Why Lurcher Pups Shouldn't Be Worked Hard Until They Are Fully Grown

[skycat 6,173]

Just found this diagram on the net: it shows how old a puppy is, roughly, before its growth plates finish growing. Growth plates are the soft bone that produces bone whilst growing. Over exercise, especially hard running, can damage the growth plates and be the cause of many types of injury later in life: a very good diagram I thought, and when you consider that the skeleton of a large type of dog may not finish growing until around 18 months of age ... . Jumping, hard chasing, leaping into the air for balls etc: all these things can damage the growth plates which may cause the bones to deform or not grow properly, which in turn can affect muscles, tendons and bring on early onset arthritic conditions.

 

https://gordonsetterexpert.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/growth-rate-closure-diagram.jpg

[paulsmithy83 567]

Its mad all this info with dogs but yet many push kids into sport and very active lifestyle from young with no frown. All the sport academies who lets face it pay for millions in research on this field seem to thing early conditioning reduces injuries. is it Weird all the best sports men start from a young age. Something about conditioning the cns to the sport they focusing on. I always wondered what effect this has on dogs. Growing bones are growing bones reqarldess if human/dog/monkey. I always cautious but its an Interesting topic.

[skycat 6,173]

So we need to keep telling people about this: keep pushing the information so that more and more owners become aware.

[low plains drifter 9,651]

E

Edited September 29, 2015 by low plains drifter

[low plains drifter 9,651]

Easier said than done stopping some pups jumping all over the place, my bitch has been bouncing atleast chest height since she was knee high to a sheep tick, anyone know where I could get a strait jacket to fit the feathered ear one lol

[lurchers 2,612]

Keep pushing it as much as you like the younger generation will take it in but not put on the field.ive tried to educate my lads but they only listen to there mates who know everything.at the end of the day our dogs are athletes and our tools once it's broken sometime it can never be fixed or give 100% all the time.look at athletes who have started young they are knackered at the age of 32 some younger.there joints are dry no liquid between them hips fecked arthritis on tablets for rest of there life.people want to realise slow and easy is better than hard and fast.BUT NOT IN A WOMANS VIEW LOL.

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

I suppose there is working and there is working.

 

I've said before about kids doing sports like Paul says above. My littleun is 6 and she's about as active as a kid could be. She goes boxing, swimming and Zumba over 4 nights. Plus she is out with me 3-4 times a week with the dogs. She jumps gates, runs, climbs, pounds the ground, does hand stands. You name it. Lots of stresses and strains on her little body. But I don't think a medical professional would discourage any of this. I may be wrong?

 

I also think a possible risk of arthritis in later years is a small negative when compared to the advantages of "getting out and doing a bit". Many pet dogs that have done piss all get arthritis before they are very old.

 

I guess it just calls for common sense and knowing what is enough or too much.

 

Max hardcore talks about not giving "serious work" to a dog before it's 14 months. It's all open to interpretation.

[Omanyra 2,518]

Well said gaz

[J Darcy 5,871]

There's more young dogs/pup ruined through mental inury than physical...

[skycat 6,173]

For me, serious hard work would involve running rabbits on the lamp for several hours, or a day's hard coursing: 3-4 good winter hares on very testing ground where the hare would be likely to run for at least 3-5 minutes. A lot of running down hill and jumping fences endlessly on to hard landing would also be on my list of don't do's.

What I do is general mooching about, bushing. Ferreting, short runs out on the lamp on land I know well and that I consider reasonably safe: not massively rough ground full of holes that a pup can go wrong-footed in: cattle-poached ground gone hard for example. And of course it depends on the pup as well: if it is the sort to blat around like a mad thing the whole time it is out, then I manage it so that the type of activity slows it down: ferreting, mooching thick cover where the pup's brain is engaged rather than just letting it chase around after the other dogs: so much depends on the size, type of the pup.

 

Keeping the pup mentally active and learning stuff is just as important: just seen JD's post: and agree. Far easier to mess up a full-on, driven pup than one that wants to take things more slowly.

[Omanyra 2,518]

Another good point JD and a much over looked factor in the development of a dog

Edited September 29, 2015 by Omanyra

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

For me, serious hard work would involve running rabbits on the lamp for several hours, or a day's hard coursing: 3-4 good winter hares on very testing ground where the hare would be likely to run for at least 3-5 minutes. A lot of running down hill and jumping fences endlessly on to hard landing would also be on my list of don't do's.

What I do is general mooching about, bushing. Ferreting, short runs out on the lamp on land I know well and that I consider reasonably safe: not massively rough ground full of holes that a pup can go wrong-footed in: cattle-poached ground gone hard for example. And of course it depends on the pup as well: if it is the sort to blat around like a mad thing the whole time it is out, then I manage it so that the type of activity slows it down: ferreting, mooching thick cover where the pup's brain is engaged rather than just letting it chase around after the other dogs: so much depends on the size, type of the pup.

 

Keeping the pup mentally active and learning stuff is just as important: just seen JD's post: and agree. Far easier to mess up a full-on, driven pup than one that wants to take things more slowly.

Great post. That's exactly what I was getting at ?

[J Darcy 5,871]

My Sparky didn't get a run until he was about 16 months old. There's some dogs that have had three owners by that age...... :icon_eek:

[Casso 1,259]

There's more young dogs/pup ruined through mental inury than physical...

100% , Never a truer word spoken ?

[trenchfoot 4,243]

So we need to keep telling people about this: keep pushing the information so that more and more owners become aware.

Penny, All you need is a nationally supported platform............