Why are weave poles so physically demanding on our dogs?

Quinn rocking her weaves!

As course designs and handling techniques have evolved in the sport of agility, so too have the demands placed on our dogs. Fast, accurate weave pole performance is what we all strive for, but we need to be aware as to how our dog's individual strengths and limitations affect their performance. 

Pushing our dogs to repetitively weave without taking the time to pay attention to how their unique considerations will shape their performance, can leave our dogs sidelined and injured. Likewise, if we identify and address our dog's limitations, we are better able to not only reduce the likelihood of injury but improve performance. ​

What Factors Influence my Dog's Weaving Performance?

• Training methods 
• Size of dog 
• Structure/conformation of dog 
• Speed at which they're completed 
• Previous/current injuries 
• Environment (e.g. footing – turf/slippery or wet grass/uneven dirt/rubber matting) ​

What happens physically when your dog weaves? 

Take a minute and think about your dog – if you have a small breed, how they’ll perform the weaves will differ greatly from how a large breed dog will.  When a dog enters the weaves poles, they begin by flexing their neck to start the weaving motion. The arc throughout their body will differ greatly depending on the size of dog. ​​

• The neck flexes upon entry to start to the weaving motion and the forelimbs move in either a one or two-sided action while the centre of the body arcs in the opposite direction; hind limbs slalom from side to side and create a torque through the mid and lower spine; the tail acts as a router to balance the dog during the motion 
• ️The forelimbs move laterally from the body and causes physical stress to the soft tissues as the muscles are not generally asked to reach this range of motion while moving quickly 
• ️In one sided movement, loads on the individual leg increases as the leg has to quickly absorb the impact of landing and push off to the next stride 
• ️Coordinated movement between the front and rear assembly 
• Elbows can twist and toes can jam​

Boo (Photo from Nancy McInnes)

Kevlar (Photo from Michelle McDonald)

For a smaller dog, depending on the speed, the arc throughout the body may be fairly minimal. A smaller dog may simply be trotting through the weaves,  with both forelimbs on the same side of a pole at the same time, and the hind limbs following through together. Unless the dog has risk factors from a previous injury,  a long or inflexible spine, or straight angulation there's not a lot of stress on the spine there.  As speed increases, the way a smaller dog moves through the weave will also change - the hind limbs are either moving together with joints flexed, or each leg may be in an individual step. 
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Large dogs will have a greater arc throughout the weaves. The dog may be making an "S" curve so they can move quickly and effectively through the poles. The neck has a greater flex around the pole and the forelimbs are moving in either a one or two-sided action while the centre of the body arcs in the opposite direction. Their hind limbs perform a more exaggerated version of the small dog's movement. Remember, as speed increases, stresses on the body increase, particularly the one-sided movement. 

You may be wondering whether the single step or double step bounce for the weave is physiologically safer. The truth of the matter is while a double step may be physiologically easier on the body your dog will naturally fall into a rhythm they're comfortable with. 

Quinn

What you can do to prevent injury?

Failure to perform an obstacle is often the first early warning sign of a problem. If your previously reliable weaving dog sudden starts popping poles, or uses the wrong lead leg it may be time to get your dog a physical examination to identify early muscle imbalances, gait changes, pain and limitations in front/rear/spine flexibility and range of motion. A great tool to help you identify potential issues is to video your dog's weave performance so you can see/identify any early issues or re-occurring problems.  This was something I did with my own dog Quinn and was able to determine that she using the wrong lead leg.  As this was a new behaviour for her I was able to tell she was compensating  for some muscle weakness and discomfort.  Research shows that a common extremity soft tissue problem for agility dogs is biceps tendinitis. The biceps muscle extends the shoulder and flexes the elbow and is a muscle group that gets a lot of use during weave performance. Quinn's wrong lead leg weave performance was an early indication to this condition. 

Thanks to video I was able to diagnose Quinn with biceps tendinitis because of early detection I was able to prevent the condition from worsening.

Remember, given the physical stresses of the movement on the dog, we want to consider limiting reps during training. Excessive practice not only fatigues your dog but can also place undue stress on their body.  Unless you're training endurance in the poles try limiting difficult weave entries using only 6 poles instead of 12. Also keep in mind the training environment - is the surface slippery? You'll want to adjust the number of reps you ask your dog to perform to suit. I would recommend limiting your session to 6-8 sets in your training session to reduce the stress on your dog's body. 

Injury Prevention Checklist 

• Follow a sound conditioning program consisting of strengthening and stretching in all three planes of a dog's movement. Stretching is important to prepare your dog's body for the exaggeration of movement created in the weave poles. 
• Evaluate your dog’s weight to ensure they are in optimal shape 
• Keep toenails short and trim the hair on the dog's feet to prevent slipping  
• Know your breed of dog and the conformation strengths and weaknesses they may have
• Make sure to warm up prior to a training session - for a weave practice I suggest side-stepping and high five's out to the side to get your dog's muscles prepped properly. Once you've completed your training session make sure to also cool your dog down.
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Without a doubt, weave performances are one of the hardest obstacles we train our dogs to do that's why making sure we set our dogs up for success by limiting the risk factors that could contribute to injury is so important. Regular physical examinations, monitoring your dog's performance, and a tailored conditioning program can greatly reduce the risk of injury to your dog.