Building Muscle

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

Over the summer, the mutts gained a bit of weight. Between having the kids home on holiday, and both the dogs alternately coming down with kennel cough, they didn't get nearly the exercise they should've. Once the kids started back to school I started working on getting them back to the way I like them.

 

At the minute they're getting between 2-4 hours exercise 4-5 days a week. Mostly that consists of road walking them on short leads at a fast pace to keep them at a trot for a good while (which means I'm blimmin' knackered when I get home!), then we have a good mooch including swimming/jumping etc.

 

I find the lurcher much easier to get fit and I'm pleased with the way she's come on

 

 

But the whippet is proving a challenge. He's definitely a bit lighter but still not building the muscle that I'd like.

 

 

Suggestions please? I'm clearly missing something. I don't have a car so I can't jog them out and, frankly, I'd rather set my hair on fire than ride a bike for miles. Or are some dogs just not built in an obviously muscley way? After all, he's fast, keen and agile ... but I just want him to look a bit more buff

[Wild Whippies 11]

What's his breeding?

There are different types of whippet, there's also a gene within non-peds that inhibits myostatin. Myostatin is what limits muscle mass. Therefore if the dog has one of the genes, it will make it build more muscle. Sometimes (rarely) a dog will possess 2 of the genes which results in what's known as a bully whippet, like the one seen below.

 

 

Working bred whippets and show lines tend to have a smoother look about them. Racing whippets look very 'cut' as it were. The smoother dog will tend to have more stamina wheras the racer will be a faster animal.

The reason being is that there are 2 types of muscle fibre. Fast twitch and slow twitch. Fast twitch is large muscle which supplies power, slow twitch is associated with stamina.

If a dog naturally had a greater amount of one type, it will be better at a particular discipline.

 

However, both types of muscle tissue can be stimulated to a certain degree dependant upon the exercise done. How much can be stimulated is limited though and of course will never superceed an animal that has been born naturally with these attributes.

 

I have peddy whippets from show/ coursing lines and non-peds, they all have the same exercise regime but physically look very different.

 

So long as the dog is fit and fit for the purpose you use it for, I wouldn't worry because large muscles can have their disadvanatages.

 

Lovely dogs by the way

[iamduvern 62]

What's his breeding?

There are different types of whippet, there's also a gene within non-peds that inhibits myostatin. Myostatin is what limits muscle mass. Therefore if the dog has one of the genes, it will make it build more muscle. Sometimes (rarely) a dog will possess 2 of the genes which results in what's known as a bully whippet, like the one seen below.

 

 

Working bred whippets and show lines tend to have a smoother look about them. Racing whippets look very 'cut' as it were. The smoother dog will tend to have more stamina wheras the racer will be a faster animal.

The reason being is that there are 2 types of muscle fibre. Fast twitch and slow twitch. Fast twitch is large muscle which supplies power, slow twitch is associated with stamina.

If a dog naturally had a greater amount of one type, it will be better at a particular discipline.

 

However, both types of muscle tissue can be stimulated to a certain degree dependant upon the exercise done. How much can be stimulated is limited though and of course will never superceed an animal that has been born naturally with these attributes.

 

I have peddy whippets from show/ coursing lines and non-peds, they all have the same exercise regime but physically look very different.

 

So long as the dog is fit and fit for the purpose you use it for, I wouldn't worry because large muscles can have their disadvanatages.

 

Lovely dogs by the way

 

 

 

 

Good post!! You learn something new everyday 

 

 

 

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

WW, the whippet is Nimrodel lines - a line I really don't know much about. He's a big lad, to be sure.

 

Very interesting post, thanks for that I know that he's fit and has really good stamina, but when I look at him it seems like he could look so much better than he does (tho I do think he's a smasher, but I'm biased ). I wonder if he could use more or less of one type of exercise over another to buff him up a little bit.

[Malt 379]

 

So long as the dog is fit and fit for the purpose you use it for, I wouldn't worry because large muscles can have their disadvanatages.

 

 

I think I read somewhere that the extra muscle on a double muscled whippet can be a big negative due to the dog having too much muscle for it's circulatory system. They are then prone to getting huge build ups of lactic acid and suffering cramps?

