Use a Touch command or a food reward to obtain and maintain the proper Plank position. Promoting correct posture in a sit and down position establishes the foundation necessary to perform activities safely (25). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169660, 19. Daily exercises develop posture via the Posture Down and Posture Sit and enhance mobility via the Warm-Up and Cool-down exercises prior to and immediately after any moderate or vigorous activities. The Paws-up targets the hip and abdominal tissues (predominantly the iliopsoas, psoas major, and rectus abdominis muscles) for extension, and the Figure-8 prepares the neck and trunk tissues (predominantly the lateral muscles of the neck, extrinsic muscles of the forelimb, internal and external abdominal oblique muscles, and epaxial spinal muscles) for lateral movement. WHY: Our dogs are trained to find victims of disasters; detect explosives, narcotics, invasive species, and diseases in humans and animals; apprehend criminals; and conduct search & rescue missions. The Cool-down should be performed after all activity to maintain and increase mobility while tissues are warm and to identify any injuries sustained during training. I would highly recommend an internship at the WDC to anyone with an interest in animal training or animal-related nonprofit work. The walk and trot portion of the Warm-up progressively increase body temperature and tissue mobility (12). Our internship program is designed for students with a serious interest in working dogs to gain practical experience while helping the Penn Vet Working Dog Center achieve our mission of developing a detection dog breeding/training program that will implement, test, and disseminate the knowledge gained. Note the straight line from the head to the base of the tail. Not only will you learn a lot about dog training, but you will also have the chance to broaden your horizons by contributing to the organization in more ways than you would expect.". (2017) 12:e0169660. The Chipmunk is also known as the beg, sit pretty, sit up, or sit erect. To perform the final correct position, the dog must have a square sit as described in the Posture Sit exercise. HITT Programs. 16. We also desired a formalized assessment to determine if the training program we developed was making a difference in a dog's fitness. We believe it is a mutually beneficial endeavor to expose today's youth to the amazing talents of various workings dogs and to help build a sense of community between the Working Dog Center and the citizens our canine graduates will eventually serve. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200636030-00001, 38. While these investigations have been started with rehabilitation movements (49), much work remains to be done to understand which exercises most effectively activate the desired musculature. Finally, we believe FTW to be safe for young dogs. (A) Shows the Paws-up. Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from the Working Dog Center as well as their own lunches. ", "Thank you for all that you have done for the WDC. The PPT score is expressed as the final level and number of rotations (rounded down to the nearest quarter rotation) in the clockwise (expressed first) and counterclockwise directions. This process is continued until either the dog fails to complete a level or the object height is raised to the dog's maximum level. Canine Handler Academy runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day. doi: 10.1123/jsr.18.1.104, 33. The University of Pennsylvanias School of Veterinary Medicine actively supports the Center, contributing scientists, clinicians, and veterinary students. (AE) Illustrate the Squat. Adaptation of canine femoral head articular cartilage to long distance running exercise in young beagles. The Paws-up targets the mobility of hip and abdominal tissues, and the Four-Position Cookie Stretch targets the mobility of the neck and trunk. J Strength Cond Res. However, throughout each day your child will also hang out with real working K9 handlers, learn other skills important for a K9 trainer to know, and do projects that, while dog-related, will not always include hands-on time with a dog. