golden retriever a puppy

You are bound to want to know when your biting puppy will grow out of this phase and how you can speed that process up. Biting, as you will have discovered is usually accompanied by lots of noise! Why do puppies bite? So why do puppies bite? My puppy is biting hard Puppies do bite hard and it does hurt. But I want to reassure you that even at 8 weeks old, your puppy has learned to moderate his bite in play. Puppies have powerful jaws designed to tear through flesh and crush bones. Those of you who feed your puppy a raw diet will know that even an 8 week old puppy from a medium sized breed can crush bones the size of your little finger. He is deliberately attempting to be gentle. Puppy Biting — Bite inhibition This ability, that your puppy has, to moderate the power of his jaws in play, is called bite inhibition. It is something that his mother started to teach him when he was just a few weeks old. And now it is your turn to take over and complete the training process. Growling and Puppy biting One thing that often worries people who have a new puppy in the family, is the growling that accompanies puppy biting. It sounds horrific. Great snarls and snaps accompany the biting and the puppy can appear quite demonic as he grabs onto your skin, or clothes. Tugging away with all the strength he can muster. Ninety nine times out of a hundred this is completely normal play biting. Is my puppy biting aggressive? You cannot determine whether or not a puppy is biting aggressively by how hard he bites or by the volume of the noise he makes. Play biting puppies bite hard and growl fiercely. Some puppies do occasionally draw blood. But these are not normally savage or crushing bites and the puppy is clearly enjoying himself. Fierce but fun! The play biting puppy will launch himself at the target of his bite. Whether it is your slippers or your fingers, with equal tail-wagging enthusiasm, hanging on grimly and grabbing repeatedly when the item is removed from him. All this, shocking though it may seem, is normal, and is not a sign that your puppy is going to be an aggressive dog! In fact some of the gentlest and most amiable breeds the labrador for example are the worst and fiercest play biters. The puppy that is a cause for concern is the puppy that is frightened. Because although puppies rarely bite through aggression, the nervous puppy may become aggressive as he matures Is my puppy afraid? A scared puppy may bite and scared puppies can grow into scared adult dogs so this is something you need to address quickly. You will know that your puppy is scared because he will try to avoid whatever it is he is scared of. A really frightened puppy will sometimes give off a distinctive musky smell. This hiding, and retreating, and the scared smell are warning signs that you have scared your puppy badly, or purchased a poorly socialised puppy. In this situation you need to get specialist help right away. Your vet should be able to advise you. For the vast majority of puppy owners then, biting is normal puppy behavior. Will my puppy biting stop naturally? To some extent biting is a phase caused by natural puppy playfulness and teething. Some puppies do stop biting with very little input from their family. Which is great. You may feel he should have grown out of it by now. We can physically prevent puppies from biting and we can train puppies not to bite. Both of these are good strategies. Or when children are getting upset, or visitors are winding your puppy up. Prevention usually involves interrupting the biting behavior, then redirecting the puppy into an alternative and more acceptable behavior, such as chewing on a toy. Or, it may involve temporarily separating him from his playmates. Interrupting the puppy biting In mild cases you may simply be able to put a toy in your biting puppy's mouth and get him tugging on that instead of on your fingers. If you are on the floor with the puppy stand up. And if you are standing up, turn and walk away from the puppy. This is where dog gates come in very handy with small puppies. A standard baby gate works fine for most breeds of dog. Managing the puppy You may have to pick up your biting puppy to remove him from the scene if he is biting your children for example, rather than you If he bites your hands and clothes as you try to restrain him, put him on the other side of a barrier or in his crate or puppy playpen for a short while. Although the puppy does learn from them, these are useful management techniques to enable you to control the situation. They help you to keep your puppy calm, and prevent the biting escalating through over excitement. Over-excited puppies Puppy play biting is directly linked to excitement. The more excited your puppy gets, the more and the harder he will bite. And the harder it will be to interrupt and distract him. Rough play excites puppies and noisy play does too. Children tend to squeal when they play and get very physical with puppies. One of the first rules they need to learn when playing with dogs, especially big dogs, is to stand up and stand still when the game gets too much. Limit such play and call a halt to it if your puppy is biting. With medium to large breed dogs, physical rough and tumble play is not a great idea. It can lead to dogs bowling people over or humping them, neither of which is very pleasant. Stopping play when it gets rough is a good management strategy and it is a form of training too. Over time, your puppy learns that biting and rough play loses him his playmates and that people simply leave if he is being mean. When do puppies stop biting? Many puppies have stopped biting completely by six months of age and biting is usually subsiding by the time that the puppy is heading towards five months old. This is if the puppy has been managed appropriately If people have been exciting him, or rewarding him for attention seeking behavior then biting can persist And it can be much more of a problem in bigger stronger puppies than in little ones. Training Puppies Not To Bite The idea of this exercise is to teach a puppy to accept being stroked and handled in any way, without touching us with his teeth. The event marker is a distinctive sound. Even around his mouth, without him making any attempt to bite you. You can also make it easier for him by starting this training when he is calm and not distracted. But for now, keep things simple. It can be a good way of getting the training started so that you have chance to say YES and give the puppy the opportunity to learn what you want him to do. Over the next few sessions, you can work on getting your hand closer and closer to the puppy. Until you are brushing the sides of his face without him making any attempt to mouth or bite at you Progress to touching and holding his collar, stroking his ears, grooming him, examining his paws and so on, all the time rewarding him for the correct behavior. Anytime the mouthing returns, back up to a point where he can succeed and move forward more slowly again Bite Inhibition Training Some experts feel that puppies should be allowed to mouth and even bite gently for a week or two before being prevented from biting altogether. Simply follow the instructions for managing your puppy above when he bites hard. But allow him to mouth you when he bites gently without much pressure. This is a great way to teach a dog excellent control over his mouth. After a couple of weeks of this, you can progress to the training exercise I outlined in the previous section. Older puppies that bite in play have often learned that this gets them a lot of attention. They have discovered that people squeal and shout and get quite cross. Sometimes these people push and shove the dog around which young dogs quite enjoy when they are playing. For these dogs it is important that you stop all physical play, with all family members If a puppy is biting hard at your hands when you try to interrupt his game. Or an older puppy is getting out of hand biting at clothing, you need to put your puppy on a harness and house-line a short trailing leash. This will enable you to control your puppy, and take him to a calming place, without handling him. You can just pick up the end of the line and lead him away. Older biting puppies are often bright and bored. And the best approach to avoiding future episodes of bad behavior is a structured programme of training and interesting activities. A professional dog trainer using modern positive training methods will be able to help you with these. Summary So now you know some tips on how to stop your puppy from biting. The first few weeks can be tough with a determined biter in the house, but you will get through this and come out the other side. A few months from now, this difficult period will be a distant memory In the meantime, focus on keeping your biting puppy calm, avoiding too much rough play, and redirecting his biting onto appropriate toys and activities. Spend some time on the training exercise set out above. But much like other puppies, a Golden Retriever puppy has a tendency to chew and bite. So, how can you train your Golden Retriever puppy not to bite? Consistency is the key to teaching your Golden Retriever puppy not to bite. However, you have to train your dog to behave, and that includes keeping them from biting. This article may contain affiliate links and loyalgoldens may earn a commission if a purchase is made. Unlock your goldens natural intelligence and see just how quickly problem behaviors disappear. This is the best at home dog training I've ever used! Get up and walk away from the dog. Leave the room if you can. Focus on something else for a bit. And believe me, a Golden Retriever puppy or not always wants your attention! Now, you may not see immediate results with this method, but it will work over time if you remain consistent. Sending your new puppy mixed signals will only confuse him or her. You can pet your dog to reward them for not getting mouthy with your hand or fingers while playing. It can take a while to get to this stage, so be patient. When, your dog gets through an entire play session without biting, that deserves some extra love. Now, you have to be careful not to give too much attention when your dog does bite. If your Golden Retriever reverts to biting out of excitement or nervousness, immediately stop giving them attention. Turn away and ignore your dog like what you did before. Hopefully, they will get the message more quickly, so you can go back to playing without them biting. Use a firm tone rather than a cute tone you might use when praising your dog. When you say no, use physical signals to get your Golden Retriever to stop. Take your hand out of their mouth and move it out of reach. Make sure anyone who trains the dog uses the same firm tone. Tips to stop golden retriever pups from biting. Watch for Patterns Another way you can train your Golden Retriever puppy to stop biting is to watch for patterns. See if your dog tends to bite more at certain times of day, in the same room, or while playing with a particular toy. When your dog does bite, you can use other methods to get them to stop immediately. But after the fact, write down the date, time, and situation. If multiple people are training your dog, you should also log who your dog tends to bite. That way, you can see if there are patterns. Use Bitter Spray When you start training your Golden Retriever puppy, you may want to try using a bitter spray on your hands. Try this bitter spray Amazon , it works on your hands to stop chewing and biting and it also works on other things around the house that a new puppy might want to chew on like houseplants, furniture, etc. This can be an easy way to get your dog not to bite you. Now, this can be difficult if your dog bites other areas of your body, but it can help. You might get quicker results than if you only stuck to ignoring your dog. Have Lots of Toys Another excellent way to train your Golden Retriever to stop biting you is to use toys. You should be careful and use toys when your dog exhibits good behavior. But you can give your dog chew toys so that they have something they can bite. There is even a teething ring for dogs Amazon that you keep in the freezer and it provides something cool to chew on to help ease the pain during this period of your puppies life. Then, your dog will want to behave well when they play with you. Discover how to train your Golden Retriever by playing games : 21 games to play with your Golden that will make them smarter and better behaved! You can have a bag of small treats in your pocket that you use when playing with your dog. Whenever they go a long time without biting, you can give them a treat. You can also use the treats to distract your dog. If you know their patterns and when they usually bite, you can preempt that with a treat. Then, your dog can chew on the food rather than your hand. There are tons of treats out there, so go with something small. Try to avoid using treats as a bribe, and focus on making them a reward. That way, your dog can look forward to a treat for their good habits. Start As Soon as Possible Training your Golden Retriever puppy not to bite should start as soon as you bring your puppy home. If you wait until your dog gets into the habit of biting, it will be hard to break. You may still need to use various ways to train your dog, but it should be easier. Starting when your puppy is super young can also help them with other areas of their life. If you can train them not to bite, you will know how they learn best, which will help you train them for other things. It will also be harder if you use one method while your spouse uses another method. Everyone in your household should decide on how and when to train your Golden Retriever puppy. Use the same toys or treats, train your dog simultaneously, or use the same speaking tone. That way, your dog can learn from everyone rather than a single trainer. Then, you all can enjoy your Golden Retriever, and they can develop good habits. Final Thoughts Training a Golden Retriever to stop biting can take some time. You have to figure out when your dog bites and what triggers the biting. Then, you have to determine how your dog learns best and use that method to train your puppy. But once you find the perfect tool, your dog will learn to stop biting. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase the item. This comes at no extra cost to you. Wish your golden retriever puppy would stop biting so much? Puppy nipping is one of the most frustrating things about raising a new puppy—their teeth are razor-sharp, it hurts when they bite, and they can ruin your clothes! But why do puppies bite so much? Puppies bite to learn acquired bite inhibition, or ABI. What exactly is ABI? He might leap up and bite you because you hurt him and scared him. But the important thing is this: how hard will they bite? This is where ABI comes in. So ABI is really important. Now the question is, how do they learn it? The only way for puppies to learn ABI is to bite, and bite often. The best teachers are other dogs. Next time they bite a little less hard and playtime continues. This is how they learn ABI. Obviously, it takes a lot of repetition of this scenario to happen for a puppy to learn not to bite so hard, but this is essentially how it works out. Yes, you will need to help teach your puppy ABI. You can do this two ways: Set up puppy playdates and take them to puppy kindergarten so other puppies can teach them ABI. You actually want them to bite a little bit and learn to control how hard they bite. That being said, letting them go on a biting rampage is not helping the situation, so here are five tips to help you stop your puppy from biting so much: 1. Socialize your puppy Other dogs are the best teachers of ABI so make sure to get your puppy in kindergarten and set up playdates with dogs that you know are vaccinated. Remove yourself from the situation Puppies can often be over-stimulated or over-tired. One thing we did with our puppy, Oliver, when he got in these moods was to go sit at our high-top table in the kitchen and ignore him until he calmed down or distracted himself with a chew toy. Exercise your puppy A tired puppy is a good puppy. Young puppies have weak jaws, so if they had dull teeth, a bite from them would be no big deal. Most adult golden retrievers bite out of fear and a professional can help you properly handle it. Puppy Biting vs. Chewing Puppy biting or nipping is when a dog purposefully bites you. As we already talked about, they need to do this to learn ABI. Puppy chewing, on the other hand, is when puppies chew on things to relieve the pressure in their mouths from their adult teeth coming in. Since puppies bite and chew for different reasons, you need to handle these problems differently. Mentally wear them by out by training them, going for long walks and letting them sniff around, and giving them puzzle toys or frozen kongs. Remember that a tired puppy is a good puppy. A: It can take up to six weeks or more for your puppy to learn ABI and what is appropriate to bite or not. If it takes longer than six weeks, just remember to be consistent with the steps to stop it and have faith that it will slow down soon. Q: Is puppy biting an act of aggression? A: Most puppy biting is a form of play. It helps them learn ABI. If you think your puppy is biting out of aggression, then you should talk to a professional. Q: Why are puppy teeth so sharp? Q: What is ABI? A: ABI is acquired bite inhibition, or the natural ability for a dog to not bite so hard. Q: Do all puppies bite? A: Yes! Instead, they need to learn to control their bite force, then learn to bite less. Have any questions about puppy biting? Let me know in the comments below! Related articles:. They Are Naturally Mouthy Golden Retrievers are a mouthy breed, to begin with, they are naturally inclined to pick up and hold anything and everything in their mouths. While it may seem like there is something wrong with your puppy to cause him or her to bite so much, rest assured, all puppies bite, not just Golden Retriever puppies. Play Behaviour When you see a litter of pups play together, they often nip and bite at one another. It is their way of socializing and initiating play. Your puppy will bite and nip at you during playtime with you because it is a natural behaviour to them. They Are Teething Many people associate puppy biting with teething, however when a puppy is teething they will resort to chewing and mouthing in order to relieve their pain. They may chew or mouth on your hands and fingers, but teething is not the cause of biting that every puppy owner experiences. Puppy biting is most often just play. To summarize, puppy biting is normal and should be expected as a puppy owner. In general, biting will naturally subside in Golden Retriever puppies around the age of months. This is around the time that their adult teeth have come in. Puppies at this age usually already know how to moderate their bite, and will not bite or nip at you as much as they did when they were younger. While biting anything and everything is normal behaviour to your puppy, it is not something that you want your puppy to continue to do. It is up to you to teach your puppy not to bite humans, especially children. Take a look at the common mistakes puppy owners often make, and learn to avoid them. Puppies who are excited bite more. Children often fall victim to the most puppy bites because they get very excited around puppies and this just gets the puppy going which results in biting. Any attention that you give your puppy after they bite you will seem like a reward to your puppy, and the biting will just continue. Yelling at your puppy, pushing them away, talking to your puppy, or even looking at them is giving them the attention that they want. Bite inhibition is when your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite. Puppies learn this skill when they are with their littermates, which is why they need to stay with them and their mother until they are 8 weeks old. Playing with their littermates teaches puppies that biting too hard hurts and will end playtime. The puppy then learns to bite softer. When your puppy comes home with you, it is up to you to teach your puppy how to control the force of their bite. Biting down on the thick fur coat of his mother or littermates is a lot different than biting down on human skin. By not teaching your puppy bite inhibition, you will risk your puppy turning into a dangerous adult. Puppy bites are a lot different than adult dog bites. Once your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite, eventually the bites become gentler, and in time, your puppy will learn to stop biting altogether. This is part of teaching your puppy bite inhibition. This is a way to mimic how puppies play together, when one puppy bites another puppy too hard, that puppy yelps in pain, and will walk away. In some cases, puppies could get even more worked up by the noise and keep on biting. This is when you need to walk away. When your puppy has calmed down, you can resume playing with your puppy. When your puppy bites you again, repeat the steps of yelping and walking away. Eventually, your puppy will learn to soften his bite, because biting too hard ends playtime. The following video discusses why puppies bite, how to teach bite inhibition and how to survive puppy biting. It is a good idea to have a few chew toys on hand to offer up as a distraction from your skin. Check out this list of the best teething toys for puppies. This will get your puppy to stop and focus on being obedient. A great way to solve boredom is by going for a walk with your puppy. How much exercise should you give your Golden Retriever puppy? A good rule of thumb is 5 minutes of exercise for every month that your puppy is alive. So a 3-month-old puppy should get 15 minutes of exercise a day, a 5-month-old puppy should get 25 minutes per day, and so on. This is in addition to and not instead of playtime. Bitter Apple Spray can also be used to prevent your puppy from nipping and biting at you. Before you interact with your puppy, spray it on your arms, legs, pant legs, or sleeves, anywhere that your puppy likes to nip at you. Once your puppy bites at you, he will get a bad taste in his mouth and will stop. Bitter Apple Spray may not work on all puppies, some may actually develop a taste for it. I know that when my Golden Retriever Ellie was a pup this stuff worked amazingly well, but as she got older she developed a taste for bitter things such as crab apples which are extremely sour and she once sucked on a vinegar packet