# Hip Dysplasia and Stairs and my Pup



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Yep, sounds crazy! I would not let a large breed puppy spend its day running up and down stairs, but a few steps taken at a controlled pace is unlikely to be a problem. And free running on mixed surfaces was shown in one piece of research to have a protective effect on later development of hip dysplasia. I think if you look at the original research you will find that the advice is to avoid repetitive, high impact exercise (jumping on/off high surfaces, or over high objects, long sessions of road work, up and down stairs, swinging on a tug toy or jumping for a frisbie, etc). Pups self limit when it comes to exercise, taking breaks when they need to and falling asleep when they have had enough. Unforced, off leash running and playing will build muscle, teach coordination, and help develop healthy joints. What does your breeder advise?


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

We have been in Standard Poodles for 53 years and have never done anything so drastic. I would not be letting a dog under 12 months old be jumping off the couch and bed, nor would I get a dog that young do agility because of the impact to the hips when doing jumps. But stairs taken at a normal pace should not be an issue unless the dog was going to have issues anyway.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

joey1967 said:


> I just read that large breed pups should be carried for 12 months down and up stairs to prevent bad hips. For me this means doing this to get to the grass and back yard for potty training etc. Is this for real? What are other opinions on this, should I talk to my vet. There is no history of any hip dysplasia in my pup's immediate blood lines. Is there anything else, I read no running to chase balls either, this is nuts. Does this sound crazy....???Thanks


Joey, I wonder what book you're reading, because it sure says strange things about how to raise dogs ! :Lol:


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

My thoughts are pretty well explained in this post:

https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...ds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHkjpjNA4enTQQmihqKsv6P81bw1w

Eric


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## Mvinotime (May 25, 2015)

My five month old spoo sometimes will go down the three steps off my porch to my patio in a controlled manner but if he is excited he literally skips ALL the steps and flies from top to bottom and gives me a heart attack about his joints but I figure he will regulate himself as he doesn't do it all the time. We play fetch in the front yard and he runs around and wrestles with his pack every day. IMO they have to be dogs. I only do short walks with lots of stops when I am out and about with him right now but I do let him pretty much play at his own pace


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

It sounds like the author to that book is a 'Helicopter Mom'! I agree with FJM & Arreau!!!!!


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

Sorry I have to say it but can you imagine carrying an almost full size St Bernard puppy up and down the stairs.....


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I remember reading on another forum the plaint of an owner of a Boxer pup who had been given the "no exercise" advice - poor woman was carrying an 8 month old pup everywhere, and had resorted to putting a chair on the pavement outside her house so that he could at least meet a few people. I have never forgotten her overwhelming relief when everyone suggested that free running and moderate exercise was the way to go!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

From the first day Javelin was home we let him go up and down the one to four steps he needed to to get on and off our deck. We watch that he isn't flying off and that he is careful coming up. As to agility, there are foundation activities that I do with him, but the jump bars are on the ground. He does get off furniture by himself sometimes, but I try to put him down on the floor before he does so if I see that he wants to get down. He has started going up and down the full flight of carpeted steps to get to and from my grooming room, but I make sure neither of the grownups is on the stairs when he is and I move with him to modulate his pace. I always lift him into and out of my vehicle which is a medium/large SUV. I can pick him up, but since he weighs almost 25 pounds and squirms like a bag of snakes in a pillow case if I do so I prefer to let him use his own four feet.

I agree that whatever you are reading sounds excessively conservative, but would add that I think sometimes people put out a conservative POV to work at the idea that if people only do half of what is suggested they will be doing about what is right.


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## joey1967 (Aug 26, 2015)

*Puppy and Hip Dysplasia*

Thanks All, 
No its true I am really reading this stuff it is so nuts I couldn't make it up. I agree I cannot carry her for an entire year, thats nuts, plain nuts. Now there are about six stairs down to the grass not 4 so two extra they are not steep but average steps up to a landing to the back door. Somewhere the research on HD changed because my Shepherd did stairs at 4 1/2 months and I don't recall my vet telling me not to let her do them and we had in depth talks on HD. Now my other breeds were mini schnauzers they did steps too but not prone to HD so that really doesn't count. I do have steep steps going to my den which is in the basement where we will be spending time in the winter because there is a lot of room for her to run around down there when it gets cold out so I guess I'll be carrying her down there. I agree with everyone who says moderation and no leaping for balls etc, and flying through the air or racing up or down stairs. I'm seeing my vet with her I have a few questions my Breeder I have yet to ask but she said carry her at least till she is 12 weeks old. Really google has been spitting this info out to me along with other boards on HD and movement and what should and should not be allowed until what age. :afraid:


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## kayla_baxter (Jul 17, 2015)

I carried my last Dane pup down the 8 stairs into the backyard until he was about 4.5 months and 65lbs, but that was because he would always leap off the last three or four onto the wooden deck at the bottom. At my parents place it wasn't as bad because if he jumped off the three steps on the deck he'd land in 12" of pea stone because we pulled all the grass up. The stone made for a low impact landing. 


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

joey1967 said:


> Thanks All,
> No its true I am really reading this stuff it is so nuts I couldn't make it up. I agree I cannot carry her for an entire year, thats nuts, plain nuts. Now there are about six stairs down to the grass not 4 so two extra they are not steep but average steps up to a landing to the back door. Somewhere the research on HD changed because my Shepherd did stairs at 4 1/2 months and I don't recall my vet telling me not to let her do them and we had in depth talks on HD. Now my other breeds were mini schnauzers they did steps too but not prone to HD so that really doesn't count. I do have steep steps going to my den which is in the basement where we will be spending time in the winter because there is a lot of room for her to run around down there when it gets cold out so I guess I'll be carrying her down there. I agree with everyone who says moderation and no leaping for balls etc, and flying through the air or racing up or down stairs. I'm seeing my vet with her I have a few questions my Breeder I have yet to ask but she said carry her at least till she is 12 weeks old. Really *google has been spitting this info out *to me along with other boards on HD and movement and what should and should not be allowed until what age. :afraid:


Well IMO that might be part of the problem. After all anyone can say anything they want in the internet. My dad used to say believe none of what you hear and half of what you see. And, I always tell my students why would you trust a "google" answer over having a text book that my colleagues and I have vetted thoroughly for accuracy and readability. As to your steps to your den I think if you can supervise going up and down and your pup is willing to stick with you on the stairs it should be okay for pup power to be the mover there too. As I said earlier Javelin (16 weeks) goes up and down to my grooming room with me by his side. He doesn't want to try our basement stairs which are unfinished (and which I don't want him on yet). When he shows me he wants to try I will walk up and down with him until I know he can handle them well.


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