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Aggressive Behavior in Boxers: Fact or Fiction? Written by Dr. However, many people perceive them as aggressive. But is it true that they are aggressive without reason, or is this a misconception? Boxers are predisposed to display aggressive behavior. On the other hand, lack of exercise, socialization, training, traumatic experiences, and health challenges can make them aggressive. So, keep reading to learn more. Are They Aggressive to Humans? Boxers can be aggressive to humans they are not used to seeing. They have a friendly temperament and can become best friends with humans. Like other dog breeds, they will assume a defensive position and become protective when they see their parents with strangers. However, their training and breeding can influence aggressive behavior towards babies. Toddlers Boxers are great with toddlers and bond better with them if they grow up in the same household. However, you should monitor the interaction between boxers and toddlers. The child is still too young to read the cues from the dog thoroughly, and the dog may still be learning to interact with the child. Older Kids Older kids and boxers get along very well. Naturally, these older kids are more developed and can be trusted to relate well with dogs. The jovial temperament of boxers makes them great companions for older kids, especially when raised as puppies in the same household. They are familiar with these adults in the home. Familiarity over time tends to reduce any tensions. On the contrary, if the adults in the family are unfriendly toward dogs, you can expect your boxer to be hostile toward them. These breeds will defend themselves if they feel threatened rather than cower. Strangers Boxers react negatively and become protective when strangers appear at your front door. Lack of exposure as puppies makes them suspicious of everyone besides their parents. They will try to protect you if they feel you are in danger. They display their loyalty through aggression. This aggression can either be mild or intense and is a factor dependent on their training and level of exposure to people. They can either bark and retreat or attack the stranger in rare cases. If you ever experience the latter, you need to hire a canine trainer. Guests Guests will receive a similar treatment to strangers showing up in the house. However, boxers trained to be social when they were puppies will be friendly to anyone, including guests. Nonetheless, nature and nurturing play vital roles in the behaviors of dogs, and this affects how they treat humans. When nurtured by trainers and confident pet parents, they can adapt to new traits that are friendly to even guests. They often display severe hostility in this situation. This aggression could escalate to attacks if you trained the dog to be a guard rather than a pet. In this case, they are only friendly to family members and will defend their territory whenever a strange face shows up. On the contrary, boxers bred and trained as pets will only bark and rarely attack. Training can make them friendly towards family and friends and hostile to intruders or burglars. Outside Your Home Boxers are not suited for the outdoors. They can exhibit territorial dominance, extreme aggression, disobedience, and wild behaviors that are difficult to contain by pet parents. The best place to keep boxers is within the home. Most boxers require additional training to behave well outdoors. Are They Aggressive to Other Animals? Many boxers exert dominance and aggression over other animals. In extreme cases, this aggressive behavior will have them killing, fighting, or hurting others. Breeding, training and lack of socialization as puppies influence the level of aggression shown toward other animals. Other Animals in the Household Boxers are aggressive to other animals, including other dogs within the house. You can correct this trait through training from an early age so they can learn to cohabit with other pets. When it comes to cats, birds, rodents, and reptiles, boxers have strong instincts to hunt them, owing to their genetic makeup. Germans bred them for hunting, and this trait will linger until they have undergone intensive training. Animals They Encounter Outside Outdoors, this breed may show hostility toward other animals, including other dogs. They may also show friendliness depending on their mood and other factors like health issues, lack of exercise, social anxiety, and training. Boxers that are trained to be friendly or social with other animals, and people will not show aggression outside unless they perceive a situation as threatening. If your pet is always aggressive, a visit to a veterinary doctor and then a pet trainer can be the start of a rehabilitation process. Male boxers are generally more outgoing and aggressive than their female counterparts. This outgoing nature can make them exert dominance over their territory and become confrontational. Conversely, females are most aggressive when nursing their puppies and when they spot other females within their territory. They are more introverted and prefer the indoors. However, both genders are playful, fierce, and affectionate. As a pet parent, frequently observing your boxer for excessive displays of aggression is a good idea since underlying health challenges, lack of care, exercise, and other factors can influence such behavior. Always keep your vet doctor on speed dial or a trainer even if your pet is healthy. What Can Cause Aggressive Behavior? Some factors that can cause aggressive behavior in boxers include breeding history, tendency to exert dominance over their territory, socialization, and training. Breeding Germans originally bred boxers to be aggressive and strong. However, times have changed, and modern breeds are no longer vicious. They are now domesticated and serve as companions to humans while also playing the role of guards. When sourcing boxers, go for breeds that just got out of their litter and are between eight to ten weeks old. The most submissive will be too weak, and the most dominant will be challenging to tame. Having boxers that fall right in the middle of the dominance scale makes training easier. Socialization Aggression can be a product of social anxiety and fear. You can avoid this by bringing in the dog as a puppy and exposing them to different social situations. You can tackle this with training and by taking them to doggy daycare and off-leash dog parks where they can learn to be in packs and interact freely with others through the help of trainers. Training Dogs are intelligent by nature. They can learn and unlearn many concepts, but you must be conscious of your chosen teaching approach. The proper training can influence positive behaviors in them and curtail aggression. Conversely, a lack of adequate and responsible training can encourage aggressive behaviors. They are protective if they think someone is trying to hurt their parents or puppies or invade their territory. Your boxer is being protective when: They react to and focus on new changes like sounds and sights in the environment. Bark at perceived threats. Stand in between you and the perceived threat. Maintain their usual composure when the threat turns out to be harmless. On the contrary, they are aggressive when they: Bark continuously even after a perceived threat is averted. Growl and display their teeth aggressively. Assume a rigid and battle-ready posture. Display readiness to advance toward the threat. Identifying these signs can help prevent them from going wild on strangers, other animals, and family members. The signs include the following: Raised furs. They are known for being very loyal, and that can sometimes turn into aggression. If you are worried that your Boxer may become aggressive or if there are already signs of aggression, there are some things you can do to correct the behavior and help make your Boxer a loving pet. Can Boxers be aggressive? Boxers can be aggressive, but if they are bought from a legitimate breeder and are raised, socialized, and trained properly, they are not likely to be aggressive. Past negative experiences, lack of exercise, and feeling threatened can manifest in aggression, though these issues are easily corrected. If you are considering getting a Boxer and want to know if he or she could become aggressive, be sure to read on to learn more. Poor Breeding Some dogs are bred from animals that are aggressive or have genes that make them more likely to be aggressive. There are also certain health problems that can make a Boxer more likely to become aggressive. Lack of Socialization Dogs that have not been properly socialized with people, children, or animals may become aggressive out of fear or if they are territorial. Lack of Training Some dogs need to be trained to keep their aggression at bay and to learn how to act in certain situations and with new people. If a Boxer is not trained properly, he could become aggressive in new situations and around new people. They may guard their toys, bed, and even people. They can also have food-aggression issues. This problem is known as resource guarding and is a natural reaction in some dogs or can be something they develop over time if they are not cared for properly. Unneutered Male Males are more likely to become aggressive than females, especially if they are unneutered. Boxers that show signs of aggression typically become less aggressive after they are neutered. Past Trauma or Negative Experiences Dogs that have been abused or have had past trauma and negative experiences may become aggressive in situations that remind them of these experiences. Female-Female Aggression Many Boxer females can become aggressive when other females are around. This is especially true if the female is in heat, has puppies, or is pregnant. Overly Protective Nature Boxers are guard dogs, and they tend to be overprotective by nature. This can something show up as aggression if they feel that their family or they themselves are being threatened. High Prey Drive Boxers have a high prey drive, and this can cause them to see smaller dogs, cats, and other animals as prey and act aggressively toward them. This can usually be resolved with proper training. How To Stop Boxer Aggression If your Boxer is showing signs of aggression, the sooner you intervene, the more likely you are to stop the behavior before it gets out of hand. Here are some tips that can help. Create a Safe Place Make sure your dog feels safe. Many dogs show aggression out of fear and confusion. Talk calmly to your dog when he starts to show signs of aggression to distract and calm him. Instead, redirect him and offer positive reinforcement to help keep him calm and let him know his calm behavior is rewarded. Make an appointment with your veterinarian to have a health problem ruled out or treated. Socialize Them Proper socialization is important for every dog breed and especially Boxers. Make sure your dog has plenty of socialization with other pets, animals, and people. You can find trainers who specialize in dealing with aggressive behavior and can help you correct it. As opposed to a costly lawsuit should your dog attack someone, hiring a professional will be money well spent. Your Boxer likely stares at you because he wants to anticipate what you will do next so he can go with you. Boxers bond with their owners quickly, and your Boxer may want to be by your side at all times. If your Boxer is older, he may be staring at you due to vision problems or another disorder. Are Boxers Good With Cats? Boxers can be good with cats as long as they are introduced to them early in life and have plenty of time to socialize with them. When you introduce your Boxer to a cat, always monitor them closely to make sure they get along. Conclusion Boxers are great dogs and make great family pets. They can, however, be aggressive if they are not properly trained and socialized. Related Posts:. Overall, boxers love people and children. As long as they're properly socialized, they get along great with other pets. But boxers do sometimes have aggressive tendencies that need to be kept in check. Same-Sex Aggression The most common problem with aggressive behavior in boxers is territorial and dominance aggression toward other dogs of the same sex. This is especially true with female boxers. Although they generally get along fine with male dogs, female boxers tend to pick fights with other females. Boxers also tend to hold grudges; once one becomes angry with another dog, he might consider that dog to be a lifelong enemy. On-Leash Aggression Boxers need to be exercised regularly; unfortunately, being on-leash sometimes brings out their territorial nature, causing them to behave aggressively toward other dogs they meet. Boxers also sometimes become more protective and defensive of their owners while on leash. A head collar with a loop that goes over the muzzle can give owners more control and help to keep this sort of aggressive behavior in check. In the event that it goes too far, such a collar can help the owner to regain control of a fighting boxer without getting in the middle of the fight. Prey Instinct The boxer was originally bred from crossing a bulldog with a bullenbeisser, which is a German hunting dog. As such, the boxer inherited a strong instinct for catching prey, which leads the breed to display aggression toward small animals such as squirrels, rabbits and birds, and even sometimes larger animals such as sheep and deer. Dealing With Aggression Boxers are highly energetic dogs who require daily walks and other forms of exercise to help them release pent-up energy and stay calm. They are strong-willed and need owners who are both willing and able to be strong, dominant leaders and establish firm boundaries for acceptable behavior. Early socialization with other animals and people can help avoid aggressive tendencies as the boxer gets older. If your boxer shows aggressive tendencies despite your best efforts to contain them, consult a veterinary behavioral expert for help in getting the aggression under control. More Articles.

