Puppy Fitness for the Berger Blanc Suisse
We all know dogs need exercise, but did you know different breeds require more or less than others? Once you get your Berger Blanc Suisse pup home for the first time you will realize he or she has an abundance of energy. Before you take your pup on long walks or expose them to strenuous exercise consider the helpful information below.
What are growth plates?
Learning about your pup’s body is essential to understand exercise requirements throughout puppyhood. According to Puppyculture.com “Growth plates are soft areas that sit at the ends of long bones in puppies.” As your pup nears the end of puberty the rapidly dividing cells allow bones to become longer. The closure of the growth plates usually is complete by the time your pup is about 18 months old.
While your pup grows throughout puppyhood and puberty the growth plates remain soft and vulnerable to injury. If your pup participates in strenuous activity it could cause injury to his or her growth plate since the ligaments, muscles, and tendons are stronger.
Common Fractures
A common fracture seen in pups is spiral fractures of the tibia. The tibia is actually the lower leg bone. This type of fracture can happen at any time during your pup’s lifetime but 50% of spiral fractures usually occur under the age of one year. Generally, a spiral fracture is the result of the top and bottom half of the bones twisting in opposite directions. This type of injury needs to be cared for by a veterinarian.
Energetic Puppies
Berger Blanc Suisse puppies are energetic happy pups. But, you will notice, as, with any puppy, they play for a while then rest. The reason for this behavior is due to the lack of endurance in the cardiovascular system. There’s nothing wrong health-wise, it’s just that they need to build endurance as they mature. As a pup, strenuous exercise and long walks do not benefit health and puts them at risk of injury.
As a pet parent, you want to provide your pup with the perfect amount of exercise as he grows throughout puppyhood and puberty. The best way to determine how much exercise your pup needs is to listen to your pup. Basically, you just need to let your pup play, walk around, explore his or her surroundings, etc. Short walks are ideal. However, if you notice your pup refusing to walk any further and just decides to take a nap in the middle of a walk around the block, he or she is experiencing too much exercise. Always stick to free-play sessions as the main form of exercise. Your pup is intelligent and will keep themselves busy throughout the day. Their little bodies tell them just how much energy they have to play and when it’s time to rest.
Pet parents are encouraged to provide the best environment, care, and upbringing for their pup. This includes proper exercise, a healthy diet, and supplements for the Immune System Support that are natural with human grade ingredients, formulated to combat free radicals. Here’s a link to the supplements that we use and we educate our parents to continue these supplements without fail for their puppies and dogs. Having a strong immune system is a MUST.
