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Boxerdoodle Puppies for Sale Expected Budget in Learn what to expect when researching the price of Boxerdoodle puppies for sale near me. How much do Boxerdoodle puppies for sale cost? The cost for a Boxerdoodle puppy for sale varies greatly and depends on many factors such as the breeders' location, reputation, litter size, lineage of the puppy, breed popularity supply and demand , training, socialization efforts, breed lines and much more. Before searching "Boxerdoodle puppies for sale near me", review their average cost below. This is the price you can expect to budget for a Boxerdoodle with papers but without breeding rights nor show quality. Expect to pay less for a Boxerdoodle puppy for sale without papers, however, we do not recommend buying a puppy without papers. Looking for a Boxerdoodle puppy with a superior lineage? Are you trying to determine how much a Boxerdoodle with breeding rights and papers would cost? You should expect to pay a premium for a Boxerdoodle puppy with breeding rights or even Boxerdoodles for sale advertised as show quality with papers. What can I expect to pay for a Boxerdoodle puppy near me? Annual cost of owning a Boxerdoodle puppy for sale When googling "Boxerdoodle puppy for sale near me" it is important to understand the associated costs of owning a dog. The annual cost or "upkeep" is often overlooked when determining a Boxerdoodles true ownership cost. Most Popular Boxerdoodle Puppy for Sale Names for We've compiled the top 20 male and female Boxerdoodle names for after analyzing 0 Boxerdoodle puppies for sale. Boxie Boy. Boxerdoodle Highlights The Boxerdoodle is a mixed breed dog. They are not purebreds like their Boxer or Poodle parents. Boxerdoodles come in almost any color you could image—although shades of brown are usually the most common colors. Just be sure to follow the usual guidelines about ensuring proper socialization and training from an early age for both kids and dogs. When it comes to existing household pets, this mixed breed needs to be correctly socialized to be around them. They may do best as the solo pet in the home. Boxerdoodles are intelligent, active, and fairly easy to train. They will enjoy joining in on hikes and long walks. These dogs are friendly and social. They make excellent family companions. Best guesses suggest the breed popped up on the scene in the last decade. When it comes to the Poodle part of their heritage, this is a dog that goes all the way back to ancient Egypt times. After that, the Poodle became popular in France as a duck hunting dog. On the Boxer side, the breed began as both a working farm dog and fighting dog back in the 19th century. Their fighting tendencies have since been bred out of them, and they now make wonderful, loving companions for any family. The Boxerdoodle has become known as a designer dog breed, but many of them unfortunately end up in shelters. Boxerdoodle Size The Boxerdoodle can be described as either a small, medium, or even large dog. As is always the case with newer mixed dog breeds, exact size standards might vary. Most weigh in at twelve to 70 pounds and range in height from ten to 25 inches. Female Boxerdoodles might be visibly smaller than their male counterparts. Boxerdoodle Personality When people talk about their Boxerdoodles, they usually begin by noting how social and friendly they are. They will instantly become part of a family and their playful nature means that they love to be around activity, which is why they can form great bonds with kids. The mixed breed will also constantly entertain you with their goofy and funny antics. The second thing people comment on about Boxerdoodles is their intelligence. Otherwise, you might find yourself with a dog showing a high degree of stubbornness. Boxerdoodle Health Boxerdoodles are generally considered to be healthy dogs; although, the breed can be predisposed to some of the same conditions that the Boxer and Poodle face. Some of the more common health problems Boxerdoodles suffer from include: Bloat Entropion Boxerdoodle Care The Boxerdoodle is a dog with high energy and exercise needs. Ideally, outdoor time should also include the potential for swimming, fetch games, and even agility training. This is a smart dog, so keeping them challenged both mentally and physically is key to their welfare. Check their ears, as well, for debris or pests, and clean them as recommended by your vet. Boxerdoodle Feeding An ideal Boxerdoodle diet should be formulated for a small, medium, or large dog depending on the individual. However, in all cases, the breed has high energy. Otherwise, you could be looking at a visit to the vets or groomers to deal with mats that might develop. In general, the Boxerdoodle is considered to be an adaptable dog when it comes to climate. During hotter months, make sure shade and fresh water are always available during outdoor play and activity sessions. The mixed breed also often does better with older children, although in general, Boxerdoodles make great family dogs. When it comes to existing household pets, these dogs need to be correctly socialized to be around them. Ideally, the Boxerdoodle will be entering a pet-free home. Ultimately, early socialization really pays off with this breed. Make sure to reward your Boxerdoodle for good behavior and adhere to a proper training regime when you bring them home to your family. Boxerdoodle Rescue Groups It may be hard to find a breed-specific rescue for Boxerdoodles because they are a mixed breed. However, you may want to try Boxer or Poodle breed-specific rescues, as they often care for mixes, as well. Here are some rescues you can try:. What is a Boxerdoodle? If you cross a purebred Poodle with a Boxer — what do you get? You get a Boxerdoodle! A Boxerdoodle is a rare Poodle Mix cross breed that has to be seen to be believed. They are also sometimes referred to as a Boxerpoo. Combing a Poodle with a Boxer gives a Boxerdoodle. What does a Boxerdoodle look like? I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about puppies particularly Poodle mixes as this is our focus at Oodle Life and I was pretty surprised when I first stumbled across photographs on Instagram! Poodles are hypoallergenic, clever and friendly. Boxers are loyal, fun loving and great companions. What a great match! You can see why people wonder if there is a Boxer Poodle mix and what it looks like. Read on to find out more about the Boxerdoodle, see photos of Boxerdoodles as adults and puppies, and see if they are hypoallergenic like other Poodle mix breeds! Poodle crosses are often thought of to be cute and teddy bear-like. They are typically a larger dog, with an interesting coat type. Expect large, even if the parent Poodle was a miniature or toy Poodle. Common appearance traits of the Boxerdoodle are Beautiful Boxerdoodle cross. Photo used with permission from holly86br on Instagram. Check out their page! Expect a medium sized dog Expect a broad weight range from 40 to 80 pounds 18 kilograms to 36 kilograms inches cenitimetres at shoulder height Wavy or Curly Poodle like coats are common You still can end up with a smoorth, short, straight coat higher shedding more similar to a Boxer Coat colours are likely white, black, red, fawn, brindle or brown Muzzle length may mimic the longer Poodle, or the stouter Boxer Tail length is more often seen to be similar to that of a Poodle The dog might have the protruded dark eyes of a Boxer There is no standard appearance of a Boxerdoodle. Have a look at Boxerdoodle photos to get a general overview of the variety of appearances they might have. Boxerdoodles come in a few different coat types! Sadie is pictured here smiling outdoors. Check their page out! How Much is a Boxerdoodle? The Boxerdoodle is a rare breed. This means there are extremely few organised breeders. Given the scarcity, you need to be extremely mindful of the breeders that do exist. Ensure they follow the strictest standards of puppy care and are experienced in managing health outcomes. Also to be quite honest, given the complexities of breeding Boxers well, crossing them with other breeds requires some deep planning, expertise and forethought. I quite like crossbreeds I mean you are reading OodleLife. I personally would still encourage extreme in seeking a breeder for such a niche dog. To be quite honest, the best way by a very long shot to source a Boxerdoodle is to adopt one. Poodle crosses can be deliberate, or sometimes nature just happens! A Boxerdoodle top close! Beautiful Boxerdoodle cross. Photo used with permission from holly86br on Instagram All three of the owners I interviewed for this article found their Boxerdoodle in a rescue. Not only is rescuing and adopting great for the world, it also helps prevent dodgy breeders for rarer cross breeds. Because they are so rare, there is no price guide possible for a Boxerdoodle. Any claims otherwise are not true. Whether or not a Boxerdoodle is hypoallergenic will depend strongly on the amount of Poodle genetics present. There is also an element of luck. If there is a wavy or curly coat, there is a higher chance of a coat that allergy sufferers can tolerate. A reminder that no dog or coat type is truly hypoallergenic, it is just that certain coats produce less dander. Less dander means that there is less risk of allergies triggered. A back cross second generation F1b Boxerdoodle is even rarer than a regular Boxerdoodle. To do this, you would back cross a Boxerdoodle with a purebred Poodle. This is extremely likely to result in a Boxerdoodle that does not shed. They are also far more likely to be allergy friendly. Grooming and Health for a Boxerdoodle You need to go into owning a Boxerdoodle with eyes wide open and willingness to adapt. Both breeds are generally healthy but the result of a cross can produce either fewer issues, or double the health issues. Be prepared for regular routine Veterinary checks to ensure that your Boxerdoodle remains healthy. In terms of grooming, expect the coat type to impact how often your Boxerdoodle needs attention. Non-shedding Poodle coats that are wavy or curly will require more maintenance. Stick with a Poodle Mix appropriate shampoo , and once your Boxerdoodle is older consider 6 weekly grooming sessions either at home or with a groomer. Traditional Boxer coat types will be easier to manage, but expect more shedding. What a beautiful set of eyes! Both breeds can be very intelligent. Often Boxers are eager to please and great candidates for training. Some Boxers are devastatingly intelligent, and quick on the uptake of new skills. Some Boxers however have a stubborn streak, and can be a little bone-headed not a bad thing… but not helpful when training. This can be overcome easily, but be open to a little more repetition and encouragement for these situations. Poodles can mostly be trained well — but be mindful of over excitedness having a negative impact on the training. Both Poodles and Boxers have a habit of the undesirable behaviour of jumping on their owner when excited. Take steps to ensure this is not an issue. Boxerdoodles are moderate energy dogs. The exercise requirement per dog can vary greatly. Caution if you are apartment living, but as long as you exercise or exercise-through-play daily for around 30 minutes, most dogs will be fine. What about swimming, running and hiking? The owners I spoke to said their Boxerdoodles enjoyed walks and swimming. Actual distance running is not advisable with a Boxer, and the same thoughts likely apply to a Boxerdoodle. Your Boxerpoo is going to love your active lifestyle, but will not complete the half marathon with you. Myths About Boxerdoodles Boxerdoodles have been used in the military There is no evidence available to suggest this is true. I am not sure how this rumour started. If you have any evidence to say that Boxerdoodles have been used as military dogs please comment and let me know Boxerdoodles are good hunting dogs While Poodle were originally waterfowl retrieval birds, modern Poodles and Boxers are companion dogs infrequently used for hunting I have asked all the owners I have met if their Boxerdoodle is used for hunting with no positive responses I searched hunting forums and Boxerdoodle groups for mention of hunting with no success If your Boxerdoodle is useful for hunting please let me know. Otherwise I think this is an urban legend or a myth about the Boxerpoo Conclusions about the Boxerdoodle The Boxerdoodle Boxerpoo is a pretty amazing Poodle mix breed dog. It does not meet the normal expectations you may have when you think of a Poodle mixed breed. They are however by all reports from owners — excellent companion dogs. Loyalty, temperament and friendliness are all in abundance. Your best bet of finding a Boxerdoodle will be via adoption. Get to know your local and state shelters and look for Boxer or Poodle cross adoption groups. Get active on social media also, as you may find one in an adjacent state looking for its new family. My wife and I love playing with our active miniature Labradoodle Max. We want all Oodle puppies to be healthy and happy, have lots of fun and be part of the family. Load More. If trained and socialized properly at a young age, it can be used as a therapy dog to provide comfort and affection to the sick and the old. It gets along well with kids as well as other animals in the family. It does have the energy and strength required for some tough jobs, but otherwise remains patient and relaxed. Since it is protective of its family and naturally aloof with strangers, it does well in guarding its territory and family against danger. Care Exercise Although they are not hyperactive, their high level of energy demands an hour of intense exercise every day. Boxerdoodles love to jog and run, especially in wide, open spaces. They can adapt to apartment life, provided they are taken out regularly for long leashed walks and play-sessions in a fenced yard. Without sufficient exercise, these dogs become bored and may show signs of aggression. Grooming Both the long, wavy and curly coat varieties need frequent brushing to keep away dead hairs and prevent matting. Professional clipping is required to make their fur easy to manage, and care for. For those with the shorter coat, a weekly brushing is sufficient to make them look clean and shiny. A damp cloth could be used to wipe their short fur after an active day. Keep their ears clean to prevent bacterial infections and bathe them with a mild dog shampoo when necessary. Health Problems Since these dogs do not suffer from severe genetic health issues, they are often regarded as hardy breed. However, they are susceptible to allergic reactions, skin infections, PRA, epilepsy, and hip dysplasia. Training Being sensitive, smart, and bright by nature, a boxerdoodle can be managed and trained, especially with rewards and treats. Since it does not respond to harsh treatments, taking up rough and oppressive methods for training could backfire and induce stubbornness. Teach the puppies to become obedient and make them socialize by introducing them to other dogs. Ensure fairness, firmness, and consistency while training the pet. Feeding An adult boxerdoodle requires around two and a half to three cups of dry dog food every day. A nutritious diet consisting of protein sources like fish and chicken would provide the sufficient amount of energy needed to perform some serious tasks involving strength and agility. Interesting Facts It is a versatile breed and can be used as a watchdog or guarding dog in police works. It has the ability to adapt to every climate. This boxer and poodle mix, which is also sometimes referred to as a "boxerpoo," is most often medium to large in size, but can be found in a wide array of sizes and colors due to her poodle parentage. A joy to train, a boxerdoodle is likely to be entirely eager to please, making her a fabulous addition to most families— first-time dog owners included. But her energetic nature, paired with the fact that boxers have a Tigger-like tendency to bounce, might make her a challenge around small children or seniors. Appearance As a boxer and poodle mix, boxerdoodles can range in appearance, especially when it comes to size if they have toy or miniature poodle rather than standard poodle roots. However, more often than not, boxerdoodles land in the medium-to-large range since for reasons that are probably obvious a boxer is a little more likely to mix with a standard poodle than with the smaller poodle varieties. For one, she can end up with a longer poodle snout or the sturdy boxer jaw. But you'll typically see her with a more poodle-like tail. Poodles come in lots of different colors, so it's possible for the boxerdoodle coat to come in just about every hue, including bicolor and brindle patterns. A boxerdoodle's fur often ends up somewhere in between their boxer parent's short, sleek coat and her poodle parent's curls, sometimes looking similar to what you'd see on a schnauzer. These pups require frequent brushing to remain free of tangles, and if your boxerdoodle takes closely after her poodle side, she'll need even more grooming and upkeep. Poodles are considered to be "hypoallergenic" dogs , even though there's really no such thing as a truly allergen-free pet. This means a boxerdoodle can be low-shedding and might be a good fit for people with allergies. But before bringing home a boxerdoodle puppy, spend time with the breed to see how your allergies react. Temperament Both boxers and poodles are popular dog breeds , but what happens when you put them together? With two parent breeds known for their playful, athletic natures, you may have a bit of a clown on your hands—which can make boxerdoodles delightful additions to many homes. They're especially well-suited to a family that loves to hike on the weekends or that has children who love to play these dogs need a fair amount of daily exercise! It's important to be prepared to train and socialize your puppy from the moment you bring her home. Some boxerdoodles may be outgoing and friendly to everyone, while some will be loyal to their families but more standoffish with strangers and in new places. And because she's so darn bright, you may find you need to work hard to stay ahead of her by teaching her new tricks and changing up her routine. It'll all be worth it in the end, though, because the more you engage her curious mind, the happier this dog will be. Living Needs Both parent breeds