Clean Run - August 2013 - 49

Injury Prevention for
Dogs With

Straight

Fronts
By Debbie M. Gross, DPT, MSPT, OCS, CCRP, photos courtesy of author except where noted

Straight fronts are as common in dogs as flat feet are in people. Unfortunately, we cannot do anything about either
straight fronts or flat feet when they are already present except make adjustments and prevent further problems from occurring.
There are many breeds that are prone to straighter fronts than others breeds as commanded by their standard. Many of the
“guarding” breeds, such as Doberman Pinschers and Mastiffs, have straighter fronts compared to those dogs bred to herd,
such as Australian Shepherds and Border Collies. However, just being bred in a herding class or possessing a breed standard
with an angled front does not guarantee the dog will have a front that is not classified as straight.

Biomechanically, the dog’s shoulders will
only be able to reach out a certain distance in front of him. The arc of movement of the shoulder and the shoulder
complex will determine this. The shoulder complex is comprised of the scapula
or shoulder blade and the humerus. The
humerus sits close to the shoulder blade
and is analogous to a ball in a socket.
The ball glides through the socket to create a smooth movement as the shoulder
complex moves forward and backward.
If a dog has a straight front, he will be
more limited than other dogs in terms
of how far forward he can move the ball
and socket complex. I refer to this as his
“honest” movement.
While dogs with straight fronts can clear
jumps, leap over logs in the woods, and
jump on the couch, because of the limitation on moving the ball and socket
complex forward, the dog’s body has to
compensate by getting the motion needed
from other parts of his body. For example,
if you do not have enough rotation in your
neck to turn your head to look over your
shoulder while backing up your car, you
August 13

Clean Run

will turn your trunk or the rest of your spine to compensate. The body will always obtain
the desired movement, but unfortunately, it is often at the detriment of other areas. Often
dogs with straight fronts will have pain and discomfort in their mid and lower thoracic
areas from the compensation. Massage therapists, chiropractors, certified canine rehabilitation practitioners, and others might often feel heat, pain or discomfort in this area.
The keys to preventing injuries include 1) recognizing your dog has a straight front;
2) appropriate stretching; 3) strengthening of the shoulder complex muscles and the
core; and 4) recognizing small problems before they become big problems.

Stretching
Stretching is one of the first steps in the prevention of problems in dogs with straight
fronts. A few areas that need to be focused on include the shoulder flexors, lower cervical and upper thoracic, and the wrist or carpal area.
Shoulder extension, or straightening the shoulder straight out in front of the chest, is one of
the stretches. This movement is similar to the
dog giving a high-five. The shoulder may be
stretched with the dog either in a lying down,
sitting, or standing position. Using the palm of
your hand, pretend it is an ice cream scoop and
scoop the elbow forward until you feel slight resistance. This position should be held for 15-20
seconds. This stretch should be performed on
each shoulder independently, 3 to 4 times on
each side.

Clean Run - August 2013

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