When does a puppy become a dog??

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random_rider

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When i go on websites they tel me different things! i got told my puppy couldnt do agility until she was 18 months when the bones stop growing so is it anything to do with that? Or do you know when it is? so how old can puppies be?? i cant phrase this properly i hope you know what i mean!!

Thanks in advance! x
 
I think it has a lot to do with "skeletal maturity", this would certainly be the case with the agility - just as you wouldn't want a 12 year old human child lifting weights...
When this maturity is reached depends upon the size of the dog - I believe a large dog would be expected not to be fully grown until it is atleast 18 months, whilst a smaller dog eg terrier would be fully grown at 12 months. Anyone with more knowledge feel free to correct me!
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When we got our rottie Boo as a puppy we were stopped whilst out on a walk one day by a man who was a rottie show judge. He warned me about not walking him too far or for too long whilst he was a baby. he said that by the time he was 18 months old he would be able to do anything we wanted him to. Not sure we took this on board enough as first one rear cruciate ligament went at 18 months and the second went 8 weeks after that! He has had both of them repaired and is now, hopefully, on the road to a full recovery.
 
oh no welsh witch! We were told you walk them for 5mins each month they were old! So if 5 months its 25 mins a day! etc! But she sometimes has more but not very often t all!
 
You can't compete in agility until the dog is 18months but I think places will train dogs before then. I think most clubs take dogs that are one year+ though I know dogs younger than that at the club I go to.

Though as Hettie says skeletal maturity depends on the size of the dog and that's the important thing with agility because of the impact.

We take our pups on shorter walks to start with but they are free running so don't have to go as far. Also it means they can take the walk at their own pace where as if on a lead they have to go at the speed the owner is walking.

I think 20 mins is plenty for a pup
 
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