Strengthening Exercises For Agility, Part 1: Rocking On A Theraball

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C

ECE’S
Strengthening Exercises
for Agility, Part 1 By Debbie Gross Saunders, MSPT, OCS, CCRP
Photos by Clean Run

G
Y M
To Increase Hind-End Awareness
The exercises used to increase hind-end awareness strengthen the muscles
As owners of athletic dogs, we are always looking dogs use for balance and proprioception. These muscles have Type I muscle
fibers or static muscle fibers. When the fibers are weak, they fatigue very
for methods to improve their strength, power, and
quickly. We use these muscle fibers to help us stand up. Think about how
endurance. This is even truer in dogs that have suffered you feel when you have had the flu or been in bed for a few days. When
an injury or undergone surgery to correct a problem and you tried to stand up, you probably wobbled a bit. Just a short stay in bed
can alter these muscles. Fortunately, they are easy to work on and can be
are working toward a return to agility. As an adjunct to focused on consistently. The exercises below should be initiated slowly but
agility training, strengthening exercises should be done may be performed on a daily basis. Although these exercises may seem
simple, your dog will be doing a significant amount of work.
with a healthy dog on a regular basis, and absolutely
Exercises to increase hind-end awareness are appropriate for:
must be done before an injured dog returns to agility. • Teaching hind-limb awareness to young dogs
• Improving hind-limb recognition in adult dogs
This month we’ll discuss exercises for increasing hind-end • Improving physical coordination on obstacles
awareness as well as exercises for increasing strength of • Recovery from hind-limb injuries
the gluteal and hamstring regions. • Recovery from cruciate surgeries and cruciate injuries
• Hip dysplasia
• Recovery from neurological conditions

Rocking the hips Rock the dog back and


• With the dog standing, rock the dog’s hips back and forth forth with his forelimbs on
a Theraball and his hind
until the dog tires. Fatigue will be evident when the dog limbs on the ground.
sits down, moves away from you, lies down, or refuses to
continue.
• This exercise can be performed several times a day.
• The dog may be further challenged by placing him on an
uneven surface, such as a dog bed, mattress, sand, piece
of foam, and so on.

Rocking on a Theraball • Place the dog’s forelimbs on a


Theraball while his hind limbs are
on the ground and rock the dog back
Rock the dog’s hips back and and forth to challenge his balance.
forth until he tires.
• Perform this rocking motion on a
good surface to avoid slipping.
• This activity should be done until
Increase difficulty by doing the fatigue and then may be repeated.
exercise on an uneven surface. • Fatigue may be reached after a few
seconds or a few minutes.
2
Walking in figure eights and through weaving cones
• When walking in a figure-eight pattern, start
out with a large pattern: 6' to 8' from point to
point for a small/medium dog and 10' to 12'
for a larger dog.
• When walking through weaving cones/pylons or poles, set them at 2'
to 3' apart for small dogs and 4' to 5' apart for large dogs. The cones
or poles help the dog by giving him an object to walk around.
• Place the dog on a leash so as not to confuse any of these activities
with competition weave poles and have him walk, not run, through

W
Walking
initially.
• Increase the activity level by trotting the dog instead of walking, and
by shortening the figure-eight pattern or decreasing the distance
between the weaving cones.

in sand
• Walking in sand is more difficult than it appears and should be
begun slowly.
• The softer the sand, the more difficult it will be for the dog to
walk. So start this activity in hard-packed sand, if possible, and
A large dog being walked through
begin with two to three minute walks with the dog on leash. weaving cones set 4' to 5' apart.
• To increase the intensity of the exercise, walk the dog for
A small dog being walked through weave poles
longer distances, up and down embankments, and in zigzags. set 36" apart.

Using a rocker board


• Purchase a rocker board or build your own using a sturdy piece of plywood
covered with a non-slip surface and mounted on a semicircular base. A BOSU
Balance Trainer (an exercise ball that’s been cut in half with a platform on the An underwater
top), for example, can be used as the base for your rocker board. For large dogs, treadmill can also
the rocker board needs to be at least 8" longer than your dog and twice his be used for this
exercise.
width. A Buja board may be used for small dogs.
• Place the dog on the board and rock him from side to side, and from front to
back, until the dog tires.
• The dog may sit, stand, or lie down on the board.
• Place the dog’s forelimbs on the ground while the hind limbs remain on the
rocker board as the board is rocked from side to side, and from front to back,
until the dog tires.
Walking in water
• Walking in water can be done in a natural body of water that
has a relatively level bottom or on an underwater treadmill.
• Walking in water is fairly strenuous for the dog, so gradually
increase the time to allow the dog to build up his endurance.
• Dogs that are just beginning to walk in water may start at a
higher height. The higher the level of water, the less stress on
the dog’s body:
• Water at hock level: dog is using 91% of body weight
Rock the dog from side to side, and from front To increase difficulty, place the dog’s forelimbs
• Water at knee level: dog is using 83% of body weight
to back. on the ground while his hind limbs remain on • Water at hip level: dog is using 38% of body weight
the board.
• Water height may be varied to increase the intensity.
3
(Need photo)

Leaning on an incline
• For this exercise you can use a hill, a board or ramp placed on a
bench or cinderblock, a stair, a contact trainer, and so on.
• Position the dog’s back legs on the incline at approximately 15°
to 20° to start.
• Use a treat or a hand signal to encourage the dog to lean forward
and back.
• Repeat this exercise five times; it may be done in sets of three.
• Be cautious if the dog has any acute or new back issues because the
incline may aggravate his back.

