A lot of people struggle to get into an exercise routine unless they have someone to hold them accountable. Luckily, dogs are great exercise partners! However, you’re going to need to hold off on planning long jogs or hikes for you and your puppy until they’ve grown up a bit more.
Your puppy’s joints are still developing, and their bones are still growing. Your puppy’s bones can grow thanks to growth plates, which are made of flexible, rubbery cartilage. These growth plates are sensitive and could be injured by strenuous exercise, leading to developmental abnormalities and pain. When the puppy is done growing, the growth plates will close and harden, becoming stronger and less likely to suffer injury.
For this reason, we recommend waiting until your puppy reaches maturity before taking them for long jogs or hikes, having them jump hurdles or participate competitively in agility courses.
For small dogs, this may be when they’re a little over 6 months old, while for giant breed dogs, you may be waiting closer to 1½ years!
This doesn’t mean you can’t play with your puppy! Walks are a great way to get exercise for you both, and now is a good time to start training for leash walks. Your puppy should be allowed to run and play as they want.
So, what’s the bottom line? We don’t want you to stress so much about exercise that you’re impacting your puppy’s social and behavioral skills. Our main recommendation is not to push your puppy to do strenuous exercise and to instead let your puppy self-regulate their activity. You can also help your puppy by keeping them at a healthy weight.
If you are noticing limping or other issues with how your puppy walks, sits, or moves Live Chat for free* with our licensed veterinary professionals anytime. Download the myVCA™ app.
*Live Chat with a licensed veterinary professional is free for VCA clients through the myVCA mobile app, available at Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
