…..particularly of large breed puppies (like Boerboels), that have a tendency to develop elbow and hip dysplasia when they mature.
Should be essential reading for everyone that buys a puppy!
Above is an X-ray of a 2 week old puppy – look at how far the bones have to grow before they become a proper bone joint! This is why you should never let puppies jump, walk up/down stairs, over-exercise or over-train. Doing too much impact activity at a young age can cause serious issues later in life, or even at a young age, because hip dysplasia and other orthopaedic conditions are rising in puppies!
Remember the puppy rule – for every month increase activity by 5 minutes. For example an 8 week old puppy only needs 10 minutes of physical activity a day – a 6 month old (below) only needs 30 minutes a day of physical activity!!
Here is a diagram showing when the growth plates close
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