Puppy Growth Plates - Why should you care about them?
The soft areas found by the end of the long bones in puppies and young dogs are known as growth plates. When puppies are born, the growth plates are made of cartilage tissue that slowly calcifies and becomes denser as they age. They are important because it is in this area where the bones develop. When your puppy grows (generally in around 18 months or longer for giant dog breeds), growth plates close and become a stable part of the bone.
Too much exercise or the wrong type of exercise can be high-risk for a puppy's growth plates. If an injury occurs, the cells that are helping the growth plates develop can get damaged and may reduce their growth or even stop growing. This can result in a deformity affecting one leg.
While three of your dog's legs may grow at a regular and healthy rate, the injured leg may not. This can create future problems such as irregular pressure, a predisposition to arthritis, or bowing of the leg. If your puppy gets injured or you notice that one or some of your puppy’s legs aren’t as long or straight as the others, contact your vet immediately.
Puppy Growth Plate Injury Prevention
If you already have a puppy, then you know how much energy they have and how necessary it is to expel that energy. And if you don’t have your puppy yet, you will definitely find out! They need exercises to be moderated and appropriate for their needs. Too much exercise or the wrong kind too early could lead to developmental problems. The best way to avoid this is through prevention.
To start off, watch for the surface on where your puppy does exercise. Avoid hard surfaces like asphalt, cement, hardwood floors, or tile - especially if they are also slippery. Have them play or exercise on more forgiving, softer surfaces like grass, sand, and turf instead.
Going for a run, running through obstacles, and frisbee catching are examples of repetitive, high impact activities that should be avoided in the early weeks and then slowly introduced as they age. Also avoid intense rough play and strenuous exercise. If you want to know when to introduce certain activities or looking to get your dog into agility, click here for a comprehensive puppy exercise chart.
Lastly, do not push them past their puppy exercise limits. Allow them to take a break if you notice that they seem tired or don’t want to exercise. Tired muscles don’t do a good job at protecting the skeletal system, therefore there’s a higher chance of injury.
How much exercise does a puppy need?
There may not be a direct answer to this question since it is dependent on certain factors specific to your puppy. Below is a list of guidelines that can decide the time and duration of your puppy exercises.
- Age - Your puppy's exercise requirements will change as they grow. The general rule of thumb is 5 minutes of exercise for every month. For example, a 4-month old puppy can do 20 minutes of exercise twice per day.
- Breed - This is generally split into high energy vs. low energy breed types. Higher energy breeds may have a higher exercise tolerance, and can possibly do 5-8 more minutes of exercise per session than the general rule of thumb explained above.For example, a 5-month old Border Collie may be able to do 30-33 minutes instead of 25 minutes. They may also require a higher degree of mental stimulation (like nose games and shaping) than lower energy breed types.
- High energy breed examples include Labradors, Huskies, Australian Shepards, and Jack Russell terriers.
- Low energy breed examples include Bulldogs, Great Danes, Pugs, and Basset Hounds.
- Breed size - There's research that shows possible links between excessive exercising and orthopedic conditions in large-breed dogs. Larger dogs, like German Shepards & Great Danes, should introduce higher impact exercises more slowly or wait until they’re older (than the general guides say) to teach them how to climb the stairs. Their size may be deceiving and trick people into thinking they’re ready for more vigorous exercises when they really aren’t. Learning more about your puppy's breed is a great place to start. Regardless of size, it is essential to control your puppy's exercise, as too much can hurt their growth.
Click here to find out more on how to exercise your puppy with an appropriate and affordable exercise plan (with some training as well!) that is personalized for your pup!
The Benefits of Exercising Your Puppy
A balanced and consistent exercise plan can have significant benefits for your puppy. It strengthens your bond, deter them from destructive behavior (promote positive puppy behavior), maintains a healthy weight, and improves overall health.
Puppy exercises also increase trainability (they will listen to you more), reduce anxiety, promote potty training, and can help with socialization of people and other dogs. Lack of proper physical and mental exercises can lead to problematic and destructive behaviors such as:
- Restlessness in the evening
- Chewing and digging
- Going through garbage
- Chewing unwanted items
- Aggressive behavior
- Rough play and biting
- Excessive barking and whining
Not only are some of these bad puppy behaviors, but they can potentially cause great harm. Ingesting the wrong thing while chewing up your shoes or raiding the garbage could lead to poisoning or impaction - both life threatening situations!
Don't forget about playtime!
Despite seeming to have endless energy, puppies are pretty good at self-limiting their exercise. Thus, make sure your puppy has plenty of time for self-directed play. Be sure to watch for the zoomies, where they will randomly run around like crazy! A great way to allow for self-directed play if you are busy (still need to be nearby for supervision) or would like a contained area is to use puppy exercise pens.
Once your puppy has the proper vaccinations, introduce them to some puppy dog pals! Socialization at a young age is crucial and can help alleviate anxiety that may come from being around other dogs. They also learn a lot from being around other dogs. Do keep in mind that the dogs or puppies your puppy plays with are appropriate for their size. For example, you wouldn’t want to mix a chihuahua puppy with a husky. One accidental run-in from a larger dog/puppy into the smaller one and that could mean serious damage.
Conclusion:
An active puppy is a healthy and balanced puppy. Improper exercise or play can cause damage to the growth plate, which can lead to developmental problems - prevention is key. Breed, size, and age are important factors to consider when assessing how much exercise your puppy needs. Maintaining the appropriate activity level is vital for their general health and wellness and can also keep your puppy from destructive behaviors.