Do every chore you need to do before your pug arrives. This way, your pug would have all the attention it needs as it settles down for the first time. Avoid doing the following things. Allow it to settle and be familiar with its new home first before doing so. Start to crate-train your pug. Crate training is essential for pugs for many reasons. For instance, it will help them learn much quicker and have toilet training at the same time. You can do this by putting your pug into its crate the first thing after it arrives at home. You can add a nice treat for your pug to eat in the crate. Begin the house training. As soon as your pug starts to settle, try to make some schedule for house training. It would be best if you do it at the same time of the day. This way, your pet will learn to abide by a specific routine. You can also do this with potty training, mealtimes, playtimes, and other activities. Thus, you may find it overwhelming to choose which one would be best. Research to find out more about your chosen Pug breeder. Though we offer you a list of Pug breeders, you still need to get to know your chosen one. You can contact the phone number and visit their website to learn more about what kind of breeder they are. If you can, it would be better to visit their address. This way, you can avoid going into business with unreputable breeders. Ask the right questions. Once you have your breeder, reach out to him or her and ask the right questions. Visit your future pup in its current home. If you have connected with a breeder, chances are it will give you weeks to prepare your home. In those weeks, the breeder will also prepare the puppy. Between those weeks, you should get invited to meet and bond with your future pup. When you do, try to see and check the environment and how your puppy reacts. Such things will tell you a lot about how the breeder has been treating the puppy. Your breeder should ask more about you. A good breeder wants the puppies to be under good parents in the future. Other states. Email: massespudgypugs gmail. Their pups are bred to carefully chosen AKC champion-line stud dogs. These breeders work hard to better the breed standard by working closely with other reputable breeders. They strive to raise Pugs with great temperament, confirmation, and health. Pups are sold to approved homes only and come with a two-year guarantee on any hereditary conditions. Once pups are eight weeks old they can be sent home to their new families. They will have all current vaccinations and deworming, and will have been socialized and litter box trained as well. They love their dogs and show commitment to the betterment of the breed in everything they do. But how can you spot reputable breeders when you start searching for a Pug puppy? Here are some tips to help you out. A good breeder will… 1. Issue a health guarantee Make sure that your breeder of choice offers a health guarantee. A reputable Pug breeder will write up a binding health guarantee for all of their puppies. The guarantee protects you against any genetic defects or diseases. It shows that the breeder is confident that their puppies are bred according to best practices. This means if you can no longer look after your pup for some reason, you will be expected to return the puppy to the breeder rather than taking them to a shelter. Provide standard health clearances Your breeder should have full health clearances for both parent Pugs. Good breeders often provide some early health-check clearances for their pups too, although some health clearances simply cannot be carried on such young pups. Issue a written bill of sale Reputable breeders offer written bills of sale to all of their new Pug parents. This bill of sale should be signed and will outline all the roles and responsibilities to be taken on by the buyer and seller as part of the transaction. Vaccinate their puppies All puppies should be up to date on their vaccinations before being homed with new families. Your breeder of choice should be able to provide evidence of these vaccinations. Reputable breeders welcome prospective parents into their homes to see the puppies. Follow age guidelines Puppies should never leave the litter before 8 weeks of age. Any breeder offering pups for adoption before this time is not following best practices. In fact, this could be quite damaging for the puppy developmentally. A reputable breeder will keep their pups at home until eight to twelve weeks so that they can be properly socialized and spend that crucial time with their mother and litter-mates. Answer your questions Last, but not least, a reputable breeder will be knowledgeable. In most cases, they will also want to ask you plenty of questions to ensure that their precious pups are going to good homes. We have a strict selection process that takes a variety of factors into account. That way we can ensure that only the best breeders end up on our lists. This way we know that our chosen breeders offer genetically sound and healthy puppies. Health testing shows a commitment to the health and wellbeing of each Pug. Contact information Any breeder that does not offer up their contact information is a big red flag. A reputable breeder will make it easy for you to get in contact with them by providing telephone numbers, email addresses, and they will usually have a well-established website as well. It shows a commitment to breeding best practices. Event participation Breeders who also compete in doggie events are often some of the best. Because these people tend to be dog lovers par excellence. They live and breathe for their Pugs and are proud to show them off in public. They are also more likely to have a high level of breed knowledge — an excellent sign for a breeder. Breed club membership There are lots of breed clubs out there that breeders can register with. These clubs have rules, regulations, and membership fees. If your breeder is registered with the Pug Dog Club of America, this is a great sign showing commitment to the Pug breed. Recognition awards Lastly, we look out for awards! Institutions like the AKC recognize the efforts and achievements of top breeders. The very best will be awarded the AKC recognition of merit award. During this time we recommend getting everything ready before your new arrival rattles through the front door. Your puppy will need: a crate for sleeping and training during the early days quality puppy-grade food a leash and harness plenty of toys You may also wish to purchase a puppy gate if there are areas of your home that you want to keep your Pug away from. This is all about making your home as safe as possible for your new arrival. Make sure anything that could potentially cause harm to your pup is removed. Clear your schedule Having a Pug puppy is a bit like having a human baby. So make sure to clear your schedule and get all of those errands done ahead of time! Once they arrive… 4. Avoid crowds Hold your excitement. That means no crowds. Try to keep the home environment as stress-free as possible so that your puppy can settle in and start to feel part of the family. Crate training is the first step. Lay down a regular routine from the get to and your Pug will be good as gold in no time. Email: sheeran earthlink. They also need proper socialization to live happily among humans and other animals. The only thing to do is ask! Now scan their reviews and see what people have said about them. Good reviews and testimonials are often vital signs of a responsible breeder. They are more than happy to help you get through! Visit the kennel: Choosing a good breeder will probably always seem complicated until you visit their property and experience their breeding style directly. Is their facility clean and hygienic? If the facility has enough space for Pugs to play and socialize? More Information About Pugs in California There are tons of Pug puppies for sale in California, but you must never hurry while buying a puppy. They are a commitment to years of care and attention. Our secondary research has been done in length to ensure you get the healthiest Pug puppy possible. We have only listed the breeders with years of experience and a unique position in the breeding industry. Use the contact information given along to enquire and move forward in getting a Pug puppy. You can use this list to shortlist breeders and bring your Pug puppy home soon. Pugs are ancient dogs. They belong to the royal families of China and have lived life like one — sometimes even guarded by soldiers. But if you own them in the 21st century, you must take them for walks and exercise. Furthermore, they get along with other animals and kids when well-socialized. Hence, ensure you get them from a reputable breeder! Hope this article will help you in that endeavor! For more guides similar to this list of Pug breeders in California, you can check out:.

Contact Us Loving English Bulldog Puppies from Experienced Bulldog Breeders in Jacksonville, FL Are you looking for a bulldog puppy that will love you unconditionally and bring laughter and happiness to your household for years to come? If so, Legends of Denmark has the perfect bully for you. We are english bulldog breeders that offer a selection of adorable, friendly, and personable English bulldog puppies, all of whom are looking for an approved home. We are in Jacksonville, Florida, at for endearing and loyal English bulldogs for sale. Don't forget to check out NuVet Plus supplements , supplements recommended by our breeders that will help your bulldog live a long and healthy life. Friendly English Bulldog Puppies At Legends of Denmark, we specialize in breeding the finest English bulldog puppies in the entire country. We are bulldog breeders who carry puppies that boast only the highest pedigrees from the most sought-after bloodlines in America. To learn more about our latest selection of puppies for sale, contact us today by phone at or via email at legendsofdenmark aol. About Bulldogs Known for their loose-jointed, shuffling gate and massive, short-faced head, the Bulldog is known to be equable, resolute, and dignified. As a medium-sized dog, they are not your typical lap dog—but they would like to be! They are one of the most popular breeds according to AKC registration statistics due to their lovable and gentle dispositions and adorable wrinkles. The bulldog may be brindle, white, red, fawn, fallow, or piebald. Experienced Breeders Our family has been breeding bulldog puppies for more than 5 years. During this time, we have been able to breed numerous puppies that are champion sired from National BISS show winners. Plus, since our bulldogs are raised in a warm and loving environment, they are always friendly and personable. Call today to learn more about our selection of puppies for sale. Bulldog Origins Said to have originated in the British Isles, the name "bull" was applied because of the dog's connection with bull baiting. The original bulldog had to be ferocious, courageous, and almost insensitive to pain. When dog fighting became illegal in England, fanciers set to the task of preserving the breed by eliminating the fierce characteristics. Within a few generations, the bulldog became one of the finest physical specimens with an agreeable temperament. Gentle and Lovable Dogs Although the English Bulldog's appearance can be somewhat intimidating, it is among the gentlest of dogs. All the same, it will see off any intruder and few would risk a close encounter with a dog brave enough to bait a bull. It is described as a very affectionate and dependable animal, gentle with children, but known for its courage and its excellent guarding abilities. Bullheaded and determined, this breed can be very persistent. They do not give up easily. Bulldogs are definitely a people's dog, seeking out human attention and loving every bit it can get. A lot of human attention is required for the breed's happiness. When bulldogs are young they are full of energy, but they slow down as they get older. They date back hundreds of years and are also known as British Bulldogs. They are a muscular, well-built dog with a wrinkled face and a pushed-in nose. This breed has won the hearts of generations of families for decades. They are considered to be one of the most popular dogs breeds in existence today. These fantastic puppies have gained popularity worldwide due to their playful, loyal, funny, and caring personality. They are laidback and tend to get along well with just about anyone or anything. They have very approachable demeanors and enjoy the companionship of their family. They also have a very easy-going personality which is one of the reasons they have remained a popular family dog. The English Bulldog does enjoy activity time and burning off energy, however, is not an overly energetic breed of dog. The correct ratio of meat-based protein and micronutrients, as well as healthy carbs and fats, will keep your dog feeling and looking his best. Most people recommend feeding this breed two meals each day, spaced about twelve hours apart. This will help to ensure the dog is provided with the proper nutrients he needs. It is also important to remember to provide your dog with proper dental care. It is suggested that his teeth get cleaned a minimum of three times a week. Failing to keep his teeth clean can contribute to health issues. Although properly cleaning his teeth will take some practice to get good at, in time, this will become easier for you and your pup. The English Bulldog grows to be between fourteen and fifteen inches tall. At maturity, the English Bulldog weighs between fifty and fifty-five pounds. The average life expectancy for this breed is between eight and ten years. English Bulldogs require regular bathing and grooming. It is suggested that they are bathed as frequently as every week up to no more than every four weeks depending on their activity level and lifestyle. This smooth coated breed does best with routine brushing which is essential to maintain healthy skin and a healthy coat. Frequently Asked Questions What are some of the health issues English bulldogs are likely to face? The English bulldog has various health issues with the most alarming being cardiac and respiratory complications. English bulldogs are also prone to dyslexia in the hip due to their relatively large body size. Skin infections are also a concern do to the wrinkly and folds nature of the skin. What is the lifespan of an English bulldog? The English bulldog can live up to years on an average scale. This is usually due to the numerous complications and health challenges the bulldog faces in the course of life. How frequently do English bulldogs shed? English bulldogs shed more frequently during the cold seasons like winter and spring. Compared to other dogs, they shed rather moderately and even lesser as they age. How hard is it to train an English bulldog? This breed of dog is known for its stubborn nature and can be really difficult especially for novice dog owners to get the hang of. Patience and routine should be the keywords when dealing with a bulldog. Are English bulldogs good watchdogs? The English bulldog has a natural instinct to protect its territory. Even though the bulldog is not usually much of a barking dog, in the case of an intruder it is well equipped and confident to take on the challenge at every cost. Are English Bulldogs dangerous to their owners? The English bulldog is not a dangerous pet. It is very much territorial and somewhat apprehensive to unfamiliar faces, but once it warms up to you, the bulldog is one of the most loving and loyal dogs. How much exercise do English Bulldogs need? The English bulldog on average needs about 30minuites of exercise every day to keep it mentally and physically healthy. Are English Bulldogs family dogs? The English bulldog may seem aggressive at first glance but you will get to find that they have a contrasting character to their appearance. They are perfect around children and can play all day. They are extremely lovable and friendly. How big do English Bulldogs get? English bulldogs can weigh up to 50 pounds and can grow as tall as 15inches. Male or female English Bulldog? This depends solely on the owner as both genders have their specific pros and cons. English bulldogs are very friendly and warm dogs and are amazing around children. No wonder they are one of the most sought-after breeds in the world. 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Email Charity southbranchgoldens. Contact us Welcome to South Branch Goldens! For over 70 years, South Branch Goldens has been dedicated to raising healthy, loving, AKC registered golden retrievers. Our golden retrievers have excellent temperaments and make great family pets. Our breeding program concentrates on health, temperament and characteristics consistent with the Golden Retriever Breed Standard. Our Goldens are show quality with genetics from European Champion lines. Click the link below to place your order for NuVet products Order NuVet This section of our home page is dedicated to the faithful, old souls of South Branch. These goldens have been there and done that. They have blessed their families with many wonderful memories including those such as this: Our beautiful Hayden earned his puppy wings yesterday at the age of 16 years 7 days. Do you know if any of his litter mates lived this long? And how about his parents…there is an empty spot in our hearts but so thankful for all these years with him, he actually was in pretty good health, eye and hearing ok, but his hind legs would give out and he would fall. The picture was taken yesterday before we said goodbye. Hayden made a lot of friends the police chief neighbor , postman who cried when we told him , the UPS driver who stopped if Hayden was outside even with no delivery, the city of SL workers who stopped everyday to give him a cookie, etc…. License Number DS. See the litter information page for additional litters. Getting a new puppy is a wonderful, exciting experience. The love, loyalty and friendship you feel from your new family member is so rewarding. We are very proud of our dogs and very particular about their care. Our Golden Retrievers come from championship pedigrees. Most importantly our Goldens are family pets. They are lovingly raised in our home with our children and grandchildren where they receive daily interaction with our family members. Our goal is for you to love and enjoy your new dog as much as we do ours. One of our top priorities is to offer puppies that have a sweet disposition and calm temperment. Our puppies are sold with limited AKC registration and are wormed, have their first vaccinations, dew claws removed and are vet checked and micro-chipped. Our puppies are always excited to have visitors. Although we welcome guests, we ask that you call or email for an appointment before stopping by as this is our family home and we may not be able to accomidate your visit otherwise. Taking the time to research your new puppy and breeder will assure your family many years of happiness with your new companion.

