german shepherd puppies for sale in los angeles county

It does not like being left alone in the house showing signs of nervousness under such circumstances. Despite its graceful appearance, the Poolky can be mischievous, goofy, and is always ready to play. Because of its terrier ancestry, it may chase small animals and sound an alarm if a stranger enters its territory. It gets along well with babies, making a good playing companion for toddlers provided the children know how to approach and handle a dog. Care Exercise Silky Poos are active dogs that need moderate exercise along with mental stimulation. They enjoy romping in the yard, walking with their owner, or going to the dog park. They will be more than happy to take their workout indoors with an enthralling game of fetch. Grooming When it comes to grooming, the Silkypoos require a thorough combing and brushing twice or thrice a week, along with an occasional bath to remove mat and keep their coat free from tangles. You can brush their teeth regularly and trim their nails once a month. Health Problems Silkydoodles are a healthy breed, but some individuals may be prone to Legg-Perthes disease, epilepsy, patellar luxation, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and progressive retinal atrophy. Training Socialization: Taking your Silky Poo out and walking it on a leash around a public place will help it in growing comfortable with people and other dogs. If it barks or becomes unruly, do not yell or pull back on its leash. Make sure that you maintain calm-assertive energy. You can distract your dog with a light tug of its leash sideways, touch, or a unique sound you have used while training it. Dealing its chasing instincts: Silky Poos often chase cats, squirrels, or other rodents for fun. The desire to chase small moving objects can come from a lot of reasons including boredom and lack of exercise. If your Silky Poo has high prey drive, let your dog play with balls, Frisbees, and Kong toys in the yard so that it can efficiently expend its energy. Enrolling your pet in training facilities offering classes on obedience, tracking, and agility is also an energy-releasing alternative. Feeding Provide your Poolky with about three-fourth to one-and-a-half cups of dry food on a daily basis. Let's take a closer look at the key information and facts surrounding this breed. Origin The Silky Poo is an artificially created breed. Breeders worked to mix a standard Poodle with the Silky Terrier breed. This created a unique breed that is smart, sheds little and yet is a quality lapdog. Size The Silky Poo stands around fourteen inches tall and 12 to 16 pounds. This makes it one of the bigger designer dogs you will find in the canine world. They tend to have little dandruff and are therefore hypoallergenic. Having said this, the ultimate grooming needs are largely dependant on the genes of which genetic parent win out in the game of reproduction. Having said this, Silky Poos are generally considered to be a fairly low maintenance breed from a grooming perspective. Character This breed is known for being a bit divided in its character and temperament. These pups are known to be very energetic and curious during the day much like a Poodle. During the evening, however, they are thought to calm down and act more as a traditional lapdog with their owners. The exact attitude of the pup really depends on the specific litter, so make sure to consult with the breeder to know what to expect for a specific puppy. Training Needs The Silky Poo is more difficult to train then other dogs. Although smart as a, well, Poodle, the dog is also known for being fairly stubborn. The dog can be trained, but you need to stick with it, be consistent with your commands and be positive. Treat training is known to be very effective with this breed. Activity Level The Silky Poo is an active breed that loves to run and play during the day. Unlike other lapdogs, you need to take this pup out on a walk and let them play around with other pups in dog parks and such. If you do not, the pent up energy can turn into destructive behavior particularly when the dog is bored. This is why we have provided this guide to provide you with all the information you need to know to care for this fascinating dog breed. Dogs that are harder to train will require a bit more patience and practice. Proper exercise, nutrition, and hygiene also play an important role in the lifespan of your pet. More social dogs have a tendency to run up to strangers for pets and scratches, while less social dogs shy away and are more cautious, even potentially aggressive. Poolky Puppies A post shared by Michelle Mordike esmethepoolky If you are looking for a dog that acts and looks similar to the Silky Terrier and Poodle, then the Poolky is a great mixture of both dog breeds. Before purchasing a Poolky puppy, it is worth taking a look around at local rescues to check if they have Poolky puppies available for adoption. Many rescues and shelters will have a wide range of dog breeds to choose from. Furthermore, the Poolky puppy can be purchased from a breeder or pet store. This is a rare dog breed, hence the little-known information about them. It can be difficult to come across a Poolky puppy, but rescues will generally have them up for adoption. Beware of any potential scammers within the breeding industry. Many backyard breeders will claim that they are selling a Poolky puppy when it could potentially be a Poodle with dog-friendly dyes. This is a common incident that happens within the Poolky breeder community, so it is best to purchase a Poolky puppy from a reputable breeder with lots of positive reviews. This makes them ideal for families with children and other pets alike. The Poolky can easily be socialized with children from a young age, yet they make the perfect gentle companions for senior owners. Not only can this dog adapt to different household requirements, but their timid and sociable nature allows them to please owners of all ages. You will find that your Poolky is willing to be left alone, adapting to a more independent and quieter lifestyle. The Poolky is small and delicate, with no desire to hunt other animals. This dog was not bred for hunting or game retrieval, which makes them ideal for families with other pets. These other pets can include animals such as cats, rodents, and birds as long as each pet has a protected area. Poolkies are curious and always eager to explore certain areas of the house. Even though they may not have the instinct to hunt down smaller prey, it does not mean rodents and birds should not be protected and secured in a cage and separate room. It is easy to introduce other similar-sized dog breeds and cats to the Poolky. They will be curious at first and bark and sniff the unfamiliar addition to the family, but they will soon become accustomed to them and tolerate their presence even when left alone. This makes them easy to feed and their staple diet should include ingredients that are good for their coat health. This is dog breed has the potential to become obese with the wrong type of diet. Since they are not overly active dogs, they do not require a high-protein diet in comparison to other more energetic dog breeds. Avoid feeding your Poolky foods high in fillers and fats, because they are unhealthy and can contribute to their weight gain. Your Poolky should be fed two to three small meals a day in a controlled manner. The food should be of high quality, and any treats should be low in fat and fed infrequently. However, they are not very agile due to their small legs and unbalanced stature. Poolkies seem to adore their toys and they are always willing to play a game of tug and war or go on a short walk in the evening with their owners. Avoid over-exercising your Poolky, as it can be damaging to their small bodies. Moderate exercise will suffice and keep your Poolky in good shape. A post shared by Brandon Yow brandonn. Your Poolky can be taught a range of tricks, such as sit, stay, or follow. They can also be potty-trained, which is a bonus if you prefer a hygienic dog. This dog is smart, but they do require lots of treats and praise to complete a task while it is still being taught. This can be done at home or at a salon, where they should be brushed and bathed to keep their coat looking healthy and shiny. Their fur is at risk of becoming matted if brushing is neglected, and in some cases, the knots will have to be cut out. Their nails should also be trimmed at a salon to keep them at a healthy length so that your Poolky does not have to experience the discomfort of long, unkept nails. Overall, their coat is manageable and regular brushing are most important.

Wake up and take your puppy to the toilet. Yes, you read correctly, am. Socialize your puppy during their socialization period — and beyond! Your puppy needs to see and meet all different kinds of animals and people in order to build up a knowledge bank of experience. Go beyond with your training, download Zigzag! Teach your puppy about scary noises Thunderstorms, fireworks, buses and lorries are all common noises that your adult dog will hear. By doing this your puppy will breeze through holiday fireworks and be happy and confident on busy roads Crate train or not your puppy Many people choose to crate train their puppies, others choose not to. Teach your puppy to come back when called Once your puppy has learned their name, you can teach them a recall. Teaching them to be happy at home alone is like a muscle that needs building, day after day, little by little. Read our full guide to puppy separation anxiety tips, and learn how long you can leave your puppy alone for. Teach your puppy the rules of your home Pups thrive on consistency and everyone in your home being on the same page. Give your puppy a routine Understanding day to day what comes next makes for predictability and helps puppies grow in confidence. Read our day by day training schedule to understand when to take them to the toilet , when they should be sleeping , playing, training and eating! Enrol in some puppy socialization classes Puppy socialization classes provide a safe place to train your puppy with other puppies around, and has the added benefit of having a dog trainer on hand to help you. Use a positive reinforcement trainer from a member of the UK Dog Charter. Photo by Olga Andreyanova on Unsplash Week-Old Puppy Behavior You can expect all of the following from a 12 week old puppy, you might find some of this surprising! What they want most at this age is your attention. Play with them. A 12 week old puppy will still sleep a lot Puppies need to sleep a great deal, even at 12 weeks old. Read our full article on puppy sleep to understand why they need so much shut-eye. Biting and mouthing pups at 12 weeks old No one really warns you how much little puppies bite and mouth. They will likely still be mouthing on you too! Chewing from a 12 week old puppy Your 12 week old pup will likely be chewing on anything and everything. Puppies really do try chewing the craziest things. Once your puppy loses their baby teeth , they will still be chewing, so make sure lots of chew toys are available. Puppies of 12 weeks old are often stealing items What starts out as innocent curiosity can often turn into a battle of wills or a fun game as you chase after them when they have a stolen croc or dustpan brush in their mouth. A sudden loss of confidence is common in a 12 week old puppy Puppy fear periods are a real thing, and during the first few months you have your puppy at home, they will be going through different phases as they emotionally develop. One week your puppy might be fine with something, and the next, the same things might frighten them. Positive experiences at this age are important for long term emotional resilience. What should I be feeding my week-old puppy? At 12 weeks old, your puppy should still be on puppy food. Puppy food is specially formulated to meet the needs of a growing pup, with the correct ratios of fats, proteins and carbs and all the important minerals that are needed. Whether you want to feed your puppy dry or wet food, raw food , or a vet formulated home cooked diet is fine. Read our full article on puppy nutrition for more information on why this is important. Photo by Undine Tackmann on Unsplash What exercise will my week-old puppy need? They do need to go out and see the world. This might be in a puppy bag, stroller or in a car carrier and off out for a drive, but on lead walking should be restricted to 15 minutes twice a day. Read more about puppy exercise in our full guide, which has a great table to show you how much to exercise at what age. Puppy Schedule 12 weeks: What now? Carry on your puppy schedule at 12 weeks and enrol on a puppy socialization class. Keep calm and download Zigzag! For further reading, head on over to our puppy training blog. We have so much more to share with you about training your pup. For a detailed week by week training program, download the Zigzag app and get your puppy on their journey to being a well behaved canine citizen. It will be fun they said. We go the extra mile for you. If you want a stress free puppy experience, get this downloaded! Worth every single penny! This app is very helpful. It helps you to understand and gives you a path to follow. The coaching support is excellent and super speedy. Download the app now. Bad dog food is linked to a number of illnesses and behavioural conditions. A lot of dog owners may say well, my dog is eating this and its fine" and the dog may seem FINE, but if the dog was to have a better diet they would certainly know the difference! To be honest, if a dog food manufacturer has to add colourings to dog food then there is something seriously wrong! A dog should have white teeth - if it has smelly breath or brown staining or red gums then please question what you are feeding your dog. A dog should only need its teeth cleaned if it is fed the wrong food and if a dog is fed correctly then its teeth should be healthy even in old age. The puppy food wasnt filling mine in the slightest, he is a big dog and needed more. He's been on adult dog food since he was 13 weeks. Bakers soft meaty chunks are his favourite they are usually on offer at different supermarkets every few weeks, 2 big bags for a tenner. The rest of the behaviour just sounds like a typical lab puppy! Mine still jumps up next to you at the work top, but just watches you buttering the toast now rather than trying to eat it! Be firm when he trys to steal food from the children. What worked with mine was very firmly telling him no, then removing him and putting him in the hall for a few minutes on his own. When he was let back in he would have the tail and ears down and wouldnt go back near them. My bin has been replaced by a carrier bag on the worktop for the time being, I was fed up picking it up. The recycling box has also been put in the cupboard as it was his favourite thing to raid! I also couldnt recommend a puzzle ball highly enough! You put treats in it and the dog has to roll it around to get the treats out. There are 4 difficulty settings and it keeps my boy amused for hours. A kong with treats in it and peanut butter sealing the ends is good aswell. He also has this thing cant remember the name of it, got it from pets at home Its a wooden board, with windows like an advent calendar but bigger, some of the doors slide, some he has to hit to get them to open and you put treats behind the doors. Labs are working dogs and need mental excercise as much as physical, so this keeps him going for a little while. Other thing he loves is a plastic water bottle inside an old sock I also have a viszla, he was a very chilled out laid back puppy who just loved to run still does. As long as he got his time off his lead everyday to run after his ball he was perfectly happy. Labradoodle was a shock to the system! He is like having another child Good Luck. Print The dreaded 3-month-old puppy I really enjoy young puppies. Seven- to week-old puppies can be so much fun and while they can be trouble, it is easy to contain them. But when a puppy turns weeks-old…. Three-month-old puppies start feeling good about themselves. They think they have the world all figured out and they will get into everything and run circles around you, even after being scolded or punished. Here is what you need to know about training your week-old Labrador puppy. About this series of posts This is post five of a step-by-step training and socialization program for Labrador puppies. If you read our first post , you know that this series follows our training of Bubba, a female chocolate lab puppy. Bubba is already sold as one of our Custom Trained Retrievers, so it is our responsibility to raise and train her until she has progressed to the level of training the owner has requested. In this case, Bubba will be with us for almost a year and a half. Bubba at 12 weeks old Training and socialization for week-old Labrador puppy — week five home Bubba should have been named Spunky because she is a handful. She runs around our home with her head and tail high, like she is all that. She pulls our shoes out of the organizer, chews on closet doors and digs and splashes in her water dish. So is the life of a 3-month-old Lab puppy. Patience is required to raise young lab pups. They will give you a run for the money. Even the well-behaved ones. No one escapes the terror of the 3-month-old Lab. So, how can you survive this time. Firm and well-defined boundaries that are enforced endlessly. Now is not the time to give up on training your puppy. It is the time to buckle down and show your puppy that there are rules and boundaries, and they must be obeyed. You puppy can and will learn the rules if you are firm and consistent in your corrections. Whatever you do, do not allow the puppy to do whatever it wants with no corrections. That is not being a good puppy mama or dad and it is really not fair to the dog, because training will require much more pressure and correction when the dog is bigger and stronger. Here are the things we worked on this week for training of Bubba. Crate training Bubba is now completely at home in her crate. She remains in her crate a full 4-hours at a time without accidents, is quiet while in there and walks into her crate on a KENNEL command from feet in front of the crate. Bubba will come to me when called, even when she knows that she is going into the crate. While there are still some consistency issues to work on, Bubba is well crate trained at this point. Looking for more information on crate training? Housebreaking Housebreaking is such a difficult job. You will have periods when the puppy is doing so well that you will think you are done. And then, when you least expect it, your puppy will have an accident right in front of you. Bubba has been good at housebreaking. She has had less than a half-dozen accidents in the house and all of them pee accidents. She has never pooped in the house. So, we thought she was pretty much house broke. Then suddenly, she just up and peed right on the dog bed. Housebreaking is always an ongoing process, and we know that over time the accidents will become less and less. Looking for more information on housebreaking? Obedience training your week-old puppy With any dog training, obedience is key! She will SIT on command about 90 percent of the time. The only time we really have issues is when there is a lot of distractions. That is normal for a puppy of her age, but that does not mean that we just allow her to be disobedient when there are distractions. Rather, we look for distractions and then train through them. This is very important because you do not want your dog to just be obedient when everything is calm. You want, even need, your puppy to be obedient when the everyday distractions happen. HERE command As I have already stated, twelve-week-old puppies are cute, but they can also be little terrors. This is the age when they start to get very independent. With that independence comes the desire to run away from you, run around you, play keep-a-way and just generally terrorize your life. We get lots of calls from owners of puppies this age. They all want to know if we can take their dog now for training instead of at the usual months of age that we usually require for hunting dog training. This is very hard, even for professional trainers. But that is almost always a mistake since Bubba will decide to make a game out of not coming to us. Getting your puppy to come to you There are some