Meeting so many puppies at Pets at the Park has been my inspiration for this blog.
Some people look at their puppy’s wobbly legs and wonder…
“Will they grow out of it or are they just made that way?”
Just like people, puppies grow at different rates and just like children going through growth spurts they will often take time to adapt to their new size. Each puppy needs to be treated as an individual as each is different from the next, whether it is breed, character, or activity level. There is no specific formula for all puppies when it comes to exercise,
But here are some tips on what to do and what to avoid.
Whether your pup is a pre-school drop out or dux of the class there are some games you can play at home and out and about that will help to improve their stability and awareness of where their legs are.
TIP 1: Keep walks short and build them up slowly as your puppy grows and is able to walk further.
The most important thing to consider when exercising your puppy is the puppy itself. Different breeds usually have different requirements in terms of exercise, outdoor conditions like heat or cold need to be considered, as well as the size of your puppy, as a little Chihuahua just has to cover more ground on a walk compared to a Labrador. It is a good idea to start with a short walk around the block and then increase it slowly as your puppy is able to walk further (definitely don’t start with a hike in the Perth Hills!) If your puppy gets tired on a walk, carry it for a bit or just let it have a rest.
TIP 2: Consider the size of your puppy and the size of the stairs you are asking them to step up
Research suggests that puppies walking on stairs from birth to 3 months of age have an increased risk of developing Hip Dysplasia. (1) The hip joint goes through an abnormal movement pattern that can be detrimental and result in an increased incidence of hip dysplasia. To reduce the risk puppies should not walk stairs or limited stairs during the first 3 months of their lives.
This does not mean once they are older than 3 months that the puppy is now allowed to charge up and down the stairs. Far from it!!!
Your puppy should be able to step up onto the step in a straight fashion, rather than lifting the hind leg to the side to be able to reach it. If the stairs are too high for the puppy to be able to achieve this, avoid them and start with lower stairs instead or wait for the puppy to grow bigger before allowing them to follow you upstairs.
Stair walking is something that needs to be learned, so any walking of stairs initially should be carried out in a controlled fashion, encouraging coordinated walking. This will help build muscles in the right places without having detrimental effects
When starting with stair walking also consider the difficulty of the step itself: steps should be straight, and the width ideally be longer than the height. Open stairs are challenging for dogs of any age.
Research suggests that puppies walking on stairs from birth to 3 months of age have an increased risk of developing Hip Dysplasia.(1)
TIP 3: Dogs younger than 2 years of age should not repetitively chase a ball or frisbee as their joints are not yet fully formed.
Ball play can be incorporated into your puppy's exercise regime but needs to be in a controlled fashion and with as little force placed on joints as possible. As there are immense forces involved when the puppy pounces on the ball (especially on the elbow joint), these movements need to be controlled as much as possible.
To keep ball play as safe as possible:
- Throw the ball into the water so the puppy has to retrieve it rather than pounce on it
- Roll the ball slowly rather than throwing it
- Eliminate any competition with other puppies when playing with a toy, as this can lead to pushing and shoving, or just arguments in general
TIP 4: Keep toys lightweight for puppies and don’t ask them to carry a toy for extended periods.
The weight of the toy is also important to consider. Puppies’ carrying things in their mouth changes the loading forces on their front leg joints, especially the elbows. Studies with Labrador Retrievers have shown that asking them to carry a weight of as little as 500g changed the way they distributed weight and altered their overall body disposition.
Sticks are one thing that always should be avoided as they can be quite heavy, cumbersome to lug around, and most importantly due to possible stick injuries, which can be quite devastating in their nature!
TIP 5: Try to find a dog or puppy that is similar in size and or age
Carefully watch competition with other pets when playing with a ball or toy, as this can lead to pushing and shoving, or arguments in general. Although this is good for your puppy’s social skills, wounds and injuries from being rolled by heavier dogs can lead to long-term issues. Once more, there are no general rules, only guidelines.
- Supervise the puppy when playing so you can intervene if things get out of hand
- Keep play sessions short, slowly increasing the time. Remember that your puppy is the same as a child, needing to learn social skills as well as body movements. This can be quite challenging and tiring.
So what can I do to give my puppy the best start in life?
While there are a few important dont’s at this stage there are definitely things that you can do to give your puppy the best start at life
The four major parts of helping your puppy grow into a strong, happy dog are:
- Adequate muscle development
- Adequate bone density
- Balance, coordination and proprioceptive awareness
- Training of movement sequences(like children learning somersaults or handstands)
To achieve all this, CONTROLLED exercise is the key.
Spending 10-15 minutes training static or slow activity exercises is the equivalent to running in the park for an hour without the issues of injury or over exercise for developing joints.
These exercises can improve strength and endurance, as well as improving balance and flexibility in your growing dog.
- Cavaletti: stepping slowly over or under obstacles of different heights and widths, not jumping
- Uphill and downhill walking
- Walking over different surfaces, including long grass, a wobble cushion, sand
- Standing and balancing, then progressing to doing this on slightly unstable surfaces
There are endless variations and options for exercises, and it is important to find the right exercise for your puppy.
BONUS TIP: WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD-DON’T LISTEN TO YOUR PUPPY!!!
Like every dog, there will be many times when your puppy will tell you that it is absolutely starving and that the amount you are feeding should definitely be doubled.
Keeping them at optimal weight is absolutely vital to having a healthy adult dog, decreasing the occurrence of Osteoarthritis and other diseases linked with obesity. Feed a good quality diet, especially if your puppy is going to grow into a large breed dog. Feeding a breed-appropriate diet and portion size is important whatever size dog they are meant to grow up to be.
Get your puppy checked by your vet or other pet professionals regularly. Early diagnosis may allow you to intervene and avoid any possible future problems.
But the main thing, enjoy your puppy, along with the naughty little things that come with it, as they will grow out of this phase way too quickly anyway!
(1) Housing- and exercise-related risk factors associated with the development of hip dysplasia as determined by radiographic evaluation in a prospective cohort of Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Leonbergers, and Irish Wolfhounds in Norway.
Krontveit RI, Nødtvedt A, Sævik BK, Ropstad E, Trangerud C.
Am J Vet Res. 2012 Jun;73(6):838-46. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.73.6.838.
(2) Diet, Exercise, and Weight as Risk Factors in Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Arthrosis in Labrador Retrievers
Marie H. Sallander Åke Hedhammar Mari E. H. Trogen
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 136, Issue 7, 1 July 2006, Pages 2050S–2052S