We strive to produce dogs with correct breed conformation, sound genetics, and an amazing temperament. Our dogs have their OFA Orthopedic Foundation for Animals hips, elbows, heart and eye clearances as well as a DNA panel specific to genetic diseases prevalent to our breed. Our Retrievers are not only perfect indoor companions, but love to be out in the show ring, retrieving on land and dock diving. Deciding to bring a dog into your home is a big and life changing decision! We look forward to talking with you about our wonderful breed and guiding you through life with a golden! Join The Family What Others Say We absolutely love staying in touch with our families and following along as our babies grow. Here are some words from our families! I found adventuresoftrinitypups on instagram and every day I looked forward to watching the videos and pictures of the most beautiful looking and well-behaved Golden Retrievers I have ever seen! After watching them for almost a year I decided to message the person behind the account to inquire about finally adopting my own Golden Retriever because my heart was set on wanting one from Trinity Retrievers! My husband and I drove all the way to South Carolina from New York to pick up the cutest little golden ever, whom we named Toby. The rest is history! He is the best and most well-behaved Golden Retriever, and we are constantly receiving compliments about Toby's temperament and appearance whenever we are in public because he is a perfectly bred Golden Retriever. He has even traveled with us on a handful of vacations! It was well worth the drive and I would only recommend her, and already have in the past, to anyone interested in adding a Golden Retriever to their family! We also hope to get Toby a sibling sometime soon and have kept in touch with Kristin so without a doubt will be getting one from Trinity Retrievers to add to our family! Share 0 Shares The Golden Retriever is a great companion for many active individuals out there, and they also tend to behave very well around children and other pets. This also makes the Golden Retriever a popular choice for many families. However, it is still always important that prospective Golden Retriever breeders do their research about the breeder before they bring a Golden Retriever puppy home. Looking up some basic facts about the Golden Retriever before obtaining one is always a good idea. There are some other things such as what gender and coat color you would like your Golden Retriever puppy to have. However, the most important thing to consider when getting a Golden Retriever puppy is whether or not a breeder is reputable. Here we have compiled a list of some of our favorite Golden Retriever breeders that are perfect for those who are looking for Golden Retriever puppies in South Carolina. Of course, it is still important that you look into these breeders yourself in order to ensure that they will make a good fit for you and your family. Trinity Golden Retrievers Trinity Golden Retrievers South Carolina These Golden Retriever breeders are dedicated to bettering the Golden Retriever breed by carefully breeding their dogs to ensure that they have great temperaments and genetic health. In order to prove their lines this breeder enters their dogs into AKC-run conformation events. All of their dogs also come from established pedigrees, many of them being championship-winning. Additionally, this breeder also gets their dogs OFA health testing for the hips, elbows, eyes, and heart as is recommended for the Golden Retriever breed. Many of their dogs have also received genetic testing for the conditions that can affect Golden Retrievers. This prevents harmful genetic conditions from being passed onto their puppies. Puppies are also kept in good health with up-to-date vaccinations, deworming, and vet visits. Name of Owner.

Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Our hunting golden retriever puppies are bred for agility, field, and home companions. We breed AKC registered golden retrievers whom we strive to produce as healthy and loving companions. We aim to producedogs that are versatile, competitive and love to see families! With every breeding, our goal is to produce sound, healthy, and driven dogs. In our effort to produce the healthiest hunting golden retriever puppies possible, every dog in our program is tested for a minimum of hips, elbows, eyes, heart, and inheritable diseases. When we consider a breeding, we don't just take into account the health of the sire and dam. We look at generations of hip results, lifespan of siblings, the inbreeding coefficient, and prior offspring. Each stud is selected carefully, after months if not years of thought and comparison. Our overall aim is to provide driven and field-worthy golden retrievers that maintain type and are true to standard. Field golden retriever puppies are all born in our home, raised with a mixture of AviDog and Puppy Culture practices, and monitored .Our detailed application and phone screening process allows us to understand what each family is looking for in a puppy. At weeks, we evaluate the litter and notify new families of their matches after testing temperament and drive. Our focus is on breeding golden retrievers capable of succeeding in a blind, obedience ring, agility field, or just at home with the family. All of our breeding dogs are tested according to GRCA recommendations, and proven in various venues. Field golden retriever puppies are raised with Puppy Culture and AviDog. Our contracts include lifelong support and 28 month health guarantees. Please contact us if you cannot find an answer to your question. How would you best describe the Field Bred's temperament and personality? They are remarkably intelligent retrievers that were bred to be in the field all day.Working with and watching Bear closely for the past 3 years, we believe she possesses most capabilities that will be only further enhanced in her progeny via selected complementing Sire s for their very strong retrieving bloodlines. What types of homes do you want puppies to go home to? Very Simple. Most certainly a whole different level of commitment from the owner, and one that BRFGR would be most proud to provide the ideals of this breed to be part of. Goldens are some of the most loving breeds you will ever experience. They will bond very quickly and are extremely loyal companions, very much eager to please if given the opportunity to do so. Like any family member, however, there will always be good days and challenging days from puppyhood through adulthood that you won't necessarily be prepared for. The key is to Always respond in a loving disciplined way. Are Field Goldens good with children? Yes they are, especially with your adolescents and teenagers as has been our own personal experience. Exercise is a must for field goldens, they are athletes with intelligent 'triggers', bred to turn it on and off whether in the field, or on the couch. What is the cost to adopt my new family member? If you have lived with dogs most of your life, we highly suspect that you may have experienced this Very tough day too. Secondly, enhancing bloodlines is also a considerable investment of both money and time that all Best Practice breeding programs continually work towards for progeny, not only to minimize genetic health issues, but to also improve the ideals of the breed's bloodline. Will I be pre-qualified before allowed to adopt a puppy? Yes, you most certainly will. A telephone interview will be scheduled to discuss with you and your family if applicable within 5 days of receipt of your application. BRFGR will initially review all applications in the order they are received. Deposits are non-refundable unless there are not enough puppies born to accommodate your reservation, or your specific requests cannot be paired with a suitable puppy. Changing your mind or cancelling for any other reason outside 48 hours of BRFGR receiving your deposit constitutes a non-refundable deposit. Considerations are innumerable in this process and include without limitation: close puppy observations beginning with birth through aptitude tests at weeks of age when personalities and temperaments begin to quickly indicate if a pup would be best suited for active companionship in the home, at your side hunting in the field or have significant potential in field competition. At what age can I expect to pick up my puppy? At 8 weeks minimum, no sooner. Will you ship my puppy to me? We will not ship puppies due to the duress it may cause Bear's babies. We can make arrangements to meet you at Bergstrom Airport, Austin Texas if you decide to fly rather than drive. Yes, he or she will be absolutely introduced to a variety of people, places and many experiences to begin preparation for continuance in your home. Check out, "What care will my pup have received before we go home? Presently our breeding program is solely focused and committed to furthering the ideals of this wonderful breed through our litters after realizing just how small the pool of traditional field bred goldens still is. We have spent an abundance amount of time over the past three years researching the history, health, standards, qualities and the best practices of field golden breeders, striving to be an asset to their efforts by incorporating all aspects through our own breeding program. We truly have a personal understanding of why goldens provide the perfect balance towards hunting and household companionship; nothing motivates us more for you to have an opportunity to experience this joy also. What care will my pup have received before we go home? Here are examples of what each receives: Vet checked at approx. Your puppy will be introduced to many people, places, and a variety of experiences as they transition to continue socializing in your home. Yes, most definitely and is included in the cost of adoption. Microchip will be implanted and number registered for life with new owner information at AKC ReUnite before going to your home. What type of care should my pup receive after arriving home with me? BRFGR guarantees your pup's health under your care for 3 business days after you pick up. Are there any health guarantees that come after adoption? Most definitely. Will my pup's adoption be registered with a AKC as limited or full registration? What happens if my puppy should not be clear of genetic defects? You need to understand BRFGR cannot predetermine the outcome of the breeding and therefore can make NO assurances that your pup will be free of inherited genetic or other disease, nor that your puppy will meet your expectations with respect to conformation, performance or temperament regardless of BRFGR's best efforts to match you with your pup. When is Miss Bear's second litter anticipated? This will be your personal decision. Health studies continue to reveal that hormones allow for growth and development of your dog during this time and longer. Contact Us Welcome to the Katian Kennel! This site was developed to share our love of Goldens. I hope you enjoy your visit, and come back often. For those of you who don't know: "Katian" pronounced "Kay-shun" is a play on Katie and Cajun my late husband's background - he used to say I'm leader of the Katian Nation - Yes, I know.We purchased almost 30 acres and are transforming our new golden retriever paradise. More about us.I recently lost my husband and am very thankful to have so many goldens who love me and occupy my time. When I do work on non-dog tasks, I work mostly from home so I can maximize my time with my canine crew. As the old adage goes, a tired dog is a happy dog.We purchased 30 beautiful acres…. Our new place is just outside of Lexington, Texas less than an hour east of Austin and just a few miles from Giddings, TX. I am truly blessed in that many of my puppies come back to me for training.I love seeing them grow and learn and am so grateful that my extended puppy family trusts us with the next stage in their puppy's life! Our dogs socialize with each other, mind their manners in the house most of the time , have free play in the fenced backyard and supervised free play throughout the rest of our property. They spend their time checking on the ducks in our aviary, the goats in our pasture and trailing all of the deer, rabbits, squirrels and other wildlife who call our property home. The golden crew confidently ride in our vehicles cars, trucks, 4wheelers, boats, kayaks, and our RV. In addition to being well-adjusted family companions, our dogs are duck hunters and competitive athletes. They compete in hunt tests, field trials, obedience and agility - needless to say, we are an active and busy family! My daughter, Katelyn, with one of the pups wooded front yard Angleton We are located on about 30 acres - golden paradise with rolling hills, woods and a beautiful pond! We do not raise our dogs in kennel runs. We have cameras set up so that we can keep a constant eye on our crew when we are tied up with non-dog duties. Security and safety of our furry family is of the utmost importance to us. Katelyn is my life-saver and helps out with the dogs whenever I need her. Between judging assignments and handling my own dogs at competitions most weekends, it is good to know that I have reliable help at home to take care of everything so I can enjoy the dogs off-property. In our pre-Harvey Angleton home, we had a perfect set-up. We are working on developing the perfect set-up at our new place in Lexington.The puppy nursery is almost done and in my home so that I can keep a constant eye on the pups.In Angleton, we had a small swim-by pond as well as a wooded green-tree reservoir for plenty of water training opportunities.Django, Grip, Nacho and Willow are our "launchers" and Gaga, Pebbles and Cica like to swiftly glide into the water - but all of them can't get enough of that wet stuff! Grip, Willow and Django will do laps together for hours if I let them! Whoever says golden retrievers don't like water, needs to stop by and visit! Availability of puppies and conditions of sale are at the sole discretion of the individual breeder. You are not obligated to purchase a puppy from the breeders whose names you obtain from GRCA puppy referral. Ellen is home full time where she spends most of her day with them from the moment they arrive until they day they go to their new homes. Most importantly, our puppies are center stage in the middle of family life here at Goldenwind. This offers our Texas Golden Retriever puppies optimum opportunities for both human and littermate socialization which is a necessity at this stage of their lives. When the weaning process starts, the puppies are moved to a large playpen in our living room. There they can hear and see everything around them. This includes loud televisions, stereo music, vacuums, doorbells, telephones ringing, doors opening and closing, thunder and rain sounds, kitchen pots and pans clanging, etc. When our Golden Retriever puppies are ready for their new homes at approximatley 8 weeks of age, they have been exposed to most household situations and noises that they will have with their new familes. All that means is that the animal was not quite 24 months of age when the test was performed. Therefore, you can request copies of the hip, elbow, heart and eye reports for the sire and dam of any litter or puppy that is offered for sale. A reputable Golden Retriever breeder will be able to produce the OFA certificates or reports from a board certified radiologist, board certified cardiologist and a board certified ophthalmologist. Therefore, Reputable Texas Golden Retriever puppy breeders have tested sires and dams for hips, elbows, heart and eye disease. Additionally, a Board Certified Canine Ophthalmologist exams the eyes. Reputable Golden Retriever Breeders will follow the American Kennel Club Code Of Sportsmanship One would think that it should go without saying that Sportsmanship is very important in any competitive sport. Actions truly can speak louder than words. We hope that you will see that with any Golden Retriever exhibitor you may meet.

