Fit to Work program at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center. Working dogs require targeted conditioning to meet the physical demands of operational tasks, yet handlers and trainers often lack accessible, evidence-based fitness frameworks.
Fit to Work addresses this gap by focusing on four foundational fitness modalities: strength, stability, mobility, and proprioception. The program was piloted over three months in a closed cohort of 31 working dogs undergoing training. Its structure includes posture development, warm-up and cool-down sequences, discrete foundational exercises, and clear assessment procedures.
To enhance usability, the program emphasizes standardized progression steps and defined criteria for advancement. This minimizes reliance on complex trained behaviors, making implementation more consistent across handlers and dogs. Each exercise follows a progression path that allows for safe and incremental improvement.
The Fit to Work program also provides a tiered and cost-effective assessment system that evaluates foundational physical fitness. This approach allows trainers to monitor progress, tailor conditioning strategies, and identify fitness limitations that may impact operational readiness.
The authors stress that future research should focus on validating the program’s training and assessment methods, establishing fitness standards, and examining how foundational physical fitness correlates with real-world working performance.
Source: Farr, B. D., Ramos, M., & Otto, C. (2020). The Penn Vet Working Dog Center Fit to Work Program: A Formalized Method for Assessing and Developing Foundational Canine Physical Fitness. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Published August 13, 2020.