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. The dog's career training develops the baseline cardiovascular endurance and skill related components of career-specific fitness. For beginner dogs, the duration may be as short as 12 s. The dog is expected to maintain a 30 s hold in the correct position before progressing to an unstable surface. The two levels may be used separately or together, and future work will focus on validating their independent and consecutive use. Dogs needing to jump up, onto an elevated surface, over an object, or across a gap may benefit from the Squat. Training sessions for the Chipmunk should be short, and the dog should not perform more than 36 repetitions during any single session. If your child has an interest in joining a group of other students who want to learn more about the many jobs that dogs have, how they are trained, and what their handlers must go through to have this type of job-your kid will love Canine Handler Academy! "Teaching a dog is relatively easy if you know what to do and are consistent doing so. Calatayud J, Casaa J, Martn F, Jakobsen MD, Colado JC, Gargallo P, et al. As described in the training section below, the dog should gradually be taught to engage its core in short training sessions before expecting the final Chipmunk position. While not completely unique among working dog programs, our pattern of bringing dogs into our program at 8 weeks of age and training with them on a daily basis until 1224 months of age provided more and earlier contact time than some programs. I am usually a very 'type-A,' fast-paced person. The Fit to Work (FTW) foundational exercises and associated assessment method presented here are designed to create a formalized, highly reproducible, and inexpensive method to create the first stage of a balanced fitness program for working dogs. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1971.tb05631.x, 61. We appreciate their influence on our thinking and approach to canine physical fitness. We developed a formalized method to train and assess foundational fitness modalities for working dogs. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2017.01.011, 36. and stumbled across forensic biology that could combine what I saw at PVWDC with my biology background. For a dog trained to a bite sleeve, a decoy running away from the finish line may be used. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. What type of activities will my child be doing? Jump to. The canine fitness realm also needs safe and effective methods for developing strength and power similar to the barbell and kettlebell for human fitness. Burnham J, Mc Y, Ke R, R M, Br W, Dl J, et al. Clear and objective outcome variables, such as duration of exercise, number of repetitions, or distance traveled are critical. If the dog successfully completes a level in one direction but does not complete the level in the other direction, the object height is not increased. Non-Discrimination Statement "There are also times where it was important to show initiative, such as taking a new group of interns on practice potty walks or teaching new interns fit to work. Optimizing hip musculature for greater sprint running speed. Dycus DL, Levine D, Marcellin-Little DJ. The Working Dog Practitioner Program is RACE approved. Proposed Foundational Fitness Assessment scoring system. The environment cultivates an attitude of education and learning as they continually pushed me out of my comfort zone because they knew through that, I could learn and do so much more. The feedback from trainers, interns, and volunteers on the foundational fitness training program centered on simplicity and ease of progression. Strong hips, stifles, and tarsi developed by the Squat may be less prone to injury (50). Rivera CE. We are interested in identifying the effect a dog's fitness has on the likelihood it will experience an injury, the type of injury (acute or degenerative), the severity of injury, and the duration of recovery. Moving toward the dog too quickly or placing the lure too low causes the dog to round its spine. Kibler WB, Press J, Sciascia A. The dog should be given at least 5 min to recover after completion of the final PPT interval before beginning the PST. The aim of this paper was to initially describe these pilot techniques to assess and train foundational fitness for working dogs. The Penn Vet Working Dog Center was established in 2007 as a national research and development organization dedicated to gathering scientific knowledge about the genetics, physical training, rearing, and conditioning of detection dogs. The shoulder (glenohumeral joint), elbow, carpus, and forelimb digits should be aligned in the same straight sagittal plane as the hindlimbs. The team researches canine genetics, emergency medicine, reproduction, and behavior to select dogs that are predisposed to the rigorous training working dogs undergo. (BE) Show progression of the Plank [(B) Level 2, (C) Level 4, (D) Level 6, and (E) Level 8]. Stable hips developed by the Pivot may prevent traumatic (30) or alignment-related injuries and assist in limiting the progression of orthopedic disease (31). We consistently observed trainers taking 23 weeks to become comfortable enough to teach an intern who then took the same length of time before teaching a volunteer. Checking the dog's paws, pads, and nails allows early identification and rapid treatment of performance-limiting injuries. (EH) Show the Four-Position Cookie Stretch [(E) Nose to hip, (F) Nose to shoulder, (G) Nose to rear foot, and (H) Nose to chest]. TSAC Professionals. Sports Med. While performance