You may want to build up the muscles in your dog for many reasons including aesthetics, obstacle courses, show competitions and over-all health. Additional muscle mass can be achieved by following a high-calorie and high-protein diet, along with incorporating exercise and strength training into your dog's daily routine.
Things You'll Need
- Cream cheese
- Peanut butter
- Olive oil
- Meat
- Rope
- Ball or Frisbee
Instructions
Feed your dog high-calorie foods to help him gain mass. Add foods such as cream cheese, peanut butter, olive oil and meat to his diet. High-fat and protein rich foods will help your dog put on muscle, as long as they're combined with enough strength-training exercises.
Exercise your dog regularly. Take him on walks and runs. Play fetch and require him to run uphill in order to retrieve the ball. Play tug-of-war by holding a rope and having him pull on the other end. Take your dog swimming to work all of his muscles simultaneously. Veterinarian Dr. Gregory McDonald recommends that you let your dog work at his own pace. Much like humans, dogs need to start slowly and build up their endurance and strength.
Take your dog to the dog park. Playing and wrestling with other dogs will allow her to build up muscles that traditional exercise may not.