how much does a puppy labrador cost

Hello Welcome Our mission is simple: To love and care for each and every lab puppy just like we would want someone to take care of ours and to produce healthy lab puppies for sale. We only have healthy and happy lab puppies. If you have been searching for that perfect lab puppy. We would like for your search to be over and welcome home a Mabry Lab for your next puppy. Come to beautiful Southern Illinois and pick out your new best friend. All puppies are raised in a large area, no small cages. They are housed in a large climate controlled home built for them. This is not in a garage or back room of a home. This is made just for them so they can be raised safely. This also keeps our mothers calm and relaxed to help make wonderful calm puppies. We introduce them to other puppies and adults. Highly socialized with people. Someone is always here with them. They have toys and blankets. There is an onsite laundry area so that every thing is cleaned multiple times a time. Introduced to loud noises. Raised with puppy culture to promote happy and well secure babies. We always will be improving to remain the best labrador retriever breeder of yellow, black and chocolate lab puppies. Our labradors are health tested. Please, visit our page on genetic testing to find out more information on what genetically we can prevent in our lab puppies for. About Us Experienced Breeders If you have been searching for that perfect lab puppy. Our adults are provided with an inside area with toys, beds and excellent vet care. A radio plays for them as well. Most prefer to lay up on their Kuranda beds most of the time with their toys or play with a friend. They get their areas cleaned at a minimum of four times a day and disinfectant is used twice a day. Adults get treats, vitamins and are fed daily with a probiotic added for health. We have natural and artificial lighting as well. The dogs even have their own washing machine to clean blankets, toys and towels daily. Dogs are walked, given access to the pond when weather allows for swimming, let out to run in the open yard, play fetching and work on obedience training. Favorite thing of most is to find a human and crawl into their laps. Yes, our labs even come into our home and crawl into our chairs and onto the couch. Adults are treated monthly for worms, and provided vaccines as recommended by the vet. Once you see a dog with EIC or CNM you will understand why we test our labs to make sure our puppies will never be affected by these diseases that can be prevented by selective breeding. A Furever Friend If you want a Labrador retriever with brains and beauty then look no longer as you have found the right place. We breed healthy and happy puppies. A lab puppy can be your best friend and even a hunting buddy. We hope to see you in the future when you pick out your Furever Friend. Thank you for looking at our labrador puppies for sale. We treat all our animals humanely and ethically. Our animals are part of our family, they are treated very well. You won't find another breeder that does what we do here. Some have been trying to replicate how we raise our labs, but none have come close to doing it yet. Someone is always here with the puppies making sure they are doing well. Training and play time is an everyday thing, so when you call you may have to leave a message. We keep up with our puppies in their new homes. We have places on the internet just for our owners to access information and ask questions about our lab puppies for sale. There is over acres with a large lake for the puppies and adults to get out on. We study our genetics very closely and strive to send home excellent puppies. Learn More You won't find another breeder out there that cares more about the puppies then Mabry Labs. We work hard on socialization and health. Raising black, yellow and chocolate lab puppies. Lab puppies available for deposit. Click on photos to learn about the litter. Contact Us. Dave We have black puppies available that will go home September thirtieth. We have yellow puppies available that will go home October thirtieth. Not to mention the unwavering loyalty, endless joy and fun, and comforting companionship. At Hidden Pond Labradors, our goal is to breed Labrador Retriever puppies of exceptional health, pedigree, appearance, and personality. We strive for these qualities not just so our puppies can win championships, but so they will be around to love you and make you smile for as long as possible! Our background in animal science and agricultural engineering allows us to go above and beyond the current breed standards with our puppies. We produce litters that contribute to the quality and purity of their breed now and in the future, so that the Labs people have as pets and show dogs generations from now are healthy, happy, and loving dogs. All of the genetic tests we have performed on our dogs—over in total—are not only to evaluate their health as it is now, but also to help us predict and preserve their health down the line and keep their lineage pure. We go the extra mile because we know it is the best thing we can do for our Labradors and yours. Our puppies come with a written one-year health warranty, first shots, veterinarian health certificate, and a lifetime placement warranty. Labrador Retriever puppies at Hidden Pond Labradors are raised right in our home as a part of our family. Our puppies are raised in whelping boxes, often placed right in our own bedroom, made with high-grade, animal-safe HDPE plastic. We do not keep them in kennels, but let them play and explore in the large, fenced-in yards on our acre Finger Lakes property—complete with a large refreshing pond for swimming. We even select our mothers and studs for breeding based on their affectionate, outgoing, and positive personalities. Do you want to welcome a premium yellow, chocolate, or black Labrador Retriever puppy into your family? Get in touch with Hidden Pond Labradors today to reserve your new best friend from our next litter! Tag your it. Life Span Did You Know? There is a reason that year after year, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in the United States. The history of the Labrador Retriever dates back to the early s in Newfoundland, just off the Atlantic coast of Canada. Had these families not played a vital part in the continuation of the breed, the loving and affectionate Labs we have all grown to love may not exist today. The first recognized Yellow Labrador Retriever was born in .One of the friendliest breeds out there, Yellow Labs are great companions and love to be a part of the family. While the color yellow is part of their namesake, their coats range from fawn or cream to butterscotch or a deep golden hue. Coming into popularity during the midth century, the Yellow Labrador Retriever has been a staple for hunters and family homes alike ever since. These dogs are patient and kind when faced with energetic young ones. Yellow Labs delight in big spaces, opting to run and play wildly. However, they will happily lounge on the couch after having a long, hard run outside. When given a little training, they can easily learn to control barking habits and restrain themselves from digging. Their double coat also makes them a good fit for just about any climate. As with most dogs, they are sensitive to extreme heat or cold. Generally speaking, Labradors are healthy. They can develop certain inherent conditions, along with cataracts and kneecap displacement, but will remain healthy overall. As long as they are taken to their vet appointments with regularity, Labs will usually feel just fine. Yellow Labs are loyal companions with few drawbacks. Treats never hurt, of course. This, paired with their eagerness to please, makes them a highly trainable dog breed that is a good fit for owners of any experience level. With minimal training, these dogs can control their barking and digging without much trouble. Labs have very short, double-layered, and water-resistant fur. Its density protects them from the cold, so they will often try to swim any time of year. They experience heavier seasonal shedding twice a year and slight shedding throughout the year. Giving them a good brush once a week or a few times a week should keep their coats shiny and healthy. Other grooming tasks include nail trimming, ear care, and dental care. Proper dental care for dogs includes brushing their teeth or using an enzyme toothpaste every day. This helps prevent the tartar buildup that causes dental diseases like gum disease and tooth decay. You can also supplement your dental care efforts with dental hygiene chews, a special dental care diet, and more. This breed tends to be very active. They were bred to be working dogs and need exercise. A few daily walks and some time to run should help assuage their energy levels. Yellow Labs also need a fair amount of mental activity as well; they like to stay sharp. Yellow Labs are classified as medium to large dogs. They reach an average height of 23 inches and an average healthy weight of 75 pounds. A Yellow Labrador Retriever generally lives years. It was traditional in Newfoundland for every fishing boat to have a Labrador Retriever that would help retrieve the fish as they came in off the trawl. Featured Yellow Labrador Retriever Article. We have AKC English Lab puppies for sale Our goal here at Winter Valley Labs is to breed excellent dual purpose AKC Labrador Retriever puppies that make great companions and family pets, that also have the ability to excel in the field as well as show ring. And of course, in our hearts. We breed for quality, not quantity. We breed English Lab puppies! Each of our litters is carefully planed and bred with purpose. We are a small breeder in Hatley, Wisconsin. Our love and passion for Labrador Retrievers drives us to better the breed and provide families with healthy, happy, perfect pets, companions and hunters. We have been breeding labs for over 10 years, and look forward to that number growing. We bred our first litter in January of .We hope to grow in size now that we have the room for it. We love to take the dogs out bird hunting, and am excited to get them started on waterfowl this year as we are located on the river. I have been around dogs my whole life, but the lab has always been my favorite. I started studying at the UW of Stevens Point for Wildlife Ecology and Captive Wildlife management, and had done some study in veterinarian medicine but complications with pregnancy forced me out. I decided after my first son was born that I wanted to stay at home with my babies anyways both human and canine. So I am now a stay at home mom for all of our babies. Prior to that I had worked at an animal shelter as well as a grooming and boarding facility. I am doing some online studies for genetics and animal behavior, as I am always striving to be very well educated with the dogs. I am an avid hunter and LOVE spending the days outside with the dogs. Please note; We do not breed silvers, charcoals or champagne. We do not breed labradoodles, golden labs or any other designer breed. We do have English lab puppies for sale- We breed Fox red lab puppies, yellow lab puppies, black lab puppies, chocolate lab puppies and white lab puppies. Fox red and white labs are registered as yellow labs! These ARE akc recognized unlike the dilute colors. Click here to see what english lab puppies we have that are ready to go and looking for their loving forever homes! Our focus is on the English Lab breed. Please contact us for more information on any of our wonderful English Lab puppies, or upcoming and planned litters! We will help you find the perfect puppy for your family! All of our English Lab puppies are vet checked with the vaccines that are needed and also wormed. They also have their dewclaws removed. If in any case a dew claw, or partial dew claw grows back, that will be the buyers responsibility to take care of, if they feel the need to do so. This can be done at the time of spaying or neutering. This is not a common thing. All of our English Lab Puppies are placed with limited registration Pet homes only If you are looking for full registration Breeding rights Do not wait until pickup day to discuss this with us. Thank you David for all the joy you have given us. We love our beautiful dogs! He is just perfect! My vet said he has never seen a better put together Lab. He is the hit of our community and has to say hello to everyone he meets. Hidden Ponds is just the best place to purchase a Lab. David is so kind and informative. His dogs are gorgeous and well mannered. They treat their dogs with kindness and it shows. They are smart, their costs are beautiful! He has a great personality and is wonderful with the kids! He is lbs and thinks he is a lap dog. We would definitely buy from Dave again!! Lindie is an incredible athlete, as you can see by the photo. Lindie also volunteers at our local hospital in Glens Falls, NY comforting anyone that needs fur therapy! She is an amazing ambassador for the Labrador breed! Thank you! He hiked his first mountains this weekend in the Adirondacks. He is such a wonderful addition to our family and we will be back for a companion for him next year. Read more testimonials Bentley Bentley is almost 4 years old and is absolutely amazing! She is the happiest, cuddliest, wiggliest ball of fur, and I love her more than I can say. She is super smart, very curious, and a little mischievous. She has already learned to walk very well with my wheelchair. Thank you, Hidden Pond! At 9weeks she has accomplished stairs,swimming learned to sit and give paw. Play time and eating remain 1 LOL but,she is full of kisses and love all the time too. My sweet service dog, Rhett, came home in October of and has been the biggest blessing in my life. This breeder not only breeds for confirmation and health but for perfect personality and temperament. They are perfect in every sense of the term responsible breeder. I cannot imagine life without my Labs. And not to mention how welcoming everyone was when we went to pick Rhett up. They care about each puppy they welcome into their home. And they strongly support several forms of care to keep the puppies happy and healthy in their new homes like food and supplements! I cannot thank them enough or recommend them enough!! Savannah Stevens Read more testimonials Chip Chip is a crazy, funny, lovable gem. He is the most gorgeous dog. He has the most regal head. Everyone who sees him stops to tell us what a handsome dog he is. Thank you to Hidden Pond for letting him be ours. We picked her up in early July , and she made our family complete! She is such an amazing dog: sweet, gentle, loving, and playful. It is wonderful to see how much she loves our three young boys. We love how much she loves being outside — especially swimming and playing in the snow. Thank you Dave and your family for bringing her into our lives. She was exactly what our family needed to be complete. She is the sweetest, spunkiest and most wonderful dog we could have asked for. We picked him up this past September. He is a joy, fully housebroken, and so very funny. Everyone who meets him always comment on how handsome he is. He is really beginning to look like his dad, Thunder. He loves walking and meeting all his dog friends in our community. Thanks, David, for this wonderful dog! He has made our house a home again!! She brings so much joy to our home. She is loyal, smart and a lot of fun. She loves going on walks or long hikes in the woods and is a big snuggler in the house. Scout has a very sweet disposition and people comment on what a beautiful girl she is. She enjoys people and dogs of all ages. Thank you Dave, we are enjoying every day with one of your Hidden Pond pups! Courtney Hundley Read more testimonials Raemo This Lab is truly a best friend to everyone that comes his way. Very kind and affectionate. Raemo is now 6 months old and is great with the family, friends and the neighborhood. He is great with other dogs too! David and his Labs are simply the best and worth the wait! Rob Amurao Read more testimonials Daisy We got Daisy in June , but Dave introduced us to her the day she was born; it was love at first sight!!! Dave kept us updated with pictures and short videos as we anxiously awaited the day we could pick her up. She has been an absolute joy in our lives! She is incredibly smart, a sweetheart along with being an active puppy. She was swimming at 10 weeks with our other dogs. She is now 10 months old; everyone she meets loves her. Thank you, Dave, for such an awesome new family member!!! Marilyn Morey Read more testimonials Mabel Mabel is 6 months and we thank you for this blessing. She is a wonderful addition to our family. We love going on adventures with our little girl. Highly recommend and reasonable pricing! He has an amazing temperament, his favorite activities are long walks and swimming! Marlana Broderick Read more testimonials Chip Chip is the best dog we have ever had. He is funny, silly, smart and so handsome. We get stopped on the street every 5 feet. Everyone asks where he is from and tells us how gorgeous he is. Thank you Dave. This photo is with his sister Cocoa. Chip on the left Cocoa on the right. She has such a great personality. Gets along so well with the grandkids ,and so adaptable she took to the crate and house breaking so easily. Accepts new experiences so calmly. Dave has been great to work with a fountain of info. We also went with the dog food he recommended an love the results that we switched our cat to it as well. She is the most beautiful, sweet tempered, smart lab. We could not be happier having her as part of our family. Romy Ziegler.