in some dog activities is easy to measure (e.g., distance in dock diving or time in agility), other dog activities are harder to measure or have more poorly defined performance metrics (e.g., explosive detection or urban search and rescue). Lammi MJ, Hkkinen TP, Parkkinen JJ, Hyttinen MM, Jortikka M, Helminen HJ, et al. The first goal is to have the dog walk backwards a distance of 3 m (9.8 ft) 3 times in 30 s. The gait must be smooth and intentional, with each paw leaving the ground independently. Relationship of hip and trunk muscle function with single leg step-down performance: implications for return to play screening and rehabilitation. To perform the Plank, the dog stands with its forepaws on one stable object (e.g., standard concrete block) and its hindpaws on a second stable object of equal height. Available online at: https://www.fitness.marines.mil/hitt_programs/ (accessed May 7, 2020). Finally, checking the dog's paws, pads, and nails after training allows rapid identification of issues in these injury-prone areas. I had known I wanted to research canine behavior in graduate school after I finished my bachelor's degree, and just voicing my desire to gain experience in research opened so many doors for me at the WDC. At any workplace, there is going to be grunt work that has to be done. Strength training for children and adolescents: what can physicians recommend? PLoS ONE. While we believe exercises like the Squat and Pivot are cornerstones of fitness, a dog's continued progression depends on incorporating alternate methods to develop the same fitness modalities. The Penn Vet Working Dog Center piloted and refined this program over 3 months in a closed population of 31 working dogs in training. doi: 10.5435/00124635-200101000-00004, 66. Gently slide the rear object to the desired level (an assistant may be useful for this step). It is one of the most rewarding environments I have worked in, challenging me to work hard and advance my skill set. Constant innovation in the dogs selection and trainingis important to their success, and that requires a diverse supply of space and thought leaders. Isometric elbow and carpus extension are secondarily developed. The FTW program was safe in this group of dogs, under the conditions tested. 12. The handler takes a step toward the dog and the dog will respond by stepping backwards. We accept students only from AVMA accredited schools. Hip extension is primarily provided by the gluteal (superficial, middle, and deep), semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscles. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2015.04.002, 35. Received: 08 May 2020; Accepted: 25 June 2020; Published: 13 August 2020. This assessment requires minimal and inexpensive equipment and takes ~1520 min per dog to complete. Flower Mound, TX +16 locations. Contact Us 215-898-2200 3401 Grays Ferry Ave., Bldg. Common technique errors include relying solely on body pressure after an initial learning period, using the hand closest to the dog to reward, rewarding too far above or away from the dog's mouth or too infrequently, or allowing the dog to move too quickly and skip with or cross their hind feet. Tammy Arnold, Manager of Volunteering & Intern Programsvolunteer.coordinators@aviary.org 412.258.9455 Penn Vet Working Dog Center (2014) 15:5863. Program Leadership Fit to Work focuses on the foundational fitness modalities of . Dragging of the paws or a kyphotic spine is incorrect form and the dog should not progress to the next level of difficulty. (2004) 34:4439. 44. The swing phase of the gait, which primarily involves the biceps and quadriceps muscles, is a passive motion (23, 45, 47). All aspects of working dog medicine including nutrition, behavior, training, dentistry, sports medicine, conditioning, disaster response, reproduction, emergency first aid, preventive medicine and genetics will be addressed. Further progression is primarily provided by external weight in the form of a weight vest with weight increments scaled to the weight of the dog (e.g., for a 20 kg (44 lb) dog start with 2.3 kg (5 lb) of external weight). Engaging in Posture Sits and Posture Downs may prevent repetitive stress on the spine resulting in kyphosis and susceptibility to traumatic or alignment-related injuries (22). doi: 10.1111/vsu.13178, 7. Its teaching the human to teach the dog that is the challenge. Strength training for children and adolescents. Simultaneous hopping of the hindlimbs over the stairs is improper execution of the exercise. A continuous high-value reward (e.g., frozen peanut butter in a cup) assists our population of working dogs in maintaining the proper position. