I know what you are thinking, what a clickbait-y title - true! But there is method behind this madness and it does involve your health. We will go through the reasons why your dog pulling on the lead might be bad for you in the long run (think, damaged shoulder rotator cuff or knee injuries) and why you should take the time to work on their lead manners to make the walk enjoyable now and moving forward. With regular walks with an enthusiastic dog, it means that your body is constantly being offset whilst you're walking. This means that your body will be compensating in other areas to keep your body stabilising and balanced. This could be over-straining your shoulders, your core and your hips unnecessarily. Let's go through the individual components: According to an interview with Dr Peter Angell, a lecturer in Sports and Exercise Sciences, in regards to dogs pulling on leads. He states "it’s about the way you load the knee, and you may experience problems on the same side of the body where you hold the lead. Because you’re offset as you’re walking, you haven’t got an even gait. You’re taking bigger steps on the side the dog is pulling, which could mean your bodyweight doesn’t fall straight over the leg, and instead jars to one side." This irregular movement and motions of an excitable can lead to twists and turns in the knee that can possibly cause joint problems and tenderness. Time to move up the body from the knees to the hip. Again, the hips are becoming out of balance, overcompensating and underworking in quick successions. This pressure can also be felt on your lower back. This means that it can make it difficulty for your spine to be stacked correctly, thus putting pressure on your discs and an expensive trip to the chiropractor to help re-align (ouch to your body and your wallet). Further up we go to now discuss your neck, shoulders and upper back. It's nothing new knowing that your shoulders are working full time, and that's with any dog walk. However, they can get strained after a while, particularly if you predominantly use one arm over the other. In regards to your dog pulling on the lead, this can lead to your joint becoming stretched out of the socket and often at an awkward angle that again, leads to another imbalance in the rotator cuff. Dr Peter Angell comments that "with the shoulder, you could end up with what’s called “anterior roll”, where you’re slightly hunched forwards, which can cause pain through the shoulder and back.” This tension can lead up from the shoulders and upper back towards the neck. This tension can also be experienced around your wrists. As you try to counteract the tension from the lead, your dog can sprain your wrist if they yank unexpectedly. The repetitive trauma can even manifest into tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, accordingly to Dr Brandon P. Donnelly. However, not all is lost! As long as you acknowledge your dog's walking manners, you can begin to correct them and work on it. If you notice there's no improvement or you don't know what else could be done, we would always recommend reaching out to a reputable dog trainer. Similarly, in regards to your body, it might be worth booking in for a chiropractor or physiotherapist appointment to help re-align, identify any weaknesses and sent you back on the right foot.
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