that was lying on the ground! Reward Good Behaviour Every time your puppy stops biting and nipping at you, you need to see this as positive behaviour. Good behaviour should be rewarded so that your puppy learns that he did something good. Rewarding good behaviour with affection and praise is great, you can also use treats, or toys, sometimes the best reward for your puppy is just spending time with them. Be Patient and Consistent Owning a puppy requires a lot of patience! It is so easy to lose your patience at times, but you need to know that your puppy is learning what is right and wrong, and that takes time. It might not happen overnight, but as long as you remain consistent and patient, your pup will learn good behaviour. If your puppy is nipping at your pant legs or sleeves, chances are he is loving the tugging feeling and is actually already playing tug-of-war. Instead of using your clothing, redirect his attention to a rope toy. One thing to be careful of is being too rough with tug-of-war, especially when your puppy is going through his teething phase. A game of fetch offers your pup a distraction from biting, and Golden Retriever puppies naturally love to retrieve things. This is a great way to also teach your puppy to drop it, by offering a treat when your puppy drops the ball or rope toy. A well-socialized puppy will be less likely to exhibit any unwanted behaviours later on. Enrolling your pup in puppy kindergarten or arranging some play dates with other dogs who are friendly and vaccinated is a great way for your pup to learn social skills. Other dogs are sometimes the best teachers for a puppy because they will let your puppy know what is okay for play and what is not okay, in terms of biting and nipping. Always supervise your puppy while playing with other dogs. Yelling at your puppy will only make your puppy scared and confused as well as lose trust and respect for you. Common mistakes people make when their puppy is biting are pushing them away, clamping down on their mouths or spraying them in the face with water. All of these are a bad idea! Your puppy could see this behaviour as a form of play and continue biting and nipping at you even harder. If you remain calm and use a firm voice not yelling , your pup will see you as in charge. Puppies and dogs often exhibit the same behaviour as we do, if you get upset and start yelling, your puppy will just get even more excited. As unpleasant as puppy biting is, it is normal behaviour. Your puppy biting and nipping at you with a mouth full of shark teeth may seem aggressive, but it is most often just out of curiosity and play behaviour. Golden Retrievers are known for their calm and gentle demeanour, but there are rare instances where you may have an aggressive puppy on your hands. Puppies who have been taken away from their litter earlier than weeks, bad breeding, being abused, a chemical imbalance, and not being socialized are all reasons for aggression in puppies. Signs of an aggressive puppy include barking, growling, lunging at you or another dog, a stiff posture, and showing teeth. If you think your puppy is aggressive, it is important to work with a professional dog trainer or behaviourist in order to find out the reasons for aggression and work on correcting the behaviour before it gets worse. It is important to keep your calm and work with your puppy to teach him the important skill of bite inhibition, and to redirect his biting to more appropriate behaviour. Socializing your puppy, as well as rewarding good behaviour will all help to turn your puppy into a well-behaved dog. Have you tried any of the tips mentioned above? Do you have any other tips to stop Golden Retriever puppy biting? Share your thoughts and comments below, as well as any questions you may have. I would love to hear from you. Jenny I am the proud owner of a Golden Retriever named Ellie. She keeps me busy, and when she is resting, you can find me working on my blog. She is always close by though. I live in Stirling, ON Canada with my husband, and we both enjoy the never a dull moment life with our Ellie. Spread the love. Are you a proud new golden retriever puppy parent or considering getting a furry friend? While puppies are adorable and full of energy, they can also be a handful, especially when it comes to biting. This article will cover practical strategies to manage puppy biting and help you and your pup develop a solid and loving relationship. Thus biting is natural. Their bites will become softer as they practice and learn to manage their bite strength. They will eventually stop biting entirely. While biting is a natural part of the learning process, it is essential to train your puppy not to bite excessively. Here are a few tips to get you started: Providing Chew Toys for Redirecting Biting Behavior Providing chew toys is an excellent approach to help your puppy stop biting. When your puppy begins to bite you, remove your hand or foot and replace it with a chew toy. This teaches them that biting is acceptable, but only when done with toys, not people. It is essential to keep an eye on your puppy when they play with chew toys to ensure they do not consume anything toxic. By exposing your puppy to a variety of people, animals, and environments in a controlled and positive manner, you can help them develop proper social skills and reduce biting tendencies. Socialization helps puppies learn appropriate bite inhibition and establishes boundaries for acceptable behavior during interactions. Through well-planned socialization experiences, you can guide your puppy towards becoming a well-behaved and gentle companion. Employing the Time-Out Strategy for Persistent Biting Use the time-out strategy when other methods fail to stop your puppy from biting. If your puppy continues to bite, place him on a time-out for 30 seconds before allowing him to return to play. This teaches your puppy that biting is unacceptable and will result in a loss of playtime or attention. Again, use a gentle tone and avoid shouting or scolding your puppy. When your puppy plays gently with their toys instead of biting you, shower them with praise and perhaps even a tasty gift! This teaches your puppy that good behavior leads to beautiful things. Instead, concentrate on encouraging appropriate behavior and redirecting any inappropriate biting. Your puppy will learn to control their biting and play in a friendly and safe manner with time, patience, and positive reinforcement. This entails repeating the same commands, techniques, and rewards each time you train. When you do this, your puppy learns what is expected of them and how to get rewarded. On the other hand, if you are inconsistent, your puppy may get confused and unsure of what they need to do to please you. This can make training more difficult and frustrating for you and your puppy. So, strive to be consistent in your training. However, they can get nippy during their fun exploration of the world around them. The good news is that this is a natural habit for pups, and there are ways to deal with it. Puppies prefer to bite to initiate play, learn more about their surroundings, and adjust their bite pressure, especially when they are teething. These actions are part of how they play, interact, and learn about their environment. First, however, puppies must be taught how to control their biting pressure and redirect their biting to appropriate toys and chew objects, which we will discuss later. Puppy bites, for example, can become more painful and even harmful as they increase in size. Additionally, it might lead to destructive chewing if you do not divert their biting habit to appropriate chew items. As a result, it is critical to address this habit early on through regular teaching and positive reinforcement. Understand what motivates them and what makes them more likely to engage in biting. Adjust your training methods: Not all puppies respond to the same training techniques. Some may respond better to positive reinforcement, while others may require more redirection and distraction. Consider their energy levels: Golden Retrievers are known for their energy and enthusiasm. Be patient and consistent: Training takes time, and each puppy learns at their own pace. Be patient with your puppy and provide consistent guidance. Remember, every Golden Retriever puppy is an individual, and what works for one may not work for another. With a customized approach, you can effectively address biting behavior and set your unique puppy on the path to becoming a well-behaved and happy companion. So, most puppies begin to bite and mouth less frequently when they are 8 to 10 months old. However, this varies greatly depending on the individual pup. Some may stop sooner, while others may take a little longer. Golden retrievers, for example, love using their tongues. At the same time, herding dogs such as border collies or corgis may continue to nip at ankles as they age. Just keep working with your pet and providing the guidance they require to create positive habits! Conclusion As you begin the joyful road of raising your Golden Retriever puppy, keep in mind that training and socialization are essential for producing a happy and well-behaved dog. You can teach your puppy what is expected of them and create healthy behaviors that will last a lifetime using consistent and positive reinforcement techniques. Remember that each puppy is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. You will be rewarded with a devoted and well-behaved companion if you are patient and committed to the training process. Remember to give your puppy enough exercise and mental stimulation and to continuously reward positive behavior. You can help your puppy grow into a happy and healthy adult dog who will provide you happiness for many years by doing so. By the time your puppy reaches around three months of age, they should start to develop bite inhibition and learn to control the force of their bites during play. As you continue to interact and train with your puppy, you can gradually increase your sensitivity to the level of bites you find acceptable. By the age of four or five months, their play bites should no longer exert any force. Can I use physical punishment to stop my puppy from biting? Certainly not! To stop a puppy from biting, never use physical punishment. It is not only ineffective, but it can also be harmful and cause long-term behavioral issues. Instead, train your puppy using positive reinforcement techniques, including redirection, time-outs, and excellent rewarding behavior. What can I do? Puppies frequently nip and bite while playing with other dogs, but teaching them to control their bite force is essential. My puppy is teething. What can I do to stop them from biting? Teething is a normal developmental stage for puppies , and they naturally want to chew and bite things. Similar to what we discussed earlier. Galen has been connecting quality Golden Retriever breeders with loving families since and is the founder of My Golden Retriever Puppies. He and his wife have four children and love spending time together, traveling lived oversees for 4 years , enjoying the outdoors and connecting Golden families. Be the first to know when we have new puppies! All Rights Reserved. In reality, more than 4. Although only a tiny percentage have to seek medical attention, the experience can be unnerving for the person being bit and the dog owner. But to help your pup, you should understand why puppies and older dogs bite and what type of training will inhibit their inclination to bite. So, why do Golden puppies bite so much? Like human babies, puppies also teethe. Teething starts around three weeks when their first milk teeth come in. Once this process begins, your puppy will want to bite and chew on almost everything, including you! Biting helps relieve the pain in their gums and soothes some of the irritation as new teeth come in. Retrievers were originally bred to pick up and retrieve prey, which means using their mouths as a tool is part of their genetics. In the 19th century , hunters would use this breed to help them hunt waterfowl and other game. Once they shot down a bird, the dog would find it, pick it up in its mouth, and bring it back. Another factor is those foundational canine instincts. Guarding people, digging holes, turning around before lying down, and biting — these behaviors are part of the canine DNA. These early versions of domesticated dogs developed strong social instincts, which is why dogs today can become nervous when separated from their packs. When they feel alone and anxious, they might bark, howl, or start chewing or biting on anything they can find until you come home. Goldens, in particular, seek the approval of their owners. Training your puppy not to bite unwanted things and be gentle when using their mouth is known as bite inhibition. Most Golden Retriever puppies outgrow their biting habits. Usually, when teething is over and all their adult teeth have come in — at around six and seven months old — you can expect the puppy-biting phase to end. However, not every pup will stop on its own. Some will need training to break the habit. Of bites reported from to , Golden Retriever bites account for one bite every two years. If your Golden Retriever is biting, it might have underlying issues that require addressing. But seeing your older Golden bite can be alarming. Even the calmest dogs might bite if provoked. The better you understand where your dog is coming from, the easier it is to implement a solution. For instance, say an intruder breaks into your home. As a reaction, your dog might bark or growl. And, if they feel threatened enough, they might try to bite the intruder. This is an example of territorial aggression. Fear: if a dog feels cornered or trapped or is startled, their first instinct might be to bite. Maternal or protective: when your pet feels that someone in their pack is at risk, they might act aggressively to the perceived threat. Predatory: this is when a dog reacts to fast-moving things and starts aggressively chasing. Playful Playful biting is a lot like Golden Retriever puppy biting. This type of biting occurs when the dog never outgrows the puppy-play biting stage. If playfulness is behind the problem, teaching bite inhibition now by reinforcing positive behavior can go a long way in helping your dog drop their bad habits. For example, if a rambunctious puppy continually nips at an adult Golden Retriever, the older dog might snap at the younger puppy. This can happen when a dog is in pain because of a health issue. Golden Retrievers are genetically predisposed to several conditions that can cause pain and discomfort, including the following: Hip and elbow dysplasia Cancer Eye conditions, such as entropion Getting your Golden Retriever puppy from a reputable breeder can help to reduce the chances that your dog will develop these and other health conditions. The Golden Retriever breed has one of the highest cancer rates. And older dogs, in general, are more susceptible to disease. If you notice your dog starting to bite and growl for no apparent reason, it also might be worth talking to your vet to rule out health problems. But as every dog has a unique personality, you might need to work through different methods before successfully teaching bite inhibition. Here are three methods you can use to teach your Golden Retriever puppy not to bite. Method 1: Socialization Puppies who are properly socialized learn bite inhibition while nursing and playing. Both of these social feedback mechanisms help to teach a puppy to bite softly or not at all. Bringing your puppy to meet other playful pups or taking them to the dog park when they are ready can help them learn not to bite. A reputable breeder will also spend time socializing your Golden Retriever puppy with both other dogs and people. These interactions can help your puppy learn how to be gentle before you even bring them home. The key to this training technique is redirecting their focus before your dog can react. Method 3: Deterrence The name of the game here is to deter your puppy from having a satisfying experience when they start biting. There are a couple of ways deterrence training can work when teaching your Golden Retriever to stop biting. Golden Retriever puppies want to please their owners. Another option is to use a safe deterrence spray for puppies. For example, if your puppy has a habit of biting your furniture, you can apply an anti-chew spray like a bitter apple or bitter cherry. Eventually, your dog will start associating that fun thing to chew on with an awful taste and lose interest. Know that positive reinforcement is your best friend, no matter what training you use to teach your Golden Retriever to give up on biting. Successfully training your Golden Retriever comes down to understanding why the biting occurs. You can contact expert dog trainers who have experience with biting. Some trainers specialize in addressing underlying issues, such as aggression. Otherwise, your dog might never grow out of their habits. Instead, use socialization and puppy training tools to help your little Golden Retriever learn how to respond to different environments, triggers, and people. With social and lifestyle training, puppies are exposed to various situations, so they learn how to behave around other people, at the park, vet, and home. Ultimately, education during puppyhood is the foundation of a happy and healthy adulthood. At Snowy Pines, we teach our White Lab and English Cream Golden Retriever puppies the skills they need to be happy, tail-wagging dogs, including bite inhibition. Check out our Wagology curriculum and lifestyle modules today! Share on. Read the full disclosure here. Tasty finger! Your golden retriever puppy is as friendly as can be — great with kids, respectful of other dogs, and not overly attentive to your cat. Yes, golden retrievers are known for their good-natured demeanor, but they are still dogs — not so very far removed from their wild cousins, and they can be unpredictable when faced with stressful, disturbing, or frightening situations. One of our jobs as responsible dog owners, of course, is to keep our dogs safe, but we may not always be able to protect them, and we may not always be able to prevent them from biting through fear or when in pain. What is Bite Inhibition? Puppies begin learning this from their mother and siblings as soon as they start to tumble around with each other in play. If they bite too hard, they are scolded by their mother or alerted with a yelp from their siblings. Eventually, they learn how hard is too hard, and they use their teeth more gently in play. Human Sensitive or Advanced Bite Inhibition By the time your puppy moves into your home, they will have been using their bite inhibition skills for weeks. Your puppy needs to learn that human beings are fragile and should be treated with care. There are many professional trainers who recommend that you simply train your puppy not to bite. This seems like a practical course of action, and it does work — in the short term. Teaching a puppy not to bite will give you quick results, but it may mean they never learn how much force is safe to use on people when they are forced to bite in an emergency. So if they do eventually bite, they will know to hold back the pressure safely and will not cause anywhere near as much pain or damage as they otherwise might. Why is Bite Inhibition Important? Believe it or not, even the most gentle dog that has been trained from a young age never to bite, can react to certain triggers. Those triggers are fear and pain. Consider these situations: Your dog has been suffering from chronic ear infections and hates to have his ears handled. The neighbor stops by with her toddler, who immediately runs to your dog and fondles his sensitive ears roughly. What will he do? You and your dog are walking down the road like you do every morning when out of nowhere comes a huge dog who attacks your dog without thinking twice. You manage to pull your dog away, but in the process, your frightened dog bites your arm. Your sweet golden retriever has gotten themself tangled in some barbed wire while hiking. As you loosen the wire from her skin and fur, she snaps at you, biting your hand. You may never experience any of these situations. By teaching bite inhibition while your puppy is young, you will be far safer and ready for any of these situations should they occur. Teaching Advanced Bite Inhibition Following is a general guide to the bite inhibition skills your puppy learns and when, as well as where you should aim for their skills to be at certain ages. She will start the puppies off by teaching them how rough is too rough during nursing and play. These lessons begin when the puppies start nursing day 1 and continue until the day you pick your puppy up from the breeder. This works for some puppies, but for others, it just seems to arouse the pup and make matters worse. You will have to experiment to find out what works for you and your pup. You should withdraw all of your attention from your puppy for very hard bites. Do not over-correct your puppy so they become afraid of biting. After your puppy has calmed down, use a chew toy as a reward and let them chew it in your lap or lying by your side. This teaches you puppy that there are other ways to keep their mouths and teeth busy. By four or five months, all force behind play bites should be eliminated. Kids tend to play rough with puppies, and puppies will get rough right back. Your puppy needs to know that every human being is sensitive to their bites, not just you. It is a process that sometimes lasts months, depending on your puppy. Be prepared for this, and remember that long-term results in your adult dog are more important than curtailing puppy bites as painful as they may be. Supervise your puppy around children — If you have young children at home, you will have to think carefully about how you will protect them and your puppy. Little puppy teeth can cause a lot of pain, especially when your pup is still learning to control those urges. Young children can also cause a lot of pain to small puppies. Always supervise very carefully when your pup and children are together. A tired puppy is a happy puppy — It will be much easier to teach bite inhibition if your puppy is not bouncing off the walls. Make sure they get enough exercise every day. Not only will this help with training, but it will also help prevent all kinds of other destructive behavior. Conclusion Teaching bite inhibition to your golden retriever puppy is a gift you give to your pup that will last forever.

