spring pole and weight pulling

[adam 444 4]

spring pole and weight pulling i got a 5/8 bull 3/8 grey 22" 22kg and a full border collie 22" 24kg will it f**k up ther joints if i get them in to it

[Hannah4181 260]

Not if the dogs are fit and you build them up to it slowly. Both are excellent exercises for dogs.

[sandymere 8,263]

I used to do a bit of old fashioned road work with the racing dogs, ie get their necks into the coller and pull on the lead for short bursts as you walk them, it got them fit/muscled. I expect weight pulling would give a like result. Bear in mind the muscles will develop quicker than the tendons etc so as stated above build up gradually. Using joints should not dammage them if the use does not over extend the joint ie, on average, a human runner will have less joint problems than a non runner but a squash player due to the sudden changes of direction etc may get more problems.

The study below is interesting but bear in mind big muscles weight a lot and will markedly reduce stamina

 

The Effect of Lifelong Exercise on Canine Articular Cartilage

Peter M. Newton, MD

Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York

Van C. Mow, PhD

Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York

Thomas R. Gardner, ME

Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York

Joseph A. Buckwalter, MD

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

John P. Albright, MD

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

The effect of long-term exercise on canine knees was studied to determine whether an increased level of lifelong weightbearing exercise causes degeneration, or changes that may lead to degeneration, of articular cartilage. Eleven dogs were exercised on a treadmill at 3 km/hr for 75 minutes 5 days a week for 527 weeks while carrying jackets weighing 130% of their body weight. Ten control dogs were allowed unrestricted activity in cages for the 550 weeks. At the completion of the study all knee joints were inspected for evidence of joint injury and degeneration. Articular cartilage sur faces from the medial tibial plateau were examined by light microscopy, the cartilage thickness was meas ured, and the intrinsic material properties were deter mined by mechanical testing. No joints had ligament or meniscal injuries, cartilage erosions, or osteophytes. Light microscopy did not demonstrate cartilage fibrilla tion or differences in safranin O staining of the tibial articular cartilages between the two groups. Further more, the tibial articular cartilage thickness and me chanical properties did not differ between the two groups. These results show that a lifetime of regular weightbearing exercise in dogs with normal joints did not cause alterations in the structure and mechanical properties of articular cartilage that might lead to joint degeneration.

 

 

Regards sandymere

Edited April 23, 2010 by sandymere

[waidmann 105]

how old are the dogs mate?

good exercise for dogs both but i would not start too young.

 

waidmann