The ways my hip replacement reminded me about dog training

Since I’ve just seen my surgeon for my one-year follow up (everything is great!), I thought it was time to bring back this very popular column.

Yes, I’m jogging again! No, those aren’t my legs!!

Original post: September 24, 2024

Five weeks ago today, I had my left hip replaced. Recovery has had its ups and downs, little successes and big frustrations, and along the way has had an uncanny resemblance to my work as a dog trainer. Here's how:

I had my expectations framed

On my first visit with the orthopedic surgeon, he asked me how my bad hip impacted my daily life and about my post-surgery goals.

One of my goals is to go jogging again. I've regularly jogged 2 - 4 miles, several times a week, since high school. Because my hip pain steadily worsened, I haven't jogged for the past 3 years.

2025 update: I’m jogging 2 - 3 miles again, pain-free! Yeah, I’m slow … so what? :)

Did my surgeon promise I could jog 2 - 4 miles again? He did not. What he discussed were realistic goals post-surgery. I might be able to jog 1 - 2 miles, or jog/walk 3 -4 miles again, 1 to 3 times a week. I might not.

I often work with dog guardians who'd like to take their dogs to a brewpub, be able to walk them calmly in a busy city, love every dog they meet, or have them be comfortable at home alone for 5+ hours.

Similar to me and my surgeon, my first order of business with training clients is to discuss those goals and frame what might be realistic for the dog in question. Not all dogs can be brewpub dogs, nor can all learn to be comfy at home alone for that length of time. We talk about what progress looks like and how we'll work together to get as close to their goals as possible.

I work with a pro

I didn't Google "hip replacement exercises" to recuperate. Two weeks after surgery I began working with a physical therapist who is helping me restore strength and range of motion. She started with a baseline evaluation and each session works from a training plan customized to my ability and goals.

My physical therapist also is a sounding board for my concerns as I recuperate, monitors my form as I go through exercises, tweaks my training plan as needed, and tracks my progress.

Physical therapists in my state need a professional license to practice so I am confident she knows her business. Nowhere in the US do dog trainers need an education, a license, or professional credentials. That's why it's critical you find a trainer with vet-recommended educational and professional credentials. See my recent blog, "Four Questions to Ask a Dog Trainer."

A credentialed dog trainer will create a customized training plan using the science of applied animal behavior, demo proper training, encourage and coach you, and adjust that training plan as needed.

I do my homework

Rest was part of my homework and is critical to both physical recovery and to training and learning. That’s why your dog is usually ready for a nap after a training session with me.

during my recovery, Petey was always ready to plop down and remind me that it was time for a nap.

While our weekly 45-minute in-person PT sessions are critical to my recovery, I also have exercises to do at home.

Each day I have a short series of PT that takes me about 5 - 8 minutes to complete. I do many of the exercises while in the kitchen waiting for tea to brew, pasta water to boil, or popcorn to microwave.

I know if I don't do the homework, I won't make progress in my recovery.

What's interesting to me is that the exercises are very brief. Professionals know that more isn't always better and that rest is critical.

If we've worked together in training classes or in private sessions you'll recall that your homework is deliberately brief — and that I recommend you squeeze in some training around kitchen activities, while already out on walks, and so on.

Research shows dogs don't need lengthy daily training sessions to learn new behaviors. But if you don't do your homework, your dog isn't likely to make the progress you want to see.

(The exception is separation anxiety training homework, which does take more time to complete.)

Frustration is normal ... remember where you started

During weeks 1 and 2 of recovery, I was happy to be toddling around a little bit and managing post-surgical pain. During weeks 3 and 4, I started physical therapy and was often frustrated at the pace of progress. While I was enjoying days of David Baldacci novels and rewatching "Downton Abbey" and "30 Rock," I was eager to get back to work helping dogs and their people!

My husband, who has had both hips replaced, often reminds me of where I had been (severe hip pain and lack of strength and mobility) and where I am now (mild surgical recovery pain and rebuilding strength and mobility).

It's normal to feel frustrated if your dog is learning her lessons slowly. That's why I encourage clients to keep training journals where they can track their dog's progress. In fact, progress journals are an essential feature of separation anxiety work. (See below.)

Results aren’t guaranteed

Did my surgeon guarantee he'd 100% fix my hip and that I could resume all the activities I love? He absolutely did not.

I often tell dog training clients that I, in fact, do not guarantee results. Training increases the probability of your dog doing the desired behavior — coming when called, walking politely on leash, sitting for greetings, relaxing when you go out, and so on. But when working with a living being in any way, results can never be guaranteed.

In fact, someone who guarantees training results most likely uses an aversive tool that (for instance) forces your dog to not pull on leash by choking or shocking them. These tools frighten and/or hurt dogs, have well-researched unwanted behavioral consequences, and are a major training red-flag. See my colleague's blog on why you should never use a shock collar, for instance, to train your dog to come.

Recovery and learning go at bio-speed, not techno-speed

A typical progress chart for a dog with separation anxiety. As in physical therapy, homework sessions are deliberately designed to have easier and more challenging lessons.

Our world goes at techno-speed, where I for one groan in frustration if Hulu takes more than a few moments to load my playlist or my Pandora stream hits a dead zone while I'm on the road.

Humans love quick fixes and shortcuts but post-surgery, we recover at bio-speed. Our dogs also learn at bio-speed, and dogs (even those of the same breed or the same litter) have different learning abilities. Part of this is due to a dog's early experience with learning, their innate ability to learn (in neurobiology this is called "plasticity"), and the skill and knowledge of the trainer.

That's another reason why my doing at-home PT scrounged off TikTok isn't nearly as effective as working with a professional physical therapist. Recovery is supposed to be geared to my ability.

Progress isn't linear. I have had good, better, and worse days with my recuperation. Some days I'm much more tired, and my leg hurts more. Today, I'm feeling strong and am even attempting to walk upstairs sequentially, rather than one step at a time. But I'm not pushing it.

Nor can you push your dog through training, whether he's learning to come when called or learning to feel safe when home alone.

What does help? Doing your homework (or physical therapy) as prescribed, sticking to the plan, and embracing rest.