Lead Pulling dogs

The challenge and the consequences from a Massage Therapist’s perspective

As dog lovers we all have, or will at some point, experience the joy of sharing our lives with dogs that can sometimes prove a little more challenging than others. Dogs that are ‘Lead -pullers’ are one such challenge experienced by many owners.

Dogs may need to be kept on lead for numerous reasons; environmental risks- such as traffic, livestock, wildlife, out of respect for other dog owners, or to those who strangely don’t embrace our love of these beautiful animals, to name but a few.

Those dogs, that when on the lead, pull, not only frustrate their human family, (many embracing numerous training mechanisms to deter this behaviour), but more importantly create the potential to cause health issues for both their human on the other end of the lead, and notably to themselves.

I have been blessed to share my life with some beautiful dogs and currently I am lucky enough to have one of these, ‘work in progress’ challenging lead-pullers.

The consequences

Lead pulling can result in impacts on the soft tissues including:

• Hypertonicity – Too great a resting tone of the muscle fibres

• Overcompensation - Utilisation of muscles to assist/perform functions of another muscle.

• Adhesions -Soft tissues stuck together that should naturally slide + glide over one another.

• Strains – Tears to muscle fibres caused by overstretching of the fibres.

• Trigger points- Hyper irritable knots within muscles.

• Myofascial Pain -Pain within the fascial system – (a 3D network that connects all the bodily systems.)     

As a Clinical Canine Massage therapist, I am aware more so of these potential health risks and can witness them first hand, but fortunately am able to use my massage knowledge and skills to address these issues and reduce the potential associated health risks. The stride of many dogs, more so medium to large breed dogs is significantly greater than that of the average walking human and so here in the challenge starts to manifest itself. We are straightaway at odds walking with dogs in this size category, yet this is not a problem exclusive to larger dogs, as those owners of the determined smaller dogs will vouch only too readily.

Dog’s muscles are layered and interpenetrate with one another, share points of attachment with other muscles, and so whilst they have their own distinct functions they are also interlinked, not only with their neighbouring muscles but with the many other muscles via the body’s fascial system. It is not surprising then that a problem with one muscle can quickly affect those neighbouring muscles impacting on the body as a whole.

The cervical (neck) and vertebral (back) columns of the dog can be seen as the central dividing line of the dog- the muscles on one side of the body being mirrored on the opposite side. Within the neck are many muscles all with many individual functions. The restraint and constriction of the collar pulling via the lead contorts the direction of the neck impairing the muscles natural functions, whilst the dog is also exerting additional forces through the muscles when pulling against the lead. Sometimes the force is loaded at the back of the head other times from the side if a collar is worn or through the shoulders if a harness is worn. If the lead was pulling the dog for example from the left side, then the left lateral neck muscle is held in a concentric contracted state on this side (its reciprocal muscle on the right in an eccentric contraction) through persistent stress via pulling on the lead an accumulation of stress factors results over time. This can cause hypertonicity a reduced resting tone in the muscle fibres and as a consequence the muscle becomes hard and inflexible.

Overcompensation develops because the muscle is unable to function correctly as intended so the body then calls upon other surrounding muscles to help to fulfil the function of the impaired muscle, leading to overcompensation issues of these recruited muscles. Pulling effects interfere with the natural slide and glide of the muscles too, causing the layers of superficial fascia under the skin to stick to the deep fascia covering the muscle.  This leads to restrictive adhesions within the neck, often found down the medium raphe of the neck where the dividing muscle septum meets on the cervical vertebrae, this leads to restricted movement and posture changes. In turn this can allow trigger point formation, which are hyperirritable bands of focal point tension within the muscles.

Both adhesions and trigger points cause ischemia (a lack of oxygen) to the tissues allowing toxins to accumulate irritating nerve endings and causing pain.

Adhesions can result in dysfunctional fascia that becomes overtightened and restrictive causing myofascial pain. Myofascial pain increases the activity of the nociceptors (pain receptors). The dog might be observed as reluctant to have their harness or collar and lead fitted, observed flinching/ cowering due to noises e.g. metal clips on their lead or similarly metal bowl noise that cause them to be seen to tense up.

Dogs are designed to move in the sagittal plane (i.e. a forward direction) as the owner reciprocates pulling the lead in an opposing direction a force against the dog’s natural direction is applied. Attempting to slow down and pull the dog backwards on a regular repetitive basis can lead to strain injuries to the musculature of the epaxial muscles of the back and lead to over compensatory issues elsewhere. Strained muscles are weaker and at risk of further injury.

Similarly, this has a potential to cause injury to stifles (knees) and hocks (ankles) which are designed to provide propulsive forces to send the dog forward not backwards, counteractive pulling on the lead by the owner means additional opposing forces are exerted against the dog’s natural biomechanical design.

The solutions

Massage therapists apply techniques to loosen the adhesions, easing tension and tightness and relaxing over-contracted hypertonic muscles thus mobilising the tissues once more. In doing so enhances the delivery of oxygen to the tissues and helping flush toxins out relieving irritation around nerve fibres reducing pain and eliminating trigger points. Canine Massage Guild therapists are also taught myofascial release techniques that improve the plasticity of the fascia and work to re-establish a normal fascial system. In doing so relieving myofascial pain associated with the muscular dysfunction caused by the restricted range of movement notably in lead pulling dogs in the neck, shoulder, and thoracolumbar fascia.

Tools on the market to assist with lead pulling include:

• Puppy and dog training

• Long loose trailing training leads

• Various types of head collars

• Extension leads.

• Harnesses

Note some harnesses are designed to prevent pulling but this is generally because their fitment inhibits pulling by affecting the dog’s natural joint function, restricting the free range of movement of joints which creates other issues for the dog and potential problems.

As therapists we recommend anyone considering a harness use a well fitted ‘Y’ shaped harness and ensure that the straps behind the forelimbs do not press against the Triceps muscles. With all restraining devices there are potential consequences that can impact on the muscular skeletal and fascial system of the dog. Despite all these mechanisms on the market, every dog is unique and in essence in attempting to curb their desire to fulfil their natural breed function be that herding, or other, such dogs may very well be a lifelong training program.

In an ideal world we would all have dogs that loose lead walk, however realistically we know that the world is less ideal than we would all like, despite our best endeavours.

Author - Anne Hurford Owner of Grayswood Clinical Canine Massage Therapy