Although a playful pup sounds endearing, consider how many games of fetch or tag you want to play each day, and whether you have kids or other dogs who can stand in as playmates for the dog. Click here for more information on this characteristic Australian Retriever Highlights Australian Retrievers are mixed breed dogs. They are not purebreds like their Australian Shepherd or Golden Retriever parents. The main colors that the coat of the Australian Retriever comes in are black, brown, and white. Some can be more golden like their Retriever parent. The Australian Retriever is a highly energetic and active dog and will require around an hour of exercise every day. Ideally, this will be split up into two separate sessions. The Australian Retriever is a great fit with kids. You should still supervise all play time between kids and dogs. In general, Australian Retrievers are also fine around other household pets, although they can show herding instincts. Breeders continued to produce these mixed breed dogs as demand climbed. Turning attention to the parent breeds, the Golden Retriever was originally developed in Scotland, where they very quickly became in-demand pups due to their very high intelligence and impressive ability to carry out agility and obedience-based tasks. When it comes to the Australian Shepherd, this is a breed that was actually developed in the United States. Despite their unfortunate start as a designer breed, some Australian Retrievers end up in rescues and shelters. Look out for them and adopt if you decide this is the right dog for you. As is always the case with newer mixed dog breeds, exact size standards might vary. Most weigh in at 25 to 60 pounds and range in height from 19 to 23 inches. Female Australian Retrievers are sometimes smaller than their male counterparts. The dog will bond strongly and quickly with you and your children and will desire to be part of your daily life. This mixed breed requires a lot of energetic exercise and playtime, and will also benefit from regular training sessions to help stimulate their natural smarts. Australian Retriever Health Australian Retrievers are generally considered to be healthy dogs, although the breed can be predisposed to some of the same conditions that the Australian Shepherd and Golden Retriever face. Some of the more common health problems Australian Retrievers suffer from include: Bloat Hip Dysplasia Australian Retriever Care The Australian Retriever is a highly energetic and active dog and will require around an hour of exercise every day. When out and about, your Australian Retriever will flourish in safe off-leash conditions, especially if they can break out into long runs or take a swim. Ideally, the dog will live in a situation that features a fenced-in yard. Also, adding fetch and retrieve games to the daily exercise routine is imperative with this mixed breed. Australian Retriever Feeding An ideal Australian Retriever diet should be formulated for a large dog with high energy. In terms of climate, the Australian Retriever is quite an adaptable dog that can live happily in most weather conditions. But remember to dress your pooch in a dog coat if it gets very cold outside, and always make sure adequate shade and fresh water is provided when the temperature spikes. So be sure the boundaries between the dog and existing household pets are laid down properly. Ultimately, early socialization really pays off with this mixed breed. Make sure to reward your Australian Retriever for good behavior and adhere to a proper training regimen when you bring them home to your family. Australian Retriever Rescue Groups It may be hard to find a breed-specific rescue for Australian Retrievers because they are a mixed breed. However, you may want to try Australian Shepherd or Golden Retriever breed-specific rescues, as they often care for mixes, as well. Here are some rescues you can try:. This dog is naturally healthy, and thus free from genetic-based illnesses. However, there are also reports of this kind of breed getting cancer, hyperthyroid, allergies, and many more. The best way to avoid these scenarios is by getting a breeder. With that, we recommend brushing it on a daily basis if you want to maintain its luscious and shiny coat. Otherwise, cleaning the coat at least once or twice a week will do. It is known to have moderate shedding periods as well, but there are two seasons where they drop more hair than usual. With that, you might also want to invest in a vacuum. Not only will this make your dog cleaner, but it will also save you the trouble of doubling your cleaning chore from time to time. In line with that, you need to create hygienic routines for the dog. As much as possible, give it a bath once a day. Not only that, but you also need to trim the nails, clean the ears, and brush its teeth on a daily basis. Ears that are in this position are more prone to acquiring infection due to the absorption of moisture. If not cleaned and treated properly your dog might be prone to ear mites and other infections. You can also rent grooming services. If you do this, you will only have to take your Golden Retriever with Australian Shepherd breed for a bath when it is visibly dirty. For more information regarding this, it would be best to discuss it with your dog breeder. This is due to the flexibility and genetic variety of this particular breed. Reports have shown that the Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix is also capable of acquiring diseases such as cancer, hyperthyroidism, deafness, allergies, and epilepsy. Aside from that, some dogs of this kind are also known to be sensitive to drugs. But among all the illnesses this dog is prone to having, the ones you need to watch out for are pigmentary uveitis, heart diseases, eye conditions, and hip dysplasia. Overall, however, you can expect your Golden Retriever crossbreed with Australian Shepherd to be a healthy and athletic dog. A Golden Retriever can live from years. An Australian Shepherd, on the other hand, has an average lifespan of years. With these numbers in mind, you can expect your Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever to live for about years. A dog nutritionist will tell you to engage your dog in routine meals on a daily basis. This will provide it with the standard amount of energy and nutrients to rejuvenate the ones that it lost running around and playing in your house. Meanwhile, here are our top suggestions for dog food. Merrick Grain Free Real Chicken and Sweet Potato Recipe Seventy percent of this dog food is made out of meant nutrients, which can help build lean muscles. With this dog food, you can also be sure that your pup eats corn, soy, and wheat free. You might also be thrilled to know that the company is known to be a manufacturer of locally produced dog food, which crosses out the possibility of some ingredients coming from China. One of the best features of this dog food is its 34 percent crude protein paired with 16 percent crude fat. Its top ingredients are deboned turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, potatoes, and peas. Earthborn Holistic Puppy Vantage This is probably the best dog food for your Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever crossbreed while he is still in his puppy stage. Earthborn has been known to produce one of the best dog foods for adult dogs, but the company recently released one variety that was specially made for Golden Retriever with Australian Shepherd race puppies. This dog food aims to give your pup a healthy brain and good eye development. Your doggo deserves to have the best care and nutrition you can give them. If you come across some of the worst dry dog food in the market, just keep going. Puppies should get food that will give them enough proteins, which you can find among best puppy food brands. Dog-grandpas should get only the best senior dry dog food to make them feel young and strong. Also, if you stumble upon best dry dog food brands for Pugs give it a go these pups have refined taste buds and your doggo might, too. Your cutie carries the genes of super-unique and distinctive parents, so you can always opt for best dry dog food for small dogs or best large breed dry dog food. Golden Retriever Australian Shepherd Mix Exercise Requirements Many dog owners are disappointed with having dogs contribute to mischief around the house. Little do they know that this mischievousness is just a result of high energy levels. Such is the case with the Golden Retriever with Australian Shepherd race. The dog is quite energetic. In line with that, if they do not get sufficient amount of exercise, it will try to release their energy through other means. This is why some owners find their Mix of Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd chewing and biting their shirt, slippers, or socks. You can schedule a session where the dogs can socialize with each other. Despite being a crossbreed, this dog also needs to socialize with its kind because it has a natural desire to be part of a herd. Socializing with other dogs of its kind will teach your puppy how to play nice with other animals. Still, these two things are done separately. The first thing you need to do is let the dog become acquainted with the environment since these types of dogs have hunting instincts. If you have other pets at home, it would be best to let your Golden Retriever crossbreed with Australian Shepherd mingle with them. Let them play with each other. This will give the animals sufficient time to get to know each other. You might even want to walk your dog around the neighborhood. The reason for this is to familiarize your dog not only with the surroundings but also your neighbors so that when someone visits your home, your puppy will not think of them as trespassers. Once you have done that, you should invest your time in teaching these simple training tricks: Walk. Spotted Golden Retriever Aussie Mix Temperament There is no exact way of predicting the personality and temperament of any mixed-breed dog, and the same is true for Australian shepherds. Intelligent As soon as you bring an Australian shepherd and golden retriever mix home, you will notice they are an exceptionally intelligent dog. Needless to say, this mix is very easy to train and will pass potty training and obedience training with flying colors. Keep in mind that, as such an intelligent canine, your Australian shepherd golden retriever mix will probably outsmart you more than once. Highly Energetic The Golden Aussie is a highly energetic dog that needs a lot of exercise , playtime, and training sessions to stay on top of his game both mentally and physically. If you have a more active lifestyle, this mix will fit right in with your schedule and be a great jogging, hiking, or swimming companion. However, if you are more of a couch potato, your Golden Aussie will behave a bit like a drill sergeant with a goal to get you in shape! Your Aussie retriever mix will need at least an hour of exercise every day ideally spread out over several play sessions to stay physically and mentally stimulated. If not provided with an appropriate outlet for their energy, your golden retriever Aussie mix will use destructive chewing, barking, and digging to prevent boredom. The Australian shepherd and golden retriever mix bonds strongly with its family and seeks out human companionship at all hours of the day and night. This mixed breed loves to be close to its people and is always in the mood for cuddles or petting sessions. Your Golden Aussie will have a strong desire to be close by and involved in everything you are doing and might feel unwanted if ignored or left alone. Thus, consider how much time you have to spend cuddling and interacting with your dog before you bring your Golden Aussie home. Hard-Working Since both Australian shepherds and golden retrievers are working dogs, their offspring tend to inherit a strong work ethic and be the happiest when they have a job to do. Depending on how much your mix takes after its Aussie parent, they might try to herd and nip at your family members, children, and smaller pets. This sort of behavior will work in your favor if you live on a farm; otherwise, you should discourage it with training. You can use these working skills while training and exercising your mix, like having him or her fetch and retrieve balls and freebies. This way, your pooch will feel like they are doing important work and get a workout at the same time. However, this mix is prone to certain health problems that are often seen in Australian shepherds and golden retrievers. The most common health problems seen in this mix are: Hip dysplasia Cancer Bloat The best way to avoid these issues from arising is to get your Australian shepherd golden retriever mix from a reputable dog breeder. You should also meet both parents and ask the breeder to show you their hip, elbow, and eye scores, as well as any other tests that he has had done. Compared to other dogs of their size, Aussie retrievers have a fairly long life span and on average live from 12 to 15 years. Be prepared for a long-term commitment and at least a few vet bills down the road before you ultimately decide to bring this mix into your home. Feeding An Aussie Golden Mix The ideal diet for the Australian retriever is one that consists of a lot of protein, fat, healthy carbs, and all other essential vitamins and minerals. Your mix should primarily eat dog food formulated especially for large dogs with high energy. Since they are prone to bloat , you should feed your Australian retriever two equally spaced smaller meals, once at the beginning of the day and another in the evening, and avoid free-feeding your dog. As a puppy, your mix will need calorie-dense puppy food suitable for large breed dogs and have to eat four small, evenly spaced out meals per day. To start, you should continue using the same dog food the breeder was feeding them and wait a month to slowly transition your pup to a different formula. To stay on top of all of that loose hair, you should brush your mix two to three times a week. The coat will shed to some extent all year round, and your mix will go through a heavy shed every spring, at which time you might need to brush your dog every day, using a dog brush that fits its coat best. Bathing once every other month will suffice unless your mix likes to roll in the mud and has to be bathed more often. After reading through our complete description of the Aussie retriever, you might still be unsure whether this wonderful crossbreed is right for you and your lifestyle. We suggest that you ask the following questions to help you decide. These dogs are both large and energetic, which means they thrive when they have a bit of extra space to exercise. An apartment will feel both feel small and confining to them and be inconvenient for you when such a big dog is wandering around in it. Even a small outdoor area that they can play around in will make a big difference to their overall health and happiness. Aussie retrievers love companionship and always want to be in the thick of things. If they are left at home on their own for several hours a day, perhaps when everyone is at work, they are likely to develop anxiety and depression. Not only is this bad for them, but it also often manifests in destructive behaviors like chewing, scratching, and digging. These dogs do best in households when there is generally someone around most of the time. How Energetic Are You? These dogs need lots of exercise. As well as at least an hour a day, they thrive when taken on regular weekend adventures like hiking, camping, or swimming. In addition, their daily exercise needs to be more than just a casual walk. Australian shepherd golden retriever mixes have lots of energy that they will need to burn off daily to stay happy and healthy. Will this suit your lifestyle? Are you going to be able to keep up with this dog? If not, this particular breed might not be the right choice for you. Are You Experienced With Dogs? These lovely crossbreeds are highly trainable and very personable, so even first-time owners should be able to teach them the necessary commands. However, bear in mind that they are also large dogs, and they respond best to a strong alpha. How Old Are Your Children? If you have young children at home, you might want to wait until they are a bit older to bring home one of these dogs. Not only do Australian shepherd golden retriever mixes have a tendency to herd younger children, but their size and energy can also be overwhelming for smaller kids. They will want to play quite energetically and confidently with your kids, who might be too small to control the situation. Also, these dogs are quite a lot of work, and you might not want to be running around after one of them while also running around after a toddler. Older kids, however, will find it rewarding to help you care for this personable pup. As with most designer pups, their cost varies greatly depending on where you are in the country and the subsequent supply and demand. You may also find some of these desirable pups looking for homes in a local shelter, so be sure to call around these shelters as your first option. Can Australian retrievers be golden? Australian retrievers can inherit the gold coats of their golden retriever parent, but a pure golden coat is relatively rare, as they usually have a mix of color markings like their Australian shepherd parent. Wrapping Up… It should be no surprise that golden retriever Aussie mixes are quickly becoming very desirable dogs, as they combine two of the most popular breeds in the United States. They are a stable crossbreed, as their parents have similar temperaments. They are both friendly and intelligent, which means their offspring are sure to be the same, no matter how their characteristics mix. Overall, these dogs are: Best suited to having constant company around the house Highly intelligent and need plenty of mental stimulation The Golden Aussie is ideal for active families who have lots of time to spend with their pup and enjoy getting active with them. While they need lots of love and attention, the unconditional loyalty and affection that they offer in return make them well worth the investment. Do you have experience with Golden Aussie mixes? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments section below. You May Also Like. Temperament: Energetic, affectionate, and intelligent. Australian Retriever Appearance Depending on which genes they inherit these pups can look more like either the Golden Retriever or Australian Shepherd. This will impact their size with those with more Golden Retriever being larger. Most of the time these dogs will be well-muscled with a bushy tail and friendly alert eyes. These dogs are one of the most popular breeds for a reason — they are not only friendly but stunning dogs. They have powerful and athletic builds that make them good for hunting, obedience, and guide dogs. Height and Weight These dogs are a medium to large breed that can weigh anywhere from 30 to 60 pounds. They should stand between 19 to 23 inches — which is the perfect height to pet them! Colors and Coat You can expect these dogs to come in a variety of colors including black, brown, white, and golden. They can also come in merle, speckled, and spotted variations of many different colors. Your pup will have a waterproof double coat that is flowing and wavy. Many Australian Shepherd and Golden Retrievers are used as guide dogs to help the visually impaired. These dogs make great watchdogs since they are protective over their people. These dogs would be great as farmhands and herding dogs because of their high herding and protective drive. Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix Personality and Temperament Since these are mixed breed dogs they tend to have personality traits from both parents. They are very even-tempered and loving dogs that truly want to please their owners. These dogs are best known for their gentle disposition — they are outgoing, confident, and trustworthy dogs that make a great addition to the family. The Australian Shepherd is known for their intelligence, determination, and energy. They are dogs that need a job and have a high impulse to herd and a strong work drive that will need attention. Australian Retrievers have personality traits from both of these breeds which means they should be loyal, affectionate, eager to please, and energetic. Since these are an intelligent breed they are going to need a lot of exercise and training to keep them motivated. They have high energy levels and remain puppy-like throughout their lives. If their energy is not directed in the correct ways or they are not stimulated enough they will find a way to keep themselves entertained. This means that they can have some destructive behavior if not properly trained. They can be protective over certain items in the house so they will need to be properly socialized. Overall they will want to be with their owner every part of the day and love to be loved. They are amazing dogs that are ready to do whatever you want especially if that means outdoor activities. Australian Retriever make great family dogs — they love children and form close bonds with their human family. These dogs need exercise, mental stimulation, and some grooming to keep them happy. Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever mixes need to be socialized from a young age and like to be with their owners most of the day. They are an amazing addition to an adventurous and outgoing family that have the right amount of time and energy that these dogs need. Exercise Requirements This breed needs a lot of exercise. They are always ready and waiting for the next fun adventure to go on. Golden Retriever Australian Shepherd mixes need at least an hour of exercise a day whether that is through long walks, a game of fetch, or running around outside. A great way to help these dogs get exercise would be a game of fetch or as a running partner. While running with your dog you could also have them heal next to you for some extra obedience training — this would be a good way to keep them mentally stimulated as well. They enjoy being outside as much as possible, so weekly hikes with your dog will help. Number of Walks Per Day: .During the seasonal changes they will need to be brushed daily. As these dogs love to be outside they will most likely come back in dirtier than they left. Giving baths once a month and brushing them to get excess dirt out of their fur will help to keep them clean. Checking their ears for dirt is a must as well. Make sure to also check their paws for damage that could have happened while playing outdoors. Feeding and Diet Looking for food that is specific for their size, stage in life, and exercise level is a must for these dogs. Their energy needs will change throughout their lives so finding food perfect for these different stages is important. Sticking to food that avoids fillers and concentrates more on high protein since these dogs can be prone to overeating and gaining some unwanted pounds. The high protein diet also helps to keep up their caloric intake for their high energy needs. They should be fed 2 times a day with equally weighted meals. Getting your dog from a reputable breeder that has checked their dogs for these traits is a good idea. The Golden Retriever is known for certain health issues such as cancer. This can also be a problem for the Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever mix. The most common health problems include: Eye cataracts. Despite their name, they are not Australian but it is thought that they are called Australian Shepherds because of their association with the Basque Shepherd Dog. The Pyrenean Sheepdogs are also thought to be ancestors of the breed. Whilst they remain great working dogs, they are now becoming a popular domesticated breed too. As serious working dogs, they were once used for doing fieldwork and hunting. Due to their intelligence, this breed is a commonly recognized service dog that has impressive obedience and agility capabilities. Emerging as a fairly new designer dog, this hybrid was first registered in .This breed is often referred to as the Australian Retriever. The Temperament and Personality of an Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix Identifying the temperament of a mixed breed dog can be quite a challenge. As a breed, Australian Shepherds are known to be smart and determined with a natural instinct to herd. Aside from this, they are also affectionate, easy-going, and make great family pets. Golden retrievers are intelligent and confident dogs with a kind and friendly nature. Recognized for their gentle manner, they are even-tempered and devoted to their owners. Aside from this, they are excellent additions to active families and because of their intelligence, they are easy to train. Australian Retrievers have personality traits from both parents. As such, you should expect them to display loving behaviors and form strong bonds with their owners. Because both dogs are energetic breeds, you must make sure that they are exercised daily to keep them stimulated, though they will find ways of entertaining themselves if need be. This dog is also an obedient breed that is very sociable and thrives when surrounded by comfort and love. As the Australian Shepherd was originally bred for protective purposes , you may find that the mix still displays these tendencies. For this reason, it is important to ensure that you set boundaries to make sure that they behave appropriately. You should expect this breed to be easy to train and willing to do whatever you ask of it. The appearance of an Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix Golden Retrievers are sturdy dogs with a head and muzzle that are evenly proportioned. Usually, their eyes are brown and round. As implied by their name, they come in a few different golden-toned varieties, some of which are a lighter shade and others that are darker. When raised their tails are equally level with their head and they are also quite thick and bushy. This breed comes in many different color variations and this including merle, blue merle, red merle, black, and tricolor. The appearance of this mix will be influenced by the genes that it inherits from each of its parents. As such, it can be difficult to determine exactly what the dog is going to look like. For example, golden retrievers are larger so if the mix inherits more genes from this breed it is going to be bigger built. Generally, they are an equal mix of both dogs. Typically, they tend to have an athletic build with friendly bright eyes that are either blue, brown, or hazel. Aside from this, they also tend to have bushy tails with a merle coat and a large head. An Australian Retriever can also come in several colors. This includes brown, black, and golden, although there are now spotted varieties available too. Like the majority of breeds, the females are typically smaller than the males. On the whole, the height of the breed can fall anywhere between 19 to 23 inches. Weight of an Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix The majority of male Australian Shepherds weigh between 25 and 32kg whilst the females weigh around 16 to 25kg. Generally, Golden Retrievers weigh between 25 and 34 kg, of course, there are differences between the weights of male and female golden retrievers. As such, this mix will typically weigh between 50 and 65 pounds. Training and Exercise Demands of an Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix It is important to make sure that you socialize your Australian Retriever from the early stages as this will help to make it more confident. Because this breed is so active, your dog will need plenty of exercise. As such, you will find that they are always eager to engage in an adventure. Separation anxiety is an issue that affects many Australian Retrievers. If you are likely to be leaving your dog home alone at any point during the day, you may feel more comfortable putting them in a crate. Positive reward training is also effective. When in the process of training your dog it is important to recognize good behavior so that they know to continue this in the future. If they are being rewarded by treats, you will find that they are more likely to pick up the tricks that you are teaching them sooner. As a breed, an Australian Shepherd is a fairly easy breed to train, however, you may still benefit from taking your dog to obedience classes to keep them stimulated. If possible, you should try and take your dog for at least two walks a day. They also enjoy burning off some energy by running outdoors. Ideally, you should bathe your dog around every 8 weeks. Their additional care demands are pretty much the same as any other breed. Alongside bathing and grooming your Australian Retriever, you will need to dedicate sufficient time to clean its eyes and ears, trimming its nails, and also brushing its teeth. Because this breed has a coarse coat , it is pretty adaptable to both warm and cold climates, however, if the temperatures drop quite significantly, you may choose to put a coat on your dog before taking it outdoors. The lifespan of an Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix You should expect your Australian shepherd to live for between 12 to 15 years. When compared to the lifespan of other breeds, this is fairly lengthy. Of course, the exact lifespan will depend on whether the dog has any health problems. Health Problems Many breeds are known to suffer from health problems. The most common issues that affect this mixed breed are hip or elbow dysplasia, however, on the whole, they are deemed to be fairly healthy dogs. It is worth noting that because the Australian Retriever is a mixed breed, there is an increased chance of it inheriting health problems that affect either of the parent breeds. Golden retrievers in particular are known to suffer from cancer. To minimize the risk of your dog suffering from any severe health problems, it is important to get your pet from a reputable breeder. Furthermore, it is also important to take your dog to the vet for wellness visits. Besides the health problems that we have mentioned above, both parent dogs are known to suffer from eye problems such as cataracts and retinal atrophy. This breed may also experience issues with bloating. If you suspect that your dog is ill or is showing visible signs that it is suffering from a health problem, you must act accordingly by taking it to a vet for professional advice. Dietary Requirements As an energetic breed, Golden retrievers have a ravenous appetite and are known to eat their food quite fast. Normally, this breed will eat around three to four cups of food a day. It will also depend on which parent it has inherited the most genes from. Remember that this mixed breed is typically full of energy so their diet must provide them with all of the nutrients that they need to fuel this. As they are prone to bloating, you should give them smaller meals and avoid overfeeding them or feeding them leftover scraps of food from your plate. Also, you should try and avoid foods that contain a lot of fillers. Base the amount that you feed your dog on the necessary factors that we have mentioned above. Make sure that you choose a food that is intended for larger dogs because it will be more effective in keeping your dog feeling fuller for longer. Now that you have a better understanding of the breed, it is time to determine whether it is right for you. Because the Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix is an active breed, they are best suited to energetic families who will be able to meet their exercise needs. Whilst they are excellent family dogs, they are great companion dogs too. This breed is friendly, affectionate, and good with other children and pets. Similar to many other breeds, the Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix is known to suffer from some health issues. Aside from this, they are also known to be enthusiastic eaters so you will need to ensure that their mealtimes are regulated as this will help to prevent them from overeating. Feeding them equal amounts at mealtime is also important.