techniques to help with this matter. Sometimes this is a good time to start treat-training your dog on HERE. This is a short-term fix that we will not continue for long, but it can sometimes help to get us through the next month or two. Labs are almost always driven by food, so it can help you get a better response to the HERE command. You can also have the dog drag a long check cord. The check cord gives you something to grab onto if the dog tries to make a game of coming to you, but you must be careful since the lead can get caught on something and injure your dog. Remember that each time you say HERE, you need to pull your puppy towards you. You need to associate the HERE command with coming towards you. You need your puppy to understand that coming to you is a good thing. That is why treats can help with this. If every time your puppy comes to you, you put her away or take something away from her, soon your puppy will not want to come to you. You must work hard to make coming to you a good experience for your puppy. Last week we introduced Bubba to water and got her swimming. Since then, she has been swimming a couple more times and she is very comfortable retrieving in the water. We also introduced her to decoys on land. Introduction to live birds This week we introduced Bubba to a live bird. We do this using a pigeon with the flight feathers pulled out. The pigeon can walk around and flap its wings, but it cannot fly. We ultimately would love to see the puppy chase down the bird, grab it in their mouth and bring it to us or at least prance around with it a bit. For some dogs, this can take a bit of encouragement the first time. But generally, once the puppy grabs hold of the bird, we see their whole demeanor change. This was the case for Bubba. Once Bubba picked up the pigeon, she pranced around the yard with her tail high and a spring in her step. She was so excited and proud of herself. This is a great response. Introduction to gun fire As I stated in last weeks post, we do not want to rush the introduction to gunfire. We have never had a dog we have raised and trained become gun shy and that is because we introduce gunfire is a very slow and painfully methodical way. The first step is that the dog or puppy is in a box on our dog trailer. While in this box, our other dogs are getting marks in the field. The gunners for these marks are anywhere from yards away from the dog trailer and they are using primers or starter pistols. The puppy is hearing these shots, but they are a long way away and are muted by being in the dog trailer. Our puppies hear these shots for weeks, or months before they ever hear anything closer. This is our first introduction to gun fire. Bubba was exposed to this last week and will be every week for a while before we move anything closer to her. Learn more about introducing your dog to gunfire. Continuation of assistant marks Bubba will continue to get assistant marks most days from now until she is done her training. The marks will continue to increase in distance and complexity but all our marking scenarios for our afternoon sessions involved gunners out in the field throwing marks for Bubba. Final thoughts on training for your week-old Labrador puppy You are really in the thick of it if your puppy is around the week mark. The next month or two will likely be the most challenging of your time raising a Labrador puppy. That will make obedience training easier and faster, but that is still a bit of a ways out. Hang in there and push through. Keep your commands and corrections firm and consistent and you will make progress with your puppy. If you are struggling or need additional help with your new puppy, 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. Training your week-old Labrador puppy? To do this, we give her lots of opportunities to go in the backyard, and not need to hold her bladder for too long. And always give her the opportunity to poop outdoors after a meal. Potty Training By now, your puppy should have a lot more control over his bladder than when you first brought him home. Some puppies take longer than others to become fully housetrained. How much should a 12 week old puppy sleep? You might have expected that as your puppy grows, they will drop those day time sleeps. But in fact, most puppies are still spending more of their time asleep than they do awake. Temperament differs between breeds, but there are some common traits that all 12 week old puppies will share. They are all still likely to be playful, curious, and excited to be around you. And one of the best things about puppies is the fun games you can play with them! Playing is a great way to bond with your pup, and a great way for him to burn some energy inside the house. Chase, tug, hide and seek, blowing bubbles and puppy massage are all great ways to play together. Lots of them are simple, and can use treats and toys from your house. Puppy games can even help with training. You can see how this works by taking a look at our online puppy training courses! Teething and Biting One thing you might not have been prepared for is the teething that starts at around 10 to 12 weeks old. Your puppy might bite during play, but may also chew to relieve pain from teething. Most biting is not related to teething. If you have small children in your home, you should teach them the best way to act around puppies. This will help to reduce the number of hard bites they suffer from. Puppy bites can hurt. And 12 week old puppies can even draw blood. This biting is often accompanied by snarling and growling. How to Minimise Biting Biting will naturally start to reduce by the time your puppy is around 4 to 5 months old. But, while your puppy is in the biting stage, this behavior can be made worse by excitement, attention, and poor bite inhibition. If you reward your puppy for biting by giving him more attention or excitable play, the biting can increase. We have a 5 step plan to reduce biting in this article. You may want to place your puppy in a puppy zone. Squealing or yelping can make your pup more excited. You can also train your puppy not to bite. You might have noticed we included three meal times in the routine earlier. These are not times to give your dog a third of their daily rations — they are the times for the leftovers from the part of the day! Hand them some kibble whenever they lay down calmly, keep their paws on the floor instead of jumping up. The window for socialization actually starts to close at 12 weeks. But, it can last until 16 weeks in many puppies. Make sure you are still taking your 12 week old puppy out to new experiences, locations, and people. This will help to reinforce the socialization you have done up until now, and keep your puppy from becoming fearful in new situations. If you are struggling to lift them, you might want to invest in a harness, or puppy backpack! So, make sure they experience as much as possible even now that they are 12 weeks old. Puppy Health and Care There are three main areas we want to focus on for the health and care of your puppy. These are vaccinations, feeding schedules, and exercise needs. But, there is also general care to think about. Generally, in the UK, puppies will receive their second combined vaccine at 12 weeks old, and will need no more. In the USA, puppies often receive their third combined vaccine, a rabies vaccine, and possibly a Leptospirosis or Lyme vaccine at 12 weeks. But, they may also need a fourth combined vaccine at 16 weeks old. This vaccine schedule may differ between practices. So, speak to your vet to find out exactly when your puppy will receive his last vaccine. You can read more about puppy vaccines here. Exercise Needs Puppies need less exercise than you might think, even though they can seem full of energy! Some breeders suggest 5 minutes of exercise per month of age — so a maximum 15 minute walk outside for a 12 week old puppy. It can strain vulnerable growing dogs, and lead to issues like hip dysplasia. So, make sure to avoid over-exercising your puppy. Especially if you have a large breed dog. Save to Pinterest The Stages of Puppy Growth and Development Month by Month The following are the stages of puppy growth and development, starting at birth and ending when your dog reaches adulthood. The Neonatal Stage 0 to 2 weeks This is the newborn puppy growth stage that lasts until two weeks of age. At this developmental stage, puppies are blind and deaf. Expect puppies at this point to sleep almost constantly and their mother will take care of everything, keeping them warm, feeding them, and keeping them clean. The Transitional Stage 2 to 4 weeks At this puppy growth stage , they will start to open up their eyes and respond to sounds, light, and movement around them. You will also notice a puppy at this point starting to get more mobile, although they will still tend to crawl instead of walking. They do, however, have enough strength to stand up, but will stumble a lot. A puppy in this developmental stage will just be starting to recognize their siblings and mother. Lab puppies open their eyes at about two weeks old. By this time, Labrador puppies will have their eyes fully open and most will be at least partly open. Ears open at this point too and your puppy will begin to hear. Period of Awakening of Senses 3 to 4 weeks At this period , a puppy develops various senses rapidly. They start to get fully alert and aware of their environment and may recognize you and other humans that are frequently around. The Socialization Period 4 to 7 Weeks Once a puppy is around four weeks old, they start to learn the most important things in life-related to social development. They will learn to not bite all the time and how to interact with their siblings. Interactions with humans are especially important between five and seven weeks. This is also the time they will start to understand discipline thanks to their mother. She will start weaning her puppies and teaching them manners, like acknowledging she is in charge. As the owner, you can start introducing food to your puppy when they are around four weeks old. Start small and begin to give them more food as the mother continues to wean them. You should also continue handling the puppy every day. However, be sure not to separate them from their siblings or mother for over ten minutes each day, since this can lead to issues with training and socialization. Dogs who are separated too soon may also be nervous and more likely to bark and bite. During this period, let the mother dog take care of discipline; you should not correct the dog for mouthing or housebreaking mistakes until later in life. To help ease them through this process, avoid traumatic events, loud voices, or harsh discipline. You should also make sure your pooch has plenty of human contact during this stage. If you want, you can start leash training and even teach simple commands such as sit, down, stay and come. In terms of development, you will notice that your puppy can sleep through the whole night and starts to develop better control of its bowels and bladder. Most vets suggest that new outings should wait until they are fully vaccinated. We rub the Calmeroos Puppy Toy on littermates and mom to get their scent. When we get home the Calmeroos Puppy Toy helps our puppy feel comfortable and adjust more quickly to his new environment. Many puppies will go to their new homes at around 8 weeks old. We recently put together a blog post on our sister site detailing what you can expect from an 8-week-old puppy. The Juvenile Stage 3 to 4 Months At this point in development, a puppy can be compared to a juvenile. They will be more independent and may ignore the basic commands that they know very well. If this happens, firmly and gently reinforce the commands and other training. You may also notice your pup starting to test your authority by play biting or similar actions. You can also redirect your dog to a toy that they can bite. Either can end up teaching your pooch that it is okay to fight with you and challenge your authority. The Ranking Period 3 to 6 Months When your puppy is between four and six months old, you should expect them to be somewhat bratty, showing more willfulness and independence. They are more likely to test your limits and may try to show dominance over children or other family members. If they fail to listen to you or come when called, it can be dangerous as it puts them at risk of injury when in public. It can also hurt future responses to you, making them less likely to listen. This is also when your dog will be teething, so give them toys like frozen dog Kong toys to relieve pressure and pain. Chewing behaviors will also start growing at this point so look for some safe chew toys to keep your dog entertained. This is when hormonal changes start to occur and is the ideal time to spay or neuter your pup. UC Davis published a study comparing the long-term health effects of neutering in Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers. Adolescence 6 to 18 Months After six months, your pup is already in the final stage of puppy development but is still young. This is a fun and exciting time for your pooch since they will be learning, full of energy, and exuberant. During this time, it is important to remember that even if your puppy now looks like a grown-up dog, they are still a puppy, at least in its mental capacity and emotional maturity. Work to slowly increase training and other activities. You can even work on advanced training such as agility or herding. Another option is to simply keep training them to ensure they interact in a non-aggressive and non-threatening way with other animals. It is also possible that your dog will go through another fearful period of time at some point after they reach six months. You can speed up the process with counter-conditioning and desensitization. It fits very well and is quite apt! Final Thoughts With the knowledge of how and when your new puppy will develop, you are better able to meet their needs. Provide socialization at the appropriate times and be sure to give your puppy plenty of social interactions with their siblings as well as humans and any other pets in your home. Your dog should reach maturity at some point between one and two years old with plenty of variation based on breed, Labradors are considered mature at between 2 and 2. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist. Colby Colby Morita has been raising and training guide and service dog puppies for over 13 years. Colby has been writing to the PuppyInTraining.

Cancer Progressive Retinal Atrophy The primary recommendations we make when someone is shopping for Miniature Goldendoodles are fairly standard. Getting your dog the right amount of exercise and keeping them at a healthy weight can prevent many chronic problems and make them overall happier. In addition, taking your dog in for regular checkups, and to stay current on all shots and vaccinations, encourages health as well. One other reason that puppy parents trust Keystone Puppies when looking for Mini Goldendoodles for sale is that we make dog health our top priority! Not only do we only work with responsible breeders that prioritize healthy practices, but we also offer a no-hassle puppy health guarantee. Because they are bred to have the coat qualities of a Poodle, these pups are a popular option for owners looking to adopt a hypoallergenic dog. Their curly coat should be soft to the touch. The signature coat of pretty curls is one of the places where the Poodle ancestry truly shines through. To keep the coat looking its most beautiful, make sure to brush it two to four times per week. Not only is brushing a nice bonding experience for the pup and their person, but it also prevents tangling and matting. Owners can maintain a healthy Goldendoodle coat by bathing them every other month. Meet Mini Goldendoodles for Sale. Sept 14, Happy Thursday! Thanks so much for visiting our site! We think that our smaller golden doodles are the perfect family addition! We absolutely love the temperament of golden retrievers, but not so much the size and the shedding. Our goal is to give you a puppy with a great temperament, in a smaller size, without all of the shedding. We would love to help your family adopt one of our mini or toy Goldendoodles. We want to make this process as much fun as we can! Our deposits are refundable for any reason for up to two years. After 18 years of raising mini golden doodles, we have learned that the daily personal interaction with our dogs and the puppies, leads to a more well rounded and well adjusted puppy. We raise F1 mini doodles, F1b mini doodles and F1b toys. For those with more severe allergies, this may be the way to go. .Our minis average pounds and our toys average pounds full grown. You can visit our photo gallery to see pictures of our past and present puppies! There are hundreds and hundreds of pictures in the photo gallery so get comfortable!!! Reach out to us anytime! Our farms have lots of room to run and a creeks to play in! With our kids, our nieces and nephews and extended families, the puppies get lots of love, playtime and socialization. This allows them to be more well adjusted little puppies when they go to their new homes. We have Mini Goldendoodle Puppies Available! Sept 14, We have puppies!! Puppy Picks happen on the day that the puppies get to go home. This is so that families can better see the temperaments of the puppies, making it easier for them to choose the right puppy for their family. Some families are looking for a couch potato, some for a more active doodle to run or hike with. We will for sure help you during the picking process, whether in person or with FaceTime. Families can send a refundable deposit to hold their picking spot on a litter, then come on Puppy Pick Day to choose and take their puppy home. We post new photos in the photo gallery every weekend, so check that out! We wait until that day so that the puppies are old enough to be able to see their little personalities. The deposits are fully refundable for up to 2 years. If families would rather wait on a future litter… they will go on the waiting list. Your puppy can then be driven to you or we can meet you somewhere in between. We can also ship your puppy via American Airlines if the temperature is between 20 and 82 degrees, or we can recommend a flight nanny to fly with your puppy in cabin. You can of course remain on the waiting list longer than two years, if you want to keep passing on litters. .Be sure to contact us for our current pricing. Our mini goldendoodle puppies come with a 2 year health guarantee against genetic issues. Should something arise in those 2 years, we will cover the cost of treatment up to the cost of the puppy. We know that parting with a family member would be impossible… All this said, our mini golden doodles have been so incredibly healthy. Our vet is a HUGE fan of mini doodles. I post fun and exciting things…. You can like our Facebook page where lots of our families are posting great pictures and videos of their puppies in their new homes! There are links to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at the top right corner of this page!! We welcome families to come visit our farm to meet us, the parents and of course the mini goldendoodle puppies. We love to show off how we raise our puppies and how our moms and dads live here, and they of course love meeting new people! Besides that, we know that getting a puppy is a huge deal and getting to see where they come from is very important! Be sure to visit our photo gallery to see hundreds of pictures of our puppies in their new home! You can see the different coats and colors of our puppies and who the parents are of each puppy. Knowing which of our earlier puppies you like helps us to know what you would like your puppy to look like. Be sure to like our Facebook page too! Life Span Did You Know? Although this breed is very popular, it is not currently recognized by the American Kennel Club. As long as they are well-socialized, Miniature Goldendoodles tend to make excellent family companions. They tend to get along well with children, other dogs, and other pets. Although they will alert you of strangers at the door, they tend to warm up quickly as they are more interested in making friends and receiving attention. Mini Goldendoodles are highly adaptable dogs. Their smaller size makes them a great fit for apartment living or for bigger homes with yards where they can run. As long as they get enough daily exercise, mental