For the 19th season of the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge, the brand partnered with Misty May-Treanor, three-time Olympic gold medalist, to create the "Incredible Dog Science" video series.
The three-part series explores the physics, evolutionary developments and mechanics of the canine body with analysis provided by David Raichlen, PhD, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona, and Brian Zanghi, PhD, research nutritionist at Nestle Purina.
Athlete versus canines
In the videos, May-Treanor competes against Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge competitors.
The first episode, Agility, analyzes the differences in velocity and trajectory between May-Treanor and competitor, Schemer, a border collie, as they dart through weave poles.
Episode two, Speed, demonstrates the significant effects that body mechanics play in enabling and inhibiting mobility as May-Treanor takes on the Jack Russell Terrier.
Episode three, Power, puts May-Treanor's volleyball prowess to the test by focusing on activities like jumping and diving to highlight the sheer strength that propels a dog like the Belgian Malinois in its movements versus a human.
The Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge Western Regional took place in Huntington Beach, California. The National Finals, which take place at Purina Farms in St. Louis, in late September, will air nationwide on February 5, 2017, on NBC.
History of Purina
Nestlé Purina PetCare remains a juggernaut in the global pet care industry, though it now faces stiff competition for first place from Mars Pet Foods. Long a leader in the US market, Nestlé Purina also operates petfood factories in 19 countries and on every habitable continent. Nestlé Purina claims three headquarters globally: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, for its North American and Latin American operations; Lausanne, Switzerland, in Europe; and Sydney, Australia, covering Asia, Oceania and Africa. Its parent company Nestlé's world headquarters are in Vevey, Switzerland.
