Over the years of working with dogs, you learn important tips in care and health. When I was raising my first dog (Keeneye), I thought I was doing everything that was best for his growth and upbringing. At 60 lbs, Keeneye’s more of a medium to large sized dog, but he would have greatly benefited from these tips. Here are three things I wish I knew sooner about raising a large breed dog.  

#1 Slow Their Growth 

I don’t feel like this was too big of a problem for my dog specifically, but I have seen other dogs have problems with growing too fast. When dogs grow too fast it can cause them pain and discomfort in their hips and joints which makes them limp. They get heavier than their skeleton is prepared to support, which puts them at risk of several health problems. To slow down the rate of growth, it’s recommended to switch your puppy on adult dog food by 5-6 month of age. Don’t worry, you’re not going to stunt their growth, you’re just going to slow down how quickly they get there by removing some of those excess calories and minerals.  

#2 Monitor Their Activity Level Until They Are 1.5-2 Years Old 

This is where I really screwed up. I thought I was being a good dog mommy by taking Keeneye out and exercising him until he was good and tired. Not only did I overexert him, but I did activities that were the most damaging to his young joints like biking on hard pavement for long distances. It also didn’t help working at a dog daycare where he played with other dogs on hard concrete floors for 6.5+ hours per day. He loved every bit of these activities, but they had consequences later in life as he aged.  

Dogs will push themselves over the limit in the name of fun, and in making their people happy. To avoid this . . .  

-Don’t instigate activities that push your dog further than they would do naturally.  

-Avoid playing or long walks on hard surfaces 

-Don’t play fetch until your dog passes out. 

-If you’re dog attends doggy daycare and plays rough, request that your pup gets naps with a bed every so often. 

Some lower impact activities for your puppy would be things like . . . 

 -Playing with another dog in a yard with soft grass or a carpeted room. 

-Relaxed hikes that take no more than an hour.  

-Playing with toys 

-Mellow game of fetch that doesn’t push your dog too far. 

-Play with you dog in a lake, water is often used for therapeutic means for it’s low impact on the joints.

-Come up with mental training activities such as obedience or hiding treats for them to find. These can also be effective tools in draining and tiring your puppy out mentally vs physically.   

#3 Don’t Spay/Neuter Until 1.5-2 Years Of Age 

Another tip I didn’t know at the time. I had Keeneye neutered as soon as I could get him in which was at about 4 months of age. It was cheaper the smaller he was, but I didn’t realize at the time that it could have consequences in his growth and development.  

There’s increasing research out there that fixing dogs too early can cause issues in development. The main problem is that fixing dogs too early interrupts the closure of their growth plates and removes the hormones needed to properly seal them together. In most cases, it just takes longer for the plates to close. However, sometimes this interruption can even cause a deformity that will permanently cripple you dog with a limp or angular deformity. It’s also been linked to certain types of cancers including bone cancer as well as obesity, hip dysplasia, and cruciate disease.  

To Wrap It Up 

Because I did not know these few simple things when I first had Keeneye, his joints started giving him trouble at 7 years of age. That’s way too soon, and it kills me to know that I caused it. He still enjoys walks/hikes/parks/games ect. But I have to put a limit on his play or else he is incredibly sore afterwards. He’s basically got the mind and energy of a young dog, but the joints and hips of an older dog. At 11 years old, and with a lot of TLC, he’s physically doing better than when he was when he was 7.  My hope is that this helps others when it comes to raising your large breed puppy. The larger the dog, the more time they will need to mature. A little limitation now as a puppy, will make for a younger, healthier, more physically fit dog for longer.