Cancer Progressive Retinal Atrophy The primary recommendations we make when someone is shopping for Miniature Goldendoodles are fairly standard. Getting your dog the right amount of exercise and keeping them at a healthy weight can prevent many chronic problems and make them overall happier. In addition, taking your dog in for regular checkups, and to stay current on all shots and vaccinations, encourages health as well. One other reason that puppy parents trust Keystone Puppies when looking for Mini Goldendoodles for sale is that we make dog health our top priority! Not only do we only work with responsible breeders that prioritize healthy practices, but we also offer a no-hassle puppy health guarantee. Because they are bred to have the coat qualities of a Poodle, these pups are a popular option for owners looking to adopt a hypoallergenic dog. Their curly coat should be soft to the touch. The signature coat of pretty curls is one of the places where the Poodle ancestry truly shines through. To keep the coat looking its most beautiful, make sure to brush it two to four times per week. Not only is brushing a nice bonding experience for the pup and their person, but it also prevents tangling and matting. Owners can maintain a healthy Goldendoodle coat by bathing them every other month. Meet Mini Goldendoodles for Sale. But, more than just a service, Puppies Golden Doodle is a community of dog lovers whose mission is to make lives better by placing healthy puppies into happy homes. We love the breed and pride ourselves on continually breeding sound and secure companions. Goldendoodles for Adoption Remember, dogs are mans best friend We love the breed and pride ourselves with continually breeding sound and secure companions and lovely dogs. I select compatible bloodlines, and do not simply breed with the flavor of Show winners. The easiest way to adopt a Goldendoodle would be through a rescue that specializes in Goldendoodles. A great place to start would be by starting a breed search on PuppiesGoldenDoodle. The search will show you all the available Goldendoodles in your area. Goldendoodle information Friendly Mini Goldendoodles love both humans and other animals. Small Size Mini Goldendoodles are a smaller size and weight which makes them better suited for apartments and small homes. Trainable With their friendly temperament and intelligence, Mini Goldendoodles are one of the easier breeds to train. They respond well to training that is done consistently and properly, and they soon become accustomed to house rules and expectations. Affectionate Even though they are friendly to strangers, Mini Goldendoodles still have a special bond with their owners. They quickly become attached to people they spend a lot of time with, and they never tire of being with their owners and family. Sociable Mini Goldendoodles love spending time with humans, and they play well with the family and children. No matter what the family is doing, Mini Goldendoodles want to be a part of the action! Grooming Even though they favor the coat of a Poodle, Mini Goldendoodles still require regular care and grooming. Should you be alarmed? Well it really depends. The care and conditions of our dogs are paramount to us. We take pride in raising healthy, happy, quality bred puppies. This is why we offer a lifetime health guarantee. Sept 14, Happy Thursday! Thanks so much for visiting our site! We think that our smaller golden doodles are the perfect family addition! We absolutely love the temperament of golden retrievers, but not so much the size and the shedding. Our goal is to give you a puppy with a great temperament, in a smaller size, without all of the shedding. We would love to help your family adopt one of our mini or toy Goldendoodles. We want to make this process as much fun as we can! Our deposits are refundable for any reason for up to two years. After 18 years of raising mini golden doodles, we have learned that the daily personal interaction with our dogs and the puppies, leads to a more well rounded and well adjusted puppy. We raise F1 mini doodles, F1b mini doodles and F1b toys. For those with more severe allergies, this may be the way to go. .Our minis average pounds and our toys average pounds full grown. You can visit our photo gallery to see pictures of our past and present puppies! There are hundreds and hundreds of pictures in the photo gallery so get comfortable!!! Reach out to us anytime! Our farms have lots of room to run and a creeks to play in! With our kids, our nieces and nephews and extended families, the puppies get lots of love, playtime and socialization. This allows them to be more well adjusted little puppies when they go to their new homes. We have Mini Goldendoodle Puppies Available! Sept 14, We have puppies!! Puppy Picks happen on the day that the puppies get to go home. This is so that families can better see the temperaments of the puppies, making it easier for them to choose the right puppy for their family. Some families are looking for a couch potato, some for a more active doodle to run or hike with. We will for sure help you during the picking process, whether in person or with FaceTime. Families can send a refundable deposit to hold their picking spot on a litter, then come on Puppy Pick Day to choose and take their puppy home. We post new photos in the photo gallery every weekend, so check that out! We wait until that day so that the puppies are old enough to be able to see their little personalities. The deposits are fully refundable for up to 2 years. If families would rather wait on a future litter… they will go on the waiting list. Your puppy can then be driven to you or we can meet you somewhere in between. We can also ship your puppy via American Airlines if the temperature is between 20 and 82 degrees, or we can recommend a flight nanny to fly with your puppy in cabin. You can of course remain on the waiting list longer than two years, if you want to keep passing on litters. .Be sure to contact us for our current pricing. Our mini goldendoodle puppies come with a 2 year health guarantee against genetic issues. Should something arise in those 2 years, we will cover the cost of treatment up to the cost of the puppy. We know that parting with a family member would be impossible… All this said, our mini golden doodles have been so incredibly healthy. Our vet is a HUGE fan of mini doodles. I post fun and exciting things…. You can like our Facebook page where lots of our families are posting great pictures and videos of their puppies in their new homes! There are links to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at the top right corner of this page!! We welcome families to come visit our farm to meet us, the parents and of course the mini goldendoodle puppies. We love to show off how we raise our puppies and how our moms and dads live here, and they of course love meeting new people! Besides that, we know that getting a puppy is a huge deal and getting to see where they come from is very important! Be sure to visit our photo gallery to see hundreds of pictures of our puppies in their new home! You can see the different coats and colors of our puppies and who the parents are of each puppy. Knowing which of our earlier puppies you like helps us to know what you would like your puppy to look like. Be sure to like our Facebook page too! Life Span Did You Know? Although this breed is very popular, it is not currently recognized by the American Kennel Club. As long as they are well-socialized, Miniature Goldendoodles tend to make excellent family companions. They tend to get along well with children, other dogs, and other pets. Although they will alert you of strangers at the door, they tend to warm up quickly as they are more interested in making friends and receiving attention. Mini Goldendoodles are highly adaptable dogs. Their smaller size makes them a great fit for apartment living or for bigger homes with yards where they can run. As long as they get enough daily exercise, mental stimulation, and attention, they can adapt well. These little dogs tend to do well in just about any climate. However, like any dog, they are sensitive to heat. Due to their smaller size, you may need to gear up with some dog-friendly winter gear when temperatures start falling. Because this dog breed is loyal and people-oriented, they love to be in your company and do not like being left alone for long periods of time. This means they can be prone to developing separation anxiety if you do not work with them on it early on. Instead, make sure your new Mini Goldendoodle puppy has an active role in your life. If you do need to leave them alone for a bit, make sure they have some comforting toys or challenging puzzles to keep them from getting bored. Reputable breeders will screen their dogs to avoid passing preventable issues to puppies. Make sure you are asking about the health and genetic history of the parents. You can also ask about any health tests and clearances that have been done. The Mini Goldendoodles is a highly intelligent dog that picks up on things quickly and is eager to please. They tend to be sensitive to tone of voice as well. As long as training is consistent and focused on positive praise and reward, a Mini Goldendoodle will strive to be obedient and impress you and tends to excel at almost any task. These traits make the Mini Goldendoodle one of the best dog breeds for first-time owners and a good fit for owners of all experience levels. Daily brushing is recommended to remove tangles and prevent mats. Bathing is occasional and can often be relegated to the dog groomer that is recommended you visit every weeks. The groomer can help handle some of this during visits, but you will still need to do some maintenance at home between visits. Nail trims once or twice monthly keep nails from growing too long. Weekly ear checks with careful cleanings as needed help prevent ear infections. Daily brushing, plus cleanings at the vet as needed, is good dental care for dogs and can help prevent painful dental diseases later in life. Although the parents of this breed have a lot of energy, a Mini Goldendoodle tends to sit in a more moderate activity range. Daily walks plus some playtime and time to run are usually enough for them. But, they are also likely to match their energy level to yours, so be prepared for some bursts of energy as well as plenty of cuddling on the couch. Fully-grown Mini Goldendoodles usually stand inches tall at the shoulder. A Miniature Goldendoodle puppy can vary in size based on the generation of the dog. The result is generally a dog that will range from pounds. Looking at the size of the parents for an F1 or F1-B puppy can be a good indication of what size to expect in a fully-grown Miniature Goldendoodle. Mini Goldendoodles generally live for years on average. Featured Mini Goldendoodle Article.

Long and brief haired, may special colors and coat patterns! Pets and Animals Pueblo View pictures Bowser needs a new forever home ! Puppies We Have Call for availablity or more information! They have been vet checked, microchipped, and have all of their current. Poodle puppies in Pueblo, CO may span multiple sizes, which range from: Toy Poodles are typically around 6 to 9 pounds. She has such a fun and loving personality. An adorable toy pup, the Shih Tzu is a playful yet gentle breed that is great with children and make for great roommates in homes of all sizes. Small Pets; Sugar Gliders; Male baby sugar glider in need of new home. Home-raised on premium class brand food. Puppies for Sale in Pueblo, Colorado. We've connected loving homes to reputable breeders since and we. Learn more 1, puppies available 1, certified breeders Transportation Location. Pets for Sale in Pueblo, CO. Join millions of people using Oodle to find puppies for adoption, dog and puppy listings, and other pets adoption. Miniature Poodles are typically around 10 to .However, size and weight may vary from puppy to puppy. The typical price for Shih Tzu puppies for sale in Pueblo, CO may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy. All puppies available will come with up to date vaccinations starting at 6 weeks and up. Learn more puppies available certified breeders Transportation Location Color. Find your puppy for sale in Pueblo, CO Puppies. Why buy a puppy for sale if you can adopt and save a life? Look at pictures of puppies in Pueblo who need a home. Gorgeous healthy chihuahua young puppies! Rates Vary. We've connected loving homes to reputable breeders since and we want to help you find the puppy your whole family will love. She likes to be cuddled and loved one. We are located in Pueblo, CO but are willing to deliver within miles for fee. Because all breeding programs are different, you may find dogs for sale outside that price range. No matter what puppy you choose to enrich your life, we wish you the best. I may be so sweet that you want to kiss me, but remember I do not e… more. German Shepherd puppies for sale in Pueblo, CO from trusted …. Puppies for Sale in Pueblo Colorado. Do Poodle puppies come in different sizes? Premier Pups is committed to providing four-legged dog lovers with happy, healthy Yorkshire Terrier puppies for sale near Pueblo, Colorado. Miniature Poodles are typically around 10 to 15 pounds. Poodle puppies for sale in Pueblo, CO from trusted breeders. Learn more 1, puppies available 1, certified breeders Transportation Location Color. They will also have come completed required rounds of dewormer. If you are unable to find your puppy in our Puppy for Sale or Dog for Sale sections, please consider looking thru thousands of Dogs for Adoption. Dogs for Sale in Pueblo, CO. We hope that having you as a satisfied customer will help provide a happy home for each of our puppies. Cowboy Cavaliers by Jewel West. Dachshund puppies for sale in Pueblo, CO from trusted breeders. They may be best known for fancy haircuts and a regal manner, but they're also great athletes and very, very smart. See our available Pomeranian puppies for sale near Pueblo West, Colorado. Pitbull puppy for sale in Pueblo, Colorado. The Shih Tzu is your lap dog. Mom, mini Schnauzer weighs 10 lbs and Dad, Yorkie weighs 7 lbs. She is also very curious about the bigger outdoors world. Our puppy list is always changing and sometimes puppies do not come on the day that we are expecting them to or they are sold before we even get them. How much do Pomeranian puppies cost in Pueblo, CO? The typical price for Pomeranian puppies for sale in Pueblo, CO may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy. They should mature around 10… more. Bingo Blue Collar is brown with white hairs on pad. Rottweiler puppies for sale in Pueblo, CO from trusted breeders. Or willing to drive for delivery within 15 miles. Shes doing well on potty training. At Pet Paradise, all of our puppies come from licensed, regulated breeders. We recommend speaking directly with your breeder to get a better idea of their price range. Each one of our locations has everything you and your new pet will need to get started. If you are unable to find your Labradoodle puppy in our Puppy for Sale or Dog for Sale sections, please consider looking thru thousands of Labradoodle Dogs for Adoption. Puppies for Sale from Pueblo, Colorado Breeders. We carry all the top brands of food and supplies, as well as a large variety of small animals, reptiles, birds, fresh and salt water fish, and puppies. Save this search and we'll notify you when they are. Ultra-petite, the Pomeranian is active, easy to train and enjoys the outdoors, but also loves to curl up on the couch. Their brains, size, and loyalty make them ideal police and service dogs, but they also make great friends. Find Shih Tzu puppies for sale. Looking for a super-cute companion? German Shepherd puppies for sale in Pueblo, CO from trusted. Browse thru our ID Verified puppy for sale listings to find your perfect puppy in your area. Puppies will be a perfect size lap, traveling companion. Dachshunds for Sale in Pueblo, CO. Don't miss what's happening in your neighborhood. Use the search tool below to browse adoptable puppies and adult dogs in Pueblo, Colorado. We recommend speaking directly with. At Premier, our Pomeranian puppies come with a passion for cuddles, love, and a year health guarantee. Prices may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy for sale in Pueblo, CO. Originally raised in Germany to help with hunting, the iconic Dachshund has short little legs and a long body, along with a strong personality. If you have any questions call .If you are unable to find your puppy in our. We provide 6 months genetic warranty for all our puppies. You can find critters such as cats, birds, hamsters, and other exotics, as well as a wide variety of puppies for adoption looking for a new home. Have first two shots, dewormed on schedule, and come with a years health guarantee to be free of any life threatening congenital defects. Labrador Puppies for sale in Pueblo, Colorado. Dachshund puppies for sale in Pueblo, CO from trusted. Puppies for Sale. She does really well with other dogs, though i would recommend bigger dogs. A year health guarantee is in place to back up. Buy, Sell or Adopt Pets in Pueblo. We just arent home enough to get it consistent. We also have a full service grooming salon to give your pup a fresh new stlye. He is an energetic dog so perfect for an active family. We've connected loving homes to reputable breeders since and we want to help you find the puppy your whole family will love. Dogs Located in Colorado Springs. Browse through the Maltese for sale in Colorado Springs and chat with the sellers to learn more about your options, and then make arrangements with the seller to get your new dog home when you find one that fits your needs. Goldendoodles for Sale in Colorado Springs. Prices may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy for sale in Colorado Springs, CO. Uptown Puppies has connections with Cockapoo breeders all over America. Pet City Pet Shops Colorado. Puppies and Dogs near you in Colorado. Don't miss what's happening in your neighborhood. Puppies For Sale. Text XXXX for more info! He is soft and cuddly with warm ki… more. Our Pug puppies are raised in a family environment and interacted with daily to prepare them for a smooth transition to their new homes. Sweet, fluffy, and completely adorable, Pomeranian puppies are here to reward your love with joy and blissful companionship. No matter where your pup is coming from, we can make it easy for you to adopt your new best friend. Louis, Colorado Springs veterinarian and her family of 7 have raised hypoallergenic schnauzer puppies and now poodle and schnoodle babies. See our available Pomeranian puppies for sale near Colorado Springs, Colorado. He loves to play with other dogs and with toys. Find and adopt a pet on Petfinder today. Puppies for Sale in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They come vaccinated and examined by a veterinarian. We recommend speaking directly with your breeder to get a better idea of their price range. They are current on vaccinations, worming and health check. Browse thru our ID Verified puppy for sale listings to find your perfect puppy in your area. Learn more Transportation Location Price Gender. Cockapoo puppies for sale in Colorado Springs, CO from trusted …. If you're looking for a Cockapoo and there are none near you, don't worry. Search for dogs for adoption at shelters near Colorado Springs, CO. Pug puppies for sale in Colorado Springs, CO from trusted …. Pugs for adoption in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area come with a year health guarantee. She has a lively personality and plenty of spunk! Our Shih Tzus are raised with passion and care by. Colorado Springs has the best! Cockapoos are one of the smartest dog breeds! Poodles and Cocker Spaniels are two of the most intelligent dog breeds, so when you mix them together, their puppies are bound to be just as smart! Cockapoos are quick learners and they love to please their owners, making them the perfect pup for training. Labrador Retrievers for Sale in Colorado Springs. The Adoption Center will open at 12 p. English Bulldogs in Colorado We've been breeding English Bulldogs since , and all of our pups are raised right here in our home in Colorado. Boxer puppies for sale in Colorado Springs, CO from trusted breeders. The puppies and their parents receive the best care with regular grooming and health inspections. Boxers for Sale in Colorado Springs. Barney is a hoot! Each puppy is trained, evaluated and handled with the utmost care as members of our family. Pet Classifieds CO Colorado. Despite their tiny size, they have the biggest hearts. These beautiful, foxlike pups thrive in a setting where love and cuddles are plentiful. Dogs for Sale in Colorado Springs. We feed a premium diet and put a lot of thought, care and passion into everything we do with our dogs. Puppies For Sale in Colorado Springs .Our Ads are always free! If you are looking for puppies and dogs for sale or adoption in areas other than Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins or Colorado please use the search box! Yorkshire Terriers for Sale in Colorado Springs. Pet Classifieds Colorado Springs. Boxer puppies for sale in Colorado Springs, CO from trusted …. Each one of our locations has. Beagles for Sale in Colorado Springs. The typical price for Poodle puppies for sale in Colorado Springs, CO may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy. Beautiful Lilac French Bulldog Puppies. Pugs are true joy bringers from the moment they are born. Join millions of people using Oodle to find puppies for adoption, dog and