Canine Anatomy - Uncovering Front Angulation by johargraves

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CANINE ANATOMY

UNCOVERING FRONT ANGULATION

This workbook covers FRONT ANGULATION within the JULIE HARRIS EDUCATION, ANATOMY MODULE. It is designed as a teaching aid to accompany the webinar of the same name. ANATOMY explains the internal bodily structure including bones and their movement on and around a dog's skeleton. By understanding this you will be better prepared for handling all types of breeds on your grooming table. Manipulation for positioning and comfort will be clearer and you will have a greater chance of success with your doggy client by working within their physical constraints. FRONT ANGULATION At the end of this unit you will be able to: 1: Name the BONES and JOINTS that make up the FRONT ANGULATION 2: Understand how the BONE STRUCTURE within FRONT ANGULATION can vary BY BREED 3: Understand how that BONE STRUCTURE influences BEHAVIOUR ON the GROOMING TABLE 4: How to TRIM in a way COMPLIMENTARY to DIFFERENT BREED TYPES 5: How to make an OLDER DOG LOOK YOUNGER

WHAT IS ANGULATION? Angulation is the meeting of 2 BONES in the formation of a JOINT JOINTS produce ANGULATION and MOVEMENT Knowing where the JOINTS are and an understanding of their type will allow you to manipulate them correctly and enable you to create ANGULATION in your grooming.

FACTS Dogs don't have a collar bone, which means that their shoulder rotates really well and they can achieve a much greater extension than a human when running. Two thirds of a dog's weight is carried on their front legs which is a consideration particularly as dogs get older. The elbow is the most complicated joint on a dog it's where 3 bones come together and can be an early indicator of arthritis due to its complexity. There are 3 types of BONES and 2 types of JOINTS in the FRONT ANGULATION: BONES SCAPULA - is a FLAT bone with a SPUR or a PROCESS through the middle. This is an area of LARGE MUSCLE ATTACHMENT HUMERUS or RETURN bone - is a LONG bone FLAT RIBS - the first 3 ribs are flat allowing the SCAPULA to glide easily over the RIB CAGE when a dog is running.

Most MUSCLES come in PAIRS of EQUAL LENGTH

JOINTS POINT OF SHOULDER - is a BALL & SOCKET joint. It is the most forward point ELBOW - is a LEVER or HINGE joint JOINTS must move through an angle to produce MOVEMENT Either: FLEX and CONTRACT SWING FORWARD and BACK

The leg goes FORWARD by MUSCLES SHORTENING and COMES BACK with MUSCLES LENGTHENING

JOINTS JOINT A: Is between the SCAPULA and the HUMERUS and is a BALL & SOCKET joint JOINT B: Is between the HUMERUS and the RADIUS at the FRONT and the ULNA at the BACK and is a HINGE or LEVER joint RECAP: A HINGE JOINT is very STRONG as it takes a dogs weight

Manipulation of a these joints to clip an armpit: 1: EXTEND the HINGE joint forward. Support the leg and then 2: ROTATE the BALL & SOCKET joint to allow easier access to the arm pit.

BONES SCAPULA Is a LARGE, TRIANGULAR, FLAT bone with a large area of muscle attachment. It is a SHOCK ABSORBER and takes the IMPACT of everyday life for a dog (running, jumping, walking downstairs). It is connected to the rest of the body only by a strong web of muscles known as:

SYNSARCOSIS HUMERUS Is a LONG bone - like the thigh. It is also know as the RETURN bone. Different breeds will have different lengths, this will influence your grooming. 3 FLAT RIBS The first 3 ribs on a dog are flat to allow the SCAPULA to pass over the rib cage when a dog runs. OTHER BONES IN THE LEG: RADIUS: At the FRONT of the leg below the HINGE JOINT ULNA: A very thin bone at the BACK of the leg below the HINGE JOINT PHALANGE: A dogs TOES

Remember HUMERUS, RADIUS, ULNA with 'How aRe yoU?'

GROOMING We want to create SHAPE and ELEGANCE when grooming. Ideally when a dog returns after 8 weeks you can still see the shape you created. Visualise the skeleton underneath the Cockapoo and think about the additional hair that could be removed at the next groom to create greater shape and angulation.

