Just need to know whould you let a 30lb 3 1/2 month old puppy run with the Big dogs unsupervised ? Pup broke its elbow and needs a pin in it . they where left alone in the turn out pen when she got back the puppy was limping bad Doctor says pups has an incomplete Osification of the Humorale Cordyle doctor says it means soft bones i thought all puppys have Soft bones anyone ever heard of this thanks in advance PS dont make fun of my spelling !

NO WAY!!!!
My pups don't get to run with the adults until about 5-6 months of age.
Dumb....real dumb.
Hope the baby heals soon.

Nope - learned the hard way. Puppies play with only other similar-age puppies until around a year of age!

Absolutely not. I learned from somebody elses mistake and heeded their warning. Older dogs can hurt little ones too easily and the damage can be irreversible. My pups do not run with older dogs until they are a year old and then it is with the quieter ones. Youngsters with older dogs must be supervised. Never left alone.

I agree with the above posters, 100%. I visited people who had a few dogs from me, watched their whole group of dogs racing around and running to the water, the one young dog was already lame, (I could see why) and I witnessed his leg go down a deep hole on their property, likely an animal hole, while they were running really hard. They also kept showing him, and people in their area would report to me how some days he was excused for limping and then a day later he'd win, this went on for a good while. Guess whose elbow didn't clear?????? The people meant well, they wanted the dog to have a good life and be able to run and play. But it can really be dangerous and I do believe we have to protect these young growing dogs from these kinds of injuries.

No Way ! I do more like a year. Would not think of letting puppys run with the older dogs. No matter what size. Some older are very laid back but others could cripple a pup in no time. Feel so bad for the puppy.

I think we need to make clear to anyone not familiar with a pack of Labs running a large yard - these puppies can and do get hurt, but it's not intentional by the older dogs. It's due to exuberant play and a 80-lb dog smacking into a 30-lb dog - do the math. The smaller puppy will lose, orthopedically. Been there, done that - paid the price as well (arthroscopic shoulder surgery then given to a great pet home).

It's all a progression at our house. When the pups are 3 to 4 weeks old and getting ready to come out of the whelping room and into the main part of the house, I introduce all my other dogs to the puppies. One by one, I bring each puppy out and hold it and only let 2 or 2 young to adult dog sniff and lick the puppy. I do this every day until the pups are ready to go outside where all my dogs are allowed to mingle with the puppies one at a time in the yard, supervised for brief periods. By the time the puppies are 6 weeks old, I let all of my dogs greet the puppies in the designated yard where again they are closely supervised and for about 5 minutes at a time.

I do it this way because the puppies need to be socialized around our dogs in the family and the youngster to adult dogs need to know how to behave around young puppies.

I have found that if I don't allow my adult dogs around the litter of puppies until they go to their new homes, it doesn't teach the pups or dogs about living in a pack of dogs and how to behave around each other.

I also don't believe in letting young dogs under the age of 6 months to a 1 yr old play with the adult dogs unsupervised. It depends on the age of dogs and how rough they play as to my decision on letting a 6 month old play all day long with the big kids. If I have a dog body slamming then there is no way I would let a younger dog in the same yard unsupervised.

One of my adult girls got body slammed by her younger play mate and it injured her left crecuiate..not a complete tear but a small tear. Those body slammers do the most damage in a group of dogs.

Here I allow my two 4 month + old 40+ # kids to run with one of the matrons ... singularly. i.e. I separate the pups from each other. I also rotate the matron and pup. I do allow all together supervised. Really supervised now ... no going into the house while all are together.

My 'momma dogs' are doing a wonderful job teaching manners. It is fascinating to observe.

This scenario seems to be working for us ... hopefully it will continue until the pups are mature.

It is interesting to read what everyone does.