puppy listings, and other pets adoption. Once the companions of Chinese royalty, their distinct faces are complemented by sweet demeanors. Puppies for Sale from Colorado Breeders. We've set up an unparalleled network of proven breeders and vetted businesses with pups for sale. We've connected loving homes to reputable breeders since and we want to help. You can find critters such as cats, birds, hamsters, and other exotics, as well as a wide variety of puppies for adoption looking for a new home. She has had only one owner her entire 7 years. If you are looking for puppies and dogs for sale or adoption in areas other than Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins or Colorado please. Here, at Premier Pups, we align ourselves with the nation's most reputable and responsible breeders to offer you happy and healthy Shih Tzu puppies for adoption near Colorado Springs. Maltipoo Breeders in Colorado CO. More on Oodle Classifieds Oodle Classifieds is a great place to find used cars, Pueblo: On Thursday, March 9, Admissions services will be closed from 10 a. Every puppy buyer should start here! Colorado Springs is the second-most populous city and the most. For out-of-state customers, we have nationwide delivery options tailored to every need. The typical price for Shetland Sheepdog puppies for sale in Colorado Springs, CO may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy. More on Oodle Classifieds Oodle Classifieds is a great place to find used cars, used motorcycles, used RVs, used boats, apartments for rent, homes for sale, job listings, and local businesses. English Bulldogs in Colorado. When you find a French Bulldog for sale Colorado Springs, you will need to give it a regular brush to keep its coat in good condition. Because all breeding programs are different, you may find dogs for sale outside that price range. Colorado Springs, CO .Find your puppy for sale in Colorado Springs, CO. We do a few select litters each year. Exclusive shipping offer available. Please be cautious of these websites as there are breeding facilities called puppy mills that sell cheap dogs that come from poor living conditions. Boxer puppies for sale can live to be years old, so an owner needs to be prepared to care for a pup for its lifetime. Conway is a month old mixed breed pup. The puppies are 8 weeks old and ready to go to their forever home! All 3 are females 2 brown, and 1 brindle. Looking for Boxer puppies? Lancaster Puppies has Boxers for sale! They're the best dogs for kids. Boxer puppies in Odessa, TX. Tags: Boxer puppies boxer boxer puppies for sale in Pensacola boxer puppies for sale in Milton florida. These puppies come from breeders who offer safe. See below our list of real reputable Boxer breeders in Texas and the prices these breeders charge for their puppies. Find Boxer puppies for sale Despite their light and fun-loving nature, the Boxer is a hardworking, versatile, and vigilant breed that is incredibly loyal to their family. All our puppies will be sold only to homes that understand the healthcare and needs of a boxer. We recommend speaking directly with your breeder to get a better idea of their price range. Boxer puppies for sale in Phoenix, AZ from trusted breeders. Browse 5 Boxer puppies for sale. Available puppies Certified breeders. Breeds: Boxer. The Average Cost of a Boxer Puppy. Boxer puppies for sale can. Boxer puppies for sale in Nebraska from trusted breeders. Boxer Puppies for Sale in PA. And What …. All puppies found here are from AKC-Registered parents. Find Boxer puppies for sale Near New Mexico Despite their light and fun-loving nature, the Boxer is a hardworking, versatile, and vigilant breed that is incredibly loyal to their family. Many people who do not know the breed or have never owned a Boxer will often ask us this and question. Boxer Mix Puppies For Sale. Beautiful litter of red and white boxer puppies with Bobtail and Tail. Showing 1 - 19 of 25, results. Find your Boxer puppy for sale. The Molossus blood makes the hardworking Boxer dog courageous, bright, and alert. Boxers are upbeat, playful family dogs that have earned a reputation for being protective guardians or watchdogs and silly, bright-eyed, affectionate companions for children. Boxer puppies in Pueblo, CO. Boxer puppies for sale in New Mexico from trusted breeders. Boxer puppies in Colorado Springs, CO. I have 3 Boxer puppies left from the past liter. Full European boxer puppies health tested, gentle temperament, proven foundation lineage. Boxer Puppies for Sale. Find Puppies and Breeders in your area and helpful information. Leash and Collar: Boxer puppies require leashes and collars that are sturdy and durable enough to endure their active lifestyles. Boxer puppies in Security-Widefield, CO. Champion Parents Labrador Retriever Puppies. What is the average cost of Boxer puppies in Phoenix, AZ? Prices may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy for sale in Phoenix, AZ. Check out the Boxer puppies for sale we currently have in our stores. Click the following link for available pups. Boxer puppies for sale from trusted breeders. Conway is in NH and available for adoption. Puppies for Sale. Boxer Dog Cost? They have all been through 2 rounds of worm medicine and completed their first round of vaccinations a couple if weeks ago. You have found your new baby boy. Boxers for Sale in Manchester, NH. And What Determines The Price. Kennel Name: Harvest View Boxers. This litter has at least one dog. Boxer puppies for sale in Arkansas from trusted breeders. We raise quality bred pups in a family environment. A white female from two champion. From the Boxer side, potential health conditions include degenerative myelopathy, thyroid deficiency, hip dysplasia, and heart conditions. Find Boxer puppies for sale Near Nebraska Despite their light and fun-loving nature, the Boxer is a hardworking, versatile, and vigilant breed that is incredibly loyal to their family. Personality Traits: Playful, curious, energetic. Kennel Name: Booty Wags Boxers. Since many regard the Boxer as an ideal family dog, you may find a number of places that sell them online. Champion bloodine boxer puppies for sale. Boxer puppies in Midland, TX. If there are none here, please. He is social and plays well with other dogs. Boxer puppies for sale What can I expect to pay for a Boxer puppy near me?

He was found as an extremely emaciated stray who needed somewhere to go before a big storm was about to hit the area. Tommy is a handsome boy who is all white except for his brown left ear. What a unique looking pup! He absolutely adores people and loves attention. Tommy knows basic commands and has done a fantastic job with leash training. He is crate-trained and housebroken. Tommy loves treats and is very food motivated which helps with his training. Likely because of his time trying to survive on the streets, Tommy can be dog reactive. He has worked on this and can now tolerate other dogs in a limited capacity; slow introductions are recommended. He has a strong prey drive, so no small dogs, cats or other types of animals please. Tommy will do best as an only pet. Tommy does guard food. He is fed his meals in his crate so he knows he is safe while he eats. He does great with treats though! He will do best with older children he can goof around with that will also play nicely with him. Tommy would thrive in a home with a savvy handler that can give him a job, practice his training, help him feel safe and grow his confidence. Tommy is a male, 4-year-old, 60 lb. He is up to date on vaccines, neutered and in great health! Tommy is currently being fostered in Hampton, VA while he waits for a loving home of his own. Please complete an adoption application at operationsaveashelterdog. Havanese Source: American Kennel Club But the comical and generally friendly little dogs can also fetch big bucks, leading them to be the target of multiple "dognapping" thefts, both on Long Island and across the country. Get the Breaking News newsletter! Get the latest breaking news as it happens. Sign up By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. The pound, 4-year-old purebred was later found wandering a street in Center Moriches , more than 30 miles away. Hours after Stella was reunited with her grateful owners, Zushi, a 3-month-old male French bulldog, was stolen during a burglary at a home in Bay Shore. The next day, Zushi was dropped off safely at an animal hospital in Coram. There have been no arrests in either theft. In July, a French bulldog and six of her puppies were stolen from a Shirley home while the owner, a dog breeder, slept, Suffolk police said. They included the theft of the bulldogs. The French bulldog mother was recovered from a dog shelter, prosecutors said, although the six puppies were not recovered. In Nassau, in , two French bulldogs were stolen from stores, said Nassau police spokesman Det. Richard LeBrun. They require artificial insemination and [caesarean] sections. Gross advises French bulldog owners to keep their pooches off social media, no matter how cute they may be.

Some of these you can help prevent, while others are out of your immediate control. If your GSD carries the genes for ears that lie down, instead of standing erect, then more than likely they will have floppy ears. This means they may have ears that never stand up and are floppy for life. Breeding Some breeders choose to pair parents that both have large, erect ears. And some buyers and owners prefer this larger style of ears for show or aesthetic purposes. But, there is some theory that breeding a German Shepherd with larger and larger ears might contribute to ears that stay flopped over. Always see the parents of the puppy you buy from the breeder on the premises to see their appearance. Physical Damage or Accidents Puppies are active and mischievous and can get into plenty of trouble. This includes physical damage or accidents that have the cartilage or muscles in their ears. If this happens their ears may suffer long-term damage and not stand up naturally on their own. So watch out for a rough play that might lead to ear damage. And, if your pup has been in an accident that hurt their ears, take them immediately to the vets. Improper and Poor Nutrition German Shepherds need balanced nutrition during crucial growing stages, including vitamins and minerals that aid in cartilage and muscle development of their ears. You should ensure your dog gets the right nutrition from the start to avoid any issues. Along with Vitamin D, calcium helps strengthen the cartilage to aid in building a strong foundation for the ears to stand up later. Neglecting Ear Cleaning Puppies still need ear cleaning when dirt and build-up are overly present. Dirty ears that become neglected can inhibit proper growth and cause discomfort for your dog, causing them to excessively scratch their ears which can cause damage. This could cause them more harm! Instead, wipe away the dirt from the skin of the ear with a warm, damp washcloth or use special ear cleaning wipes. A dog with one floppy ear and one ear upright is totally normal. Occasionally, your German Shepherd might have one floppy ear and one ear standing upright. If they are a small puppy then they are most likely growing and the one ear down still needs time to go upright naturally. These are some of the best techniques that will help their ears to stand up. They only need to sit inside the ear enough to support cartilage growth. Make sure you check for any creases or folds in their ears before moving on to the next step. Repeat in the other ear. Make a Popsicle Support Now, take the popsicle sticks and place them at the top of the foam rollers both ears should have foam rollers in them at this point. You might need another pair of hands to help with this, so ask your family or friends to help. Take the self-adhering waterproof tape and place a medium-size piece across and around the two foam rollers and popsicle sticks. This ensures even and symmetrical growth. Make a bridge across their ears instead. If your German Shepherd puppy is 9 months old and their ears still flop over, please see your vet for further assistance. When in doubt, get your vet to show you what to do for their ears. Your puppy might become annoyed with the tape on their ears, so they may need close supervision and even some distraction during the taping process. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a German Shepherd that has floppy ears and putting them at risk to have any unnecessary surgery to get their ears to stand up can cause them pain. Speak to your vet about the side effects and pain associated with ear implants. You can help prevent floppy ears in your dog by taking the appropriate steps to keep them healthy. The top ways to help a GSD with floppy ears include: 1. Feed them a high-quality food Giving your dog the proper nutrition for optimum growth is a necessity, especially when they are puppies and growing rapidly. Choose a puppy food with the correct ratio of nutrients and vitamins to ensure they get the correct building blocks for development. When you choose to give them treats, pick ones from this list of the best healthy dog treats for German Shepherd puppies. Provide them with the proper chew toys Chewing helps to strengthen the muscles that surround the ears. Or worse… Injure them. Learn to play and discipline a German Shepherd puppy the right way to avoid accidental ear injuries or damage. German Shepherds with ears that are floppy are a joy to own, no matter their age! Floppy ears are adorable and give your dog even more character. Go on, and find out what makes your companion the happiest dog on the planet! She has a Bachelor of Science degree, with Honors, and has been training dogs for over a decade. Related Posts. A thick-bellied and thick-legged cub of a Shepherd color with a long tail and dense fur can only be finally classified as purebred when the ears of a German Shepherd puppy stand up. The ears of a true German Shepherd are, according to the standard, erect, of the medium size, set high, with the ends directed forward and up, and not adjacent to the skull on both sides, even when a Shepherd dog is in motion or presses its ears or lowers them in a calm position. When German Shepherd ears stand up when excited, the distance between their highest points tips should visually equal the width of the auricle. Since the range of frequencies heard by a dog is much higher than that of a human, a German Shepherd determines the source of the sound and its direction and location instantly and accurately due to such an auricle at a distance of m depending on the pitch of the sound. Moreover, a Shepherd can hear the peals of thunder or the sound of a working chainsaw at a distance of km. The lowest sound for a human is 16 Hz, while the highest one is 20 thousand Hz. The upper limit of frequency fluctuations perceived by a GS dog as a sound is thousand Hz. Clear hearing is especially important for a German Shepherd as for a dog with high service qualities and no less high requirements for its work. Sensitive ears allow not only for relying on a Shepherd dog as an excellent guard but also for guiding it at great distances, giving commands at frequencies that are not perceived by the human ear or in an undertone. Their small ears are also imperfect — they are rather soft due to the underdeveloped cartilage that makes up the auricle. That is why there are separate German Shepherd puppy ears stages when they start standing up. The cartilaginous plate is covered on both sides with a layer of thin connective tissue that provides the main cartilage with growth and nutrition and is called the perichondrium. The perichondrium, on the contrary, is dotted with mini-hematopoietic capillaries and blood vessels. Through them, the cartilage receives necessary substances for its growth and compaction with the help of conventional diffusion literally, penetration by contact. In the same way, the ear cartilage of a GS dog is built on, and the perichondrium has semi-stem cells which, like bricks, are built into the cartilage tissue. Cartilage cells, in turn, produce collagen and elastin. This is due to the active work of all parts of the auricle cartilage and perichondrium. Up to 4 months, cartilage tissues are especially active, but by the fifth month, the growth of elastic layers and the embedding of stem cells decreases. Having reached a certain density, ear growth slows down, and in a short time, it almost diminishes. The metabolism in the auricle becomes so low that visually the ear seems to no longer grow. However, limited living processes in it continue throughout life. Otherwise, it would be impossible to restore the tissues of the German Shepherd puppy ears in case of damage. To do this, you need to feed the puppy a balanced diet with enough calcium and phosphorus. Excess calcium and phosphorus can adversely affect the formation of the ear cartilage and the development of the musculoskeletal system of a German Shepherd. We must not forget about the composition of the blood because it is the main food for the growth and strengthening of the cartilage plate due to the diffuse contact with it via the perichondrium. Not only nutrition but also the obligatory physical activity of a German Shepherd puppy, both at home and on walks , help improve the blood supply to the perichondrium. Under such keeping conditions, the ears of the Shepherd stand up on time and additional actions on the part of an owner are not required. The optimal age when the ears should stand up is 5 months. Do not be afraid if the ears are 1. This sometimes happens. You need to worry if the puppy is already 8 months old, and the ears still do not rise. If at the age of 12 months, the ears are still not on top, the question of a purebred puppy will emerge. Teeth and Ears It often happens that at 2- 3 months the ears of a Shepherd stood up, and at 4 they fell one or two at once This is a normal process associated with the change of teeth, when the body mobilizes all the microelements to build a strong dental system, pulling phosphorus and calcium front he cartilage in this direction. At the same time, the drooping ears should stand up. Hurry up! After a year, hopes to put up ears in a German Shepherd are melting exponentially. There may be, for example, a birthing crease, subluxation, or hematoma as a result of injury to the ear canal. Has your dog ever had ear infections or other ear problems? They can involve inflammation of the middle ear, otodectosis, or a forest tick attack. Have you noticed any allergic reactions in your pet? It may be allergic to dairy products or antibiotics. If antibiotics or immunomodulators were used, what did your dog get sick with, and how often? Infectious diseases significantly inhibit the development of a Shepherd dog and slow down growth and physiological formation, including cartilage tissues. The latter is in charge of whether the ears of a GS puppy will stand up or it will remain floppy-eared. In what conditions is the young Shepherd kept? When living in an aviary, a dog must have a warmed booth in winter to avoid hypothermia of the ears, leading to spasms of small vessels of the perichondrium and a dense canopy from the sun in summer — overheating also leads to spasms. Do you walk and talk enough to your dog? Each age demands its own supplements developed for puppies, and they are also divided by the size of the dogs: small, medium, and large dogs. The German Shepherd is a large breed! This is one of the most common problems in pedigree dogs, including German Shepherds. Diseases associated with the imbalance of hormones lead to problems with the immune system and prevent the body from proper formations of all organs and their functions. Overfeeding a German Shepherd as well as underfeeding leads to a deficiency of micro-and macroelements, which highly contributes to the timely formation of cartilage tissues by the age when the Shepherd should raise its ears. Have there been any stressful situations? Cortisol, a stress hormone, activates a defense mechanism that blocks the production of new cells including semi-stem cells in cartilage tissues , reduces blood flow, and forms a negative calcium balance in the body of a Shepherd dog. Very often, this problem is transmitted at the genetic level, and your German Shepherd floppy ears can be a result of it. When was the last vaccination administered? After vaccination, the body of a GS dog begins the active formation of immunity. The process requires the consumption of microelements and vitamins for biochemical reactions, so their deficiency is formed, similar to the condition after an illness. How often do you pet your puppy on the head? At your touch, the Shepherd dog instinctively lays its ears back, getting used to keeping them folded lengthwise from the base to the top. The result will be an acquired crease or scar along with the entire ear that keeps the German Shepherd ears down, and this will require cartilage adjustment. If the doctor sees it necessary, your pet will have to take a blood test, undergo an ultrasound, and possibly take some x-rays. Treatment Based on the results of the examination, the doctor will prescribe medicines most often — flavonoids, vitamins, glucosamine, calcitonin, thyroxine, iodine, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, and magnesium , which normalize the composition of the blood and add the necessary building material to the body. It is important to carry out all the medicinal prescriptions under the supervision of a veterinarian. An overabundance of any element can lead to a deterioration in the general condition of the pet and its ears in particular. In addition to medication, the doctor will most likely prescribe an ear massage at home. The massage procedure is not complicated — knead the ear from the base to the very tip between the thumb and forefinger, helping to improve blood supply, for about 5 minutes, times a day. Be careful with the place where the ear is attached to the head! This place does not need to be kneaded, only the auricle itself! Though, the most favorable result will not be long in coming — the ears of Shepherd dogs stand up in just a week or two. It is worse if the veterinarian makes a diagnosis of the atypical defect of the ear cartilage. What does it mean? Is it safe for the health of the Shepherd? And is it possible to put ears on a puppy with such a diagnosis? Atypical Cartilage and Ways to Eliminate Consequences Atypical cartilage is a defect in the development of the ear cartilage, resulting from a damaged structure of ear tissues, and their inability to support the ear in an upright position. This often occurs in young dogs after the ears have stood up, and then an ear or even two has fallen off. The same picture can be observed in old Shepherd dogs — the ear or both fall off and then rise again. The reason is the same — deformation of the ear cartilage due to long years of life at old age. However, with the old GSs, it will no longer be possible to return the ears to a stable standing position. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to correct the position of the young German Shepherd ears — they need to be glued, allowing the cartilage to recover. Gluing is nothing more than the necessary support for the intensive synthesis of elastin a connective protein in tissues and its uniform growth over the entire area of the ear cartilage. Properly glued ears do not allow creases or folds, never stretch scars, and make it possible to fill these creases with full-fledged elastin within 1. In this case, the puppy or young GS should be given maintenance vitamin supplements containing gelatin. Good results are also provided by a steep bone jelly or soaked food gelatin, 1 tbsp before every feeding. Adding bone meal and sea fish to the diet is a good solution, too! Taping Ears Correctly Since when is it worth starting the taping process? Until months of age, cartilage correction is unlikely to be needed. It is better to use the support in the form of massage and, possibly, a garter to put two ears together from months of age so that they take the correct position on the head. Feel the ear from its base to tip. If a crease or scar is found, you need to tape the ear urgently! You can watch some videos to see how to tape German Shepherd ears correctly. To correct one non-standing ear if the cartilage is even and of good density, without creases and scars, you can resort to a cardboard or plastic insert that maintains the ear in the desired position. Watch some videos to see how to do that. In any case, do not despair! 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. Suffice to say that the dog has come a long way from its herding roots. Part of that perfect picture we have of these pups is the erect position of their ears. It gives them the qualities we associate with the breed, such as intelligence and confidence. Floppy ears strike us as a disconnect. These dogs have a dense coat that puts a lot of weight on their ears, relatively speaking. Also, large breeds like the German Shepherd mature more slowly than smaller dogs. It could just be a matter of time. That fact will come into play with the availability and price of the dog. It may have a disqualifying trait , such as floppy ears. This characteristic has a genetic component. Injury or Trauma Damaged the Cartilage Puppies sometimes play rough. They bite at each other, and sometimes the ears get the brunt of it. That often translates into slower healing times. Some manufactures produce tailor-made foods for specific breeds , such as the German Shepherd. That can go a long way to helping your dog recovering from an injury. It can interfere with air circulation in the ear canals, setting up the perfect storm for infections or mites. These conditions are horribly uncomfortable for your pup. Left untreated, it can cause a hematoma or swelling. This condition requires veterinary treatment. Several options exist, from aspirating or draining it to surgery. The best prevention is avoiding the conditions that caused the ear discomfort in the first place. All German Shepherds have floppy ears as puppies. The difference depends on when they start to change and stand up into their adult position. It can take several months. However, the number of adult dogs with floppy ears is about one in five. That may get its ears standing upright quicker. Taping the ears is usually part of the healing process when dogs get their ears cropped. The other concern is doing the procedure correctly. That could lead to ear trauma or a bowel obstruction if it swallows the materials. We suggest that you have your veterinarian do the job if you want to go this route. Final Thoughts The upright ears are an essential feature of the striking pose of the German Shepherd. Nature often has her plan for when that will happen in a puppy. Sometimes, it takes longer in pups with thicker fur or large ears. Healthy nutritional support will help the cartilage develop stronger and quicker. In the meantime, patience is the key. See also:. A common misconception that many people have is that German Shepherds have cropped ears that account for their erect posture. It often surprises some people to learn that the AKC standard calls for naturally erect, not cropped ears. GSD puppies are born with floppy ears set against the side of the head. As puppies mature, their ears usually start to stand up naturally. However, for various reasons, some dogs have ears that stay floppy. You can reasonably expect erect ears by around eight months old. This is because calcium that would generally nourish the ears is reallocated to the teeth during this time. You can expect the ears to become erect after the teething stops , around 20 weeks. After a puppy is no longer teething, they will start retaining enough cartilage in the ears to help hold them up. GSDs ears are heavier than they appear, and the cartilage must be sufficient to help keep that position. A sign of ears likely to stay erect are ears that become pointy once they start to stand. If your puppy reaches four or five months without any sign of the ears standing up, you might need to give them some help. When the ears are not erect by around seven or eight months, they will more than likely retain a floppy position. It is not something that is going to happen overnight. If you notice that your pup can prick their ears up or even just the tips of their ears by the time they are four to five months old, the chances are that the ears are developing normally and should become pointed without any intervention. The best thing to do is to keep your hands off their ears and avoid bending, rubbing, or folding their ears. If you notice that your German Shepherd is shaking their head a lot or scratching at their ears, it may be their attempt to relieve some kind of minor itchiness or irritation. However, if you notice that the head-shaking persists, then you should be concerned, especially as your pup grows. Any trauma to their ears before they reach four to five months of age can affect the cartilage and cause the ears to remain floppy rather than erect. Aural Haematoma: this is a blood blister found on the outer skin of the ear and can appear swollen. This condition is often the result of trauma due to vigorous ear shaking or a dog fight. However, if they are more serious, they will need to be removed surgically, and this can sometimes include the removal of part or all of the ear canal. If not, your pup will continue shaking their head and scratching, which can cause further injury and trauma to their ears. Skin Allergies: The head shaking and scratching may also be due to an allergy. For this, you may have to use antibiotics, antihistamines, or put your pup on a low allergy diet to treat their ears. For more information on avoiding dog ear infections and what to look for regarding causes and treatments, visit AKC. One of the more recognizable features of the German Shepherd dog breed is their large, erect ears and stoic expression. However, a lesser-known fact is that a German Shepherd puppy is born with floppy ears. So, how do you know what kind of ears your German Shepherd will have? The ears should also be pointed. If you got your German Shepherd from a reputable dog breeder, you could expect that their ears will stand erect after they are done teething. However, if you acquired your puppy from a puppy mill or there were less than desirable breeding practices or health problems, then your adult dog may end up with droopy ears. German Shepherd Ears Chart Although there is an official breed standard, in reality, German Shepherds have different types of ears, from ears that are set too high or too low to ears that are too large, asymmetrical, or too small. Some dogs even have ears pointing outwards or inwards or tilting one way. Overall, as you can see in our German Shepherd Ears Chart , there are at least 12 different types of German Shepherd ear shapes. Blood flow into the cartilage will likely increase when you do this, helping the ears keep their shape. Proper cleaning will help prevent infections that can be painful and costly to treat. Make sure you have a towel handy as you drop the ear cleaner into their ear. The towel can be used to clean up any mess as well as massage the ear cleaner solution in and around the ears. You can then use a cotton ball to remove any dirt or excess liquid. Chew Toys Sturdy chew toys will not only help keep your puppy busy but can also play a role in exercising the muscles supporting both the ears and jaws. Chewing helps with teething while also exercising their jaw and neck, and head muscles. Quality Diet The food that you feed your puppy should have high-quality, nutritious ingredients. Foods free from both wheat and corn are some of the best choices. You should also discuss supplementation with your veterinarian. Glucosamine, for example, helps to lubricate joints and supports healthy cartilage. For example, hearing certain noises that attract their attention or hearing their name can make them prick up their ears. Take advantage of this situation by praising them and providing a treat when they prick up their ears in response to this type of stimulus. They will associate pricking their ears up with getting a reward. Regularly Check for Parasites You also want to regularly check your dog out for parasites and ear mites. In addition, tapeworms and roundworms take away the essential nutrients your German Shepherd pup needs, which can ultimately cause poor health and other deficiencies. An ear mite infection can also cause your dog to itch, which causes them to shake their head excessively. Cartilage is extremely fragile and is prone to damage. If the cartilage becomes damaged, it can prove impossible for the ears to stand erect. However, keep in mind, this is invasive and does require your dog to go under anesthesia. They will also require pain medication following the surgery, and there will be a lengthy recovery time. Discuss Options with Your Vet You may want to consider having your vet make sure nothing is going on, like an ear infection. Some German Shepherds come from lines that carry genes that lead to floppier ears. Unfortunately, when genetics is the cause, there is little that owners can do aside from being more conscientious about ear health, which is a more significant concern in floppy-eared dogs. Many dogs from show lines, in particular, have larger ears that require more cartilage while the dog is growing to help support a more upright position. In many cases, these dogs will not have ears that stay upright. Broken Ear Cartilage German Shepherds can also end up with permanently floppy ears as a result of broken ear cartilage. This can happen in GSDs for a variety of reasons, including: Injuries. Well, there are a few different possible explanations. Causes can vary from age-related to genetic and medical issues. All puppies are born with soft, floppy ears. This is because the cartilage and muscles in their ears have not developed yet. Although some breeds, like Spaniels and Poodles, always have floppy ears, others, like most Shepherd breeds , almost always have pointy, pricked, upright ones. In such breeds, their ears should start to stand up between weeks of age as the bones and muscles in their bodies develop and strengthen. Are they both floppy — or is only one of them drooping whilst the other stands up normally? Teething Several young puppies experience floppy ears during teething. Teething is a period that all infant mammals go through, in which their baby or milk teeth fall out and their adult teeth grow in. It starts at around three weeks old and ends at months of age, although it can take longer. So, their bodies may draw calcium out of other areas, such as the ears, weakening their skeletal structure and making them flop. You may even notice that their ears look different every day during this period. They might be up-right one day, then floppy the next, or even change throughout the day depending on their mood. Their ears will return back to their original shape as soon as their hormones calm down. Although most German Shepherds have up-right ears, some can have floppy or semi-pricked ones. Judges of dog shows and competitions also often look for large ears in the breed. Poor nutrition during puppyhood As mentioned above, calcium is needed to develop and strengthen the cartilage in the ears in order for them to stand up. Vitamin D is also needed to keep bones healthy and strong. This is especially common in rescue dogs that come from puppy farms, homelessness, and neglectful backgrounds. Always buy from reputable breeders! Other symptoms of calcium and vitamin D deficiencies include muscle spasms and joint issues. If severe, nutrient deficiencies can be deadly. Both conditions require urgent veterinary attention, and treatments will likely include special diets and supplements. Similar to malnutrition, this is common in dogs that come from a background of neglect or homelessness. A build-up of wax, debris, or dirt can make the ears heavy and cause them to droop. Poor hygiene As we mentioned above, poor ear hygiene can lead to drooping of the ears. It can also lead to smelliness and infection. All dogs have self-cleaning mechanisms in their ears. However, allergies and hormone imbalances can cause disruptions to the mechanisms, meaning they require some extra care. Dogs can be allergic to environmental allergens like pollen, household cleaning products, and foods like wheat and dairy. Other symptoms of allergies can include skin irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny noses and eyes, and stomach upsets. Each has different symptoms, but they often include drastic changes in energy, coat, thirst, appetite, and weight. German Shepherds are also particularly prone to experiencing hormonal disorders. Ear mites Another cause of ear drooping in German Shepherds is ear mites. Ear mites can be picked up outdoors, or from coming into contact with another animal with the condition. The inflammation from the infestation can cause droopiness in the affected ear. Other symptoms include excessive itchiness, and redness, bleeding, and swelling from the constant scratching. If left untreated, the infestation can cause disease, which can lead to hearing loss and balance issues. Infection Ear infections can be bacterial or fungal, and they can affect both the inner or outer ear. They are most often picked up after exposure to water, and the inflammation can cause the affected ear to droop. Other symptoms can include redness, swelling, irritation, discharge, and excessive head shaking or scratching at the ear. Vets can treat ear infections with antibacterial or antifungal medications, but they need to be treated quickly before they spread or cause permanent damage. Trauma Physical trauma to the ears can also cause them to droop. The most common trauma that causes changes to the shape of the ears in German Shepherds are bites from fighting with other dogs. If your dog has a visible injury to their ear, you should take them to see their vet to check it over and dress any wounds to prevent infection. Make sure to brush your GSD regularly, also around the head and ears — these dogs shed heavily! You can get these over-the-counter at your vet, online, or in a pet store. You can also use a few drops of olive oil for wax build-up, but not too much. To administer, get a towel and ask your dog to lie down in a comfortable place in the home. Then, massage the mase of their ears for around 30 seconds to help it loosen any wax or dirt. Finally, allow your dog to shake their head and use the towel to catch what comes out. That said, if they have particularly problem ears, you should ask your vet and do it however often they suggest, which could be weekly or monthly. However, this is very controversial. It is not yet illegal in the USA, but it is also not something that we would recommend outside of medical necessity, as it can be unnecessarily stressful and painful for dogs. The method known as taping is done by placing something, usually tape, inside the ear to make it stand up straight and grow into that position permanently. It can be effective when done during puppyhood and usually takes weeks to work. As we mentioned above, nutritional deficiencies can cause the ears to flop. Puppies should eat nutritionally complete and balanced food that is enriched with calcium, vitamin D, and DHA for healthy bone and brain development, as well as high-quality protein sources like chicken and fish for strong muscles, and tasty, fiber-rich fruits and veggies. All puppies should have a handful of strong, hardy chew toys to avoid being destroyed during teething, but they can also help the ears to stand up. This is because the ears are connected to the jaw. So, strong jaw muscles means stronger ears, too! Finally, you should avoid playing too rough with your pup and interacting with boisterous dogs to prevent accidents and traumas, which, as we mentioned above, could damage or change the shape of their ears. Dogs communicate with us owners in many ways; they bark, they growl, and they use their bodies. Body language is a key part of understanding how your dog is feeling. Dogs use their entire bodies to communicate; including their tails, their eyes, and their ears! This often happens when a suspicious stranger or an unknown or unfriendly dog is approaching, or when there is a strange noise inside the home. When their ears go back or downwards, it could simply mean that they are listening, or it could indicate either excitement or anxiety. Excited dogs may whine, wag their tails very quickly, and run towards what they are excited about. This happens a lot when dogs are greeting a loved one. An anxious dog, on the other hand, may lower their head and cower their bodies away from what is causing their anxiety. If they are frightened, they may also tremble and whine, and if they are feeling angry or threatened, they may show their teeth and growl. This can happen when a dog is exposed to a phobia or an aggressive dog. It can be difficult to determine exactly how a mixed dog will look. Different pups from the same litter can also present with different traits from their siblings. That said, certain traits, like short hair, for example, are genetically dominant and therefore will be passed on over others, like long hair, which is genetically recessive. Dominant traits are those that require only one copy of a specific gene for the trait to be passed down to a pup. Recessive traits, on the other hand, need two copies; one from each parent. So, which is dominant; pricked or floppy ears? The answer is — floppy ears! Floppy ears are genetically dominant to pricked ears in dogs. That said, different ear shapes in dogs does tend to reflect their original working purpose. For example, the Spaniel, a gun dog, has floppy ears that gather and hold scent particles. This helped them track down what they were looking for much faster back in the day. German Shepherds, on the other hand, along with other wolf-like breeds, such as the Siberian Husky , have pricked, pointed ears. This is thought to aid their hearing during guard work, keep their body temperature under control during strenuous hunts, and give them an alert look to ward off predators. This may be why people are statistically more likely to perceive dogs with pricked ears as more threatening, according to research conducted by James Madison University, USA, in .This is not necessarily true, however, as any dog lover will know. It is likely down to something old and instinctual, as they also discovered that people perceived coat colors differently, too. The type of ears that a dog has can affect their hearing. Whether a dog has pricked ears or floppy ears, they have 18 different muscles that control them to funnel sounds from all different directions. A healthy-hearing dog of any kind can still hear from 40 to 60, hertz, which is more than double what human ears can hear! Starting out just training her own Border Collies, she gradually expanded to local classes and seminars, now she travels as far as Europe and teaches students all over the world on how to train their dogs in a positive, bonding, game-based way. She is known for her clear, step-by-step training that lets beginners and advanced dog trainers see lasting results very quickly.

