How to Stretch a Dog's Back Legs

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17-11-2020, 09:40
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Dogs can suffer from stiff joints just like their human companions, and the rear legs are often a problem area for older dogs in particular. Fortunately, doing a regular stretching program may reduce the risk of injury during exercise, build muscle and support joints, and strengthen your bond with your dog. Try a standing rear leg stretch as a good introduction to back leg stretching. Before long, you can progress to a full series of back leg stretches while your dog is lying on its side. However, if your dog suffers from joint disease or has recently had surgery done, you should first consult your vet to see if you can safely stretch its muscles. You should also never force an unwilling dog to stretch since it’s more likely to snap or bite when it’s in pain.

Stretching Safely and Successfully

  1. Check with your vet if your dog is injured, ill, or older. Just like with people, stretching is generally safe for healthy dogs when done properly. If your dog is older or has health issues, however, always consult your vet before starting a stretching program. In fact, it’s never a bad idea to talk to your vet about stretching no matter what condition your dog is in.
    • Your vet may have advice on specific stretches that might particularly benefit your dog. Or, you may be advised to avoid certain stretches. If your dog is recovering from a rear leg injury or surgery, for example, your vet may recommend that you do only range-of-motion stretching.
  2. Do stretches for 10-15 minutes per day unless otherwise advised. When it comes to stretching, more isn’t necessarily better. A single daily stretching session lasting 10-15 minutes should be more than sufficient to improve your dog’s flexibility and range of motion.
    • If your dog isn’t interested in doing a single 15-minute stretching session, it’s okay to break it up into 2 or 3 shorter sessions.
  3. Take your dog for a 5-10 minute walk to warm up its muscles. While you may be in the habit of stretching before you exercise, both people and canines should warm up their muscles before doing any stretches. A typical walk around the neighborhood will do the trick, and is also likely to put your dog in a better mood for stretching.
    • Dogs love having familiar routines, so try doing stretches around the same time each day after taking a particular walk route.
  4. Create a calm environment for stretching. If your dog is distracted or agitated, you’re less likely to make it through a complete stretching routine. Aim to do stretches when your dog is calm, and pick out a quiet, low-distraction spot for stretching.
    • You might use a spare bedroom that’s away from the hustle and bustle of your home, for example, or pick out an isolated part of your yard that’s away from the street.
  5. Stop stretching immediately if your dog shows signs of distress. Stretching should not cause your dog pain! If it yelps, whines, whimpers, barks, snarls, shakes, or shows any other signs of pain, quit doing stretches right away. Contact your vet before resuming any type of stretching routine.
    • Your vet may recommend a different stretching regimen or want to have your dog come in for a checkup.
  6. Follow your dog’s lead and offer treats as needed. If your dog needs extra motivation to do any stretching at all, try offering small treats as often as every 3-5 minutes during a session. Don’t give out more than 3-4 treats per session, or your stretching program may cause weight gain that leads to extra stress on your pup’s rear legs!
    • Even if your dog typically follows the stretching routine without much fuss, some days may be more of a challenge. If your dog is really disinterested in stretching, take a break and try again later.

Starting with an Easy Rear Leg Stretch

  1. Give clear cues as you move behind your standing dog. Don’t just come up from behind your dog and grab its leg by surprise! Instead, let it know that it’s time to stretch. Offer a verbal cue, like “It’s time to stretch,” and pet your dog as you walk around behind it to start the stretch.
    • If your dog isn't already standing up, use a “stand” command (or similar) and offer praise to get your dog to stay on all fours.
    • Dogs that are new to stretching may find a simple standing stretch like this one easier to get used to, as opposed to more complex stretches that require the dog to lie on its side.
    • During this stretch, you’ll straighten your dog’s rear leg so it points in the opposite direction of its head.
    • You should not perform this stretch on dogs with hip disease unless you’re instructed otherwise by a veterinary physiotherapist.
  2. Place your hands above and below one of your dog’s knees. Kneel behind your standing dog and use one hand to grasp one of its upper rear legs lightly but securely. Put your other hand on the same leg but below the knee to help steady the leg and guide it into the stretch.
    • Keep talking to your dog calmly to let it know what's going on. A simple "You're such a good girl" may be all that's needed.
  3. Guide the leg straight back until you feel slight resistance. Use the hand that’s above your dog’s knee to slowly lift the leg up and back, and use your other hand to help keep your dog’s knee straight. As soon as you feel any muscle resistance in the leg, stop the lift and hold that position.
    • Guide the leg straight back towards you, not angled inward or outward.
    • Some dogs may be flexible enough that you can stretch their leg to nearly parallel with the ground, while others may only manage a slight lift. Listen to your dog’s body!
    • Offer calming words of praise—like “Good job, Benji”—as needed, especially the first few times you do this stretch.
  4. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, repeat, and switch legs. Keep the leg steady and straight, then slowly lower your dog’s paw back down to the ground. Repeat the stretch on the same leg 1-2 more times, then switch over to the other leg for 2-3 total repetitions (reps).
    • If your dog squirms or resists, try to calm it with some soothing words, but also be ready to return its leg to the ground quickly but carefully. Don’t try to force your dog and its leg to stay in position.
    • This standing stretch is a good introduction to stretching for your dog. Eventually, you’ll likely want to incorporate a full series of rear leg stretches for the best results.
    • Repeat the stretches in groups of 7–10 reps with a short rest between each one. That way, your dog gets used to the movement and it will build muscle if you repeat it 2–3 times a day.

