Parkour is an activity of moving through an environment in thoughtful, creative ways while negotiating obstacles by running, jumping and climbing. Canine Parkour offers dogs a unique approach to training that engages their minds and their bodies in novel ways. Parkour has been a popular component of ZENFULdog training and trails for quite some time. If you and your dog have loved your taste of Parkour so far, you’ll be happy to learn that Kendra now offers classes dedicated to specialized Parkour Training.

The Incredible History of Parkour
The term “Parkour” originates from the French term “Parcours du combattant” to describe a form of obstacle course drill used for military training. Parkour began its evolution from military training courses to the creative use of the environment during the First Indochina War in 1946 when Raymond Belle was separated from his parents and placed in a French Military orphanage in Da Lat, Vietnam.
To train his body and his mind to survive constant physical abuse, Raymond would sneak out at night and silently devise his own obstacle courses out of objects in the natural environment and practice moving across them as quickly and efficiently as possible. Raymond moved back to France when the war ended in 1954. His son, the stuntman David Belle, popularized an evolution to his father’s “Parcours” in the 1980s and 90s called “Parkour” that encompasses the creative use of objects in one’s environment as an art of movement, freedom, creativity and physical discipline.
Canine Parkour
When Parkour made its way to the canine world, it originated in urban settings as a solution to the negative effects of a stifling and rule-driven environment of small, confined spaces in cities. It is an approach that spread to rural settings because it works beautifully with naturally occurring objects like tree stumps and hay bails.

Canine Parkour is a perfect fit for the cognitive-based training offered at ZENFULdog because it provides a thoughtful and novel approach to movement that connects dogs emotionally, physically and spiritually to the world around them while fighting boredom and building agility.
All obstacles suggested to your dog during training develop their concept of choice because their choices are never forced. The concept of choice is proven to help dogs further develop their cognitive abilities and their sense of personal accomplishment.
Canine Parkour is not competitive but there are training levels and dogs are motivated by each others’ progress during group classes to reflectively push themselves to reach their personal milestones.
The Magic of Parkour
A principal aim of Parkour is to build confidence and thoughtfulness. More thoughtful dogs will learn to build confidence as they successfully tackle obstacles and more confident dogs learn to be more thoughtful as they learn proprioception—knowing where their bodies are in space.
As dogs learn to isolate different body parts, they learn to use their muscles and body parts in different ways to build an unparalleled, long-lasting, overall level of fitness and health. Safety is always at the forefront of Parkour Training and the exercises are low-impact and adaptable so any dog can do them from puppy to old-timer.
Parkour can even be a magical tool for curbing aggression when more reactive dogs build confidence so are less fearful—and thus less explosive—around their triggers, be it other dogs or people.
Continuing to practice and maintain Parkour Training after completing the levels is easy and practical with endless possibilities in one’s own environment. For example, it doesn’t cost a dime to turn a bucket upside down or to walk a plank. Every new environment becomes a new adventure once you and your dog learn how to safely engage in Parkour with ZENFULdog!
To learn more about the Parkour Training Levels offered by ZENFULdog, click here
Don’t forget to follow ZENFULdog Training on Facebook where you can stay connected to your like-minded dog-loving community every day.
Comments