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Once in a sit, the dog's forelimbs are suspended off the ground with the carpi suspended between elbow and shoulder height, the dog maintains a straight spine, and holds their head in a neutral position facing forward (Figure 6B). Learn the fundamentals behind training of search and rescue, obedience, and K9 fitness while discovering the benefits of positive reinforcement practices. Examples include 25 (5 Squats at Level 2) and M-14 (14 Squats at this dog's maximum level). The hindlimbs are abducted and the stifle is caudal to the digits. Warm-up and muscular injury prevention an update. Internships are available in, but not exclusive to, the areas of dog training, behavioral science, canine fitness, psychology, law enforcement, bio-med, and canine olfaction research. I definitely came out of the internship with a better understanding of dog behavior and body language, as well as training techniques like shaping and clicker-training. Hrysomallis C. Injury incidence, risk factors and prevention in Australian rules football. Without guidance from a veterinarian, the Plank is not recommended for dogs with suspected spine or hip abnormalities. If the treat or toy lure placement is too high, the dog will attempt to stand. Durall CJ, Greene PF, Kernozek TW. To increase the difficulty of a Chipmunk, move the lure left and right, encouraging the dog to shift its weight. Everyone is so welcoming (including the dogs) and is so excited for you to be there. One method is to place the dog between two objects such as a wall and chair. Another area for future research is developing alternate exercises and progressions to develop foundational fitness. J Bodyw Mov Ther. Level Two utilizes two behaviors that take ~4 weeks to learn but that provide an independent assessment of hindlimb extension strength and hindlimb stability. (2000) 22:22. doi: 10.1519/00126548-200004000-00007, 28. Hold the reward in the right hand when performing the Pivot clockwise and in the left hand when performing the Pivot counterclockwise. Zink MC, Van Dyke JB. Ellicott, CO: Canine Sports Productions (1997). Our aim was to develop a formalized method to develop and assess foundational fitness in working dogs. The Chipmunk primarily develops the dog's core stability (resistance to spinal extension, sagittal flexion, and transverse flexion). These components were selected to primarily target the muscles of the core, hind limbs, and supporting soft tissue structures (e.g., fascia, ligaments, etc.) (2013) 5:51422. The excitement of the WDC is irresistible. The feedback we received identified an increase in perceived relevance to a working dog's future career as a major factor in this adoption. 470, Penn Vet Working Dog Center OCSA is committed in its support of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center's ovarian cancer detection program. Some limitations to this initial implementation are the young age of some of the dogs in our population, the prior exposure of our dogs and personnel to fitness training, the unique structure of the PVWDC, and the short duration of the implementation period. McLean H, Millis D, Levine D. Surface electromyography of the vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, and gluteus medius in dogs during stance, walking, trotting, and selected therapeutic exercises. Figure 1. (2019) 9:975. doi: 10.3390/ani9110975, 10. This kind of assessment will now allow us to compare different training program styles, methods, durations, frequency, and equipment. (2013) 43:33954. and perform follow-up. J Athl Train. Development of a dog's musculoskeletal system in the optimal biomechanical alignment through whole body proprioception, muscle stability and strength of the core, forelimbs, and hindlimbs, and mobility may decrease a dog's susceptibility to, the severity of, or the recovery time for an injury. Our dogs are trained to find victims of disasters; detect explosives, narcotics, invasive species, and diseases in humans and animals; apprehend criminals; and conduct search & rescue missions. Care for cats, dogs & other companion animals. Fit to Work focuses on the foundational fitness modalities of strength, stability, mobility, and proprioception. doi: 10.1177/1941738109334215, 65. We anticipate this work will serve to add momentum to the growing field of canine performance medicine. Internships are available in, but not exclusive to, the areas of dog training, behavioral science, canine fitness, psychology, law enforcement, bio-med, and canine olfaction research. This will eventually allow us to develop age, breed, and career-specific standards and scoring. "Another big lesson I learned at the center is patience. Once the dog lifts its forelimbs to 15 cm (6 in), the next progression is to have the dog lift the forelimbs to a height between the elbow and shoulder. (1989) 8:23949. Resistance training among young athletes: safety, efficacy and injury prevention effects. Use a Touch command or lure the dog between your legs, then with alternating hands direct the dog in one direction (e.g., clockwise around your right leg), then back through your