are known for having particularly goofy puppy-stage antics, and although boxers and poodles generally calm down by their second or third birthdays, you can still expect boxerdoodles to benefit from plenty of activity as they age. With this, they are more likely to relax in the home when it's time to settle down. And thanks to their boxer genes, it's entirely likely they'll be rather bouncy, too. A home with a securely fenced backyard is ideal, but, depending on just how high-energy your boxerdoodle is, she might also live happily in an apartment with regular exercise. It's difficult to know which personality traits are most likely to come through in a new crossbreed like the boxerdoodle. But it's worth noting that boxers don't do well when left alone for long periods of time, and poodles, too, can develop separation anxiety. So this is not a furry friend you should leave alone all day, every day. If they become bored or lonely, they'll find a way to let you know—and chances are good that you won't be thrilled. With proper introduction , boxerdoodles are usually accepting of other four-legged siblings. Essentially, they'll fit right into any home where they get ample exercise. Care With newer hybrids like the boxerdoodle, it's challenging, if not impossible, to know exactly what you're getting. And that's certainly true when it comes to preparing for their grooming needs. If your boxerdoodle ends up with a wavy or curly coat, she likely won't shed much and might be better for people with dog allergies—but you'll also have to take her for regular grooming appointments. If her coat is shorter and straighter, you might not need to get to the groomer, but you'll probably end up with a little more hair on your furniture and floor. And like every dog, brushing those chompers will help your boxerdoodle stay healthy and kissable. Every month or so, trim their nails , clean and check their ears for any signs of infection, and give them a bath as needed. If your boxerdoodle has deep facial folds like a purebred boxer keep those clean, too, using a damp washcloth and ensuring the skin dries out afterward. Health The boxerdoodle generally has a lifespan of 10—12 years, but the official breed clubs for both boxers and poodles have long lists of recommended health tests and potential health issues. Boxerdoodle pet parents need to know what health concerns are possible—and be aware of the symptoms. But mixing them with a breed that doesn't have that issue—like the standard poodle—can offset that risk, which can be a positive, she says. What Is Brachycephalic Syndrome? A Guide to Understanding Flat-Faced Dog Breeds Still, she says, "Standard poodles are a poster child for Addison's disease and certainly for gastric dilation volvulus [also known as bloat or GDV] as well," which are both potentially life-threatening if not immediately addressed. Addison's, she notes, has particularly vague signs lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea —so much so that it's called "the big masker" in the veterinary world—and it requires several different tests for diagnosis. Boxers, on the other hand, Shapard considers the poster child for cardiomyopathy. Boxers are also prone to developing cancer. Because both parent breeds have a long list of potential ailments, she suggests pet parents be proactive in their preventive care. We also know very little about this mix, so it's possible there may be unpredictable disease development as well. We don't know exactly when this crossbreed hit the designer dog scene, although it's really been in just the last 10 years or so that breeders have begun advertising them. However, if you do seek out a boxerdoodle breeder, make certain that they're providing you with all the health records of the parents for any boxerdoodle puppies they're selling. And don't simply assume a professional-looking website equates to a reputable boxerdoodle breeder! Unscrupulous breeders often seek to take advantage of increasing popularity of designer mixes like the boxerdoodle, which is why puppy mills —where dogs are raised in inhumane conditions without any of the care for health, well-being, or socialization a good breeder would offer—are abundant in the hybrid dog market. Steer clear of puppy mills and bad news breeders by watching for these red flags: There are multiple mixed breeds for sale from the same breeder. The website offers wait times for puppies. The breeder offers to ship puppies. It's difficult to identify breeder contact information no phone number, contact email, etc. Fun Facts The boxerdoodle crossbreed won't show up on the American Kennel Club's list of dog breeds, but the mix does make the cut with the American Canine Hybrid Club. Known as both boxerdoodles and boxerpoos, this mix comes in just about any color and ranges in size from around pounds. Because it's such a new designer mix, there's not much consistency yet. Boxerdoodles aren't the only poodle mixes on the block! You might also like learning about Aussiedoodles , cockapoos , shepadoodles , and more. Was this page helpful? As mentioned above the average lifespan on a Boxerdoodle is between 10 — 12 years. The Poodle, which is also an active breed, is most commonly known for its intelligence and easy training ability. So, one can predict that the Boxerdoodle would take on the personality of both its parents. This mix is described as friendly, loyal, and extremely loving. This breed does well around children of all ages and other animals. The Working Boxer Poodle Mix Boxerdoodle in the middle — image source The combination of intelligence, protectiveness, and friendliness makes the Boxer Poodle Mix a top therapy dog. It makes total sense that the Boxerdoodle would belong to the Working group, but what exactly does that mean? Working group dogs are quick to learn, strong, watchful, and alert at all times. They were originally bred to assist people in their work duties, including protecting property, pulling sleds, and performing water rescues. Grooming: luckily for you, this mix is considered hypoallergenic and sheds minimally. The grooming part is easy. Exercise: this is where a Boxerdoodle takes work. This dog has a high energy level that requires daily exercise. It loves to run around at full-speed in an open space. If you live in an apartment, your pup will adapt to smaller spaces… only if you take it for long walks or to the dog park to release all its energy before going home. The last thing you want is a hyperactive Boxer Poodle Mix in a cramped apartment. Broken dishes and toilet paper everywhere! Training: this should be easy for such a bright dog. Physical punishment can result in a rough and stubborn dog. Instead, practice positive reinforcement with treats and rewards. If you expect your dog to perform strength and agility tasks, it must be given a high protein diet, consisting mainly of fish and chicken. Most designer dogs tend to be on the pricier side, so prepare for that. You can also try your luck at a dog shelter but it might not be an easy task. Try asking for a mixed dog that resembles the Boxerdoodle or another Poodle mix. The Boxerdoodle is a versatile dog breed. The Boxerdoodle has the potential to be a versatile dog breed due to the intriguing breeding history it has inherited. The Boxer was a descendent of fighting dogs from the valleys in Tibet and had ancestral ties to almost all varieties of Bulldog. They are also related to dogs like the Dogue de Bordeaux and the Tibetan Mastiff, having been bred to be aggressive hunting dogs with a high prey drive. In the past, they have been used as hunting dogs for large prey, like bears, deer, and boar. They were also commonly used as a bull-baiter before those activities became illegal. Since then, much of the aggressive nature has been bred out of these pups, and they are currently the 10th most popular dog breed within the United States. The Poodle was also commonly used as a water dog for duck hunting. For a long period in history, Poodles were even used as circus performers and make great companion dogs, guide dogs, and guard dogs when trained the right way. All in all, who knows what your Boxerdoodle is capable of doing? Oddly, although the Poodle has become one of the most recognized and beloved dogs around the world and the Boxer is of immense popularity in America, the mix is relatively rare. This rarity is part of the reason that Boxerdoodles are so expensive. Although this is entirely unfounded, the demand has never been high and thus, the supply is limited. They are adaptable dogs. There are not many dogs who are ready to take on any climate or environment that life has to throw at them, but Boxerdoodles are one of them. These pups are fine with growing up in hot and humid locations, as well as being ready to adapt to more frigid temperatures in the North. These dogs are also changeable, going from excitable and happy in one minute, to lounging about without a care in the world the next. They can be crafty pups, meaning if they want something, they will figure out a way to get it. They also have a massive heart that makes them a loyal pet, committed to their humans through and through. Although they can have substantial amounts of energy when they are younger, as they grow older, they generally begin to calm down. They can weigh the risk over the reward of their actions and get into more trouble if they are not disciplined accordingly. Are These Dogs Good for Families? They can be a bit more unpredictable when they are young, but as the dogs grow older, they become calm and loyal pets who love their humans to bits. They are also protective dogs, sticking with their pack and making sure that no harm comes their way. They have quite agreeable natures and enjoy getting time to play with other dogs. As with any other dog breeds , socializing them from an early age helps ensure that they will behave well around other animals throughout the rest of their lives. Find the right food for their small or medium breed size and if they need puppy, adult, or senior dog food. Check with your vet to verify the amount and frequency with which they should be fed. Even if they seem happy enough to lie around the house all day, try to give them at least 45 minutes of brisk exercise each day to keep them healthy for a longer life. It could also include going for runs, doing rigorous training sessions, playing fetch , taking them to the dog park, or including them in agility training. Being irritated or defiant with them only encourages their own stubborn and obstinate behavior. They will typically have longer fur that is either wavy or curly. These types need to be brushed multiple times a week to reduce the amount of shedding, as well as to prevent matting occurring in the undercoat. Typically, Boxerdoodles with this kind of coat will require trimming to keep it manageable and looking good. Instead, brush them out with a bristle brush, and use a damp cloth to get rid of any dirt and grime they have collected. Beyond maintaining the coat of the dogs, check their ears, and keep them clean to avoid bacterial infections. Trim their nails whenever they begin to grow out, and brush their teeth at least once a week to stave off dental issues. They are thought to be a healthy breed overall, but keep an eye out for allergic reactions and take them for their regular veterinary checkups. Minor Conditions. Boxerdoodle health issues Owning a Boxerdoodle pros and cons Boxerdoodles were developed by crossing a Poodle breed with a Boxer breed. Boxerdoodle owners have many positive things to say about Boxer Poodle mix dogs. One of the reasons why Boxerdoodles are gaining popularity is because Poodle Boxer cross dogs produce lower amounts of various pet allergens, from saliva to pet dander that may cause allergic reactions in some people. Doodle dogs such as Boxerdoodle have other pros when it comes to their coat - in addition to being hypoallergenic, Boxerdoodles also shed significantly less than do purebred Boxer dogs, making this hybrid an attractive pet for many potential owners. What are some other pros to owning a Boxer Poodle mix dog? Active people who are looking for a dog that can be a perfect exercise partner that has a lot of energy to burn will find Boxerdoodle very suitable for the job. Boxerdoodles are highly active and need a couple of hours of walking every day to stay physically fit and mentally healthy. For people who dislike being very active, the high energy level of a Boxerdoodle dog may seem like a challenge rather than an advantage. Poodle Boxer mix dog is not for everyone - only people who can spend most of the day with the dog and are prepared for a lot of walking and other fun activities with the family pet throughout the day should think about getting this energetic dog. While Boxerdoodle is a young puppy, there will be a lot of time investment into socializing, training and caring for a Boxer Poodle pup. Younger puppies have a lot of curiosity in addition to endless energy, which makes them prone to getting in a lot of trouble as they are growing up. Basic training and potty training may take up a few months before the Boxerdoodle pup is fully trained, which can be a con for people who have other responsibilities in addition to caring for the new pet. How difficult are Boxerdoodles to groom? While some Boxerdoodle dogs feature a shorter coat and relatively easy coat maintenance, others may have a coat that is similar to that of a Poodle parent, and may require periodical trims as well as more frequent brushing to keep the coat healthy and neat. Even though there is usually a low amount of shedding, Boxerdoodle coat needs to be brushed thoroughly once every few days to remove any mats and tangles that may cause discomfort to the dog. Neglecting proper coat care may result in skin irritations that can be uncomfortable for your dog. Ear infections are more common for dogs with handing ears, such as Poodles and if your Boxerdoodle has hanging ears, be sure to check for any signs of redness or bad smell from the ears that may indicate a bacterial infection. Trip to the vet would be necessary in that case. To minimize the risk of ear infections, always dry your Boxerdoodle's ears after a swim or after a bath with a clean, dry towel. Ear cleaning solutions are available for dogs and make it easy to take good care of your Boxer Poodle mix dog's ears. One of the advantages to owning a Boxerdoodle dog is that Boxerdoodles are very intelligent and respond well to training. Some Boxerdoodles may be more stubborn than others but most Boxerdoodle dogs are quick to learn new concepts and with positive motivation training techniques can be trained in a shorter period of time. Boxerdoodle dogs come in different sizes, depending on the size of the parent Poodle. Smaller Boxerdoodles are more suitable for living in an apartment while larger Boxerdoodles naturally require more living space. Boxerdoodles of all sizes benefit from living close to a dog park where the dog can get exercise. Having a large fenced yard is another luxury that a Boxerdoodle as well as his or her owners can truly appreciate. Boxerdoodles enjoy being physically active. This hybrid dog is playful and loves to participate in running around with the kids and other activities such as swimming or fetching. Pros of owning a Boxerdoodle Boxerdoodle dogs are friendly, affectionate, and fun dogs that can be great companion pets for active adults of all ages. Due to their intelligence and natural desire to please the owners, Boxer Poodle mix dogs are highly trainable. For active people, Boxerdoodles are great exercise partners that enjoy long walks, hiking, swimming and other activities. Boxerdoodles have a fairly long life expectancy. Boxer and Poodle mix dogs enjoy healthier lives than purebred dogs due to hybrid vigor. Cons of owning a Boxerdoodle Boxerdoodle dog needs frequent daily exercise due to high energy bursts. Boxer and Poodle cross dogs need to be physically and mentally active throughout the day to keep out of trouble. Bored Boxerdoodles may try to keep themselves busy with a range of undesirable dog behaviors from being destructive around the house to excessive barking. Potential owners need to be confident that they can this dog busy doing productive things during the day to keep the dog occupied and happy. Boxer Poodle mix dogs can be susceptible to serious health issues from their parents that may range from various eye conditions to bloat that can be life-threatening. Be sure to use a slow feeder for your Boxerdoodle dog to help prevent Bloat. Families with small children are not ideal for Boxerdoodles. There's simply not enough time for busy young parents to take on a big responsibility of also having a young puppy that may compete for time with small children. Boxerdoodle puppies take a lot of time and energy and are ideal for adults who have plenty of time to dedicate to this dog. Boxerdoodles can have high grooming requirements. Dog grooming appointments can be expensive and although it is possible to groom a Boxerdoodle at home, owners need to be prepared to spend a reasonable amount on professional grooming tools to use at home. Boxerdoodle dogs can be expensive to buy and some people choose to adopt a Boxerdoodle dog from a local dog shelter. If you choose to adopt a Boxerdoodle dog, ask a lot of questions about the dog's temperament and behavior to be sure that the dog is a good fit in your household. If you have other pets at home, ask how the dog behaves around other dogs or pets as staff may have some valuable information to share with you in regards to the dog you are interested in adopting which can be very helpful. Whether you are getting a Boxerdoodle puppy or a full grown Boxer Poodle mix dog, have all the pet supplies ready before you bring the dog home. This way you can dedicate the first few days to the new family member instead of looking for all the pet supplies you may need. Boxerdoodle health problems Generally, Boxerdoodles are known to be very healthy dogs, having been bred from two purebred Poodles and Boxers to minimize the risk of hereditary health problems. However, Boxer Poodle mix dogs can be susceptible to some health issues that affect their parents. Here are some of the health conditions Boxerdoodles can be predisposed to: Bloat Entropion Cardiomyopathy It's always important to schedule frequent and regular visits to your vet to ensure your dog is always healthy by detecting any problems early enough.

