How does your dog Jump? The Biomechanics of the Canine Athlete's Jump
Written by Dr. Sonnet Jarvis, DVM, CCRT, CCFT
Agility, dock diving, obedience, IPO/Schutzhund/French Ring, and flyball all have something in common. These dog sports require the dogs participating in them to execute at least one jump while training and competing in their sport.
Jumping is a high-impact exercise that exponentially increases the force on the body, the joints, and the muscles. This increases the risk of injury, especially if your dog is not strong enough (read here to find out if your dog is strong enough to participate in high-impact sports) or has poor technique.
A jump is only as good as the body behind it. Our free K9 Fitness Journal gives you a place to record what your dog can do now, so you can see what changes as you train. It also walks you through the K9 Fitness Pyramid and how we build a dog’s fitness from the foundation up. You can download it here.
Understanding the biomechanics of the canine jump is crucial to training proper jumping form. Proper jumping...