Clean Run - August 2013 - 50

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 will turn
your trunk or the rest of your spine to compensate.

The cervical or neck area should be stretched
in a downward fashion. An easy method is to
place a piece of cheese or a treat between the
dog’s legs by coming behind the shoulders and
through to the front. The goal is for the dog to
flex his chin down to his chest and hold the
position for 15-20 seconds. This will open up
the large muscles between the shoulder blades.
This area tends to become fairly tight and restricted with straight shoulder musculature.

This activity may be made more dynamic
by adding a few other pieces of equipment so they dog is slowly walking up
and down the pieces of equipment. For
example, we can continue with the 70 cm
and 50 cm peanut and add in a donut, a
disc, and an 80 cm peanut or a table. The
pieces of equipment should be set up so
the dog can move from a higher level to
a lower level.

Improving Core Strength
Adequate core strength is always important in a performance dog, but in particular, the
dog with straight shoulders. Due to the additional stress on the dog’s mid and lower
thoracic areas, his core needs to be stronger than normal. Static and dynamic core work
are perfect activities to perform to strengthen the area.
A starter exercise begins with the dog standing squarely on a peanut, a balance disc, a
donut, or a balance board. The dog’s topline should be parallel with the ground—you
want to avoid a hunched up or roached position. Once the dog is comfortable, gently
rock the balance device or the dog forward to shift his weight to his front legs. Shifting
forward will place pressure on the shoulder complex and encourage the large muscles
of the shoulder and elbow to contract. The elbows should be in a straight position and
the larger bone, the olecranon, should be pointing straight back toward the knees or
back legs. When the shoulder complex begins to fatigue, the elbows have a tendency to
turn out. This is when a rest should be given to the dog. A treat or a hand signal may
also be used to encourage the dog to lean farther forward—thereby putting more pressure on the shoulder complex. This exercise is also working on the shoulder eccentrically—this contraction helps slow down the shoulder and the body as the body moves
forward. Each time the elbows move out, a rest should be given for approximately 1520 seconds and then the activity started again.
A progression from this exercise is to use several pieces of balance equipment with
varied heights so that one of the balance objects is approximately 5-10" above the other.
For example, for a medium-sized dog such as a Border Collie, a 70 cm peanut and a
60 cm or 50 cm peanut will work. To start, encourage the dog to step down onto the
lower piece of equipment with just his front
feet and hold that stance for up to 5 seconds.
Some dogs may be more advanced and able
to hold it longer. The elbow principle should
be adhered to in this exercise as well. Once
the elbow begins to rotate out, a rest should
be given. Instead of getting oﬀ the pieces of
equipment, encourage the dog to stand on one
of the peanuts squarely. Even though the dog
is still working, it is a diﬀerent activity and will
assist with cross training. The activity should
be performed a few more times.
50

Identifying Problems
Signs of shoulder problems may begin
to present themselves very subtly. The
first problems may be first identified in
the mid-back and/or lower neck. This is
secondary to the compensation of the
shoulders. The dog’s body is trying to
create the movement and his mid-back
and lower neck will compensate and
add to the movement. If these areas are
not as strong as they should be, they
will eventually begin to break down and
will be areas of soreness. Often massage
therapists, chiropractors, and rehabilitation practitioners will comment the dog
is “sore,” “tight,” or “out” in these areas.
This should be a sign there is an underlying problem. This is often the secondary and tertiary issue, and the primary
issue is the straight shoulders. Attention
should be paid to the areas in the form
of pain relief and restoration of function
and, ultimately, strengthening of the
region. In some cases, you need to consider if the activity the dog is involved
Clean Run

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Clean Run - August 2013

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