I think it's about damn time that dogs get to enjoy the festivities just as much as we do. Sure, they're not really into watching Christmas movies , sipping winter cocktails , or enjoying the holiday decor , but there's no reason they can't enjoy everyone's fave Christmas activity: opening presents. Luckily, BARK, the makers of BarkBox , just announced a collection of dog toys and treats inspired by everyone's fave holiday movie, Elf! It includes a ginormous squeak toy that looks like Buddy the Elf himself, a "Welcome Santa" tug toy, and, last but certainly not least, some Elf-inspired jammies for your dog. You'll also get a "Candy Squeakghetti" for your pup to play with. Easy peasy! If you aren't a subscriber yet, then you can sign up for a new six- or month subscription plan and get the BARK x Elf collection as a free welcome gift. BTW, the collection also includes an advent calendar for your pet available on barkbox. They can enjoy 25 days of crunchy treats made with wholesome grains, just like you'll enjoy your 25 days of chocolate, booze , beauty products , or whatever else you fill your advent calendar with this year. BarkBox Advent Calendar. We will be happy to recommend you to all our friends and family. .The treats and the stuffed animals he loved it all! He normally doesn't pick a favorite toy but the one toy he got from his box is now his favorite A. The Cinco De Mayo theme was a fun great first box. Dogs loved the toys and the treats. Ebony D. Love it "Thank so much to PoochPerks for the treat box! Jinxy and Popeye can't get enough! Miriam DiazLongtime Subscriber We had a subscription to BarkBox but my miniature dachshund didn't ever like the treats. Also most the toys were too big for her and she just didn't love them. She does love getting the box in the mail so I went out looking for something else. She literally won't stop playing with them and brings one of them with her even to go potty! The option for no treats and mini plush toys made all the difference! Hope it continues!!! Michelle S. Love it!!! Thanks Pooch perks my Lucia and Piper love it! MarciPooch Perks Lover Why Pooch Perks Stands out We hand select the products in our themed boxes from many different vendors which allows for a variety of items in our boxes. At Pooch Perks, we offer a monthly dog box that gives your furry canine friend something new to enjoy every month. Customize Your Box While our team designs the dog boxes each month around a specific theme, there are customization options available. Choose from a mix of toys and treats or a box that contains toys only, making it the perfect gift for dogs with food sensitivities. We take great pride in curating a fun monthly dog subscription box every month so you and your pooch both look forward to what may arrive. Choose the perfect monthly dog box for your furry family member today! To get started with BarkBox , I selected a monthly plan and then filled out a brief questionnaire about Pickles, which included providing her weight, sex, and applicable food allergies. Once I filled out the questionnaire, I was able to choose between picking that month's predetermined box theme March was SpongeBob SquarePants or leaving the theme up to the BarkBox gods. I went for the latter, which gave me a thrill, if I do say so myself. According to the BarkBox website, most boxes are shipped out and delivered within five business days, so after I paid, I anxiously waited to see what BarkBox had in store for me and Pickles. BarkBox also offers a Super Chewers box for dogs who require their toys to be a little more indestructible. I was pretty disappointed to discover there was no promotion or discount for first-time customers unless I signed up for a six-month or annual plan—a lot of other pet subscription services at least incentivize new customers with a little perk for customers to subscribe longer. Delivery and Packaging I will say that at first glance, the box was a lot smaller than I anticipated—a lot of the company's promotional photos show overflowing boxes with oodles of toys and treats to gawk at. I could hold the little box in one hand, and I have tiny hands. As someone who has treated herself to multiple human subscription boxes before, I was a little surprised. Maddie Topliff However, the delivery was great. My first BarkBox arrived right on time; I placed my order on March 22 and received it on March 27, right in line with BarkBox's five-business-day estimate that's featured on the company's website. The package was also in good shape upon arrival, and I appreciated the folded top design, which helped set up an exciting reveal more on that later. BarkBox ships deliveries in a standard cardboard box, so no problems with recycling it on my end. And if I had to cash in on BarkBox's percent satisfaction guarantee, I could easily relabel the box and send it back as is. Now to the fun part. Immediately after opening the box, I was greeted with a colorful insert that had the box's theme clearly spelled out, which really set the tone for the rest of the box. You can tell that the BarkBox staff works hard on graphic design, which was a treat to discover. Product Quality As hinted at before, I was a little underwhelmed with the number of products included in my BarkBox, especially for the price that I paid. I'm not a mathematician, but based on products I've bought Pickles in the past, I would estimate I spend less on the same amount of items during a normal shopping trip. When it comes to toy quality, both of the toys that we received—one Statue of Liberty bouncy ball and one soft Chinese takeout box—are tied into the cityscape theme well. In fact, they are two of the cutest dog toys I've ever seen. The Chinese takeout box had little dumplings inside, which almost made it function like a puzzle toy, and the Statue of Liberty bouncy ball had a little crown. But Pickles and I were both a little disappointed that each toy was covered in fabric. I wouldn't consider Pickles to be a Super Chewer, but she still likes to play tug-of-war and tear up toys from time to time. I've been hesitant about giving her the Chinese takeout box to play with, due to its soft exterior and squishy dumplings, and I'm not sure if it would last very long. I was pleased, however, to receive a variety of flavors in the edible items that came in my BarkBox. One bag of treats was savory lamb and cheddar cheese , while the other bag was on the sweeter side oatmeal and berries. The chew was right in the middle pumpkin and honey-flavored. But it should be noted that the treats didn't necessarily tie into the city theme, if that's important to you—no New York pizza slice treats in this box.

This dog was normally kept for his prowess as a hunting dog and was also a good fighter. The Boxer was also kept because he was a great working dog and assisted the soldiers during the World Wars. Generally speaking, the Boxer was also very playful, not very aggressive but very loyal to its owner. If your Jack Russell Boxer Mix gets some of his traits from the Boxer, he will be a great companion and protector of your children. He acquired a tiny female Terrier in and made it the foundation of his breeding plan, which resulted in the present-day Jack Russell Terrier. John standardized his dogs to be white and effective in hunting foxes. The modern Jack Russell Terrier is normally white in color with brown patches. He has a strong body measuring 10 to 15 inches in height. He weighs around 14 to 18 pounds. These dogs tend to be tough and courageous. They have a great stamina, and also show a great sense of independence. However, they are also loyal and easy going around people. Both the Boxer and the Jack Russell are breeds that are strong and powerful. They have a very strong prey instinct as well. If you socialize the Jack Russell Boxer Mix puppy well , he is likely to get along well with other animals and new people he encounters. Jack Russell Terrier Boxer Mix puppies are capable of being independent and love to have their own alone time when it is a full house. Like all other dogs, this breed also responds very well to positive reinforcement. They are generally social and have a very warm temperament. Generally, the Jack Russell and Boxer Mix is an amazing companion and very protective of their owners hence will be a great addition to your family. Want to train your dog without spending hundreds of dollars? Click Here to check out the brain training for Dogs course now! Therefore, what this means is that the Jack Russel Boxer mix may have features that vary depending on the genes that were inherited from the parent breeds. There are some Jack Russell Boxer Mix puppies that inherit more features from the Boxer than the Jack Russell terrier and the vice versa is also true. It is only until the Boxer Jack Russel mix puppy gets older that you will be able to tell the characteristics it inherits form each parent breed. Boston Boxer Highlights Boston Boxers are mixed breed dogs. They are not purebreds like their Boston Terrier or Boxer parents. The main colors of Boston Boxers are black, brown, fawn, blue, and white. Sometimes their coats are solid, and sometimes they have a mix of colors, like in a pied or brindle pattern. Boston Boxers are known to be a good choice for families with children. Always supervise playtime. The Boston Boxer is a highly energetic mixed breed. If left alone for too long or without any sort of stimulation, this energy can manifest in unwanted destructive behaviors. Make sure your dog gets at least one good half-hour- to hour-long walk per day with a few good, active play sessions and shorter walks mixed in. When it comes to other pets, Boston Boxers can get along with other animals if they are introduced slowly and calmly, and early socialization will help this go smoothly. Boston Boxer History The Boston Boxer mixed dog breed may have existed naturally over the years, but designer breeders started intentionally mixing Boston Terriers and Boxers in the late s, likely in North America. Breeders wanted to mix the two parent breeds to keep the friendly and energetic spirit of the Boxer but in a smaller, Boston Terrier size. They continued to create Boston Boxers as demand for the mixed breed pups climbed. Even though the Boston Boxer got their start as a designer breed, some have ended up in shelters or in the care of rescue groups. Consider adoption if you decide the Boston Boxer is the dog for you. Be sure to check your local shelters, look up Boston Boxer or Miniature Boxer rescues, or check with breed-specific Boxer or Boston Terrier rescues, as they sometimes take in mixed breed dogs and find homes for them. Boston Boxer Size Since the Boston Boxer is a relatively new mixed breed, there are few standards when it comes to size. That said, as a mix between Boston Terrier and Boxer parents, you can expect your Boston Boxer to be on the small-to-medium size. Most weigh in at 22 to 55 pounds and range in height from 15 to 23 inches from the shoulder. However, many can be larger or smaller than average. The Mini Boxer can be somewhat hesitant around strangers, which is why it is very important to socialize your Boston Boxer as early as possible to make sure they are people-friendly. These dogs are prone to attaching to one particular family member, and they can become somewhat protective of them. Even with their protective tendencies, most Boston Boxer enthusiasts say their dogs are complete goofballs. The Boston Boxer is also a highly energetic mixed breed, so they are best-suited with people who can keep up with the pace. Some of the more common health problems Boston Boxer suffer from include: heart murmurs. Lifespan Sociability Boston Boxer dogs are very popular, resulting in many breeders. We recommend searching for as many as possible to find the perfect puppy before you make your decision. Always ask a breeder to show you the facilities before making any payment. In many cases, you can find a breeder that is willing to sell you a puppy at a reduced cost, but we must caution against prices that are too good to be true, as unscrupulous breeders often create these puppies in unsafe environments known as puppy mills. The best way to fight puppy mills is not to buy their puppies. You can always ask your local shelter if they have a Boxer mix that resembles the Boston Boxer. They are athletic and can run fast and jump quite high and will maintain a fast pace for extended play sessions before tiring. They quickly become attached and protective of their owners and are wary of strangers who might cause them to become aggressive and bark. However, they generally get along with other household pets and small yard animals like bunnies and squirrels. Boston Boxers are sensitive to their environment and prefer a set, predictable schedule, and they can be stubborn if you change things up too quickly. They are very intelligent and easy to train, as long as they think they are in charge. They love the company and will remain at your side most of the day. Are These Dogs Good for Families? They are very friendly, energetic, and playful. They get along well with pets including, cats and other dogs. They like to play with children and will provide each other with unlimited amounts of entertainment. Boston Boxers are intelligent enough to follow orders and behave and will even learn tricks and guard the house while you are away. They will require at least one family member to take them out for long walks, though, and these are high maintenance in the exercise department, requiring at least one hour of running and jumping each day. If you live in the city, it can be challenging to find enough room, and you will likely require access to a park or trail. They are even more friendly if you socialize them early and get them used to other animals, but even so, this breed rarely gets aggressive toward another animal. This food should be high-quality without any harmful chemicals or preservatives. High-quality dog food will contain meat, vegetables, grains, and fruits, according to the American Kennel Club. You can expect to take your Boston Boxer for a long walk every day, and on some days, you may need a second walk. You can expect to walk at least eight miles a week spread out over about an hour a day, every day, for the next several years when purchasing a Boston Boxer. In most cases, you will only require patience and a bunch of treats to have your Boston Boxer impressing your friends. To train your pet, simply stand in front of them with a treat ready. Boston Boxers are smart and will know you have it. When they figure it out and sit, give them a treat. Stand them back up and repeat. After several tries, your Boston Boxer will catch on and quickly sit on command. Using the above system, you can teach your dog plenty of tricks, like shaking hands, fetch, rollover, and plenty of others. You can even teach them more complex tricks like retrieving the newspaper with a little practice. They only require occasional brushing and trimming of their nails. But there are a few problems associated with them that you should know about before you make a purchase. Minor Conditions.