[gnipper 6,042]

What's his breeding?

There are different types of whippet, there's also a gene within non-peds that inhibits myostatin. Myostatin is what limits muscle mass. Therefore if the dog has one of the genes, it will make it build more muscle. Sometimes (rarely) a dog will possess 2 of the genes which results in what's known as a bully whippet, like the one seen below.

 

 

Working bred whippets and show lines tend to have a smoother look about them. Racing whippets look very 'cut' as it were. The smoother dog will tend to have more stamina wheras the racer will be a faster animal.

The reason being is that there are 2 types of muscle fibre. Fast twitch and slow twitch. Fast twitch is large muscle which supplies power, slow twitch is associated with stamina.

If a dog naturally had a greater amount of one type, it will be better at a particular discipline.

 

However, both types of muscle tissue can be stimulated to a certain degree dependant upon the exercise done. How much can be stimulated is limited though and of course will never superceed an animal that has been born naturally with these attributes.

 

I have peddy whippets from show/ coursing lines and non-peds, they all have the same exercise regime but physically look very different.

 

So long as the dog is fit and fit for the purpose you use it for, I wouldn't worry because large muscles can have their disadvanatages.

 

Lovely dogs by the way

Have you got any decent pics showing the difference between a racing bred / show bred/ coursing bred and non peds? Cheers

[Wild Whippies 11]

 

So long as the dog is fit and fit for the purpose you use it for, I wouldn't worry because large muscles can have their disadvanatages.

 

 

I think I read somewhere that the extra muscle on a double muscled whippet can be a big negative due to the dog having too much muscle for it's circulatory system. They are then prone to getting huge build ups of lactic acid and suffering cramps?

 

Yes, I mentioned it earlier on in the week. The bully whippet basically has too much muscle mass for her frame and as such her blood supply can't fulfil the muscles demand. She tends to sprint for about 50yds max before fading.

She did get cramps, very severe ones infact but we've managed to keep her cramp free for a year now.

[Malt 379]

So long as the dog is fit and fit for the purpose you use it for, I wouldn't worry because large muscles can have their disadvanatages.

 

 

I think I read somewhere that the extra muscle on a double muscled whippet can be a big negative due to the dog having too much muscle for it's circulatory system. They are then prone to getting huge build ups of lactic acid and suffering cramps?

 

Yes, I mentioned it earlier on in the week. The bully whippet basically has too much muscle mass for her frame and as such her blood supply can't fulfil the muscles demand. She tends to sprint for about 50yds max before fading.

She did get cramps, very severe ones infact but we've managed to keep her cramp free for a year now.

 

 

Didn't see your earlier post, just good to know not everything I read on the net is bullsh*t!

 

 

[Malt 379]

PS. Sorry for taking your thread off topic LG..

[Wild Whippies 11]

WW, the whippet is Nimrodel lines - a line I really don't know much about. He's a big lad, to be sure.

 

They've been used for different disciplines. Mary Lowe owns the affix Nimrodel, some are show dogs but I know the likes of Lynperry have used the line for their stamina and I've heard the affix mentioned a lot in coursing bred dogs.

[Wild Whippies 11]

Have you got any decent pics showing the difference between a racing bred / show bred/ coursing bred and non peds? Cheers

 

I'll do another thread so as not to hijack this one.

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

Quite happy for the thread to be hijacked, I find this all interesting

 

I'm not wanting to have a massive bulked up dog, just would very much like to see him more defined if that makes sense?

 

WW, Dennis is a Fallswater whippet. I'm very very pleased with him, he was so well cared for and from the day I got him he's been spot on in every way and he's great company.

[Attack Fell Terrier 864]

I've not got whippets, but when I'm getting the terriers ready for the season, I'll give them their exercise but I'll feed them raw meat/chicken/tripe/bone with in half an hour of getting them back in.

 

It's just like when someone works out, they'll get the protein shake in them soon after their workout, so I tried doing similar with the dogs by feeding them after their exercise and they seem to do well on it .