I've always believed that good bone is bred, not fed but have seen adult dogs that were poorly fed as pups not grow to their expected potential.

What are your thoughts/experiences?

Think as with most things it is some of each - have seen cases where from a litter all bar one has good bone and if you delve you find the feeding/exercise given to the odd one out is not what one would accept as adequate. So think you need the breeding for potential but the upbringing need to be correct to fulfil this potential.

Any animal that is not fed correctly will not reach its potential, whether that be in height, weight, muscle, bone etc.

That is what malnutrition is all about.

You cannot make a first class product if you use third class materials.

For optimum growth you need optimum nutrition.

Any animal that is not fed correctly will not reach its potential, whether that be in height, weight, muscle, bone etc.

That is what malnutrition is all about.

You cannot make a first class product if you use third class materials.

For optimum growth you need optimum nutrition.

Couldn't agree more tohme :-)  You only get out what you put in.

I'll never forget the look of my first puppy (a Golden). (My first dog was a rescue so acquired as an adult.) I didn't know puppies shouldn't have lots of exercise so he got plenty of walks. When the litter was about a year old I met the breeder at a show (I wasn't showing my dog) with my dog's litter brother. The brother had legs like tree trunks compared to my boy's very slim legs. THAT'S when the breeder told me too much exercise would affect bones!

The breeder of my first puppy didn't mention exercise only diet on the info she gave me. Consequently as soon as his vax were finished I had him out on hour walks, and loads of rough play with other dogs (makes me shudder to think about it). He had OCD in the shoulder and a hipscore in the 30's, the only 'upside' was he was a  very social dog and made it to nearly 11.