Finally, a video that gives you the tools


Tugging
Tugg
• Encourage the dog to tug on a rope or toy with his neck in a neutral
position. The neck should never be in an extended position.
• Engage in tugging for short sessions at first and gradually increase
the time.
to improve your skills as a handler,
• Do not yank the dog back and forth; provide consistent tension for
regardless of the size of your backyard! the dog to tug against.

Success with One Jump gives clear instruction on Correct


more than 20 exercises to help improve your dog’s
understanding of the key handling maneuvers
in agility, from a simple front cross to a more
complex pull-through to distance skills. This video
is a must-have for the seasoned competitor and
novice handler alike. Correct tugging: the dog’s neck is
in a neutral position.

www.cleanrun.com  Incorrect
Incorrect tugging: the dog’s neck should not be in an
extended position.

4 Clean Run | November 06


Controlled sit to stand
• This exercise is equivalent to our
performing squats without any weight.
• Back the dog into a corner or up against Rocking on a Theraball
a wall to avoid excess movement.
• Follow previous instructions for
• Use treats to encourage the dog to this exercise in the “To Increase
repetitively sit and stand for sets of Hind-End Awareness” section.
eight to ten, done to two to three times.
Use a corner or a wall to avoid • Also encourage a full stand from a sit.
excess movement when doing
this exercise.

To Increase Strength in the • Pick up the dog’s forelimbs and

Dancing
encourage him to walk backward.
Gluteal and Hamstring Regions Holding the dog’s forelimbs stabilizes
the pelvis.
The hamstrings and gluteal regions are located in the back of
the dog’s hind limb. The hamstrings are the larger muscles • Do not encourage the dog to do this
and the gluteals are located more on the dog’s pelvis. Together, exercise without help or to walk back
these muscles are responsible for extending the dog’s hip and on his own.
knee. They also produce power for jumping and running. • Start with a distance of approximately
These muscles should be strengthened on a regular basis and 10'. Give the dog a short rest and then
be involved in any crosstraining regime for agility dogs. repeat the exercise three to five times.
Exercises to increase strength in the gluteal and hamstring • As the dog becomes stronger, you can
regions are appropriate for: increase the distance and repetitions.
• Improving jumping strength This may also be performed going up
• Improving power in the hind limbs small inclines of 10° to 20°.
• Recovery from hind-limb injuries, especially cruciate
injuries
• Recovery from back injury
• Generalized hind-limb weakness

Next month we’ll discuss exercises to strengthen the


quadriceps region and the forelimbs, and to increase core
and back strength. D

Debbie Gross Saunders is a licensed physical therapist and a certified


canine rehabilitation practitioner with over 15 years of experience in the
field. She practices in Connecticut at the Pieper-Olson Veterinary Clinic. She
and her husband also have a rehabilitation and training center on their
farm in Connecticut where they specialize in the rehabilitation, nutrition,
and conditioning of dogs. Her book Canine Physical Therapy is available
from www.wizardofpaws.net as is her quarterly newsletter, Wizard of Paws,
which features the latest in exercise and rehabilitation. Contact Debbie at
[email protected].

Walking up hills 45°


30°
• The hills should ideally be at a 30° to 45° incline.
• Walk the dog up the hills for a distance of 50' to 100', to be repeated
three to four times initially.
• Walking encourages equal use of both hind limbs—do not allow
the dog to jog or trot.
You will need to get on
• Zigzag the dog down the hill to avoid stress on the forelimbs your knees to dance with
a smaller dog.
5
at www.cleanrun.com

Would you like to improve your


dog’s agility performance while
helping to prevent injuries?

Strengthening the Performance Dog Strengthening the Performance Dog


By Debbie Gross Saunders By Debbie Gross Saunders
Dogs participating in performance sports such as agility require Dogs doing agility and other performance canine sports
crosstraining activities, including both a conditioning program need to be treated as athletes. Strength and flexibility are
and strengthening exercises. Doing a variety of strengthening vital. Stretching prepares the body for movement, improving
exercises will improve your dog’s agility performance and, even performance on the agility field and aiding in the prevention
more important, will protect him against injuries. This video of common injuries. Learn how to properly stretch your dog.
demonstrates a variety of strengthening exercises that should be This DVD contains instructions for stretching each part of your
part of your crosstraining program outside of agility. It includes dog’s body so that you can create a stretching routine to address
exercises to improve jumping strength and power, improve injuries or weaknesses in your dog. It also contains a complete
collection and turning ability, increase forelimb and hind limb pre-agility stretching routine that you can use if you want a set
strength, improve balance, and increase hind-end awareness. routine to follow.

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