There's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, and learn all there is to know about our females. The first three dogs are Greta, Tillie, and now Lady. They are our current breeding females. At the bottom of our page are our retired females, Mady and Dayna. They are enjoying their retirement right here at Schutzhaus German Shepherds. So, be sure to check them out as well. All of our dogs are AKC registered. The puppies will get the AKC application for you to register your puppy when you adopt him or her. Since we are really only concerned with the normal range for the breed, logically: 0. Therefore, make sure to check out all of my dogs' testing results with each dog. Each dog's PennHIP results are listed with each dog. As you will notice, my dogs have fantastic hips. She is a champagne color. She may look white. However, she has the champagne top-coat color. We are hoping for a lot of color with her and Kaiser. Greta is our Dayna's half-sister. Stryker is a silver sable. Rosy is a blue. Testing: Greta has had her Embark testing completed and she is completely clear of over genetic health conditions that Embark tests for. Greta's parents are both DM normal. Therefore, through parentage Greta will be DM normal. Greta's PennHIP distraction index was 0. Her PennHIP test is shown below. Greta is going to be a big girl, like her sister, Dayna. At 10 months old Greta was 88 pounds. Since she still has a lot of growing to do, she is going to be a very big girl topping at well over pounds. I predict her to be about pounds when mature. She is a very sweet and gentle little lady with a loving personality. Greta has been easy to train and is very smart. She is a Salhaus puppy from Salhaus German Shepherds. She is a black and tan. Bravo is a black and silver. Gray is black and tan. Based on what we see right now, she is going to be a stocky girl. Tillie is the traditional Black and Tan saddle-back color. She still has a lot of growing to do. Based on Tillie's Embark test, she is going to be a large female. Tillie weighed .I predict Tillie will be a stocky pounds when mature. Tillie loves to play with the other dogs and is very athletic. She is very sweet and loves attention. Tillie is very clever and uses her intelligence to maneuver well while playing with the other dogs. Testing: Tillie has had her Embark testing completed and she is completely clear of over genetic health conditions that Embark tests for. Tillie's PennHIP distraction index was 0. As you can see, Tillie has phenomenal hips. This would be considered supurb if OFA was to ever go there. We are taking deposits on this beautiful girl for around September puppies. We have started taking deposits on this beautiful girl and she does have some female spots available. She also has the Royalair's German Shepherd bloodlines. Her sire is Menard's Legendary Royalair's Natsu. Natsu is bicolor. Koa is black and tan, but she is a very light black and tan. Lady's color has been hard to figure out. We thought she was a black and tan. However, her true colors have finally come out and she actually is a dark black and tan sable. This is due to her under coat being a different color than her top-coat. Either way, as you can see by the photos, Lady has a lot of color. I predict Lady to be around pounds when she fully matures. Lady is very playful and energetic. If you are looking for a puppy to run with you or go on hikes, I highly recommend one from Lady. She is a very happy and an intelligent little lady who loves to have her belly rubbed. Testing: Lady has had her Embark testing completed and she is completely clear of over genetic health conditions that Embark tests for. Lady's PennHIP test reveals her hips to be in good range with a distraction index of 0. Her PennHIP results is shown below. We are starting to take deposits on this beautiful little lady and her list has already started and is filling up fast. Lady's Photo Gallery. Excellent example of a 7 week old Salhaus Champagne pup, genetically white, produced by 2 colored parents who carry the white gene. This pup comes from a kennel in the UK. See him below as an adult. Just stunning! Shown here as an example of the champagne coloring. The champagne color is technically "white. Anyone can have a White German Shepherd, but why not join the few who own a more "rare" Champagne Shepherd! We only get 1 or 2 in each litter, so don't hesistate! More to Come! He's super gentle, as well as a wonderful family protector even at this young age! See his gorgeous champagne overlay! Both are gorgeous, just slightly different. Both are "whites" one just has more pigment. Beau This dog's name is Kai. He loves his stuffed "lambie! Both boys love toys! Certified at just 5 months of age! Our dogs are family dogs, but are super smart! Notice his champagne saddle! Shown on the left at 3 months. On the right as a young adult. Stunning, heavy built Salhaus Champagne Shepherd! Also, the whole creamy champagne enhancement through his body! Notice how the white backdrop of the snow really accentuates the gorgeous champagne coat on this young Salhaus dog! Champagne saddle on one of our white pups. So well behaved in the house! She still thinks she's her 9 week old size in her mom's lap! All of our white pups have champagne in their coats to varying degrees. None of our whites are snow white. Anyone can have a white Shepherd. Why not get one of our more eye catching Champagne Shepherds to add to your family! Our whites are "champagne," which means they get lots more color pigmentation than a regular white dog would, since their parents are both colored dogs.

Use the same commands and cues consistently. Improved obedience and communication. Reward good behavior with treats and praise. A motivated and happy pup. Socialization Introduce your pup to various people and dogs in a slow, positive manner. Well-adjusted and confident around others. Structured Play Mental stimulation and reduced boredom. Leash Training Teach leash manners to enjoy peaceful walks. Enjoyable walks with your well-behaved companion. Obedience Classes Enroll in obedience classes for professional guidance. Enhanced training skills and socialization. Training a 6-month-old German Shepherd puppy involves consistent positive reinforcement methods. Start with basic commands like sit, stay, and come. Use rewards like treats and praise to encourage desired behavior, and keep training sessions short and engaging. Socialization with other dogs and people is essential, and enrolling in puppy training classes can provide structured guidance. Use these puppy training tips to have less stress with your puppy: 1. Stay on top of their exercise needs. Your GSD needs the proper exercise. Increase exercise slowly to avoid an injury that comes from too much impact on unfused joints and bones. While your puppy still lacks maturity and focus, you can increase training to help teach your dog obedience skills. Increase daily obedience and practice to help them learn training basics. Your beautiful German Shepherd puppy will grow very quickly! Teaching them when they are puppies will pay off for the rest of their life. Simple training should start the moment your puppy arrives home. Using the same word for the same activities will help them learn quickly. Give them the right chew toys. Your pup needs balls and toys that are safe and chew-worthy. Look for more indestructible toys to keep your German Shepherd busy and continue to offer chew treats to work their jaws. Find the right chews for you puppy so you minimize the potential for choking and their jaws get a good workout. Use some of these balls for German Shepherd puppies as a distraction toy to get their focus away from your fingers and onto the toy. Giving your puppy a chew toy when they are biting an unapproved item redirects their attention to the right item. Include mental stimulation for their minds. This puppy needs mental stimulation to help them exercise their brilliant minds. This intelligent dog need more than physical exercise. Their minds need to learn and become involved in their world in new and interesting ways. There are many ways you can include mental stimulation. Many of these ways involve teaching a new brain challenge or mental game. Keep them supervised. Even a young GSD can cause lots of trouble when left unsupervised. If your once potty-trained pup has now forgotten their potty manners, then use pet-safe baby gates to contain them or leash them to you to supervise their actions at all times. Pet safe gates like these allow your dog to still see you and feel they have watched over their family. Pet gates are a safe option that prevents your dog from getting its head stuck or worse. Shutting a German Shepherd behind a closed door increases their anxiety and can make unwanted behavior worse! Instead, use the baby gate in a safe area to give them less run of your house. Behaviors you like can improve daily. Every day is an opportunity for you to become a more successful leader. For example: If they want to go outside ask them for a sit first. If they bring you a ball to throw, ask for a down before you engage in play. Setting up expectations of accepted behavior helps them learn how to behave more appropriately. And these successful moments can help speed up how long it takes to train a German Shepherd. Even tiny successes are great confidence builders for your puppy and for you. These bursts of training are easier for your pup to understand. The most telling sign of your little puppy growing up is unpredictable behaviors. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but in a furry adorable body! Hormones, rebellion, confusion, and curiosity all add up to puppy puberty. But with the proper home management techniques and setting expectations, you can overcome these common puppyhood challenges. And my short Happy Puppy Guide is packed with helpful tips and tricks to ensure your furry friend grows up to be a happy and well-behaved companion. Your 6-month-old German Shepherd will thank you for it. I fetched it for you right here! She has a Bachelor of Science degree, with Honors, and has been training dogs for over a decade. Related Posts. Like many large breeds, a German Shepherd dog is not considered fully grown until they are about 18 months old. Female German Shepherds continue to fill out until they are around two years old, while the male German Shepherd growth rate continues until they reach two and a half years of age. Males are larger and require more time to fill out their chest and abdomen. As you can see by the German Shepherd weight chart, these dogs can continue to grow until they are three years old, but the majority of growth occurs within 24 months. If your GSD is older than 36 months and continues to put on weight, contact your veterinarian to ensure weight gain does not lead to obesity. How big should a 6-month-old German Shepherd be? A six-month-old German Shepherd puppy will be quite large, as many German Shepherds undergo massive growth spurts between two and five months old. By six months, a male German Shepherd will weigh 53 pounds on average, whereas a female will weigh about 46 pounds. How much bigger will my German Shepherd get? There are a few ways to gauge how much bigger a German Shepherd will get. First, check your puppy's age. If your GSD is younger than two years old, they definitely have room to keep growing! Another way to tell if your pup still has a lot of growing to do is their paw size. Do their paws look large compared to their legs and body? This is a classic adolescent feature of a dog and means your pup is likely still growing! Most of the time, a dog will not grow bigger than its larger parents. What is the size of a full-grown German shepherd? An adult male German Shepherd is typically 24 to 26 inches tall, while adult female German Shepherds are 22 to 24 inches tall, according to the American Kennel Club German Shepherd Standard. The estimated full-size varies significantly between sexes. In terms of weight, an adult male German Shepherd weighs anywhere from 75 to 90 pounds. A female German Shepherd weighs notably less at 55 to 70 pounds. Please keep in mind that these numbers are only estimates to give you an idea of how much bigger a German Shepherd puppy may get. Some dogs will be both smaller and larger than these weight ranges when fully grown due to a variety of genetic and environmental factors. Learn all about your puppy's physical characteristics, breed history, personality traits, and more in our comprehensive guide. Preventive care is key in helping your German Shepherd live a healthy and long life. Helping your dog maintain an optimal weight is one of the best things you can do for their health. Taking your German Shepherd to regular veterinary appointments is one of the best things you can do to ensure that they are healthy and feeling their best. Compare German Shepherd health insurance plans before they get sick or injured. They are also more susceptible to gastrointestinal tract and hip issues. A veterinarian should regularly assess your pet for these health problems and run tests for anything they may be more prone to due to their breed. Treatment for many conditions, including bloat and GI issues, can cost thousands of dollars. Dog insurance is a wise investment that can give you peace of mind by covering pet emergency expenses. Wellness plans are also available to help cover the cost of vaccinations, vet exams, microchips, and more. Some people can predict the future. For everyone else, there's pet insurance. Use Pawlicy Advisor to easily compare plans from top providers so you can find a great deal with great coverage. Get Peace of Mind Today Do you want to find the best pet insurance? Let's analyze your pet's breed, age, and location to find the right coverage and the best savings. Analyze My Pet About Pawlicy Advisor The pet insurance marketplace endorsed by veterinarians, at Pawlicy Advisor we make buying the best pet insurance easier. Final Thoughts Remember that your 6 month old German Shepherd is not a puppy anymore. It is the age when your pet officially enters the adolescence stage. What does this mean for it and you as its owner? The most troublesome period starts here. Your doggy can become rather unpredictable, and it is sometimes frustrating. It may still seem like a big fur ball, but it shows its temperament and character, so you need to be very careful. Moreover, it is very strong, too. So if your puppy is not properly trained, you may experience some difficulties in controlling it. Size and Appearance Your 6 month old German Shepherd puppy continues growing. It has already gained pounds .It is a large dog breed, and it has become obvious now. Your boy weighs pounds kg , and the girl, though smaller, is pounds kg heavy. The height of a male puppy at this age reaches inches cm at the withers, while female dogs are inches cm tall. Now, teething is almost completed, and your doggy can normally show all its 42 adult teeth already. However, some puppies continue teething until they are months old. The fur coat is also almost adult, with its double layers and a lot of shedding. It means that you need to develop a direct schedule for brushing and grooming. Buy a high-quality undercoat rake and brush your pup at least once a week. Since teething is finished, the ears stand up straight at this age. However, some puppies do not have perky ears until they are 12 months old. Another very important thing to consider in your six month old German Shepherd is that its sexual maturity begins. This stage is equivalent to teenagership or puberty in people. The hormones start kicking in, so males may want to look for a mate when outside. That is why it is so important to keep your puppy away from stray dogs at this time. Your boy may also start marking its territory and displaying aggression toward other animals and people. Estrogen in females also results in uneasiness and aggressive behavior. Walking in a dog park is not the best idea for your girl at this period. On average, a 6 month old GSD sleeps hours a day. Most of them are at night, but it may also need several naps in the daytime. Your puppy is very active at this age, so it needs a lot of walking and running. It is capable of walking long distances or even jogging. It is a truly great breed that can be very energetic. The puppy can walk up to 6 miles or 10 kilometers, and many believe that it is OK, since wolf pups as their ancestors could walk and run with their pack for many miles. However, every veterinarian will tell you that too much exercise of this kind can be dangerous for your pup because it can result in problems with joints at this age. So, choose other types of activities for exercising. Teach your doggy to walk on a leash, with frequent breaks, increasing the length of the walk gradually. Never walk your puppy in very hot or cold weather. If your pup shows the slightest signs of lameness, talk with your vet about it. The age of 6 months is the time when many behavioral problems can appear. It is connected with the period of puberty and hormonal disbalances. Your pup needs more independence, so it may wage a war against all your belongings if not trained properly. Chewing, tearing, and demolishing everything around is common. Even if your doggy has been potty-trained properly, it may have more accidents indoors now because it finds pleasure in looking for secret places for doing its business when indoors. Therefore, you have to show it who the boss in the household is and become a true leader of the pack for it. When playing, your pup may become rougher and try to dominate. It can get pushier with other dogs due to the start of its sexual maturity. Your pet can display a lot of boldness and attack other dogs fearlessly when walking in the park. It may also develop more aggressive reactions to other people, especially strangers. Even if it does know most commands, it may pretend to forget them because its hormones fluctuate. So, you need to be very careful to avoid incidents. Scent marking is another sign of puberty. The pup can do it inside your home and display disobedience if you try to prevent this. Female pups can experience the beginning of heat. It may cause them to feel subdued and insecure, so they become less sociable and even aggressive to their owners. You need a lot of patience and knowledge to train your doggy to behave properly at this age. Try to be persistent, provide it with more outdoor exercise, and never use force or physical punishment in response to its misbehavior. Increase the amount of exercise gradually to avoid bad injuries to the bones and joints. Find the most appropriate and appealing activities and games for your puppy to keep it healthy and out of trouble. Include mental stimulation in your everyday exercise. Offer it new brain challenges or mental games. Health and Care You need to be carefully observing whether your pup meets its weight and height requirements for this age. Learn to measure your doggy regularly to be on the safe side. Your pup has already had three vaccination sessions by this time. Neutering or spaying your pup is an issue that you may have to consider. However, most veterinarians do not approve of this at such an early age. It can result in joint disorders, incontinence, musculature injuries, and even cancer. They can be explained by lessening or eliminating the production of hormones associated with growth. The cartilage in long leg bones may get soft or even be missing, contributing to skeletal weaknesses. That is why you should delay neutering until your boy is one year old. Or, if your little male displays too many signs of disobedience and aggression due to its sexual development, delay neutering until the veterinarian X-rays your doggy and ensures that the growth plates are hardened and completely closed. As for female German Shepherds, the additional safety considerations for spaying should also be taken into account. Too early spaying can increase the risks of mammary cancer and urinary incontinence, along the common joint and bone issues. It is recommended to wait until your girl is one year old or even longer. Most breeders will tell you that a female German Shepherd should go through one or two heat cycles before spaying to reduce the risks of severe health issues. That is why the most desirable time for spaying the GS female is 18 months of its age. As for other health problems at the age of 6 months, you do not need to worry. If you want to know what to expect further, research the pedigree and ancestors of your pup to see whether there were any hereditary issues in their bloodline. You can also have a DNA test to predict future problems, such as degenerative myelopathy. However, you need to be watchful and careful about different signs and symptoms that may signal some temporary disorders. These symptoms may not mean anything serious. Though, it is always better to be sure. Feeding You need to feed your 6 month old German Shepherd puppy an appropriate diet with the correct number of calories and protein rates. It still grows rapidly, so you should be careful when choosing between high-quality puppy kibble and raw homemade feeding. The latter should include raw meats fish, turkey, or chicken are good and different vegetables and fruits. Do not offer your puppy too many treats during the daytime. Remember that they can be full of fats and lead to obesity. You do not want your pup to suffer from hip dysplasia or other health issues caused by being overweight. Arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, and even cancer can also result from improper diets. Give your puppy cups of kibble per each of 2 meals daily. Develop a feeding schedule and be consistent with following it. Self-feeding can also lead to obesity. Provide clean and fresh water to your dog, and you do not need to take the water bowl away. Your pup should have access to it whenever it wants. Never add any supplements or extra treats until your veterinarian recommends them. If your puppy refuses to eat for more than two subsequent meals, have a talk with your vet. You do not need to make a transition to adult food at this age yet. However, in some cases, it may be appropriate and recommended, even if normally such a transition is due closer to the age of one year. If you do not do it gradually, you may face digestive upset in your puppy. The start for a 6 month old GSD is not the best option because the socialization window closes at 4 months in German Shepherds, and you may encounter some behavioral issues now. Never use harsh, negative, or punishment-based methods of training. Your pup is very sensitive, and all this can damage its psyche. The positive, reward-based methods are more appropriate, and they will produce better results. Continue socialization by exposing your pet to unfamiliar animals and people in a friendly environment. Though, you need to be very careful now because hormone disbalance can evoke unpredictable reactions. German Shepherds tend to be enthusiastic barkers, so you have to discourage your pup from barking all the time. Teach it to inform you when someone unknown is approaching, but keep from barking all other times. Always control your doggy persistently. Instill that you are a leader to obey. Do training for at least minutes per day regularly and always use positive reinforcement. If you need help, ask a professional trainer to assist or teach you. It is pretty tall, with the height of a male reaching inches .Female dogs are a bit smaller, with inches cm in height. How much should a 6 month old German Shepherd weight? Your pet continues growing quickly, so its weight also increases. The average weight of a boy puppy is pounds .How much should a 6 month old German Shepherd eat? You can give your puppy cups of kibble per each of 2 meals daily. How much should a 6 month old German Shepherd sleep? Because of its almost full-sized bladder, your pup does not need a potty at night or may need it just once. Therefore, it can sleep peacefully the whole night. Normally, the average sleeping time is hours, with the biggest amount at night. Though, it may also need several naps in the daytime. How far can a 6 month old German Shepherd walk? Even if you think that your pup needs a lot of exercises, walking and running should not comprise the largest part of it. The puppy can walk up to 6 miles or 10 kilometers if it is needed, but never make it walk for such a long distance. Its bones and joints are not formed completely yet, so much walking can cause many health issues. Choose some other activities for exercising, then. Final Thoughts Now, you can see that your 6 month old GSD puppy is a source of both enjoyment and trouble. You should be very patient, persistent, and careful about feeding, training, and exercising your little one to raise a healthy, energetic, and loyal dog, the best companion and protector for all your family. Follow the advice of your veterinarian relating to health and care. You can also consult with a professional dog trainer or hire them to help you. We hope that some recommendations and tips in this article will also be helpful. 