Over the last few weeks we have seen some pretty incredible videos of Belgian Malinois dogs doing some impressive things. Most involve high jumps, running up trees and so forth. While these look great for the camera and are fun to watch there can be a serious down side.
Many people believe dogs only have a chance at getting things like dysplasia or spinal issues if it is congenital. It’s true that these things are in many accounts caused by bad breedings but that isn’t alwaysthe case.
Dogs, especially young ones have a skeletal system that is ever changing. I think it’s risky any time you allow a dog to land from a fall of 12 feet whether there is an airbag or not to break the fall. I used “12 feet” because that appears to be about the height of the fall by one Malinois in a video which has been viewed millions of times online.
So, what is safe? My dogs love to jump things that are high. My friends get a kick out of what he can do. He doesn’t seem to mind or get hurt. These are things we hear often when we advise against these types of exercise. First of all, your dog doesn’t know what is and isn’t good for him. He may even do something that is painful if it seems to please you. But just like parenting one of you has to be the adult here and set the rules that are right. Think about what one broken bone can do to your dog (and bank account).
When you are training or working your dog always remember that one accident can ruin everything. While a Belgian Malinois can do many things that other breeds can’t do there are limits to what any dog or human can do. Train on my friends, train on. ~mw
