Kinematics and kinetics of dogs completing jump and A-frame exercises
In: Comparative Exercise PhysiologySearch for other papers by S. Blake in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by R. Ferro de Godoy in
Current site
Google Scholar
Many police dogs do not reach their expected retirement age as they are no longer able to cope with the physical demands of the job. Annual licensing requires police dogs to complete a series of agility tasks, including jumping and negotiating an A-frame obstacle, both of which are associated with higher injury rates in canine agility competitors. This study sought to measure conformational, kinematic, and kinetic parameters of actively employed police German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs), whilst completing a 55 cm jump hurdle, and a standard A-frame. Each dog completed three repetitions of each obstacle and was also recorded at both walk and trot. Contact pressures and forces were measured, whilst joint kinematics were recorded using reflective markers and a high-speed camera. Results found that static hip angle was significantly correlated with hip flexion at trot, during jump suspension and at the apex of the A-frame. Stifle and hock flexion were greatest during the suspension phase of jump (56.98±11.710° and 54.51±17.430°). Shoulder and elbow flexion were greatest at the apex of A-frame (104.34±16.744° and 75.72±20.804°), whilst carpal extension was highest upon landing from the jump (125.77±7.071°). Peak vertical force (PFz) when normalised for body mass (BM) increased when landing from A-frame (14.28 N/kg BM) as opposed to landing from the jump obstacle (12.055 N/kg·BM). Our results show that increased range of motion (ROM) is required during both jumping and negotiation of A-frame compared to walk and trot, but more significantly, greater forces are incurred upon landing from the A-frame than compared to jumping. It was also observed that dogs were subject to high degrees of torsion in the distal limbs upon landing from the A-frame due to trained behaviours. We conclude that use of agility equipment generates greater forces through the musculoskeletal system and requires a greater ROM than what is experienced at walk and trot, which may contribute to early retirement ages in police dogs.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Agostinho, F., Miqueleto, N., Verdugo, M., Inamassu, L., El-Warrak, A. and Rahal, S., 2011. Kinematic analysis of Labrador Retrievers and Rottweilers trotting on a treadmill. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 24: 185-191. https://doi.org/10.3415/VCOT-10-03-0039
-
Appelgrein, C., Glyde, M., Hosgood, G., Dempsey, A. and Wickham, S., 2018. kinetic gait analysis of agility dogs entering the A-frame. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 32: 97-103. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1677492
-
Birch, E. and Leśniak, K., 2013. Effect of fence height on joint angles of agility dogs. Veterinary Journal 198: e99-e102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.09.041
-
Birch, E., Boyd, J., Doyle, G. and Pullen, A., 2015. The effects of altered distances between obstacles on the jump kinematics and apparent joint angulations of large agility dogs. Veterinary Journal 204: 174-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.02.019
-
Branson, N. and Rogers, L., 2006. Relationship between paw preference strength and noise phobia in Canis familiaris. Journal of Comparative Psychology 120: 176-183. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7036.120.3.176
-
Breit, S. and Künzel, W., 2001. Breed specific osteological features of the canine lumbosacral junction. Annals of Anatomy – Anatomischer Anzeiger 183: 151-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0940-9602(01)80037-6
-
Clements, D., Owen, M., Carmichael, S. and Reid, S., 2005. Kinematic analysis of the gait of 10 Labrador retrievers during treadmill locomotion. Veterinary Record 156: 478-481. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.156.15.478
-
Cohen, J.E., 1988. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Hillsdale, NJ, USA.
'Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences ', ().
-
Colborne, G., Good, L., Cozens, L. and Kirk, L., 2011. Symmetry of hind limb mechanics in orthopedically normal trotting Labrador Retrievers. American Journal of Veterinary Research 72: 336-344. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.72.3.336
-
Cullen, K., Dickey, J., Bent, L., Thomason, J. and Moëns, N., 2013. Internet-based survey of the nature and perceived causes of injury to dogs participating in agility training and competition events. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 243: 7-18. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.243.7.1010
-
Dyson, S. and Murray, R., 2003. Pain associated with the sacroiliac joint region: a clinical study of 74 horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 35: 240-245. https://doi.org/10.2746/042516403776148255
-
Fischer, M., Lilje, K., Lauströer, J. and Andikfar, A., 2017. Dogs in motion, 2nd edition. Institute of Systematic Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Dortmund, Germany.
'Dogs in motion, 2nd edition ', ().