If you click and purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Our list of the highest rated Labradoodle Breeders in New York features ethical facilities whose main focus is producing healthy Labradoodle pups. More breeders are taking on the huge responsibility of breeding Labradoodle puppies in New York, which is naturally a great thing. However, the high demand has also attracted Doodle scammers and puppy mills. See Also: Click the image Although Doodle scammers will leave you empty-handed with no money or puppy, puppy mills are a different story. Namely, their lower prices are used to attract unknowing buyers while selling them unhealthy puppies from overbred parents. Oftentimes, the kennels are in horrible conditions, the dogs are malnourished, and come with a wide set of health problems. You can always ask the breeder for proof of health testing, as reputable breeders have no problems providing you with the documentation. For more on issues that can plague Labradoodles take a look at our article Doodle Health Issues and Diseases. Another great indicator is that a breeder is recommended by Gooddog. All of these organizations require their certified breeders to follow high standards of health and genetic testing. In addition to that, the breeders have to follow ethical breeding practices and provide a safe, clean, and nurturing environment for the breeding dogs and puppies. See Also:. We ensured that none of the Labradoodle breeders mentioned here has a bad reputation and that no breeders with unethical procedures or puppy mills were listed. Secondly, PuppySpot offers a range of resources and services to make the process of bringing your new Labradoodle home as easy as possible. Lastly, PuppySpot is committed to responsible pet ownership and animal welfare. They have a strict policy against working with puppy mills or substandard breeders and partner with animal welfare organizations to support their mission. They make the process easy, and their commitment to responsible pet ownership and animal welfare is something to be proud of! You can trust this breeder, who has been breeding Australian multigenerational miniature and standard-sized Labradoodles since , to do everything she can to raise healthy and happy puppies. All puppies have been vaccinated, microchipped, and checked their health. You can also request health and genetic tests from this breeder. Hips, eyes, and other joints are among the most common health examinations. Furthermore, genetic testing guarantees that your dog will be free of inherited disorders. You will get a Labradoodle puppy that will share your home for the rest of its life. Each breeding parent has undergone extensive health checks and genetic testing. Before you can be approved as a breeder, both organizations need you to undergo health tests on your dogs. This breeder spends time exposing puppies to various stimuli and lifelong conditions such as nail trimming and bathing. Most Labradoodle breeders in New York will not provide their puppies with this additional training and stimulation. All puppies are vet-checked, given their first set of immunizations, dewormed, and come with a health guarantee. Parent dogs are health-tested and genetically checked, providing you peace of mind when choosing a Labradoodle puppy. This breeder is known for its multigeneration medium-sized Labradoodles. All pups come with a health guarantee of 2-years, up-to-date immunizations, microchipping, and free pet insurance for an initial period of 30 days. All breeding parents are entirely healthy and have had their eyes, hearts, knees, elbows, and hips examined by the OFA. This breeder is known for its multigenerational medium and standard-size Labradoodles. They only have a limited amount of certified therapy and service dogs available each year, so talk to them if you want your Labradoodle to be more than just a family pet or a companion dog. In New York, Guardianship initiatives are an excellent method to receive a low-cost Labradoodle pup. Within one week of the buyer receiving the puppy, a veterinarian will inspect the puppy. They breed F2B standard-sized Labradoodle puppies. At 6 weeks of age, the puppies will get their first checkup and vaccinations with the Country Side doctor. We usually suggest contacting each breeder individually and asking them a range of questions. Choose a breeder willing to address your issues and choose the best dog on the basis of temperament rather than appearance. These links are affiliate links, so if you do end up using the links, I will earn a commission. Dog Food: Every dog needs to eat correctly, and finding the best food for your dog can be challenging, as the market is absolutely flooded with products. These days I have two adorable fuzzy rascals around me, that ensures I get plenty of exercise and laughter throughout my day! Legal Information The owner of this site, LabradoodleHome. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Labradoodle Home does not intend to provide veterinary advice. All articles and posts are aimed at giving users a better understanding of their dogs. The content on this blog is not a substitute for veterinary guidance. Amazon OneLink.

German Shepherd puppy development stages and ages — week by week guide Welcome to our German Shepherd puppy development stages and ages — week by week guide Different breeds like all different babies develop at different rates. There are going to be many exciting events for you to look forward to. Whether you are bringing your 8 week German Shepherd puppy home or about to be blessed with a litter of puppies. This is going to be an exciting, demanding but hugely rewarding journey. Newborn puppies are born at around days after fertilization. Newborn puppies are born with their ears and eyes tightly sealed. The reason eyelids are sealed shut is to form a protective barrier for the fragile developing eye. This helps to protect them from any foreign object, bright lights, bacteria or any other microorganism that can cause disease or damage. In the same way puppies ear canals are closed at birth to make them effectively deaf. This is a protective barrier to protect the fragile underdeveloped machinery needed to hear. In a mature ear the pressure caused by sound will mechanically move structures in the ear. German Shepherd puppies are highly dependent upon their noses. Puppies navigate by smell from the moment they are born. This helps them to identify their mom, the very important milk supply, siblings and surroundings. Newborn puppies are born with a fur coat however they cannot control their own body temperature yet. To keep them warm they are dependant on their mothers or another heat source. If you live in a cooler climate installing a heat lamp would be ideal to help keep the puppies nice and warm. Germans Shepherds make amazing mothers and will be relied on a lot at this stage. Mother dogs will only leave their newborn puppies to go to the toilet, eat and drink. However, when mom has gone the newborn puppies are not completely useless. They are able to use their front paws to drag themselves towards a heat source. When mom is away the puppies will crawl together to preserve their body heat. Along with being able to drag themselves to a heat source newborn puppies are also able to drag themselves to their mothers to locate the milk supply. They will move their heads around to search for a nipple, latch on and suck strongly. Newborn puppies are not born with teeth these will also develop in the next several weeks. Other than the above puppies are completely dependent upon the care of their dedicated mom. Newborn puppies have little control over the rear end of their bodies. To encourage their pups to pass urine and bowel movements the mom will lick their bottoms. Anything produced mom will then lick up and swallow to keep her puppies and nest clean. Some pups will even double their birth weight! Your German Shepherd puppy will still be highly dependent upon their mom at this stage. Beneath all their fur the vital organs will be working hard to mature. This includes the eyes. Your puppy will not be ready to open their eyes yet but lots of changes are taking place to prepare them for grand opening. The ear canals will begin to open around the same time as the eyes. When the ear canals do open, the ears are much more formed than the eyes are at this point in time. Their eyesight usually takes around 8 weeks to reach its full potential. When their eyes become wider, they will reveal blueish-gray eyes which are hazy in appearance. Their eyesight will continue to develop until around 8 weeks old. The ear canals will also open around 2 weeks. The puppies hearing has been developing much quicker than their eyesight and they will be able to hear most things by the time their ear canals fully open. However, their amazing hearing ability will continue to enhance over the next several weeks. At the moment your German Shepherd puppy will have cute floppy ears. Their adorable tall ears can come up anywhere between 8 weeks and 6 months of age. Floppy ears are common until your German Shepherd finishes teething. By then the ear cartilage will become strong and hard enough for the ears to stand up permanently. Now is a good time to start handling the puppies and get them used to your voice. Most puppies are wormed for the first time when they are 2 weeks old. All this development has happened so quickly, but things are about to get even more exciting. Between 2 and 4 weeks your German Shepherd puppy will begin to stand up this is when the real fun begins. Puppies milky teeth will also start to develop between 2 to 4 weeks. These sharp little teeth will remain until about weeks of age. These little daggers play an important role during the weaning process. Even the most patient moms will struggle to nurse with these sharp painful teeth. This reluctance to nurse will prompt the German Shepherds to seek alternative food sources. These sharp teeth will then help to make up for the lack of jaw strength when eating solid foods. Finally, these sharp puppy teeth play an important role in teaching the pups to gauge their bite pressure when playing with their mom and siblings. This is an essential life lesson that enables our powerful German Shepherds to become safer companions as they mature into strong adult dogs. During the last few weeks mom has done an amazing job of getting her babies strong and their mobility will have come on leaps and bounds well not quite yet but by 3 weeks of age your German Shepherd puppy will begin to trotter around. Most 3 week old German Shepherd puppies can stand and sit. With their baby teeth starting to cut through a lot of breeders. Especially those with large litters will start introducing some solid foods. This helps relieve some of the pressure for the devoted German Shepherd mom. When weaning puppies, you need to start off by soaking their food in either water or puppy milk replacement formula to make it mushy and more comfortable for them to eat. As they start to interact and play with their siblings their personalities will really start to show. You may also notice them starting to playfully growl at each other. At 3 weeks old it will become easier to start identifying different members of the pack. Breeders and moms will be kept on their toes and paws over the next few weeks. As the pups start getting more confident on their feet they will be running around and playing enthusiastically. At 4 weeks old they will begin to wag their adorable little tails. With solid food becoming a major part of their diet the pups will be passing bigger bowel movements. They will be able to show more control of their bowel movements as they take themselves away from their brothers and sisters to perform their business. At this stage mom will be taking a much more relaxed approach to parenting and there will be a lot more for the breeder to clear up. By this point mealtimes are a messy process. If it is warm and safe enough to do so we would recommend taking the pups out in the yard for feeding. German Shepherd puppies are becoming a lot stronger at vocalisations by 4 weeks old. When mom returns to her babies the litter will noisily greet her. Around 4 weeks of age your puppies will need to be wormed again. From this week onwards human interaction is very important in order to form relationships with people. Including different noises and smells. This exposure will ensure your German Shepherd puppy turns into a confident, friendly individual. Mom will also be doing an important job of teaching her puppies to not bite too hard. Even an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy would have the power in their jaws to break the smaller bones in humans fingers. This is why mom teaching her puppies bite inhibition is so important. For more information on bite inhibition please see our guide on German Shepherd bite inhibition. By 5 weeks old German Shepherd puppies will be eating a lot of solid foods, several times throughout the day. Those sharp little teeth would have done their job and mom will be gradually weaning her pups of the dependency on her milk. When mom does feed her puppies, she will only do so for a short period whilst standing up. They will be eating between five and six small meals a day. Although the pups no longer rely on mom for milk, they still need her help and guidance for the next few weeks. Mom will be teaching her babies important life skills to live alongside humans. In some countries 6 week old puppies are taken away from their mothers and moved into their new home. We would not recommend this as the puppies will miss out on continued bite inhibition training from their siblings and mother. This can result in a puppy who bites too hard which can be challenging to manage as they get older. In the USA your puppy will be due their first combined 5-in-1 vaccine at 6 weeks old. This vaccine helps to immunizes your puppy against hepatitis, parvo, distemper, parainfluenza and coronavirus. Most puppies will also need to be wormed again at 6 weeks old. Their last week together will consist of plenty of socialization and playing. Most breeders will arrange a 7 week health check up with the vet to make sure your bundle of fluff is fit and healthy to go to their new home. In the UK some breeders will arrange for the pups first 8 week vaccination to take place during this check. Although some vets advise against it. By the end of this week German Shepherd puppies are ready to leave their mothers and move into their new homes for good. The week you get to take your new puppy home. This will be a very exciting time, but you may also be feeling a bit nervous. There will be some challenged along the way for new puppy owners and your puppy will take some time to adjust to life without its mother and siblings. In the UK the first combined vaccination will help to immunizes your puppy against distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis and hepatitis. The first puppy injection in the UK typically will happen between 8 and 10 weeks. Some breeders would have trained the puppies to poop and pee on newspapers or puppy pads. From the moment you get them home it is important to show your German Shepherd puppy where to pee and poop. Puppies naturally like to pee where they have done so before so to avoid building history of peeing in your home is best if you can to avoid it. The more you can avoid accidents from happening as much as possible from the start the faster the puppy training process should be. All puppies are different, and some will get this quicker than others. The main thing to remember is not to discipline your puppy for accidents. The most successful way to potty train is to reward success and ignore accidents. Just clean them up quickly and thoroughly. Your puppy will love nothing more than being praised. For more information please see our guide on How to potty train your German Shepherd puppy. Already your German Shepherd puppy will feel like part of the family. German Shepherds puppies are always adorable but at 9 weeks they are at the age where they are still puppy-like but very clumsy,curious and keen to play with her new family, which is very cute. Your German Shepherds unique personality will make you feel very proud. At 9 weeks your cheeky German Shepherd pup will be feeling more confident, with this the need to explore everything and anything may end up getting them into trouble. Your puppy will develop new sleeping patterns and feeding routines which you will need to adapt to. Most puppies will sleep between eighteen and twenty hours a day at 9 weeks old. During the day when you are with your puppy generally you will not need to shut them away in a crate to nap. German Shepherd puppies are often more than happy to sleep whilst family life goes on around them. However, there will be times when sleeping in a crate is better and safer for your puppy. You must not leave a 9 week old puppy to sleep outside the crate if you are not home to watch them if they wake. Puppies are into everything and many innocent items found in the house could be a potential hazard to your inquisitive pup. For more information please see our guide on how to puppy proof your home. Even if your puppy can barely keep their eyes open other pups and children will still want to play and your German Shepherd