In a heart rate-based dosing approach, what would indicate you are within desired intensity?

• A. HR monitoring is not useful.
• B. Target zones based on HR max or HR reserve and monitoring HR responses to stay in desired stimulus.
• C. Only measure after sessions.
• D. Use HR to measure age.

Answer: (B)

You control training intensity by keeping the dog’s heart rate in a target zone that’s based on HR max or HR reserve, and you monitor HR during the session to stay there. This approach ensures the workout delivers the intended physiological stimulus—neither undertraining nor overexertion—by adjusting effort in real time as the dog’s HR responds. If the heart rate climbs toward the upper end of the zone, you modulate pace or distance; if it drops, you can increase effort to stay within the desired range. Waiting to assess intensity after the session misses the chance to adjust the workout as it’s happening.

That’s why this option is the best choice: it uses measurable, real-time feedback to maintain the planned stimulus. The other ideas ignore active monitoring, rely on post-session data, or attempt to infer unrelated factors, which wouldn’t reliably keep the dog in the desired intensity.