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. Reliable training German Shepherd puppy training: socialization! The first item in your German Shepherd puppy training list is Socialization. It means that you must provide your baby German Shepherd with interesting and positive interactions. If you ensure that your pup interacts, and has a positive and rewarding experience, with as many people, dogs, animals, sounds, objects, sights and experiences, you will raise a confident and reliable dog. Every new activity or interaction must be followed with a yummy treat! This will ensure your puppy will have a positive association with every new experience, object, person, animal, etc. You can use your dog's kibble or something better like chicken, beef or cheese. Commercial treats are also a good and easy to use option, but make sure you buy healthy, all natural dog treats to keep your German shepherd puppy healthy and strong! German Shepherd dogs are loyal and may have a tendency to be apprehensive with strangers. Socialization will ensure that your puppy grows a strong bond with you without developing a problematic over-protectiveness. German Shepherd puppy training socialization tips: Never separate a puppy from his mother and littermates before the age of weeks. During this time, mom teaches her puppies some important rules of the dog world like body language communication and they start to learn bite inhibition by plying with the other puppies. Unfortunately many vets will tell you not to take your puppy out of the house until they have had all of their shots. This is old school thinking and can have extremely bad consequences that will become apparent only when your canine becomes an adult. Without the full set of shots, your puppy is vulnerable to infectious diseases, however taking your pup to early socialization classes where all other dogs have also been immunized reduces the risk for becoming sick AND will make your German Shepherd a confident, well adjusted and friendlier dog. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior promotes early socialization , even before the full set of vaccines are given to the pup. Take socialization in your own hands. Spend the first 4 weeks holding parties at your home! Yes, parties! Invite all your friends and family for Karaoke, sports watching, boardgames, etc. Ask them to bring their kids too! And always make sure socialization is about positive interactions. If any of the kids or adults make your puppy a little scared, simply remove the threat and let the puppy explore other things. Back to top of German shepherd puppy training article. German Shepherd puppy training: stop the biting! Socialization is hard work, bite-inhibition is even harder! But it is one of the best things you can ever teach your pup. Dogs have really strong jaws and can learn to apply just the right amount of pressure with it. Adult dogs that have had this kind of training can get into fights and defend themselves without drawing blood. This is so important to avoid any type of dog-human or dog-dog bite accidents. German Shepherd puppy dogs have sharp teeth for a reason: to learn how to use their mouth properly. Teach your puppy to bite without hurting! To teach your pooch not to hurt human skin you will need to yelp like a puppy every time you feel teeth in contact with your skin. Engage in puppy play and Yelp Yes! Loud, sharp, high pitched and clear when you feel teeth. Your pup will most likely stop in surprise. As soon as he has stopped, wait seconds and resume play. Repeat as many times as needed. Start with those bites that really hurt or scratch. If you yelp every time you feel teeth, your puppy will think it is how you play. It may take a few weeks for you to notice that your pup is not hurting as much.Progressively teach your pup to play without hurting you. This make take a couple of months! Do not let your puppy play with your clothes, shoes, face or hair. If your puppy bites any of these, the game is over. Wait for him to calm down and start playing again. If you are tired of playing and getting bitten, grab a tug-toy or a ball and play those games instead. After a while, settle your puppy with a stuffed Kong toy on his bed or crate. Never punish your puppy for play-biting, this can lead to aggression or your puppy fearing "hands" near his face. Even though German shepherd puppy dogs are really smart, bite-inhibition requires a lot of repetition and consistency. Most of the time you will feel he is not learning anything at all, keep at it. You can add second time outs on top of yelping if needed. It is definitely worth your time. If bite-inhibition is slow, this article has more tips to help you! Another aspect of training your German shepherd puppy bite inhibition are toys! Your pup needs to learn to bite only his toys, not furniture, not the walls, not your shoes. For this reason you need to load your house with puppy toys and TEACH your puppy how to play with them. The best dog toys are interactive, this means that you can put food inside the toy and your puppy has to think how to get it out. This toys are the best because they add enrichment to your dog's life. Interactive dog toy recommendations: Feed EVERY meal inside an interactive dog toy Use interactive toys with your German shepherd when he is left alone in the house. Make sure he has plenty of toys interactive and others so he won't get bored when you leave. Use interactive toys when you need some quiet time because you need to work, or you have guests. Kong dog toy's are the best , you can fill them with something soft like cheese or peanut butter and let your puppy lick it for a while. Even better.Below you will see some of my favorite interactive dog toys durable and fun! German Shepherd puppy training: potty outside! Another important item on your German shepherd puppy training list is House training. It can be a bit stressful, but if done correctly, you can accomplish it very quickly. Just keep in mind that depending on your puppy in can take anywhere from 1 week to several months to complete potty training. The following info-graphic has some simple rules to follow and make german shepher potty training easy and effective: Take your puppy out for a potty break every hours. Take your puppy out for a potty the break after every meal. Take your puppy out for a potty break after a nap. Take your puppy out for a potty break after a play session. The main idea when potty training a German shepherd puppy, is to take him out or to the correct place as often as he needs to and reward him after he is done. The infographic above gives you an idea of how often a puppy needs to go out. However, you need to know your own puppy. This way you will know how often he is relieving himself. You may also notice if he does it after every meal or nap. Reward with a treat after he is done! Repeat steps 2 and 3, you should start noticing that after a couple of days or weeks your puppy chooses the correct place more often than other places. NEVER punish your dog for accidents, this can stress him and even make him do his business hidden from you which will make potty training very hard because you won't be able to reward him. You can crate train your German shepherd puppy so he learns to have quiet times in between active times. Crate training also prevents your puppy from having accidents. For more information and a puppy crate-training schedule check this article! German shepherd potty training aids The are several commercial items available to help you potty train your German shepherd dog. Regular cleaning products may take away the urine scent -you- smell but they will not remove the scent your dog smells. Enzymatic cleaners do that, they break down urine molecules to make them easy to remove. This will prevent your pet from returning to the same, incorrect, spot. Puppy pads are very popular because they are less messy than news paper. However, if you put a puppy pad and leave you puppy alone with it, you will find it in shreds! You must teach your puppy to use the puppy pads, not to chew on them. To do this, put the puppy pad on the floor and interrupt your puppy if he tries to play with it. Exchange for another toy and reward with treats for not grabbing the pad with his mouth he can however, stand or sit on it. Repeat until he learns this! If you have a backyard, a doggy-door is an excellent way to give your pup access to the outdoors without your help. You must teach him how to use it! Use a treat to lure him through the door many times until he can do it on his own! Then, every-time you take him outside, make him go though the door on his own. You can also teach your puppy to let you know when he needs to go outside! Use a doggy doorbells for this purpose. You must teach your dog how to use them! First, teach your dog to touch the bells. Then, ask your dog to touch the bells every time before you open the door to let him go outside. Finally, be alert for when he does it on his own! I do not recommend any "Not Here" or "Yes Here" type sprays. They don't work very well, specially without any training.German Shepherd puppy training: basic commands! Some dog trainers won't start until the dog is 6 months old, at which time he is past the socialization and bite inhibition period and he is probably doing all sorts of naughty things. You can start training your German shepherd puppy from the first day you bring him home. From weeks you can start teaching your canine many commands, however I strongly advice you keep your focus on socialization, bite-inhibition and potty training. If you have time to train basic commands…. Your pooch will love it! Step-by-step obedience training tutorials for your German shepherd German Shepherd puppy training "SIT": You will use this command all the time. Ask your pup to sit when a stranger wants to pet him, for attention, for the ball to be thrown, etc. To start use food to lure your pooch into the sit position. Only give him the treat once his bottom is on the ground. Repeat many times! Follow this link for detail instructions.This is useful at the vet as well as to mix and match commands. From a sit or down position lure your baby german shepherd into a stand. This link will take you to the step by step guide.Start your pooch from a sitting position and lure him into a down. Only give your dog a treat after he is completely down on the ground. Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.Why train your pooch sit, down and stand? You need three commands to mix up when you ask your dog to do something. If you have at least three options, then your smart German Shepherd won't be able to predict what you will ask. Practice Puppy Push-Ups! Sit-down-stand, Down-sit-stand, and ask you German Shepherd puppy to do one, two, or more commands to earn treats, toys and attention! Other useful cues include: Speak and Quiet , settle and ask for permission before rushing into something potentially dangerous. You can see a full list of commands on this link. Enjoy German Shepherd puppy training time and leave us your questions and comments in the box below. It combines in itself all the positive qualities of a working dog, possesses great intelligence and a perfect ability to be trained. Puppies of this breed like to learn since the young age and catch on new information very quickly. Thanks to all its qualities, a German shepherd is a multifunctional dog. It can be a guard, a protector, a seeker or a hunter. However, this is a pretty difficult breed that will need all your efforts to be trained well. Behaviour This kind of dogs has a great potential that shows itself through its behaviour and abilities. Here are the main of them: An ability to guard a family or a certain territory. It should be mentioned that the dog usually makes decisions whether to attack a stranger or not by itself. It can attack somebody only if it thinks that this action is necessary. This is the dog of nice scent. A lot of security services use this ability in their work. The function of protection. A German shepherd is a selfless fighter that will protect the owner to the last. If an owner gives a command, it will also fight without any hesitation. A puppy tries to assert itself in the world and shows a high level of independence at that time and till the reaching the age of puberty. Since this age, your pet begins to show disobedience and does not obey the commands it usually obeyed before. Do not allow it to behave in that way, otherwise it will become its habit. This difficult period finishes usually with coming of the age of puberty. For female dogs it is often at the age of seven or eight months, when the first heat starts. Male dogs begin to spray at this time and it comes a bit later. During this period the behaviour of your dog would be unstable. Maybe the pet would show you some of its puppy habits, but it will end a bit later. The ability of guarding and protecting is also shown in this period. So, pay attention to the proper training of your favourite pet. Recommendation: be very strict during this period in order to show your pet that you are the leader. Do not allow your dog to win and disobey you. Fear and a Puppy Your German shepherd can feel fear for several weeks during the period of adolescence. It usually happens about the age of seven weeks. The dog gets scared of well-known and unknown people, different things terrify it. Be patient and calm during these uneasy days and try to share your calmness with your animal. This period would not last long, but it needs a lot of efforts from the owner. Size, Weight, Height and Ears Physical development of your dog is as important as mental one. We suggest you to look at the main features at the age of seven weeks that you can measure and analyse how your dog grow. If there are some departures from the norm, go to a specialist and show your pet to get an advice. So: The height of the dog should be about fifty-three or sixty-three centimetres. The weight of a German shepherd must be from twenty to thirty kilograms. The norm of the chest size is about sixty-nine or seventy-five centimetres. The special attention should be given to the ears of your dog. At the age of seven months they should firmly be up. Look at your dog carefully! If its ears are not up, it can be the sign of the lack of mineral elements or weak immune system. A German Shepherd at Your House So, if you are going to bring a dog at your house and have not decided yet what breed to choose, you can take a German shepherd without any concerns. It will make your life better, anyway.

Our Mission To rescue and re-home Retrievers and find new, loving homes for them. We have positioned Fetchin' Retrievers Rescue to partner with veterinarians, dog trainers, groomers, and other rescue groups as a resource for these professionals and organizations if they encounter dogs in need. Your contribution will help us whether you foster, adopt, donate, or volunteer! Fetchin' Retrievers Rescue will take the very young to the very old, the very sick to the unwanted. Every dog is an individual and will be placed in a home that meets their needs and where their individuality can thrive. Andy's foster - to - adopt success story written by his forever family: "Early in , we started the process to find our Golden Retriever girl a companion and adopt a rescue dog in need of a good home. We submitted an application to FRR and subsequently had a virtual home visit. We were impressed by the thoroughness of both, as it gave us confidence that FFR clearly had the best interest of their animals in mind. While the timing was less than ideal due to some upcoming summer plans, we agreed to foster one of the pups for as long as three weeks. Two days later, a tiny black male pup with a spotted white chest was delivered to our home. He looked like he is wearing a tuxedo. He came with the name, Andy. He was a world-class cuddler who immediately began to work his way into our hearts. Our golden retriever soon welcomed him into our home as well. Within a couple of weeks, it became apparent that this foster puppy was going to be adopted as a member of our family. It also became apparent that Andy was the perfect name for him. It just fit, not only in his cute appearance but also in his behavior and antics. Andy was one of a number of puppies that we have brought into our home over the years, and we have always been sticklers about health, wellness and neutering. So, it was great to see that FFR also insisted on this same level of care and attention. Andy is now 6 months old. He has adapted well to our home and lifestyle. He has even traveled with us to our Idaho home for three months. He is still all puppy: filled with the energy, entertaining antics, and occasional mischief that make puppies fun. He and our golden retriever are now fast friends, so our efforts to find her a companion have been richly rewarded. He has a desire to please, and he has learned basic commands and to walk well on leash and to heel faster than any dog we have had. Foster-to-adopt worked really well for our family. Thanks to FFR and all their dedicated staff for helping us bring Andy into our home. Click here for more information. Walk for the Dogs with ResQWalk! Whether you walk, run, or have another activity you enjoy that is less than 14 miles per hour, you can participate. To start, download the ResQwalk app on your mobile device, sign up, and then select Fetchin' Retrievers Rescue as your rescue of choice. Then start the app at the beginning of your walk, run, or activity. Throughout the year, we will receive donations based on participation levels. Can you provide a foster home or forever home to a pet in need? Heed the call to make a difference by opening your heart and your home, today! Please register or re-register now. If you have already registered your Ralphs' card, please note that our organization number has changed. Our new organization number is RV.Click here to register your Ralph's Rewards card. If you are making a donation to RFSC, please check to see if your employer might match it. If your company matches donations, please let us know and we will include their name here. She takes special orders and can include the customers own personal treasures on the birdhouses. We are a full-service rescue, with dogs coming to us from all over the Southern California area for foster care services. RFSC not only provides care for dogs while they are waiting for adoption, but we provide follow-up assistance for the life of the dog. If for any reason a family can not keep a dog, the dog is brought back to the organization for placement. We have volunteers that perform home visits before each adoption. We accept Goldens and Labs of all ages, including seniors and those with special needs. All dogs are spayed and neutered and updated on vaccinations if not already done by the owner. Dogs with special medical needs are further evaluated by our veterinarian for treatment. Your donations are always appreciated and help us to continue to care for these special dogs. Your tax-deductible donations are appreciated!