puppy may find it hard to refuse. After a hard day of play the peace and quiet of a crate will enable your pup to have a well-deserved nap. If your German Shepherd puppy does need to go to the toilet in the night make sure you keep it short and to a minimum. Establishing a daily routine is the best way to get your German Shepherd puppy to sleep through the night. Part of this schedule will involve mealtimes. Your 9 week old puppy will need four meals a day. Split these up throughout the day and try to stick to similar times. This is to stop encouraging your puppy to wake up earlier and earlier because they associate waking with food. You should always reward your puppy either vocally, with a favourite toy or treats for good behaviour and ignore bad behaviour. Puppies and dogs want to be praised so they respond very well to positive encouragement. Punishing puppies and dogs may have a short term positive effect on their behaviour but long term you could be setting them up to fail. It is very important to socialise and expose your puppy to other humans, dogs and different scenarios whilst they are young. This maybe hard before your puppy has had all its vaccines however getting many different people to come and visit you at your home will enable them to get used to visitors. Before their full vaccinations you can also, you can take you German Shepherd puppy out and about with you to expose them to the outside world as long as you can carry them. If you live in the USA, your puppy will be due their second combined 5-in-1 vaccine at 9 weeks old. In the USA a minimum of three sets of the combined vaccine are required for your puppy. Although you cannot put your puppy down outside until after their final vaccination. Puppies 10 week injection In the UK is a booster vaccination to help immunizes your puppy against distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis and hepatitis. Check with your vet what date after their jabs your German Shepherd puppy will be able to go down outside. Your puppy will then need a booster between 6 and 12 months old. If you live in the USA at 12 weeks old your German Shepherd puppy will be due their booster for the combined 5in1 vaccine against hepatitis, distemper, parainfluenza, parvo and coronavirus and a vaccine against rabies and leptospirosis. If you live in a high risk area, they may also need to be given the vaccination to help immunize them against Lyme. If applicable at 16 weeks your German Shepherd puppy may need to have a fourth combined 5in1 vaccine. A minimum of three combined injections are required in the USA. Check with your vet what date they will be able to be out down outside. By 10 weeks old your German Shepherd puppy will be able to control their bladder a lot more. Potentially up to several hours. This is great time for you to introduce them to the big wide world and develop their social skills which you have already been building the foundations. When taking your German Shepherd puppy out try to introduce them to as many other friendly dogs, humans and noises you can. This will help your German Shepherd puppy to grown into a confident well-rounded dog. At 3 months old your German Shepherd will go down from four daily meals to three. These three portions will be larger than what they are used to which may cause stomach upset. If your German Shepherd puppy does get an upset stomach, try going back to four smaller meals for a couple of days and they try the three larger portions again. This can be a challenging time as your adorable German Shepherd puppy turns into a furry crocodile. Luckily the teething stage is only a phase as with human babies and short lived. In most cases your puppy biting should stop around when they are around 7 months old and have their adult teeth. You maybe noticing your German Shepherds gorgeous ears fluctuating between floppy and pointy. By the time your puppy has finished teething their ears should tick up all the way. This usually happens around months. As they grow their cartilage becomes stronger. Some puppies need another month or so to help them cope without going out for frequent toilet breaks. Even when your German Shepherd puppy is toilet trained occasional accidents are normal. German Shepherds do have large ears but they tend to grow into them as they get older. German Shepherd puppies will begin to grow their new adult coat between 4 and 6 months old. To make way for their adult coat all the puppy hair has to go. For several weeks you will notice an increase in shedding. This is a completely normal part of growing up for your German Shepherd. Being a double coat breed German Shepherds dogs have a topcoat and an undercoat. Twice a year your pup will shed their undercoat. Usually in spring and again in fall. They also shed in general days a year so be prepared for a lot of fur! They will very much look like a smaller version of their adult selves. Although your German Shepherd may look older on the inside, they are still very much a puppy. If you are looking to get your puppy neutered or spayed the recommended age is 6 to 9 months. However, it is common for some female puppies to get spayed at 4 months old. Summary: Your German Shepherd is bound to give you so much joy and happiness throughout its life. There will be challenges along the way but remember this is completely normal. German Shepherds are such an amazing breed and you will have a loyal friend for life. Related Posts. The transition period can be a little intimidating once you get over the cuteness overload and realize that your new puppy has no training whatsoever and it's up to you how things will progress from there. We'll try to make it easier for you with this short list of things to do the first 2 weeks after bringing your new puppy home. Your puppy is in a brand new place and it's their first time being away from their mom and siblings. I know you want to bring the puppy with you everywhere, play all day and show him or her off to all of your friends and family. But take it slow at first so that your new puppy can get settled and relax. Hang out at home. Become a professional treat dispenser. And begin the foundation of building your bond with your pup. Crate training is the best way to house train. Introduce your puppy to the crate early on by making it a positive experience. Toss a high value treat inside and let them explore and go inside on their own volition. Place a chew toy that can hold treats into the crate and close the door. Make sure the puppy sees you do this. When the puppy tries to paw and get inside the crate, open the door and let them in. When they start chewing on the toy, close the door for a few seconds before opening. And remember to reward your puppy when it's playing quietly inside the crate and to ignore any whining. Also remember the rules of potty training using the crate. If the pup just ate or drank, let them outside. If the pup is coming out of the crate for any extended time, let them outside. If your pup is so much as sniffing the ground a little too much, you guessed it, let them outside. The fewer accidents inside the house, the less likely it is for the puppy to get into the habit of going inside the house. Start immediately with potty training and socialization. Puppies aren't fully protected until their final vaccination at weeks, so openly socializing in public isn't the best idea. But you can have friends and family come over to meet your puppy, as well as their fully vaccinated, well behaved dogs and puppies. You can also begin the foundation of basic obedience commands. All that's necessary later on is getting consistency and working around distractions. Unless of course you want to compete in obedience or a sport that requires obedience. Competition makes things a little more complicated than that. This step is often overlooked and it's arguably the most important step for a new puppy. Puppies love a routine. It's comforting knowing what's going to happen. Wake up in the morning, outside to potty. A little training with treats, breakfast, outside to potty again. A little play time etc. If you have to go to work, make sure you have a friend, relative, dog walker or dog sitter to let the puppy outside if you can't make it home during your break to let the puppy use the potty. They have a tiny bladder and can't hold it for a full workday. When you have a routine that works, things will go smoothly. If you stray from that routine or never establish one, you'll have more accidents, a confused puppy, and quite possibly a headache. Consistency is key, and make sure you throw in several short training sessions. Most places require these. It may sound silly that you're probably legally required to get a license for your dog, but.But rules are rules. Better safe than fined! A vet who has fair prices for your area, yet is also professional and competent is a must. You will see your vet often enough that they will eventually know your name without having to check the paperwork. So your best bet is to find a good one! Routine checkups, vaccinations, and minor or even major health issues will happen. So build a relationship with a local vet as soon as possible. Also, if you have a German Shepherd or any other large breed and ever intend to breed, you should try to find either an orthopedic vet or a vet who is experienced in taking and sending in hip and elbow x-rays to the OFA to be graded. This may not be your primary veterinarian, but it's good to plan ahead. Even if you don't intend to breed, most breeders state in their contract that they will cover hips and elbows, but only if you get preliminary x-rays or have x-rays graded within a certain amount of time usually 2 years. As a bonus, taking hip and elbow x-rays at 2 years old can help extend the quality of life for your dog if they do end up having dysplasia. You'll know to dial down exercise that is hard on the joints, and that can mean the difference between a dog with pain at 5, and a dog who lives its whole life without pain. It'll also give you a head start on a medication and treatment plan. There are dogs with moderate hip dysplasia that live a very comfortable, long life without the need for surgery thanks to their owner taking that extra step of getting x-rays done. The advanced notice gives their owner a head start on supplements and getting into therapy programs, like swimming, to strengthen the muscle around the joint before they're ever in pain. So this may not be a necessary step if you don't care about your breeder's guarantee, but it can help ease your mind or give you a heads up before a problem even surfaces. But it'll be much less stressful if you have a plan in advance and stick with these 6 tips. If you have any other tips or tricks, leave them down in the comments below and be sure to leave a like and share! Baby German Shepherds growing up! German Shepherd Dogs are one of the most popular dog breeds out there at the moment, with many devoted fans. They can be large and imposing as adults. But, like every breed, they have a cute puppy phase that many fall in love with. However, since most puppies are bought at weeks old, most of us miss out on this magical period of their lives. So what happens during those first important weeks? A typical German Shepherd litter consists of around puppies. The mean average, according to a study performed in , is 6. When they are first born, they will still have an umbilical cord attached and may be covered in amniotic fluid. Their mother should chew off the umbilical cord and spend the first few hours cleaning their pups. Then mom will focus on keeping her newborn pups warm while allowing them to nurse. At this stage, German Shepherd puppies will just sleep and avoid expending energy. They will frequently nurse from their mother. Newborn German Shepherds When baby German Shepherd puppies are first born, they are completely dependent on their mother. Their ears and eyes will be closed and they will be unable to regulate their own body temperature efficiently. A coat should be present, and the color will depend on the genes they have inherited from their parents. Black with tan markings is the most common for this breed. Additionally, they will be relatively immobile. They will be unable to properly support their own weight. Therefore, they will commonly crawl on their stomach to move about. They will also be unable to urinate or defecate on their own. Stimulation from their mother will be required to help them go to the toilet. One Week Old Baby German Shepherd In the first week, the puppies should bulk up significantly and double their birth weight. However, there will not be much change in their behavior. They will still primarily be focused on nursing and sleeping. To help themselves stay warm, the puppies will normally cuddle close to each other, except for when they are in a hot environment. At this stage, they will still be blind and deaf. While they are still unable to see very well, this is a big step. Eyes should open for the first time at around days of age. They will appear blue in color, but this will change into brown as they develop. They may become a little more inquisitive about their surroundings with their new-found eyesight, and may begin to crawl around a little more. We can expect to see them make some big steps at this stage. Firstly, at around days old, their ears should begin to open for the first time. They should now be able to both see and hear, though not too clearly. Their senses will continue to develop over the coming weeks. They will begin to be able to stand and support their own weight. Walking may still be tough, though! They will likely be pretty wobbly. You can also expect to see their baby teeth come in at around this time. While they still get the majority of their nutrition from their mother, they will begin to show interest in solid food. They will begin to become more independent at this age, being able to urinate and defecate on their own. Beginning Of Socialization With their sight and hearing, they are likely to show a little bit of adventure and courage for the first time, exploring their surroundings as much as their unsteady gait will allow them. This milestone also marks the beginning of the socialization period, a critical phase of their development. Things learned now can shape their personality and behavior for the rest of their lives. They may engage the other puppies in clumsy play and show body language such as tail wagging for the first time. They will form relationships with their den mates, their mother, and humans. This stage is critical in getting the puppies used to humans. This can be achieved by gently exposing the puppies to human presence and contact so that they can see that they are no threat. While their brains are still very much in development, they are still able to learn some simple concepts at this stage. Crate and potty training can begin at this age. They should now be able to walk pretty well. This mobility will allow them to further play with their family and be even more curious about their surroundings. On top of this, their baby teeth should now be fully formed and the weaning process should be fully underway. They should be offered soft but solid food. They may begin to show signs of more complex social behaviors towards their other den mates, and they should learn important skills like bite inhibition. The socialization process should continue, with the puppies gently being exposed to new people, sights, and sounds. The German Shepherd babies will also be further weaned off the mother at this time, slowly moving onto a fully solid diet. Six Week Old Baby German Shepherd At this age, you will begin to see the puppies become even more independent of their mother. Six week old puppies are gaining social skills rapidly, and love to play with people and each other. Seven Week Old Baby German Shepherd When we move into the seventh week of their life, a new significant phase of development starts to begin: the fear period. While this sounds disconcerting, it merely means that this is the time that many puppies begin to show fear towards new things, rather than curiosity. Things that the puppy may find scary or uncertain during this time can make for big changes in their personality throughout life. For example, if a puppy has a bad experience with a human at this stage, it may lead them to becoming fearful and distrustful towards people for the rest of their life. This is why gently exposing the puppies to humans and common sights and sounds beforehand is important. By preemptively socializing the puppies with humans, we can help this period run smoother. The puppies will have reached weights of around pounds and should be around inches tall. Their ears will lie flat but should begin to become erect and upright over the coming weeks. They will be fully independent of their mother at this age. They should be completely weaned, with some basic training and socialization. From here, new owners are expected to continue to train and socialize them, as they are still within a critical period of development. New owners will also need to continue to ensure the German Shepherd puppy is fed a good, nutritionally balanced diet. For more information, you can check out our full puppy development guide here. And make sure you also take a look at this guide to bathing a puppy!

