Is my puppy sleeping on the hard floor or humping bad for her bones?

Lily is adorable! Congratulations on your new puppy! I know how difficult it is to try to keep a puppy from being crazy. I certainly cannot guarantee that she won't hurt herself jumping off something, but our biggest concerns for puppies are repetitive pounding (such as running on concrete for long distances) damaging the growth plates and jumping down from unreasonable distances (such as off the deck). Relatively small jumps (such as from the bed or couch) are less likely to be a problem. The changes you are noticing in her legs are likely due to her growing so quickly which can make their legs look abnormal. The shaking can be from muscle fatigue if it is occurring after she has been active. If you notice any limping or an abnormal gait, I would recommend having her evaluated by your veterinarian. Otherwise, continue to try to train her be kind to her body, but know that she is a puppy and there is a limit as to what we can control. Good luck! And congrats again on your addition! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In general, I'm not concerned about an otherwise healthy puppy doing stairs and small jumps. If the couch is particularly high, try to discourage this but otherwise I'm not terribly worried. That being said, I do occasionally see puppies who land too hard from a jump and are now limping with an apparent strain or sprain. Usually, a few days of rest and pain medication is all that is needed but it can still be scary. Of course, if there is an underlying problem, Coco would need to be more careful. Hope this sets your mind at ease. Best of luck to you and Coco!

It's perfectly fine for Toby to sleep on the bare floor if he wants to - many dogs prefer this to dog beds or blankets, especially when the weather is hot or if they have long hair. This will not cause any problems at all :)

Yes, this can be normal. It may be cooler on the floor for Mia. Puppies do sleep a lot as they are growing. When she is older, she may want to cuddle more. Just keep giving her lots of love and attention.

They will yelp and whine when something is painful enough. The fact that she didn't do this is a good sign that she did not hurt herself too bad. I would not expect any broken bones or torn soft tissue from a fall at this height, but it's good to watch for any signs of a significant injury. Signs of a broken bone would be swelling and a great deal of pain. With a broken bone in the leg, they will limp and not put any weight on the limb. With a broken jaw, they often hold their mouth open and do not want to eat or drink. Less severe injuries will result in less severe immobility, but should be seen by a vet if the signs of injury last longer than 24 hours. In order to comment on the curved joint, I would need to evaluate her in- person. However, this is a good question to ask your vet the next time she goes for an exam. Purebreeds are more likely to have skeletal abnormalities and it's possible that this is a fixable problem. It's also possible that this is normal for her breed. For more information about general puppy care, I recommend you read the short article at the link below. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-101-everything-you-need-to-consider I hope that helps and all is well with Coco.

Yes, this can be a sign of poor hip conformation or hip dysplasia. Usually dogs with hip joint laxity run with both rear legs together or bunny hop. As Coco is still growing the pain also could be due to panosteitis which is pain in the bones from growing too fast. I recommend switching her to adult large breed dog food so she will grow slower. She will still reach her full size, it just may take a little longer. Adult food is fine for all ages so you do not need to be worried, she will still get the nutrition she needs. Your veterinarian can feel her hip joints for laxity, but X-rays are not conclusive until she is six months or older. It is best to exercise Coco on a leash and prevent running and jumping. Your veterinarian may also prescribe pain medication to make her. more comfortable. While hip dysplasia can cause arthritis later in life, many dogs go through short painful episodes, then they are pain free for long periods of time. If she has poor hip conformation she shouldn't have puppies as they may have bad hips also. Keeping Coco active, thin and well muscled in addition to joint supplements and pain medication when needed will give Coco the best chance to live a normal active life. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Coco.

Congratulations on your new addition. The pacing your are describing sounds like Coco just doesn't know where to go or what to do when you don't let her jump on the couch with you. Anytime we tell a dog what not to do, we also need to tell them what to do. So, I would teach Coco a command like "Go to your bed." and direct her to a dog bed next to the couch. Be sure to reward that behavior with verbal praise and/or treats to make sure she is motivated to do so. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.