What dogs are ok to jump??

Question

I have a male german shephard he is 2 yrs old and he can jump about 3 ft but im just wondering would this be hard on him??Im worried about his elbows. He has showed no pain from doing this but im justing asking other people for there advice...thnx

Answer 1

The greyhound.  

Answer 2

My brother has jumped his German Shepherd, who is 1 1/2 yrs old over 4 ft. However, he does not jump him this high very often. My mom used to be a vet technician and she encouraged my brother not to jump him too much, as this Shepherd is a very long, large dog and she is concerned about his hips. However, I have a (smaller) German Shepherd/Chow mix  the same age and she jumps/climbs over our 5 ft chain link fence with no problem!

I think it depends on the dog. If you have a very large long Shepherd, I would keep an eye on his hip region, where (my Mom says) this breed can be weak. However, if you have a smaller, more compact type of dog (like mine), I wouldn't worry too much. :)

Answer 3

It should be safe for any fully matured, sound dog to do. If you're worried about his joints, you can ask your vet for a referral to an orthopedic specialist who can evaluate the condition of his joints through physical exam and X-ray films.  

Answer 4

He can probably jump without problem for the first 4 years of his life. After that you want him to start being careful. German Shepherds are known to have hip problems later in life which can be aggravated by a lifestyle of jumping high.

Answer 5

All healthy dogs are okay to jump.   No dog that is not mature, as in their growth plates haven't closed and their joints aren't mature -- need to be jumping as it can do damage to immature joints / bones.   At two you need to be getting your dog's elbows and hips xrayed and evaluted by OFA to make sure there aren't any congenital abnormalities that would predispose the dog to injury.    

Answer 6

dogs with long legs.

like the jack russel terrier.

Answer 7

Dogs have legs that are MADE to jump high.

My Jack Russell is 3 and he can jump about 5 feet! No joke.

Answer 8

All dogs can jump and all dogs can do like agility, but some are better at it then others. Also if a dog has an inherited joint problem like hip dyslpasia, then could make them not be able to jump at all. Sheppard's that are cop dogs come from the very best breeders around and therefore are great jumpers. If you know your dogs breeder, you can always ask about hip dysplasia or pettalia(knee cap) problems. You can also have a dogs hips exrayed to see if any problems like this are present.