Your new furry friend has a lot of growing to do, and you probably have a lot of questions. Your Golden Retriever puppy will go through a number of developmental stages throughout their first twelve weeks. Male Golden Retrievers generally weigh between 65 and 75 pounds and stand from 23 to 24 inches tall. Females are generally smaller weighing between 55 to 65 pounds, and will grow to stand .At 4 months, your Golden Retriever puppy will reach about half their adult height. When it comes to mental development, it can take even longer than that before the Golden Retriever is fully mature. However, every puppy is a unique individual, and these are merely milestone guidelines. Disparities exist between the working and show Goldens, as well as between males and females. Golden Retriever puppy growth can also be quite sporadic. As an overall average, many Golden Retriever puppies will weigh just approximately 1. Golden Retrievers are classified as a gundog breed, and these dogs are often divided into those bred for show and those meant for work. However, the body of the show Golden is typically larger, taller, heavy-boned, and fuller in the chest. Small Parents Like people, puppies inherit physical traits from their parents. And even puppies from the same litter can vary in size. Neither of these scenarios is healthy for a puppy. Larger breeds like the Golden Retriever are more at risk for growth disorders than small breed dogs. This article will give you a lot more information on how much to feed, what to feed, and how often to feed a Golden Retriever puppy. Illness and Puppy Growth If a puppy has been seriously ill for a prolonged period, it may affect their ability to grow normally. However, once the puppy is free of worms, they should continue to grow at a normal rate. The best way to determine if your puppy is too thin or too fat is by how he looks and feels. When looking at your puppy from above, he should have a noticeable waistline. Another way to tell is by putting your hands on either side of his ribcage. You should be able to feel his ribs using a gentle pressure. But if his ribs are visible, he could be underweight. Obesity is a huge problem for many dog breeds. Although there are ways to make your puppy grow bigger, this is not something you should attempt. It could also mean you end up with a fat puppy. One of the best ways to ensure your puppy has a long, healthy life is to ensure he stays at an optimal weight. Hip and elbow dysplasia and other musculoskeletal disorders are associated with excess weight in larger breeds. Having your dog neutered at a young age can also cause them to grow taller. The problem is, this can also cause abnormalities in joint formation. Neutering also makes Golden Retrievers more at risk for certain types of cancers. Typically it will take approximately 18 months for your Golden Retriever to become an adult dog. Even though they can reach their full height at anywhere from 9 to 12 months, it will usually take them longer to fill out to their full weight. Remember that there are wide variations in size within the Golden Retriever breed. If this is the case, you should contact your veterinarian to seek advice. Beginning the puppy development stages before birth Puppy development stages week by week Amazingly, in a way the puppy development stages begin before your dog is even born. Your puppy spends approximately 9 weeks developing inside his Mom. The mother dog has a womb or uterus, that has two long tubes, and the puppies grow in a row along each tube rather like peas in a pod. The puppies are joined to their mother by a placenta which provides all the nourishment they need for those few weeks. To begin with, the puppies have plenty of room to move but they grow fast and as the time for birth draws near they are packed in quite tightly. The one week old puppy Your puppy is born fully furred but with his eyes and ears closed so he cannot hear or see. His front feet are strong and he can pull himself towards his mother with them. He can cry if he is uncomfortable and his mother will respond to his cries by moving him towards her and licking him. Your puppy spends most of his time sleeping or suckling. He cannot regulate his own body temperature and needs his mother for heat, or an artificial heat source. In the first week to ten days of his life your puppy grows rapidly and will double his birth weight. His forelegs are getting much stronger. She licks the puppies bottoms to stimulate a bowel or bladder movement and eats the result. There is no cleaning up for the breeder to do yet. The breeder will begin to handle the puppies more though, and get them used to human contact. She will worm the puppies for the first time at the end of this week. Puppies begin to get their personalities. Your puppy can stand and sit up by the end of the week. Tails can be wagged, ears will be completely open and puppies start play growling and interacting with their littermates. Your puppy can regulate his body temperature more effectively and will start to cut his first teeth in preparation for weaning. The front teeth, canines and incisors are cut first. Toward the end of the week he may have his first tiny taste of puppy food. They also start to move away from the sleeping area to empty their bowels and bladder. They may try to climb out of the whelping box. If she lives indoors, she may rejoin the family for more of each day. Your puppy will cut his back teeth and the breeder will get weaning underway this week and by the end of it, your puppy will be getting quite a bit of his nourishment from puppy food. She will also worm the puppies a second time. If the mother is allowed near the puppies after she has been fed, she may regurgitate her dinner for them. This is completely natural and normal. He is a proper little dog. Rolling around with his brothers and sisters and playing with toys. Teething toys, puppy Kongs, balls and rope toys are big favorites with puppies. He can bark too and some puppies can be quite noisy at this age! He chases after his mother whenever she appears and suckles hungrily, but she is starting to get fed up with it, and may be reluctant to feed her brood for very long. His mother is teaching him not to bite too hard. If he lives in outdoor kennels he should spend part of each day indoors with the family. By the end of the sixth week, most are fully weaned, and eating five or six little meals of puppy food each day. Socialization must begin in earnest. He is now two months old and ready for his new life. It is the time during which they become fearful of anything unfamiliar and need to be thoroughly socialized. This is also the time during which most puppies get to grips with house-training, learning to wait before eliminating and start sleeping through the night without a potty break. It is a busy time for new puppy owners. Your puppy will have his vaccinations during this month. Biting can be a big problem during this stage and you need to be patient and consistent in order to teach the puppy not to hurt people when he plays. Provided you use force free methods, this is a great time to get puppy training under way, and especially to teach a puppy recall, and to get your puppy used to working with food. So, for a 2. You can do the same calculation for medium pups at sixteen weeks and large breed pups at 20 weeks — just divide his weight by his age in weeks before you multiply by .Medium to large pups will reach about half their adult height by the end of the month. If the weather is warm you can get your puppy swimming now. He should be able to come when he is called, in and around your home, provided there are not too many distractions. It all depends on what you have taught him. He may still be chewing a lot and biting too. Use frozen Kongs to help him and give your furniture and fingers a break. Puppies can go for short walks now. By the end of this month your puppy could have a twenty minute walk each day. He may also enjoy fetching a ball and playing with other dogs, but take care to stop before he gets very tired. Less dependence This is the month during which some puppies start to become less dependent on their humans for security. Keep your puppy close to you outdoors by changing direction frequently so that you puppy has to keep coming to find you. And engaging him in games. The foundations of a great recall are often build or spoilt during this month. If your puppy knows how to sit or lie down at home, start some simple proofing exercises with him in public places. A healthy puppy can usually manage on two meals a day from around six months. During this month a Retriever, Spaniel or GSD puppy will reach around two thirds of his adult weight. A Great Dane and other large breeds will have reached about half their final weight and little dogs will have almost completed their growth. Some female dogs will come on heat for the first time during this month, or the next, so keep an eye open now for swelling of her vulva and any discharge. Your dog will become increasingly confident over the next few months so practice, practice and practice that recall! Make it a habit he cannot break. And be generous with your rewards. Small breed pups may now be more or less mature. Your puppy will enjoy half hour off lead walks now, and should be able to walk on a loose lead for short periods with plenty of encouragement and rewards. Keep practicing that recall! These help to slow his growth further and to build his confidence. Make sure you practice good outdoor management on walks to maintain the good recall you have built and work hard on thoroughly proofing all his obedience skills. Read up on neutering before you take this important step, for dogs of either sex. Once your dog is a year old he can participate in more strenuous activities and sports. Now is the time to think about the kinds of activities you would like to do with him — go jogging together for example — and if necessary, to start to get him fit. Puppy development stages — Summary There is huge variation in the way in which dogs develop and mature. The puppy development stages and ages outlined above are a rough guide. We hope you enjoyed them and found the information interesting. When it comes to training, you get out what you put in. Your progress depends as much if not more on you rather than your puppy. If you train your puppy five times a day, six days a week he will learn many, many times faster than a puppy that is trained once a day at the weekend. Enjoy watching your puppy grow and develop. And have fun! Golden Retrievers are very food motivated. If your puppy seems to be getting fat, you may need to switch to the lower end of the above recommendations. Alternatively, if their ribs are becoming too prominent, you should work to the upper ends of the guidelines. Golden Retriever puppies have much smaller stomachs than adults. This means their daily food allowance should be split into smaller, more frequent meals. Rather than just feeding them once in the morning and once in the evening, as you might plan to do eventually, their food will need to be split into 3 or even 4 portions, like so: 8 — 12 weeks: 4 meals a day 3 — 6 months: 3 meals a day 6 — 12 months: 2 meals a day However, like the feeding charts, this should only be used as a guide. Feeding too much food at once can lead to cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, and discomfort for your puppy. How to Choose the Best Golden Retriever Puppy Food Puppies need a balance of certain nutrients and vitamins to support their growth — not just as much food as possible. In fact, simply giving as much food as possible is linked to certain joint-related health problems. So, when searching for a high quality puppy food, there are a few key ingredients you might want to search for. This includes a real meat source, and the correct amount of nutrients like calcium and iron. Commercial Food vs Homemade Food There are pros and cons to every type of puppy food available. Dry food is long-lasting and easy to use during training, but can contain filler ingredients. Wet food is palatable and easy to serve, but can be more expensive and harder to use during training. Homemade food is often very appealing in terms of taste for our dogs, but is the most likely type to contain nutritional imbalances that can lead to serious health problems. So, they will continue to grow and develop physically until somewhere between 12 and 18 months. You may want to transition your puppy to a new food when you bring them home, rather than whatever your breeder was giving them. Ideally, you want to make the change over the course of a week. Replace a very small amount of their old food with their new food at mealtimes. Over the week, you can change these amounts by decreasing their old food and increasing the new. By the end of the week, they will be eating only the new food. Changing abruptly can cause stomach upsets and symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. But, Golden Retrievers should generally look lanky rather than chubby. But, the most successful rewards in this type of training are often food, such as kibble or small chunks or meat and cheese. Doing all of your training in the morning can lead to stomach upsets if your puppy ends up eating a large amount of their daily allowance all at once. Instead, try and complete shorter training sessions before each mealtime, and give whatever allowance is left for each meal after training is done. This can also benefit your training, as a hungry dog will be more motivated to work for those treats! As long as they are socialised well as a puppy, Golden Retrievers can happily fit into family life. They are gentle but need to be treated with respect by all members of the family, including young children, as like any dog their patience will eventually run out. Common health problems in Golden Retrievers Like any purebred dog, Golden Retrievers may encounter some breed-related health problems throughout their lives. Often, Breed Clubs will also be able to provide advice on what tests your breed may need and where to get these done. Make sure the parents of your puppy have had the relevant health screening to reduce the chances of your puppy being affected by these upsetting conditions. For Golden Retrievers, this is because they can have short legs in proportion to their body and a tendency to become overweight. Eye problems — screening tests are available and dogs should be screened on a yearly basis, especially if intended for breeding. Multifocal retinal dysplasia - abnormal development and growth of the back of the eye retina which can lead to blindness. Generalised progressive retinal atrophy GPRA — slowly leads to progressive blindness over months or years. Retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy RPED, or central progressive retinal atrophy — a genetic problem which causes issues in the back of the eye retina and loss of vision. Glaucoma — high pressure within the eye causing pain and loss of vision. Ichthyosis — a skin disease that causes thickening of the footpads and makes other areas of skin rough and covered with thick, greasy flakes that stick to the hair. Caring for your Golden Retriever Golden Retrievers are usually real big softies and can make a great addition to a home. How much noise they make will be down to the individual dog. Training and socialisation Golden Retrievers thrive off training and are very intelligent dogs. They love nothing more than to be given tasks to do to keep them occupied and have fairly good problem-solving skills — for a dog! As long as your Retriever is properly socialised from a young age , they should be confident around new people and situations. Retrievers also like their chill out time but will be more than happy to show you plenty of affection on their own terms. Exercise Golden Retrievers are very active dogs and need plenty of opportunities to exercise , play and get rid of excess energy. Your Golden Retriever will need a minimum of two hours of good exercise per day. You can find out how much exercise your dog needs , or even find exercises you can do together. Because they are intelligent dogs, Golden Retrievers can get bored easily so make sure you keep their brains active as well as their bodies. As their name suggests, retrieving is what they were bred for, so nearly all Golden Retrievers love a good game of fetch! Grooming Golden Retrievers have medium to long coats and generally do shed a lot. They are not a dog to take on if you hate hoovering! Ideally, they should be brushed or combed three times a week at a minimum. Where necessary you can trim their coat with the right tools, but seek advice from a professional dog groomer or vet first. You may also find that your Retriever loves water including any and all muddy puddles and swimming. Make sure they stay safe around the water and if they get mucky, use a dog safe shampoo. Will you give now to help people and pets in need? As the cost of living continues to rise, vet care could be out of reach for many. Donate to our emergency appeal now to provide vital vet care to pets in need and keep families together during this crisis. Donate Golden Retrievers and children If you have a young family then Golden Retrievers can be fantastic with children. If socialised properly from a young age, Retrievers can be quite calm and tolerant. Always supervise children and vulnerable adults with your Golden Retriever and make sure you can recognise the signs of unhappiness or anxiety in your dog to help avoid any conflicts. As with every breed, you should always teach children how to approach and play with dogs with care and kindness, to prevent any issues. Golden Retrievers and other pets Well-socialised Golden Retrievers are very easy-going, which usually means they can be great around other dogs and pets, too. Any introductions should be done carefully and following the right advice for your other pet, too. Always supervise your dog with other pets, even if they have known them for a long time. Obesity can cause other health problems for your Golden Retriever, so keeping them in shape is extra important. Make sure to monitor their weight and keep an eye out for any sneaky snacking. Your vet will be able to tell you how much your dog should be eating. If you give your dog an occasional treat or use treats for training, remember to take this into account and reduce their daily food allowance. Use healthy treats in moderation instead. You should try to feed your dog at the same time every day to get them into a routine. Remember to leave a gap before exercising and after eating. Beware unusually cheap puppies as they could come from a puppy farm. If you want to buy a pedigree puppy, we recommend looking for a Kennel Club Assured breeder as they have to do extra health tests and meet higher standards. Set-up costs Puppy vaccines — if you rescue a dog, reputable centres will often vaccinate them for you. Remember that ongoing booster vaccinations will be needed to continue their immunity. Neutering — you should usually arrange for your dog to be neutered at around months old, though your vet will be able to advise you exactly when is best. Check prices at your local practice as these will depend on your vet and where you live. Some rescue centres will neuter any dogs they rehome, saving you this cost. Equipment — including a collar and tags, lead, harness, dog beds, dog bowls, pet-safe toothpaste and toothbrushes, grooming brushes and toys. Keep in mind that all these will need to be replaced with wear or damage or if your dog outgrows or damages them! Ongoing costs Food. Preventive healthcare — budget for routine vet visits to help stop your dog getting ill and catch any problems early. They need annual check-ups, vaccinations and regular flea and worming treatments. Check if your vet offers a health care plan as this can help spread the cost throughout the year. Accessories — including lots of poo bags, replacing worn toys and grooming accessories, buying doggy toothpaste and any other extras they might need. Other costs Training — basic training is very important and dogs can benefit from formal classes. Some dogs may have, or develop, behavioural problems which might need professional management. Boarding — you may also need to budget for boarding or dog sitting