196 Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
beg position alone. Patients with strong legs and
weak cores will attempt to stand up on their pel
vic limbs rather than holding the beg position.
Progression: To strengthen core and pelvic
limb musculature, the dog is started in the beg
position (Figure 8.19) and then encouraged to
stand up on the pelvic limbs, gradually return
ing to the beg position without allowing the
front feet to touch the floor. The standing exer
cise involves concentric contractions, so is rela
tively easy for the patient, whereas the return to
beg position requires eccentric contractions that
are significantly more challenging.
Dance
Purpose: Strengthen the pelvic limb and trunk
muscles.
Goal: Strong contractions of the muscles of
the core and pelvic limbs without the patient
pulling forward to support the majority of
weight on the thoracic limbs and without thora
columbar flexion.
Technique: The patient is encouraged to stand
on the pelvic limbs with the front feet on an ele
vated surface high enough for the thoracic limbs
to be extended, the thoracolumbar spine main
tained in a neutral position, and the hips comfort
ably extended (Figure 8.20A,B). As the patient
gains strength and confidence in the exercise, the
surface under the front feet can be raised.
Progression: Front or rear feet are placed on
an unstable surface such as a cushion, progress
ing to a ball.Snoopy exercises
Purpose: Strengthen the trunk muscles without
causing any compression or loading to the
spine.
Goal: The patient engages the core muscula
ture to the point of starting to sway.
Technique: With the patient standing
squarely on all four feet, one front foot is lifted
and placed on a block. Next, the diagonal rear
foot is lifted, placing it on a similar sized block.
Note: The limbs should be elevated in a
straight anterior/posterior direction rather than
allowing abduction of the limbs leading to spi
nal rotation. The patient is observed for any
trunk sway, indicating that the exercise is chal
lenging. If the patient does not sway, the diffi
culty of the exercise is increased by having the
dog stand with elevated legs on higher blocks,
with the height of the blocks never exceeding the
height of the patient’s stifle. Next, the therapist
lifts the limbs at the carpal and tarsal joints with
minimal support, using two fingers, rather than
the entire hand. The legs are lifted to the height
of the carpus, gradually increasing the extension
of each limb until sway is observed (Figure 8.21).
Final progression: Add rhythmic stabiliza
tion while maintaining full limb extension.Goosing
Purpose: Strengthen abdominal musculature in
patients with lordosis. This is contraindicated
in patients with kyphosis.
Goal: Visibly lift the thoracolumbar spine.
Technique: With the patient standing
squarely, the therapist tickles the ventral chest,Figure 8.19 A patient learning to beg. A patient doing
sit‐up‐and‐beg needs to sit squarely with their body‐
weight almost entirely over the pelvic limbs. Source:
Photo by Whitney Rupp.