[Tanya]

Just curious for any of you who know or have a three legged dog. I know that once they regain their balance most are good as new. But I'm curious - are they still good for longs walks and playing fetch? Or are they into more moderate exercise?

Or does it really depend on the dog and the injury?

 

[Halle and Mavericks Mom]

As a child our family dog Casey got hit by a car and had to have his front leg amputated he managed just fine and lived to be 13 years old.

 

[brody]

the only three legged dog I knew for years and years was as active as ever - he had been hit by a train
a brittany spaniel and boy could he run and swim and carry on ...
Rodger Dodger - just smiling thinking of him

 

[Tanya]

so you do all the same things with the tripod? Same amount of walking and running around as with a four legged dog? Do you monitor more?

 

[brody]

my aunt and uncle certainly did everything they did with RD when he had four legs
hiking canoeing etc
personally I'd keep an eye on soundness but I do anyhow

 

[justine]

Yep, 3-legged dogs act pretty much normal, at least the ones that I know.. they play and run and everything with the other dogs

 

[Di]

I have first hand knowledge of two pups one lost his early in her life after being hit by a car, she lived to be 16. The other we don't know the history, she is a friends rescue pup. They both did/do run with the big dogs and have no idea that anything is or was wrong with them! It always amazed me to watch them run and play- jump into vehicles etc.. sometimes you would cringe thinking they were going to fall but it happened no more often then with the other pooches!

 

[Amber The Duck Dawg]

I do recall seeing two different tripods compete at a top dog event. One was in Novice and the other one was in I think Open. I was amazed at the time by how well they both pulled off their obedience runs. I thought it was cool to see them doing AKC obedience. Top Dog is a team obedience event that uses AKC rules, and you usually have the top dogs in the area competing in it..

Kelly and Amber

 

[Kopitar]

When I was a child at my grandmothers home in Oregon there was a Tripod golden retriever that would run up and down hills and fields and keep up with his boxer companion just fine. It didn't slow him down one bit.

 

[joflake]

My sister has a pit she rescued and he has three legs, was hit by a car. He runs and plays and goes up and down the stairs just like their other dog. But.....he is 6 now and he is slowing down a lot. She told me the other day that he will play a bit and then have to go rest, his good leg is starting to go out on him. Pits have that huge chest and all their weight is at the front. So it's becoming a strain on his one good leg. She's starting to limit his exercise.

 

[Dani]

We adopted out a tripod. Daisy is just as agile, if not more than her labby sister. She zips around like nothing. They keep her a little more lean to be less harsh on her joints, but she really doesn't act like a tripod.

 

[HersheyK's Dad]

We meet one that lost his right hind leg to cancer. He was supposed to live maybe one year afterward. That was four years ago. He is one happy friendly dog. He will chase down and return a ball that is thrown less than 25 yards. Not as fast as a four-legged, and will ignore a ball thrown farther. But he enjoys the shorter runs ans plays with the other dogs as any others do.

 

[wharrgarbl]

I don't have any experience with a three legged dog, but growing up we had a three legged cat. She got around as well as a four legged cat and lived into her twenties. She was my favorite!