A puppy can be the perfect addition to a home to give and receive love and build a strong mutual bond of devotion. Welcoming a new puppy into your forever home is an exhilarating time, but it also brings a wealth of responsibilities. At Almond Blossom Doodles, we want this homecoming to be a beautiful and joyous occasion, and we are here to support you every step of the way. We ensure that these adorably perfect family companions receive an abundance of love and affection from the moment they enter this world. Our hands-on approach helps socialize the puppies while also aiding in the development of their loyalty and trust. We put a piece of our hearts into each puppy that we raise and share with you so the transition into their forever home will be seamless. Our sweet and lovable puppies are ready to come home with you eight weeks after birth, and all puppies come with the following services: Two-year health guarantee A Start on crate training-one week before you take them home ENS Early Neurological Stimulation Age-appropriate shots and worming with records included Collar and leash Almond Blossom Doodle Swag Bag. Guardian Home As one of the highest quality breeders of Bernedoodle, Goldendoodle and Labradoodle puppies in California, we strive to conduct ourselves with honesty and integrity. Our dogs and puppies receive meticulous care and live in immaculate facilities. We strive to improve these breeds by breeding only high quality Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Bernese Mountain Dogs with high quality Poodles. In addition, our dogs have undergone health testing on their hips, elbows and eyes and have also undergone extensive genetic testing. We would love to help you find the right puppy by answering your questions and sharing our knowledge with you! We have been blessed to live in the picturesque Central Coast of California for the past 33 years. Our 5 acre ranch is our own slice of paradise- for us and the dogs! Our lives have changed quite a bit from when we first bought this property. This truly is a wonderfully scenic and rural setting for both our family as well as our Labradoodles, Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles. My husband, Tom, and I are high school sweethearts who have been married 38 years. We have 3 children, all of whom are now married. We began breeding Labrador Retrievers 21 years ago, shortly after acquiring our first chocolate lab. Approximately 15 years ago we began hearing about a new breed called labradoodles. After researching labradoodles in earnest, we were intrigued by what we discovered. We had our first litter of "doodles" in fall of and were amazed by the wonderful characteristics of the litter. In the winter of we expanded to Goldendoodles. In we will once again take on a new venture- Bernedoodles! We now are absolutely convinced that labradoodles, goldendoodles, and bernedoodles are the best family dogs there are. This is a wonderfully scenic and rural setting for both our family as well as our Labradoodles and Goldendoodles. We are a small, family friendly breeder of Goldendoodles and Labradoodles in Suisun Valley California. Our puppies are raised at our home and are socialized with adults, children, and other dogs daily. You can be sure your future furry family member will have a sweet, gentle disposition. We pride ourselves on our well behaved, cheerful, and intelligent puppies. Our labradoodles make terrific family companions, activity partners, and even therapy dogs. Our home is in Suisun Valley where our families have been farming for over years. To the west of our farm is Twin Sisters Peaks, the highest points in the part of hilly ridge that borders our little valley. This locally well known peak called Twin Sisters, and is where we take our name from. In this case, mom is a goldendoodle and dad is an Australian labradoodle. Since their settlement in this area, our past generations have always farmed our land. We continue to farm tree and row crops. But we also have great love for animals of all kinds. For many years, we helped our children learn to raise and respect animals through the 4-H and FFA. Just as our parents did with us growing up. Reserve your spot! Or give us a call today! We help each family select the right puppy for their lifestyle while keeping the individual needs of each puppy in mind as well. Love Our babies receive round-the-clock care from birth until they join their new family at 8 weeks. In fact, our babies spend the first weeks in our master bedroom as this makes for easy nighttime checks! They are loved on from their first day of life by children, cats, and most of all me! At 4 weeks they move to my living room where they can observe and interact more closely with our family. Health A high-quality diet, proper supplements, and the necessary genetic testing is our key to raising healthy puppies. We are passionate about health and are proud to offer a 2-year health guarantee on all our puppies. More info Happiness The happiness and well-being of our moms, dads, and puppies are extremely important to us. All of our breeding dogs live in our home or in loving guardian homes with their forever families. We believe there is a right and wrong way to breed. We are not a kennel, all of our dogs are well-cared for and cherished family members. Our History Silicon Valley Goldendoodles, started as a hobby out of a passion for the breed and has grown Into a labor of love with a strong emphasis on natural rearing. What is most important to us is to set our dogs up for a life of health and happiness. As a retired International Certified Dog Groomer, I have come to love Goldendoodles because of how brilliant these dogs are. We pride ourselves on raising quality, family-friendly dogs and service dogs that make the best, and fluffiest, companions. From my home to yours, these dogs are given the highest quality of care and love so they can truly thrive. He has worked with a diversity of breeds in his profession and is commonly regarded as one of the top dog groomers in the world. In Travis sold his dog grooming salon and boarding facility and relocated to Silicon Valley to complete his Doctorate in Neuropsychology. Travis has over 20 years experience breeding doodles, poodles and schnauzers. Since completing his doctorate Travis works in public health, also devoting his spare time by volunteering for the Santa Clara County Suicide prevention hotline, the San Francisco VA Hospital and is active in many animal rescue organizations. Puppies that would be uncomfortable with the many varying settings in public are rehomed as family pets. We have a very high rate of success with the dogs in our program making it as service dogs and family pets. This is a result of the excellent breeding behind our dogs — we produce highly trainable dogs with calm and loving temperaments, intelligence and good health. Our Standards The dogs in my breeding program are the best, and they are treated as such! They are not left in kennels. We keep all moms in guardian homes only breeding them twice and work with 2 different local families to keep our males. We take an active role in the health and training of our breeding dogs, they are loved and a part of our family. This ensures that each dog gets the individual attention that they need and deserve.

Our doodles live a 'dog's life'. Originally bred to be allergy friendly service dogs they are smart, calm and love to be with people. Whether it's laying by the pool in the summer or bounding along snow covered paths in the winter conveniently snow blown by their human dad , running through the woods or barking at the deer passing through the yard it's all about the fun! On any given day you can watch the doodle parade with at least 3 puffy tails wagging and noses to the ground as we wind our way through the neighborhood. Our dogs are allergy friendly, sweet with just the right amount of spunk and scrupulously health tested. Labradoodle puppies come with a 2 year genetic health guarantee and we will be available as a guide throughout the life of your puppy. Please visit our puppy page to learn about our current litter and plans for future puppies. You can also contact us today by using the button below. Our promise to raise healthy, happy puppies We take every step to ensure that your puppy has a great beginning. A high-quality diet, vet checks, daily exercise and a happy home life in our home or forever family give our parents a great head start. Prenatal checkups, ultrasounds and x-rays ensure that moms and puppies are safe and ready for the big day! Some experts believe that days are a period of rapid neurological growth and development. We stimulate the puppy's nervous system with position exercises ENS and jumpstart their sense of smell ESI by introducing distinct smells. Our play areas challenge the puppies physically and mentally to overcome fears and obstacles during problem solving playtime. There are wobble boards, climbing steps, boxes to explore, tunnels to run through, agility sections, toys and balls to chase. Sound desensitization begins at three weeks. Before puppies go home, they are exposed to our regular home environment. Most master the stairs. Outside, we wander our several fenced acres, encouraging them to be dogs while learning valuable skills. Follow the leader, coming when called, hiding in the woods and playing with mom are the most fun! Your puppy is carefully handled from birth to provide loving human contact while respecting the bond between momma and puppy. In the critical first 8 weeks we strive to help the puppies become well- adjusted little doodles who easily transition to their new homes. We take special pride in knowing each puppy individually. Before puppy selection we provide a detailed description of each puppy. We know who is frisky, who loves to play 'keep away' and who's the charmer. Your puppy is hugged and loved by grandchildren and selected visitors to begin their socialization. We specialize in breeding Mini Goldendoodles as well as a few other breeds. We also have partnered up with several other high quality breeders that raise mini goldendoodle pups that meet our strict genetic criteria and testing. So we usually have a good selection of very high quality puppies. View Our Available Puppies! Not all mini Goldendoodles are equal, there are a few different versions to choose from each having a little different genetic background based on the pups parents. We will explain all the differences in Mini Goldendoodle puppies and how they are bred below. We raise all versions of the mini goldendoodle breed. F1 Mini Goldendoodle Pups. A F1 puppy is also known as a First Generation puppy. The puppies mother is a Golden Retriever and the pups dad is a Mini Poodle. This version of mini goldendoodle usually has soft wavy or curly puppy fur. They will shed until they lose their puppy fur, after shedding they will shed a lot less, but will shed. This version is partially hypoallergenic and usually requires low maintenance. F1 mini goldendoodles usually need to be groomed every 6 months along with daily brushing to keep their curly hair from matting and getting tangled. The dogs usually grow up having great temperaments similar to golden retrievers. They usually get about inches high at the shoulder and range in weight from pounds. F1b Mini Goldendoodle Pups. An F1b is known as a second-generation mini goldendoodle with the pups mother being already an F1 Goldendoodle and the pups dad being a mini poodle also. So the difference between F1 and F1b is that the mom is not a golden retriever but an actual F1 Goldendoodle. They also have very soft curly hair but with almost no shedding. This F1b version is semi-hypoallergenic and a better choice for anyone who has pet allergies. The F1b also should be brushed on a daily basis but will need to be groomed more frequently then a F1. A 6 to 8 week grooming schedule is recommended to keep their coat in perfect condition. F1b Mini goldendoodles get around 18 to 20 inches tall at the shoulders and range between pounds in weight. F1bb Mini Goldendoodle Pups. An F1bb goldendoodle is also known as a third-generation mini goldendoodle. This mini goldendoodle version has a coat more similar to a poodle than of a golden retriever. This is because the pup is more of a poodle than a retriever. Making it the very best version for anyone with pet allergies. A 6 to 8 week grooming schedule is required to help prevent knots or matting. This version is super intelligent and loving, and usually seems to have more energy than the other versions of Mini goldendoodles. This version is usually smaller in size, weighing around pounds and only getting inches tall at the shoulders. The smaller size makes them a great size for smaller homes and apartments. So if you live near Duluth Minnesota and are looking for a healthy and beautiful Mini Goldendoodle puppy then checkout our available pups now by Clicking Here. Below are some Mini Goldendoodle Pups that have been adopted! Welcome to the Minnesota state page on TrustedPuppies. Known for its beautiful natural landscapes, warm-hearted cities, and variety of dog-friendly activities, Minnesota is an excellent place to find and raise your new Mini Labradoodle companion. Our goal is to connect you with the most exceptional Mini Labradoodle breeders and puppies for sale in the region, ensuring you find the perfect furry friend for your family. Our site features a wide variety of reputable MN breeders who specialize in raising healthy and happy puppies. Our breeders are committed to raising the highest quality puppies. They provide their puppies with all the necessary vaccinations and veterinary checkups to ensure they are in the best of health before they go to their forever homes. They also provide ongoing support and advice to ensure a smooth transition for both you and your new furry friend. Discover the thriving dog-friendly scene in Minnesota, featuring inviting restaurants, spacious dog parks, and engaging dog shows. For those passionate about dog shows, events like the Minnesota State Fair Dog Show provide an opportunity to appreciate the elegance and charm of Mini Labradoodle canines while connecting with fellow enthusiasts. Holding the 20th spot in dog ownership across the United States, Minnesota is home to a canine population of approximately 1. At TrustedPuppies. Most of our reputable Mini Labradoodle breeders provide safe and affordable flight delivery, complete with a dedicated flight nanny who accompanies your new pup throughout their journey, ensuring their safety and comfort as they travel to their new home in Minnesota. Many breeders also offer affordable vehicle delivery, utilizing specialized pet delivery services. This option allows your Mini Labradoodle puppy to be transported directly to your door by a professional who understands the unique requirements of pet transportation. Begin your search for the perfect Mini Labradoodle puppy on TrustedPuppies. We have TWO puppies looking for loving homes as soon as possible. Our F1 Labradoodles want to be your friend! Our latest F1 Labradoodle puppies will soon become one of your "friends! Phoebe is Mom, a silver Labrador Retriever, who weighs around pounds. Augie, our cream-apricot stand Poodle, is the Dad and weighs about 70 pounds. All our puppies received their first shots and a vet exam. He likes to run and play fetch in the field or splash in the water. Lots of Labradoodle to love! He wants to play and simply show you lots of love. I'll be there for you! To ensure our females have the best possible care and attention they deserve in a family of their own, the Guardian Family Program is an opportunity for selected families to welcome one of our dogs into your family at no initial cost. Guardian family is responsible for any other vet care, as needed. A successful litter is four or more healthy puppies. During her first heat cycle after turning two years old, she returns to the farm to breed. She stays on the farm for days. The gestation period is between 58 — 68 days. About days prior to her estimated due date, she returns to the farm to whelp and nurse her puppies. This is for about weeks. Northern Pine Doodles and our veterinarian, with the input of the family, determine the health and timing of breeding. If we determine the female is unable to successfully breed, she is spayed and becomes the family's pet at no cost. Interested in learning more about our Guardian Family Program? Contact Joe at for more information. Available Females for Guardian Program Call or text Joe at to learn more about becoming a guardian family for a female first-generation chocolate Labradoodle. The parents weigh between pounds and we estimate the puppies will be a similar size. We currently do not breed mini-doodles. Labradoodles, especially F1b, are great for families that may experience allergic reactions from pet dander. The dogs will lose hair, like you and I, but won't shed like other dogs. They are great with kids, friendly, and loving companions. Feel free to read more about our puppies from current owners on our Facebook page. Family-raised, our dogs love people and aim to please. Our owners rave about our puppies' temperament, which are friendly, smart, and loving companions. Because they are three-quarter Poodle, the puppies also are hypoallergenic and low shed. We specialize in Poodle-hybrids, or Doodles. Stud services are also available with a cream or chocolate Standard Poodle. Joe Francis and Sue Brague Wagner are the owners and have a great love for dogs. I am interested in more information about available puppies or would like to be added your litter announcement email list. The Labradoodle is one of the most popular, well-known Doodle breeds and for many reasons. Thank you, Poodle genes! Since the Labradoodle comes in both Standard and Mini sizes , almost anyone can expand their family with this adorable Dood. This includes extensive health and genetic testing to rule out any hereditary illnesses that the offspring may inherit. As a result, their puppies are much less likely to inherit any genetic conditions that could seriously alter their quality of life, or even lifespan. In addition to that, pay attention to what type of health guarantees the breeders offer. Generally, responsible breeders offer one or two-year health guarantees that cover any serious genetic conditions that the parents have been tested for. Of course, make sure that the health warranty comes in written form with your puppy purchase documentation. All of these organizations require their members to adhere to their highest standards of health testing and ethical breeding practices. In addition to that, they provide their members plenty of resources on responsible breeding, and help share the best and newest breeding practices amongst their members. Moreover, if you know anyone who has recently adopted a Labradoodle in Minnesota, you can always ask around to hear more about their own personal experiences with various Labradoodle breeders in the area. Choosing a breeder is a time-consuming task that requires a fair amount of work and research on your end. At Grace Kennel, their dogs and puppies are their number one priority. Their goal is to raise puppies with excellent conformation and temperament. They raise their puppies in a loving home environment, where their pups receive lots of love and attention from birth and up until adoption. As you would expect from an ethical breeder, they rigorously test all of their parent dogs. In fact, many of them do therapy work as well. Their puppies sure come from great bloodlines in terms of health and temperament! What Makes This Breeder Unique? They socialize and train the puppies as early as possible. This includes early potty training, basic manners and obedience, and regular grooming.