costs if you are planning to go away from home on holiday. If you are having difficulty with veterinary costs, you can check if you are eligible for treatment at PDSA here. PDSA Pet Insurance Fun facts As they were bred to fetch game, they have a naturally gentle grip, called a 'soft mouth', so they don't damage the birds they carry back in their mouths. Golden Retrievers have an amazing sense of smell and are often used as search and rescue dogs in other parts of the world. They absolutely love water well, most of them do. Most Retrievers will take any opportunity to have a swim. Luckily, their coats are thick to keep out water and keep them warm. Golden Retrievers make really good assistance dogs and are often a top choice for training to be Guide Dogs for the Blind. Make sure you have the knowledge and dedication to give to these sweet natured dogs to keep them happy and the time and space to exercise them. While they make great family pets, make sure you are absolutely ready to take on the commitment of getting a dog first. Rehoming centres There are plenty of rescue centres across the country where you may find a Golden Retriever. Breed-specific rescues that specialise in Golden Retrievers are out there too. Good rescue centres should let you know of any health and behaviour problems. Breeders If you buy a Golden Retriever puppy from a breeder, make sure your puppy will be well socialised and have all necessary health checks and vaccinations. We recommend looking for a Kennel Club Assured breeder as they meet higher standards. Not sure if the Golden Retriever is the right pet for you? The range of amounts is based on the activity of your Golden for the day, either low, moderate, or high level of activity. Golden Retrievers should have scheduled times to eat daily. The scheduled times will help them with their energy levels and keep them healthy. You can schedule their eating times as to what works best for your schedule. For example, feeding them before you leave for work and then when you get home. As a puppy, they will eat three times a day, so you will need to find times in those first few months to feed them more often. When they are an adult or senior, the scheduling of feeding times will be easier because they will only eat twice daily. For a Golden Retriever puppy, the best feeding schedule is once in the morning, noontime, and in the evening. For example, you could feed their first meal at am, lunch at noon, then dinner at pm. Planning their mealtimes around your mealtimes will often make it easier for you and the puppy. Make sure to give them plenty of time after eating to got to the bathroom a couple of times before heading to bed. Hopefully, this will help them sleep for a longer period. After about six months, your Golden Retriever can go down to two daily feedings. This usually occurs once in the morning and once in the evening. They can usually last about 12 hours between meals. If it goes past 12 hours, they could become nauseated. Golden Retrievers can experience food allergies often caused from proteins in dairy or meat products. If your dog experiences symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or itching they may have a food allergy. They warn that feeding dogs any raw animal-source protein could cause illness because it has not gone through a process to remove harmful pathogens. However, a raw diet can be healthy if you are willing to go through the extra cleaning processes of the meat. This is a lot of work and difficult to do correctly and safely. We do not recommend it without expert veterinary help. Before starting a raw diet with your Golden, be sure to consult a veterinarian. Find one that is familiar with raw foods and can help with the proper handling of the foods. If you work hard to make sure your homemade foods are rich in the vitamins and minerals that a dog needs, then it might work for your Golden Retriever. It takes a lot more time to find recipes and make sure it has all the nutritional value of a store-bought dog food. If you are willing to research expertly formulated recipes internet is making it easier to do this , and take the time to cook for your golden then go for it! Consulting your veterinarian is a must before starting any homemade diet. A veterinary nutritionist should also review your plan before starting. Feeding your Golden Retriever table food is not the best practice but a small amount of dog healthy table food is fine. Some example table foods that are healthy for them are carrots, blueberries and plain yogurt. Just be aware that feeding them too much table food can throw their entire diet out of whack. They may not be getting enough vitamins and minerals like they do from their dog food. Conclusion Making sure your Golden Retriever is getting the right foods at the right amounts will help them live their best life. There are many choices of foods with all the right ingredients. Be sure to choose one that works best for you and your Golden. Consult with your veterinarian on which food will bring the most nutritional value to the health of your Golden Retriever. If your Golden is experiencing any health issues related to changing foods, visit your veterinarian. If this article was helpful, please consider sharing this post on Facebook with the button below! She is board certified a specialist in canine reproduction. In her day job, she is a leader in a small biotech where she and a team of veterinarians and scientists work to develop new medications for pets. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of this wonderful breed of dogs. She and her husband have 2 children, 3 dogs and one cat. They love camping and hiking and she can often be found with her head in a good book. Recent Posts. Read the full disclosure here. Being a large and energetic dog, your golden retriever has a ravenous appetite and can eat a lot. However, overfeeding is never good and could be avoided with the help of a golden retriever feeding chart. Knowing how much to feed your golden retriever is always tricky but essential for their well-being and health. Goldens are prone to obesity and joint problems, which can only be exacerbated with an inadequate feeding plan. So, stay with me to find the right feeding plan and meal schedule for your goldie. Most first-time owners think their puppies should be chubby. In truth, golden retriever puppies are supposed to look lanky and act like they are always hungry when fed the correct amount of food. To encourage proper growth and development without making your pup obese, you will have to know how much to feed a golden retriever puppy. For example, cheaper foods use fillers and have a smaller amount of calories, thus you will have to feed more than you would when using premium large breed puppy foods. Our in-house nutritionists answer frequently asked questions about feeding puppies up to 6 months below… How many times should I feed my pup every day? Most puppies will happily dine on 3 meals per day until they are 6 months old. Stick to a timely routine of breakfast, lunch and dinner. How much food does my pup need? A simple rule of thumb is to feed your puppy 20g per 1kg of body weight per day. So, if you have a puppy weighing 5kg, they will need g per day. Why is it important to get feeding right at this early stage? Making sure your puppy eats the right amount of healthy, wholesome food from an early age helps protect them against developing common health problems later in life caused by being overweight or eating too much of the wrong ingredients. If your puppy temporarily loses their appetite or suffers an upset tummy, try not to panic. This is common as they adapt to their new environment. As they settle in and get used to their surroundings, meal times will improve. Be mindful of treats and extras. How can I make mealtimes engaging and fun? Normal dry kibble can be soaked to make stuffing easier. To increase the level of difficulty for your dog, you could even store the stuffed Kong in the freezer overnight or go the extra mile and mix a few tasty vegetables with the kibble to make your stuffed Kong more interesting. If they are in an area other than the healthy zone you need to contact us. Not poo-fect? We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. We all want our golden retriever puppies to be healthy and happy. We envision them running through a verdant field chasing a ball. Full of energy with the beautiful, lustrous golden coat. But, just like us, eating the proper food in the proper amounts will help your golden properly grow and thrive. After all, what we eat impacts how healthy we are. How much you should feed your golden retriever puppy will vary depending on the quality of food you feed, his age, his weight, his general health, and his activity level. Your golden will be growing for up to two years. And the amount of food during that time will have to be adjusted depending on his needs. Because most people feed kibble to their pup, this article will focus on that. Kibble is convenient and cost effective. Instead, they should be lanky and full of energy. They should love to eat their food with gusto. Instead, you should be able to feel his ribs when you pet him there. There should just be a thin coating of fat under his skin. And he should have a defined waistline. Of course you should check with your veterinarian to make such adjustments. And remember a young puppy should get only so much exercise a day. Their joints and bones are developing and can be damaged if the exercise is too extreme. Assuming you have an eight-week-old puppy, he should receive three to four meals a day. From eight weeks old until about five or six months old, three meals per day are advisable. Of course, feed at the same intervals every day and split the total amount per day in half to be given at each feeding. After about six months of age through adulthood, two feedings per day are the norm. Always check with your vet regarding how much and how often to feed. These are just guidelines. Feed him at the same distraction-free location so that he focuses on eating. As much as goldens love to eat, a young golden puppy is also very easily distracted. This can lead to possible health problems, including joint and bone problems. Goldens can easily become overweight. Free feeding can also lead to a picky eater. Some puppies figure out that if their buffets are always there, and they can just go graze at will. Most foods you purchase will have guidelines on their bag or box. When you first get your puppy, feed him the same food that the breeder or rescue fed him for a few weeks. Then, if you want to change his food, do so over at least 10 days. Add more of the new food and subtract more of the old food each day. After about five days, you should be giving him approximately 50 percent of the new food and 50 percent of the old food. Switching food over such a period of time will help prevent stomach upsets and diarrhea. Overfeeding will result not only in him becoming overweight but it will also make him grow too fast. Periodically—even weekly— test whether you can still feel his ribs without them protruding. You can then increase the amount he eats. You should also feed his last meal of the day at least 90 minutes before his bed time so that he can digest his food and potty before bed. A well-balanced, high-quality food should provide all the nutrients he requires. Golden puppies require a formula made for large-breed dogs. Puppy formulas for large-breed dogs regulate their growth. Eating too quickly can lead to digestive upsets and even bloat, which can be deadly. I rescued my golden retriever Riley when he was about six months old. To say that he ate as if it were his last meal would be an understatement. He had a voracious appetite. I bought one of the maze bowls to slow him down. The kibble is placed between each section of the bowl, and he had to forage for his food. It worked! He ate at a more normal pace. Of course, dogs should be given free access to fresh water. Other Feeding Options Although I concentrated in this article on feeding kibble to your new puppy, there are other options. There are some drawbacks to them because they may not be nutritionally complete, may be cost prohibitive, or may be too time-consuming to make. Wet Food Canned food alone or mixed with kibble is an option. But wet food alone is very expensive. He may become a picky eater. Feeding raw is controversial. Dehydrated raw foods reduce some of the risks. The ratio of calcium to phosphorous is crucial to puppy development. Homemade Diet Cooking for your best friend can be very appealing. And many people do. You know what ingredients and their quality are. But it has its drawbacks. Of course, the amount you feed is important for his growth rate and general health and well-being. But there is no one-size-fits-all in determining how much to feed a golden retriever puppy. Any amounts you see are just guidelines. Adjust them as necessary regarding your own special puppy. Do you have a golden retriever puppy? How did you determine what and how much to feed him? Please leave your comments in the section below. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist. Debbie has been training dogs for over 24 years and has nationally ranked obedience and rally dogs, agility dogs, trick dogs, and therapy dogs. Post navigation. There is also info on how to keep your puppy and your adult at his or her optimum weight. Scroll down to find growth charts to make sure your puppy is growing at the proper rate and is within the right weight range for his age. If you are looking for information on what to feed, go to How to Choose a Dog Food. Unlike with human children, a puppy that is overfed will grow too fast before they grow too fat. A good example is where a smaller puppy at 10 weeks was overfed and his growth was compared to a puppy that was correctly fed. The growth of your puppy needs to be controlled. General Guidelines for Puppies Below are some general guidelines on how much to feed puppies. Most dog food bags suggest feeding too much. Increase to about 3 cups a day by 5 months for boys and by 6 months for girls. Golden Retrievers at this age are supposed to look lanky and all Golden Retrievers act like they are starving when fed the correct amount. If left to eat as much as they want, they will all grow too fast. In the wild, dogs do not have unlimited access to eat as much as they want. They work for their food. Caloric Needs Greatly Decrease at About a Year When puppies reach about months, their caloric needs begin to decrease. Some males might need 4 cups if active and are fed a less expensive food. Make sure you take into consideration the number of extra calories being fed as treats. You should be able to feel their ribs, but not see them even when the dog is wet. If you can see the ribs, increase their food. Decrease the food if you cannot feel them. I always tell people that it is better to underfeed than to overfeed, especially when feeding puppies. Weight Range Charts Following are charts of how puppies should generally grow in weight. Keep in mind that very few puppies need to be at the top of these ranges and if you cannot feel ribs, your dog is overweight even if she is in this weight range. If your dog is still a puppy and she is over these weight ranges, you are feeding her too much. Female Golden Retriever Weight Chart Here is a chart of how girls should generally grow in weight: 2 Months — pounds.

Contact We treat our dogs and puppies like family.As one of the top breeders of English Labrador Retrievers in Alabama, we take pride in making them feel loved with plenty of daily attention and ensuring they are happy and healthy. Located in St. Clair County, just east of Birmingham, it is important to us that all of our adult dogs are given extensive health testing and regular Veterinary visits to keep them current on vaccinations. Our puppies are well socialized and current on all necessary shots and worming before they come home to you. Inquire Now We treat our customers the way we would like to be treated.We are Rod and Nancy Hollis of Alabama Labs and we are big believers in living life by this golden rule Mark .We want you to be well pleased with your new puppy and offer a month health guarantee. We are available anytime for questions or concerns and will do our best to make this a great experience from our family to yours! Bringing Happiness to Your Homes, One Pup at a Time Exclusively Breeding English Labrador Retrievers Since opening our doors in , it has been our goal to breed healthy and beautiful puppies that will exceed your expectations. We remain committed to this by upholding the highest standards in the industry and conducting extensive health testing to ensure your newest family member arrives home as perfect as you had hoped for! Share 0 Shares Labrador Retrievers also make excellent family canine companions. They love their owners unconditionally and are wonderful with children. Before deciding on a breeder, be sure to speak with them yourselves, either through email, phone, or in-person visit if possible. Most breeders will have limited AKC registration, meaning that you can show the dog but not breed them. Some will do a full AKC registration, but that will come with a higher price tag. There are two lines of Labradors, American and British, with the British line having the stockier look with a broad chest and head. Rock Springs love this line for their intelligence, excellent hunting instincts, and loyalty. Many of their sires and dams come from champion bloodlines and have won awards. Each year, Rock Springs offers black, yellow, chocolate, fox red, or white puppies, depending on their sire and dam. Each puppy will come with a health guarantee and is replaceable if a serious health defect is found within the time frame of buying a puppy. With excellent customer reviews from customers and an active social media page, Rock Springs Labs is an excellent choice for your newest family member. Pet Keen is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. We understand there are many reasons for seeking a breeder, though, so we encourage it to be done the right way. We have not personally investigated all of the breeders below, rather, we have gathered their details for you to get in touch and ask all the right questions before you decide. Learn more about our position and how to choose a breeder here. When it comes to finding the perfect Labrador Retriever puppy, there are tons of options out there — one of which is purchasing from a breeder. Most are small, family-owned operations run by people who sincerely love Labrador Retrievers, meaning you should be getting happy, healthy pups. Look at our list to get started on your hunt for your new pet! The 9 Labrador Retriever Breeders in Alabama 1. Aggie Labs Visit Their Website Fairview, AL Aggie Labs runs a small, family-owned kennel featuring AKC approved Labrador Retrievers and has Labrador puppies in a range of colors, including black, chocolate, yellow, cream, and silver, with the lighter colors costing a bit more than the darker ones. They offer limited AKC registration, up-to-date vaccinations, a month health guarantee, plus all puppies are micro-chipped. One reviewer highly recommended this breeder saying the puppy they got was easily trainable. Puppies come with health guarantees of 1 year for eyes and 2 years for hips. Hickory Nut also offers nationwide personal delivery. Colors include black, chocolate, white, yellow, and fox red. Their health guarantee covers parasites, eye color changes, fertility issues, and communicable diseases. One customer commented on the extreme cleanliness of the kennel, as well as the high intelligence of the puppy they purchased. Ruffwood Labs encourages kennel tours so you can see their pups and get to know them. Dogs come to the buyer with up-to-date vaccinations and have been wormed, plus you can request to have an AKC Reunite Microchip placed. This breeder also offers a military and first responder discount! All puppies sold will have had their first round of shots and will be wormed. Prices vary according to the title and pedigree of the parent dogs. All pups sold will have been wormed at least twice and will have had their first shots. Parent dogs have all been cleared for any hip or eye issues.