Use tab to navigate through the menu items. We are a small hobby breeder of only this breed. We are located on over an acre of land in Southern California. Our goal is to breed for conformation, health, and temperment. For Conformation, we attend at least 2 shows a year and make sure our dogs are champions before they are bred. All Clearances and needed x-rays are done to produce the healthiest puppy possible. Our dogs also display affectionate and intelligent behavior as all Golden Retrievers should. We love nothing more than tending to our puppies. All our dogs and puppies are fed high quality food including home-cooked meals. Before the pups are sent to their new owners, they are examined by a qualified professional at a top veterinary facility for health and conformation. All vaccinations and parasite checks are also completed. We are confident in the health of our pups and we back it up with a 1-year health guarantee. Our priority is to make sure our families and puppies are happy in every way. This means that we spend a great amount of time interacting with our puppies to learn their personalities. Additionally, we take our time learning the needs of our customers so they are paired with the perfect pup. From the time our pups are born they are exposed to stimulating age appropriate activities. They are also held by people of all ages and genders. As they get older they are exposed to different noises, other animals, water, different textures and other safe outdoor activities. A well socialized pup is one of the most important things to ensure that they have a happy forever home!! Puppies are not for breeding and are sold with limited registration! Once you own one, you'll never be without one. Reserve yours today! What to expect from an English Golden Retriever. All rights reserved. The touchstone for Field Golden Retriever breeders and puppies. All of our dogs are registered with the AKC American Kennel Club and the puppies will be able to be registered with a limited registration. All of our puppies come from long lines of accomplished Field Golden Retrievers. We research pedigrees and breeders with the mission of finding compatible Goldens that fit our current breeding program and will continue to move it in a positive direction. All pedigrees and test breedings are available for your perusal. Intelligence, Trainability and Temperament A Lucky Penny Golden will be a dog that will make a positive lasting impression on you and everyone they meet. They are highly intelligent which in turn helps them to be highly accomplished in their chosen fields. At the end of the day, they have a nice on-off switch that makes them a great addition in the home with their loving, family-friendly personalities that compliments their hard-working drive in the field. Good Looks Their "stop and stare" good looks and manageable size makes them a show-stopping addition to any family. They are well proportioned and are structurally sound. Their colors range from blonde to dark red. All dogs are given supplements daily to build and maintain their structure. Our moms follow a strict regimen of supplements before, during, and after each pregnancy. We feed Royal Canin dog food and follow their feeding program guidelines The Complete Package When your puppy goes home with you, the two of you will have everything you need for a great start. All puppies will have their dew claws removed, wormed times, their first round of shots, micro-chipped, vet checked and a two year health guarantee All the puppies will be socialized daily using early neurological stimulation exercises. The puppies will be exposed to age appropriate multi-sensory activities and toys plus exposure to various social interactions. Our Promise to You Our puppies are an extension of our family. With that in mind we promise to do everything in our power to produce top notch Golden Retriever puppies that will be successful additions to you and your family. We put everything we've got into these puppies so they can give you everything they've got. We strive to be the Golden Retriever breeder that sets the standard for Golden Retriever breeders and champion Golden puppies! Photo Gallery "The face of a Golden Retriever feels like home. Watch for updates on planned litters! We are excited to announce the litters of Cricket and Sully and Razzle and Sully! Male puppies are still available for both. These performance litters are sure to impress no matter what the setting for these puppies! We chose these two breedings to produce outstanding field-bred puppies that will have high desire and a lot of go as well as great family pets and companions!! These litters will be a great combination of talent, drive, trainability and love. These puppies should be extremely suitable for many venues but in particular field trials and hunt tests!! They will be extremely trainable and talented. These puppies will range in color from honey gold to dark red and weigh approximately lbs. Cricket and Sully Litter - ready to go home the last week of December This is a repeat breeding for Cricket and Sully. Stanley is one of the most celebrated field Golden Retrievers to date. Cricket has a lot of drive and an infectious personality. She is always ready to go and wants to please. Sully is a native of Minnesota's famed Thistlerock Kennel. Both dogs are genetically clear for all tested conditions and have passed all of their OFA clearances as well. His coat is thick and red in color and he has a lean athletic build. She is small but mighty as she is our smallest girl coming in right at 50 pounds. Don't let her size fool you because this girl is made for speed! She is athletic and fast with good structure. She is biddable and has a sweet nature. She is easy to train picking up things quickly. Her affectionate nature makes her a joy to work with. She does an excellent job of checking in. Cricket's pedigree features a lot of the old kennels who have years of successful and award winning proven breeding. She is the daughter of Stanley Steamer, one of the most reknown Goldens of our time. She is dark red as is Sully, so these puppies will be lookers and have the drive to go with it! She has a lot of champions in her pedigree that are very complimentary to Sully. Her good looks and dark red coat are nothing short of show stopping! Her loving personality should not be confused with her drive and determination. If the current timing for a litter doesn't work for you, check with us on an upcoming litter that might work better.

Vet visits, injections and health checks are all too often in the early stages and, following all that, the final decision you have to make is whether or not to have your Labradoodle spayed or neutered. Spayed or Neutered? The procedure usually involves cutting a small incision in the abdomen. Whilst recommendations vary, vets typically suggest that you should have your Labradoodle spayed or neutered between the ages of four and nine months. This is thought to have long-term health benefits, as well as helping to prevent behavioural traits, such as marking and aggression. Whilst some recommend spaying before first heat as young as five months , others suggest that this can increase the risk of mammary tumours. We would always recommend consulting your vet for a personalised opinion. There are rumours that spaying or neutering changes the personality of your pet. However, experts have said that this is not at all true. There are many reasons why you should have your Labradoodle spayed or neutered, not least of all because it will likely improve their quality of life and stop you from worrying about a litter of puppies. Spaying is proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer and uterine infections, and neutering similarly prevents testicular cancer. So, if you want to prevent these major Labradoodle killers, neutering and spaying is a sure fire way. Neutering your male Labradoodle will also ensure that he is on his best behaviour at all times. Neutering prevents aggressive and territorial behaviours, and also means that he wont be spending his entire walk hunting for a partner. So, if you want to prevent these embarrassments, get your Labradoodle neutered early on! See also Is Your Labradoodle Bored? Millions of animals are euthanised every year because there are simply not enough willing owners to cater for endless litters of puppies. Having this done will prevent unwanted litters and ultimately save the lives of millions of baby Labradoodle that would end up in shelters. Remember… No, the procedure is not painful. Female Labradoodles can reproduce as young as four months old, and male Labradoodles can as of six months. In a study , researchers found that neutered Retrievers are twice as likely to develop any joint diseases, and it showed it is worse for neutered Goldendoodles. These golden beauties were found to be four times as likely to have hip dysplasia or any other type of joint disease. The study shows that the longer you wait to neuter or spay your dog, the less likely your dog is to develop any problems with their joints. The Limitations of These Studies There is obviously always the possibility of bias or errors in every study ever made. The studies may or may not answer the question about the best age to neuter a Labradoodle or Goldendoodle. This can also be said for the study done on German Shepherds. In addition to the limitations on how comparable the different breeds are, it is also important to be on guard for any the potential bias in the studies. What can we learn from these studies about the best age to neuter a Labradoodle? What makes these studies quite reliable, is that the number of studies that are discovering the same results are increasing every year, and thereby giving more credibility to the findings. Likewise, the fact that several breeds including Labradoodles and Goldendoodles are finding similar results, allows us to start generalizing when talking about different breeds. This shows that this might be a general canine issue rather than just an issue with some specific breed. All these studies tell us what the most likely outcome is when talking about lots of different dogs. My Monty when we got him In your specific dog, it is not possible to get a specific and guaranteed answer as there are deviations in every study ever made. And perhaps your dog is one of those deviations. I am not such a person. I believe that any person should, after examining all these studies, put off neutering or spaying a dog until they are at least one year old. The best age to neuter a Labradoodle or Goldendoodle is as late as you can but wait at least one year. Final Summary Regarding Females If you wait with spaying a female there are some risks involved. But if treated properly in time, it is thankfully curable. If you have a Labradoodle or Goldendoodle as a service dog, then neutering your Doodle will avoid the inconvenience of cycles twice a year. This is something to really consider if you rely on your dog for everyday routines such as a guiding service or using it for working situations like hunt trials and so on. But as we established earlier, if you neuter your dog too early it can leave her susceptible to a wide variety of cancers and also some orthopedic disorders. These links are affiliate links, so if you do end up using the links, I will earn a commission. Dog Food: Every dog needs to eat correctly, and finding the best food for your dog can be challenging, as the market is absolutely flooded with products. Select Page Frequently Asked Questions Below you can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions FAQ regarding Australian Labradoodles, our puppies, and our adoption process. If you have additional questions not covered here please contact us. Puppy frequently asked questions can be found here. How much do Mountain View Labradoodle puppies cost? More on our pricing can be found here. Are deposits refundable? All deposits are non-refundable, but are transferable from litter to litter should something change in your interest or timing. Where is Mountain View Labradoodles located? We have two locations. We are located in the beautiful quaint town of Brownsville, Oregon with our main location as well as the picturesque town of Sisters, Oregon. We also deliver our puppies all over the US as well as locally for additional fees. Can I have my puppy transported to me or must I pick it up? We prefer to have you pick your puppy up at our location in Brownsville, Oregon, however, we recognize that in some cases this is not possible and you may request to have your puppy transported to you. The following are options we advise: For those located in Central Oregon, we will meet you in Sisters, Oregon for no additional charge. We also can hand deliver your puppy to your nearest airport, but this option is based on our availability as well as flight options. This option is always our preferred method as it provides the maximum care for your puppy from our team. You may also fly to our local airport and fly back with your puppy as a carry-on after 8-weeks of age if you choose this option. We are open to meeting at our local airport for pickup if this is the option you prefer. The local airport is EUG. If you choose PDX there will be a small delivery fee. We also have worked with pet couriers who will drive the puppy to you, but this is all negotiated with the company chosen. We do have recommendations on this option. This is subject to your location, weather, and airline procedures. We only choose this option in special circumstances Prices for transport options are dependent on a variety of factors. We encourage you to contact us and we can discuss your specific situation to give you some rough price quotes on the transport option of your choice. Do you allow families to choose their puppy? While our families have a big part in the matching process, we do all of our puppy matching with each family. We work with each puppy from birth until 7-weeks of age to learn their individual personalities and characteristics. While all of our puppies are similar, every puppy has unique personalities that make them who they are. Our goal is to communicate closely with every family throughout the process to find exactly what they are looking for in a puppy, what their plans are for the puppy activities, training, etc , as well as their overall experience with a dog. All throughout the process we will be closely evaluating our puppies. When the puppies are 6-weeks of age we will be sending out a detailed video where we talk about each puppy individually. At this time we also send out a brief questionnaire where we ask additional questions about your hopes for a puppy as well as if there are any puppies that stand out to you or any that you are not interested in. At this stage, we compile all of the information and then make our puppy allocations to each family. Our goal is to match each family with the puppy that will thrive in their home. Our families put a lot of trust in us throughout the process and we have had incredible success over 20 years matching each puppy with the best family possible! How do you match puppies to families? We believe strongly that our care and method for matching is a great way to match you up with a fantastic puppy who enriches your home. While every puppy needs to be trained and taught how to function within what each owner wants, we spend countless hours with each litter every day to learn behaviors, characteristics, and tendencies. With our over 18 years of experience matching Labradoodles with their forever homes we have found that personality fits are far more important than looks or gender interests. We feel this is the best way to match you with a puppy that meets what you would like and that has a temperament best suited for your family. We raise our puppies with multiple methodology, but one of the biggest contributors is Puppy Culture. We give our puppies the best start possible by daily putting each puppy through early neurological stimulation. The tendencies and characteristics we see daily show us a baseline of their temperaments in how they have acted throughout their first 7-weeks of life during different situations we place them in. On their 7-week birthday, we give them a soothing bath and blow-dry. We watch them and score each puppy based on how they handle water, hand drying, and blow-drying. Once this is done we put them through a full photoshoot. Asking them to stay in certain positions and react to noises while we photograph them. We make notes of all of their tendencies here as well. We then place them through an extensive personality evaluation to find just the right fit for each family! This matching process is done all throughout the first 7-weeks, but finalized on their 7-week birthday. Some families are looking for therapy or service dogs. If we have a family that is looking for this, during this point in the process candidates for therapy or service quality dogs are weeded out. All of our dogs have great personalities, but it takes a special personality to be a therapy or service dog. We work with the remaining candidates to see how they do with the following things we feel are essential in choosing a perfect candidate for a therapy or service dog: Retrieving — The puppy needs to retrieve simple items when thrown or dropped near them. This includes showing us a strong nose. Recovery — We need to be able to get the dogs attention quickly following a startling experience for them. Being able to redirect a dog is essential for this work. Greeting — We want a puppy that does not run to us immediately. We want a puppy that pauses, evaluates the scene, and then approaches with intention and caution. Submission — When we flip the puppy over on its back on the ground and keep our hand on its chest we want to see submission, not an attempt to wiggle out or a look of caution or fear. Following — We want a puppy who will follow us with their eyes while