stimulation, and attention, they can adapt well. These little dogs tend to do well in just about any climate. However, like any dog, they are sensitive to heat. Due to their smaller size, you may need to gear up with some dog-friendly winter gear when temperatures start falling. Because this dog breed is loyal and people-oriented, they love to be in your company and do not like being left alone for long periods of time. This means they can be prone to developing separation anxiety if you do not work with them on it early on. Instead, make sure your new Mini Goldendoodle puppy has an active role in your life. If you do need to leave them alone for a bit, make sure they have some comforting toys or challenging puzzles to keep them from getting bored. Reputable breeders will screen their dogs to avoid passing preventable issues to puppies. Make sure you are asking about the health and genetic history of the parents. You can also ask about any health tests and clearances that have been done. The Mini Goldendoodles is a highly intelligent dog that picks up on things quickly and is eager to please. They tend to be sensitive to tone of voice as well. As long as training is consistent and focused on positive praise and reward, a Mini Goldendoodle will strive to be obedient and impress you and tends to excel at almost any task. These traits make the Mini Goldendoodle one of the best dog breeds for first-time owners and a good fit for owners of all experience levels. Daily brushing is recommended to remove tangles and prevent mats. Bathing is occasional and can often be relegated to the dog groomer that is recommended you visit every weeks. The groomer can help handle some of this during visits, but you will still need to do some maintenance at home between visits. Nail trims once or twice monthly keep nails from growing too long. Weekly ear checks with careful cleanings as needed help prevent ear infections. Daily brushing, plus cleanings at the vet as needed, is good dental care for dogs and can help prevent painful dental diseases later in life. Although the parents of this breed have a lot of energy, a Mini Goldendoodle tends to sit in a more moderate activity range. Daily walks plus some playtime and time to run are usually enough for them. But, they are also likely to match their energy level to yours, so be prepared for some bursts of energy as well as plenty of cuddling on the couch. Fully-grown Mini Goldendoodles usually stand inches tall at the shoulder. A Miniature Goldendoodle puppy can vary in size based on the generation of the dog. The result is generally a dog that will range from pounds. Looking at the size of the parents for an F1 or F1-B puppy can be a good indication of what size to expect in a fully-grown Miniature Goldendoodle. Mini Goldendoodles generally live for years on average. Featured Mini Goldendoodle Article. Showing 1 - 40 of 40 resultsPage 1 - 40 results Sort by Your listing deserves to be on top. This litter of puppies was born on August 4th, and will be ready for their new homes at 8 weeks old. There are 4 boys.We are currently accepting deposits so that you can hold the pup of your choice.Located near Guelph, Ontario, our animals are raised with awareness, They are F-1 so the weight will be around 25 ish pounds. They come vet checked with shots and the first deworming. They are playful.Burlington There are 5 males and 2 females available for adoption! They were born July 20th and have their first set of shots with dewormer All pups were raised around other animals and children. They have.Hypoallergenic and non shedding! Mom is mini Goldendoodle, dad is Mini poodle. Both parents, mom gentle Mini Goldendoodle 24lb , and dad an adorable mini poodle 9lb, Will be less than 18 pounds full grown Vet checked, health examination done and are very healthy. This pup will mature less than 10 pounds full grown Vet checked, dewormed twice, first vaccine given. Health tested and no abnormalities seen.Cute curly playful puppies meant to enrich everyone they meet. Call or text. Mom is a 25 lb goldendoodle. Dad is a .Love people and get along well with most animals. Introducing Curly Coated Cockapoo Puppies! Are you ready to add a bundle of joy to your family? Look no further than.There are 2 girls still available. They will grow to be approximately 25 Ibs. They all have amazing temperaments! Catharines Now accepting deposits on F1BB mini goldendoodle puppies .Pups ready now.These boys should.They are very sociable and companionable, and are also great with other pets and children. Mother is a Golden.One girl and one boy left the darker one is the male Call r text only please. Friendly and loves.These little puppies have already received all up to date vaccinations and have been dewormed. I have 7 mini goldendoodles available 4 girls and 3 boys. The girls are on the pink blanket background and the boys are on the blue blanket background. These are F.When fully grown, they will reach a compact size of .He is 8 weeks old, having been born on July 16, .He has received one set of shots. He also has been microchipped and his.Non-Shedding, lbs. Love to snuggle and be held. Had their first rounds of vaccinations, dewormed X 3 and vet checked. Great with kids and other.Mom is a 30lb F1 Goldendoodle. Dad is a 20lb Poodle. Pups expected to be lbs full grown. Pups will be.Sweet loving puppies that love to be cuddled and held. Mom is mini Golden Doodle and Dad's a.Please Contact Puppies Goldendoodle F1B Richmond Hill Our puppies are raised in a loving home environment, which ensures they are well socialized and ready to become valuable members of your family. Thanks to their hypoallergenic wool, they are the.They are well socialized and good with children, as well as other pets. They have their 1st set of shots, been vet checked, and a 1 year.Vet checked Dewormed with 1st shots ready to go home 35 lbs full grown. Mom is on site. Adorable F2b Miniature Goldendoodle Puppies! Our puppies are family-raised in a loving environment so they are extremely well.These sweet babies were born July 11th and would be ready to be placed in.Browse other categories in All Categories in Ontario. We offer a personal touch to breeding and raising our puppies, ensuring that every customer feels like a part of our family. If you have any questions or concerns, we are just a phone call, text, or email away. About Our Miniature Goldendoodles Our Miniature Goldendoodles are an exceptional hybrid breed, resulting from a purebred Golden Retriever and a miniature poodle cross. At maturity, they typically average 25 lbs. Our mini puppies embody the best characteristics of their parent breeds, including the amiable temperament of the Golden Retriever and the intelligence and low-shedding coat of the miniature poodle, making them ideal allergy-friendly pets. While our puppies are generally low shedding, some shedding may occur when the puppy coat transitions into the adult coat. Our female, Paislee, has abstract pups. Our puppies are wormed at weeks 4, 5, and 6 and receive their first puppy vaccine at 6 weeks. Before leaving our possession, each puppy undergoes a veterinary check to ensure their health. If any issues are detected, we will assist you in moving your deposit to another litter, if you choose to do so. If you wish to purchase a puppy for the purpose of breeding multiple litters, the cost is double the pet price. Our Happy Clients Our puppies have found loving homes all across the country. Take a look at the map below to see where our Mini Goldendoodle puppies have been placed and join our community of happy puppy owners! We got our mini golden doodle here and had a great experience. Neely was amazing and so helpful in answering all my questions. Highly recommended! They have been more wonderful than we could have ever imagined. They are the sweetest and smartest puppies ever! I highly recommend Cheryl at Walters Mini Golden Doodles if you are looking for the perfect addition to your family! The team would send me weekly updates and provided the 1st round of vaccines for us. I would recommend using this breeder and would purchase another puppy from them again! This is Benny, whose parents were Mars and Bella. He just turned 2 in April and weighs 37lbs. I would highly recommend her services. We had the opportunity to bring our precious little puppy home on .Teddi Belle is such a joy to have and our family is blessed to add her to our addition. First, and all subsequent vet check-ups were excellent. Our niece has also purchased a Mini Goldendoodle from Walters and is experiencing similar enjoyment. I would recommend this breeder to anyone who asks me. Do not hesitate to consider Walters Mini Golden doodles as your breeder. We are here to help make your forever home complete with a happy and healthy Miniature Goldendoodle puppy.

Read more about the pups that are currently up for adoption. Read More… Foster Dogs FBRN is being faced with an increasing number of dogs who are ill, handicapped, or need expensive veterinary care before being placed. Meet our Foster Frenchies and please consider sponsoring one of them to ensure that they receive the care that they need. Read More… Surrender a Dog Life has thrown you a curve ball and you must surrender your French Bulldog… we are here to help! Read More… Volunteer We welcome you to join us in our efforts to rehabilitate and rehome needy French Bulldogs. We have many options for you to choose from, depending on your circumstances, time and resources. Our organization is composed solely of volunteers who nurture and foster these dogs as well as provide education and training. Our goal is to place healthy and happy French Bulldogs into forever homes. Read More… Contact Us Learn about the many ways that you can get in touch with us. He has a Staffie sister, Lettie, who he adores and who has taught him so much with her gentle patience. He has doggie friends at daycamp he sees once a week. He is the best snuggler ever! He used to be a resource guarder, but will now bring you his toys for a treat! He loves our daily walks and meeting people. Thank you FBRN for picking us to be his family- we love him so much! Despite being mostly blind and deaf, Ham is thriving in his golden years, especially with his folks now working from home. Thank you FBRN for our goodest good boy! We are so grateful for every day with him. She had cherry eye surgery in March right before Covid quarantine and the surgery was a success. A gigantic thank you to FBRN for allowing me to adopt this perfect little nugget. All Rights Reserved. A c 3 Non-Profit Organization. Tax ID: .Powered by Geeks4Rent. Short Mugs accepts rescue dogs through owner surrender and local animal shelters. The organization is entirely volunteer-operated. While the group focuses on French bulldogs, they also assist in rescuing and rehoming Boston Terriers, Pugs, and English Bulldogs, depending on the specific dog and its circumstances. A proud French Bulldog Mom watches over her puppies! To adopt a French bulldog, Short Mugs evaluates an application, visits your home, and establishes that a veterinarian is available to work with the dog and its new owner. The application process includes paying a non-refundable twenty-dollar fee to compensate for a portion of the costs acquired during a rescue and subsequent vetting. Notable for potential adopters is that the application and fee payment do not guarantee that the applicant will accept the French bulldog. Application processing takes about three weeks after the application is complete. The final step is the home visit, where the potential adopters will be notified via email if the adoption will be successful. The rescue works to care for French bulldogs who temporarily need a home and find the best match for a new family for these beautiful dogs. With an all-volunteer staff, the group is dedicated to providing a new home for dogs in need. The rescue accepts dogs from owner surrenders, community shelters, and any other situation, as needed. French Bulldogs are an amazing dog breed, but are typically lower energy than a Goldendoodle. The rescue offers a robust foster program. As soon as a French bulldog is accepted into care, it is placed in a home with a family. Initially, dogs visit the veterinarian for a complete checkup. The rescue neuters or spays the dogs and completes all vaccinations before adoption. One of the primary ways this rescue accepts French bulldogs is via owner surrender. Owners who need to surrender their dogs due to medical conditions, living situations, or upon owner death need to contact the rescue to plan for transferral of the dog. To notify the rescue of a surrender, email the group and provide all necessary contact information, including which city you live in and why you need to surrender the French bulldog. This rescue also prefers that you attach a photo of the dog in this initial email. After this first point of contact, the rescue will ask some follow-up questions. The rescue has to gather as much information as possible to ensure that the volunteers can find the best home for the dog. The rescue has a meticulous adoption process. Potential adopters must complete an application, undergo an interview, agree to a home visit and obtain landlord approval, if necessary. Finally, the rescue will facilitate meet-and-greets to ensure that the dog is the best fit for its new human. Prospective adopters pay a twenty-dollar non-refundable application fee. If you are looking to adopt a dog in the Lone Star state, reaching out to No Borders Bulldog Rescue can help you find your newest family member! The rescue accepts dogs surrendered by previous owners who cannot keep them due to age, infirmity, or other issues and works alongside animal control officers and local shelters to recover French bulldogs from unacceptable living conditions. No Borders Bulldog Rescue Texas offers rehabilitation training for every dog entering their facility and aims to treat any emotional, behavioral, or physical needs the dog might need help to repair. The rescue most often accepts French bulldogs between the ages of four and eight; it is rare for the group to have puppies available for adoption. Adoption fees, called donations by the rescue, reimburse the group for any vetting costs and help keep the group operational. Hundreds of French bulldogs are lost, abused, and surrendered to animal shelters annually. Before allowing adoptions, No Borders Bulldog Rescue Texas has provided vetting for the French bulldogs, including vaccinations, testing, spaying or neutering, microchipping, and any other additional needed treatments. A French Bulldog with a case of hiccups at night! It rescues French Bulldogs and places them in fitting adoptive homes. All of the dogs accepted by the Bulldog Rescue Squad Texas are purebred bulldogs of any kind. Dogs often arrive from shelters or owners who are no longer suitable to care for a French bulldog. Before an adoption arrangement, the rescue guarantees that a veterinarian sees the bulldog and that the dog is spayed, neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. The Network holds three critical missions 1 to rescue, 2 to rehabilitate, and 3 to rehome. FBRN is entirely volunteer-operated, with more experienced members training newcomers. FBRN rescues French bulldogs from commercial breeding kennels, import brokers, shelters, and private rescue groups. The group operates in Texas but also has operations across the country and in Canada. While the most expansive rescue on our list, the quality of care and effort to properly match dogs with owners are unparalleled. Volunteers help care for the French bulldogs and provide community education to ensure that people understand specifics about the breed and how to treat the dogs once they are appropriately adopted. All of the French bulldogs are spayed or neutered before adoption. To begin the process, potential adopters will apply to become qualified adopters. Part of the application fee will include reimbursement to the rescue for all of the vettings to ensure the French bulldog is healthy before it is adopted. Best French Bulldog Rescues Takeaways There are many French bulldog adoption options, and the best news is that all of the provided selections are non-profit and operate solely on volunteers and donations. Offering French bulldogs in need of help a safe place to be housed, cared for, and rehomed is a shared and essential mission of every group on our list. It is important to remember that these are the best French bulldog rescues in Texas, but not necessarily the only ones. Many excellent rescue organizations are working across the United States and Canada for French bulldogs. Still, these are what we consider to be the best available, based on a specific location. Adopting a French bulldog is an excellent choice for your family, for the rescue, and the dog! If you are a potential adopter, any of these five rescue organizations can help match you with the best French bulldog for your lifestyle. Additionally, since all organizations on this list are non-profits and rely heavily on donations and volunteer work, reaching out to save French bulldogs could be an excellent opportunity. From making a tax-deductible donation to offering to be a foster home for a dog in need, every rescue on this list would welcome resources. Looking for more rescues? Share A Story! Read our full affiliate disclosure. Who can resist those large, bat-like ears and that charming little face of theirs? No one can! Need further convincing? Take a look at the list of French Bulldog rescues in Texas that we have compiled. You will find some rescue organizations that solely rescue Frenchies, and others that rescue all Bulldog breeds. Adopting French Bulldogs, and any dog, for that matter, locally is beneficial to everyone. You get to adopt a furry friend that is sure to bring joy and excitement into your family. The dog gets a forever home and the rescue organization has more space, time, and resources to rescue another dog in need. Adopting is just one way of supporting your local French Bulldog rescue groups. You can also donate, foster, volunteer, participate in fundraising events, and spread the word about the work that they do. Here is the list of 5 French Bulldog Rescues in Texas you can adopt from: 1. They are a non-profit group that serves the Dallas-Fort Worth region committed to the rescue of Bulldogs, including Frenchies. They state on their website that they rescue Bulldogs from owners who are unable to properly care for the dogs as well as from animal shelters. Their mission is to rescue Bulldogs, provide them with proper veterinary care, spay or neuter them, and find them their forever home. If interested in adopting from them, you will need to fill out their online application form and answer a series of questions to help them determine whether one of their rescues will make a good addition to your family. They take several things into consideration such as lifestyle, other pets, and whether there are any kids in the home to make this decision. The Bulldog Rescue Squad also states that they are only able to adopt out to families living within a certain range of the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Doing this will allow their volunteers to make the appropriate home visits after adoption and ensure that everything is going smoothly. See below for information on surrendering a French Bulldog. They are a volunteer group who focuses on rescuing breed specific English and French Bulldogs. This group will take in bulldogs from animal shelters, rescue groups and even from owner surrenders. They will bring these dogs into their facility where they will care for them and provide both medical and behavioral care. Austin Bulldog Rescue will work at finding the best match for a permenant forever family. They look at the bulldogs background as well as your family needs. With each of their bulldogs, they all have different personalities, energy levels, medial needs and their comfort levels with kids and other animals. All of these factors play a role in where these dogs are placed. All bulldogs that come to this rescue will live with foster parents in the Austin Texas area. If the need arises they will also operate throughout the state but their main focus is the Austin and NW San Antonio area. Be sure to contact Austin Bulldog Rescue if you are looking for a French Bulldog as they may have the perfect match for you! They do not have a shelter that you can visit to please email or call them for further details.

