Our 8 month old springer has started limping with what appears to be her front right leg.  I'm not sure what could have caused it, but am starting to think it might be the new harness which we put on her (she pulls like a train when walking and it is only intended to be a short term measure until the training starts to click with her!)  It does fit well I would add, and she walks lovely with it, so I might be wrong in my assumption, but I really can't think what else it would be!  She is a typical energetic puppy, and this apparent lameness has not slowed her down.  I didn't take her out yesterday and she only had the run of the garden, and boy did she run around it!  I'm not sure if to take her out today off the lead and let her do her own thing, but most dogs don't have the sense to do what's best for them, do they, so perhaps I'm better off not taking her out! 

My main point is, she doesn't appear to be in any pain and there are no tender spots that I have located, so should I rush her off to the vets on Tuesday, or give it a week maybe and see if she improves?  What should I do about exercise?  Am I right not taking her out, or should I give her some "off lead" exercise in the park nearby?

Any thoughts/help greatly appreciated.

If it is no better by Tuesday I would let the vet take a look, we do not manipulate as the vet would for fear of hurting, so best checked out and a course of management decided on and not ignore something that may cause long term problems.

Hi there

I would completely rest her until you take her to the vet - and rest means rest, even though it's really tough to implement! So I wouldn't give her the run of the garden as she will inevitably charge around and could well be aggrevating the problem.

If you really can't bring yourself to 'make' her rest - then a very small walk ON the lead would be my recommendation. Through past experience with our labs, if they've gone a bit lame for whatever reason, letting them run free usually results in a 'scatty-five-minutes-charge-around', with the tail tucked in underneath them and all 4 legs sticking out at weird angles racing around like a fool - and that will almost certainly aggrevate a problem if there is one.

be tough, and rest her until you've seen the vet. We always find that the first thing the vet tells us to do is just that anyway!

Good luck,

Di and the labs

If she is lame then letting her run free is probably not a good idea.  Depending on the degree of lameness - and my dog could run last year with a broken leg as he "favoured" it, then why not take her somewhere new, on lead and let her mooch around for a maximum of five minutes.  Somewhere different will wear her out more quickly than going to the same place.  Make sure the ground is level so that it does not put more stress on any injury.

When you take her out in the garden keep her on the lead so she cannot charge around until after you have been to the vets and know what the problem is - better to be safe than sorry.

Teach her something new that she can do whilst static to occupy her brain - when Maverick damaged her knee I taught her to "speak" and "sneeze".  The sneeze came by accident as if I do a quiet command when telling her to speak she sneezes :D

Something else you could teach her is "touch" as this will later help your heelwork.  Get a lot of small treats (and don't forget to reduce her dinner.  Put a treat in your right hand and put both hands, (clenched with fingers down/thumbs nearest each other) about four inches apart.  Don't say anything but wiggle the little finger of your left hand (the one without a treat).  As soon as her nose touches the back of your left hand give her the treat in your right hand.

Some dogs pick this up after about five tries, others take longer.  When she will touch your left hand each time put it in further away/higher/lower etc.  When she is touching your hand every time and then looking at your right for the treat introduce the word touch as she is touching you, then as a cue to get her to touch your hand.  Then get her to touch twice before she gets her treat.

Then, when you are doing heel work you can get her to touch your left hand which is by your side and give her a treat from your right hand

Thanks for all your help and advice.  I decided against taking her out and let her come in the garden with me to "help" me with the gardening.  She proceeded to find a branch off a tree and tear around the garden for a few minutes with it, the end result being an even more pronounced limp - the walk is definately off.  I have now put her back in the house and there she will stay until Tuesday.  I'll take the sensible advice of only letting her in the garden on the lead.  She does seem a bit "down" at the moment - it's times like this you wish they could talk and tell you exactly where it hurts!  Thanks again for the sensible advice - I just needed to be told ....