watching us and also follow us through the yard if set down off-leash. Forgiveness — We pinch the puppy between its paws, pull its legs, grab its tail, pinch ears, etc. None of this is malicious but mildly uncomfortable for the dog. Quick forgiveness is essential. There are many other little things we look for in this matching process, but this is just a snapshot to give you insight into how detailed we are in choosing our puppies for our customers. We feel confident we will find you a great choice in our litters. After we have matched each puppy with their future family we will send an email out with their final photoshoot as well as information about this puppy. Due to the safety of our puppies, we do not accept visitors during this matching process see below for the reasons for not visiting our facility before puppy pick-up day. We stay in communication with each family on our reservations lists and try to verify every characteristic, color, and gender requests you may have. The process from birth to matching is an opportunity for us to understand you a bit more as a customer and aiming to match you with not just any puppy, but one of the best! We want to make sure you get the perfect puppy that will enrich your home. Applications are filled in the order received once approved and the deposit is paid. Can we visit your home and see your puppies and breeding dogs? We do have strict limitations. We are very concerned about the health and well-being of our puppies so we have decided it is in their best interest for overall health and wellness to not have visitors interacting with puppies prior to puppy pick up date. The reason for our caution is for the overall safety of our puppies. It is also not fair to a new mama to expect her to tolerate visitors while she is doing her best to care for and protect her babies. However, holding puppies is not something that we will do. We can pick a puppy up for you to show you something of interest or see the puppy closer, but all handling of the puppies will be done by the Mountain View team only. As to the parent dogs, all of our breeding dogs live in guardian homes so that they live a normal family dog life and the only time they are here with us is either when they are breeding or delivering a litter of puppies and raising them. This is a fabulous way for our breeding dogs to be able to live a normal life and not in kennels. All of our puppies are whelped at our home under our loving care and experience. We try to do our very best to provide quality portraits of all of our breeding dogs and constant updates of our puppies through our emails and social media. This way you can still see and connect with the litter while helping us keep them safe! If you would like further pictures of our dog space prior to working with us please ask. This allows you the option of having it done earlier if you choose to, but it is done before your puppy reaches sexual maturity. After countless years of personal study and consultation with multiple vets and breeders both locally and nationally we feel this is in the best health interest of your puppy and will prevent any unplanned, unwanted litters of puppies. This is a non-negotiable policy and we will enforce our contract. We believe this policy allows you the option of choosing when works best for your family and puppy during those first 8-months. Please understand this policy prior to submitting an application. As for the males, they can sexually mature and sire a litter of unwanted puppies as early as 7 months of age. Neutering them prior to 8 months can also prevent them from developing some of those unwanted male traits of lifting their leg to potty, humping objects, and being overly interested in the girls while also ensuring they are not accidentally siring any litters. We feel this is in the best interest of the both the male and female dog and a very healthy option. Your vet may disagree with this stance and we encourage you to find a vet that will honor this policy prior to even receiving your puppy. This policy is non-negotiable and something we will enforce. We have had many puppies over the years over 2, over the time of Mountain View Labradoodles and we work with countless breeders with similar experiences. Sizing is based on height, but the weight range is below for reference. By Kern Campbell New puppies can be very exciting. There are many things that you will need to consider, such as the food you are going to feed, training, and when you are going to have your Labradoodle spayed or neutered. Are you trying to figure out the best age to spay or neuter your Labradoodle? This can all depend on many different factors. A male Labradoodle should be spayed between 6 and 12 months of age. Female Labradoodles that will be less than 45 pounds as adults should be spayed at around 4 to 6 months of age. Your vet can also discuss all the pros and cons of spaying and neutering your Labradoodle early vs. Neutering is often used to remove the testicles in your male Labradoodle, but technically, it means to make your dog gender neutral so it can be used for a male or female. The most common age your vet will recommend spaying or neutering your Labradoodle is when they are around 6 months old. There are many different factors that will influence when you should spay and neuter your Labradoodle. Large to giant breed dogs will mature later in their life, and some people will want to wait until the dog is a few months older so that they are fully mature before spaying and neutering them. They recommend a different age for different size dogs. Smaller dogs under 45 pounds : Your vet will advise that you should spay your Labradoodle before their first heat cycle. Most dogs will have their first heat cycle anywhere between 5 and 10 months. Your vet will advise that your female dog be spayed prior to their first cycle to help reduce their risk of having mammary cancer. Larger Dogs Over 50lbs : Some vets may advise larger Labradoodle to wait until they are 5 to 15 months old. It may also decrease the chance that your dog develops urinary incontinence. These are all common problems seen in older larger breed Labradoodles. When Should I have my male dog neutered? Your vet is able to do this procedure at any age as long as the testicles are present, most vets will recommend that you have your male Labradoodle neutered between 6 to 12 months. Smaller dogs tend to mature faster and are usually neutered around 6 months, while large breed dogs tend to take longer to become fully mature, and you will want to wait until your Labradoodle is around 12 to 18 months of age before neutering them. If your dog does start to show aggressive or unwanted mating behaviors, you can have them neutered sooner to help stop these unwanted behaviors. Why should you spay your Labradoodle? There are many benefits to having your Labradoodle spayed. These are the most common reasons that you would want to consider spaying your Labradoodle. Overpopulation: By spaying your Labradoodle, you are helping decrease the number of unwanted litters and dogs in shelters. Mammary cancer: By spaying your Labradoodle early, you will decrease the chance of mammary cancer. This occurs very commonly in older intact female Labradoodles. This disease can cause your dogs to become very sick and possibly need emergency surgery to treat the infection. Sometimes, this can even be fatal. Stop unwanted guests: By spaying your Labradoodle, you will cut down on the number of unwanted male dogs unexpectedly entering your backyard attempting to mate with your Labradoodle. A male dog will smell the pheromone released by your female dog up to a mile away. If the male is intact, they will find a way to get over and fence to mate with your female dog. Before spaying your Labradoodle, your veterinarian should have a complete health checkup. This ensures that there are no underlying conditions that would cause your Labradoodle not to have a successful surgery. Why would you want your Male Labradoodle to be neutered? Most people neuter their Labradoodle to prevent them from getting a female dog pregnant. There are many other reasons that you may want your dog neutered. Decrease Unwanted pet Population The most common reason people have their Labradoodle neutered is to help prevent the overpopulation of dogs. There are many pets who end up in a shelter. By having your Labradoodle neutered, you can help decrease this population. A single male Labradoodle can mate with many female dogs each day, leading to many offspring. Prevent aggressive Behaviors Dog fights are often between unneutered male dogs, or the dog who instigated the fight will often not be neutered. These extra testosterone hormones can cause your dog to show aggressive behaviors. Having your dog neutered, will cause a large decline in testosterone hormones, thus decreasing their drive to fight other dogs. Prevent looking for a Girlfriend Unneutered male Labradoodles tend to look for a girlfriend. They will try anything possible to escape their yard. Many can even climb very tall fences. This can cause your Labradoodle to become lost or even hit by a car. Neutering your Labradoodle can help keep them at home more and out of trouble. Prevent any health issues. Many Labradoodles can develop health conditions from not being neutered. Common health issues seen in an intact male are testicular cancer and prostate issues. These can develop as your dog gets older. Having your Labradoodle neutered will eliminate the chance of testicular cancer and decrease the formation of any prostate disease. Prevent unwanted behaviors Marking their territory and humping things is a behavior that can be hard to break. Once your Labradoodle starts these behaviors, it can be almost impossible to get them to stop. Having your dog neutered will help decrease or eliminate them for doing these behaviors. It is best to have them neutered before they start, as sometimes, once they start these behaviors, it is hard to correct. These are: Some vet offices will let you take your dog home the same day as surgery is done, others want to keep the Labradoodle dog overnight. Keep your Labradoodle inside for 2 weeks after surgery. Only let them go outside to potty and on a very short walk while on a leash. Keep your Labradoodle calm and quiet and not allow them to run and jump around. Make sure that your Labradoodle cannot lick at their incision. You may have to put a cone of shame on your dog to help prevent them from getting to their incision. Inspect their incision each day and let your vet know as soon as you notice any problems, smells, or discharge. Do not bath your Labradoodle for 10 to 14 days after surgery Notify your vet immediately if your Labradoodle is lethargic, not wanting to eat, vomiting, or having diarrhea or loose stool. Make sure that your Labradoodle receives any pain medications and antibiotics that your vet has prescribed to them after the procedure. The pain medication may only be needed for a day or two, but some dogs will need pain medication for a few days while they recover. An easy way to tell if your Labradoodle is painful is to monitor their activity. If your Labradoodle is not active, they are probably painful Just because your Labradoodle feels great and wants to be active, they should still be calm and quiet for 14 days after surgery. Is surgery risky? No surgery is without risk. Your veterinarian will examine your Labradoodle before surgery. Your Labradoodle will be placed under general anesthesia and will be monitored with monitoring equipment for the whole surgery. Many veterinary surgeries have a whole team of people working on your Labradoodle not just your vet. This starts from before surgery to recovery to being discharged from the hospital. Your vet will ask that you not feed your Labradoodle after 10 pm the night before. This helps prevent your Labradoodle from vomiting during their surgery from the anesthesia. Make sure that you follow these pre-op instructions and anything else that your vet requires for your Labradoodle to have a successful surgery. The cost of spaying or neutering your Labradoodle will all depend on where you live. Vets in a bigger city will charge a little more than a vet in the country. Many other factors may affect the cost. Most veterinarians recommend pre-operative bloodwork be run on your Labradoodle before surgery. This will check liver and kidney function before surgery. They will also give your Labradoodle pre and post-op pain medications. These are all added expenses to the cost of surgery. Vets highly recommend that you have pre-op bloodwork done even in very young Labradoodle. Your Labradoodle could have been born with a congenital disability that could cause severe to fatal results if not caught before surgery. While it is not very common, it does happen. Some dogs develop a little slower and may not handle anesthesia as well. For Labradoodle with a liver or kidney defect, or if their lab values are not in the proper range, your vet will choose a different type of anesthesia. If these organs are not functioning properly or not fully, then it is best to use an anesthetic drug metabolized by their lungs or not perform the procedure at all. There are also added costs for overweight Labradoodles, currently pregnant dogs, or dogs going through their heat cycle. This is because it takes a little more time and is much more labor-intensive, especially if your vet is also trying to perform a c-section and save these baby puppy lives. There are low-cost clinics that can do the procedure at a discounted rate. These clinics often receive grants and funds from the state to help offset the cost of the procedure. This is one reason that they do not have to charge as much for the procedure as a regular veterinary clinic. Low-cost clinics may also have minimal monitoring equipment and usually do not do surgery on large breeds or overweight patients. Final Thoughts There are many different pros and cons when you choose to spay and neuter your Labradoodle. Your vet can help you determine the best time for your pet. Many vets will recommend that you spay your dog between 5 and 15 months of age. Delaying the spay can lead to mammary cancer, pyometra, or other health issues. Learn more » The Labradoodle , a crossbreed of a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle, has become increasingly popular due to their friendly and affectionate nature, low-shedding coat, and intelligence. However, as with any breed, there are important considerations when spaying or neutering your Labradoodle, and many people might wonder about the best time to perform this procedure. The short answer is when the dog is 4—9 months old, but keep reading as we discuss other options and the benefits and drawbacks of the procedure to help you be better informed. The optimal timing for neutering male Labradoodles can be a bit more flexible. While most experts recommend neutering or spaying around 6 months, some evidence suggests that waiting until they are fully mature can help reduce the risk of health issues like hip dysplasia. However, waiting too long can also increase the risk of certain health issues, such as prostate problems. One of the most significant when it comes to spaying your female Labradoodle is the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and the total elimination of heat cycles, which can be messy and stressful for you and your dog. Spaying can also reduce the risk of reproductive health issues like uterine infections and breast tumors. For male Labradoodles, neutering can help reduce the risk of certain health issues, such as testicular cancer and prostate problems. Neutered males may also be less likely to exhibit behaviors like marking and aggression. The Potential Drawbacks of Spaying or Neutering Your Labradoodle Complications While there are benefits to spaying or neutering your Labradoodle, there are also potential drawbacks. When a dog undergoes anesthesia and surgery, there is a risk of complications like infection, bleeding, and adverse reactions to the anesthesia. While these risks are relatively low, you must consider them before spaying or neutering your Labradoodle. Behavioral Changes While neutering can help reduce certain negative behaviors in male Labradoodles, such as marking and aggression, it can also lead to decreased energy levels and an increased likelihood of weight gain. Similarly, spaying a female dog can lead to increased appetite and reduced activity levels. Most experts consider spaying and neutering to be safe. However, any surgery and anesthesia carry risks, including infection, bleeding, and adverse reactions to anesthesia. No, spaying or neutering your Labradoodle will make them unable to reproduce. If you want to breed your Labradoodle, you should not spay or neuter them. Some evidence suggests that waiting to spay or neuter can lead to better overall health outcomes for Labradoodles. Waiting until they are fully mature around 1—2 years can allow their bodies to develop fully, which might reduce the risk of certain health issues. After the procedure, your Labradoodle may experience discomfort and decreased energy levels. Your Labradoodle may also need to wear an Elizabethan collar a. The cost of spaying or neutering a Labradoodle can vary depending on your location and chosen veterinarian. Generally, spaying is more expensive than neutering because it is a more complicated surgery. Some clinics offer low-cost spay-and-neuter programs, though, and financial assistance may be available for pet owners who cannot afford the procedure. Conclusion Most experts recommend spaying or neutering your pet when they are 4—9 months old or more specifically, before the female has her first heat cycle. That said, some people argue that it is better to wait until your pet is an adult in order to let their body fully develop. If this is the case, constant monitoring and physical separation of males from females during their first heat cycles