-
Gregersen, C. and Carrier, D., 2004. Gear ratios at the limb joints of jumping dogs. Journal of Biomechanics 37: 1011-1018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2003.11.024
-
Hedeker, D. and Gibbons, R., 1994. A random-effects ordinal regression model for multilevel analysis. Biometrics 50: 933. https://doi.org/10.2307/2533433
-
Holler, P., Brazda, V., Dal-Bianco, B., Lewy, E., Mueller, M., Peham, C. and Bockstahler, B., 2010. Kinematic motion analysis of the joints of the forelimbs and hind limbs of dogs during walking exercise regimens. American Journal of Veterinary Research 71: 734-740. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.71.7.734
-
Hulse, D., Hogan, H., Slater, M., Longnecker, M. and Yanoff, S., 1992. Measurements of vertical ground reaction force in jumping dogs. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 5: 44-50. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1633066
-
Imhof, J., Kaestner, S., Montavon, P. and Voss, K., 2007. Force plate gait analysis at the walk and trot in dogs with low-grade hindlimb lameness. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 20: 299-304. https://doi.org/10.1160/VCOT-07-01-0008
-
Jones, O., Raschke, S. and Riches, P., 2018. Inertial properties of the German Shepherd dog. PLoS ONE 13: 0206037. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206037
-
Kopec, N., Williams, J. and Tabor, G., 2018. Kinematic analysis of the thoracic limb of healthy dogs during descending stair and ramp exercises. American Journal of Veterinary Research 79: 33-41. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.79.1.33
-
Lafuente, P. and Whyle, C., 2018. A retrospective survey of injuries occurring in dogs and handlers participating in canicross. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 31: 332-338. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1661390
-
Lee, D., 2004. Effects of mass distribution on the mechanics of level trotting in dogs. Journal of Experimental Biology 207: 1715-1728. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.00947
-
Levy, I., Hall, C., Trentacosta, N. and Percival, M., 2009. A preliminary retrospective survey of injuries occurring in dogs participating in canine agility. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 22: 321-324. https://doi.org/10.3415/vcot-08-09-0089.
-
Lorke, M., Willen, M., Lucas, K., Beyerbach, M., Wefstaedt, P., Murua Escobar, H. and Nolte, I., 2017. Comparative kinematic gait analysis in young and old Beagle dogs. Journal of Veterinary Science 18: 521. https://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2017.18.4.521
-
Maitre, P., Poujol, L., Lequang, T., Thiebaut, J. and Viguier, E., 2007. Jumping in dogs: concurrent assessment of four limbs with a portable electronic walkway. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 10: 105-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/10255840701479214
-
McGuigan, M., 2003. The effect of gait and digital flexor muscle activation on limb compliance in the forelimb of the horse Equus caballus. Journal of Experimental Biology 206: 1325-1336. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.00254
-
Meershoek, L., Roepstorff, L., Schamhardt, H., Johnston, C. and Bobbert, M., 2010. Joint moments in the distal forelimbs of jumping horses during landing. Equine Veterinary Journal 33: 410-415. https://doi.org/10.2746/042516401776249570
-
Millis, D. and Levine, D., 2014. Canine rehabilitation and physical therapy, 1st edition. Elsevier, St. Louis, MI, USA.
'Canine rehabilitation and physical therapy, 1st edition ', ().
-
Montalbano, C., Gamble, L., Walden, K., Rouse, J., Mann, S., Sack, D., Wakshlag, L., Shmalberg, J. and Wakshlag, J., 2019. Internet survey of participant demographics and risk factors for injury in flyball dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 6: 391. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00391
-
National Police Dog Foundation (NPDF), 2020. Frequent questions. Available at: https://www.nationalpolicedogfoundation.org/faq
-
O’Neill, D., Coulson, N., Church, D. and Brodbelt, D., 2017. Demography and disorders of German Shepherd dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 4: 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-017-0046-4
-
Pardey, D., Tabor, G., Oxley, J. and Wills, A., 2018. Peak forelimb ground reaction forces experienced by dogs jumping from a simulated car boot. Veterinary Record 182: 716-716. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.104788
-
Pfau, T., Garland de Rivaz, A., Brighton, S. and Weller, R., 2011. Kinetics of jump landing in agility dogs. Veterinary Journal 190: 278-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.10.008
-
Police Standard Operating Procedures (PSOPM), 2018. Police Standard Operating Procedures Manual. Metropolitan Police, London, UK. Available at: https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/policies/
-
Sandberg, G., Robb, S., Budsberg, S. and Volstad, N., 2017.The evaluation of limb symmetry indices using ground reaction forces collected with one or two force plates in healthy dogs. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 30: 54-58. https://doi.org/10.3415/VCOT-16-04-0054
-
Siniscalchi, M., Bertino, D. and Quaranta, A., 2013. Laterality and performance of agility-trained dogs. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition 19: 219-234. https://doi.org/10.1080/1357650X.2013.794815
-
Söhnel, K., Rode, C., De Lussanet, M., Wagner, H., Fischer, M. and Andrada, E., 2020. Limb dynamics in agility jumps of beginner and advanced dogs. Journal of Experimental Biology 223(7): jeb202119. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.202119
-
Surer, E., Cereatti, A., Evangelisti, M., Paolini, G., Della Croce, U. and Manunta, M., 2020. A canine gait analysis protocol for back movement assessment in German Shepherd dogs. Veterinary Sciences 7: 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7010026
-
Tian, W., Cong, Q. and Menon, C., 2011. Investigation on walking and pacing stability of German Shepherd dog for different locomotion speeds. Journal of Bionic Engineering 8: 18-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1672-6529(11)60002-4
-
Van der Walt, A., Stewart, A., Joubert, K. and Bekker, P., 2008. Canine hip extension range during gait. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 79: 175-179.
