Just unfit or hip issue??
I have noticed that she likes to take a run up for the walk and the teeter. At first I thought that it was just because she was doing everything fast to get the food lure but we have been practising the command "slow" and last class I noticed that she seemed to want to go back to a run up the slope of the teeter and the walk after a few goes. We have started going to an oval where there are stairs in the grandstand for some strength work and again Tiggy prefers to bound up them which if I'm right means that she is utilising her front legs more than if she just walks sedately. Mind you Tiggy doesnt believe in sedate. 
What does everyone think, is this just a fatigue thing and a need for more conditioning or is it more likely to be a hip joint issue? I know, I know, hard to tell, get some Xrays. And I most likely will in the near future. But I was wondering if those of you with experience training agility dogs have noticed anything like this in dogs new to climbing slopes. Thanks.  |
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| I'd love to help, but my guys always scrambled up stairs and hills long before we started agility. I will tell you that Marley has excellant hips and Morgan okay hips. Marley is much more likely to run up an incline than Morgan. |
Mim wrote: Tiggy prefers to bound up them which if I'm right means that she is utilising her front legs more than if she just walks sedately.
To me, bounding up the stairs shows strength and requires major thrust off the back legs. Maybe I am not understanding how Tiggy is doing it. |
Valerie wrote: Mim wrote: Tiggy prefers to bound up them which if I'm right means that she is utilising her front legs more than if she just walks sedately. To me, bounding up the stairs shows strength and requires major thrust off the back legs. Maybe I am not understanding how Tiggy is doing it. Val, it's hard to explain, but I do know what she means just by experience. OES tend to work off their fronts like they have no rear end.: fling themselves forward, pulling themselves instead of pushing off their rears. Some jump that way. It ain't pretty and it takes its toll on their front ends. Mim, I wouldn't panic. I'd be doing lots of rear end awareness exercises which tend not only to condition, but also teach them to use themselves better. If she still behaves like she had no rear, then maybe I'd wonder. I still owe you articles on core strengthening, don't I?  Some of those also help teach rear end awareness as it happens. Wobble/tippy boards are great. Some ladder work if you have one laying around. And, well, jump work, but remind me, please - how old is she now?
Kristine |
| Thanks all!
Kristine, she's almost 19 months old. I have been doing ladder work as she is very rear end unaware, initially we really had to watch her back legs on the walk as she was inclined to step out to wide with the back legs. The ladder work has helped and she doesnt do that any more. After a few teeters and walks she also started walking up with her front legs and trying to crab her back legs along beside the plank, only works till half way up then she cant reach.  Then when I asked her to try again she did the run/scramble thing.
I'll keep on with the ladder. I've been asking her to jump a low jump from a sit. That's meant to help too, isnt it? And I'll keep doing the stairs and ask her for "slow" to try and get her to use her back legs more. |
Mim wrote: Thanks all!
After a few teeters and walks she also started walking up with her front legs and trying to crab her back legs along beside the plank, only works till half way up then she cant reach. Then when I asked her to try again she did the run/scramble thing.Mine have both done that - but I think its more a control issue when they are starting out - they are pretty sure the ground isn't going to move under them I'll keep on with the ladder. I've been asking her to jump a low jump from a sit. That's meant to help too, isnt it? And I'll keep doing the stairs and ask her for "slow" to try and get her to use her back legs more. If you have hills, try zig zagging down the hills (walk straight up), also lots of sits (straight ones) and circling. I think the "formula is a radius three times their length - so between 6 and 8 feet for a normal sized dog. You circle to the weak(rear) side. Oh and backing up like in obedience. all good exercises to build the rear - even if they don't all build rear end awareness. |
kerry wrote: If you have hills, try zig zagging down the hills (walk straight up), also lots of sits (straight ones) and circling. I think the "formula is a radius three times their length - so between 6 and 8 feet for a normal sized dog. You circle to the weak(rear) side. Oh and backing up like in obedience. all good exercises to build the rear - even if they don't all build rear end awareness.
Does circling to the weak side mean if she has a hip problem more on one side or just the side they dont prefer? Luckily at this stage both her back legs seem to have equal muscle bulk (I have checked LOTS  )
She does prefer to circle to the right when she is herding her dalmation. |
| that might not mean its a stronger side - she may be right pawed But I doubt if it would hurt to circle more to her less favored side - it would off set all the self exercise she does circling her spotted friend |
Mmmmmmm  I thought that she was left pawed (front) as that is the paw she uses to attract my attention when she wants a bit of lovin'.
I'm thinking if she was a horse I could use my long lead to lunge her anticlockwise.
I cant imagine it working though so I'll just make myself dizzy going in circles when we practise heel. |
kerry wrote: that might not mean its a stronger side - she may be right pawed
But I doubt if it would hurt to circle more to her less favored side - it would off set all the self exercise she does circling her spotted friend Bingo!! I think all of my dogs except Mad have been right pawed. You see it in things like which direction they prefer to circle the sheep (or - ahem - dalmation, if sheep are in short supply ) , which direction they turn more easily when you practice wrapping a jump in agility and also which direction they turn to pick up the dumb bell (or ball or whatever) and bring it back to you. I.e in the absense of anything unusual like unbalanced muscle mass or obvious limping/favoring a leg it's just normal. much like most of us are right or left-handed,
In agility and herding both the basic rule of thumb is you have to work a dog to the point where they are equally comfortable working off either side. And that usually means working their less favored side more frequently relatively speaking, just like Kerry suggests. And, yes, the walking up with front only and then scrambling in agility is kind of classic green dog lack of confidence - it goes away with experience. She's old enough that you can do some serious jumping with her now. The jump from a sit is awesome. You gradually build height and then you gradually add jumps fairly closely together to get her to bounce (no stride, just land and jump again) the jumps and so on. Lots of stuff you can do and it makes a huge difference. Kristine |
| Ok it sounds like there's no need to panic about her hips.
So I will stop seeing zebras and keep working on rear awareness and strength, ask her to turn left more often than right and practise the "slow" command. The green keeper at the sports oval will no doubt become convinced that I am crazy, walking up and down a set of stairs that have a locked gate at the top but then again he may be closer to the truth than I care to admit. |
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