FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
Growth plates contain cells that divide rapid- ly, allowing bones to become longer as they grow until the dog reaches the end of puberty. The hormonal changes that occur as a pup approach- es puberty help to signal the growth plates to close. (This is another reason to not sterilize a pup at a young age as it causes a delay in growth plate closure—and there are several studies that confirm this growing problem. But this is best left for another column.) Until the growth plates close, they are soft and more vulnerable to injury. The growth plate is found at each end of the bone and determines the future length and shape of the mature bone. Only when growth is complete and maturity reached do the growth plates close and are replaced by solid bone. In most breeds of dog, closure is completed by 18 -24 months of age. As I have stated in previous articles, a dog’s bones are held together with soft tissue com- posed of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Basi- cally, muscles move the bones, tendons attach muscle to bone, and ligaments attach the bones to each other. If an adult suffers a physical injury to the skeleton (such as with a joint bending the wrong way or over rotating too much) in an area in which bones are fully formed and the growth plates have closed, the bones will hold firm and the soft tissue surrounding the joint will be pulled, resulting in bruising or a sprain. Should the same injury occur in a puppy, whose soft tis- sue is stronger than his growth plates, the injury can lead to a fracture of the growth plate thus causing permanent damage to the leg. Injuries can be acute or chronic. An acute injury happens suddenly, such as being hit by a car or jumping off a bed or off the stairs. A mild injury may cause bruising, but a more severe injury could cause a break in the leg or a fracture of the growth plate. A chronic injury is the result of damage to an area over a longer
period of time, perhaps due to an abnormality since birth or from training for performance competition that involves jumping and quick turns, which wear on his bones to the point of injury. If the damage is done to the growth plate, this can lead to a malformation or a shortened limb that creates an incorrect angle to a joint, leaving a deformity that will affect the dog for its entire life. Exercise for the puppy is a vital part of its development, but it has to suit the age and size of the pup. Correct exercise increases bone, so free running and play- ing with littermates should be encouraged—but not for long periods of time. Free play, roaming around the backyard, and short races around with his littermates are fine. The key is allowing the puppies to go along at their own pace and to play how and when they want to do so. Lead them in simple games they can play with you or with their littermates. One of the favorite things my pups do is the “Great Corgi Chase” around the obstacles in their puppy play yard when we place all of them into the play yard at around eight weeks of age. Again, all play is at their pace and you need to be in attendance during these periods of play. We incorporate a game of “Find It” with each of our pups. We place a bit of kibble in a bowl and place it 10-15 feet out in front of the pup so that they see us place the bowl after we have shown them there is food contained therein. We go back to our “starting point” and tell the puppy, “Find It!” and let them go. Of course, they are going to make a beeline straight to the food in the bowl that’s in plain sight. We do this a few more times and quit for the day. Every day, we place the bowl a bit further away or around a corner or tucked under a chair, etc., making it a bit more challenging
132 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2020
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