The field-grown vegetables give your dog fiber for healthy digestion, and the recipe is packed with vitamins and minerals to deliver a balanced diet. What does your dog need from its diet? Of course, something like cost is essential, but the most important factor when it comes to your pet is their health. Does your dog have any dietary restrictions? If they have allergies or sensitivities , your choices are more limited, but it does also narrows down your search. Take the time to research brands and look at reviews to give you an idea of what works for other dogs and their pet parents. Nutritional Profile The nutritional needs of a dog may surprise you. There have been debates about whether dogs are omnivores or carnivores. However, unlike cats, dogs can process plant material and benefit from complex carbohydrates. Dogs gain nutrients from fruits and vegetables, and superfoods like kale and blueberries are always good to see in an ingredient list. Even wolves are known to munch on fruits and vegetables in the wild. Sweet potato, quinoa, and chickpeas are examples of high-quality carbs that provide fiber for digestion. Image Credit: Phuttharak, Shutterstock What Food Does for Your Dog A dog is considered a puppy for the first 12 months of its life, and it goes through a lot of changes during this time, which means it needs a good diet to support all the changes. Puppy food has a higher concentration of calories which turns into bone growth and new muscle. Once your dog is out of the puppy stage, the extra calories could result in weight gain. If your dog is a large breed may prefer buying large quantities, and you need a brand that stays fresh for a long time. Larger dogs are also more prone to joint problems, so you can look at diets that offer joint support. Limited-ingredient diets are mainly aimed at pet parents of dogs who have food allergies; the limited ingredient pool allows them to freely feed their dogs without worry of allergens or cross-contamination in their food bowls. Blue Buffalo is one of the most popular options amongst pet parents for a reason: they bring amazing quality to every bite! One of the significant responsibilities that prospective parents will have to contend with is feeding their dogs. When choosing dog food it is essential to identify what kind of food you need for your dog. There are many dog foods on the market, and it can seem daunting to choose the correct one, but there are a few significant factors you want to consider before purchasing dog food. Large breed food may be too big for small breed dogs for their mouths to chew comfortably. However, small breed food might be so small for a large breed dog that they inhale and choke for a large breed dog. You want to consider whether or not your dog will be able to eat the food properly. Puppies tend to eat faster than adult dogs, and food that is too small for them might also get inhaled, just like with a larger breed dog. While prospective parents of the new puppy may not know their dog has any allergies, they may find that their dog is intolerant or allergic to many common ingredients in dog food. Nutritional Profile Many people are misinformed about the nutritional needs of dogs. Most people think that dogs are carnivores, but scientific observation has shown that they are, in fact, omnivores. This means dogs are designed to break down the nutrients in plant material and animal proteins. Dogs can derive nutrients from several sources, including fruits and vegetables. A quality dog food will contain both meats and vegetables to provide the most holistic and well-rounded nutritional profile for the dogs eating their food. While dogs can consume animal proteins and plant matter, their primary food source should be animal proteins. A high-protein diet can help your dog achieve good health outcomes and should be encouraged. There is some controversy about grain-free diets, but grains can actually be healthy for our canine friends. Grain-free diets will be beneficial for dogs with grain allergies, however. Not all dogs can handle a protein-rich diet. Dogs at risk of kidney disease, liver disease, or some specific types of bladder stones will want to reduce the amount of protein in their diet. Additionally, you want to consider the differences between puppy and adult formula. At the same time, it may seem like a hassle to get your dog puppy food. A dog is considered a puppy for the first 12 months of its life; during this time, it will do the most of its growing and change size very rapidly. This amount of growth takes a lot of energy, and thus puppy foods have a higher concentration of calories that they can consume to turn into new muscle and bone growth. However, once a dog reaches the adult stage at 12 months of age, these extra calories are no longer necessary and can cause your dog to gain weight rapidly if you continue to feed them puppy-formulated food. After 12 months, you want to switch your dog slowly to an adult formula food with a profile geared more towards a dog that is no longer growing. The first ingredient in every ingredient list should be real meat. Dogs need a protein-rich diet filled with high-quality protein sources like real meat. These are signs that the food is low quality and may contain toxic things for dogs in high quantities. Canned Food There are many debates on whether kibble or canned food is better for dogs. If the nutritional profile of kibble is appropriate, then kibble is an excellent food source for dogs; kibble even has dental benefits for dogs as the crunchy texture helps clean the plaque off their teeth. However, canned food offers a higher moisture content for your dog, which can help keep them from getting dehydrated. Canned food is also often more palatable for dogs, and many dogs prefer the textures of canned food to their kibble. There is no definitive better or worse between the two; most parents feed their dogs a mixture of canned and kibble foods. However, some pet parents prefer to feed their dog canned and kibble foods as separate meals. There is no right or wrong way to feed your dog their food as long as they eat a nutritious species-appropriate diet and stay well hydrated. Food Availability Another critical factor that pet parents consider is the availability of food near their homes. They want to be able to not only purchase food online, if necessary, but also to buy food at stores nearby to their homes. PetSmart is one of the most widely trusted pet stores in the United States. With locations all over the United States, pet parents want to know what the best foods they can buy at PetSmart are, and being able to pick up food on your way home from work when you run out is an incredibly convenient option. There are lots of things to consider and lots of options to peruse. For those who are looking to spend a little bit more, PetSmart carries Instinct Raw Boost, which is a fantastic premium option. See also:. Black - with Tan, Yellow or Fawn size Med. Hello there! Tiny Tim was a long name for my foster momma, and one day she started calling my tiny bean and beans and I immediately responded to the nickname! I am roughly 7 months old, with the most beautiful 2 different colored eyes that always have a playful hint in them! I have lots of energy to explore, run, jump, play, and curiosity for a puppy! I love finding the mangoes in my foster parents backyard and eating them up! Some structure and guidance will help me feel more confident and make new friends! Playing outside is the best, but keep an eye on me, I love to dig holes in search of buried treasure! I am great with other dogs and people big and small! Food is left down at all times as is water, so please make sure I have plenty of water after coming in from playing so hard. I am given 1 chew a day, and training treats for learning how to sit, stay, and lay down. I used to have toy aggression and food aggression, but my foster momma always made sure I had plenty of food and toys to play with when I was bored I absolutely LOVE squeaky toys, from small unicorns to giant snake toys, I love nibbling, chewing, and squeaking them for hours. I have been known to run with mangoes and be vocal all the while! I am not your typical puppy, I am a sweet and loving boy looking for my furever home with my furever parents! I am neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped. Adopt at www. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.

Reserve your puppy today! Welcome to Tamarack Ridge Goldendoodles! Thank you for visiting our website! We are a small family breeder, specializing in Goldendoodles! Our poodles are bred with carefully chosen English Cream Retrievers that have proven health history. Providing you high quality, of sound health and sweet gentle tempermants, our Goldendoodles are one of a kind! If you are like us and love dogs but don't love dealing with the hair.Not only are these dogs "allergy-friendly", there is light to no shedding! These make excellent pets for households with allergies or those that love the companion but not the shedding! Goldendoodles take on the most desirable traits of the Golden Retriever and the Poodle for a perfect family pet! English Retrievers are known to have great dispositions, are versatile, intelligent and are calm at an earlier age than other breeds. The Poodle is known for it's intelligence, loyalty, and friendly companionship! So what you have is a beautiful, calm, allergy-friendly, minimal shedding, intelligent, loyal companion!!! What more can one ask for?! Our puppies are current on their vaccinations, deworming, and are vet checked and on their way to being crate trained and understanding basic commands, when you take them home! Our puppies are well socialized, loved by children and exposed to cats!! Goldendoodles are the perfect companion! We hope you enjoy our website! Let us know how we can assist you! Breeding Allergy-friendly, bright, gentle, loyal companions! They specialize in breeding Goldendoodle puppies for families and individuals looking for an energetic and loving addition to their home. Goldendoodle puppy standing on the grass. They have experience in breeding a variety of sizes and coat types of Goldendoodles, from Toy to Standard F1, F2, and Multigenerational Goldendoodle puppies. All puppies are AKC registered, up to date on all vaccinations, and come with a two-year health guarantee. The breeder carefully selects breeding dogs to ensure they have the best health, temperament, and conformation. This results in puppies that are healthy, happy, and well-adjusted. The breeding program at Big Oak Ranch is dedicated to producing healthy, happy, and well-tempered Goldendoodles that are perfect for families and individuals looking for a loving companion. They begin training the puppies at an early age, which helps them to become well-adjusted, confident, and well-behaved adults. They also expose the puppies to various environments and experiences to help them become well-rounded and adaptable. Contact Details:. Upcoming Litters One week in with Maple and I have to write to thank you. We are all convinced we have the best puppy in the world - everything is going to much better than I expected. Maple has easily and quickly adjusted to our home and even sleeps through the night! I really can hardly believe it! She is going to the door when she has to go to the bathroom and has had only a few potty accidents inside. She sits on command and happily goes into her crate for sleeping. I had always heard that going with a good breeder is important. Thank you for being so good to your puppies and for prepping them well for their forever homes. Genetically Tested for Superior Health Our dogs are tested for dozens of conditions that plague golden retrievers and poodles ie. This is because we seek to be confident in our ability to provide dogs to families with children as well as therapy and service dogs. Our Mission Helping bring resilient, trainable dogs into the lives of loving families. We have the time, space, and love available to raise dogs that are set up for success from pre-conception all the way through to the day they go home with you. 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 Happy Valley Oregon 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! Ready for forever homes October 5th. Puppies will mature to weigh around 25 pounds full grown, they will come with shots and deworming up to date, star.We have 1 male and 2 females left in our F1B litter. Here at Home Grown Puppy we understand that bringing a n.Mom is 45lbs, dad is 22lbs. Crate and potty trained. You will absolutely love these adorable and cuddly puppies. Family raised and loved! Vet checked and have first vaccinations. F2, Medium size lbs. They are.They are F1b Goldendoodles. The mom is a registered Standard Poodle and the Dad is a first generation Goldendoodle. I have just 2 puppie.They were born July 12 so they are ready for their new homes! The puppies are all super gentle as they've been handled a lot! Goldendoodle puppies - 5 girls and 3 boys available. Low to no-shedding coat and hypoallergenic. Parents are Goldendoodle X Standard Poodle. Will be around 50 to 55lb. Please feel free to check our per.Here at Home Grown Puppy we understand that bringing a.We have 7 females and 1 male. They are healthy, playful and eating well. They are dewormed and have their first shots. You are welcome to come me.Only Males Available. Weight: pounds full grown Please call or text .Puppies arriving in late fall! A few reservations available Puppy choice is in the order of deposit received. Contact Kerry or visit our Facebook page if you want more information. Contact us We would love to hear from you. Please fill out the form below and we will get right back to you. Submit Thank you for your message. It has been sent. Please try again later. When we were ready for a new addition to our family and saw they were having a new litter we eagerly put our name in for one. Miss London is the sweetest, smart, loving 62 pound lap dog. She just had her first birthday and if my daughter had her way we would be getting another one from them. Their pups are well socialized and London slept through the night from day one. She loves our cat and all the extended family members. She loves going to the groomers. Great temperament dogs. Miss London Boomer is practically perfect in every way. I followed Chehalem Mountain Farms Goldendoodles for at least two years before adopting from them. CMFG are dedicated to raising healthy happy pups and placing them in excellent homes. They spend a significant amount of effort and love socializing the pups. Boomer was a gem from the first moment. He is friendly and curious, but also a people pleaser and soooo easy to train. He travels well in the car. This pup is magical, and I am convinced we would not have had the same experience with another breeder. Boomer We got our girl Everest for my son as an emotional support animal. She is the sweetest dog!!! She loves playing with the boys, but is just as happy snuggling up to any of us! She is super smart too. She only had one accident in the house while potty training. She sits down and wags her tail and just waits for them to come up and give her loves. Everest What is a Goldendoodle? A goldendoodle is a golden retriever and poodle cross. Goldendoodles go by several nicknames, including: golden poos, goldie poos, or groodles. Goldendoodles combine the intuitive, people-oriented nature of retrievers and the highly-intelligent mind of poodles. They often have an allergy-friendly coat. Chehalem Mountain Farms Goldendoodles make amazing additions to any family! We only breed a few litters a year so contact us soon to reserve a puppy.