legs and around the other leg in the opposite direction (e.g., counterclockwise around your left leg). This assessment requires ~46 weeks of prior training, minimal and inexpensive equipment and takes ~1520 min per dog. Performing the Back-up exercise focuses on the extensors of the hindlimb while complementing the flexion focused Squat exercise (24, 49, 52). Available online at: https://www.nsca.com/professional-development/professional-areas/tsac-professionals/ (accessed May 7, 2020). (1991) 49:S812. doi: 10.1519/00124278-200705000-00018. If the dog successfully completes this stage, they are given 30 s of rest. Am J Phys. Tarsal extension is primarily provided by the gracilis, biceps femoris, and semitendinosus muscles. Figure 6. Once the dog can maintain its balance for 30 s while weight shifting, they can progress. The beauty about the Center is that everyone that walks through the door has a chance to make an impact and the team has worked hard to convey that motto and establish a collaborative atmosphere. Figure 2. Although there are no clinical trials to evaluate the impact, dogs with early dysplastic hips may benefit from increased muscular support and reduced joint instability, and dogs with stable cruciate ligament disease may benefit from the improved lower extremity control. Both movements may also increase neuromuscular activation and thus athletic performance (18, 19). In the end, I gained so much more from the experience than I could ever imagine. During the movement, the dog's stifles should move dorsal to or just cranial to the hindlimb digits. "I also got lots of hands-on opportunities to work the dogs in obedience, agility, and searching. Elevation of the object height progressively shifts a greater percentage of the dog's weight onto their hindlimbs. doi: 10.1111/joa.12763. Please note, these are unpaid internships. One of the biggest challenges in evaluating the current level of canine fitness and the impact of any intervention, such as a fitness program, is the establishment of a formalized, repeatable method for assessment. WHO: The Penn Vet Working Dog Center serves as a national research and development center and training center for scent detection dogs. Mokha M, Sato K. Does core strength training influence running kinetics, lower-extremity stability, and 5000-m performance in runners? To complete the Warm-up, the dog walks for 30 s, trots for 30 s, performs a Paws-up for 15 s on the handler's arm or an object (Figure 1A), and performs 3 Figure-8s (Figures 1BD) between the handler's legs or around two objects or people set 4590 cm (1836 in) apart. The assessment should be designed to account for intra-dog and inter-dog variability and learning effect of the dog, but lead to results that allow the dog to be compared to the population (9). The gracilis, piriformis, and quadratus femoris muscles also contribute to hip extension. They went above and beyond what they were required to do, and I know without my internship at the PVWDC, I would not have been able to make near as many connections for grad school as I already have been able to. Founder and director Cynthia Otto (top right) offered reflections on the Center's past and her hopes for the future, and attendees were treated to meet-and-greets and training session demonstrations. . A well-trained dog should perform the Pivot in a position 180 from the handler and be able to complete a 30 s interval prior to reward. Basic canine fitness requires a foundational fitness program coupled with a scientifically based and repeatable assessment process. Read what our interns say about their experiences here University of Pennsylvania Students Veteran Association (UPSVA) Daily hands-on interaction with working dogs in training, Opportunity to learn about dog training and scientific research, Daily guidance from trainers and veterinary staff when available, Helping to maintain the well-being of our dogs and their training environment. Placing the lure too high causes the dog to sit. During initial training of the Back-up, the dog should be rewarded after each step backwards. Also, this initial implementation allowed us to define initial progression levels for some exercises (Pivot, Plank, and Squat). While the order of the FFA-L2 requires further exploration, we propose that the PPT should be conducted before the PST so that fatigue from the Squat does not affect hip stability. Finally, we wanted to be able to objectively compare the fitness of dogs. The Pivot is performed continuously in one direction for a specific duration or number of rotations and then repeated in the opposite direction after a rest interval. Three times a week, the dog participates in the foundational fitness exercises which focus on strength, stability, balance, and proprioception. doi: 10.1007/s40279-013-0034-0, 22. de la Motte SJ, Lisman P, Gribbin TC, Murphy K, Deuster PA. A spot will be held for you while your