The path I chose to help a dog, and where it led me.

Bobbie owns and operates Pawsitive Performance, LLC which offers dog training, fitness training and trick training around the globe and in NW Oregon where she lives.  Bobbie is the program director and lead instructor for NCSU's (www.ncsuvetce.com/canine-fitness-cscc/) Certified Canine Strength and Conditioning program (CSCC).    Bobbie completed the University of Tennessee Certified Canine Fitness Trainer program. Bobbie is a Certified Training Partner with the Karen Pryor Academy, and has completed the Living & Learning with Animals course (Applied Behavior Analysis).  Bobbie is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty member.

Bobbie Lyons K9FITteam was formed in 2017.  The team of eight trainers continue their education each year to be on the leading edge of what is new with canine fitness.   We want to offer the very best education to others while also offering the unique ability to train the dog to offer independent movement.   The team is teaching classes sponsored by FitPAWS, you can see the schedule here. 

​Bobbie Lyons, CSCC, CCFT, KPA CTP, Cert CF has been training her own dogs in agility, herding, tricks and dock diving.  Her dog training experience started with training her own dogs in tricks training and agility and eventually teaching classes on foundation agility, focus and impulse control over 14 years ago.   In 2005 she started teaching private lessons and workshops educating others on how to properly improve body awareness and strength in their K9 Athlete to prepare for and improve performance.   In 2012, Bobbie started teaching web-based K9 Fitness classes. In 2018, Bobbie launched her own online classroom Bobbie Lyons Canine Campus.

Her human fitness experience stems from being a gym rat and body building for over 15 years as well as obtaining a Black Belt in Taekwondo.  

Bobbie got started in K9 Fitness because she has a dog with structural issues that prevented him from fully extending his hind legs when jumping in agility.  This structural issue put more stress on his shoulders, spine and pelvis which lends to injury. Because of this issue, Bobbie made it a priority to obtain the knowledge and skill necessary to keep him more comfortable, flexible and stronger so that he could enjoy the sport of agility without pain or discomfort.  What she realized along the way was that her dog was not aware of his feet and how to properly distribute his weight, nor did he have the core strength needed to support his poor structure.

Bobbie researched every book, video and class that she could find on massage, gait analysis, acupressure, canine rehabilitation and canine sports fitness.  She made appointments, quizzed and gained relationships with rehabilitation veterinarians, osteopaths, chiropractors and canine physical therapists.  She immediately started implementing exercises suggested by these professionals not just for her structurally challenged dog but her healthy dogs too.  

Force @ 13yrs old

KPA Certification #40570

After seeing the benefits of improved core strengthen, body awareness, and flexibility training in her own dogs, Bobbie taught her first class on Canine Conditioning in 2005. Teaching strength exercises and working with dogs for over 14 years has given her the experience needed to develop a well-rounded program that anyone can do with a healthy dog.   After several years of teaching, Bobbie was able to show her program to Dr. Bianca Shaw of Back on Track Veterinary Rehabilitation Center. (The leading Rehab Vet in the Portland Metro Area) Bobbie has been teaching canine fitness private lessons and classes inside Back on Track Vet Rehab since 2013.

In 2014 Bobbie attended the International Symposium on Veterinary Rehabilitation/Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine.  Bobbie has spent several weeks at  Veterinary Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Group (VOSM) in Maryland to shadow Doctors Sherman and Debra Canapp during diagnostic ultrasounds, gait analysis, surgery, initial and follow up exams and rehabilitation appointments. Shadowing professionals in the veterinary and rehabilitation field helps Bobbie understand when to refer her clients for veterinary services and allows her an open line of communication with reference to skills specific exercises so that she can get new exercises looked at and approved.  Bobbie is always looking for ways to better help her clients, further her knowledge and foster referrals to and from veterinarians.

Bobbie works with several assistance dog and diabetic alert dog organization starting puppies at 8 weeks of age and working with them until 2 years old to lay the foundation work for proper movement and muscle engagement for any task asked of them.   The program for each dog is adjusted depending on what will be expected of the dog.  

Bobbie’s Canine Conditioning workshops and classes are held all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and Worldwide.  

​Bobbie's classes fill mostly by referral.  Please see the testimonial tab for student and colleague references.

Established Pawsitive Performance in 2006

Publications/books/dvds

• Authored Conditioning Exercises for Jumping Skill in Chapter 5 of Mastering Jumping Skills Volume One by Linda Mechlenburg/Clean Run Magazine 
• Authored Advanced Conditioning Exercises Chapter for Mastering Jumping Skills Volume Two by Linda Mechlenburg/Clean Run Magazine - available 2018​
• Published 12 articles about Canine Fitness in Clean Run Magazine Jan - Dec 2015
• Published six Puppy Fitness articles for Clean Run 2017-2018
• Co authored articles with Alan Gardner for Animal Therapy Magazine 2017

Pawsitive Performance Online Sport Dog Classes

• Fitness Monthly
• Focus on Jumping
• Focus on Weaves
• Foundation Fitness
• Rear End Awareness
• Iliopsoas and shoulder injury prevention exercise 
• Warm up/Cool Down/Flexibility
• Fitness in Small Places
• All Things Cavaletti

​Online Workshops

• Posture Evaluation
• Strength for Heeling
• Strategies for Teaching Pet Dog Fitness

Older Classes 

• Winter Workouts
• Shaping K9Fitness
• Fitness with Focus
• Walk this Way - DogTread gait and strength class
• K9XTraining

FitPAWS and University of Tennessee Classes

• University of Tennessee  - CCFT II Lab
• K9Fitness 101
• Strategies for Teaching Pet Dog Fitness
• Strategies for Teaching Performance Dog Fitness

Riley, Drama, Stanley, Force, Jack & Kaos

Force stretching his pelvis

Hidden Valley's Tough Act to Follow - "Drama"