Like dogs, we have an axial skeleton (skull, spine, ribs), and an appendicular skeleton (the limbs). The pelvic limb attaches the legs to the skeleton at the pelvis. The thoracic limb attaches the arms to the chest (thoracic) area.
There are many aspects of biology that humans, and dogs have in common. But because dogs are quadrupeds (use all four legs in locomotion) there are also some substantial differences. This includes the relative length and width of bones, muscle sizes and points of attachments, and there are also a few difference in the actual bones that are present. Did you know that male dogs have a penis bone? Also (and more on topic) is the collar bone, or lack there of, in dogs. Our collarbone is the main bony point that attaches the thoracic limbs to the body. In dogs, their collar bone is vastly reduced to a small cartilage structure, that in many dogs may ossify (be at least in part bone). The reason for this is thought to relate to enhanced agility and speed.
This is important.... especially when we consider that your dogs thoracic limb is attached to its body almost entirely with soft tissue - tendons, ligaments and musculature (called the thoracic sling). Because this means that if a dog lacks musculature in related to the front limb, not only are they going to have trouble with functional activities, but they are also putting the joints and other structures in the front limb at higher risk of injury. This is even more relevant when you consider that dogs actually carry 60% of their total bodyweight in their front end, and 40% in their hind legs.
Your dog's shoulders are a ball and socket joint, and move in all different directions. They are the most mobile joint in your dogs front limb. They move forwards and backwards (flexion and extension), out sideways and back into the middle (abduction and adduction), and also rotate around the joint. This allows for the large amount of agility we see in our dogs, but it also means that the musculature required to control the movements and stabilise these joints is complex.
When we look at a sports dog, and the motions we require them to do, understanding the importance of the musculature of the front limb matters even more. Not only are the skills complex in terms of understanding and biomechanics, they are putting large stress on the front end joints in particular.
For this reason having front end specific strength exercises, as well as mobility (or flexibility) is so important. We can strengthen the postural stability muscles around the shoulders and other areas of the front limb, and add strength and power to the complex movements that our dogs front end must perform.
Toes are another area of difference in dogs, when compared to humans. Essentially dogs are standing more up on their 'fingertips'. Because the lower portion of your dogs front foot is a complex combination of very long tendons, and ligaments, toes are (to be frank) a real pain in the butt if injured. Tendons and ligaments take a really long time to heal, and because your dog must still weight bear on the limb, healing is complicated.
Therefore regularly checking toes, understanding your dogs normal range of motion, and also adding exercises to strengthen the soft tissues related to your dogs carpals and toes as well as working on correct posture and alignment, can have a huge benefit to your dog.
Want to work on thoracic limb strengthening and mobility with your dog? Join me in my Fenzi Dog Sports Academy workshop, which is open for registration now!
Lecture Publish Date: Sunday Sept 1st
Video Submissions Due Date: Sunday Sept 8th @ 12pm noon PT
Feedback & Questions Video Publish Date: Wednesday Sept 11th
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