Friday, March 16, Puppy Surprise by Playskool I am going to veer away from my normal doll talk to share two things with you. First, an awesome toy called Puppy Surprise. Remember how I mentioned a while back about how much I like surprises? Well, this toy is perfect for me. It's perfect for a lot of kids in the year old range, too, in my experience. I think I have bought one of these for almost every kid I know in that age range. What is Puppy Surprise? It is a plush dog who is pregnant stuffed with removable puppies. The surprise is, you don't know how many puppies she has until you open the box and the dog. She could have anywhere from 2 to 4 puppies, and if she has 4, one of them is likely to be a runt. It's awesome. The puppies are also gendered, so you don't know if you're going to get boys or girls.In the early 90s, Hasbro made a similar toy, also called Puppy Surprise, but these dogs had vinyl faces. The older toys are also still available on eBay, but they tend to command higher prices, especially if the set is complete and in good shape. I like both versions, but slightly prefer the newer ones because they are all plush. A few years ago, when these started to go on clearance, I hoarded a ton of them so I could give them away as gifts. I have a few left over. Let's have some fun with them! Playskool Puppy Surprise discontinued. The dogs are about 9 inches tall and come in a fairly simple window box. The box emphasizes the surprise element, which works like a charm to get me to shell out my money: I hope it's 4! I need to know!! The box also gives you the exact odds of getting each number of puppies, which I think is very nice: 2 puppies: 1 out of every 4 boxes 3 puppies: 2 out of 4 boxes interesting 4 puppies 1 out of 4 boxes It also says that all twins are girls. The chances of having a boy are 1 in 6. Those are good odds for the fellas. Each mother dog has a pattern on her cheek called a "Pretty Patch. This way, if you have lots of these dogs, you can always reunite a mother with her original puppies by matching the patches. The gender of the puppies is indicated by the lining of their ears. If the lining is pink they're overheated girls, if it is blue, they're holding their breath boys. There are lots of different colors and styles of dog to choose from. I have seen purple poodles, pink poodles, black and white spotted dogs, pink and white spotted ones with fluffy ears, cream ones with fluffy ears, pure white ones, tan and pink ones.Playskool also made some different animals, like cats and rabbits. This one is a bit drab. She was on a massive clearance sale: You have to wrestle her out of three wire ties, and that's it. Let's get right to that part. The puppies are in the dog's belly, which opens and closes with velcro. It's nicely done and the dog has enough stuffing to be cuddly even without the puppies. Of course you can't tell how many puppies there are inside until you open her up. My kids and I used to hold every single box in the store and try to tell from the weight which ones had the most puppies. Here is the exciting moment! These dogs should come with a scalpel and sutures. It's a girl! She looks just like her mother: And it's.Who also looks just like her mother. Ah, well. These babies are essentially identical, but the way they are stuffed gives them very different personalities. The firstborn is very cute and normal and maybe a little shy-looking, and the second one has some serious attitude. She'd be telling dog jokes and running all over the place making trouble if she were real: Hey, hey! Did you hear the one about the chihuahuas and the light bulb? Ok, let's try again. I happen to have another one: This is my favorite out of all of the colors. She reminds me of my very first dog: She has a different Pretty Patch: Here we go! After a few confused seconds, the woman's partner repeats: "Shut up, are you taking the piss? How much was it? Are you taking the piss? Shut up no you didn't! After confirming how much it cost, the surprised partner then stands up only to have the woman put the small toy poodle puppy in his arms. Stock Image. During the peak of the first lockdown in May demand for pets soared by percent above levels in the UK. Getty Images According to the U. And a survey by Pets4Homes found that during the peak of the first lockdown in May , demand for pets soared by percent above levels. Demand for puppies rose by over percent, peaking at 60 million online searches in May alone. The top five breeds bought during lockdown, according to the survey, also included poodle crosses—with Cavapoo, which is a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a p oodle , ranked at the top; followed by a Cockapoo , which is a mix of a Cocker Spaniel and a poodle. According to Purely Pets , if you are considering owning a Cavapoo, you should "try to choose one that has been bred with a Miniature, rather than a Toy Poodle — the latter are more prone to hereditary health problems. In fact, this breed can suffer from serious health issues, so heavy vet bills can loom. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life newsweek. Puppy Surprise What exactly about the birthing process do toy companies perceive to be so child-friendly? Aside from the fact that labor begets a child, that is. Children are both innocent and inquisitive, and parents have a hell of a time balancing those two conflicting natures without sadistic toy manufacturers coming in and mucking it up with biologically confusing playthings. In the late 80s and early 90s, Hasbro came up with a glorious marketing scheme guaranteed to disappoint one in five children. I'll tell you how. In a natural order-defying act of toy bizarreness, the good people of Hasbro developed a velcro-adhered pouch that children could simply open and close as they please. As you can imagine, this led to inevitable confusion about birthing. A whole slew of Puppy Surprise-toting kids spent years thinking that when you're done playing with a baby, you can simply shove it back into the womb. No problem here. The "surprise" element of Puppy Surprise referred to the fact that the doll could contain three, four, or five puppies. Kids are fairly simple creatures, and are thus easy to persuade that more equals better. In fact, every child was convinced that as special as he or she was, it was only fair that their doll contained the maximum of five puppies. You can bet parents had a swell old time consoling these children when their doll as most did contained a scant three puppies. Three puppies? Don't insult me, Hasbro. What can I do with three puppies? Five, now that's a fun toy. But three? Come on. Note that sped-up fine-print speech at the end: "Puppy Surprise comes with three, four, or five baby puppies! One in five Mommy dolls comes with four or five puppy dolls. They are, unfortunately, pretty adept at counting and thus are clearly aware when they are being cheated. I remember a birthday party at which one of my classmates received a pink Puppy Surprise with five puppies. How was I supposed to compete with that when my spotty mommy doll had been significantly less fertile? This was the precise moment in a child's life when they learn that life is not fair. Luckily for parents, they also learn greed, envy, anger, and all sorts of other fun hard-to-quell negative behaviors. Thanks, Hasbro! I implore you to check it out. Really, I'll wait. Fortunately, if you struck out the first time, there were approximately one million alternative variations you could subsequently beg for to try your luck of the litter again. All dolls in the Surprise line had similar by-the-books adorableness achieved by the winning combination of hard plastic faces and soft, pliable bodies. The box assures us that each of our babies, just like us, are unique. Unlike us, their uniqueness is broadcast by a ribbon round the neck declaring the puppy to be of the male or female persuasion. Conveniently, in Hasbro world all of these animals and their corresponding offspring were roughly the same size. Lucky for us, the fun didn't stop there! As the ever-competitive toy market necessitates, Hasbro had to milk this concept until the Mommy Surprise ran dry. Let's investigate some of the odder exploits Hasbro undertook in order to continually surprise us: Drink n' Surprise. To those of us now immersed in semi-adulthood, this sounds like a typical weekend. Back in the early 90s, however, you would have been far happier to wake up to this surprise the next morning. In this case, if you shoved a tiny bottle of water down your puppy's throat, you could be rewarded with a variable physical reaction. As the tag-line said, "Will your puppy drink n' wet or drink n' burp? Surprise Outfit These lucky pups came complete with a mysterious box that could contain any type of outfit. Just imagine! Sure, you only had three puppies to speak of, but that one comes dressed as a mermaid. Makes up for it, right? Playful Hair Surprise In essence, you yanked on the little guys' till their hair was visible, with blue hair indicating a male and pink a female. The hair could also be re-retracted yep, two re-s into the body. That certainly is.There were oodles more there those came from, but they all generally shared the same ridiculous elements of Surprise. There was always some element of unexpectedness that lent some excitement to the toy opening process. After that moment had passed, however, the doll lost quite a bit of its luster. Unsurprisingly, Hasbro began releasing "sold separately" packs of babies for reasons we can only assume are related to the continuous bitching from the four in five kids whose dolls contained just three babies. Though children delighted in this manner of cheating the system, there was a fatal flaw in the system. The velcro-pouch wombs were just big enough to accommodate innumerable additions to the additional litter. At least it gave us an easily identifiable means of judging whose parents were child-spoiling suckers: the ones whose Puppy Surprise dolls' painfully bulging bellies dragged on the floor. Served them right. I was stuck with three puppies, none of whom had retractable hair or a mermaid costume. The only thing to console me? My Mommy Doll got to keep her svelte pre-litter figure. In your face, kids whose parents buy supplemental toys to appease their obnoxious children. In your face! Posted by Children of the 90s at AM.

Fact checked by Emily Estep Emily Estep is a biologist and fact checker focused on environmental sciences. Emily has been a proofreader and editor at a variety of online media outlets over the past decade and has reviewed more than articles for The Spruce Pets for factual accuracy. These smart, social dogs are known for their amiable temperaments and their patience. Traditionally bred as hunting dogs, Labs also are among the most popular service dogs, acting as guide dogs for blind people and as therapy dogs. By socializing these dogs early, you can tap into their natural instincts as protectors and companions. Socialize Puppies Labs are natural born people pleasers. Introduce your Lab puppy to as many new people and places as possible during the early months of its life. Keep each new meeting and experience positive and upbeat. Doing this will reinforce your Lab's natural tendency to be friendly and accepting of everyone. If you have young children in the home, be sure to socialize them to the animal as well as the reverse. Although Labs are patient and tolerant, they may still nip at a child who teases or hurts them during play. Make sure everyone knows the boundaries and rules. Exercise Every Day Labrador retrievers are high energy dogs, which is part of the reason they are such great pets for active families. But if Labs aren't given sufficient exercise, they can quickly become bored. This often leads to destructive behavior and other common behavior problems , such as barking, chewing, and digging. It's also why Labs are not well-suited for apartment living; they're too big and too active. Plan on giving your Lab an hour or more of exercise each day. Most Labs love long walks or a game of fetch. These are the perfect way to burn off your Lab's energy. Take advantage of their innate trainability by starting an obedience program as soon as you bring your Labrador retriever home. You can work on basic obedience commands on your own, or sign up for a dog obedience class with a local dog trainer. Classes are a great way to train your Lab while socializing at the same time. Since Labs get to be fairly large and have a tendency to pull on the leash, make walking on a loose leash your first priority. You should also teach your Lab to "come," "drop it," and "fetch," so you can take advantage of its natural tendency for retrieving. Use Positive Reinforcement Training Their eagerness to learn, playfulness, affectionate natures, and their love of treats make Labrador retrievers fantastic candidates for positive reinforcement dog training. Reward their good behaviors with a small treat, a game, or some cuddle time with you. You'll find your Lab is soon offering you the behaviors you like with little prompting. If you decide to use treats in your training, remember that Labs have a tendency to become overweight. Plan on a Long Adolescence One of the most endearing qualities of Labrador retrievers is that they remain very puppy-like long after they've reached adulthood. The downside is that their energy level and tendency to get into mischief continues well into adulthood as well. Therefore, it pays to have behavior management tools handy. The training to become a service animal will vary depending on what the dog will be doing; some are trained to be animal companions to sick children and adults in the hospital, while others are trained to serve as seeing-eye dogs. Others may provide assistance to people with mental illnesses, or behavioral problems. Check the requirements for licensing and training where you live; some places have more strict rules and requirements for service dogs than others. Problems and Proofing Behavior Many Labrador retrievers are happiest and the most well-behaved when they have a job to do. Consider getting involved with a dog sport or training your Lab as a service animal or pet therapy dog. Crate train your Labrador so it doesn't have the run of the house when you're not there to supervise Provide your Lab with a variety of interesting toys and chews to keep it from getting bored. Continue practicing basic obedience commands; it reinforces your Lab's training and provides mental stimulation. No matter what training you decide on, keeping your Lab busy and active is sure to keep one of those famous Lab smiles on its face. Article Sources The Spruce Pets uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. McGreevy, Paul D et al. Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Canine genetics and epidemiology vol. How does it feel to be a new puppy parent? You must be chuffed. Take a look at these first few articles. All the ingredients you need for a happy home. But for now, beside your bed is the best place for your puppy to sleep — it will help them feel safe. Puppies like their crates rather cave-like; we suggest covering it with a blanket to block out light, but keep the front open so that they can see outwards. Make sure to make it snug inside with something like a vet bed or a blanket, or why not take it up a notch with a heat pad or hot water bottle to recreate the feeling of their mother. Nothing feels more comforting than that. Before you head to bed, take your puppy out for one last round of loo-going. Set your bedtime at a later time too — midnight sounds about right. Come back calmly, and place your puppy in the crate and turn out the light. Stuff you should know about Sleep Training your Labrador Your puppy will wake up several times in the night and will need the bathroom at least once! Be prepared for not-so-deep sleeps and tired mornings — just for the first few weeks. Having them sleep next to you is only temporary. Consistency is key! As for you, full nights of sleep will start getting closer and closer. Alone Training How can I teach my Labrador puppy to be ok on their own? Start by feeding your puppy in their crate during meal times. If they seem worried by you leaving, stay in view, and just pop right outside their confinement area. Keep it short and sweet: No need to stay away for long, 60 seconds tops will do for now. Repeat: Do this at least once a day to make progress go steady and smoothly. Socialization Exercises To Do this week Letting your Labrador puppy explore the yard Besides the gnomes and questionable yard furniture you may have, letting your puppy explore your own yard is a great and safe way to start showing them the sounds, lights and wonders of the outside world. Exploring different surfaces exercise Make sure that the surfaces you use are safe — nothing too crazy just yet. Gather surfaces such as An oven tray with a small layer of water A piece of astro turf A carpet tile A large piece of tin foil, cardboard or something crinkly PRO TIP: Set up for this exercise in the room your puppy spends most of their time in — it will help them to feel safe and confident. Pop the surfaces out safely on the floor and allow your puppy to investigate them. Nobody has ever enjoyed walking on those. Remember to be patient! Lucky for you — teaching them their name is easy peasy. Say their name in a happy jolly tone and reward with a treat. Repeat five times, 5 and take a break. Practice this 2 or 3 times a day so they get the hang of it. Teach your puppy to sit Teaching your puppy how to sit is a popular one. The first two are far more common though. Keep using this word when they do the right thing, and then follow it up with a food reward. In puppy logic, stinky means yummy. How to do it Start at home; where there are no distractions. Just make sure to shut off Gogglebox in the background. Recall — How to teach our Labrador puppy to come back when called Your puppy already knows their name at this point, so this should be a walk in the park. How to do it Treats and a cheerful voice will be what works here. Do these exercises before meal times so your puppy is more motivated. Practice this 5 times a day and in 3 different places in your house and yard to get them used to coming to you in all settings. How to do it Show your puppy that you have their favorite toy, and start to get them excited about it. When they show interest, throw it a little bit away from you. They will likely follow it and pick it up. If they do, encourage them back to you with your voice, so remember to sound happy! Swap the toy for a treat or another toy and do the process again. Repeat this about 5 times. Instead create more distance and excitement sounds to get them to come to you — spaniels like to show off, so they will likely want to parade what they have! Always swap the toy for something when they have it, this could be a treat or another toy. Resource guarding occurs when we force puppies to give up items or snatch things out of their mouths. For breeds like Labradors who are designed to want to hold things in their mouths, this is pretty important! Resource guarding is when a dog protects a resource from being taken by someone else — dog or human. For some reason, there is a solid list of things puppies find irresistible: Socks. Print Raising a retriever puppy like the pros Your Labrador puppy can seem small and fragile during those first few weeks home from the breeder. Labrador puppies will learn quickly about acceptable and unacceptable behavior those first few weeks, if you, the owner, are willing to set and enforce boundaries. Here is the training you should be working on with your week-old Labrador puppy. About this series of posts This is post three of a step-by-step training and socialization program for Labrador puppies. If you read our first post , you know that this series follows our training of Bubba, a female chocolate lab puppy. Bubba is already sold as one of our Custom Trained Retrievers, so it is our responsibility to raise and train her until she has progressed to the level of training the owner has requested. In this case, Bubba will be with us for almost a year and a half. Training and socialization for week-old Labrador puppy — week three home Your week-old puppy has been with your family for approximately 3 weeks now. This week you should start noticing some bigger changes with your puppy. Here are some of the changes I notice with Bubba. First, she is growing fast! Bubba is almost ready for a new collar already. I have loosened her current collar twice, and there is no more room to expand it. She is also learning a lot. Bubba is also becoming more personable. She likes and has more interest in people now and wants to be petted and scratched more often. Training equipment for Lab puppy We added a couple new training tools this week. But a thicker check cord will also work. We use this check cord for longer outside marks and assistant-marks which I will discuss more in a bit. Puppy sized canvas or light-weight plastic bumpers In week two, we introduced formal retrieving in a hallway in the house. In week three, we move outside with retrieving and introduce assistant throws, so it is helpful to have a few more bumpers. Puppy training that will continue Much of the training I have been working on for the past two weeks with Bubba will continue into this week