Conclusion Shelters vs. Rescues Shelters are not rescues. Shelters do important, difficult jobs, but they are often overcrowded and underfunded. They rely on rescue groups to take their most at-risk or most adoptable dogs to free up space. Rescuing a dog from a shelter is wonderful, but shelters often lack the resources to rehabilitate their dogs. When you take a dog from a shelter, you may get a dog more quickly, but it may not be the right fit for your family. A rescue group will try to ensure that the dog you choose is a good match for your home and that you will be the perfect family for this furbaby! A young woman taking care of dogs in an animal shelter. Being a rescue dog is tough! Your family may have abandoned you. You may have been homeless or locked up in a shelter for a long time. It can take a dog a long time to adjust to a new home. Remember: your new dog has no idea who you are! Hold off on long walks, going to the beach , or even visiting the pet store. But for the dog, this is an incredibly stressful time. Give your dog at least two weeks of quiet, space, and calm to settle in. Some dogs may need less time than this, while some may need more. During those first two weeks, let them come to you, and let them tell you when they are ready for more. Put a crate , bed, or pen in a quiet, protected part of the house where the dog can escape and be alone. If they have somewhere to feel safe, they will be more likely to respond positively to human interaction and lifestyle changes. Listen to your dog and monitor their behavior to see how they adjust. As long as you give them the love and support they need, your Doodle will come to love you and your family, and that is the most important. A happy woman holding her lovely golden Labradoodle in her arms. Texas is a big state, but some rescues are better than others in their practices. Here are six of the best Labradoodle rescues in Texas! Doodle Rock Rescue Doodle Rock Rescue was founded in and has since focused on rescuing abused, abandoned, surrendered, and neglected Doodles. They have Doodles of all types and do not specialize in Labradoodles, but they are often more than likely to have a Labradoodle looking for a good home, as Labradoodles are more common than other kinds of Poodle-mixes. Doodle Rock is entirely volunteer-run, and many dogs are kept off-premises by foster parents. The Doodle Rock staff provides training and rehabilitation for all dogs. They work with only the most responsible and loving families to foster their dogs until their adoption. Fill out an online adoption form and view available dogs on their website. They do not allow families who live outside a mile radius of Dallas and Fort Worth to adopt. Every adoption will require a home inspection. Labradoodle shaking dry after bath. They primarily take dogs out of shelters, particularly if the dog is in danger of euthanasia. The rescue group is based in Dallas but has satellite facilities in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. Doodle Dandy was founded in and has successfully rehomed over Doodles with new, loving families. They provide training and medical care for all the dogs in their facilities. Their adoption process is competitive. The group does not guarantee you will get the first dog you apply for. Two Labradoodles are at the park. Oodles of Doodles Rescue Collective Texas Oodles of Doodles is the original Doodle rescue, founded in and now holding over ten years of experience rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming Doodles of all types. They do not specialize in Labradoodles, but they frequently have Labradoodles available for adoption. Oodles of Doodles rescues at-risk dogs from shelters where they are suffering neglect or are in danger of euthanasia. They also help people who need to rehome their dogs and rescue dogs from the streets. The rescue is volunteer-run and relies on donations. An application is available online , where you can also view a list of dogs that are up for adoption. If you need to rehome a dog that you currently own, there is also an online form available. Oodles of Doodles has facilities all over the United States, so if you have family or friends also looking for a Doodle, they may be able to find a base in their state. Apricot Labradoodle close-up photo. IDOG is a rescue primarily geared toward rehabilitating Labradoodles and Goldendoodles, but they frequently deal with Doodles of all types. IDOG works with shelters all over the country to pull dogs from the shelter system as quickly as possible. They also accepted owner-surrendered Doodles. They do not discriminate based on coat or color but they do evaluate medical background and behavior. They may not take a dog if it is deemed too aggressive or too sick to be rehabilitated. IDOG has a comprehensive screening process for all applicants including a background check, veterinary references, and home inspection. Their application process is competitive, and they do not make guarantees about whether or not a particular dog will fit into a specific home. See their application FAQs for more information. Labradoodle sitting in the studio. PRHT typically has about 50 dogs available for adoption at any given time. The dogs live on an acre of land outside Houston, where they are cared for and rehabilitated. PRHT aims to rescue and rehabilitate over dogs every year and has been doing so since .While they do not specialize in Labradoodles, they do rescue all types of Poodles and Poodle-mixes. PRHT takes in dogs from shelters, owner surrenders, breeder surrenders, strays, and puppy mill closures. Their screening process is comprehensive, including a reference check and home inspection. F3 Labradoodle [Complete Guide] with Photos Forgotten Friends Texas Forgotten Friends is not specifically a Doodle rescue, but they work with mixed-breed dogs of all types and frequently have Doodles available. They have been rescuing dogs since and achieved non-profit status in .The rescue group is volunteer-run and donation-based. Forgotten Friends operates in the greater Austin area, and does not adopt dogs outside this area or out of state. Those interested in adoption can fill out an online application for a specific dog. They make no guarantees that filling out an application will secure the dog of your choice. A Labradoodle comfortably sitting on the road. Conclusion If you live in Texas and are looking for a Labradoodle to add to your family, consider supporting one of these wonderful rescue organizations. When they have the right love and support, a rescue dog makes one of the most wonderful friends you will ever have. 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. I am about 2 years old and I love follow my foster mum around. She tells me I am her shadow. My foster potty trained me in a day and she said I am very very smart and I have to agree with that. I also learned new commands like sit, down, and off. We are working on the stay but I have a hard time sitting still because I have lots to keep an eye on inside. She walks me always on her right side and I became very well behaved in our leash walking training. I do like to be right by my foster brother Logan, so sometimes I will pull to be with him. I have an another foster brother and he is smaller and furry and he meows for food all the time when he is not sleeping. I love him and he give me sand kisses. We went to a coffee shop other day and all these people want to pet me and take pics of me. I felt like a movie star! On the walks I get overly excited when I see other dogs and I am very vocal about it. Sometimes the dogs get scared of me, but I assure you, I am awesome and not aggressive at all. I just want to say hi to ALL the dogs! But I warm up to everyone very quickly. I am getting a lot of love and attention right now and it will be ideal for me to not be left alone for too long. Labradoodles are one of the most popular dog breeds in the US. They are friendly, loving family dogs who are intelligent and easy and keen to train. Planning on adopting a Labradoodle in the state of Florida? The majority of rescue dogs come from individual owner surrender. The most common reasons for surrender are a change in lifestyle or the specific breed not being a good fit. A hefty price tag for Labradoodle puppies leads to high expectations from buyers. Puppies of certain colors and fur types are seen as less desirable, making them difficult to sell, and can end up in rescue. Due to their popularity, they are generally rehomed very quickly. Adoption applications for a single dog can easily reach the hundreds. Many centers use third-party platforms to advertise the dogs they are rehoming. The platforms advertise thousands of dogs available for adoption and are always the best place to start your search as your net is cast wider and you can refine your search by breed and location. Absolutely Pawesome has provided you with 23 of the very best Labradoodle rescue shelters located in the state of Florida below: Table of Contents. It works on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming as many abused, neglected, and abandoned Labradoodles and other Poodle mixes as possible. Whether it finds these dogs in shelters, the streets, or fresh out of homes, the Doodle Rock Rescue places these furry babies in temporary foster homes to concentrate on their individual needs, such as being trained and treated, to prepare them before finding their forever homes. In addition, the center takes in and rehabilitates dogs from anywhere across the country. Yet, the farthest this center will accept applications is from anyone who lives within miles of Dallas to make regular monitoring easier. Even better, the facility has its own clinic, the CHEW Animal Clinic, which provides high-quality, yet affordable veterinarian care in the area. Work Hard. Based in Dallas, Texas, the facility has been around for approximately two years only. In addition, the facility allows adoption for people within a five-hour radius of the DFW area in Texas. Rest assured that these Doodles receive immediate medical attention once they become a part of DDR. They also stay with a foster family for at least three weeks before adoption to learn everything about them. Founded in , the International Doodle Owners Group is based out of Houston, Texas, but has a network of volunteers across the United States and some parts of Canada. In its operation, it managed to rescue and rehome 2, Doodles. Founded in , the rescue center has over a decade of experience in rescuing and rehoming Labradoodles in need of a home. How to Pick a Labradoodle Rescue in Texas? So, to become the excellent dog parent that your future Labradoodle needs you to be, do your research on the breed so that you have a better understanding of what it needs. For example, Labradoodles are pretty energetic and active. They need daily exercise to keep them healthy and happy. The happiness of your Labradoodle relies heavily on your company. So, having excellent knowledge of the breed increases your chances of getting your own Labradoodle. However, not all of them are equal. Other rescues lack transparency in the information that they provide because they want to leave future adopters in the dark as much as possible. Speaking of money, some rescue centers are sketchy when it comes to finances. We already know that Labradoodles are expensive. Typically, younger and healthier Labradoodles are more expensive than older ones. Nonetheless, they all deserve a loving home. Some rescue centers have application fees, as well. Final Thoughts Hopefully, this article has given you a comprehensive idea about where to adopt a Labradoodle rescue in your area. The big star of our list of the greatest Labradoodle rescue in Texas is listed below. Our top choice is the Doodle Rock Rescue because it does excellent work to save as many abandoned and surrendered Labradoodles in its vicinity as possible. It also provides complete veterinary care and has reasonable adoption fees. Sharing is caring! Located 1. It owns the Dreamweaver Farm, a pleasant place where rescues are housed until they find their forever homes. Thanks to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers, CPR managed to rescue and rehome over dogs. Saving Grace takes in homeless dogs that usually come from underserved, rural, and impoverished areas. They live in a Funny Farm type of setting that naturally helps rehabilitate and get them out of their shells. The International Doodle Owners Group, founded in , has 15 years of experience in rescuing and rehoming Labradoodles and Goldendoodles. Pros: Has 15 years of experience Reasonable adoption fees Specialized in Labradoodles and Goldendoodles Cons: Needs more information on the medical care it provides Final Verdict The IDOG Rescue is one of the best options for specialized Labradoodle rescues that are available nationwide. Doodles Rescue Collective — Budget-Friendly Rescue The Doodles Rescue Collective is another nationwide option that stands out with its affordable adoption fees that make adoption more accessible. Founded in , the Doodles Rescue Collective has 13 years of experience. It managed to save and rehome Labradoodles and Goldendoodles since its beginning, thanks to more than volunteers across the states. The rescue cares about its dogs, which is why fostering can take from two weeks to two months. Also, the adoption fees are affordable. Understand the Breed There are plenty of abandoned and surrendered fur babies looking for another chance. Doing your research gives you a better understanding of what a Labradoodle needs so that you can be the excellent dog parent that your future canine friend deserves. For instance, Labradoodles hate being left alone. Your Labradoodle derives its joy from your continuous presence in its day. In addition, Labradoodles are highly energetic dogs. To stay fit and happy, they must exercise on a daily basis because they have a lot of energy that they need to release. So, knowing everything there is to know about the Labradoodle breed increases your chances of adopting one. Rescue Reputation Generally speaking, dog rescue organizations are expected to help countless dogs find new homes and preserve their lives. Younger and healthier Labradoodles tend to be more expensive than older ones. Keep in mind that certain rescue organizations charge an extra application fee too. Final Thoughts As you can see, there are many excellent Labradoodle rescue options throughout North Carolina. The top spot on our list goes to the Carolina Poodle Rescue. With 21 years of experience with Poodles and Poodle mixes, the rescue that owns the Dreamweaver Farm has a lot to offer. Sharing is caring! What people love most are their incredibly cute looks and dazzling personality. They are like big cuddly teddy bears with their wavy soft fur, big round brown eyes and dark noses. As soon as you see one you will want to cuddle. These dogs are huge love bugs and will certainly want to cuddle with you too! These days everyone seems to want a Labradoodle! Lots of people are now breeding Labradoodles because of a huge demand. However, not all breeders are trustworthy. Reputable breeders will know how to breed a healthy puppy. They will also adhere to the standards set by the Australian Labradoodle Club of America. For first time owners Labradoodles are one of the best breeds because of how obedient and smart they are. Because they are a combination of a Labrador and a Poodle they can be easily trained. They also make great family dogs because of their gentleness with children. However, these dogs are not meant for everyone. They need someone who can be dedicated to them and can take them out on long walks and exciting adventures. Unfortunately this means some Labradoodles end up in shelters. Other times Labradoodles might grow larger than some people were expecting. By adopting a Labradoodle you are decreasing the demand on breeders and giving a dog a loving home. To help you on your journey we have put together a list of all the Labradoodle rescue shelters in the US. Just choose your state in the tool below and easily find Labradoodles for adoption near you. Labradoodle Rescue By State.

When you bring a new puppy home, it's important to keep feeding it the same food that it has been eating at its previous home. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source Talk to the person or organization that you are adopting your puppy from to see what food they are feeding it. They should willingly provide that info and they may even send you home with some if you can't find any to buy. If you can't find the right food in your local pet supply store, consider ordering it online. However, you would need to order it ahead of time so that you have it on hand when the puppy comes home. If you want to feed your puppy a different food from what it has been eating, you will need to switch its food over the course of several days. Feed that mix for several days. Finally, you can give the puppy all new food. If you are content to give your puppy the food it was originally eating, it's fine to do that. Every puppy will have different nutritional needs. Because of this, it's a good idea to discuss proper nutrition with your vet. They can suggest great foods to give your puppy and how much it should be eating. Go to source The right portion size depends on the size of your puppy and its metabolism. Ask your vet to teach you how to body score your puppy. This will allow you to do a quick visual check to see whether your puppy is losing or gaining weight. Tip: If your vet suggests a specific food but doesn't tell you how much to give your puppy, follow the instructions on the packaging. Doing 3 or 4 feedings per day allows your puppy to get enough nutrients without overwhelming its digestive system with a huge amount of food at once. This is especially important when your puppy is under 6 months old, as they have delicate systems. Go to source Don't just leave the food out all day. Take the food away after the puppy eats for about 10 or 15 minutes. Lab puppies should always have access to fresh water so that they can stay adequately hydrated. Put out a dish of water and dump it out, clean the dish, and refill it daily. Some puppies are really messy with their water dishes. To prevent a mess, try putting the water dish on a tray, so that spilled water won't go right onto the floor. Top Picks For Our Dogs Preparing Your Home For A Puppy You should treat the preparation of your home for the arrival of a new puppy in much the same way as you would for the arrival of a baby because the process is almost identical. You must be ready to provide every little thing your puppy needs in life, making sure they have water, are fed, comfortable, happy, catered for and safe. To achieve this there are 4 main things that you need to do: Go shopping for equipment and supplies Puppy proof your home and garden to make sure your puppy stays safe Set up an area for your puppy to sleep and spend time in when you cannot supervise them Decide on the rules and routines required to successfully raise a puppy Without such preparation, things will be difficult. A Nutritious Puppy Food The most important supply needed for a new puppy is a highly nutritious puppy food. Hopefully your puppy came from a responsible breeder who was feeding them a high quality, complete and nutritious food. If so, you should ask what they were feeding, stock up on and continue feeding this if possible. If not, then puppies are incredibly active, growing fast and developing bone, muscle and more every day. Because of this they need almost double the calories, more protein and have different nutritional needs to mature adult dogs. Furthermore, they have far smaller mouths than adult dogs so puppy food comes in smaller chunks more suited to their size. Click here to see our recommendations for the best puppy food for labs Bowls for Food And Water There is a bewildering array of dog bowl choices out there so choosing the best can be difficult. Looks and design aside, I recommend going for stainless steel bowls because they are long-lasting, cannot be chewed and are very easy to clean. I also recommend buying bowls with heavy rubber bottoms so they stay rooted to the spot and are harder to spill or flip over. Unless of course you buy bowls in a stand, then these problems are already solved. A Puppy Crate And Bedding A good crate is one of the most beneficial things you can provide for the good of yourself and your puppy. First of all, supply some bedding to place inside for your puppy to sleep on. My recommendation for this is VetBed. Many puppies can chew and ingest normal bedding which can result in medical emergencies and VetBed is the most durable bedding on the market. During these times you need to provide a larger, but still safe enclosure to confine your puppy. You might also like to buy a plastic sheet and some puppy pads or use lots of old newspaper for them to use as a potty in your absence. Puppy Chew Toys Puppies chew. A lot. And they seem to prefer chewing phones, footwear and TV remotes more than anything else. Just make sure whatever toys you do buy are suitable for a puppy as many will be too large for their little mouths to begin with. Interactive Puppy Toys So you can play games with your puppy, provide exercise and mental stimulation, you will want to buy a few toys that encourage the two of you to interact. Balls for throwing and chasing, soft toys and ropes for playing tug, other toys for fetch, there are many available. You will also need a collar to provide a place to attach an all important ID tag. ID Tag An ID tag is an essential means to be reunited with your puppy should the worst happen and you somehow lose them or they run away. Clicker A clicker is an extremely useful tool used during training as a reward marker that dramatically improves the timing of communication between you and your puppy when you want to reward a behavior. Although not essential, I do highly recommend you use one. Puppy Training Treats Tasty food treats are the go-to reward used during training so you will want to make sure you always have a good stock at hand. They need to feel happy with being bathed, happy having their coat and teeth brushed, their feet touched, nails clipped and having their eyes and ears inspected. To do so, you should fake going the process, getting