Stretching out an 8 month old - is it too hard on the growth plates?

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Originally Posted by RJW

Jennifer take this for what it's worth. I came away from my last vet visit loaded with knowledge....Hahaha. Anyway, I just got done asking my vet a very similar question albeit my pup is only 17weeks at the moment. What she said are that these performance dogs are simply amazing and very resiliant. She informed me that if you don't do a forced run of 10 miles or have the dog jumping off of cliffs(she litterally used those as examples) that they will be fine, let them do what they enjoy as long as its not life threatening. She also made a comment that she knows the worry about the growth plates with a lot of folks but she has yet to see any with any type of that kind of trouble that wasn't caused by a severe injury or accident of some form or another. She also stated that this was her opinion and that is what she follows with her Goldens.

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That's good to hear. Jeff T's story is a little disturbing though. I guess it's a balancing act with a blinder on as far as training for the distances for field trials. Definitely important not to allow jumping out of trucks and "off cliffs".

I believe that genetic make up makes a dog break down......I follow the model that RJW's vet follows.

I can name about a dozen veterinarians in our area that are very active and successful in field trials. I don't question their judgment regarding the well-being of their dogs.

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Originally Posted by jeff t.

It is important to me that my dogs live as long as possible and as pain free as possible.

My goal is to have a dog that is not lame in its old age.

I have not achieved that goal with any of my field dogs.

This has caused me to question whether or not the training required to be successful in field trials is in my dog's best interest.

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Of the patients that I see in my practice approximately 20% are retrievers, mostly Labradors, many are pets and/or hunting dogs. I do not think that field trial dogs are over represented (percentage wise) of older arthritic dogs that I see. Indeed some of the worst are couch potatoes. I got my first Labrador in 1969 and have had many over the years. While I have had some injuries most as old dogs were very sound. I believe that the most important issue with young dogs is to keep them trim and active. Mine start roading with the adult dogs and the ATV when they are big enough to learn to stay out of the way. They typically have a 30 minute free run every morning and 2-3 mile roading in the evening and are trained 4-5 days a week. I can recall 6 or 7 who were still hunting when they were 12 and one (AFC Candlewood's Ms Costalot) whose last full hunting season was when she was 14, she lived to be almost 17 and never had a lame day in her life.

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Originally Posted by EdA

Of the patients that I see in my practice approximately 20% are retrievers, mostly Labradors, many are pets and/or hunting dogs. I do not think that field trial dogs are over represented (percentage wise) of older arthritic dogs that I see. Indeed some of the worst are couch potatoes. I got my first Labrador in 1969 and have had many over the years. While I have had some injuries most as old dogs were very sound. I believe that the most important issue with young dogs is to keep them trim and active. Mine start roading with the adult dogs and the ATV when they are big enough to learn to stay out of the way. They typically have a 30 minute free run every morning and 2-3 mile roading in the evening and are trained 4-5 days a week. I can recall 6 or 7 who were still hunting when they were 12 and one (AFC Candlewood's Ms Costalot) whose last full hunting season was when she was 14, she lived to be almost 17 and never had a lame day in her life.

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You're exactly the person i was hoping to get a response from, thanks.

Jennifer