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by kumarajayr on 13 December 2022 - 02:12
by Sunsilver on 13 December 2022 - 10:12
Can you post a picture, please? How old is the dog? Young dogs need gentle exercise, as their bones are still growing, and you don't want to damage the joints.
I have heard this so often that I'm going to make a guess. Your dog is a show line, either German lines or American, and it's somewhere between 5 and 9 months old - the awkward adolescent age.
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by jillmissal on 13 February 2023 - 02:02
by Hundmutter on 18 February 2023 - 04:02
Actually, you may be able to make some improvement, it depends on the genetic history of your puppy. Following from what Sunsilver wrote, we do hear a lot of these laments - but you have to take into account your pup's age / stage of growth. Many people have worried unneccessarily about an odd walking style in their young gsds when they have not seen very many. More experienced owners could have told them that it is far from uncommon for young dogs to go through a stage where their movement is strange / all over the place. This does not necessarily last, they mostly grow out of it !
While Jill is quite right that we cannot alter a genetic fault, where the lines used may have resulted in an exageration of structure, its quite possible that if this is still a very young dog it isn't conformation but his/her age and the state of his growth plates and expanding musculo-skeletal structure that is the cause.
Try this course of action, and see if you can consolidate improvements:
Without over-exercising the dog, ensure you get some changes of terrain into his/her walks. So if you normally go where its very flat, find some slopes to go up and down. Challenge the muscles a bit by walking on differing surfaces; sand is good for this, so find a beach if possible. Swimming is also good for making the muscles work their best, so if you have access to safe water, or a local canine hydrotherapy pool, use that too.
As is argued, this stuff won't cure hock weakness in a fully adult dog who has a poor structure; but it is worth trying to improve balance and gait in a young one.
by Sunsilver on 18 February 2023 - 15:02
by Q Man on 18 February 2023 - 19:02
But...to the poster: You can improve what is already there...But...You can't create what's not already there...My fear is that inexperienced people will try too hard to make their dog better...Maybe good intentions but bad follow thru when you don't know how far to take the puppy/dog without doing harm...
~Bob~
by Hundmutter on 22 February 2023 - 05:02
by GSCat on 25 February 2023 - 19:02
Agree there is not much that can be done about poor structure, although building muscle might help mitigate the effects.
Check with Veterinarian about diet, including mineral ratios and amounts, protein, and treat (including dental) content, growth rate, exercise, and check for existing injury, strain, and structural issues.
If the issue is a dog or puppy that has not had much exercise and so simply has poor musculature, rather than poor structure, allowing the dog or pup a lot of increasing unstructured play-time, especially on sand, snow, mud, soft grassy yard, or other soft surfaces, and swimming and playing in water, will probably help. Plus walks and structured playtime and training. At first, the dog or puppy will likely overdo, but will learn quickly. Important to watch carefully to prevent actual injury, as opposed to soreness, tiredness, and maybe consequent irritability and distraction, from unused-to exercise.
Nothing is guaranteed, and injury could create even bigger problems, especially to a poorly structured dog or puppy.
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