I've photographed many families along with their beloved dog, often a Golden. I've had numerous Golden Retrievers in my training classes over the years, whether they be reds, English Cremes or the beautiful blonde that we so typically think of when we think of a Golden Retriever. Goldens hail from Scotland originally and are known as a hard-working breed, often employed as service animals and therapy dogs. They're also known for their voracious appetites, young-at-heart personalities and their penchant for carrying things in their mouths particularly when excited. Goldens are intelligent, athletic dogs, and are exceptional competitors in dog sports like obedience, agility, dock diving and more. Golden Retrievers gorgeous coats and perennially smiling face make them a dream to photograph, especially during their little butterball puppy stage. When Moana's that's "mow-ah-nah" dog mom contacted me for cute little puppy pics, of course I said "Yes" right after I squealed with delight and we quickly secured a session on the calendar before she got any bigger! The sun was shining, the flowers were in bloom and Moana romped and played and we caught it all. At the viewing and ordering appointment, Brenda had a hard time narrowing down her favorites because Moana's just that cute, but we eventually got there. She decided on ordering two plush blankets one for her and one for Moana's bed along with a digital negative package which is presented in a handmade reclaimed barn wood box with a metal print on the cover and a 5x7 print of each image inside along with a USB drive with all the high resolution digital image files. Doggy Daddy: Tucker I was recently contacted by the Creed family to take their family portraits and they requested that I take a few pet portraits of their very special family member, Tucker. It was only later when Moana's mom shared her Christmas mini session photo of Moana with them see below , that the Creeds asked if those were taken by Penny Whistle Photography. Brenda contacted me afterward to say "You just photographed Moana's daddy". Small world indeed and now I know where Moana gets her good looks! Tracy Allard of Penny Whistle Photography is a Certified Professional Photographer with the organization Professional Photographers of America; a designation held by fewer than 2, photographers nationwide and a hallmark of consistency, technical skill, artistry and professionalism. Tracy offers special services to local Dallas - Fort Worth dog and cat breeders, creating unique images for their websites, social media and marketing purposes. Contact her to find out more about this offering. Meet Atlas!! We fell in love immediately, as you can tell. You may remember her from our wedding photos! She said yes right away, and we started planning the details. We took these at sunrise, and the forecast threw us for a bit of a loop with last-minute rain. While I did my hair and got my makeup done, it was already drizzling outside. We decided to move ahead, however. As it turn out, we guessed correctly. A beautiful sky opened up for us, and the rain stopped just in time for photos. It ended up drizzling for just a couple of minutes, but we barely even noticed. It was simply perfect! Despite Atlas looking like a complete angel in these photos, he was not quite as calm while we were taking them! He was so excited to be there he could barely sit still. But Alicia is so talented she captured him at just the right moments! It was quite a good lesson for me too — even when a session feels a little chaotic, magic is being captured. I tell my clients this all the time. Being on the other side of the camera is a little different, though! Alicia was also fantastic and reassured us that even though we had a wiggly puppy on our hands, she still got amazing photos. When we got the gallery, we fell in love with all of them! It was so hard to narrow down to this set for the blog. These obviously will be all over our home very soon. We will be forever thankful for these photos.

We may receive commissions from purchases made via our links. After switching it out for both filtered water and bottled water to no avail, I started researching what else Labrador puppies could drink. By 7 weeks old, most Labs should be weaned from milk and primarily drink water. A good rule of thumb is an ounce of water per pound in weight each day. Occasionally, small amounts of chicken broth can be added for flavor. Raising a Lab puppy will be full of trial and error, but when it comes to what your dog drinks, you need to be sure. According to PubMed , dog milk contains 7. Puppies need the nutrients and calories to grow and develop. Canines have a hard time with dairy milk digestion so they could suffer an upset stomach and even diarrhea. If you must feed your Lab puppy any milk-like product, make it a puppy milk formula like PetLac or Esbilac from PetAg. The mother may not quit nursing entirely, and that can be true even beyond the point when the puppy eats solid foods. However, she will feed her puppies less and less milk as the weeks continue. They should have been eating solid food since about the four-week mark, maybe four and a half weeks. This is where their nutrition comes from now. This should be their drink of choice for the rest of their lives! Puppies already have to pee a lot since they have tiny bladders. Offering them too much water will only increase the number of times you need to take them out…or the number of accidents you have to clean. How much water should you give your Lab puppy? Each day, they should drink an ounce of water per pound of body weight. Your dog should drink at least 8 ounces of water. Using the example from above, an 8-pound puppy should drink 4 ounces of water a day if they consume 0. On some occasions, your Labrador will drink more than even 8 ounces of water a day. Cut off all eating and drinking no later than two hours before you and your Lab go to bed. During the day, please let your Lab drink what they need to. Puppies can become dehydrated much more easily compared to adult dogs. Water is an important part of the overall metabolic process, which includes digestion, brain activity, blood flow, and breathing, as well as kidney and liver function. It also helps young dogs grow big and strong. Recommended Videos And, since a dog cools by panting, drinking water is essential for replacing the moisture that evaporates from their tongues, nasal passages, and lungs during the process. Lastly, a well-hydrated dog has a moist nose, which aids in their ability to smell. One of the best ways to make sure your puppy is drinking enough water is to set up a schedule. Instead of leaving a bowl out for them to drink at will, ration their intake. Every few hours, measure the appropriate amount of water into their drinking bowl and call your puppy. Encourage your pup to drink the water, and when they do, reward them with praise and a few minutes of playtime. When you add potty training to the mix, you need to be mindful of a few other factors. First, you want to reduce water intake at night since the goal is to work your pup up to a full 8 hours of sleep. Make sure they get a drink after the evening walk, say half an hour to an hour following a meal. Then put the bowl away for the night. This works especially well if you otherwise confirm that Fido has had enough liquid during the day. Overheating and illnesses, especially those that include vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, put puppies at risk of dehydration. Chewing on ice cubes adds an element of fun while it aids in hydration. Flavor drinking water with chicken or beef broth. Put a treat at the bottom of the bowl. Overhydration If it seems your puppy is drinking too much water, pay attention. Dogs, and puppies, in particular, are super curious. Your little buddy may just be playing in the water bowl, which is more of a behavioral issue than a medical problem. But if you think your puppy is doing more drinking than playing, they may have an underlying medical issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Symptoms of overhydration include:. By Retriever Pets A Labrador drinking too much or too little water each day is a cause for concern. What is the ideal amount of water should a Labrador drink in a day? For a healthy dog, the ideal amount of water they should drink is between 0. If your Labrador is healthy and weighs 60 pounds, your dog should drink between 30 and 60 ounces of water in a day. However, certain things may affect the amount of water that a Labrador should drink in a day. Find one on Amazon. Factors that Alter the Water Intake of your Labrador There are certain things that can make your dog drink less than or more than the ideal amount of water intake per day. The following are factors that limit the amount of water that a Labrador should drink in a day: 1. Diet If your dog usually eats dry kibble , expect him to drink more water than the recommended intake. Dogs that eat mostly wet canned food or raw will likely consume less water than the dogs that eat dry kibble. We recommend doing more fruits and vegetables because fruits and vegetables have more water in them than other foods. Weather Dogs usually pant and sweat a lot during hot summer days and will naturally drink more water than usual as compared to cold winter months. Your Labrador experiences the same thing. During hot summer days, your dog needs to make sure that his body maintains proper fluid balance. Not all dogs are created equal. These dogs lose a lot of fluids via sweating. They need to drink more water to replace the lost fluids. If you take your dog hiking for long hours, make sure to let him drink more water than usual to prevent dehydration and make him lose his strength and stamina. Health If the health condition of your dog is not good and currently taking some medications for his illness, your vet can give you proper guidance regarding how much water your Labrador should drink in a day. The water intake of your dog may increase or decrease depending on his medical issue. Some medications require more water intake than usual. Size and age Older and larger dogs need more water than younger and smaller dogs. Following the ideal amount of water, intake is enough to make sure that your Labrador is drinking an adequate amount of water. For your puppy, you can start with the bare minimum and gradually increase the amount as he grows. They might drink all the water in one go, which is not good. Hydration Levels Dehydration or over-hydration is bad for your dog. Dehydration depletes the strength and vigor of your dog. If you failed to address it properly, it may lead to severe dehydration. When dehydration sets in, your dog may experience unconsciousness, listlessness, shivering, weakness, weak pulse, and rapid heart rate. Extreme cases of dehydration can cause death. Drinking excessive amounts of water can be toxic. Over-hydration can cause lethargy and sickness. If your dog drinks an ample amount of water, it can be an indicator of an underlying health condition. Checking for Dehydration To check for dehydration, you need to do the following: Pinch the skin of the neck of your dog. Stretch the skin up, and then stretch it outward. Let it go and observe the reaction of the skin. Healthy, well-hydrated skin will immediately snap back to its original position. The skin of a dehydrated dog will go back slowly to its original position and some raised skin will remain. Dry, wrinkly skin does not snap back when you release it. You can also run your finger to the gum of your dog to check if he is dehydrated. If the gum of your dog is dry or sticky, he is dehydrated. Try making your dog drink some more water to prevent extreme dehydration. A little coaxing should also do the trick. If he suddenly begins to drink a lot of water without rhyme or reason i. Your prompt action can prevent the disease from escalating into a bigger problem. You need to be observant and prudent in determining how much should a Labrador drink in a day, especially if your dog shows signs of illness. Water is vital in keeping the body hydrated so every system will function according to its design. Keep in mind that drinking too little or too much water is bad for the health of your Labrador. It is advisable to monitor your dog to make sure that he is getting the right amount of water that his body needs. An ounce of prevention is much better than a pound of cure. Giving some time to monitor your dog is an endeavor that can save you from encountering troubles later and prevent your dog from contracting a dreadful disease. Post navigation. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Making sure your dog is drinking enough, but not too much, improves their health and helps to stave off certain illnesses. Some dogs are under-drinkers, some are over-drinkers, and in both cases this can lead to health issues. So how much water should your Labrador drink each day? The factors that alter the amount between the upper and lower limits are: Their diet: Because a dog eating mainly wet canned food will require less water than a dog fed on dry kibble. So of course they drink more. So if you take your dog on a 3 hour hike, make sure you increase their water intake when compared to a lazy day in front of the TV. Medical advice: Some illnesses and some medications will affect how much water your Labrador should drink each day. Your vet will advise you if you need to increase or lessen their water intake. Age and size: Obviously a larger dog requires more water than a smaller dog, and an adult dog needs more than a puppy. Sticking to the 0. Or even over-hydrated? Well hydrated and healthy skin will very quickly snap back into position, exactly as it was before. But if your dog is dehydrated the skin will ease back gently and leave a little tent of skin. This test works because the elasticity of skin decreases as it loses moisture. A second method to check for dehydration is to check your dogs gums. If you run your finger over their gum you should find it very wet. You can also press your finger into their gum which forces the blood out making them appear white. Then when you release the pressure, the blood should come flooding back almost instantly. If it takes a few seconds, or remains a pale color, you need to get your dog to drink. Excessive water intake on its own can cause problems such as lethargy and being sick. Some dogs just do under-drink, so they may otherwise be healthy but you should have them checked. Praise and reward can often work wonders. So try training your dog to drink. Sometimes flavoring the water can help. These are known to work well. If you feed your Lab dry food , consider switching to wet food as this will increase their water intake too. So for an over-drinker, you simply ration what you give them. Conclusion Water is essential for life, and having the correct amount is vital for good health. And you should be mindful of their intake for getting it wrong can lead to health issues. Always make sure your dog gets plenty of clean, fresh water every day. Approximately 0. And be alert to any changes with their intake and act upon it. Disclaimer All content on this site is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be nor can it be considered actionable professional advice. It must not be used as an alternative for seeking professional advice from a veterinarian or other certified professional. Please consult a professional before taking any course of action with any medical, health or behavioral related issue. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining. And drinking too much water can actually be toxic. Also, the amount of water your dog drinks can be an indicator of an underlying illness. Dogs with pancreatitis, parvovirus, or leptospirosis tend not to drink much water, but a brewing bladder infection, other types of infection, or a metabolic problem such as Cushing's disease, and diabetes can cause excessive thirst and water consumption. So, if your pet is drinking less or more water than normal, you should have her checked by your veterinarian to rule out an underlying condition. Need a great food for your dog? General Guidelines for Water Consumption and How to Tell If Your Dog is Dehydrated How much water your dog needs each day depends on his size, diet, age, activity level, and weather conditions. Puppies need to drink small amounts of water every couple of hours and should be closely monitored and encouraged to drink. After a period of hard play or exercise, use caution when your dog rehydrates. If he immediately laps up the contents of his water bowl, rest him for a bit before you refill his bowl. To determine if your dog may need more water, lift some skin at the back of her neck and let it go. If your dog is well hydrated, the skin will fall quickly back into place. The skin of a dehydrated dog will fall more slowly and form sort of a tent. The medical term for the desire to drink too much water is called psychogenic polydipsia. In severe cases, there can also be difficulty breathing, collapse, loss of consciousness, seizures, coma, and death. The bodily condition that occurs when dogs over-consume water is called hyponatremia or inadequate levels of sodium in the bloodstream. It is most commonly seen in dogs who like to stay in the lake, pond or pool all day; pets that lap or bite at the water continuously while playing in it; and dogs that swallow water unintentionally as they dive for a ball or other toy. Also observe how your dog interacts with the water. The same can be true of dogs that dive to the bottom of a pool to retrieve items. And if your dog enjoys being sprayed with water from the hose or sprinkler, you should monitor that activity as well. Signs of dehydration in dogs. The average medium sized dog will drink around half a gallon of water a day. Water intake is a good indicator of overall health and gives early warning signs of certain medical conditions. It is important to know what is normal for your Labrador and what to look out for when they start drinking more or less than usual. However, our lives can get busy, and sometimes, we might not notice a change in drinking behavior. This can be done by filling up their water bowl to the same level at the same time each day. Then, notice how much is left when you go to refill it the next day. Checking the water level at the same time each day will give you an accurate representation of how much your dog drinks. As a rough guideline, normal water intake for a dog is around an ounce per pound 50 mL per kg of body weight per day. That means that a pound 30 kg Labrador would drink approximately half a gallon 1. What Makes Labradors Drink More? There are several factors that can affect the normal water intake mentioned above, including the following. Diet Your Labrador always needs fresh water available no matter what their diet; however, how much they drink will depend on the type of food they eat. Dogs that eat predominantly dry food and kibbles require more water than dogs on a wet food diet. It is perfectly normal for a Labrador or any dog on a canned or raw diet to drink less water than one on an exclusively dry food diet. Weather Water helps regulate body temperature. Dogs pant to cool themselves down by exhaling and releasing water through respiration. To compensate for this release of water, your Labrador will drink more in warmer weather. Activity Level When we exercise, we lose water through sweating and tend to drink more to make up for it. Dogs also require rehydration after exercise since they will have panted more than normal to help themselves cool down. If your Labrador naturally has high energy and activity levels, they will require more water than a couch-potato pup. Medications and Supplements Many common medications and supplements have side effects that may cause changes in daily water intake. Common anti-inflammatories, heart medications, and seizure medications can all lead to increased thirst and urination. It is important to be aware of these potential side effects and ask your veterinarian what to expect. My Labrador Is Drinking More than Normal When a dog is drinking more than usual, the first step is to rule out any obvious external factors as mentioned above. While you may think that drinking lots of water is pretty harmless, too much of anything is bad, including water. Excess water consumption can have a sudden onset and can be life threatening. By monitoring your Labradors water intake regularly, you can judge subtle changes and be aware of when to contact your veterinarian. My Labrador Is Drinking Too Much There are several things to look for if you suspect your Labrador may be drinking too much, possibly leading to overhydration. These include loss of coordination and staggers, lethargy and nausea, bloat and vomiting, dilated pupils and pale gums, and excessive drooling. If left to develop, these signs can lead to difficulty breathing and collapse. Dogs that spend a lot of time in or around water may be drinking from other sources or consuming water incidentally. If your dog plays in water, they may be consuming water while fetching items or biting at the water. Similarly, if they like to be sprayed or drink from a hose, consider that water intake when evaluating their overall consumption. My Labrador Is Drinking Too Little If your Labrador suddenly decreases their water consumption, they are at risk of becoming dehydrated. Just like with drinking too much water, not drinking enough water will cause harmful imbalances in the body. Water is vital for many functions, such as carrying nutrients throughout the body, aiding in digestion, and removing toxins from the system. Dehydration ultimately causes essential organs such as the kidneys and liver to stop functioning properly. If left in this state for too long, there can be irreversible damage to these organs. Signs of Dehydration in Dogs There are two easy ways to keep an eye on your Labradors hydration levels at home. It is beneficial to do these tests on your healthy Labrador so that you are aware of their baseline. In a healthy dog, after the skin is lifted it should snap back to its original position almost instantaneously. The longer the delay, the more dehydrated your dog is. Mucous Membranes The mucous membranes include the eyes, nose and mouth. They also serve as an indicator of adequate hydration levels. If he is dehydrated, the gums may appear pale and feel dry and tacky when touched. If your dog tends to not drink enough and your vet has given her a clean bill of health, here are a few ideas to encourage drinking. Place her water bowl in places she likes to be. Praise her when she drinks water. Add chicken or bone broth to her water, but be sure to keep it fresh. Consider adding wet food to her diet. Soak dry food with water or broth before feeding. Consider getting a pet drinking fountain to make it fun be sure to keep it clean.