| Yorkiemom1 | 07-06-2013 06:31 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1
(Post 4262448)
I loved learning this!!! Never have heard of this!!! This is a wonderful thing for this old woman to learn!!! Thank you! Where did this come from? Are you sure it is accurate??
| I did some google-ing....I guess it was such a new idea for ME because I do not walk my pups off my property....it seems to common knowledge for all of y'all that do walk your pups! I did read some cautions associated with too much exercise in young pups....
"However, many experts recommend the 5 minute-rule: walk the puppy five minuets for each month of age, so at 3 months old, a puppy should walk on a leash for 15 minutes and at 6 months, they can walk for 1/2 hour. The reason many vets recommend the 5-minute-rule is walking a puppy on a leash is considered "forced exercise." The repetition of walking steadily, especially on asphalt and concrete, can cause permanent damage to the puppy's growing skeleton.Depending slightly on the breed, a puppy's skeleton doesn't fully mature, and the growth plates do not fuse until the puppy is 18 months old or older. The growth plates, which are part of the bone structure, typically fuse during the puppy's tenth month, but after that the skeleton continues changing as the bones adapt to the various kinds of stress put on them. The skeleton is not fully formed and bones are not hardened until 18 months or later.Before the growth plates close, too much exercise can jar and loosen little joints, and cause stress to the skeleton, which can cause permanent damage including elbow and hip dysplasia, joint problems, and growth abnormalities in the cartilage that can cause pain and lameness.While bones and joints can be damaged by overly strenuous exercise including too much walking during the puppy's first 18 months, the resulting problems may not show up until later in the dog's life. Climbing up and down stairs is equally bad for little puppy legs." Thought I would "copy/paste" this here in case anyone else wants some guidance in this area, and wonder the "WHY" behind the "5 minute per month of age" limit! | 