[glencorgi]

I'm moving this exchange over to the Health Issues Forum, because that is really what is the concern - a health issue.

Linda/corgimom wrote:

Cody jumps up on the sofa also and can also jump up on the beds, I don't like the bed thing - I just think it is too high and I always help him down. maybe I am just worrying, but I don't know if that could hurt his back.

To which Michael replied with this comment:

Linda - you are over anxious. and over-protective. Corgis are tough cookeis - they are not delicate toy dogs. Treat them with kids gloves and they won't develop to their full potential.

I will agree with Michael that corgis are tough cookies. What one has is (originally at least) is an approximately 25 pound dog that was bred to move cattle and the corgi won. Sums up a lot about the breed and I do get alarmed when I get inquiries caught up in the cute factor, fall into a toy breed mindset (toys were bred to be companions primarily, but some of them can be pretty tough themselves) and don't realize the attitude and presence of a working breed - which corgis are.

Here is where I part company with Michael. Some Welsh farmsteads would be rugged terrain and puppies probably played over a lot of it. But playing king of the rock or scrambling over a fallen tree limb is not the same shock impact as jumping off a high bed. The back is not my primary concern with a puppy jumping - it is the growth plates in the legs. Growth plates do not fully close until a year to eighteen months of age and there is some research looking at perhaps two years of age. Repetitive jumping down can break down a front - it happened to the first CWC puppy used on the tv show Dharma and Greg. On set trainers kept having him jump off the chair, against breeder's instructions and conditions of sale. There can also be injuries sustained with the repetitive jumping down. Look at your corgi's shape - it is egg shaped with the bulk of the weight in the front. The weight and the impact of going down repetively can cause damage in youngsters.

I'll admit to being a bit alarmed at some of the trainers in the obedience classes bringing out agility equipment, including jumps for your puppies. A recent thread on the Performance Corgis list was about what obstacles one began puppies on - the overwhelming consent was the low impact ones - tunnels, A-frames - at LOWEST height, teeters - set low, tables - jumping did not begin until at least a year of age because of both structural health and mental maturity. To paraphrase one experienced agility exhibitor - just because AKC says they can compete at a year of age, doesn't mean they should be competing.

So was this an over protective, over anxious reaction? In my opinion - no. It is founded in wanting to protect the health of one's dog. And lets face it, most of us do have our "paranoid panic buttons" when it comes to our corgis. I certainly have mine. Once one goes through something with their dog, then they tend to be a little more cautious about that certain thing in the future. Just part of being a responsible owner, <imho>.

Debbie