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase the item. This comes at no extra cost to you. Wish your golden retriever puppy would stop biting so much? Puppy nipping is one of the most frustrating things about raising a new puppy—their teeth are razor-sharp, it hurts when they bite, and they can ruin your clothes! But why do puppies bite so much? Puppies bite to learn acquired bite inhibition, or ABI. What exactly is ABI? He might leap up and bite you because you hurt him and scared him. But the important thing is this: how hard will they bite? This is where ABI comes in. So ABI is really important. Now the question is, how do they learn it? The only way for puppies to learn ABI is to bite, and bite often. The best teachers are other dogs. Next time they bite a little less hard and playtime continues. This is how they learn ABI. Obviously, it takes a lot of repetition of this scenario to happen for a puppy to learn not to bite so hard, but this is essentially how it works out. Yes, you will need to help teach your puppy ABI. You can do this two ways: Set up puppy playdates and take them to puppy kindergarten so other puppies can teach them ABI. You actually want them to bite a little bit and learn to control how hard they bite. That being said, letting them go on a biting rampage is not helping the situation, so here are five tips to help you stop your puppy from biting so much: 1. Socialize your puppy Other dogs are the best teachers of ABI so make sure to get your puppy in kindergarten and set up playdates with dogs that you know are vaccinated. Remove yourself from the situation Puppies can often be over-stimulated or over-tired. One thing we did with our puppy, Oliver, when he got in these moods was to go sit at our high-top table in the kitchen and ignore him until he calmed down or distracted himself with a chew toy. Exercise your puppy A tired puppy is a good puppy. Young puppies have weak jaws, so if they had dull teeth, a bite from them would be no big deal. Most adult golden retrievers bite out of fear and a professional can help you properly handle it. Puppy Biting vs. Chewing Puppy biting or nipping is when a dog purposefully bites you. As we already talked about, they need to do this to learn ABI. Puppy chewing, on the other hand, is when puppies chew on things to relieve the pressure in their mouths from their adult teeth coming in. Since puppies bite and chew for different reasons, you need to handle these problems differently. Mentally wear them by out by training them, going for long walks and letting them sniff around, and giving them puzzle toys or frozen kongs. Remember that a tired puppy is a good puppy. A: It can take up to six weeks or more for your puppy to learn ABI and what is appropriate to bite or not. If it takes longer than six weeks, just remember to be consistent with the steps to stop it and have faith that it will slow down soon. Q: Is puppy biting an act of aggression? A: Most puppy biting is a form of play. It helps them learn ABI. If you think your puppy is biting out of aggression, then you should talk to a professional. Q: Why are puppy teeth so sharp? Q: What is ABI? A: ABI is acquired bite inhibition, or the natural ability for a dog to not bite so hard. Q: Do all puppies bite? A: Yes! Instead, they need to learn to control their bite force, then learn to bite less. Have any questions about puppy biting? Let me know in the comments below! Related articles:. They Are Naturally Mouthy Golden Retrievers are a mouthy breed, to begin with, they are naturally inclined to pick up and hold anything and everything in their mouths. While it may seem like there is something wrong with your puppy to cause him or her to bite so much, rest assured, all puppies bite, not just Golden Retriever puppies. Play Behaviour When you see a litter of pups play together, they often nip and bite at one another. It is their way of socializing and initiating play. Your puppy will bite and nip at you during playtime with you because it is a natural behaviour to them. They Are Teething Many people associate puppy biting with teething, however when a puppy is teething they will resort to chewing and mouthing in order to relieve their pain. They may chew or mouth on your hands and fingers, but teething is not the cause of biting that every puppy owner experiences. Puppy biting is most often just play. To summarize, puppy biting is normal and should be expected as a puppy owner. In general, biting will naturally subside in Golden Retriever puppies around the age of months. This is around the time that their adult teeth have come in. Puppies at this age usually already know how to moderate their bite, and will not bite or nip at you as much as they did when they were younger. While biting anything and everything is normal behaviour to your puppy, it is not something that you want your puppy to continue to do. It is up to you to teach your puppy not to bite humans, especially children. Take a look at the common mistakes puppy owners often make, and learn to avoid them. Puppies who are excited bite more. Children often fall victim to the most puppy bites because they get very excited around puppies and this just gets the puppy going which results in biting. Any attention that you give your puppy after they bite you will seem like a reward to your puppy, and the biting will just continue. Yelling at your puppy, pushing them away, talking to your puppy, or even looking at them is giving them the attention that they want. Bite inhibition is when your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite. Puppies learn this skill when they are with their littermates, which is why they need to stay with them and their mother until they are 8 weeks old. Playing with their littermates teaches puppies that biting too hard hurts and will end playtime. The puppy then learns to bite softer. When your puppy comes home with you, it is up to you to teach your puppy how to control the force of their bite. Biting down on the thick fur coat of his mother or littermates is a lot different than biting down on human skin. By not teaching your puppy bite inhibition, you will risk your puppy turning into a dangerous adult. Puppy bites are a lot different than adult dog bites. Once your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite, eventually the bites become gentler, and in time, your puppy will learn to stop biting altogether. This is part of teaching your puppy bite inhibition. This is a way to mimic how puppies play together, when one puppy bites another puppy too hard, that puppy yelps in pain, and will walk away. In some cases, puppies could get even more worked up by the noise and keep on biting. This is when you need to walk away. When your puppy has calmed down, you can resume playing with your puppy. When your puppy bites you again, repeat the steps of yelping and walking away. Eventually, your puppy will learn to soften his bite, because biting too hard ends playtime. The following video discusses why puppies bite, how to teach bite inhibition and how to survive puppy biting. It is a good idea to have a few chew toys on hand to offer up as a distraction from your skin. Check out this list of the best teething toys for puppies. This will get your puppy to stop and focus on being obedient. A great way to solve boredom is by going for a walk with your puppy. How much exercise should you give your Golden Retriever puppy? A good rule of thumb is 5 minutes of exercise for every month that your puppy is alive. So a 3-month-old puppy should get 15 minutes of exercise a day, a 5-month-old puppy should get 25 minutes per day, and so on. This is in addition to and not instead of playtime. Bitter Apple Spray can also be used to prevent your puppy from nipping and biting at you. Before you interact with your puppy, spray it on your arms, legs, pant legs, or sleeves, anywhere that your puppy likes to nip at you. Once your puppy bites at you, he will get a bad taste in his mouth and will stop. Bitter Apple Spray may not work on all puppies, some may actually develop a taste for it. I know that when my Golden Retriever Ellie was a pup this stuff worked amazingly well, but as she got older she developed a taste for bitter things such as crab apples which are extremely sour and she once sucked on a vinegar packet that was lying on the ground! Reward Good Behaviour Every time your puppy stops biting and nipping at you, you need to see this as positive behaviour. Good behaviour should be rewarded so that your puppy learns that he did something good. Rewarding good behaviour with affection and praise is great, you can also use treats, or toys, sometimes the best reward for your puppy is just spending time with them. Be Patient and Consistent Owning a puppy requires a lot of patience! It is so easy to lose your patience at times, but you need to know that your puppy is learning what is right and wrong, and that takes time. It might not happen overnight, but as long as you remain consistent and patient, your pup will learn good behaviour. If your puppy is nipping at your pant legs or sleeves, chances are he is loving the tugging feeling and is actually already playing tug-of-war. Instead of using your clothing, redirect his attention to a rope toy. One thing to be careful of is being too rough with tug-of-war, especially when your puppy is going through his teething phase. A game of fetch offers your pup a distraction from biting, and Golden Retriever puppies naturally love to retrieve things. This is a great way to also teach your puppy to drop it, by offering a treat when your puppy drops the ball or rope toy. A well-socialized puppy will be less likely to exhibit any unwanted behaviours later on. Enrolling your pup in puppy kindergarten or arranging some play dates with other dogs who are friendly and vaccinated is a great way for your pup to learn social skills. Other dogs are sometimes the best teachers for a puppy because they will let your puppy know what is okay for play and what is not okay, in terms of biting and nipping. Always supervise your puppy while playing with other dogs. Yelling at your puppy will only make your puppy scared and confused as well as lose trust and respect for you. Common mistakes people make when their puppy is biting are pushing them away, clamping down on their mouths or spraying them in the face with water. All of these are a bad idea! Your puppy could see this behaviour as a form of play and continue biting and nipping at you even harder. If you remain calm and use a firm voice not yelling , your pup will see you as in charge. Puppies and dogs often exhibit the same behaviour as we do, if you get upset and start yelling, your puppy will just get even more excited. As unpleasant as puppy biting is, it is normal behaviour. Your puppy biting and nipping at you with a mouth full of shark teeth may seem aggressive, but it is most often just out of curiosity and play behaviour. Golden Retrievers are known for their calm and gentle demeanour, but there are rare instances where you may have an aggressive puppy on your hands. Puppies who have been taken away from their litter earlier than weeks, bad breeding, being abused, a chemical imbalance, and not being socialized are all reasons for aggression in puppies. Signs of an aggressive puppy include barking, growling, lunging at you or another dog, a stiff posture, and showing teeth. If you think your puppy is aggressive, it is important to work with a professional dog trainer or behaviourist in order to find out the reasons for aggression and work on correcting the behaviour before it gets worse. It is important to keep your calm and work with your puppy to teach him the important skill of bite inhibition, and to redirect his biting to more appropriate behaviour. Socializing your puppy, as well as rewarding good behaviour will all help to turn your puppy into a well-behaved dog. Have you tried any of the tips mentioned above? Do you have any other tips to stop Golden Retriever puppy biting? Share your thoughts and comments below, as well as any questions you may have. I would love to hear from you. Jenny I am the proud owner of a Golden Retriever named Ellie. She keeps me busy, and when she is resting, you can find me working on my blog. She is always close by though. I live in Stirling, ON Canada with my husband, and we both enjoy the never a dull moment life with our Ellie. Spread the love. You are bound to want to know when your biting puppy will grow out of this phase and how you can speed that process up. Biting, as you will have discovered is usually accompanied by lots of noise! Why do puppies bite? So why do puppies bite? My puppy is biting hard Puppies do bite hard and it does hurt. But I want to reassure you that even at 8 weeks old, your puppy has learned to moderate his bite in play. Puppies have powerful jaws designed to tear through flesh and crush bones. Those of you who feed your puppy a raw diet will know that even an 8 week old puppy from a medium sized breed can crush bones the size of your little finger. He is deliberately attempting to be gentle. Puppy Biting — Bite inhibition This ability, that your puppy has, to moderate the power of his jaws in play, is called bite inhibition. It is something that his mother started to teach him when he was just a few weeks old. And now it is your turn to take over and complete the training process. Growling and Puppy biting One thing that often worries people who have a new puppy in the family, is the growling that accompanies puppy biting. It sounds horrific. Great snarls and snaps accompany the biting and the puppy can appear quite demonic as he grabs onto your skin, or clothes. Tugging away with all the strength he can muster. Ninety nine times out of a hundred this is completely normal play biting. Is my puppy biting aggressive? You cannot determine whether or not a puppy is biting aggressively by how hard he bites or by the volume of the noise he makes. Play biting puppies bite hard and growl fiercely. Some puppies do occasionally draw blood. But these are not normally savage or crushing bites and the puppy is clearly enjoying himself. Fierce but fun! The play biting puppy will launch himself at the target of his bite. Whether it is your slippers or your fingers, with equal tail-wagging enthusiasm, hanging on grimly and grabbing repeatedly when the item is removed from him. All this, shocking though it may seem, is normal, and is not a sign that your puppy is going to be an aggressive dog! In fact some of the gentlest and most amiable breeds the labrador for example are the worst and fiercest play biters. The puppy that is a cause for concern is the puppy that is frightened. Because although puppies rarely bite through aggression, the nervous puppy may become aggressive as he matures Is my puppy afraid? A scared puppy may bite and scared puppies can grow into scared adult dogs so this is something you need to address quickly. You will know that your puppy is scared because he will try to avoid whatever it is he is scared of. A really frightened puppy will sometimes give off a distinctive musky smell. This hiding, and retreating, and the scared smell are warning signs that you have scared your puppy badly, or purchased a poorly socialised puppy. In this situation you need to get specialist help right away. Your vet should be able to advise you. For the vast majority of puppy owners then, biting is normal puppy behavior. Will my puppy biting stop naturally? To some extent biting is a phase caused by natural puppy playfulness and teething. Some puppies do stop biting with very little input from their family. Which is great. You may feel he should have grown out of it by now. We can physically prevent puppies from biting and we can train puppies not to bite. Both of these are good strategies. Or when children are getting upset, or visitors are winding your puppy up. Prevention usually involves interrupting the biting behavior, then redirecting the puppy into an alternative and more acceptable behavior, such as chewing on a toy. Or, it may involve temporarily separating him from his playmates. Interrupting the puppy biting In mild cases you may simply be able to put a toy in your biting puppy's mouth and get him tugging on that instead of on your fingers. If you are on the floor with the puppy stand up. And if you are standing up, turn and walk away from the puppy. This is where dog gates come in very handy with small puppies. A standard baby gate works fine for most breeds of dog. Managing the puppy You may have to pick up your biting puppy to remove him from the scene if he is biting your children for example, rather than you If he bites your hands and clothes as you try to restrain him, put him on the other side of a barrier or in his crate or puppy playpen for a short while. Although the puppy does learn from them, these are useful management techniques to enable you to control the situation. They help you to keep your puppy calm, and prevent the biting escalating through over excitement. Over-excited puppies Puppy play biting is directly linked to excitement. The more excited your puppy gets, the more and the harder he will bite. And the harder it will be to interrupt and distract him. Rough play excites puppies and noisy play does too. Children tend to squeal when they play and get very physical with puppies. One of the first rules they need to learn when playing with dogs, especially big dogs, is to stand up and stand still when the game gets too much. Limit such play and call a halt to it if your puppy is biting. With medium to large breed dogs, physical rough and tumble play is not a great idea. It can lead to dogs bowling people over or humping them, neither of which is very pleasant. Stopping play when it gets rough is a good management strategy and it is a form of training too. Over time, your puppy learns that biting and rough play loses him his playmates and that people simply leave if he is being mean. When do puppies stop biting? Many puppies have stopped biting completely by six months of age and biting is usually subsiding by the time that the puppy is heading towards five months old. This is if the puppy has been managed appropriately If people have been exciting him, or rewarding him for attention seeking behavior then biting can persist And it can be much more of a problem in bigger stronger puppies than in little ones. Training Puppies Not To Bite The idea of this exercise is to teach a puppy to accept being stroked and handled in any way, without touching us with his teeth. The event marker is a distinctive sound. Even around his mouth, without him making any attempt to bite you. You can also make it easier for him by starting this training when he is calm and not distracted. But for now, keep things simple. It can be a good way of getting the training started so that you have chance to say YES and give the puppy the opportunity to learn what you want him to do. Over the next few sessions, you can work on getting your hand closer and closer to the puppy. Until you are brushing the sides of his face without him making any attempt to mouth or bite at you Progress to touching and holding his collar, stroking his ears, grooming him, examining his paws and so on, all the time rewarding him for the correct behavior. Anytime the mouthing returns, back up to a point where he can succeed and move forward more slowly again Bite Inhibition Training Some experts feel that puppies should be allowed to mouth and even bite gently for a week or two before being prevented from biting altogether. Simply follow the instructions for managing your puppy above when he bites hard. But allow him to mouth you when he bites gently without much pressure. This is a great way to teach a dog excellent control over his mouth. After a couple of weeks of this, you can progress to the training exercise I outlined in the previous section. Older puppies that bite in play have often learned that this gets them a lot of attention. They have discovered that people squeal and shout and get quite cross. Sometimes these people push and shove the dog around which young dogs quite enjoy when they are playing. For these dogs it is important that you stop all physical play, with all family members If a puppy is biting hard at your hands when you try to interrupt his game. Or an older puppy is getting out of hand biting at clothing, you need to put your puppy on a harness and house-line a short trailing leash. This will enable you to control your puppy, and take him to a calming place, without handling him. You can just pick up the end of the line and lead him away. Older biting puppies are often bright and bored. And the best approach to avoiding future episodes of bad behavior is a structured programme of training and interesting activities. A professional dog trainer using modern positive training methods will be able to help you with these. Summary So now you know some tips on how to stop your puppy from biting. The first few weeks can be tough with a determined biter in the house, but you will get through this and come out the other side. A few months from now, this difficult period will be a distant memory In the meantime, focus on keeping your biting puppy calm, avoiding too much rough play, and redirecting his biting onto appropriate toys and activities. Spend some time on the training exercise set out above. Are you a proud new golden retriever puppy parent or considering getting a furry friend? While puppies are adorable and full of energy, they can also be a handful, especially when it comes to biting. This article will cover practical strategies to manage puppy biting and help you and your pup develop a solid and loving relationship. Thus biting is natural. Their bites will become softer as they practice and learn to manage their bite strength. They will eventually stop biting entirely. While biting is a natural part of the learning process, it is essential to train your puppy not to bite excessively. Here are a few tips to get you started: Providing Chew Toys for Redirecting Biting Behavior Providing chew toys is an excellent approach to help your puppy stop biting. When your puppy begins to bite you, remove your hand or foot and replace it with a chew toy. This teaches them that biting is acceptable, but only when done with toys, not people. It is essential to keep an eye on your puppy when they play with chew toys to ensure they do not consume anything toxic. By exposing your puppy to a variety of people, animals, and environments in a controlled and positive manner, you can help them develop proper social skills and reduce biting tendencies. Socialization helps puppies learn appropriate bite inhibition and establishes boundaries for acceptable behavior during interactions. Through well-planned socialization experiences, you can guide your puppy towards becoming a well-behaved and gentle companion. Employing the Time-Out Strategy for Persistent Biting Use the time-out strategy when other methods fail to stop your puppy from biting. If your puppy continues to bite, place him on a time-out for 30 seconds before allowing him to return to play. This teaches your puppy that biting is unacceptable and will result in a loss of playtime or attention. Again, use a gentle tone and avoid shouting or scolding your puppy. When your puppy plays gently with their toys instead of biting you, shower them with praise and perhaps even a tasty gift! This teaches your puppy that good behavior leads to beautiful things. Instead, concentrate on encouraging appropriate behavior and redirecting any inappropriate biting. Your puppy will learn to control their biting and play in a friendly and safe manner with time, patience, and positive reinforcement. This entails repeating the same commands, techniques, and rewards each time you train. When you do this, your puppy learns what is expected of them and how to get rewarded. On the other hand, if you are inconsistent, your puppy may get confused and unsure of what they need to do to please you. This can make training more difficult and frustrating for you and your puppy. So, strive to be consistent in your training. However, they can get nippy during their fun exploration of the world around them. The good news is that this is a natural habit for pups, and there are ways to deal with it. Puppies prefer to bite to initiate play, learn more about their surroundings, and adjust their bite pressure, especially when they are teething. These actions are part of how they play, interact, and learn about their environment. First, however, puppies must be taught how to control their biting pressure and redirect their biting to appropriate toys and chew objects, which we will discuss later. Puppy bites, for example, can become more painful and even harmful as they increase in size. Additionally, it might lead to destructive chewing if you do not divert their biting habit to appropriate chew items. As a result, it is critical to address this habit early on through regular teaching and positive reinforcement. Understand what motivates them and what makes