Should I worry about my dog's joints if he jumps on and off the couch?

Question

My dog is allowed on the couch and he jumps on and off at his own accord. He isn't allowed upstairs and never has access to the stairs. I want to minimise the risk of harming his joints. Should I continue to let him get on and off the couch and if I do how likely is this to harm his joints? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 29 days old

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

Jumping on and off the couch has little chance of hurting the joints on a lean, healthy dog. The best thing you can do to prevent joint issues is to keep him at an ideal body weight. Here is a good article that explains how to tell if your dog is getting overweight: https://www.petcoach.co/article/most-common-diseases-associated-with-pet-obesity Also, he will have less chance of joint issues if he exercises regularly. Ideally one hour a day of walking, running or agility. If you do that, then you really have little to worry about if he jumps up and down from small heights like a couch.

Should I worry about my dog's joints if he jumps on and off the couch?

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