Clean Run Magazine - January 2010 - 22

A-frame Contact Behaviors and Joint Stress By Dr. Deborah Gross Saunders, photos by Clean Run except where noted A-frame contacts are always a hot topic for discussion when agility competitors meet. There are a number of factors that can influence a handler’s decision about which technique to use for training the down A-frame contact, including the handler’s physical capabilities, available training time and equipment, and comfort level with a particular method. But the dog’s strength, structure, and any history of problems should be considered equally important when deciding which contact behavior is best for an individual dog. As a rehabilitation practitioner and an evaluator of structure, I always inquire about the contact method used by people who bring their agility dog to see me. In addition, I have asked handlers to alter their contact method on the A-frame because of an injury or the specific structure of the dog. My opinion is that faster dogs with both straight forelimbs and/or hind limbs should avoid a two-on/twooff contact because of the stress placed on the limbs. I also believe that a two-on/ two-off contact may predispose a dog to cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injury or an iliopsoas problem because of the force and strength needed to complete the stop at the bottom of the obstacle. When dogs ascend the A-frame, they do so at a fairly significant speed. When they descend the A-frame, they need to slow down the speed generated while also overcoming the force of gravity that is pulling them down the A-frame. While stopping, the dog places a significant amount of stress on the forelimbs and hind limbs. Furthermore, if the dogs lack proper core control, they will place abnormal stresses on the stifles (knees), and the hip flexors (iliopsoas). The iliopsoas is a powerful hip flexor but also acts to slow down the dog’s body as it moves forward. Many dogs involved in agility have been experiencing iliopsoas problems either as a primary injury or secondary injury. I hypothesized that a two-on/two-off contact places more stress on the dog’s hip and stifle because of the angles the two-on/two-off performance requires of these joints. So I decided to further examine joint angles and body movement on the A-frame using Dartfish software. Participants & Eligibility I was fortunate to have 21 dogs with patient handlers perform a series of A-frame runs at various heights at the Clean Run training facility in South Hadley, Massachusetts. A summary of the dogs that participated is in Table 1. These dogs represented a variety of breeds and ages. Competing in agility events sponsored by the American Kennel Club were 17 dogs, with 12 of those competing exclusively in AKC events. Eight dogs participated in agility events sponsored by the United States Dog Agility Association, with three competing exclusively in USDAA events. One dog never participated in competition, and three other dogs competed in events sponsored by CPE and NADAC. Participation in the study was requested through the Clean Run Yahoo list. As long as the dogs met the criteria, any dog participating in agility was welcome to join the study. Before participation, the handler was asked a series of questions about the dog’s health. Table 1 - Summary of Dogs Participating Dog # Type of Dog & Age 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Mini Poodle, 2 yrs Bullmastiff, 4 yrs Whippet, 2 yrs PWD, 4 yrs Std Poodle, 4 yrs English Cocker, 6 yrs BC, 20 mos Golden Ret, 8 yrs Golden Ret, 8 yrs Golden Ret, 4 yrs BC, 4 yrs Golden Ret, 4 yrs PWD, 7.5 yrs BC, 5 yrs BC, 6 yrs Border Jack, 5 yrs JRT, 13.5 yrs BC, 2 yrs BC Cross, 9 yrs BC, 5 yrs Siberian Husky, 3 yrs Contact Method Contact Method Described by Handler Observed 2O/2O, Running 4OTF 2O/2O Running 2O/2O Running 2O/2O 2O/2O Running Running, 4OTF 2O/2O 4OTF 2O/2O 2O/2O 2O/2O 2O/2O Running 2O/2O 2O/2O 2O/2O, Running 2O/2O 2O/2O Running 2O/2O Running 2O/2O Running 2O/2O 2O/2O Running 4OTF 2O/2O 4OTF 2O/2O 2O/2O 2O/2O 2O/2O Running 2O/2O 2O/2O 2O/2O 2O/2O Years Training 2 yrs 3 yrs 1 yr 3.5 yrs 1.5 yrs 2.5 yrs 1.6 yrs 7.66 yrs 7.66 yrs 2 yrs 4 yrs 3.5 yrs 7 yrs 4.5 yrs 5.5 yrs 3 yrs 13 yrs 1.83 yrs 3 yrs 1 yr 1.5 yrs Years Competing & Level 1.33 yrs, Excellent 1 yr, Open 6 mos, Novice 2.5 yrs, Excellent 1.5 yrs, Excellent 1 yr, Excellent 2 mos, Novice 7 yrs, Excellent 6 yrs, Excellent 6 mos, Novice 1.5 yrs, Masters 1 yr, Open 3.5 yrs, Open 3.5 yrs, Novice 2.5 yrs, Masters 8 yrs, Excellent 1 yr, Excellent 2 yrs, Masters Not competing yet 1 yr, Excellent Venue AKC AKC AKC AKC, USDAA AKC AKC, USDAA, NADAC, CPE AKC, USDAA AKC AKC AKC USDAA AKC AKC, USDAA USDAA USDAA AKC, USDAA AKC, USDAA USDAA – AKC 3.5 yrs, Exc. & Mstrs. AKC, USDAA 2O/2O = Two-on/Two-off 4OTF = Four on the floor Clean Run | January 10

Clean Run Magazine - January 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - January 2010