Relax a dog's shoulder by tracing a figure of 8 on the Point of Shoulder with your finger. It will help with leg extension.Â BERTIE is an older dog with lots of lumps and bumps. In the first picture I have taken out his chest to follow the POINT OF THE SHOULDER and left some hair in the middle to create shape. In the second picture I have trimmed the legs to fall directly in line with his body (apart from the lump on the left). This brings his legs underneath him to give SHAPE.

BEFORE

GROOMING How can understanding FRONT ANGULATION influence your grooming? COMPARE THESE 2 GROOMS: WHITE POODLE A The groom does not follow the line of the skeleton underneath so you can not see its front angulation. The goal is to put their shoulders back and give them a chest. It will make them look slimmer, more alert, younger. BLACK POODLE B The groomer has clipped back from the Point of Shoulder.

FRONT VIEW RED AREAS Ensure that you take out both areas from the POINT OF SHOULDER down to the TOP OF THE LEG. BLUE AREA Leave the hair in the middle for DEPTH & CONTRAST and to create SHAPE.

GROOMING NECKS The head is the heaviest part of a dog. As a dog ages the muscles around the neck thicken, giving the illusion of a shortened neck and a sad expression. With our knowledge of angulation, we can groom to give the dog back length in their neck to give a brighter expression. How do we do this? Find the SCAPULA BONE (large & flat) and take the hair shorter from behind the ear to the top of the SCAPULA. Feel for the EAR BULB to guide you. Take your clipper straight down

If you have a dog that is going to be shaved off, experiment and try to add shape first.

Trim the throat area shorter than the body, down to the breast bone. The angulation may be well hidden under the hair but you will be able to feel it with your fingers Use a 3 comb (blue) on the body. On throat reverse the 3 comb or use a 2 or 1. On a Bichon if it has a 4 on the body, use a 7F on the neck to create more elegance.

GROOMING LEGS SHORT LEGS Terriers have a short upper arm which creates a short step and a limited range of movement. They are SQUARE in shape and COMPACT with a SHORTÂ HUMERUS bone. Look at the skeleton picture A and see how the elbow joint comes ABOVE the RIB CAGE. They have been bred to dig and burrow. They rest their breast bone on the edge of the hole to give more leverage. They are very stable with all four legs on the ground but can show reluctance when we raise their front legs as it unbalances them. Uncovering their chest muscles to show their ATTITUDE will make your trimming come to life. Neither of these Westie trims have uncovered the muscle area.

Slight adjustments can show off the muscle area and improve shape. Clip back to the RED LINE

GROOMING LONG LEGS Breeds with a LONG HUMERUS bone are more comfortable as we articulate their legs to either clip their armpits of cut nails. They can easily balance on three legs. Allow them to adjust their position for stability. Can you see on the skeleton picture how their rib cage is ABOVE their elbow? This allows them to run at speed. Poodles have deep chests, so anything crossed with a poodle is also going to have a deep chest. The Retriever is built for endurance and speed. Understanding what they are bred for gives a better understanding of how they might behave in a salon.

See on the Red Setter how the POINT OF SHOULDERÂ is easily seen at the tip of the RED ARROW at the point of ANGULATION.

SHAPE IMPROVEMENT COMPARE THESE TWO DOGS How can we improve the shape of the older dog B? Due to age the POINT OF SHOULDER has dropped, marked by the BLUE ARROW. If you give the illusion of a new, higher POINT OF SHOULDER in RED and remove lots of bulk hair from the neck and shoulder you can see how this dog would look more angulated and alert like dog A.

....AND THESE TWO DOGS ALSO Dog A has the ANGULATION fully uncovered and dog B requires considerable trimming for it to be seen.

SHAPE IMPROVEMENT A CUTE DOG!

This really cute dog looks like it is leaning forward as if its facing down a slope. That's because it's front angulation has been left covered in hair. It can be made to look even cuter by emphasising it's front angulation. Remove the hair and show the point of shoulder back to the height of the elbow - top of the leg then immediately the leg likes like it is standing upright.

Now here's few questions to check what you have remembered so far.

OVER TO YOU: 1: What are the 3 types of BONES that make up the FRONT ANGULATION? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 2: And the 2 types of JOINTS? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

3: What hair would you remove from this dog? Draw the trim line on the picture.