them used to being handled, the sight and feel of the tools and so on. To achieve this, you will need to buy and get them used to the following items: Dog shampoo Combs and brushes suitable for a Labrador Scissors Cotton balls Toothbrush Use these tools right away and often, and give your puppy praise and tasty treats as you go so they form positive associations with grooming. Puppy Proof Your Home and Garden The process of puppy proofing your home is very much like baby proofing before the arrival of a child. Except a puppy is far more curious, active and destructive and can get themselves into far more trouble. A puppy is a new-born. Everything is a toy and they will run and pounce and jump and chew on anything in their environment. So before you bring your puppy home you simply must make it safe for them. For things you cannot move skirting boards, table legs etc. To keep them safe while still providing an area for them to play in and stretch their legs, you want to restrict their access to a single room, or otherwise create an enclosed space for them. To do so, either buy a pet barrier or baby gate that goes across a doorway to restrict them to an easy to clean and safe room, or buy an exercise pen puppy pen to create an enclosed space in another room. I also strongly recommend buying a crate for many reasons, but initially, mostly just to provide the perfect place for them to sleep. I shall discuss crate training a little later in this article. All of this must be decided BEFORE you get your puppy home because consistency is a key part of raising a puppy successfully. Everyone must enforce and live by the same rules for your puppy to thrive. Initially they have no idea how you want them to behave, or how and when they can expect the things they want and need in life. The more consistent everybody is with the puppy, the quicker they will learn all this stuff and the happier everyone will be. So decide and write down if necessary when your puppy will have all their needs met, make sure everybody knows who is responsible for each task and make sure everybody knows the rules. You might think the collection and journey home with your new puppy is no big deal, but there are many things can go wrong. Therefore, you should never take a puppy before 8 weeks old. During the first 8 weeks, a puppy learns a lot from their mother and litter-mates: Bite inhibition, canine body language, acceptable play and interaction with other dogs and how to accept discipline. Things you will find it very hard to teach them later yourself. The flip side of this is that the 7 to 14 week stage is the most impressionable for a puppy, where they bond strongest with people and must be socialized to all the sights, sounds and smells of the world so they grow up confident and comfortable with their surroundings. So anyway, for the journey home there a few things you need to consider: Safety in the car, the need for water and toilet breaks and the possibility your puppy will be sick. Having a loose puppy in the car presents a very real danger of leading to a crash, they can easily climb out of a box and now is not the time to use a harness and car safety belt. If the crate is small enough you can place it on a front or rear passenger seat and secure it with the seat-belt, or you may have to place it in the trunk of your car. Fully line the crate with absorbent paper in case there are any accidents, this will keep most of the mess off your puppy and make cleaning easier. And finally, place a chew toy or two in the crate to keep your puppy occupied. If you have another person to help you, your puppy can ride home in their lap if the journey is short. They must be under your passengers control. They will also need to potty every half or so. Therefore, you should plan breaks along the way every 30 minutes or so. Stop the car, allow them to drink, then wait for them to wee before setting off again. When you stop, make sure your puppy is on leash and tightly held by someone before letting them out of the car. And as an extra precaution, carry your puppy and only put them down to do their business, then carry them back into the car. Take with you some towels, plastic bags, kitchen roll and deodorizer to take care of any accidents. And when driving, take all corners slowly, and accelerate and brake gently. If your puppy is on a passengers lap, they will be able to see some warning signs that puppy is about to be sick: Their lips will curl, they will excessively salivate and then eventually start to heave. When your passenger spots these signs, they can place a thick towel beneath the puppy to catch everything and avoid a mess in your vehicle. When bringing home a new puppy, make sure you collect them and then drive straight home. Your puppy is having the most stressful day of their short life so far, try not to make it harder than it already is by taking them to strange places and passing them around to strangers to say hello. You want to get them home quickly so they can start the process of settling in as soon as possible. Whether this is inside on paper, or a spot outside, as soon as you arrive home carry them there, set them down and wait for them to do their business before doing anything else. This might take 30 seconds or it might take 10 minutes, but patiently wait and when they go, praise them profusely. Well done! Shut them in another room away from the puppy as things are intense enough as it is. Explain they have to be calm and gentle during the first introductions. Let them sniff and look around, getting used to the area and their new little world. You can now let people come and say hello. Have people sit or kneel to greet them. Once everybody has said hello, you should stay with your puppy, show interest but stay calm. Allow Your Puppy To Sleep After all the excitement, stress, massive change and huge amount of mental stimulation your puppy has just been through, they will likely need to sleep soon after arriving at your home. So as soon as they either start to look tired, or the introductions to their new living space and family have ended whichever comes first put them to bed for a short while. On the other hand they might feel completely overwhelmed, retreat into themselves and show reluctance to explore. They might slink into a corner silently and sit there watching their new world with wonder but apprehension, before falling asleep for hours. And when it comes to the first night they might sleep right through, or they might cry and whine the whole night. As your puppy begins to get used to everything, their character will start to shine through and you will begin to see their true personalities. Exactly what this will be is different for every puppy…it will be fun for you to find out! And by being the provider of everything they need in life, giving them all that is good, it will only take 2 or 3 days for your puppy to learn to love you and get excited and happy to see you when you turn up. So your task is to set up and stick to these schedules, begin training your puppy and help them to learn how you want them to behave and when they can expect the things they need in life. What should you feed your puppy You should feed your puppy the same food they had at the breeders because an abrupt change in diet almost always leads to stomach upset. Complete and balanced means it has everything a puppy needs, and in the right quantities. So seek out this kind of wording and check the internet for other owners reviews. Puppies need to eat a lot because their rate of growth is very high. For puppies up to 12 weeks, you should divide their daily requirement into 4 portions, for puppies 12 to 26 weeks, feed them 3 times per day and from 26 weeks on feed them twice per day. You should also aim to feed them as close as you can to the same times every day and evenly spaced throughout the day. This will help their body clocks fall into a pattern and will help your house training immensely because they then potty the same times every day. For example: 8 to 12 weeks old, 4 times a day at AM, AM, PM and PM 12 to 26 weeks old, 3 times a day at AM, PM and PM 26 weeks old and ongoing, 2 times a day at and Obviously you can adjust these times to take into account when you get out of bed and to fit around your life. Also… The first few nights have the crate or exercise pen your puppy sleeps in placed in your bedroom. One night move the crate next to the bedroom door. The next night move it outside the door, but leave the door open so they can still see you. The next night further into the hallway. Finally to their eventual resting place. They might take to sleeping on their own OK, they might whine and cry. NEVER go to them to comfort them if they cry, you must only get up to take them to potty and then silently and without fuss put them back into the crate. Rewarding silence and ignoring noise is the only way they will eventually learn to be quiet at night themselves. Any time you cannot closely supervise them, you have to confine them, either in their crate, an exercise pen or a puppy proofed room secured with a barrier across the doorway. The point of confining them as a puppy is so they can enjoy all the freedom in the world once they are an adult. By confining them with treat dispensing chew toys they get rewarded for chewing the right things and develop a chew toy obsession. Confine them now, they form a good chew toy obsession and have no chance of developing bad chewing habits. Then once they are over their adolescent chewing stage you slowly open up the house to them and eventually they can have free roam and be completely trusted. A little sacrifice when young for a better life later. And a second hugely important reason for confining your puppy when you cannot supervise them is for speedier house training. In fact if you read my comments from earlier, you will see you start the very first moment you finish the journey home. In essence, house training is about creating good habits while avoiding bad ones and for the speediest success you want to start immediately. Wherever your puppy is able to potty has the chance of becoming their favored toilet spot for many weeks or months to come. So you want to prevent them pottying inside, and encourage them to potty outside. The main ingredients of a successful house training program are preventing mistakes and praising heavily for doing the right thing. Achieving this is all about schedules, supervision and confinement. Now, your puppy will need to potty anywhere from every 15 to 45 minutes. So to start with, take them outside every 30 minutes and adjust this schedule to suit their natural rhythm. You must also take them outside immediately after they wake up from any sleep, after any eating or drinking, after play and after any heightened excitement. These are times that often lead to a puppy needing to potty so take them outside at these times and you will avoid many mistakes while taking advantage of predictable opportunities to praise them for doing the right thing. In the first week or so, you will likely find your puppy almost instantaneously leaks with little warning. Simply do your best to take them out to potty extremely often so they go in the right place as often as possible. And confine them to a single enclosed room or in an exercise pen for the first week or so to protect your carpets. Crate training goes hand in hand with house training, being one of the best tools to help speed up the process. Therefore, you want to start crate training very early on, after just a few days of getting puppy home, and I personally aim for 9 weeks old to start. I prefer to wait a week or so to avoid them pottying in the crate as much as possible, doing the most I can to preserve their instinct not to soil where they sleep, the instinct that helps most when using a crate for house training. But by all means sleep them in their crate at night if you wish and I do. For more information on crate training your puppy and using it for house training purposes, please see the links below:. Fact checked by Emily Estep Emily Estep is a biologist and fact checker focused on environmental sciences. Emily has been a proofreader and editor at a variety of online media outlets over the past decade and has reviewed more than articles for The Spruce Pets for factual accuracy. These smart, social dogs are known for their amiable temperaments and their patience. Traditionally bred as hunting dogs, Labs also are among the most popular service dogs, acting as guide dogs for blind people and as therapy dogs. By socializing these dogs early, you can tap into their natural instincts as protectors and companions. Socialize Puppies Labs are natural born people pleasers. Introduce your Lab puppy to as many new people and places as possible during the early months of its life. Keep each new meeting and experience positive and upbeat. Doing this will reinforce your Lab's natural tendency to be friendly and accepting of everyone. If you have young children in the home, be sure to socialize them to the animal as well as the reverse. Although Labs are patient and tolerant, they may still nip at a child who teases or hurts them during play. Make sure everyone knows the boundaries and rules. Exercise Every Day Labrador retrievers are high energy dogs, which is part of the reason they are such great pets for active families. But if Labs aren't given sufficient exercise, they can quickly become bored. This often leads to destructive behavior and other common behavior problems , such as barking, chewing, and digging. It's also why Labs are not well-suited for apartment living; they're too big and too active. Plan on giving your Lab an hour or more of exercise each day. Most Labs love long walks or a game of fetch. These are the perfect way to burn off your Lab's energy. Take advantage of their innate trainability by starting an obedience program as soon as you bring your Labrador retriever home. You can work on basic obedience commands on your own, or sign up for a dog obedience class with a local dog trainer. Classes are a great way to train your Lab while socializing at the same time. Since Labs get to be fairly large and have a tendency to pull on the leash, make walking on a loose leash your first priority. You should also teach your Lab to "come," "drop it," and "fetch," so you can take advantage of its natural tendency for retrieving. Use Positive Reinforcement Training Their eagerness to learn, playfulness, affectionate natures, and their love of treats make Labrador retrievers fantastic candidates for positive reinforcement dog training. Reward their good behaviors with a small treat, a game, or some cuddle time with you. You'll find your Lab is soon offering you the behaviors you like with little prompting. If you decide to use treats in your training, remember that Labs have a tendency to become overweight. Plan on a Long Adolescence One of the most endearing qualities of Labrador retrievers is that they remain very puppy-like long after they've reached adulthood. The downside is that their energy level and tendency to get into mischief continues well into adulthood as well. Therefore, it pays to have behavior management tools handy. The training to become a service animal will vary depending on what the dog will be doing; some are trained to be animal companions to sick children and adults in the hospital, while others are trained to serve as seeing-eye dogs. Others may provide assistance to people with mental illnesses, or behavioral problems. Check the requirements for licensing and training where you live; some places have more strict rules and requirements for service dogs than others. Problems and Proofing Behavior Many Labrador retrievers are happiest and the most well-behaved when they have a job to do. Consider getting involved with a dog sport or training your Lab as a service animal or pet therapy dog. Crate train your Labrador so it doesn't have the run of the house when you're not there to supervise Provide your Lab with a variety of interesting toys and chews to keep it from getting bored. Continue practicing basic obedience commands; it reinforces your Lab's training and provides mental stimulation. No matter what training you decide on, keeping your Lab busy and active is sure to keep one of those famous Lab smiles on its face. Article Sources The Spruce Pets uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. McGreevy, Paul D et al. Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Canine genetics and epidemiology vol. Print Raising a retriever puppy like the pros Your Labrador puppy can seem small and fragile during those first few weeks home from the breeder. Labrador puppies will learn quickly about acceptable and unacceptable behavior those first few weeks, if you, the owner, are willing to set and enforce boundaries. Here is the training you should be working on with your week-old Labrador puppy. About this series of posts This is post three of a step-by-step training and socialization program for Labrador puppies. If you read our first post , you know that this series follows our training of Bubba, a female chocolate lab puppy. Bubba is already sold as one of our Custom Trained Retrievers, so it is our responsibility to raise and train her until she has progressed to the level of training the owner has requested. In this case, Bubba will be with us for almost a year and a half. Training and socialization for week-old Labrador puppy — week three home Your week-old puppy has been with your family for approximately 3 weeks now. This week you should start noticing some bigger changes with your puppy. Here are some of the changes I notice with Bubba. First, she is growing fast! Bubba is almost ready for a new collar already. I have loosened her current collar twice, and there is no more room to expand it. She is also learning a lot. Bubba is also becoming more personable. She likes and has more interest in people now and wants to be petted and scratched more often. Training equipment for Lab puppy We added a couple new training tools this week. But a thicker check cord will also work. We use this check cord for longer outside marks and assistant-marks which I will discuss more in a bit. Puppy sized canvas or light-weight plastic bumpers In week two, we introduced formal retrieving in a hallway in the house. In week three, we move outside with retrieving and introduce assistant throws, so it is helpful to have a few more bumpers. Puppy training that will continue Much of the training I have been working on for the past two weeks with Bubba will continue into this week and beyond. Dog training is not something that has a definitive end-date. For instance, you teach your puppy to SIT and then you must work and practice that command daily or weekly, often for months before the response to the command is solid. But even once the response is solid, you cannot completely stop training. If you stop training, even an older dog, the dog can lose the previous training. So, realize that you are never done working with your dog, especially on obedience training. Some areas that we will continue training Bubba on are: Crate training Bubba is doing great at crate training. She rarely makes any noise while in her crate and settles down quickly after being put into her crate. In the upcoming weeks, we will work towards getting Bubba to enter her crate on command. Looking for more information on crate training? Housebreaking Housebreaking Bubba is going well. We have caught her in a few accidents, but she already seems to understand that she is not supposed to go potty inside. This does not mean that she is done housebreaking. We still expect accidents and will for a few months, so we watch her carefully while she is running around in the house. We also praise her for behaviors like going to the door and tapping the door or whining at the door. These behaviors are rewarded with us taking her outside to go potty. When she goes potty outside, we praise her and then take her right back in. We want her to start understanding that these cue behaviors will get her out to go potty and that is all. Looking for more information on housebreaking? But we will also add a few new ones. We will use this while teaching our puppy the SIT command. It also will be used going forward, anytime we are done working on structured obedience work. We will release the dog from formal work with the OKAY command. But we also use it to mean go to a certain place, such as on a mat or stand. Or, when we want her to go into her crate or kennel. This is an associative command, meaning the puppy will learn the command through our repetition of the word as we tie it to a behavior. But over time, she will make the association and will perform it on her own. This is very important especially if you ever plan on doing more advanced training with your retriever. You will use whatever your dogs name is. A few commands that we will continue to work on this week We will continue to work on obedience commands this week and in the weeks to come. Each week we will expect a little more and better compliance and performance to the command. She is sitting when I put the leash and chain collar on her and when I am taking it off. This week we also added SIT before eating. We only make her SIT for a few seconds; we are working on control. She does not SIT on her own yet, but she will be doing that within a week or so I would guess. Right now, I grab her collar and say SIT. In week three, I have a slightly higher expectation. On walks, I make her walk right beside me for a minute or two using the HEEL command before releasing her and letting her run back and forth a bit. This tells me that she understands the command. Then release her. If every time your puppy comes to you, you put her away or take something away from her, soon your puppy will not want to come to you. You must work hard to make coming to you a good experience for your puppy. So, call her, praise her when she comes and release. Remember: Never use a HERE command if you are not in the position of being able to enforce the command. Make every effort to socialize your puppy You should continue to take steps to socialize your week-old puppy. Anything you can think of. The more things and situations you expose your puppy to, the better your puppy will be equipped to adjust and learn in the future. Learn more about