is imperative to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Drawbacks of the procedure include complications from surgery, such as infection, bleeding, adverse reactions to anesthesia, and behavioral changes. Featured Image Credit: EvgeniiAnd, Shutterstock Written by Ed Malaker Author Ed Malaker is a veteran writer who has contributed to a wide range of blogs that cover tools, pets, guitars, fitness, and computer programming. However, there is renewed interest in the question of age-appropriate spay and neuter of puppies, in view numerous scientific studies that found significant health implications related to this common procedure. As a guide, months for puppies that will weigh under 45 lbs when adults and between months of age for puppies that will weigh over 45 lbs when adults. Larger dogs take longer to grow, and the age difference is mainly to do with the growth cycle. Are there risks and benefits to spaying and neutering? Some of these include fear of anesthesia, anesthesia complication and financial constraints. Some benefits include a decreases in the risk of mammary and testicular cancers, uterine infections, prevents pet overpopulation, and prevents undesirable behaviors. Risks and benefits of early spaying and neutering Risks: University of California, Davis, performed a study on golden retrievers in that suggested while early sterilization prevented many diseases, it may have increased the risk of other problems cranial cruciate ligament rupture, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumors, lymphosarcoma, and orthopedic issues. Despite these findings, the study stressed that more studies on the link between sterilization age and the onset of certain diseases are needed to help understand the implications. Benefits: According to Dr. J Am Vet Med Assoc ;.Risks and benefits of late spaying and neutering Risks: Unwanted pregnancies, financial obligations and ethical dilemmas regarding the newborn puppies. Many people simply either do not know that their female dog is pregnant or the dog experiences complications that lead to costly medical interventions. Some people are also not equipped to deal with newborn puppies and the many demands that come with raising socialized and healthy puppies. These puppies can die from either inadequate care or diseases. Other adverse effects of late sterilization include obesity, stunted growth, joint dysplasia, and musculoskeletal disorders, to name a few. Despite many scientific studies and guidelines, it remains a complex question that encompass many factors that each pet owner needs to carefully consider. We also recommend that you consult with your veterinarian to help figure out best timing for this procedure. Spend some time with your veterinarian discussing your goals for your pet and your personal concerns. Do not be afraid to ask questions. We believe that sharing the most accurate and current information with your veterinarian is the best plan to figure out the best timing for spaying and neutering of your pets. While you cannot predict when your dog is going to get sick or injured, you can protect yourself from expensive veterinary bills. Familiarizing yourself with the evidence-based research regarding the risks and benefits, may enable you to make an educated choice regarding your pet. Firstly Spaying or neutering your Labradoodle helps control the pet population. By having your Labradoodle spayed or neutered, you are actively contributing to reducing the number of unwanted pets. Additionally Spaying or neutering your Labradoodle has several health benefits. For female Labradoodles , spaying eliminates the risk of uterine infections and reduces the chances of developing mammary tumours. Neutering male Labradoodles can help prevent testicular cancer and reduce the risk of prostate problems. These procedures also eliminate the desire for your Labradoodle to roam searching for a mate, which can lead to accidents or injuries. Behaviorally Spaying or neutering your Labradoodle can have a positive impact as well. Unaltered dogs often display aggressive behaviours, such as territorial marking or excessive barking. By having your Labradoodle spayed or neutered, you will see an improvement in overall temperament, making it easier to train and socialize. It is important to note that your veterinarian recommends spaying or neutering your Labradoodle at the appropriate age. When spaying or neutering your Labradoodle puppy, it is generally recommended to consult your veterinarian for personalized advice. However, the ideal age for spaying or neutering Labradoodles is typically between six and nine months old. The time frame allows the puppy to fully develop while reducing the risk of health issues, such as certain types of cancer and behavioural problems. For Male Labradoodles, neutering can be done around six to nine months of age, although some veterinarians may recommend waiting until they are closer to nine months. Neutering can help prevent unwanted behaviours such as marking territory and aggression towards other animals. Spaying is also usually recommended for female Labradoodles around six to nine months of age. Spaying can help prevent reproductive health issues like pyometra infection of the uterus and mammary gland tumours. For female Labradoodles, spaying before their first heat cycle significantly reduces the risk of mammary tumours and uterine infections, which can be life-threatening. Neutering male Labradoodles at a young age helps prevent testicular cancer and decreases the chances of prostate problems later in life. Unneutered male dogs often display aggressive or territorial behaviour, while unspayed females can experience mood swings during heat cycles. Removing the reproductive organs minimizes these hormonal fluctuations, resulting in a calmer and more predictable demeanour for your Labradoodle. Male Labradoodles who are neutered early are less likely to exhibit certain undesirable behaviours, such as marking territory with urine or engaging in excessive mounting. Female Labradoodles spayed before their first heat cycle are less prone to escaping or attracting unwanted attention from intact males during their fertile periods. Every dog is unique, and their needs should be considered. Studies indicate that spaying or neutering pets at a young age may lead to higher chances of certain health problems, including joint issues, specific cancers, and urinary incontinence. These risks are more pronounced in larger dog breeds like Labradoodles. To mitigate these risks, alternative options to consider include delaying the procedure until the dog reaches sexual maturity, which is typically between 6 to 12 months for Labradoodles. This technique removes only the reproductive organs while preserving the hormone-producing tissues. Gonad-sparing surgery minimizes potential health issues while preventing unwanted pregnancies by maintaining hormonal balance. A: Spaying or neutering your Labradoodle puppy between six and nine months is generally recommended. A: Spaying or neutering your Labradoodle puppy offers several benefits. It helps prevent unwanted litter, reducing the risk of health issues such as reproductive cancers, and can also help with behavioural problems such as aggression and roaming tendencies. They will still be the same loving and playful companions you know and adore. Afterward, they may experience discomfort, but your veterinarian will provide proper pain management medication to alleviate any discomfort. A: Like any surgical procedure, there are inherent risks involved. However, the benefits of spaying or neutering usually outweigh the potential risks. Your veterinarian will discuss these risks with you and take appropriate measures to minimize them. A: If you have plans to breed your Labradoodle, it is generally recommended to do so before considering spaying or neutering. Breeding should be done responsibly and under the guidance of a reputable breeder or veterinarian. A: Recovery time will depend on the individual Labradoodle and the procedure performed. Generally, the incision takes about 10 to 14 days to heal. Q: Do I follow special postoperative care instructions after my Labradoodle is sent home? After your Labradoodle is sent home following surgery, it is important to provide specialized postoperative care to ensure their comfort and a smooth recovery. Here are some guidelines to follow: 1. Monitor your Labradoodle Keep a close eye on your furry friend during recovery. Observe their behaviour, appetite, and overall well-being. You should contact your veterinarian immediately if you observe any negative behaviour or symptoms in your pet. Provide a quiet and comfortable space Create a calm and cozy area where your Labradoodle can rest undisturbed. Ensure they have a soft bed or blanket, away from drafts or excessive noise. It may include avoiding strenuous exercise, jumping, or rough play. Gradually reintroduce normal activities over time as directed by the veterinarian. Administer medication as prescribed If your Labradoodle has been prescribed medication, follow the dosage instructions carefully. Ensure they receive their medication on time and complete the course as directed. Keep the surgical site clean and dry If instructed by your vet, gently clean the site as per their guidelines using mild solutions or disinfectants recommended by the veterinarian. Avoid bathing or getting the incision area wet unless your vet advises. Prevent licking or chewing Dogs may lick or chew at their incision site out of discomfort or curiosity, which can impede healing or cause infection. Consider using an Elizabethan collar cone or alternative protective devices recommended by your vet to prevent this behaviour. Maintain proper nutrition Provide a balanced diet and fresh water for your Labradoodle, following any dietary restrictions or recommendations the vet gives. A healthy diet will aid in the healing process. Attend appointments Make sure to attend scheduled follow-up appointments with your vet. Yes, spaying or neutering your labradoodle can impact their behaviour. In most cases, it has a positive effect. Spaying for females and neutering for males can help reduce unwanted behaviours such as roaming, aggression, and marking territory. It can also decrease the likelihood of certain health issues, including certain types of cancer. By eliminating the sexual drive and hormones associated with reproduction, spaying or neutering can help your labradoodle become more focused, calm, and easier to train. While there are different opinions and considerations, it is important to consult with your veterinarian and gather all the necessary information before making a final decision. Spaying or neutering can have numerous benefits for your Labradoodle. It can prevent health issues, such as uterine infections and certain cancers. Additionally, it can reduce unwanted behaviours, such as roaming, aggression, and marking territory. You also reduce the number of homeless animals by eliminating the risk of unplanned litter. This procedure can impact their hormone levels, affecting their growth and development. Your veterinarian can guide you based on these factors to help you make the best decision for your furry friend.

An 8 week old German Shepherd puppy is a bundle of antics and endless energy! Your 8 Week Old German Shepherd Puppy An 8 week old your puppy requires a daily routine and training to help them become the dog of your dreams. This article will not only help you understand your 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy but will also explain to you why your little puppy has certain behaviors. Raising a German Shepherd puppy can feel like an overwhelming task at first! Just remember, your 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy is also adjusting to its new life with you. You should expect your 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy to feel stressed and uncertain. They may seem timid and unsure of their surroundings. They might cry, whine, and not want your attention. Having structure and consistency will help create a bond and help you both in getting along more peacefully and calmly. Introducing A Puppy Crate Many dog owners choose to use a crate when it comes to caring for their 8-week-old puppy. While some people consider crates unnecessary, or even cruel, crate training is a useful skill to offer your dog. With the right training your pup will see its crate as their private safe space and will even go there to relax. Leaving your puppy at home unsupervised can get them and you into a heap of trouble. Crate training helps prevent your home from being a destruction zone. This useful guide to crate training a German Shepherd puppy gets you on the right track to success! Crate training your puppy can: help speed up housetraining teach your dog to settle calm down offer your dog privacy But you must introduce the crate slowly and positively so your puppy builds a strong connection to the benefits of the crate. Never just shove or push your young German Shepherd into the crate without using positive training. Your new dog also needs a routine and schedule to help them through the early days with you and set the expectations you have for them. Having a schedule helps your puppy to know what to expect in their daily routines. It keeps you from losing your mind and helps ease a worried puppy. While you might work from home or have other obligations, try to follow a schedule that looks similar to this: Early morning: Take your puppy out for the first potty break of the day! So, they may need to go outside even before the sun rises. Breakfast time: Your puppy may want to go back to sleep after going outside and this is perfectly normal. On the other hand, some puppies are wide awake and ready for their breakfast. Either way, always take your puppy back outside shortly after their breakfast so they can sniff and have another potty break. Mid-morning: Puppies should eat 3 — 4 small meals a day. Mid-morning is a good time for another small meal. Afternoon: This is a good time for their lunch followed by a potty break and plenty of sniffing time to work off some of their energy. Late afternoon: Puppies need another potty break in the afternoon, and some puppies need more breaks outside. Evening: Their dinner meal and their evening potty time. Remember to let them explore outdoors in a safe area to help build their confidence. Scheduling exercise, potty breaks, and play at the same times every day helps ensure that your puppy learns their daily routine more quickly and settles in nicely. And, even young puppies can learn basic training in their first weeks with you. Try training your German Shepherd puppy at home to start with. In the beginning, you may find a few accidents in the house. But, stick with your potty training and remember to always watch your puppy to keep them from having messes in the house. When you stick to a regular potty schedule, the likelihood of potty training mishaps decreases, and you and your puppy are less stressed. Always, always, always… Supervise your puppy indoors when you are potty training. Your toughest time together with your 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy might be the first few nights. Your puppy has only known the comfort of his mother and siblings before. Having your puppy sleep away from you will only scare them more. And, although they are little, their cry is loud! Having a place for them near your bed is the best way to avoid a night full of tearful cries and howling. Can I let my German Shepherd puppy sleep in bed with me? Plus, when your puppy is an adult and tries to sleep in bed with you there will be no room for you! A full-grown German Shepherd can weigh up to pounds and will push you right out of your own sheets. Your puppy sleeps most of the day. A new puppy sleeps more often than they are awake. An 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy may sleep as many as 18 hours a day! Sleeping this much allows your puppy to have the energy they need to grow and keeps them ready to explore their new world. Feeding An 8 Week Old German Shepherd Your puppy should stay on the same food they were eating before you brought them home to keep them less stressed. This helps keeps your 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy from having an upset stomach and becoming ill. Sometimes, you might want to switch them over to a different food. If you choose this route, do it slowly and in stages over a few weeks. At 8 weeks old, German Shepherd puppies should eat 3 to 4 small meals per day. Although their stomachs are small if you overfeed them they could get sick and have stomach problems. Spreading their meals out throughout the day in regular intervals is best to avoid any upsets. Look for a balanced, complete puppy food for large breed dogs. As a large breed dog, your German Shepherd you should only feed your puppy food that is specially formulated for large breed puppies. Large breed puppies have different nutritional needs that are not found in ordinary puppy food. Feeding a commercially available food that is formulated for large breed puppies helps them to grow at a sustained rate. Steady growth in a large breed puppy helps to avoid stress on their bones and gives them a strong skeletal foundation for their athletic muscles. Limiting food intake in growing German Shepherd puppies has also been associated with fewer signs of hip dysplasia. This is of extreme importance in this breed due to the high incidence of hip problems and the pain associated with this joint disorder. A growing puppy is best fed a proprietary pet food that has been specifically formulated to meet its nutritional needs. Foods that are available as dry kibble are especially suitable to rear even the youngest of puppies. Opt for this specially formulated food for large breed puppies to keep your dog growing at a healthy rate that helps them stay strong. It is a complete balanced