Are stairs and jumping on furniture safe for my small dog's joints?

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!

Jumping on and off the couch has little chance of hurting the joints on a lean, healthy dog. The best thing you can do to prevent joint issues is to keep him at an ideal body weight. Here is a good article that explains how to tell if your dog is getting overweight: https://www.petcoach.co/article/most-common-diseases-associated-with-pet-obesity Also, he will have less chance of joint issues if he exercises regularly. Ideally one hour a day of walking, running or agility. If you do that, then you really have little to worry about if he jumps up and down from small heights like a couch.

To keep your puppy as safe as possible start training him now to learn that he shouldn’t jump up on things. It is also very important that you keep your dog and an appropriate weight. The more overweight the more prone they are to have issues with their joints, including their spines. It may also help to get small stairs or ottomans that he can climb onto to get onto the furniture so he won’t have to jump as far. You are obviously a good pet owner because you are so concerned about him already. As long as you keep him healthy and keep a close eye on him he will do great. Thanks for your question. If you have anymore questions please let us know. And thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Winton is adorable! I have heard this recommendation about the stairs as well. That being said, I have not seen significant research backing up the recommendation. I think it is reasonable to limit stair use as it is practical for you. I feel it is more important to limit hard running while the bones and joints are developing. If your dog is going to be your running partner, it is best to wait to until 15-18 months before allowing running on concrete sidewalks. Keeping your puppy lean as he grows is very important in protecting the joints as well. It sounds like you and Winston are off to a great start!

It's a good idea to get ramps or puppy steps to help Bow on and off the furniture to help prevent jumping, as dogs with long backs such as dachshunds can easily injure their backs. Bow should be able to climb stairs without the use of a ramp, as that does not involve jumping, but if he is having difficulty then a ramp is a good idea. Making sure there is enough traction on the surface (such as using carpeting) is important to reduce the risk of slipping and falling.

Depending on what breed Bob B is, you may not be able to train that behavior out of her. You can consult a professional dog trainer to see if they can help you with this problem. Many dogs do lots of jumping and it does no damage to their joints that we are aware of. You could always use a joint supplement like this one to keep her joints healthy. This is not going to hurt anything and may help. http://fraken.en.made-in-china.com/product/HeGQvaRlJdpi/China-Dog-Vitamin-Tablet-Canine-Vitamin-Tablet-Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Msm-Tablet-for-Hip-Joint-Supplement.html Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Yes, you should still encourage them to use the stairs. Corgis, being long-backed, do have a tendency to hurt their backs when jumping up on things as you are aware. They don't just "hurt" their backs but they can actually slip a disk and become paralyzed. It can be quite a serious issue.