Easiest Dog to Take Care of: Top 10 Breeds for a Happy Home Do you ever dream about having a furry best friend who loves to play fetch, gives the warmest cuddles, and greets you with the happiest tail wags every time you come home? A friend who is not just any dog, but the easiest dog to take care of? We know, it sounds like a dream come true, right? But we also understand that bringing a new puppy home is a big step. It's like adding a new member to your family, a little brother or sister.Top 30 Smartest Dog Breeds In The World If you're a dog lover, you've probably heard the age-old debate: which dog breeds are the smartest? While all dogs have their own unique intelligence and personality, some breeds have proven to be consistently brilliant over time. In this guide, we'll explore the top 30 smartest dog breeds ranked, from problem-solving whizzes to trainable and intuitive pups. We've done our research to provide you with an updated and informative.These pooches are joyful, lively, eager to please dogs. They are adventurous, kind, family-oriented pups who love hiking, swimming, canine games, sports and any, and all, family activities. These puppies are merry and bouncy little marshmallows. They are cuddly and sweet pups who love running around, playing, making friends and are very enthusiastic learners. The breed is divided into 3 recognized categories: Toy Poodle; Mini; Standard. Although they differ in size, one thing is for sure: they are glamorous companion pets. Questions about Poodle puppies for sale in Minnesota? We have answers. Give me an overview of Poodle puppies for sale in Minnesota. Poodles come at different prices. Different things to consider are their height, size and weight, color as well as experience of the professional breeder. You will be able to afford one! Can breeders arrange travel for Minnesota Poodles out of state? Yes they do! The breeders, companies and businesses in our network know that perfect families do not always live close by, and sometimes far-distance travel arrangements have to be made. You may even be able to pick up your pup from an airplane close by or even around the corner - it all depends! How do you screen miniature Poodle breeders in Minnesota? We really care about puppies and their well being, so it is of the utmost importance that anyone who wants to be connected to us is screened under strict rules - and then they have to take our Breeder Pledge. The health of your puppy-to-be, its wellbeing, the way it is taken care of, the place it is brought up in - all of this matters to us. Why is Uptown Puppies different from other miniature Poodle breeders Minnesota? The internet is available to absolutely everybody - and that includes scrupulous breeders who are out there just wanting to cash in by selling puppies. We care deeply for dogs and puppies and we love connecting good and honest breeders with families who just want to open their homes to a new and wonderful puppy. What is a puppy mill like for miniature Poodle Minnesota? A puppy mill is an awful place that is unfortunately legal. Dogs are treated terribly and all their owners want from them are their puppies which they make money out of. Are there any miniature Poodle puppies Minnesota for sale now? We just need to know a little bit about yourself and exactly what you are looking for. Then begin your search and find the Poodle of your dreams. There are breeders, companies and businesses out there that are really excited to place their beautiful puppies in your home. What kind of dogs are mini Poodle puppies Minnesota? Poodles are actually part of a group of formal dog breeds. The Poodle is available in Toy size, Miniature size and large, regal, Standard size. They are highly intelligent and their origins belong to both Germany and France. How do I know I can trust you with miniature Poodle puppies in Minnesota? It is hard to monitor all the puppy scams that happen daily on the internet so we make sure that we have a secure Breeder Pledge and a strict screening process, in order to create the best of relationships between our customers and our breeders, companies and businesses. Our reviews reveal all!

Gundog expert Jayne Coley summarises the early training routine that she followed with her own young labrador, Trade. Register for our newsletter To continue reading this content please register for our newsletter. You have to adapt your training to suit the type of puppy you have. The steps below summarise the training routine that I have followed with my young dog, Trade, who has an easy-going temperament. I began to train him properly in the New Year when he was 9 — 10 months old, though I usually wait until the shooting season is over when I have time to do a little each day on a regular basis. Step 1: Foundations By the age of 9 — 10 months, Trade had been toilet trained, knew his name and came back when I called him. He had been well socialised and behaved in company on a lead, was used to going out in my vehicle and had learned to swim. Trade has never been chastised for carrying something he should not, e. I then place the item out of reach. Crucially, by this age we had built up a good bond before formal training began. Step 2: Heelwork It was so wet and muddy at home so I started training on the patio and in our yard where the pup is restricted to a certain area and there are no distractions. We began with heelwork on the lead. To keep the exercise interesting, I walked in straight lines, did figures of eight, included the occasional tight turn and altered my pace. This all helped to keep Trade focused on what we were doing. If he didn't sit immediately, I repeated the command whilst pushing his bottom down with my left hand. Once confident with this routine, I put a lightweight collar on him and progressed to walking to heel off the lead, using my hands to encourage him to keep his head up and concentrate on me, when necessary. If he did move, I calmly walked up to him and, holding his collar, took him back to the exact spot he moved from in a quiet but positive manner. I slowly built up the distance until I could walk around him in a huge circle. Once he did this perfectly, I introduced the recall. Instead of always walking back to him, I would call him back to me, encouraging him to come straight to my hands which were cupped gently in front of my hips. Once I was happy with this, I began to mix up heelwork with sit and stay, and recall. When he didn't move, I quietly picked the dummy up myself. Gradually — over several days — I built on this until I could throw a couple of dummies, one at a time, over and around him and he remained steady. It is always important to lift the pup's top lip out of the way when you put a dummy in his mouth. Trade was reluctant to do this at first, but with patience and perseverance over several days, he accepted it. Slowly, I built on this until I could walk away backwards the length of the lead and call him to me, concentrating on perfecting a good delivery, using my hands to encourage him to bring the dummy right to me with his head held nice and high. Step 6: Retrieving Next, we worked on being sent for a retrieve. I then bent down and pointed my right hand towards the dummy whilst looking at the top of his head to make sure he was looking past my hand at it, before saying his name positively and at the same time letting go of one end of the lead so that he instinctively ran forward and picked the dummy. Initially, I sat back on my heels, which encouraged him to run straight back to me. Slowly we built on this until the lead was no longer needed. Sometimes I would send him for the dummy, sometimes I'd pick it up myself, or I'd walk him to heel in the opposite direction before sending him. On other occasions, I would stand well back from Trade and throw a dummy over his head, call him to me and then send him for the dummy from my position. I like to vary things as this keeps him interested and wondering what I am going to do next. He was at first a little unsure, so I repeated it in a lighter tone, to which he responded. In return, I praised him quietly. Always remember, training a dog is like building a house — it is imperative that the foundations are put down properly, otherwise, sooner or later, cracks will appear. Keep it light and encouraging when you praise, and low and gruff when you scold, so your puppy knows the difference. Especially if you have a boisterous puppy. Keep everything calm and relaxed, and do things in your time. What is the best age to start training a Lab puppy to work? This guide will answer all of your questions regarding when to start training a Lab puppy. It will combine my personal experience with that of other experts in the field, along with information from behavioral research, to guide you with your decision of when to start training a Labrador puppy of your own. Congratulations on your fluffy new bundle of joy. Labs gained their well-deserved place among favorite breeds for so many reasons. Enthusiastic companions, fast learners, loyal and brave, Labrador Retrievers are fantastic pets. How Puppies Learn In the natural canine world, mother dogs teach their pups everything they need to know about their world, survival and living together happily in various stages of development. Most professional trainers try to mimic the natural canine learning process in their puppy training phases. In fact, we only recommend positive training techniques. Rewards can include food, special treats, praise and petting, playing with a favorite toy, etc. Basic Training Concepts Every Puppy Should Learn The first two components of your puppy training should be thorough socialization and potty training. Here are a few tips with each of those early behaviors. Socialization actually refers to exposure to a wide range of situations and individuals. This goes for being around lots of different people, including children. While your pup is still impressionable and inquisitive, introduce her to friends, neighbors and strangers. Introduce her to children with careful instructions to stay quiet, move slowly and pet gently. They could end up grabbing her tightly, and scaring or hurting her. Being handled by other people will be very key in socializing your puppy. Your dog should be properly socialized to gentle and careful handling, teeth brushing, touching ears and paws and tail. This will make trips to the vet and groomer easier. Make sure to also check out our guide to taking puppies outside for more help with socialization. Crate Training for Dogs Crate training is the process of teaching your dog to love spending time secure in their cosy den. Some puppies basically crate train themselves, loving their crate from day one. Others need a more gradual introduction to this safe space. The trick is to not turn crating into a punishment , but instead make it a wonderful place to have a short undisturbed rest. Most puppies will go through a play biting phase, so if you need help training your lab not to nip, you can follow this guide. It will be important for your dog to sit quietly in the field or duck stand. Self-control should be incorporated throughout daily routines and all training phases. Finally, learning how to walk politely on a leash in public is important. In addition to the behaviors listed above, there are a few extra considerations for training a gundog. As early as 8 weeks old, professional gundog trainers begin introducing lab puppies to various scenarios. The core behavioral requirements for a gundog that can be started in puppies this young are: Thorough socialization and desensitization to various environments and sounds. Be sure to start with quieter sounds and build to louder sounds, especially when introducing the sound of gunfire, to avoid creating a frantic dog. Calmness and steadiness amidst distraction. The earliest introduction to this is teaching your pup to sit for his meals, which can be captured as early as six weeks. There are, however, two important considerations to your Lab puppy training. Before their leg bones are fully developed, Labs can develop joint issues if they run too hard and long. Second, resist the urge to play fetch and retrieve every day with your Lab puppy. They overdo it with tossing a ball or dummy to try to encourage the pup to retrieve. The retrieving instinct typically kicks in quite strong around puberty between five to 10 months. Instead, we suggest focusing on sit, stay and waiting quietly with self control. Those are the more difficult behaviors for a lab to learn once adolescent hormones kick in. Start with socialization and household manners as early as 8 weeks old. Then move to sit, stay, steadiness training, and walking on a leash between 12 and 18 weeks. Training is an ongoing life skill, rather than something you do once and consider done. For a hunting Lab, adding various distractions and practicing perfect recall in different environments will be the two biggest training techniques to work on throughout life. Enjoy your training! And yet, many new owners get so caught up in the cuteness of these bundles of fur that they disregard any training until the dog is much older. Sometimes new owners are just overwhelmed with taking care of their new puppy. Others lack the information needed to make good decisions regarding training for their new family member. Unfortunately, though, some bad behaviors or missed socialization and exposure opportunities are difficult to address with an older dog. So, if your goal is for you new retriever to eventually grow into an excellent duck dog, here is a guide to raising your Lab puppy to be a duck or gun dog. Picking up the puppy The journey with your new retriever pup starts the day you pick him or her up from the breeder. Hopefully you have done your homework and selected a litter of puppies with parents who have proven trainability. If you have a pick from the litter, you will want to take some time to observe the puppies. Even so, most trainers will tell you that picking a puppy is a complete crapshoot, meaning there really is no way to know how good the dog will be while looking at them as a puppy. Genetics and a proven pedigree are the best way to stack the odds in your favor from the start. Beyond that, if you have a good breeder, they are the next best source for information regarding the pups. A good breeder will give you a recommendation based on what you plan to use the pup for and your family situation. Check out this post on searching for a great retriever puppy and what to look for in breeders. If possible, bring someone with you to pick up the puppy. While you can put a puppy in a crate to transport them home, leaving the litter is a traumatic time for most puppies. Being held on the way home is a good way to start bonding with the puppy. Learn what to buy for your new Lab puppy. The products I recommend I believe are a good value or good investment for anyone working to train or maintain training on their retriever. When possible, I include links to the product. Some of these links may be Amazon or other affiliate links in which I am paid a small commission at no cost to you. All opinions and recommendations are my own. The first week raising your Labrador Retriever puppy There is very little training needed the first week you have your puppy home. Use this time to hold, pet and play with your new puppy. Bonding with the puppy is important and this is a good time to do that. You will likely be exhausted this week from getting up multiple times each night to let your puppy outside. Learn more in What should I do the first week with my new Lab puppy? Socialization is key for retriever gun dog puppies While socialization is important for all dogs, it is essential for retriever puppies destined to hunt. Socialization is the act of putting your retriever puppy in new situations and allowing the puppy to figure it out. Your puppy may handle new situations well, or she might show timid or frightened behaviors. This is not the time to coddle your future gun dog. Dogs are very aware of their owners and if you act or acknowledge your puppies fear, they will likely think you are scared too. This is the opposite of what we are trying to achieve with socialization. We want puppies to learn to adjust quickly to new situations. We want them to learn how to figure out new conditions and handle them without fear or hesitation. Puppies need to be socialized to people also. Let your puppy interact with people of all ages, including children. In addition, it can be helpful if they are also socialized to other dogs and cats. And yet we see too many retrievers with little to no retrieving desire. Sometimes this is just the result of bad breeding, but it can also be the result of poor introduction to retrieving or using the wrong items for retrieving. Many people like to play fetch with their puppy using a ball or Frisbee. But if your puppy is destined to be a hunting partner, this is going to make some retrieving problems down the line. We may use a ball to encourage a very young week old puppy to retrieve, IF, and only IF, the puppy is struggling with retrieving desire. Otherwise, we strongly discourage ongoing use of these items. Gun dogs and duck dogs are working dogs and they need to retrieve birds that fall to the ground. The rolling action of the ball or frisbee will create an excitement and energy that will make retrieving birds seem boring. We have found that dogs that have only retrieved balls or Frisbee often struggle when they need to retrieve a bumper or bird. We have an entire post on this subject, see How can I teach my retriever puppy to fetch? Expose your Labrador puppy to common hunting elements A retriever that is going to be expected to hunt, should be introduced to hunting equipment and elements at an early age. Hills and mounds, flat areas and shallow divots are terrain that a hunting retriever should learn to traverse with ease. In addition to land, different water is also an important factor. Lakes are good, but you should also try to expose your puppy to dirty water. Water with lily pads, cat tails and algae are all things a duck dog will need to handle to work. Hunting equipment Labrador retriever puppies need to learn all about the equipment you use when hunting. Doing this when they are young and continuing the exposure as they grow, will make this second nature to them. Boats and blinds If you hunt out of a boat or blind, introduce your puppy to it. For boats, start on land. Get your puppy comfortable getting in and out of the boat. Throw retrieves from the boat. Similarly, introduce your dog to the blind as a good thing. If you are using a dog blind or hut, make sure your spend lots of time getting your pup comfortable going into and out of it. Make it a fun place to go to get retrieves. Duck or goose decoys If you will use decoys when hunting, take time to expose your puppy to them. Many times over the next few months, put some out on your lawn and let your puppy learn what they are. Eventually, move them to water and again allow your pup to explore