diet so nothing is missing. Within the first few days of arriving to their new home with you is a stressful time. Your puppy has just made a drastic life change and left everything they knew to be with you. Diarrhea and other stomach issues are sometimes stress induced. You can help your puppy by keeping to a regular feeding schedule and feeding them the same food they were on before coming to you. Sometimes diarrhea is also a sign of an underlying health issue and, if left untreated, can become life-threatening. If your puppy vomits blood, has bloody stools and diarrhea, becomes lethargic, or refuses to drink, call your vet immediately! To an 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy biting and nipping are all part of playing with their siblings. And, your puppy will most likely bite and nip you at some point too. They may even growl at you and tug at your hands or nip your ankles. This is all part of puppy play. But… It can really hurt you or make you bleed! Understanding bite inhibition means they know how to control the power of their play bites and how hard or soft they nip you. Preventing Nips and Bites If you know the right way to prevent and stop German Shepherd puppy biting, you can train your puppy to understand how to keep their razor-sharp tiny teeth from sinking into you. Instead… Offer them plenty of puppy-safe chew toys appropriate for their size. When they bite or nip you, calmly show them the toy to chew instead. Get their attention by moving the toy in a playful way around them so they begin to chase and bite the toy, instead of you or your furniture. Use these links to help you stay on the right track throughout their life. Teach them to walk nicely on a leash for exploration and pack walks. Train them to basic and advanced obedience commands for a better relationship. Offer fair and consistent discipline to develop rules. Training your German Shepherd puppy involves teaching them how to be successful in your world and life. This means they need to understand what you expect of them and how you communicate your expectations. Use the Right Tools for the Job Use the right tools for your puppy or adult and follow the training steps below to begin basic training with your German Shepherd. Teaching obedience without these supplies makes the work harder on you. Buy the right tools. Here are some of the best examples of great tools for your training. Having the right tools makes all the difference. You also need some tasty treats. Use pea-sized pieces of cheese, small bits of cooked chicken, or one of these yummy German Shepherd healthy treats of your choosing. Follow this German Shepherd training guide to teach your dog the basics of obedience at home. How to Train a German Shepherd to Sit Teaching your dog sit is one of the easiest German Shepherd training commands for your puppy or dog. Your pup sits hundreds of times in a day. Now all you need to do is connect the motion to the command. Teach Sit Step-by-Step Start with your dog in a standing position. Have your reward treat in your hand. Show your pup the treat is in your hand. Move your hand over their head as you keep the treat near their nose. As their head raises to look at the treat, their bottom begins lowering to the ground. We want your dog to associate the correct motion with the reward first. After a few sessions, say sit when their entire bottom is on the floor. Remember to reward them only when their bottom is on the floor. Once you are sure they know the command, increase your distance from them when you give the sit command. Your goal is to say sit from a long distance and your puppy performs. Practice in different rooms inside your home and use a variety of distances while training indoors. Move to the outdoors with a secure long leash when your pup is ready for more distractions and distance. Start with the last success. Stay keeps your dog in one spot until you release them and is essential training. For advanced training, use stay to transition from one command to the next. Begin indoors in a quiet area free from distractions. Hold the leash in your left hand. Use the right hand to signal to stay while standing directly in front of your dog. Raise your hand and turn your palm toward your dog. When he stays with success, walk toward him and give him the treat. Now add in the word stay when your dog performs the stay behavior correctly. Increase the stay time your dog is in the stay position beginning with 5 seconds and working up to one minute or more. Next, work on extending the distance between you and your dog while in the stay. Take a few steps back each time you train. Your goal is to reach the end of your leash while your pup stays in place. This could take many sessions over weeks or months. Guide to Advanced Stay Techniques Once you are at the full distance of your leash, drop the leash and work on having your dog stay while you move into different rooms. Add in distractions, such as friends walking around while you train your GSD. For the final steps, have your dog on the long leash and train in your backyard. Extend the leash as far as it will reach and have your dog stay in place for 30 seconds or longer. Move to outdoor training at a quiet park and repeat the steps for increasing distractions. You can use this time to plan for the next command or simply to have them wait on you. Teach Down Step-by-Step Start with your dog or puppy in a sitting position. Have a tasty treat in your closed hand. Let them see you put that treat in your hand. Move your hand toward the floor in front of them. Your pup will follow the treat into a down position. Offer them the tasty treat and praise them immediately when they are in the down position. You want to make sure they know the motions first. Continue practicing this technique throughout the day. After a few sessions with your pup performing the correct motion, add in the word down. Give him his tasty reward when he is in the down position. Practice in different rooms to ensure your dog knows the command. Move to areas where there are distractions, such as a busy room in your house, and even outside while on a leash. Use the long leash for outdoor sessions and safety. Increase the time your dog is in the down position by taking a long time to offer the treat. A reliable recall come is part of your basic obedience training. When they come to you, reward them with a happy voice and a good boy. You may want to step a few feet backward while calling him. This lures him to follow you. Once your dog reliably moves toward you when you call them, add in the word come. Reward them and repeat the exercise using different distances and the word come now. Increase the distance you are away when you call him inside the house. If your German Shepherd performs the command reliably, add in farther distances. Reward them when they respond correctly. Practice many times with the word come while you are in the same room. Now, call him from farther and farther away in different rooms. Use distractions in the home while practicing. Call him while other people are in the room. Next, use both different rooms and a variety of distractions together. But only if he ignores multiple distractions. If he responds correctly during multiple training sessions, leash him with the long leash mentioned earlier as an essential tool and train him outside to work on concentrating with outdoor distractions. Repeat the process you used indoors practicing with varying distances and distractions outside. Use this guide for a fast recall and to save yourself some stress on this command. They familiarize your dog with the many ways in which they might get asked to perform their commands. These extra steps are invaluable to the quality of your German Shepherd obedience home training program. See how long you can have your dog stay while you move into different practice areas and work on increasing the time. Try to keep his attention on you during his training despite other distractions in your room, inside your house, or outdoors. If your GSD seems to have forgotten their command, take them back to the last place they were successful and begin training from there. Not all of your days are perfect, right? Adjust your training as needed. Instead, make sure you have a well-rounded training program apart from this German Shepherd training guide : Through exciting mental stimulation and boredom-busting activities. By regularly brushing their coats to give them healthy skin and decrease shedding. Offering them the right chew toys that are safe , non-toxic, and withstand heavy chewing while being fun. Use brief training sessions and practice frequently. End training with a command you know your pup will perform and reward them at the end. Keep up your training daily for quicker learning. And… Always look for ways to bond with your German Shepherd through everyday training opportunities. If you want to achieve the quickest results for training your GSD then use games and have fun with your dog! You can easily learn breakthrough techniques to help you feel confident training your German Shepherd at home by enrolling in this scientifically-based brain training program that guides you through advanced tricks and obedience. Great work! Visit ShepherdSense. Then, share it! Catherine Krasavin, BS Hons. She has a Bachelor of Science degree, with Honors, and has been training dogs for over a decade. Related Posts. More about 6 month old GSD puppy training. Months GS males reach their adulthood when they are 3 years old, while females become completely mature at the age of 2. However, the end of the second year of life is considered as the finish of puppyhood for both genders. You should continue to teach impulse control, develop obedience skills, and get to more concentrated activities, such as agility, nose work, tracking, herding, and protection. The intense training of these skills should continue throughout the entire period. You also have to arrange the transition of your youngster from puppy to adult food meant for large breeds. According to some experts, insufficient house training or housebreaking is one of the most common reasons that dogs are relinquished to shelters. This is not surprising, because while house training is not a complicated process when housebreaking fails, the results can be disgusting. Just as with children, dogs must be taught the proper place to eliminate. Strangely, though, some people believe that dogs automatically know that the potty is outside. Rather than simply hoping that your dog is one of the few who magically gets it right, there are a few simple steps that you can take to start your puppy training off on the right paw and keep your floors and furniture clean. If he could, he would probably just cut to the chase and ask where the restroom is. In fact, he probably did ask, but you missed it. House training failures can almost always be attributed to the lack of two simple ingredients: scheduling and supervision. While it helps if you have realistic expectations, a little patience, and a sense of humor, you can housebreak your German Shepherd puppy if all you do is keep him in sight and take him out at regular, predictable intervals. Simple, right? Unfortunately, what sounds simple often is not. We have jobs to attend, meals to cook, and movies to watch. Yes, he can, if you show him how. Schedule Potty Breaks While Puppy Training When a meeting is called at your place of work, you are typically given such information as where to meet, what the topic of the meeting will be, and when it will end. Armed with this knowledge, you can stop by the powder room on the way to the meeting, feeling confident that all is well. Obviously, there will be times when you need to take him out before the scheduled moment arrives, especially in the beginning, but when he can rely on you to take him out to go potty at certain times or after specific events, he will begin working at holding it until the appointed time. For example, always take your puppy out first thing in the morning, not after coffee, and not after checking your email or chatting with your friends on Facebook. Take him out first thing. Next, take him out after he eats. He also needs to go out after any period of time that he has been left home alone. If you are away from home at work, school, or shopping, take him out the moment you get back. Freedom is Overrated Until your German Shepherd puppy training is complete, and your puppy is reliably house trained, you will increase the speed of his success the more you decrease the number of accidents. You already know that you must provide him with a consistent schedule, but not every potty break can be dictated by the clock. When you observe your puppy sniffing the floor, circling, arching his back, lifting his tail, or just whining for no apparent reason, get him outside quickly. During those times when you cannot watch him, you must confine him. You must. You cannot leave him free to roam your house and use it as a bathroom. Furthermore, you can place him in a crate, lock him in a safe room, use a playpen, or whatever works for you, but you must confine him. Just do not give him free access to your home. Consistency Equals Success Most house training failures are not the fault of the dog. We get busy, we have unrealistic expectations, and we expect dogs to read our minds and know what we want without training. Really, though, it all comes down to scheduling and supervision. If you can remember these two simple things, you can housebreak your dog. All youngsters need training, whether they are puppies, ponies, or children. This is not news. We send our children to school for a good many years before we consider them trained. GSD puppy training itself is not difficult. Dogs are smart. German Shepherds are especially smart because we have bred them to be independent thinkers. They love a job, and they love puzzles. This means that training can either be easy or frustrating. It is frustrating if your dog seems to be smarter than you are, which he will indicate to you through his bored body language and lack of attention span. It is easy if you know the key to really successful training. When we think of puppy training, we envision teaching the dog things like sit, down, stay, walk on the leash, and fill in the blank. The secret that all great dog trainers have figured out is how to ignite that love of learning that dogs carry deep inside. Get ready to open up a whole new world of possibilities. From the outside, enlightened training looks like any other training in the beginning. Your puppy has to learn the concept first. You start with very simple steps and build from there. Get a handful of healthy treats that your puppy loves. In a quiet area with minimal distractions, approach your puppy and call his name. Do this five times in a row, several times a day for two days. If your puppy is a genius, and if he is a German Shepherd the chances are high that he is, do the exercise anyway several times per day as described. Eventually, you can transition from using treats to simply praising him when he gets it right, but for now, use treats. To clarify one point, your puppy is not born speaking English. You can use whatever word you choose to let him know when he has done what you are asking him to do. This is the marker you will use throughout his lifetime to let him know when he has performed on cue correctly. Be consistent. You do this initially by luring his eyes to your eyes with your hand that is holding the treats. Call his name, bring your treat hand up to your face, and the instant your puppy makes the slightest eye contact, reward him. Do this several times, then move your hand a few inches away from your face. Call his name, and when he looks at your hand for a treat, do not give it to him. He will become confused, and at some point, he will look you in the eye for clarification. Instantly reward him. Practice this several times a day for a few days, gradually moving your hand away from your face until eventually, it is in a normal relaxed position by your side while your puppy looks at your face when you call him. When you have mastered this exercise, you are ready to move on. First, you will lure him into position like you did when you brought his eyes to your face, then you will transition to having him sit when no treat is offered. With your puppy standing next to you, call his name. Praise him when he looks at you, but do not give him a treat. Instead, place your hand holding the treat in front of his nose and lift your hand directly over his head. Do not pull his head up with his leash, and definitely do not push his butt down to force him to sit. Let him work this out on his own. Step away, call him to you, and repeat. Faster than you expect, he will drop his butt to the floor on cue and proudly accept his reward. As soon as your puppy will reliably sit when you give him the cue and lift your hand over his head, give him the cue but keep your hand at his side. Wait for him to work it out. If he gets frustrated and loses interest, show him the treat and try again. Eventually, he will sit without needing you to guide him, at which point you will lavishly praise him and move on to the next lesson. Do not push him down, do not pull his front legs out from under him. Wait for him to lie down on his own. If he stands up to get the treat, have him sit again and start over. Eventually, he will lower his front end to the floor. Instantly praise him and give him the treat. Once your puppy will lie down consistently when you cue him and lure him with the treat, give him the cue and wait for him to lie down without showing him the treat. You may have to go back to luring him a time or two, but because you taught him how to learn on his own, eventually he will get it. The same techniques of puppy training can be applied to anything you want to teach your dog to do. German Shepherds are smart and hard-working dogs. They are highly intelligent and therefore rather easy to train. But, it requires clear objectives and loving guidance. When consistent supervision and routine are provided, German Shepherds are very simple to house train. When should you start training a German Shepherd puppy? However, it is not. It may sound too harsh, but training should begin as soon as a puppy enters your home. In fact, training will yield better results the younger your puppy is. How to train a German Shepherd puppy not to bite? Your puppy has to learn that when he hears the click sound, he has acted improperly and should stop. To help the dog learn that he is responding correctly, the owner should reward him with a treat. Learn more about training your GSD not to bite. How to potty train a German Shepherd puppy? As soon as your German Shepherd puppy enters your home, you should begin potty training. For instance, it must be relieved after eating, sleeping, and waking up after a daytime nap. It might also need a potty after playing. Your puppy dog will pick up the rules fairly fast with the help of the routine. Learn more about GSD Puppy potty training. How to train German Shepherd puppy at home? Failures in house training can almost always be attributable to a lack of two basic components: scheduling and supervision. You can housebreak your German Shepherd puppy if all you do is keep him in sight and take him outside at regular, predictable intervals, though it helps if you have reasonable expectations, a little patience, and a sense of humor. Final Thoughts German Shepherds belong to the breed that benefits and thrives from continuous extensive training. Your puppy should know how to behave properly in different situations and in both outdoor and indoor environments. That is why it is so important to start German Shepherd puppy training as early as possible. Actually, you need to expose your little pup to some rules, exercises, and practices from the very first minutes in your home. As a result, you will get a loyal, obedient, protective, and intelligent friend and partner for all your further activities. 