them more likely to engage in biting. Adjust your training methods: Not all puppies respond to the same training techniques. Some may respond better to positive reinforcement, while others may require more redirection and distraction. Consider their energy levels: Golden Retrievers are known for their energy and enthusiasm. Be patient and consistent: Training takes time, and each puppy learns at their own pace. Be patient with your puppy and provide consistent guidance. Remember, every Golden Retriever puppy is an individual, and what works for one may not work for another. With a customized approach, you can effectively address biting behavior and set your unique puppy on the path to becoming a well-behaved and happy companion. So, most puppies begin to bite and mouth less frequently when they are 8 to 10 months old. However, this varies greatly depending on the individual pup. Some may stop sooner, while others may take a little longer. Golden retrievers, for example, love using their tongues. At the same time, herding dogs such as border collies or corgis may continue to nip at ankles as they age. Just keep working with your pet and providing the guidance they require to create positive habits! Conclusion As you begin the joyful road of raising your Golden Retriever puppy, keep in mind that training and socialization are essential for producing a happy and well-behaved dog. You can teach your puppy what is expected of them and create healthy behaviors that will last a lifetime using consistent and positive reinforcement techniques. Remember that each puppy is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. You will be rewarded with a devoted and well-behaved companion if you are patient and committed to the training process. Remember to give your puppy enough exercise and mental stimulation and to continuously reward positive behavior. You can help your puppy grow into a happy and healthy adult dog who will provide you happiness for many years by doing so. By the time your puppy reaches around three months of age, they should start to develop bite inhibition and learn to control the force of their bites during play. As you continue to interact and train with your puppy, you can gradually increase your sensitivity to the level of bites you find acceptable. By the age of four or five months, their play bites should no longer exert any force. Can I use physical punishment to stop my puppy from biting? Certainly not! To stop a puppy from biting, never use physical punishment. It is not only ineffective, but it can also be harmful and cause long-term behavioral issues. Instead, train your puppy using positive reinforcement techniques, including redirection, time-outs, and excellent rewarding behavior. What can I do? Puppies frequently nip and bite while playing with other dogs, but teaching them to control their bite force is essential. My puppy is teething. What can I do to stop them from biting? Teething is a normal developmental stage for puppies , and they naturally want to chew and bite things. Similar to what we discussed earlier. Galen has been connecting quality Golden Retriever breeders with loving families since and is the founder of My Golden Retriever Puppies. He and his wife have four children and love spending time together, traveling lived oversees for 4 years , enjoying the outdoors and connecting Golden families. Be the first to know when we have new puppies! All Rights Reserved. Read the full disclosure here. Tasty finger! Your golden retriever puppy is as friendly as can be — great with kids, respectful of other dogs, and not overly attentive to your cat. Yes, golden retrievers are known for their good-natured demeanor, but they are still dogs — not so very far removed from their wild cousins, and they can be unpredictable when faced with stressful, disturbing, or frightening situations. One of our jobs as responsible dog owners, of course, is to keep our dogs safe, but we may not always be able to protect them, and we may not always be able to prevent them from biting through fear or when in pain. What is Bite Inhibition? Puppies begin learning this from their mother and siblings as soon as they start to tumble around with each other in play. If they bite too hard, they are scolded by their mother or alerted with a yelp from their siblings. Eventually, they learn how hard is too hard, and they use their teeth more gently in play. Human Sensitive or Advanced Bite Inhibition By the time your puppy moves into your home, they will have been using their bite inhibition skills for weeks. Your puppy needs to learn that human beings are fragile and should be treated with care. There are many professional trainers who recommend that you simply train your puppy not to bite. This seems like a practical course of action, and it does work — in the short term. Teaching a puppy not to bite will give you quick results, but it may mean they never learn how much force is safe to use on people when they are forced to bite in an emergency. So if they do eventually bite, they will know to hold back the pressure safely and will not cause anywhere near as much pain or damage as they otherwise might. Why is Bite Inhibition Important? Believe it or not, even the most gentle dog that has been trained from a young age never to bite, can react to certain triggers. Those triggers are fear and pain. Consider these situations: Your dog has been suffering from chronic ear infections and hates to have his ears handled. The neighbor stops by with her toddler, who immediately runs to your dog and fondles his sensitive ears roughly. What will he do? You and your dog are walking down the road like you do every morning when out of nowhere comes a huge dog who attacks your dog without thinking twice. You manage to pull your dog away, but in the process, your frightened dog bites your arm. Your sweet golden retriever has gotten themself tangled in some barbed wire while hiking. As you loosen the wire from her skin and fur, she snaps at you, biting your hand. You may never experience any of these situations. By teaching bite inhibition while your puppy is young, you will be far safer and ready for any of these situations should they occur. Teaching Advanced Bite Inhibition Following is a general guide to the bite inhibition skills your puppy learns and when, as well as where you should aim for their skills to be at certain ages. She will start the puppies off by teaching them how rough is too rough during nursing and play. These lessons begin when the puppies start nursing day 1 and continue until the day you pick your puppy up from the breeder. This works for some puppies, but for others, it just seems to arouse the pup and make matters worse. You will have to experiment to find out what works for you and your pup. You should withdraw all of your attention from your puppy for very hard bites. Do not over-correct your puppy so they become afraid of biting. After your puppy has calmed down, use a chew toy as a reward and let them chew it in your lap or lying by your side. This teaches you puppy that there are other ways to keep their mouths and teeth busy. By four or five months, all force behind play bites should be eliminated. Kids tend to play rough with puppies, and puppies will get rough right back. Your puppy needs to know that every human being is sensitive to their bites, not just you. It is a process that sometimes lasts months, depending on your puppy. Be prepared for this, and remember that long-term results in your adult dog are more important than curtailing puppy bites as painful as they may be. Supervise your puppy around children — If you have young children at home, you will have to think carefully about how you will protect them and your puppy. Little puppy teeth can cause a lot of pain, especially when your pup is still learning to control those urges. Young children can also cause a lot of pain to small puppies. Always supervise very carefully when your pup and children are together. A tired puppy is a happy puppy — It will be much easier to teach bite inhibition if your puppy is not bouncing off the walls. Make sure they get enough exercise every day. Not only will this help with training, but it will also help prevent all kinds of other destructive behavior. Conclusion Teaching bite inhibition to your golden retriever puppy is a gift you give to your pup that will last forever.

We are located in the NW corner of Arkansas at the base of the Ozark mountains. We share our life with Eagles, Deer , Hawks and various other wild critters. .It is never dull here on the mountain. .I believe in breeding only the very best, for the betterment of the breed. I have searched the world over for the finest in Red standard poodles. Focusing on dogs that can have the temperament to become service dogs. .Having produced several emotional support animals and several medical Alert animals. My babies are born in my home and have my full attention until the day that they leave , I then have a private group on facebook to offer a lifetime of support and advise. My job does not stop when the puppy leaves it is just the beginning The Red standard poodle is my passion. .Very rare , thus my focus is to preserve the bloodline , keeping diversity in mind as well , not easy , but definitely worthwhile.I believe that you should do one thing and do it right. I have searched the world over and have what I feel is the best in Red standard Poodles today. .I have a vision , I have a dream.Please do not contact me if you are a doodle breeder. I reserve the right to refuse to place a puppy in a questionable home. All of my dogs live in the house with me and are part of my daily life Please feel free to contact me regarding my Poodles. I am passionate about the Red Standard Poodle and especially the reds, no dyes no lies. .So get a beverage and sit back and enjoy. .I hope you love it as much as I loved creating it.Do not be fooled by smoke and Mirrors.There is after all just me, and of course my gorgeous red Poodles. Poodles are Labrador Retrievers with a college education. My Poodle will do anything your Lab will do. After a day of retrieving in the field, your Lab wants to curl up and snore in front of the fire. My Poodle wants to be a fourth at bridge and tell naughty stories! Home of Exceptional Red standard poodles Where every baby is raised with the love and care that you would expect from a knowledgeable , at home , hands on preservationist breeder. .Palmares is an AKC registered name. Photo Gallery. We are not your typical kennel, I take bringing these little red babies into the world very seriously. They receive daily interaction, nutrition and lots of free play time with their siblings. All puppies are born in my home and carefully cared for until they find their homes. Also, they receive a clean bill of health from my vet and are microchipped free of charge. Very importantly my puppies receive early neurological stimulation through the Bio-sensor Stimulation Technique. My main purpose is to breed healthy poodles that can live a maximum lifespan. Please know we will not sell our poodles to be bred with other breeds to create a Doodle. Our Success!!! It's always exciting adding a new member to the family. You gain a new lifelong friend and loved one! We provide excellence and well maintained healthy dark red standard poodles from our family to yours. Our Dogs for therapy or service are well tempered for the job. All parents are health tested and guaranteed happy and healthy with well agreements. Confidence in Your Purchase When you purchase a Darla's Poodle you can be confident with the quality of your purchase. Darla has dedicated her life to breeding dogs for over 45 years with a specialty designation in Poodles for over 17 Years. I desire to make a difference in someones life and even save someone's life. God Bless Sugar Dogs International. Diabetic service dogs, also called diabetic alert dogs or DADs, are trained to let you know when your blood sugar has spiked too high or dropped too low. This way, you can take action before the problem turns into a medical emergency. Social Sign up to hear from us about our expecting mothers pedigrees, testing and available puppies. Email Address. We are a world-class breeder with the highest standards for excellence and quality. We are a preservationist dedicated to purposefully improving the standard of the breed. With over 19 years of experience in breeding for excellence. Our goal is to improve the health, temperament and structure of the Standard Poodle. Our beautiful red and apricot dogs have exceptional color and rarely fade. There is no reliable test for the fading gene.Most of our photos are of adults, many as old as .Our dogs are never kenneled, and have the joy of playing on nearly 2 acres fully fenced and gated as well as swimming, retrieving , and cuddling! She is very outgoing and loves people and other dogs. Your crate training has proved invaluable as she sleeps the whole night next to our bed. She is calm and collected and is very affectionate, playful and has great recall. Angel gets along well with friends, family and best of all -- other dogs. God Bless! She is fantastic at the groomers,, prances like a queen.I have never had so many comments in my life that she must be a show dog. She passed her AKC puppy star class easily. Thanks for my beautiful girl.Use tab to navigate through the menu items. We are a small kennel, located in the gold country of Northern California, a short drive from beautiful San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. We breed and and raise red standard poodle puppies. Our focus is on health and companionship, with the goal to improve the breed, but also to breed sweet pups with temperaments calm enough and suitable for service and therapy dog certification. Our puppies are born in our home, in their own personal puppy room, which by the way is right off our great room and kitchen, in the heart of our home and we are there for the entire whelping process. When the puppies are old enough, they are exposed to any and all sights, smells and sounds that are needed to properly socialize a puppy. One of our goals is for each and every puppy to meet at least 50 different people before they even go to their forever homes. Plus our research has brought us to the realization that over vaccination and early spay and neuter could be shortening the lives of our beloved canines. Therefore we encourage a minimal vaccine protocol and do not encourage spay and neuter until after our beautiful puppies are fully grown. We hope you enjoy exploring our web pages and drop downs that follow, and as you can tell, we are transparent in every aspect of our raising and socialization of these precious puppies. Through pictures, videos, and our 'closed-private' FB group where we post at least one video each and every day of every litters life here at our poodle plantation , and personal visits you can fully see each and every aspect of our breeding program. Now how many breeders can say that. Before there were no red standard poodles. Yes there were reds in the miniature and toy varieties but not the standard size. In the standards there were Apricots. I feel Janet made the greatest impact on the red standard poodles as we know them today. Following are a few kennels that have made a mark on the red standard poodle. Palmares Kennel. Janet Blannin who was Key in the development of the Red color in the standard poodle size passed away .Although the Palmares name lives on. Shangri-la kennel. Ilse Kong passed away in October of .Majestic kennel. Joan Mistkowski started with Shangri-la reds. She passed away in , her daughter took over the kennel and she too passed away in Minarets poodles. Ester Underkofler still breeds, shows, and titles her poodles in among other things agility and obedience proving that standards are more than pretty faces. Leatherstocking kennel. Barbara and Stratfod Deitch were successful in breeding top show quality standard poodles as well as therapy dogs. At this time there are many breeders trying to breed the ever beautiful deep red standard poodles that are conformationally sound enough to show, sweet enough to be therapy dogs, and smart enough to be hunters. I would like to think that my small kennel will do all that and more. COM bottom of page. It is important for owners to maintain regular checkups with their vet to identify potential health issues before they become serious. Additionally, red Poodles may suffer from hereditary conditions that can be identified through genetic testing. Lifespan The average life expectancy of a Red Poodle is between 12 and 15 years, depending on various environmental factors. This breed is generally known to be one of the healthier breeds of canines, with some living past the age of .The smaller-sized Miniature Poodles tend to have a slightly longer life expectancy than their larger-sized Standard Poodle counterparts. To ensure that your Red Poodle enjoys a healthy and long life, it is important to provide them with nutritious food and plenty of exercise. In addition, regular vet check-ups are essential to identify any potential health issues before they become serious. With the right care, your Red Poodle can be a vibrant and affectionate companion for years to come. Allergies Red Poodles have a hypoallergenic coat, meaning that they do not produce the same amount of dander as other breeds. This can make them an ideal choice for people who suffer from allergies or asthma, since they are less likely to aggravate these conditions. Despite their hypoallergenic coat, red Poodles may still produce some allergens. If a person is allergic to dogs, they should make sure to spend time with the red Poodle before committing to owning one. This will allow them to assess their reaction and determine if this breed is suitable for them. Grooming and Care Red Poodles require regular grooming and brushing to ensure that their coat remains in good condition. The frequency of grooming depends on the type of coat, with Miniature red Poodles usually needing to be groomed every weeks and Standard Red Poodles every weeks. The red Poodle is a very intelligent, friendly and loyal breed of dog. They are often eager to please their owners and make excellent companions. Nail trimming In addition to grooming, it is important to keep your red Poodle clean and trimmed in order to prevent matting. Furthermore, they should be given regular baths and their nails should be clipped regularly. It is also important to provide them with daily exercise, mental stimulation, and plenty of affection. The frequency of nail trimming depends on the individual dog. As a general rule, they should be trimmed every weeks. Nail trimming can be done at home or by a professional groomer. It should be done carefully with a sharp instrument to avoid splitting or cracking the nails. If carried out correctly, nail trimming is not painful for the red Poodle and should keep their nails in good condition. Red Poodle Temperament The red Poodle is a very intelligent, friendly and loyal breed of dog. Red Poodles can be quite energetic, so they need plenty of exercise in order to stay healthy and happy. They also tend to do well in obedience classes and other activities that stimulate their minds. Red Poodles are generally good with children and other animals. However, it is important to train them properly in order to prevent any aggressive behavior. This breed can be quite sensitive and may require a gentle hand when training them. Training The red Poodle is a very intelligent breed, meaning that they can learn quickly and respond well to training. It is important to start training early in order to prevent any behavioral issues from developing. Positive reinforcement methods are generally the most effective way of training red Poodles as this will encourage them to continue performing behaviors that have been rewarded. Do red Poodles make good service dogs? Yes, red Poodles can make very good service dogs. They are intelligent and eager to please, making them well-suited for learning various types of tasks. Red Poodles can provide valuable assistance to those in need and they are also loyal companions who will form strong bonds with their owners. With the right training and care, a red Poodle can be an excellent service dog. Conclusion Red Poodles are an intelligent, friendly breed of dog that make excellent family pets. They have beautiful coats in various shades of red and tend to have long lifespans when provided with proper care and nutrition. Overall, Red Poodles are an excellent choice for those looking for a friendly and loyal companion that they can enjoy for years to come. With the right care and training, these dogs can be a loving addition to any family. Photos and video also doesn't do the colour justice as the colour varies in intensity depending on the lighting. The one thing that was not mistakable was that this was a colour I had never before seen. The best part was that their temperaments were calm, very loving with eyes that would melt any cold heart. I also met the parents and the grandparents and saw photos going back 5 generations. I was hooked on the colour and knew my research had proved correct. I found my breeders. We often get asked "what does a red look like in person" Our reply is "same as a dark red headed human" Their hair is also as fine. A typical red will love lying in our laps and winding around our legs like cats for affection or attention. They are a very "soft" natured dog and respond well to "positive" training. If you are harsh with them or they sense they are disappointing you they will mentally just shut down and pout. They also want to be everywhere with you including the bathroom. You will always hear the pitter patter of a red standards feet as they will be your shadow. They love working for praise and or a laugh. Once they know a trick, they will produce it with amazing precision with eager eyes waiting, begging for your praise and you better be lavish with it if you want to see them happy. Rose pups I would describe our reds as being the most empathetic of all the colours. It is as if they can read you and decide if you are happy in which case they may be silly to get a laugh or they know that you are sad and will be calm and quiet and just rest their head on your lap waiting for you to invite them up on the couch to watch a movie with you. I do find that the reds are more "dedicated" to their owners. Valor and Ember Do not leave your red standard poodle at the window while you go to get a Tim Horton's coffee or you will be met with the back of your red standard poodle and hear sighs of "woe" until you are forgiven. Thankfully reds like all poodles, forgive quickly. I will warn anyone that is thinking about getting a red Standard and plans on walking them, that you will not get past a block without someone stopping you to see your puppy. Everyone will want to know what breed it is and you will hear people exclaim "I didn't know poodles came that colour or that size". We have almost caused accidents by people slamming on their brakes to stop to look at us. One thing is for sure is that if you go walking with your red you will make many friends Paris waiting for her owner to finish in the bathroom, after she tried unsuccessfully to get in This color Red is NOT for everyone. If you are not used to having a dog constantly at your feet or on your lap, constantly touching you, or wanting to be in the same room as you then you might find a red to be too "needy". If you have plans on doing Pet Therapy with a Red they are perfect for this as they are so gentle and caring, but please -limit- the time you offer your Red to the service, as they can become easily drained from them absorbing others emotional and sometimes physical pain. They do love obedience and showing, of course as how better for them to show everyone how smart and pretty they are! During that time, I broke both my feet and also required both of my hips to be replaced.