application is being considered. Introduction to general dog training as well as working dogs and their many different jobs. 13. ASPCA staff work from coast to coast with pet owners, communities, shelters and rescues, law enforcement, legislators and many others to improve the lives of animals. Hip stability is provided by the hip abductors (superficial, middle, and deep gluteal muscles) and adductors (adductor, gracilis, semimembranosus, sartorius, and pectineus muscles). Our volunteers are consistent, dedicated and dependable because of the time and effort that Judi has put into our Volunteer program. (2005) 40:21820. But Judi emphatically recommended that I apply to the internship program for the next year, which I wasnt aware about until she mentioned it to me. This process is continued until the dog completes 30 s at PlankLevel 9. ". The goals of the program are to meet the foundational fitness requirements of working dogs that are not currently addressed in the traditional training disciplines. Housing and transportation are the responsibility of the student. The program was designed with the realistic expectations and time constraints of the working dog training and utilization worlds. Various working and sporting dog careers and disciplines have specific fitness requirements that should be layered on top of foundational fitness. Examples are 32.75/1.5 (two and three-quarter rotations clockwise and one and one-half rotations counterclockwise at Level 3) and M-10.25/12 (ten and one-quarter rotations clockwise and twelve rotations counterclockwise at this dog's maximum level). (B) Shows the Posture Sit in the incorrect position. doi: 10.1177/0363546516672650. View Video. In October, she became a postdoctoral research fellow at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, where she now works with dogs who are trained to sniff out COVID-19 and cancer. If your child is only looking to snuggle and play with dogs all day, this is not the right program for your child. Working with difficult dogs teaches interns to keep their cool in a sometimes frustrating situation, which again, is a skill that can be applied anywhere. (2016) 22:6673. Then, the dog completes a final 2 min maximum effort. The handler then steps in front of the dog with a lure in front of the dog's nose. Our internship program is designed for students with a serious interest in working dogs to gain practical experience while helping the Penn Vet Working Dog Center achieve our mission of developing a detection dog breeding/training program that will implement, test, and disseminate the knowledge gained. A dog that repeatedly hurdles obstacles (e.g., agility or law enforcement), spends prolonged time in a forepaw-elevated position (e.g., searching vehicles or elevated surfaces), traverses unstable surfaces that predispose it to a fall, (e.g., disaster search and rescue) encounters powerful force to the spine (e.g., criminal apprehension), or is at risk of spine injury or intervertebral disc disease may benefit from training the Plank. (AH) Illustrate the Pivot. For mature dogs, the Squat is usually trained on a 20 cm (8 in) high stable object (e.g., standard concrete block) (Figure 7F), although puppies under 34 months of age or small breed dogs may benefit from an object that is only 10 cm (4 in) high (e.g., standard brick). (GJ) Show progression of the Squat [(G) Level 1, (H) Level 2, (I) Level 3 (maximum for this dog), and (J) Level 4 (too high for this dog)]. The Posture Sit and Posture Down are safe for healthy dogs of all ages. The prone bridge test: performance, validity, and reliability among older and younger adults. To perform the PPLT, the dog's Plank measurements are first obtained (see above). Finally, skills being assessed should directly translate to the realistic and operational athletic requirements of working dogs (8, 11). Dogs naturally bear approximately two thirds of their weight on their forelimbs; thus, representing the brunt of musculoskeletal development and engagement during normal physical activity (3, 4). We appreciate the men and women who have served our country and recognize the special contributions that American soldiers make to the future generation of working dogs being training at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center. Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. BF and MR developed the method, conducted the pilot implementation, and participated in manuscript preparation. One gap deserving future research is the quantification of muscle activity for various fitness exercises. Chong TE, Davies HMS. J Neurophysiol. 21. For training sessions, the frequency, timing throughout the day, and timing relative to work or other training need to be explored. Figure 8. FTW is also an accessible program for the people involved in assessing and developing working dog fitness. 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