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. Calm older dogs are good for this one. Most importantly for German Shepherd puppies, it will give you a chance to work with them around other people, and different dogs from a young age. Settle on a mat German Shepherds are incredibly curious, which can make it difficult for them to relax while out and about. Leash walking — no one wants a large breed of dog pulling them down the street, so be sure you teach loose lead walking and how about some heelwork too? Recall games — Play a game of tennis with your pooch! Calling them from person to person with treats on either side. Get started with grooming and brushing sensitive areas — In long-haired German Shepherds, this is typically the case with the face, legs, and ears, which become tangled the most and may hurt when brushed. Remember to brush carefully, do a little bit of brushing on a sensitive area while feeding them treats or letting them have a lickimat, and then brush an easier to brush area. For socialisation, start working on items that are vital to your lifestyle this week, such as if you have a horse and want your puppy to be comfortable with horses, or if you enjoy sailing, having them near water will be important to you. Getting your puppy exposed to new experiences early on can help them accept them much more easily. Socialization exercises to do this week Training to do this week Husbandry Tasks to do this week — Go to the pub — you deserve it! Remember that settle training you did before, take your mat and get your German Shepherd puppy to settle on it with a nice stuffed kong. Alone training: increasing time alone is important for your puppy. It gives them essential coping skills. Recall — Practise this outside, using a lead, and lots of rewards. Lead walking — Take this outside. Make sure you keep a strong pace going, since German Shepherds enjoy walking quickly, and praise often to keep your puppy interested. Pretend Nail Clips — simply holding a claw, pretending to clip , and rewarding your puppy with a treat is enough. Following on walks — Bring special toys, like the Tug-E-Nuff Pocket tugger, with you on walks to ensure your German Shepherd puppy enjoys hanging out with you. Playing with them will make you irresistible! Week 7 — Training your German Shepherd puppy The 7-week itch! Nah not really. I bet your German Shepherd puppy is doing wonderfully and growing rapidly! Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist — How about taking your German Shepherd to a city farm, letting them watch from afar and rewarding them for being such a calm puppy? Teach your German Shepherd puppy to stay — this will be a great one to show off at the park, trust us. So, first, take a walk with a dog that your German Shepherd puppy has already met. At first, it may be difficult for your puppy not to get distracted, so keep the rewards coming and try to keep them interested in you, rather than the other dog! Recall — off the lead Make sure you do this in a secure and confined area and bring plenty of smelly treats, a fun toy to play with, and your silly high-pitched voice so you can call your German Shepherd puppy back regularly. Remember, German Shepherds enjoy learning! Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist — maybe take your German Shepherd for a swimming lesson? Practice exercises in different locations — how about a train station, or in a shopping centre or mall? Teach a hand target — This is a favourite among pups and their owners. Hand Targeting or touching is the foundation for additional trick behaviours like leg weaving and closing doors. Introducing nose work to your puppy — We mean it when we say your German Shepherd puppy has a better nose than you! Play a game of hide and seek with their favourite toy to bring out those excellent search skills. Looking for more great puppy training tips? Check out our overview of when to start teaching your puppy anything , next. It will be fun they said. We go the extra mile for you. If you want a stress free puppy experience, get this downloaded! Worth every single penny! This app is very helpful. It helps you to understand and gives you a path to follow. The coaching support is excellent and super speedy. Download the app now. Check Price on Amazon 1. If the puppy is running towards you, for example, you can begin clapping. For now, notice the following and set distinct anchors for each. For the time being, you should avoid anchors that are excessively similar to one another. My German Shepherd Willow — 8 weeks old 2. As you train your pup to understand and respond to more complex commands, this helps eliminate a lot of the resistance. As a result, the initial step should be to persuade your German Shepherd to stick close to you. We all know that dogs are descended from wolves, and wolves follow the pack leader, which means you! Needless to say, when training a 2-month-old German Shepherd puppy, you have to incentivize him to follow you. You need to build a positive reinforcement loop and let your German Shepherd establish an association between following you and receiving a pleasant experience. You can start taking unexpected turns and training your puppy to follow you despite the direction changes after your puppy has become motivated to follow you for the reward. At a young age, you should take your puppy out and about and allow him to utilize his sociability potential. One method is to pay visits to friends and family. You might also look for a dog park and take him there. Keep in mind that your pet is still learning to walk with you and follow directions. Make sure your pup has a positive experience outdoors. It is worth noting that you should socialize and introduce him to new experiences as often as you can, preferably daily. Start Potty Training You should start potty training your German Shepherd puppy the first day you bring him home. Start by showing your pup where you want him to potty, such as a sectioned-off area of your yard or garden. I cordoned off a small area and added some bark chippings. Even now, my GSD will not go on the sidewalk or hard surfaces! It has to be grass or somewhere soft. Next, you need a potty training schedule. Always take your puppy out first thing in the morning, after mealtimes and play, hourly, and before retiring to bed. Deter Biting If you read my blog regularly, you know that I am opposed to punishment-based training. In any case, using physical force or yelling at your pup will only instill fear and distrust and can actually cause aggression. If someone recommends such negative approaches, you should approach a qualified trainer and learn how to train a German Shepherd puppy not to bite. Instead, you can wait until your GSD bites during a positive activity before stopping it. This will help to anchor the result better. For example, if your German Shepherd puppy fiercely takes a treat from your hand, you can withhold the second treat until he learns to take it gently. You should act upset and convey that what he has done has hurt you. Use positive reinforcement to encourage proper behavior by rewarding with a treat. Your German Shepherd will quickly learn that good behavior is rewarded with good things. Puppies must continue to learn bite inhibition soft-mouth by continuing the work their mother taught them and what they learned from their littermates. Learn Bite Inhibition Training! Instill Patience You have to use your best judgment and patience when training your dog. In general, by the tenth week, your German Shepherd will be mature enough to understand self-control. Teach the Heel Position While your 3-month-old German Shepherd puppy will initially follow you, adjusting your pace will soon have him walking alongside you in the heel position, on your left side, without a leash, harness, or fear of punishment. To train your puppy to assume the natural heel position, use a clicker, whistle, or use your voice as a marker. Chances are, at first, your German Shepherd will also try to change his pace to walk behind you because of habit. You can avoid this problem by walking where your dog is used to. Assume Positions on Command — Sit, Down, Stand Your 3-months old German Shepherd puppy is now old enough to learn how to sit, stand, or hold a down position. You can teach him these new skills and assume a heel stance, which you have previously taught him. So by the time he is four months old, you can use the position cues and positive reinforcement to get your dog to follow. These included a clicker, whistle, clap, or saying a specific word to show your German Shepherd is doing a good job, generally followed by a well-deserved treat. Now is the time to see whether the anchors work! You used to whistle when your GSD approached you; now, you must whistle for him to start his run. This is the foundation of his recall training. While this allows the puppy to be more social when visitors arrive, an adult dog must learn to walk outside without behaving badly. Whether it is a cuddle, a pat, attention, or something tasty, you must teach your pup target training, for example, teaching him to touch a target with a specific part of his body, such as his paw or nose. Remember that your German Shepherd may end up biting or clawing to communicate if you do not teach him more acceptable communication methods. I recommend teaching your German Shepherd to use his nose to touch your hand. This is a fantastic bite substitute! Hand targeting is a fun way to train your dog to trust you while also getting him to use his brain! Begin by asking him to sit for a few seconds and gradually extend the time. Train Your Dog to Fetch If you have taken your German Shepherd to public parks and he has watched other dogs play fetch, it will be easier to teach him to retrieve whatever you throw. Your GSD may not bring the toy back to you for a second time, but he will eventually figure it out. Over the next few weeks, you can gradually turn it into a game of fetch, rewarding your puppy with high-value training treats. Continue Potty Training In the fourth month of German Shepherd training, you will continue toilet training to a degree of independence. Maintain a regular schedule and match your walks with his natural cycle to coincide with when he needs to go. Teach Your German Shepherd to Walk on the Leash Learning to walk on a leash outside is an important element of dog training. Use it to control your German Shepherd and then test his ability to follow commands off-leash. Many dog owners will opt for a rear attached harness. How to Train a 5 Month Old German Shepherd Puppy You have adequately socialized and trained your dog to recognize and associate attention, toys, walks, and food as rewards. Your five-month-old German Shepherd puppy is now ready to be put to the test for general obedience and the capacity to deal with distractions. These could be other dogs, strangers, or animals like squirrels or birds. But, if you introduce distractions gradually, your five-month-old puppy can deal with them. You must be ready for your dog to run ahead of you now! Assume, however, that you have built a strong bond with your puppy and worked on his training. In that case, he will stay close to you and prove his loyalty by sticking by your side. The good news is that all of your past training will make it easier for your dog to obey your instructions. Conclude Potty Training Your German Shepherd has had months to learn how to tell you his need to go potty. He has also likely refined how to hold his bladder instead of peeing on the floor. As a result, if your dog makes a mess, you can express your displeasure through your body language. But, all dogs can still have the odd accident up to one year old. Besides, you must be prepared for your dog to relieve himself indoors if he is excited or frightened. This is known as either excitement or submissive urination. During this time, energy levels increase , especially in larger breed dogs. While the average exercise for a pup before this is generally five minutes of exercise per month of age, twice a day, a six-month-old German Shepherd can exercise for one hour if you split his walks into two thirty-minute sessions. To train your 6-month-old German Shepherd puppy, start with two commands that will be most useful. As previously stated, you will be exercising your German Shepherd much more frequently from now on. You can teach these commands or tricks in any order from six months onwards until your German Shepherd is a well-trained adult. This is an excellent skill to teach your GSD and is one of the commands taught to police and protection dogs. This is a difficult task, but your German Shepherd will eventually master it if you practice and keep consistent. The eighth month is the time for training your German Shepherd to go to different places upon hearing your command word. This could be for practical reasons or to maximize the intellect of your dog. Alternatively, you might spend the ninth month teaching him a fun party trick! Teach Your German Shepherd to Spin By dangling a tasty treat in front of your German Shepherd and moving it in a circle until he starts to spin, you prime him for a command anchor. After a week or so, you teach your German Shepherd to follow your finger without first using a treat. Of course, you will still need to reward him after he obeys the command. By the third week, you should be able to ask your dog to spin without using your finger to guide him. It might take an extra couple of weeks, but I recommend this as an addition in the ninth month because it allows you to continue training your dog to learn previous commands better. You can train him to go to different places, hold or release objects, and fetch toys. You can now develop this further and teach him to roll over on command. Your one-year-old German Shepherd continues to learn at the same rate as he has since he was six months old. What will change is that your dog will interact with other people more frequently. You can train him to do additional tricks to give him a more appealing presence. This will deter him from merely barking for attention. You should also review previously taught commands and see any weak associations you can reinforce. If anything, this is the period where you tailor his training to your convenience. But now is the time when your German Shepherd must learn to be harmonious with your life. From the month mark onwards, you must train your doggo to be compatible with modern adult life within reason. Do not be alarmed if you have an month-old German Shepherd who appears to have had no previous training! Start by establishing authority by having a positive yet commanding presence. Once your new friend recognizes your authority and sees you as his leader, treat him as a six-month-old, albeit on an accelerated schedule, and train him accordingly. You should train your German Shepherd puppy for short and frequent sessions, ideally minutes, several times a day. As your puppy grows and matures, you can gradually increase the duration and complexity of the training sessions. What are the most important commands to teach my German Shepherd puppy? Come command helps to call your puppy back to you in case of an emergency or when you want to end a play session. Heel command teaches your puppy to walk calmly beside you on a leash, and Leave It command helps to prevent your puppy from eating something harmful or dangerous. German Shepherds are a highly trainable and intelligent breed. Your job as a trainer becomes even easier once you have a workable training schedule in place and stick to your routine. My month-by-month German Shepherd puppy training schedule will help you successfully train your doggo and make him into the cherished companion you always desired. Good luck with your training! Related Posts You May Like:. 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.