socialization. Hand throws with a puppy bumper you are throwing out a bumper done outside will carry a lot more distraction than retrieves in a hallway. Just pick up the bumper and try again tomorrow. When retrieving outside, make sure you have a long foot rope attached to your puppy. Never try to do retrieves outside without a rope. You will have problems and encourage bad behaviors. You must have a way to get the puppy to come back to you, otherwise you should not be doing retrieves outside. Once your puppy is doing well retrieving outside, you are ready to introduce assistant marks. Introduction to assistant marks The most important thing we worked on with Bubba this week is assistant marks. Assistant marks are retrieves where someone else is throwing the bumper, not you. This teaches your puppy to watch out in the field for a mark. It is very rare that a duck will come from behind you, fly over your head and you shoot it. The ducks and pheasants will be falling in front of you, so the dog must learn to look out and watch for the mark. We start assistant marks on very short grass with white plugs so that the puppy can clearly see the item on the ground. We hold the puppy in a SIT position facing a thrower who is about 20 feet from you. When your puppy picks up the bumper, immediately start calling her back to you. Remember, you should have the foot check cord on her so you can pull the puppy in if needed. Then, take the bumper from her, throw it behind you, make your puppy sit facing the thrower again and repeat. Only do retrieves and then call it a day. Soon your puppy will learn this game and love it. They will start facing the thrower on their own and sitting and waiting for a mark. Final thoughts on training for your week-old Labrador puppy week-old puppies are so eager to learn, so be sure and take advantage of this enthusiasm to teach new concepts and enforce previous ones. Continue to teach your puppy to handle more and more pressure and correction while maintaining a good attitude. Lastly, assistant marks are a big deal. Once a dog learns this part of the game, you can work to increase the distance and complexity of the marks. If you are struggling or need additional help with your new puppy, 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. They help you find the information you need right now. You might also want to check out our sections on Labrador Puppy Training. Do let us know what you would like to see added to the site. We are always happy to have your comments and suggestions. When To Collect Your Puppy We highly recommend that puppies are not removed from their breeder until they are 8 weeks old. There are lots of good reasons for this. It helps puppies develop good bite moderation skills before they are adopted into a family, ensures that they are ready to adapt quickly to their new life. And it helps to reduce the sad numbers of puppies bred for a quick profit. Puppies sold under seven weeks old often have health problems and need special care, and extra veterinary attention. Check out the following articles for further information: When can puppies leave their mother Your first puppy Your first puppy is a huge adventure. You have so much fun ahead. Labradors are generally very friendly dogs, but they can also be very distractible. So do start daily training games, using plenty of food. You can get regular training tips from Pippa by email, using the box below. However, a healthy six-month-old labrador will grow significantly in size. Some of them can weigh up to 50 pounds. For a more balanced diet at six months, you can shift from feeding your puppy three smaller meals per day to two meals a day. To counteract this, you can drop the amount of food and gradually increase it. Setting Your Lab Puppy Up for Successful Potty Training Training an animal to control their bladders until you get outside is no different than potty-training for toddlers. In other words, crate training speeds up the potty-training process for your pet. Effective crate training depends on two things: Praising and rewarding your puppy for relieving itself outside. They come to understand this as a desirable behavior. Preventing your puppy from going to the toilet within the home. So, why is using a crate to train your puppy to go outside so effective? Initially, this should be every hour or so. As labs grow older, you can reduce the frequency as they learn to hold and release independently. Step 2: House Training a Lab Puppy Housetraining or potty-training small labs can be, well, frustrating. As a pet owner, there are simple ways to train your puppy to understand ideal behavior quickly. Instead, they simply forget that they should control it. This helps avoid any issues early on. Keep small labrador puppies off the carpet. How to Feed Your Dog for Optimal Growth Feeding your labrador puppy a balanced diet could be an entire guide all on its own. It can feel overwhelming because you do have many options when it comes to feeding your dog. For example, if you work from home, it would be easy to feed your dog homemade dog food. Similarly, you might work a and yet want to reap the health-related benefits of a raw diet. Make sure to speak to your vet first. You do have choices for what to feed your puppy and you can mix and match these. Popular feeding options for any animal include kibble, wet food, raw food, and home-cooked food. Remember, a puppy is still growing, and they need a complete profile of nutrients and minerals to support their development. There are many commercial brands of dry food or kibble to choose from and you can adjust what you buy based on the ingredients. Do your research and find a brand you trust, with as much bioavailable nutritional content as is helpful. These can harm your puppy. In order to maintain good health and prevent simple ailments, your puppy can also benefit from taking a supplement. Some families choose to mix scraps or raw food with kibble to provide moisture and decrease the amount of food versus the calories consumed. Any veterinarian will tell you that a hard and fast rule is not necessarily the type of food but the amount. Obesity is a condition that can lead to many health issues for this breed. Over-exertion, especially for a puppy, is possible. This includes activities like playing fetch or tug and release. However, breeds that worked as a hunting companion for humans love to be active. Again, this goes back to the strengths of the breed. Keeping up with your puppy could be a task-and-a-half, so in the first months of life, you should be keeping them in your backyard or playing with them at home. As they become house trained and get all their vaccinations, you can turn walks into light jogs or runs if you want. In the long-term, exercise will help keep dogs healthy and disease-free. However, early dog training can eliminate common problems with puppy temperament and help make sure that your fur friend is always as friendly and happy as possible through the years. Puppy socialization simply means making your puppy open to and familiar with new experiences. You want to provide stimulation and encounters with experiences that they will probably face as adults. The window of opportunity to make sure your puppy is always a happy and friendly pooch closes around 14 weeks. Pre-Vaccination Lab Puppy Socialization Any veterinarian will tell you that a puppy is all done with their vaccinations after 12 weeks of age. The main point is to keep your puppy away from other dogs who may not yet be vaccinated or the excrement and markings of other animals that could carry data diseases. You can head to an off-leash dog park to allow them to explore and meet other fur friends. You can also take them beyond your backyard to the countryside to enable them to swim or set up obstacle courses and play with them. Another thing that people forget about is spaying or neutering their dogs. Spaying or neutering your dog could help with behavioral issues and can also reduce the onset of certain health conditions. At the same time, spaying or neutering a puppy too early may also lead to health issues. For many people, this is a worthwhile and even enjoyable trade-off. A happy, sociable dog is always the result of consistent training. Training your dog is a significant aspect of their early years. The different stages include: Get it — Using positive reinforcement, trainers will help your dog carry out actions without commands. Teach it — This stage harnesses the progress you made in the previous stages. Your dog now knows the word and the action that goes with it. Proof it — Proofing is where many people get stuck. Your dog will learn to listen and obey commands at this stage even when they are engaged in other things. Maintain it — Consistently using the techniques you learned to keep your dog following the same desirable behavior. All breeds of dogs respond best when you train them. Every labrador retriever relies on their human taking control and showing them how to respond in any situation. You can be sure that if you follow these tips that you will be taking proper care of your new puppy and will be able to make sure that your puppy will live a long and healthy life. Share on. Labrador Retriever pups are working dogs. This means they live to please you for a treat. The more you engage them with different puppy training behaviors the happier they will be. Of course, Labs will be Labs, and this means that dogs do dog things unless they are trained to follow your expectations. Potty training your puppy is just the beginning of you making clear expectations for your Lab. Puppy training from long leash training to potty training, to not nipping is discussed in greater detail along with clear, easy to follow videos at www. But we will give you an expert training tip summary below. For this reason, you need to become an expert on puppy training. Contact us for a discount on the Puppy Trained Right positive reinforcement training program. Expose your puppy to as many different people and situations possible. Teach dog to dog manners when required. Use Positive Reinforcement. Allow for Play with Other Puppies. Play with other Lab Puppies not only allows your pup to get some exercise it is a form of puppy socialization. Bond with your Puppy. Once a strong bond is formed your Lab Puppy will want to please you even more. Potty Train Right Away. Learn how Dogs Learn. Training a Lab puppy is easy if you understand how to go about it. Give your Lab Puppy Play time to Explore. Labs need this as part of their natural development. Spend more time with your puppy when young. This is the time when your expectations should be clearly outlined and can decrease as she gets older. Begin Training day 1. This happens weather or not you intend it to. Every action and reaction is something your puppy uses to form new habits. So ignoring them jumping up as an 8 week old puppy is training them to jump up and will be much more difficult to un-train once they are 70 lbs. Relax and make learning fun. Your pup needs you happy and enjoying yourself! Use Positive Training Methods because they work. This means reward what you desire. Ensure most Experiences are Positive. Imagine a training session of No, No, No, No! Expose them to as Many Human Situations possible. One cause is that there was not adequate socialization with different men. Be Patient. You are building an amazing K9 personality. The window is between 8 and 20 weeks old. Make the most of it. The better your Lab is socialized the happier they will be. Anxiety in dogs comes from many things. The more things your dog is comfortable with the less chance for anxiety and therefore the happier they are. Prepare yourself, your family and your home before your puppy comes home. It is too late once you meet your puppy as simply interacting with her is training. Allow for Safe Experiences both in the home and outside. Seek professional trainers to help guide you when faced with a problem. Be consistent. Clear expectations are easiest to learn. Focus on Guiding not controlling. Best Start Training or Training Classes are beneficial for both you and your puppy. Expect Success. We tend to move in the direction we believe we will travel. Reward the Behaviors you want to see even something as simple as 4 paws on the ground if you are trying to train your Lab not to jump up on you. Become Well informed. You are teaching a skill like reading that takes clear expectations and builds upon last session. Lab Puppies need constant supervision either human, a crate, a fenced area or a baby gate across a doorway. Encourage a soft mouth. Keep your training up or it will be forgotten. Begin Walking on a Loose Leash Right away. This is always easier for your Lab when they are 12 lbs not 70lbs. Change direction before the leash tightens so they are followers not leaders. This is much easier to train before it happens than correct. Allow alone time for your Lab. Know when to end a training session. End training before your puppy quits. Make time for a few shorter training Sessions. Three fifteen minute sessions are better than one 45 min one. Teach your Lab to respond to their name. Teach your Labrador basic obedience before tricks-come, sit, stay, down, leave it. Have all humans learn the commands and be consistent. Ignore undesirable behaviors. Ignoring includes not saying no, bad dog, touching your dog or making eye contact. Find rewards that your Retriever loves and use them when you have breakthrough training moments. Adjust your expectations as your Lab puppy matures, the older more experienced the higher the expectation. Set Realistic Expectations. Minimize distractions when you begin training. Be aware of your Body Language, Labradors pick up cues from you. Be aware of your leash tension. A tight leash says anxiety from the handler. Know when to get Help .Have fun! Understand that Labs do Lab things. Make them work for food and treats. Exercise your Retriever properly for both intensity and duration. Learn some exercise games Labs love. Give lots of repetition. Stop before they get bored. Establish a Pattern by Praising. Redirect undesired behavior. Accept partial actions at first and gradually increase your expectations. When treats end Verbal treats and chin scratches rule. They will know. Enjoy your well balanced purebred Lab puppy for many years. Purebred Lab Retrievers, are they easier to train? The answer to that is definitely maybe! Not all purebreds are bred for intelligence. For example, if a Labrador Retriever breeder chooses to breed their dogs for a certain look then they may overlook intelligence as one of the important characteristics in order to get a specific Lab look. We however breed for intelligence, health and temperament. So in our case, yes, our Purebred Lab Puppies are easier to train than many because we choose the parents and their puppies specifically for their smarts!

By Chris We dog parents know this all-too-well. German Shepherds are stoic, confident dogs, so what gives? Why do German Shepherds whine? Many dog parents always wonder what their dogs are whining about , especially working breeds like the German Shepherd. Dogs whine for a variety of reasons, but most often it is to communicate a need or desire. In this blog post, we will go over 7 reasons why your intimidating-looking German Shepherd might sound like a big baby every once in a while. Your German Shepherd Wants Something The vast majority of the time that your dog whines is because it wants something from you, whether it is to go out, to play, or for attention. The first thing to do is to identify what your dog is trying to tell you. So what does your German Shepherd want, and how do you tell? If your German Shepherd is whining to go outside, he might stare at the door and whine, or run between you and the door. Look out for the whining after your dog wakes up from a nap or a few minutes after he finishes his meal. German Shepherd nudges his owner to show affection. Your dog is bored German Shepherds are active dogs that require a lot of activity to burn off all of their energy. These intelligent dogs, in particular, require cognitive stimulation. Make sure your dog is getting enough physical and mental stimulation. A good run every day or a two-hour walk might keep a German Shepherd happy. Make sure that there are plenty of chew toys and puzzles to keep your GSD occupied when indoors, and if not, go for more walks! A hyperactive GSD is not a good idea. German Shepherd hyper actively plays with a ball. They are hugely bonded to their human owners and might be a little attention-seeking sook every once in a while. Your pooch is delighted to see you! Dogs whine from extreme excitement too. When you first arrive home, your German Shepherd will most likely whine because it is overjoyed to see you. Simply interpret this whine as a cheerful welcome, but if your GSD is prone to excessive whining and separation anxiety, you might need to wait for him to calm down before giving him the same greeting back. Your GSD is scared or anxious Although GSDs are known to be fearless, courageous dogs, they can be scared too, just like any other dog. Storms, stressful events, loud noises , and the unfamiliar can make a GSD anxious and scared. If your German Shepherd whines in almost the same presumably stressful conditions, it is probably scared and requires your solace. Because you are the pack leader, when your dog is terrified, it looks to you for safety and comfort. If your German Shepherd is whining because of a storm or another uncontrollable situation, simply soothe your dog as best you can in a calm, reassuring way. Relaxed German Shepherd lying on the floor. Your dog is sick or in pain Dogs who are in pain or sick will whine to express how they feel. Whining that is associated with other symptoms of illness, such as drowsiness, loss of appetite, and loss of interest should be checked out. If you believe your dog is whining because it is in pain or sick, make an appointment with your vet right away. Meanwhile, comfort and be affectionate with your dog to make it feel more at ease. German Shepherd lying on the ground. Other telltale signs of a doggy apology include the tail between the legs, ears flat, and droopy body. A whine usually means it is a BIG apology! German Shepherd approaching his owner. How Can You Reduce Whining? For most dogs, it is simply a way of communicating what they feel or need, in the absence of the spoken language. While some whining is normal, especially if they have a legitimate reason like wanting to be let out to go potty, excessive whining can be downright annoying. If your GSD is whining excessively, here are some ways to deal with it. Ignore it Is he trying to get your attention out of jealousy? Simply ignore him. If you give in to such behavior, he will continue to act in this manner, which will eventually become irritating. German Shepherd being curious beside his owner. This is especially true if the pain is chronic or persistent. So the next time your dog starts whining , take a moment to consider whether he might be trying to tell you something. A German Shepherd at the Vet. Training Training will not only help your dog burn off excess energy, but it will also teach your dog to behave the way you want it to. It is best to begin as early as possible, starting with very short durations for puppies and gradually increasing the length of each training session. German Shepherds are one of the most trainable dogs in the world, hence their popularity as working dogs. Use that working drive! Owner trains her train German Shepherd. It will keep them occupied and provide them with something to chew on. Your shoes and furniture will be forever grateful. German Shepherd plays with his toy at the park. But your dog has only you. Spending quality time with your dog will not only provide them with the attention they require but will also help to reduce their anxiety and calm them down. Set aside some time in your busy day for your beloved pooch. It means a lot to them. German Shepherd sits with his owner in the field. Final Thoughts There are a number of reasons why dogs whine. Most commonly, dogs will whine when they want something — usually attention, food, or to be let outside. If a dog is bored, anxious, or frustrated, it may also start to whine, which in most cases, is perfectly normal behavior for dogs. However, if a dog starts whining excessively, it could be a sign of a bigger problem, such as separation anxiety or another form of stress. No matter the reason, dogs typically only whine when they feel they are not being heard. It just might save you both a lot of frustration. 