For dachsie owners who love them too much to leave it to luck
Your dachsie looks fine. That doesn't mean they're strong.
Step-by-step strength courses for every age of dachshund, from wobbly puppy to wise old senior. Follow them at home, so you can stop crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, and start building the strong body that supports their back.
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- 26k dachsie lovers following along
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"I recommend to everyone who reaches out to me (dachshund world or patients / owners at my vet practice) with any dog having symptoms of IVDD, needing balance training or muscle strengthening, to subscribe to your page."
Martina, vet & dachshund breeder
You've been told everything they can't do
No stairs, no jumping, don't let them overdo it. Feed them this food, give them that supplement, never use a collar, always a harness. The list goes on.
So you bought the ramps. You lift them off the sofa. Then they spot a squirrel, launch off it anyway, and your heart ends up in your mouth.
The IVDD scaremongering is everywhere. What nobody makes clear is what the research actually says, so you can do what's in your power to lower the risk.
Why walks alone won't build a strong dachsie
Most of us were taught that a walk a day is all a dog needs. If you're doing that and still worrying, it isn't because you're getting it wrong. It's because a walk was never designed to build the strength a dachsie needs.
"A walk" means something different to everyone
For me, it's miles of hills, woods and fields with the girls off lead. For someone else, it's 20 minutes to the shops on a lead and harness. Both are lovely. Neither is a strength plan, and I still do strength work with my girls so they're ready for those hikes.
Athletes don't just play their sport
A footballer spends more time on strength, balance and skills work than on the pitch, because that's what makes them better and safer at the game. You don't train your dog for the walk on the walk. You train them in a strength session.
On a walk, a dog who's compensating just finds the easiest way through
In a strength session, you can see exactly where they're compensating and build muscle evenly, which lowers the risk of injury.
And rest matters
In human exercise science, rest days are one of the most important parts of any programme, because that's when the body rebuilds stronger. A good plan builds them in. A daily walk doesn't.
What Myrtle taught me
Myrtle could walk for over an hour before her IVDD. I'd started her on some strength work, but I wasn't dedicated to it. Part of me felt she didn't really need it, because nothing was wrong with her. When she started showing signs of pain, I stopped. Eight months later, she had IVDD.
A year after her surgery, with proper strength work behind her, she was stronger than she'd ever been before it. That's when I saw it. All those long walks had masked how little real strength she'd had.
Why I do this: both my girls have had IVDD
I'm Lucy, a K9PT.
When Mabel went down with IVDD, I'd never heard of canine conditioning. I got her through rehab as best I could, and she seemed completely back to normal.
Eighteen months later, I was out in the garden trying to film her for the strength trainer I'd just started working with. All I needed was a clean down into a stand. I stuck to the reps we'd been given, and she couldn't do a single one properly. I thought it was a training problem. Then it hit me: it was a strength problem.
"Back to normal" isn't the same as strong. Mabel hadn't only needed rehab after her injury. She'd needed strength work from the very start.
Mabel is now almost 11 and lives with hip dysplasia. Between 7 and 11, she's shown no extra arthritis, with a mix of strength work, pain relief, supplements and soft tissue release. When she was X-rayed at 9, my vet was shocked at how little had changed.
Myrtle, now 8, does 5-mile hikes with no stiffness and is ready for her next session the following day.
Everything I've done with them is inside these courses.
"Whatever you are doing, KEEP doing it."
Mabel's vet, after her X-ray at 9
Imagine a normal week with a strong dachsie
- The rain's lashing down and you skip the walk without a flicker of guilt, because a short session on the living room floor did more for their body anyway.
- They tear round the garden and you get to enjoy watching, instead of bracing for it.
- You know how they should move, so you catch small changes early, rather than lying awake searching symptoms at midnight.
- And they love it. Most owners find their dachsie won't get off the equipment until the treats come out.
How dreamy does that sound?
Strength courses made only for dachsies, for every stage of life
Step-by-step strength plans, one for every stage of a dachshund's life, built from exactly what I've done with Mabel and Myrtle.
Short videos show you each exercise on a real dachsie. Printable journals let you watch the progress add up. Every course includes a free live class. And lifetime access means you can come back whenever you need to.
What changes for you both
You stop guessing what's safe
Every exercise is made for a long back and short legs, and you learn the signs of tiredness, frustration and discomfort, so you always know when to stop.
Their back gets real support
Core, back and leg muscles are built gradually. In people, we know strong muscles around the spine support it and reduce wear and tear. It's the same logic for your dachsie.
