Health

it will take about 6 weeks to heal, with some pain continuing after that. Physical therapy people will give you exercises to do. Do them. You won't want to, but they shorten recovery time. Staples come out about 10 days post op, that's what most surgeons are using these days.

The actual incision won't be your biggest problem, you'll be wearing a knee brace post op and that will protect it. You will also be using a walker at first, then a cane. Both of those can be used to discourage the dog, keeping something between him and your leg. The danger isn't that he'll hurt your incision, the danger is that he'll knock you over and that would be bad.