Working Dog Project

Survey of orthopedic injuries in protection sport canines and working dogs

Dogs working in protection or participating in protection sports undergo rigorous activity. Most commonly, these dogs are jumping from elevations, climbing ramps, running at high speeds, sustaining impact bites at high speeds, and also pushing and pulling while maintaining a grip on a decoy. This survey is looking at information regarding the orthopedic injuries most commonly sustained by dogs in this line of work and the suspected inciting cause.

Knowing the most common injuries would help veterinary and rehabilitation therapy professionals tailor care to this population of canines. Knowing which activity is the suspected cause of the injury would also help handlers adjust training methods to help prevent injury and be observant earlier on during an exercise for a possible injury.

Questions? Contact us at: Protectiondogstudy@vet.k-state.edu