You get more adventures together
Longer hikes, less stiffness the next day, and a dog who trusts their own body. More days out, more muddy paws, more stories you'll still be telling years from now.
Your bond grows
Sessions feel like play. It's partnership, not obedience.
Which course is right for my dachsie?
Still not sure? If your dachsie is between 6 months and 8 years and new to this, start with Foundations.
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8 weeks to 6 months
Puppy Skills
£69.99Puppies don't need miles. They need the right movement at the right age. Over 80 short lessons on growth plates, safe play and setting up your home. You get a video for every exercise, a weekly guide to setting each session up, and downloadable journals to track their progress. You only get one puppyhood.
Yes, give my puppy the best start -
6 months+, new to strength work
Foundations
£199 or 2 × £100Where every dachsie should start. Over 90 lessons and three professional plans give you 3 to 9 months of steady progress, a few times a week.
Yes, I'm ready to start -
12 months+, finished Foundations or similar
Next Level
£199For the dachsie who's ready for more. Around a year of work to get through it all, and it's yours for life. Over 70 lessons, including how to use wobbly equipment safely and exactly when to move up, hold, or ease off.
Yes, take us further -
8 years+
Senior Strength
£199 or 2 × £100Gentle strength for stiffer mornings and slower walks. Over 80 lessons and 6 short mini plans to progress through, across about 6 months, built around what's kept Mabel moving.
Yes, keep my oldie moving -
Any age, best after some strength work
Strength by Design New
£199For the owner who wants to take their dog's strength into their own hands. Learn how to build a personalised programme that fits your dog, not a generic one, and watch them win at life. Any breed is welcome (demo videos are dachsies for now, more breeds coming in 2027). Best if you've done some strength work before. It follows on perfectly from Next Level.
Join the waiting list
What £199 really costs
£199 is about what you'd spend on a new bed and a harness.
What the research really says: there's no study proving strength work prevents IVDD, and I'll never tell you it does. What human science tells us is that strong core and spinal muscles support the spine. And a dog who already knows their exercises goes into any rehab with a head start.
Waiting has a cost too. Every month of "just walks" is another month their back is supported by less muscle than it needs. For puppies, the easiest time to build it is while they're growing. For seniors, muscle quietly slips away with age, month by month.
What dachsie owners say about working with me
Your questions, answered
IVDD scares me so much I'd rather not think about it.
That's completely human. But looking away doesn't lower the risk, and building strength is something you can actually do. It's a few calm sessions a week that let you stop worrying and get on with enjoying your dog.
What if I do it wrong and hurt their back?
Every exercise is shown step by step on a real dachsie, and strength is built slowly, so you always know when to pause. And every course includes a free live class, so I can watch you both and tweak anything that's off. If your dachsie is in pain or has a diagnosis, check with your vet or rehab professional first.
Isn't this a luxury? Walks are free.
Walks are brilliant for sniffs, exploring and making memories. They just don't always build the muscle a long back needs. A few short strength sessions a week fill that gap. They're not a guarantee, but they're something you can do at home to give their back real support.
I'm busy. Will I actually stick with it?
Senior plans take 15 to 20 minutes. Foundations takes 30 to 45 minutes a few times a week, and a session can replace a walk, which is perfect for fair-weather dachsies. Your journals keep you on track.
We're already working on training or behaviour. Shouldn't I focus on that first?
It might feel like you have to choose one or the other. But strength work builds confidence, partnership, calm and stillness, good handling, resilience, and a dog who loves their equipment. All of that carries straight into your training. Doing both could get your dachsie where you want them faster.
My dachsie already has a back or joint issue. Can we join?
Often, yes. Mabel has hip dysplasia and does these exercises. Get your vet or rehab professional's sign-off first, then go at your dog's pace. Not sure if a course is right? Message me. If private sessions would suit your dachsie better, I'll tell you.
Do I need special equipment?
Mostly things you already have at home. For the few bits you need, I show you how to make them or where to buy them.
What if I can't start straight away?
You have lifetime access, so start whenever you're ready.
Try it for 14 days, risk free
I want this to feel like an easy yes. If you realise within 14 days that it isn't right for you and your dachsie, email me and I'll refund you, as long as you've done no more than half the course.
Be the owner who builds their strength before anything goes wrong
You can keep wrapping them in bubble wrap, put the blinkers on, or bury your head in the sand. Or you can be proactive, not reactive, and give that brave little body the muscle it's been missing.
Your dachsie is going to love you for it.
Yes, I want a stronger dachsie