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. Many dog owners endure the whiny vocalizations that erupt from their pup for seemingly unknown reasons. Dogs whine for many reasons The reality is, dogs whine for many reasons. Your dog may have trained you to give him a treat or a tickle when he whines. He may even whine when playing with other dogs or as a sign of appeasement. Dogs may whine when they are ill, in pain or are developing cognitive problems so any sudden symptoms or behavior changes should be brought to the attention of a vet. Dogs that suffer from separation anxiety will often whine when they know you are planning to leave them alone and will typically continue to whine, bark, and possibly get destructive when left alone. Is your dog afraid, excited, aggressive, or maybe begging for a treat? It will be helpful to get familiar with canine body language cues. If your dog is whining for a treat, obviously, you will not reward him for his whining. Rather engage him in some other form of training and treat after he does a good job. If you need to, crate your dog or separate him from the rest of the family during mealtimes until you can put a stop to his behavior. You can help your dog stop his whiny ways by engaging him in other activities, training, games, food puzzles, and anything else that will stimulate his mind and distract him from the trigger. For anxious or nervous dogs, you can practice exercises that will help teach him to be calm such as the down, place and stay command. Once the dog is in his place, redirect his nervous energy with a chew toy or a Kong filled with treats. Dogs that whine out of fear can be helped by helping to build their confidence through reward-based training. Dogs that suffer from low confidence do best when challenged with simple tricks that offer immediate rewards, such as touch, shake, find it, etc. For dogs that suffer from separation anxiety, whining will be harder to stop since you will have to help your dog overcome his separation anxiety. Please read our article on separation anxiety and contact your vet or a trainer familiar in helping dogs overcome this condition if symptoms are severe. Never reward your dog for whining The bottom line is, training takes time and teaching your dog to stop whining is no different. If you need to, buy some earplugs but until then, in most cases, by simply ignoring your dog, refraining from petting, feeding, treating, or even talking to him will eventually send the message that whining will get him nowhere. Aug 3, Share As a dog parent, you know that German Shepherds tend to whine at the most inopportune times. It could be several things, including the dog being sick or in pain. However, before calling the veterinarian, you can examine our list of seven reasons German Shepherds whine and how to stop it. Your Shepherd Needs to Go to the Bathroom The reason your German Shepherd is whining could be as simple as the dog needing to go outside to potty. The dog might whine, then run to or stare at the door, trying to tell you it needs to go outside. This whining usually happens right after your dog wakes up from a nap or just a few minutes after it eats. The dog could be whining because it wants your attention and is ready to cuddle or play. Image Credit: Happy monkey, Shutterstock 3. You can cure this by ensuring your dog gets at least 2 hours of physical exercise daily and providing it with many challenging games and toys. A hyperactive, bored German Shepherd will become destructive, aggressive, and whiny, so make sure your dog gets the exercise and mental stimulation it needs to be healthy and happy. The Dog Is Happy to See You Dogs, including German Shepherds, are usually happy to see their pet parents when they walk through the door in the evening. Your German Shepherd may whine when it first sees you out of sheer excitement. If the whining is accompanied by a lack of appetite, drowsiness, or other signs of sickness, you must take the dog to the vet for an examination. Until your appointment, it will help to comfort and love your pet to make it feel better. An illness or injury should never be ignored because it can cause other health issues if not addressed by a veterinarian and treated promptly. Your Shepherd Is Stressed Although German Shepherds are known for being fearless dogs , they get scared, anxious, and stressed. If your German Shepherd is whining and none of the reasons above apply, your dog may be stressed or afraid of something. Some events that could be stressing your dog and making it whine include storms, fireworks, and even a stranger in the home. Image Credit: Pxhere 7. There are a few other signs of a dog trying to apologize, including keeping its ears flat, its tail between its legs, and a droopy body. Ask your vet for recommendations Ignore the whining unless your dog needs to go potty Give your dog plenty of attention Train your pet not to whine professionally if needed Distract the dog Image Credit: Sam Wordley, Shutterstock Final Thoughts German Shepherds are known for being courageous, loving, protective, and loyal pets. However, they do tend to whine a bit. However, you should make an appointment with your vet if the whining continues to ensure your dog is not suffering from an injury or illness. Final Thoughts A German Shepherd is one of the most sociable and vocal dog breeds. While everyone knows that these dogs are intelligent, brave, strong, and protective, whining is the last trait that can come to your mind. However, if you ask any GS owner, they will tell you that their pets tend to whine a lot, especially when they are young. This high-pitched sound may be quite troublesome and frustrating. The causes of such behavior can differ. This article will describe them and tell you what to do to solve the issue. First of all, you need to understand that whining and barking are the main forms of communication for most canines. Since these dogs are very communicative, they use such sounds to make it easier to understand what they mean. However, before making these tight bonds, you may feel worried, upset, or even irritated. Being ill or Injured This reason is rather frustrating. Whining can start all of a sudden. You need to be especially concerned if it has started recently after something happened. For instance, your dog might have eaten something bad or was hurt in some way. Boredom and Need for Attention Things may not be as bad as that. Your German Shepherd can start to whine when it is bored. Look whether your pup has something to engage with. These dogs are very active, and they need at least one hour of exercise per day. If they do not get it, and they do not have any toys to play with or things to do, they whine and disturb you until you pay some attention to them. They may even follow you with a ball in their mouth if they want to go outside and play. Separation Anxiety Separation anxiety is quite a common characteristic of German Shepherd dogs. They hate being alone. We can explain it by their origins from pack animals whose nature was to protect each other. When you are about to leave, your puppy starts to whine as if it tried to persuade you not to abandon it. It whines because it does not understand how it can protect a part of its pack when they are not close around. The separation anxiety can also result from the inability to guard. For example, your dog hears some threatening sounds or moves far away. It wants to check how dangerous they are but cannot do it from the inside and starts whining. It can even get alert and remain still for a while and then begin to pace and whine. Yes, dogs, like humans, can also get stressed. If your dog has recently started to whine at night, something is likely to have happened to it. For example, you have moved to a new place, or one of your family members has left or died. Dogs can also experience stress when someone treats them badly. When your puppy is frightened, it becomes fearful and whines. When someone who is not good at it is around, when it sees lightning or hears thunder, sirens, or other loud sounds, it can also be afraid. That is why fireworks do a lot of harm to dogs, and your German Shepherd is not an exception. Excitement and Empathy Your young GS can get extremely excited when you or someone from the family comes home. Or you are going to walk it or play with it. When it is curious about something new or unusual, it begins to whine, too. This is normal, and if this whining does not get on your nerves , let it show its emotions in this way. Empathy is one of the sweetest things in your dog. If it feels that you are frustrated, in pain, or in trouble, it will commonly whine to support and comfort you. Let your GS know that everything is OK with you, and it will stop whining. Feeling sorry is another cause of whining. Your pup is very smart and, when it has done something wrong and feels that you are angry or upset about it, it starts to tuck its ears back, tuck its tail, avoid eye contact, and whine. You do not need to correct it. The only thing is that you should not feel angry with your puppy for a long time. Show it that you have forgiven that and give it a scratch or play with it as usual not to prolong its bad emotion of feeling sorry. A Need to Obtain Something Your German Shepherd may want something from you — playing with it, feeding it, giving it some treats, going for a walk , etc. Or it may just want to attract your attention. You should not give in because your puppy is very smart, and it will understand soon that the only way to get the desired object is by whining. Instead, you have to show your pet that whining does not work and you will give it a treat only if it stops doing it. There are different methods to make your GSD whine less. You may apply them according to the situation but they usually work very well. The most helpful tip is to give your puppy more training. German Shepherds are very active dogs. If they do not get just one hour of exercising per day, that may lead to some behavioral issues. Make sure that this exercise involves walking, running , swimming, playing fetch, and other activities that require a lot of strength and stamina. If you cannot do it yourself because you are too busy, get a dog walker to perform it for you. Positive reinforcement training can be quite efficient as well. Teach your dog to behave properly and obey all the commands needed for your perfect cooperation. Start with the basics, such as teaching it how to sit and stay. Choose a quiet environment without any distractors. Then, continue with more complicated things in the place with more distractions, such as a beach or a park. If you do not know how to train your dog properly, you may need help from an expert trainer. Remember that if your German Shepherd is not trained properly as a puppy, that will result in bad behavioral issues like whining, barking, anxiety, unmotivated aggression, and others, in adulthood. You should show your puppy that whining for a treat or walk is not the best way to obtain the desired thing. Instead, you may stop giving your dog a treat or attention when it whines. Though, you can give it something if the whining stops. Then, if the puppy starts whining again, show it that no treat is available until it stops. That will teach your dog that whining is a bad method to obtain desired things. Be Attentive to Your Dog If you feel that your GS whines because it does not get much attention from you, use several options to increase the amount of care. Play some interesting games with it. Tug of war usually works very well. This game is useful for providing both enough attention and exercise to your German Shepherd. Doggy daycare may be a great option. Acquire special toys to play with. Or get it focused on some interesting things instead of chewing your footwear or furniture. It is especially important during the teething phase when a puppy wants to chew everything it sees and constantly whines because of feeling discomfort. You can also offer your doggy some puzzle games. Your puppy will play with such puzzle toys to get the treat enclosed inside them. German Shepherds are very smart, so get them the toys that are not boring because they may lose interest in some simple things very soon and… start whining. Give your dog appropriate chews too. If it whines at night, there may be some serious health issues. Your veterinarian will have it tested and tell you what to do or prescribe some medical treatment. If there is some other issue, they also advise you on changes in diet , training, exercising, or overall care. Final Thoughts So, why do German Shepherds whine? There is no distinct answer. When you bring your puppy home for the first time, its whining may even sound cute. However, you will feel that you should do something about it because it drives you mad. Petting and cuddling may help a lot. Though, your dog also needs proper training and a lot of exercise. Train it to be engaged and not to feel lonely. Special practices for avoiding whining are not necessary. David W. I admire German Shepherds. They are magnificent dogs! I have been dealing with dogs, namely German Shepherds, throughout my life. I have been working part-time as a dog trainer and instructor for about 5 years, dealing mainly with German Shepherds. So I know a bit about these animals. Therefore, I decided to share my knowledge and experience about this fantastic breed. If you need help with advice and care tips or want to know more about German Shepherd dogs, welcome to this blog. May 21, by Charles Grey If you own a German Shepherd, you may find yourself dealing with a whining puppy. This is normal since a dog may be whining for so many reasons. So why does my German Shepherd whine so much? German Shepherds can whine for many different reasons, including wanting attention, feeling afraid, or being in pain, alongside many other reasons. Knowing the signs to look out for can help you understand why your German Shepherd whines so often. Be sure to read until the end not to miss a thing. German Shepherds may be whining for many reasons. Knowing how to handle the situation can be difficult for many Shepherd owners and lovers. Barking and whining are natural behaviors for a dog, but the frequency and intensity of these sounds may mean something is wrong. If you notice that your dog whines after going for a walk to indicate that he wants to walk again, this can be a sign of a bladder or digestive issue. Whining can be an indication that your dog is in physical pain. Paying attention to the activity that prompts the whining will assist in identifying the issue. This may include going up or down the stairs or jumping on the bed. Pain experienced from these activities could be a sign of arthritis. They want someone to play with them and engage them and may need more exercise and mental stimulation. A bored German Shepherd can lead to destructive habits such as chewing on the sofa or digging up your potted plants. Different situations such as thunderstorms or being surrounded by new people can cause anxiety in your dog. Make a mental note if they exhibit this whining response during specific circumstances and provide extra comfort during those times. If you leave your German Shepherd alone for long periods, this can be a reason for their whining, showing that they are lonely or insecure. A German Shepherd will hunch down and tuck his tail between his legs or pace nervously about if they are feeling insecure. It is their way of telling you that they want something or feel a certain way. They will make a special effort to let you know what they want, and it is entirely normal behavior. Because of a Medical Condition If your German Shepherd has begun whining recently, it could indicate that he is ill. Stomach sensitivity is a common issue among this dog breed, so monitoring is essential if he exhibits discomfort after eating. German Shepherds are unfortunately susceptible to joint issues such as hip dysplasia, which can occur as a puppy or after adulthood. If your dog begins to whine during certain physical activities, it could be a medical condition that needs to be evaluated by your veterinarian. Because They Are Lonely German Shepherds are a loyal dog breed and can develop a hyper-attachment to their owners. This attachment can create anxiety about being alone, and they will try to let you know with their whining. It is similar to them communicating a plea for you not to leave them. They love being with you and cuddling up more than anything else, and you are the highlight of their day. When you are gone, even for short periods, they become anxious thinking of when you will return. They are afraid you may not return, and this could be because they are left alone for extended periods or were separated from their mother at too early of an age. If They Are Left in a Kennel for Long Periods of Time As your puppy ages, his sleep routine changes too, which means fewer naps and less sleep at night. If your German Shepherd is wide awake when you put him in this kennel, then there is a good chance you will hear whining and crying. German Shepherds also need consistent physical stimulation. Too much time in a kennel can lead to boredom. A bored German Shepherd will be a whiny one, and his routine needs to be adjusted to fit in the right amount of exercise. Your German Shepherd may whine to show that he is excited and wants to play with your other dog. This is a typical interaction that German Shepherds exhibit with other dogs. German Shepherds were bred to work alongside humans daily doing intensive tasks. This means if they lack these things, they will try to let you know, which could be through whining. Due to Separation Anxiety Depending on the cause, separation anxiety can develop in your German Shepherd as a puppy or develop over time. There are various reasons that your dog can have this type of anxiety. Some dogs feel alone because they instinctively are a pack animal, and there is a fear of being hurt or lost when they are alone. If a dog has been rehomed for any reason, this can create a void and potential instability. Separation anxiety often occurs when a dog has been rescued from an animal shelter because it creates a fear of abandonment. They Are Bored If your German Shepherd does not have the physical and mental stimulation needed daily, they will likely whine to make you aware of this as they have plenty of time and energy. German Shepherds are very energetic and need regular playtime regularly. How to get your German Shepherd to Whine Less? They are a high-energy breed and need an outlet to expel it. Properly Socialize Your German Shepherd When your German Shepherd becomes anxious and fearful of something unfamiliar, he will communicate this with whining. It can also lead to aggressive behavior. Thus, your dog must meet new people and be exposed to new places such as a dog park. Provide toys and other activities to hold their attention and prevent whining unnecessarily. Reward Good Behavior Dogs thrive when they see they have pleased their owners. If your German Shepherd whines to get his way, ignore him and not reward that behavior. Then when he exhibits good behavior, show him that it is appreciated with words of commendation, extra playtime, or a special treat. Because dogs do not speak our language, they must use other ways to communicate their needs to us, and this includes whining excessively. Dogs can be taught to ask for things they want in a polite way, such as by sitting or giving some other visual signal that they need something, rather than rudely yelling for it. Depending on the severity of their illness, injury, or discomfort the whining could be quiet and slow, or it could be loud and frantic. Oftentimes if your German Shepherd is whining a lot due to being unwell, it is accompanied by other signs and behaviors that indicate a sickness or injury , such as heavy panting, pacing, hiding, or attempting to vomit or go to the bathroom and being unable to. Reason 3: They Need To Go Outside When your German Shepherd begins whining a lot, it could be an indicator that they need to go outside to use the bathroom. This is especially true if your German Shepherd is a puppy who is still in the potty-training process, you have a senior German Shepherd who must go outside more frequently, or your German Shepherd is suffering from a digestive or bladder issue that is causing them to need to use the bathroom more frequently. Because whining is a way in which a German Shepherd can signal their discomfort, this is one of the first ways they will alert you to their needs. Whining to go to the bathroom tends be softer in pitch at first, and you may also see your German Shepherd look towards the door or run back and forth between you and the door. If that initial request goes ignored, the whining will probably increase in pitch and intensity, or your pup may opt to just go to the bathroom in the house. You can also see this whining behavior when your German Shepherd has an upset stomach and needs to vomit. Dogs naturally start whining when in a high arousal state, similar to how you may bounce around in place or when kids start chatting nonstop when they are excited. German Shepherds in particular can be very affectionate with their owners , and their intense excitement about interacting with their owner can cause an increase in whining. If the whining is also accompanied by lunging, jumping, mouthing, or other high-energy or stressful behaviors , or you have neighbors who take issue with the noise, then you can work with a local trainer to help teach your dog to better manage his excitement and emotions. Reason 5: They Are Scared Dogs may also whine when they are scared or anxious, so if your German Shepherd is whining a lot, it could be because they are afraid of or anxious about something. If you can identify what is making them afraid or anxious, you can either try to soothe your German Shepherd and show them there is no reason for them to be upset, or you can move them away from what is freaking them out. While some whining is normal depending on the situation, at other times the excessive whining could be a cause for concern. If your German Shepherd suddenly begins whining excessively, it might be due to an underlying medical issue, and you should schedule an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. In order to stop your German Shepherd from whining so much, you must first determine why she is whining in the first place. If your German Shepherd is whining due to wanting something like attention or a treat, work towards encouraging them to ask for what they want more politely, such as by sitting quietly in front of you or by laying down by their food bowl. German Shepherds have a reputation for being an easily trainable breed of dog , so provided you stick with a good training schedule it should be fairly easy to curb the excessive whining. If you reward them with what they want while they are crying for it, it will further encourage them to continue whining usually even louder and in more situations to get what they want, similar to a child crying for candy in the store. If the whining is due to fear, anxiety, or excitement, you can work with a local dog trainer to help your dog better manage his emotions. If you are concerned the excessive crying is due to your German Shepherd having an underlying illness or injury, then speak with your vet as soon as possible to get your pup checked out. Closing Thoughts Due to German Shepherds being such a vocal breed, the whining from your German Shepherd is probably nothing to be concerned about. If you suspect that the continuous whining and crying is related to an underlying medical or behavioral issue, reaching out to your veterinarian is probably the safest thing to do. My 2 German Shepherds and 1 Siberian Husky mix keep my busy, along with my 8 cats I am also a crazy cat lady and my axolotl Fin Diesel he's all about family. We go to great lengths to help users better understand their pets; however, the content on this blog is not a substitute for veterinary guidance. Additionally, NotABully.