Pop up exercise for dogs

[lehughes]

Have you ever heard of an exercise for a dog call a 'Pop-Up'?

Here's a description (based on an e-mail question I received):

"One exercise she does is a "pop up"- described as front feet on a peanut against the wall the long way, then down into a sit followed by a quick "pop up" to standing. This makes MY knees hurt, along with other body parts! But, it could be that I've just never heard of this exercise and it is actually a good one."

I'm not a fan of these. Dog stifles weren't meant for it. We can visualize that we are putting the joint now into a more 'human' orientation and asking it to load like a human knee would. However, they have found that there are some people with an exaggerated 'slope' to their tibial plateau (not unlike dogs with a higher tibial plateau angle, which makes them susceptible to cruciate tears), so adding this 'new' force and stress to the stifle joint isn't likely to be helpful.

Now especially on a TPLO leg where the flexion will still cause a bit of cranial translation (just like doing the tibial thrust technique of flexing the tarsus with the stifle flexed), the translation will be accentuated because of the pull of the quads via the patellar tendon onto the tibial tuberosity (another cranial force).

So all in all, not my favourite for a 'normal stifle', let alone one that's had a TPLO.

YOUR thoughts?
-Laurie

[ShariK9PT]

I do this exercise frequently with low repetitions becuase my thought process is that it helps mimic the way a dog would power off a start line or table. I also feel it helps with gaining that strenth and power with the stifle and tarsus in the completely flexed position (just like in the scenarios mentioned above) and allow the back end to gain that plyometric power by taking the front end out of the picture somewhat. When the front end is elevated, especially on a higher and/or unstable surface, it minimizes the dog's ability to PULL itself with it's front end and therefore has to use it's hind end more. With any exercise, I work up to this type of more difficult challenge where in this instance the front end is on a higher and unstable surface but I like that the dog has to use the back end to force it's rear up and forward at a fast rate. I also vary the speed in which I do it and also the terrain I have the dog do it on to help with proprioceptive fibers as well. It may not be the best force on the dog's body, but agiity in general isn't anyways, so I feel the dogs need to teach their bodies how to accept these forces so as to prevent or lessen the chances of breakdown. To me conditioning for sport isn't just about strengthening/flexibility/balance, but just as importantly is to mimic the way a dog would use it's body on course and help strengthen in those positions/manners. I would love others thoughts.