them. Throw retrieves through them and teach the dog that he can ignore the decoys. Guns This is one of the most important things that you need to exposure your new puppy to. And it really needs to be done right. The last thing you want to do is create a gun-shy dog. That is very difficult to fix and the dog may never be able to hunt if the damage is too deep. Learn more about how to do this correctly in Introduction to gunfire. Basic obedience for your gun dog puppy Your puppy is ready to learn obedience early on, and you will find that if you start when they are only a couple months old, they will learn quicker and be more obedient as they age. This will make a huge difference as they get older. Teaching HERE to young pups will require a long lead. Squat down a few feet from your puppy and say HERE as you gently pull them to you. Praise is essential with young pups, but the praise should be given when the puppy does something right. For instance, you say SIT and push his bottom down. You can use treats to teach your puppy obedience and reward him or her for obeying commands. But treats should only be used for very young puppies under 4 months. Many Labs will soon learn to only obey when given a treat, that is not the lesson you want your dog to learn. It can be difficult to discipline a cute little puppy, but it is essential. Here at Otter Tail Kennels, we get more than our share of calls from people whose puppies are out of control and causing problems in the home. The pups are causing friction in the family relationships. Small issues often become much larger issues if they remain uncorrected. If you see your puppy doing something wrong, you need to take action to let him know that the behavior is not acceptable. Final thoughts on raising a lab puppy to be a duck or gun dog The time to start training your Labrador puppy to be a duck or gun dog is now. Right away. Even if you plan to send your retriever puppy to a professional trainer in the future, you still want to take the time to socialize, expose, teach and discipline your dog now. Each week your puppy is growing and learning, and those first five months are the perfect time to get him or her off on the right foot. The socialization, exposure, and obedience are all steppingstones they need to advance in their role as a hunting partner. Do not skimp or disregard this time. You can give your ultimate duck dog some essential skills — the ability to adjust to every and all situations with ease. Nothing could be more important. You can email me ottertailkennels gmail. I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs I offer. Until next time happy retrieving. Raising a lab puppy to be a duck or gun dog. Obedience First The most common deficiency in the average hunter's gundog training program is a lack of emphasis on obedience and steadiness. If I could persuade the average gundog owner to do one thing better as a trainer, it would be to spotlight obedience and emphasize the non-retrieve. The non-retrieve is when the pup sees a bird or dummy fall but doesn't get to retrieve it. The trainer or another dog retrieves it while the pup watches. We took a wrong turn somewhere in the evolution of training and now go about the retrieving and steadying processes in a totally illogical manner. We take a young dog and give him hundreds of retrieves with no restraint. For the first thousand retrieves, we encourage the dog to take off at will after the falling dummy. Then, after we have him well trained to break, we change the rules and decide to make him steady-which requires a certain amount of punishment to counteract the breaking behavior we have just trained. The sequence should be reversed. Train the pup on obedience first, and train him to be steady by teaching him to expect to be steady. This is done with non-retrieves. As soon as the pup is proficient at basic obedience, the "stay" drill should include some falling dummies. While he's sitting, toss out a dummy or two. Then go and pick up the dummies while he watches. If you are picking up 75 percent of what the pup sees fall, then he doesn't expect to retrieve everything that drops from the sky. He becomes steady, with little effort and no punishment. Additionally, he develops into a calm, pleasant hunting companion. The same principle applies to the older dog in hunting situations. If you send the dog immediately every time a bird falls, then you are training him to break. Make his life easier by making him wait. When duck hunting, wait until you have several ducks on the water before you send your pup to retrieve. Unless wind or current is carrying off the ducks, it won't hurt them to float for a half hour. If you are shooting doves, pick up the short, easy ones yourself. Let your pup sit for minutes before he is sent for the difficult retrieves. The exception, of course, is the crippled bird, for which you must send the pup quickly to reduce the odds of escape. The practice of delayed retrieving also pays dividends by making it easier for your pup to learn hand signals and blind retrieves. If you have four or five dead ducks on the water that have been there a while, your pup is not going to remember exactly where they are. He knows they are there and will eagerly cast off in their general direction, but his certainty will waver and he will be prone to seeking help from you. Conversely, when you engage in the practice of immediately sending your pup on every fall, you are training him in self-reliance. When he's launched on the splash, he knows exactly where that bird is and will quickly pick it up. After he's found several hundred birds all by himself, it is going to become difficult to convince him that he needs help from you in the form of hand signals. Coming on Command One of the most common obedience problems is failure to come on command. This is as prevalent in young, green dogs as breaking is in older hunting dogs. Both problems stem from a lack of obedience. If a dog is well trained to heel, sit, stay and come, he'll do nearly anything you want. The problem lies in the definition of "well trained. That means he will respond properly when the neighbor's cat walks by, when another dog is playing next to him and even when shotguns are going off and ducks are falling. Too Much Dog The average hunter appears to be "overdogged," or to have a dog that is too hot for him to handle. I place the blame for this on our field-trial system. Our retriever field trials were brought over from England in the early s, along with the golden and Labrador retrievers. The trials were small and very representative of a day's shooting, and the skills judged were those that had value to the hunting dog and hunter. The trials emphasized game-finding ability, softness of mouth and calmness of demeanor. The typical Labrador retriever of 30 or 40 years ago was a gentle, calm dog. Today, an unfortunately large number of Labradors are hyperactive and difficult to train. The basic reason for this shift in breeding selection appears to be our field-trial system. Unfortunately, our field trials-mainly because of increasing entries-have evolved over the years into elimination contests that evaluate skills that are of little importance in a hunting dog. These behaviors include lining, angle entries into water, pinpoint marking and precise handling at long distances. Gone by the wayside are line manners and obedience, as well as game-finding initiative. Moreover, training precision lining and long-distance handling require a great deal of repetition and some degree of punishment. The dog that excels at these skills tends to be hyperactive, with a high pain threshold, which is exactly the type of dog we are breeding today. Electric Collars The electric collar, which can create as many problems as it solves, is becoming far too predominant a training tool. The electric collar is a great training tool in the hands of a good trainer. However, there is an astronomically greater number of electric collars than there are good trainers. The truth is, in order to train a dog with the electric collar, you must be able to train him without it. The collar does not magically impart the knowledge and skills of dog training to the guy holding the transmitter. Most folks buy an electric collar to solve a basic obedience problem, and they generally end up abusing the dog and not solving the problem, or trading one problem for an even bigger one. Proper training can solve nearly all problems in basic obedience, and you don't need an electric collar to do so. Selective Breeding We have forgotten the basic goals of breeding selection and have embarked on a course of producing better dogs by training rather than breeding. The Labrador is the breed I most commonly work with, and I am alarmed at the trends I see. It has become the general custom to force-fetch train every dog. This corrects any tendency to drop birds, mouth birds or run off to the bushes with birds. It also masks the genetic tendencies toward those behaviors. We are now masking with training the major trait that we spent a hundred years developing through selective breeding-namely, delivery to hand with a soft mouth. If we take a hard-mouthed dog and put him through the force-fetch program so that he delivers gently to hand, then he will behave like a great dog. We may even make him a field champion through superior training. However, his puppies will still have that genetic tendency toward hard mouth, and we will be going backwards in the selective-breeding process. Two other examples of behaviors that have a very significant genetic component that we mask with training are: Hyperactivity We train the hyperactive dog to be under control and be a gentleman. The electric collar is quite popular for this. Put a hyperactive dog in the hands of a good trainer with an electric collar and that dog will make an excellent gun dog or field-trial dog, but his puppies probably will inherit the same hyperactivity. His puppies will be just as difficult to train as the sire was. Cooperative Nature We generally characterize these dogs as "soft" and tend to give them away as pets when they flunk the electric-collar program. Thus we are tending to remove from the breeding pool dogs that exhibit this valuable trait. This trait of "cooperative nature" is of extreme importance to the average hunter, because the average hunter is usually quite unfamiliar with dog training. The gist of all this is that the average hunter is low in dog-training skills, which is as it should be. The community of dog experts should be promoting the selective breeding of a dog that the average hunter can train and enjoy. We should not be breeding a dog with a bundle of genetically transmitted behavioral tendencies that make him difficult to train into a good working dog. The average hunter should not have to get a Ph. We probably need to look back to England for solutions. They still have the same field trials they had 80 years ago, still selectively breed for major traits and still get rid of dogs that lack a cooperative nature and predisposition toward trainability. I, for one, get my personal dogs from England. They are calm, cooperative and pleasant to live with, and they find all the birds I shoot. I've gotten lazy and prefer a dog that has gotten most of the required talents through selective breeding. Continue Reading. Selecting Your Retriever Puppy I usually suggest you turn your back to the litter of pups, back up, reach down and grab a pup, to choose a Labrador puppy to train as a gun dog. I look for tail position. A dog with its tail sticking straight out vertically or just slightly vertical is more than likely in the middle spectrum of attitude and will be trained easily. Also, from seven-weeks old to six-months old is when a puppy develops his personality. The primary reason a puppy or a dog becomes gun-shy is improper training. I train a puppy to not be gun-shy like this: I have a. When I fire the pistol, the blast from the pistol shoots the dummy up in the air. This part of the drill teaches the puppy how to look for a bird and watch it fall. So, with this little simple drill, the dog has learned that when it hears gunfire and looks up in the air, the puppy will see something flying or falling. It has also learned that when the dummy hits the ground out in front of it, if the dog retrieves that dummy, the dog will be praised and petted. That puppy will learn to be steady and sit calmly, until I give it the command to release it to pick up the dummy and bring it to me. Everything about training a retriever is built on the foundation of obedience training, which is the first course in training a retriever. This training teaches the young dog that everything he sees up in the air when a shot goes off, and everything that falls to the ground is not his to go and retrieve. Once again, every step of training a retriever is built on the obedience training that dog has learned. Can you help my dog not be gun-shy? When I walked him around the block, one of my neighbors was having a new roof put on - using those air-gun type staplers to staple the shingles to the roof. When he saw and heard that racket - bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! We had the gun-shy dog sit 50 yards from the dummy launcher and launched a dummy. So, I kept him here at the house. Next, I had him sit beside me, got the pistol we used for a dummy launcher - without a shell in the pistol - and cocked the hammer, pulled the trigger and dry-fired the dummy launcher. Then while I stayed with the dog, my assistant fired the pistol that launched the dummy toward us. The dog would go pick up the dummy and bring it to me. More than a month was required for us to go through this process of getting the dog to where he was steady when a gun was fired near him, and we could send him out to retrieve the dummy. I tell all the people I train for to not do that. The best way to introduce a dog to working with a hunter and to the loud sounds of shooting is not to take your dog with numbers of other hunters - especially the first time you take your dog to a duck blind. Work your dog, and let your friend do the shooting. That way, your dog knows that someone he loves his handler is sitting right beside him when the gun goes off, and that nothing bad will happen to him. If he sees a duck fall, send him to retrieve it, and then praise him and pet him. I think training a retriever mainly requires using common sense. If you begin throwing a dummy, sending the young dog to get it, taking the dummy out of its mouth when the dog brings it back to you and keep throwing that dummy, your dog will tire out. A better way to start teaching a pup to retrieve is: go to a hallway in your house, shut all the doors leading into any rooms along the hallway, and then sit the puppy between your legs. Then, release the pup. He should run down the hall and pick up the rolled-up sock. When you take the sock from the pup, make the pup sit between your legs, put your left hand on it, throw the sock, and let the pup retrieve it. One or two of those exercises per day with a young dog will get that young pup started on the right road to being a retriever. Obedience training is the foundation for all the other skills that the dog needs to learn. We begin with food bowl training. Usually a good pup will learn this first step of obedience training within days of practice. In our outside kennels at this writing in October, , we have 10 dogs. This sit command not only teaches the dog to sit when the command is given, but it also is communicating to the dog that we want him to sit and be steady - not be moving and not fidgeting. Each of the commands we teach in basic training has connections to the rest of the commands that the dog will need to learn to be a fully-trained retriever. Then, you can walk anywhere without your dog running off or having to be called back. I truly enjoy retriever training, because I can watch a dog go from a pup to a well-trained working dog in a relatively short time. Or call Bill Gibson at or email him at bgibson mossyoak. It's important to keep your new hunting buddy safe. You've invested time, money, and your heart into your partner, so keep him or her safe in the car with a Gunner Kennel. We don't leave home without it. This guarantees that their pup will be admitted into our program on the first day of the month after the pup turns six months of age. All pups from other kennels are considered "outside pups". Because demand for training pups that were purchased from Mossy Oak Gamekeeper Kennels is extremely high, our kennel space is very limited. Since assurance is given to our clients that their pups will be given priority for training slots, we will only take "outside" pups when we can reasonably assure ourselves that kennel space will be available for a sufficient length of time to properly train the pup. Our hunting dog training program is designed to encompass four levels of training. Once the pup has been introduced to real-life hunting situations, we would then classify a pup as a true "started gun dog" ready for the next two levels of training. At the end of this phase, the dog will walk at heel on lead, sit on the whistle, stay on command, recall on the "here" command, and will make single retrieves out to and beyond thirty 30 yards on both land and water. The dog will remain steady until sent for the training dummy and deliver to hand. The dog will also be properly introduced to gunfire. Gunfire will be the norm for marks and the dog will be steady to wing and shot. Also, the pup will begin the first steps of stopping on the whistle, leading to remote handling in more advanced levels of training. Again, the heel, sit, stay, place, and here commands continue to be reinforced. The dog will be worked out to seventy-five 75 yards on marks, trailing memories, and blinds. In addition, the dog will be reinforced to stop on the whistle, recall on the whistle and introduced to basic hand signals. All training at this level is done off lead and steadiness is the norm. Emphasis will have been on reinforcement of basic obedience and hand signals to the point that they have become conditioned habits. Many factors impact these estimates, many of which are owner induced. These issues can take from a few days to several weeks or more to address and correct. That is why we highly recommend that the new owners stick to our guidelines in dealing with the puppy during the interval between go home day and six months to bring the pup up to its maximum potential without creating issues. Must be micro-chipped. Must be current on Bordetella vaccination. Must be current on Rabies vaccination. Must test negative for intestinal coccidia, giardia, whip worms, round worms, and tape worms. Must test negative for ticks and fleas and be on a regular monthly preventative. Must test negative for heartworms and be on a regular monthly preventative. Must test negative for Lyme disease and be vaccinated for the same. Dogs not meeting these criteria will not be accepted into the training program.