When in your opinions does the fast growth spurt stop ?

My 2 are quite gangly, I have been very careful with them with regard to how long we are out walking and excersising for because of the growth rate, they will be 22 weeks on Tuesday. I remember talking to a lady who breeds Wolf Hounds and she reckoned that by 6 months I should be able to walk them normally she said the fast growth usually stops around 6 months, what do you think ?

I personally think with NI's they dont stop growing till well over a year old. The nobbly knees go usually when the growth plates have stopped growing, that to me is the best indication you can start to walk your dog a bit further each week. My youngest is 13 months old and has just stopped growing upwards he's just filling out in his girth now, but he's a greedy un'!

Thanks Luz but is the growing thing not the same for all dogs ? The Wolf Hound breeder told me an indication of too much excersise is if the front paws point outwards when walking and the back legs bow down...I certainly don't want to do anything like this to my furbabies, but am really curious about the growth rate. Some one else once said that 5 minutes of excersise for each month old they are is a good guide.

I think it depends on the breed - i n my breed the Borzoi the growth surges can still be going on well after a year and sometimes up to 2 years old and I would not give long walks with the breed till they are well over a year old. I would have thought that wolfhounds and deerhounds would be similar.

Thankyou Lovezois I will keep that in mind . I am very careful with them, and will be patient.