'Canine hip extension range during gait ' () 79 Journal of the South African Veterinary Association : 175 -179 .
-
Vilar, J., Rubio, M., Carrillo, J., Domínguez, A., Mitat, A. and Batista, M., 2015. Biomechanic characteristics of gait of four breeds of dogs with different conformations at walk on a treadmill. Journal of Applied Animal Research 44: 252-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2015.1031778
-
Voss, K., Galeandro, L., Wiestner, T., Haessig, M. and Montavon, P., 2010. Relationships of body weight, body size, subject velocity, and vertical ground reaction forces in trotting dogs. Veterinary Surgery 39: 863-869. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-950X.2010.00729.x
-
Weigel, J., Arnold, G., Hicks, D. and Millis, D., 2005. Biomechanics of rehabilitation. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 35: 1255-1285.
'Biomechanics of rehabilitation ' () 35 Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice : 1255 -1285 .
-
Wilson, B., Nicholas, F. and Thomson, P., 2011. Selection against canine hip dysplasia: success or failure? Veterinary Journal 189: 160-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.06.014
-
Worth, A., Sandford, M., Gibson, B., Stratton, R., Erceg, V., Bridges, J. and Jones, B., 2013. Causes of loss or retirement from active duty for New Zealand police German Shepherd dogs. Animal Welfare 22: 166-173. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.22.2.167
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 202 | 150 | 35 |
| Full Text Views | 51 | 8 | 4 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 130 | 36 | 10 |
Kinematics and kinetics of dogs completing jump and A-frame exercises
In: Comparative Exercise PhysiologySearch for other papers by S. Blake in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by R. Ferro de Godoy in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Many police dogs do not reach their expected retirement age as they are no longer able to cope with the physical demands of the job. Annual licensing requires police dogs to complete a series of agility tasks, including jumping and negotiating an A-frame obstacle, both of which are associated with higher injury rates in canine agility competitors. This study sought to measure conformational, kinematic, and kinetic parameters of actively employed police German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs), whilst completing a 55 cm jump hurdle, and a standard A-frame. Each dog completed three repetitions of each obstacle and was also recorded at both walk and trot. Contact pressures and forces were measured, whilst joint kinematics were recorded using reflective markers and a high-speed camera. Results found that static hip angle was significantly correlated with hip flexion at trot, during jump suspension and at the apex of the A-frame. Stifle and hock flexion were greatest during the suspension phase of jump (56.98±11.710° and 54.51±17.430°). Shoulder and elbow flexion were greatest at the apex of A-frame (104.34±16.744° and 75.72±20.804°), whilst carpal extension was highest upon landing from the jump (125.77±7.071°). Peak vertical force (PFz) when normalised for body mass (BM) increased when landing from A-frame (14.28 N/kg BM) as opposed to landing from the jump obstacle (12.055 N/kg·BM). Our results show that increased range of motion (ROM) is required during both jumping and negotiation of A-frame compared to walk and trot, but more significantly, greater forces are incurred upon landing from the A-frame than compared to jumping. It was also observed that dogs were subject to high degrees of torsion in the distal limbs upon landing from the A-frame due to trained behaviours. We conclude that use of agility equipment generates greater forces through the musculoskeletal system and requires a greater ROM than what is experienced at walk and trot, which may contribute to early retirement ages in police dogs.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 202 | 150 | 35 |
| Full Text Views | 51 | 8 | 4 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 130 | 36 | 10 |