07/07/2024
Sharing this again for all of our puppy parents… PLEASE PLEASE watch and limit the impact of the joints until 8 months of age…
This means no up and down stairs, no jumping on and off the furniture, no jumping out the car, no throwing the ball or frisbee high to where they are jumping and coming down hard on the joints. If children are playing with Puppies, have them sit on the ground because the pups are wiggly, nip, scratch and bite and often get dropped. That’s one of the easiest ways to damage. 
Its easier and cheaper to prevent damage than to have to fix it. Even once fixed, it’s never quite the same. home of 
This is something everyone should see. This xray is of a 2 week old puppy.
When you get your 8/10 week old puppies, please keep this image in mind. Their bones do not even touch yet. They plod around so cutely with big floppy paws and wobbly movement because their joints are entirely made up of muscle, tendons, ligaments with skin covering. Nothing is fitting tightly together or has a true socket yet.
When you run them excessively or don't restrict their exercise to stop them from overdoing it during this period you don't give them a chance to grow properly. Every big jump or excited bouncing run causes impacts between the bones. In reasonable amounts this is not problematic and is the normal wear and tear that every animal will engage in.
But when you're letting puppy jump up and down off the lounge or bed, take them for long walks/hikes, you are damaging that forming joint. When you let the puppy scramble on tile with no traction you are damaging the joint.
You only get the chance to grow them once. A well built body is something that comes from excellent breeding and a great upbringing-BOTH, not just one.
Once grown - around 12-18 months depending on their breed, you will have the rest of their life to spend playing and engaging in higher impact exercise. So keep it calm while they're still little baby puppies and give the gift that can only be given once.
