If you have a puppy, especially a very active one, or if you are considering doing some sport with him, both at a user level and at a high competition level, you have surely already heard the term “growth plates”.

We are going to explain in a very simple way what growth plates are, why you should take them into account.

_{What are they?}

They are areas of growing tissue (layers of cartilage that surround certain areas of the bones), near the ends of the long bones in young puppies. Each long bone has at least two growth plates, one at each end.

These plates are very soft areas, so they are more suspicious of suffering some type of injury. Once growth is complete, the growth plates close, and are replaced by the same type of bone as the rest of the limb.

_{What function do they have?}

These plates determine the future length and shape of the mature/adult bone.

_{When do they close?}

The growth plates close at different ages, depending on the bone and depending on the type of dog. Large breed dogs take longer to close their growth plates than smaller breed dogs.

_{Injuries and how to prevent them:}

If the growth plates are affected, they can close prematurely, resulting in shortening or malformation of the limb, which will ultimately affect your athletic performance.

Puppies who have physical activity above that recommended for their age are prone to suffering injuries to these growth plates, since they do not have fully developed coordination and their muscles do not yet have the necessary strength to maintain the skeleton. . Excessive physical activity, or doing exercises that are not appropriate for the age, can cause a great impact, deteriorating the optimal development of the puppy’s skeletal system.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN PUPPIES IS IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY, BUT EXERCISES MUST BE DONE WITH A PLANN ACCORDING TO THE GROWTH STAGE OF THAT PUPPY.

It is too common to find puppy growth lines traumatized by the impact of exercise, a clear demonstration of why immature dogs should not be started to train at a level inappropriate for their age, much less to compete.

Contact me for more information on what type of exercises your puppy can do, and on how to start training a future sports dog from the base, avoiding risks.