Front Matter

Chapter 21 Conditions and Rehabilitation of the Working Dog 529

of Defense, 2013). Making sure to clarify termi-
nology is one of the first things that a therapist
should do when starting to work with working
dog/handler teams, especially those who might
be unfamiliar with canine athletic injury
management.

Element 3: The controlling agency

Many working dogs are either owned by the
military, law enforcement, fire agencies or
other sponsoring groups (ski resorts, non-profit
organizations, other government bodies). The
result is that the decision-making and treat-
ment approval process can be more complex
than with animals owned by single clients.
Approval for treatment often has to progress
through organizational layers, be approved by
individuals with no knowledge of canine ath-
lete medical needs, and who might only view
the dogs as company or agency assets and tools.
Often there are budgetary restrictions, handler
time and duty restrictions, and pressure to have
the dog “back on the line” by a certain date,
regardless of the nature of the injury or whether
it is fully healed. It is important for the veteri-
nary rehabilitation community as a whole to
continue educating working dog organizations
about the importance of rehabilitation after
injury diagnosis or surgery, especially for soft
tissue musculoskeletal repair.
In many working dog situations, there is a
large number of dogs being managed at once,
sometimes by the same trainer or administra-
tor, more rarely by the same handler (except in
herding and sled dog situations). This can limit
not only available funds, but also time that can
be dedicated to any single animal. This should
not be interpreted by the therapist as an unwill-
ingness to try to do what is best for the indi-
vidual animal; rather, therapeutic programs
should be designed with recognition and
respect for the limitations presented.
Each organization has its own techniques,
protocols, and regimens for training its dogs.
Becoming familiar with training regimens,
including the presence of rest periods, is impor-
tant for the veterinary therapist. Normal physi-
cal conditioning and training has been shown
to create physiological stress changes—changes
that are tolerable and create adaptive changes

in the body (Bruchim et al., 2014; Diverio et al.,

2015). However, strenuous training or working

in environmental extremes can lead to nona-

daptive stress and injury. Chronic or severe

stress can also affect the body’s ability to heal

from injury (Baker & Miller, 2013).

The key is for the therapist to listen to the

handler, be aware of restrictions, and design a

plan that works within those boundaries.

Designing flexible plans that do not necessarily

require the use of an underwater treadmill, for

example, and that can be undertaken during a

handler’s breaks in their duties, or in the envi-

ronment of the organization’s kennel is impor-

tant for success. While a therapist might be

faced with a situation that is less than ideal,

some rehabilitation is usually preferable

to  none. Maintaining a flexible attitude can

go  a  long way in negotiating treatment

compromises.

Rehabilitation concerns

Specific exercises for various injuries and fit-

ness goals are covered in Chapter  8. The reha-

bilitation plan for any particular injury or

problem involves the same body mechanics for

a working dog as for an active pet or competi-

tive dog. Nonetheless, understanding and

keeping in mind the unique considerations of

working dog rehabilitation can be just as impor-

tant to success as the specific exercises

themselves.

Drive

Working dogs, no matter their job, are selected

for temperaments that involve heightened

drive or behavior characteristics (such as prey,

hunt, nondistractibility, aggression, etc.), which

can either help during therapy tasks or hinder.

A veterinary rehabilitation therapist who is

used to handling more social pet and competi-

tion dogs might not initially understand the

drives of a working dog or know how to use

them to advantage. The ability to identify

which drives are particularly strong (drive

intensity) in any given patient, as well as how

those drives interact, can assist the therapist

(and the handler) to safely examine and handle