Advancing to a Full Set of Stretches

  1. Give cues for your dog to lie down on its side. Make sure your dog is on a warm padded surface rather than a hard floor so it’s more comfortable. If your dog is already lying down, just use a verbal cue like "it's time to stretch" to let it know what's going on. Otherwise, start with a "lie down" or "down" command that your dog recognizes so that it gets into position for stretching.
    • If your dog is still learning to follow cues, help guide it into position with your hands. In any case, offer verbal praise (and perhaps a small treat) as soon as it lies down on its side.
  2. Sit down on the floor right above your dog's rear hips. For most average-sized dogs, this sitting position gives you full access to the rear legs. If your dog is very small, train it to lie down on its side on your lap for stretching. If it's very large, position yourself more towards its tail and rear end so you can more easily reach its rear legs.
  3. Press your dog’s knee gently up towards its ribs. Place one palm on the outside of your dog's knee and the other palm on the pad of its paw. Press gently on the paw pad to push your dog’s knee up towards its ribs, and use your other palm to keep the knee and upper leg from rotating outward.
    • Hold this stretch for about 10 seconds, then release.
    • Offer praise and an occasional treat as needed, especially when introducing new stretches.
  4. Extend your dog’s leg and gently stretch it forward, then back. Place one palm on your dog’s hip and use your other hand to lightly grasp its leg below the knee. Slowly press the leg forward, keeping it parallel with the ground until you feel slight muscle resistance. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds, then slowly pull the leg backward in the same fashion until you feel slight resistance. Once again, hold for 10 seconds, then release.
    • Keep the dog’s knee straight the entire time.
  5. Stretch your dog’s hips outward and inward. Press your dog’s knee up towards its ribs as you did during the first stretch. This time, though, move one hand to the other back leg—the one lying on the ground. Use light pressure to pin this leg to the ground while lifting slowly upward on the top leg to open up the hip. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
    • After opening the upper hip, return the top leg to its resting position and move both hands to the lower leg. Lift straight upward until you feel slight resistance in order to rotate the lower hip inward, hold for 10 seconds, and release.
  6. Complete 10-20 range-of-motion reps in forward and reverse. Gently bend your dog’s knee and push it towards its ribs yet again. This time, though, keep guiding the leg through a full walking motion—slowly extend it forward, guide it back towards the tail, and return it to the starting tucked position. Repeat this 10-20 times without stopping, maintaining a slow and steady pace.
    • After doing 10-20 reps of a forward walking motion, switch to a reverse walking motion without stopping. Untuck the leg, extend it backward, swing it forward, and tuck it back up towards the ribcage.
    • As always, stop applying pressure whenever you feel slight resistance. Also, if you feel or hear any clicking, popping, or catching of the hip joint while going through the range of motion, stop the stretch and let your vet know.
  7. Repeat the series 2-3 more times, then switch legs. Consider the entire series of stretches to be a single set—after completing one, do 2-3 more sets on the same rear leg. After that, use commands, persuasion, and perhaps a treat to get your dog to lie on its other side. Do the 3-4 full sets of stretches on the other rear leg in the same fashion.
    • The entire stretching session should take about 10-15 minutes for both legs. If your dog won’t put up with stretching for that long, break up the stretches into 2 or 3 daily sessions.

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