The above has been floating around the dog communities on Facebook. I do not know where it originated but the subject of exercise in puppies and young dogs and growth plates is an interesting and important topic.
I have always been told by top overseas breeders that the best exercise for puppies and young dogs should be running around in the garden and playing at home. Yet there are people who believe that they are doing their puppies a lot of good by taking them for long walks on hard surfaces, introducing them to jumping and other physical activities. Damage,through exercise, to a puppy and/or young dog can be done to the growth plates which are not yet sealed.
For a sport like agility, it makes sense to introduce the puppy to obstacles like a low A-frame, low walk way, open weave poles and tunnels and to avoid letting the puppy do agility jumping. It is okay to have the jumps so low that it can walk over them to be introduced to the word “jump” or “over”.
For large dogs, one should be even more cautious. I think the above diagram is helpful in pointing out the areas of concern and the length of time involved for the growth plates to seal. Damage done to the growth plates may be difficult to heal and repair so it is better to be safe and cautious than sorry later on.
