I was wondering if it is recommended to get some preliminary hip Xrays at 10 months of age? I did just read the whole section on hip Xrays. Any idea what this should end up costing? (rough estimate?)

Hi Joyce: People get prelims for a multitude of reasons. It can be because they require a working/sport dog and want to be sure the pup is sound before putting a lot of work into the pup and they don't want to wait until the dog is 2 years old, or it can be a requirement in the breeders contract, or there can be an issue with the pups movement, or the owner might just want to know.

Cost depends on a lot of factors. I have my dogs hips & elbows done without drugs, I go to a vet who is known for getting great positioning on even the toughest dogs, anesthesia free. I think I paid $200. out-the-door (hips/elbows) including mailed to OFA. This also included duplicate xrays for submitting to SV.

 Quote: susan tuck

Hi Joyce: People get prelims for a multitude of reasons. It can be because they require a working/sport dog and want to be sure the pup is sound before putting a lot of work into the pup and they don't want to wait until the dog is 2 years old, or it can be a requirement in the breeders contract, or there can be an issue with the pups movement, or the owner might just want to know.

Cost depends on a lot of factors. I have my dogs hips & elbows done without drugs, I go to a vet who is known for getting great positioning on even the toughest dogs, anesthesia free. I think I paid $200. out-the-door (hips/elbows) including mailed to OFA. This also included duplicate xrays for submitting to SV.

Exactly! This is what I paid as well. I have a wonderful vet in So Cal that is GREAT with the working bred/trained dogs and drug-free x-rays.

Other than reading the article, what makes you want the pre-lim’s?

For me personally, unless the dog is to actually work (SAR, any of the biting sports, K-9, agility, etc&hellip, the dog has a family history of issues, the puppy is showing symptoms of HD, or it is a breeding stock animal I want to qualify or disqualify, I would not do them. I have seen dogs pre-lim poorly and OFA great as an adult, and pre-lim good and develop HD as an adult. It is a snapshot in time… (Albeit a typically reliable one&hellip

Now OFAs, that is an every dog thing for me. For my knowledge and for that of anyone doing research on my dog’s bloodlines, and for a “base line” for any problems that develop in the furure.

I think that I may want to get involved with agility in the future. She just has some tendencies that make me a bit concerned. She has a bunny run when chasing the frisbee and also has a lazy sit. However, the article says that they tighten up as they age. I was thinking it might be good to have as a "base line" as well.
Currently have no pool or lake to swim her like I would love to do. For now we are doing just two 30-40 minute walks a day and then play frisbee in the back yard. I wonder if this is an ok amount of excercise for her?

 Quote: Joyce Salazar

For now we are doing just two 30-40 minute walks a day and then play frisbee in the back yard. I wonder if this is an ok amount of excercise for her?

Joyce, just be careful with the frisbee, especially if you want to try agility. If you are tossing the frisbee so your dog can catch it without leaving the ground, that's fine, no problem. If your dog has to leap up to catch it and doesn't land naturally on all four feet simultaneously, you could be courting ACL injuries.

leih

Thanks Leih for the warning. I have been trying to throw it low to keep her from leaping but it does happen from time to time.
She is so obsessed with playing frisbee, she would play all day if I let her.
Any advice on what to do to release some of that puppy energy that won't be destroying her hips and knees?

 Quote: joyce salazar

Any advice on what to do to release some of that puppy energy that won't be destroying her hips and knees?

I think they really need a good balance of physical exercise and mental stimulation. When my GSD was a puppy, I found the mental stuff exhausted her even more than physical stuff, and that's saying a lot, because she's very high drive.

Have you taught her to find things yet? Once you do, you can gradually hide things further from you in the house, and in more complicated places (up on a piece of furniture, like a chair seat, rather than on the floor; under the corner of the rug, or pillow, not in plain sight, etc.).

Incorporating the crate into games is fun; she has to run into the crate and wait until released, gradually increasing the distance to the crate and whether the crate is in sight from where you send her, eventually incorporating different positions (sit, down, stand) when she's in the crate.

I played a game we called "stump the pup." Once you have at least three different commands, you stand facing her, give her a command (stand, sit, down, spin, sit up, whatever), and release and toss the frisbee to her when she gets it right. (You need at least three commands so it doesn't become automatic to go from a sit to a down, or vice versa, which will become the default behaviour quickly if you only have two behaviors on cue. This was a fun way to work on "speak" and "quiet," too.)

Tricks! Teaching tricks is very mentally stimulating.

Tug is good for wearing them out. I assume you use a soft frisbee...tug with that if she's not tugging on other things.

Teach her the names of all her different toys; teach her to out into a container, and retrieve from a container, then have her pick the right toy out of the container when there are more than one in there.

Roy Hunter has some fun books...Fun Nosework for Dogs, Fun and Games with Dogs. I'm sure there are a ton more books out there by now that have fun activities to teach your pup. (I just got one for my next puppy called How Dogs Think by Immanuel Birmelin. The text is very basic and geared toward the lowest denominator, as far as pet owners go, but there are some very interesting activities and exercises to do with your dog/pup.)

That ought to get you started. Just about anything you can think of to do is fun for a puppy...get creative and have fun<g>.
(And yes, all this stuff will make you sleep well, too.)

leih

Thank you for all your great suggestions. We do something like what you are talking about already, but I like many of your ideas and will try them out this weekend.

She will do just about anything for that frisbee. She has been through many of the soft sided ones, I should own stock in the company(wants to play tug with it all the time)!

I truly appreciate your suggestions Leih!
Thanks alot,
Joyce

 Quote: Joyce Salazar

She will do just about anything for that frisbee.

Well, you're half-way home once you've found what's truly reinforcing for your pup<g>.

Have fun,
leih