and beyond. Dog training is not something that has a definitive end-date. For instance, you teach your puppy to SIT and then you must work and practice that command daily or weekly, often for months before the response to the command is solid. But even once the response is solid, you cannot completely stop training. If you stop training, even an older dog, the dog can lose the previous training. So, realize that you are never done working with your dog, especially on obedience training. Some areas that we will continue training Bubba on are: Crate training Bubba is doing great at crate training. She rarely makes any noise while in her crate and settles down quickly after being put into her crate. In the upcoming weeks, we will work towards getting Bubba to enter her crate on command. Looking for more information on crate training? Housebreaking Housebreaking Bubba is going well. We have caught her in a few accidents, but she already seems to understand that she is not supposed to go potty inside. This does not mean that she is done housebreaking. We still expect accidents and will for a few months, so we watch her carefully while she is running around in the house. We also praise her for behaviors like going to the door and tapping the door or whining at the door. These behaviors are rewarded with us taking her outside to go potty. When she goes potty outside, we praise her and then take her right back in. We want her to start understanding that these cue behaviors will get her out to go potty and that is all. Looking for more information on housebreaking? But we will also add a few new ones. We will use this while teaching our puppy the SIT command. It also will be used going forward, anytime we are done working on structured obedience work. We will release the dog from formal work with the OKAY command. But we also use it to mean go to a certain place, such as on a mat or stand. Or, when we want her to go into her crate or kennel. This is an associative command, meaning the puppy will learn the command through our repetition of the word as we tie it to a behavior. But over time, she will make the association and will perform it on her own. This is very important especially if you ever plan on doing more advanced training with your retriever. You will use whatever your dogs name is. A few commands that we will continue to work on this week We will continue to work on obedience commands this week and in the weeks to come. Each week we will expect a little more and better compliance and performance to the command. She is sitting when I put the leash and chain collar on her and when I am taking it off. This week we also added SIT before eating. We only make her SIT for a few seconds; we are working on control. She does not SIT on her own yet, but she will be doing that within a week or so I would guess. Right now, I grab her collar and say SIT. In week three, I have a slightly higher expectation. On walks, I make her walk right beside me for a minute or two using the HEEL command before releasing her and letting her run back and forth a bit. This tells me that she understands the command. Then release her. If every time your puppy comes to you, you put her away or take something away from her, soon your puppy will not want to come to you. You must work hard to make coming to you a good experience for your puppy. So, call her, praise her when she comes and release. Remember: Never use a HERE command if you are not in the position of being able to enforce the command. Make every effort to socialize your puppy You should continue to take steps to socialize your week-old puppy. Anything you can think of. The more things and situations you expose your puppy to, the better your puppy will be equipped to adjust and learn in the future. Learn more about socialization. Hand throws with a puppy bumper you are throwing out a bumper done outside will carry a lot more distraction than retrieves in a hallway. Just pick up the bumper and try again tomorrow. When retrieving outside, make sure you have a long foot rope attached to your puppy. Never try to do retrieves outside without a rope. You will have problems and encourage bad behaviors. You must have a way to get the puppy to come back to you, otherwise you should not be doing retrieves outside. Once your puppy is doing well retrieving outside, you are ready to introduce assistant marks. Introduction to assistant marks The most important thing we worked on with Bubba this week is assistant marks. Assistant marks are retrieves where someone else is throwing the bumper, not you. This teaches your puppy to watch out in the field for a mark. It is very rare that a duck will come from behind you, fly over your head and you shoot it. The ducks and pheasants will be falling in front of you, so the dog must learn to look out and watch for the mark. We start assistant marks on very short grass with white plugs so that the puppy can clearly see the item on the ground. We hold the puppy in a SIT position facing a thrower who is about 20 feet from you. When your puppy picks up the bumper, immediately start calling her back to you. Remember, you should have the foot check cord on her so you can pull the puppy in if needed. Then, take the bumper from her, throw it behind you, make your puppy sit facing the thrower again and repeat. Only do retrieves and then call it a day. Soon your puppy will learn this game and love it. They will start facing the thrower on their own and sitting and waiting for a mark. Final thoughts on training for your week-old Labrador puppy week-old puppies are so eager to learn, so be sure and take advantage of this enthusiasm to teach new concepts and enforce previous ones. Continue to teach your puppy to handle more and more pressure and correction while maintaining a good attitude. Lastly, assistant marks are a big deal. Once a dog learns this part of the game, you can work to increase the distance and complexity of the marks. If you are struggling or need additional help with your new puppy, you can email me ottertailkennels gmail. I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs I offer. Until next time, happy retrieving. Print Early obedience first step to better hunting dog Labrador puppies start out sweet and innocent. All you want to do is cuddle up with your pup and love them! And you should! But rest assured the innocence will not last. As your pup gains confidence and courage, they will begin to test you in many ways. That is why you must obedience train your Labrador puppy. Early obedience training is key to establishing borders and boundaries that will help your puppy grow, learn, and adjust with a good attitude. There is no shortcut to doing this, just use the name often when you talk to your puppy. Over time, the pup will start to respond to the name. Socialization, while not technically obedience training, is the single most important thing you can teach your puppy during the first few months of life. If you are not sure how to do this, refer to this post. Tools needed to obedience train Labrador puppy You will need a few tools to teach your puppy obedience. The products I recommend I believe are a good value or good investment for anyone working to train or maintain training on their retriever. When possible, I include links to the product. Some of these links may be Amazon or other affiliate links in which I am paid a small commission at no cost to you. All opinions and recommendations are my own. Collar — You should purchase a size appropriate collar for your new puppy. You may have to buy new ones as your dog grows, but it is important for your puppy to get used to wearing a collar early on. A simple nylon adjustable collar works great. Chain collar — If your puppy is more than a few months old, a chain or prong collar is extremely helpful in teaching obedience, but they must be used correctly. For more information on how to put a chain collar on your dog correctly refer to this video. A longer lead, called a check cord, is also useful for teaching HERE and retrieving. You can learn more about that here. Heeling stick optional — While optional, a heeling stick can be especially helpful in teaching basic obedience. Treats — Treats are good for teaching very young puppies. I use treats for pups under 12 weeks of age, but treats should be discontinued rather quickly. When to start basic puppy obedience training Obedience training can and should start within the first couple weeks of having your puppy home. Young puppies are ready and willing to learn and teaching obedience to a young puppy is much easier than teaching it to an older dog. How long should obedience sessions be? Most labs do not enjoy obedience training. For this reason, we aim to keep obedience sessions short, especially if your dog is under 4-months of age. Five to ten minutes of obedience a day can work wonders. Especially if you are consistent. Using rewards or praise to teach obedience Many people like to use treats or rewards for obedience training. And this can work, especially with very young dogs. But for hunting dogs, over the long-term treats can become a problem. We do not want our dogs, or the dogs we train to be obedient only because they are getting a food reward. We want them to be obedient because they understand their place in the family and respect the owners. To get these lasting results, we use praise words and petting and a reward that retrievers live for — retrieves! Well-timed praise is a particularly important part of dog training. A message that it is okay to ignore me the first 9 times! This simply means that after a few minutes of formal obedience training, we release the dog with an OKAY command and that means they can run around and be a dog. We then throw a bumper or plug a for the dog to retriever. We do this a few times with a lot of excitement and allow the dog to retrieve the bumper. For retriever breeds, this is often more effective than a food reward. Be careful that you are not letting your puppy get into bad habits with retrieving. For instance, if your puppy often goes out to retrieve the bumper but then runs away with it, or picks it up and drops it, do not continue doing retrieves. While retrieving is a reward for many Labs, it is not an excuse to engage in behaviors that are not going to be acceptable in the field. If you want to learn more about how to properly teach your Lab to retrieve, check out How can I teach my retriever puppy to fetch? Introduction to leash and nylon collar The very first step for any puppy obedience is to introduce your puppy to a regular collar and leash. This should be done in two separate steps, first the collar and then the leash. Introduce the collar by putting a nylon type collar on your puppy. This is normal and you should not react to it. Introducing the leash is a little different. We like to do this outside. After a few sessions of this introduction, you can start holding the leash by the end and walking with the puppy. When the puppy tries to run or walk away, hold tight to the leash, and just let the puppy get used to the resistance. Some puppies have a hard time with this and will growl or whine and whip themselves around at the pressure, but most will not. Remain calm and after a few sessions the puppy should get used to the resistance of the leash. Do not allow the puppy to pull you around. That will make for some bad behaviors that you will need to correct later. If you cannot control your puppy with just a regular collar and leash, you may need to move to a chain or prong collar to keep control. What commands to teach Lab puppy There are only four basic obedience commands that you need to teach your young puppy. Remember when it comes to commands, less is more. OKAY — this is a release command, basically tells your dog were done training, go be a dog. As your puppy grows and learns more, there are some other commands that may be needed, but for puppies I like to start with just the four above. Dog training requires consistency Before you start with obedience training, I want to make a note about the importance of consistency. Obedience training only works if you are consistent. This means that when you say a command, you expect the puppy to perform the command, and are willing to take steps to make the puppy perform the command. If you do not remain consistent in this expectation, you will confuse your dog and get poor results from your training. You and your family must be consistent! How to start obedience training Lab puppy The first command you want to start teaching your puppy is SIT. This is quite easy to teach with a small puppy but gets a little tougher as they get bigger. Then release the puppy with the OKAY command. Repeat this process several times, then stop. If your puppy is weeks old, you can repeat this training several times a day for only a couple minutes at a time. This will be a two-person job for a little while. The other person will put the food down a few feet from the puppy. Then release the puppy to eat saying OKAY. As the pup learns and understands the command better, you will no longer need a second person to hold the puppy. You must be a little careful here because young puppies do not have great bladder control and making them wait, even a few seconds, can mean the difference between an accident and them doing their business outside. But this is a great way to teach impulse control and manners to your puppy. I do not want to have to fight for a position by the door. You can usually start working on this within a week or two of teaching SIT. A great way to teach this command to young puppies is to use two people and sit in a long hallway, one at each end. Take turns calling your puppy with a HERE command. A toy or treat can often help the process. Let your puppy run around a bit but hold onto the end of the cord. Occasionally, call you puppy with a HERE command. It can be helpful at first to crouch down to encourage the puppy to run towards you. Then release the puppy with an OKAY command. Do this a few more times and repeat daily until the puppy is coming to you without you needing to pull the cord. It is also the command most of our clients struggle with the most. Mostly because they are using the wrong tool for the job. For heeling work, it is important that you work with a chain or prong collar. This will give you more control and stop the pulling and surging that many people struggle with. Using a chain or prong collar and a six-foot leash, start walking your puppy at your side. If your puppy is young, be sure to use a puppy chain collar which is smaller than chain collars for adult dogs. And make sure that you are putting it on correctly! An alternate tool to a chain collar and leash is the Wonder or Command Lead. These work great for teaching HEEL. As you start walking use gently tugs on the chain collar with the command HERE to keep your puppy at your side. If your puppy surges or pulls ahead, simply make a degree turn and start walking the other direction giving a sharp, upward tug on the chain collar and saying HEEL several times until the dog is back in a heeling position. Many of our clients have told us they never left their driveway the first few days! But if you are patient and consistent, your dog will quickly learn that if they want to go for a walk, they need to stay at your side. If you want to learn and progress in more obedience work, check out these obedience drills for retrievers. Final thoughts on how to teach your lab puppy obedience Teaching your puppy obedience may take a lot of patience, time and work, but it is such an important thing to do. You will never regret the time! A well-mannered dog is such a joy to be around both in the home and in the field. How to obedience train Labrador puppy. Commencing Marker Training your chocolate labrador pup Start Marker Training at 8 weeks of age When you take your 8 week old labrador pup to their new home, you should commence their obedience training immediately. Just repetitively say yes and give your pup a treat immediately. Then familiarise your labrador pup with a leash. Clip the leash to their collar and allow the pup to roam a little. This way they will adjust to its weight and the sensation around their neck. If you try to walk your pup straight away, they will simply resist. Don't pull and command, but rather cultivate a positive experience with a leash. Secondly, I recommend that you feed your new labrador pup with a leash attached until they learn to sit. This will establish you as the master and immediately teach the pup restraint. Do not give the food bowl to your dog without firstly bringing him under your control. Even with my mature dogs, I will not let them feed except on command. Feeding should never be random. Hold the leash close to the labrador pup's neck and push their rear end down to the seated position. When they are sitting, enthusiastically praise your pup and, only then, reward their obedience with food. Remember, food should always represent a reward for good behaviour. They hear tones and frequencies. When we train them, we are conditioning them to associate a particular sound with a response so that it means something to them. Labrador puppies like all dogs learn contextually and by consistent repetition. In this way, a labrador pup learns to associate sounds with responses and rewards. This is why you should reward your pup immediately when they have performed a command correctly, even if they did not intend to do so. In the early stages, I prefer to teach a dog to 'sit,' then move on to 'staying' before teaching them to 'come'. This is especially so while they are still a puppy. Remember that a 12 month old dog is still a pup. They are regularly hyperactive and overstimulated. The goal is to get your labrador puppy into a calm and submissive state as often as you can. Ensure you are demonstrating a calm and composed, yet assertive demeanor. When you are in charge, your labrador pup will willingly sit and look to you for direction. Exercise patience and be repetitive but don't overdo it. Remember that the time you put in now will help you bond with your young dog, even if they do not appear to be advancing quickly. It will be a very worthwhile investment in a long term relationship for years to come. Of these three basic commands, the 'stay' command will take more time to teach. When this is mastered and entrenched in your dog's obedience, it can save your dog from danger. You are teaching them associations, not English words. Sit Teaching your new labrador pup to sit should begin immediately when you take it home. Begin by feeding them on a leash. Hold the leash close to the pup's neck. Give the pup the 'sit' command, but don't reward them with food until they are sitting. In this way you have begun to condition the pup to the 'sit' command. This requires patience at meal time. Remember that a labrador pup requires 4 feeds a day for the first phase of their life. This gives you ample opportunity for repetition and reward. When the dog sits, reward them with a treat and a lot of enthusiastic praise. Each time they repeat the behaviour, reward them with a treat again. You can train your labrador pup for short intervals at any time. Carry a few small pieces of food. Call your pup, then reward them with lots of affirmation and a piece of food when they comply. Teach them to sit by offering a small treat. Say 'sit', then let them smell the food as you move your hand over their head. A labrador pup will automatically lift the nose in the air to follow the food. As the head moves up and back, the pup will tend to sit. Give lots of praise and gradually increase repetition as they associate the word 'sit' with the food. Stay Your Labrador pup will need to understand the 'sit' command before you advance to 'stay'. Before you give the 'stay' command, make sure that the dog is seated. To keep the dog in the sitting position, you will use your hand with the fingers pointing up and the palm in front of their face. To begin with, position yourself about half a metre away from your pup's face. Direct the 'stay' command calmly, with your hand up. Slowly take half a step back and remain there for 3 seconds to begin with. Then step back towards to the dog. Wait for another 3 sec and then reward your dog with a treat. Repeat this 5 times. Reward them at the end of each 'stay' routine by praising them enthusiastically and giving them a treat. Don't praise or reward the dog until they have remained seated in front of you for a minimum of 3 seconds when you return. Your puppy should not move a millimetre until you give the reward. If your dog breaks early, you have gone too far. Simply return to your dog, reset them in the seated position and begin the routine again. Come It is important to make sure your Labrador understands the 'stay' command before you begin the recall or 'come' command. Make sure you pup is seated before you give the 'come' command. As your walk away from your pup, maintain eye contact. Don't back away too far too soon. If the pup breaks early, give the 'come' command to establish association. When you call your dog to 'come', do not let them jump up on you. If the dog wants to stand on its back legs and reach up, place the palm of your hand on their head and hold it away from you. I suggest that you don't say 'no! The down command should be used as a more constructive training command. If your pup jumps up, make your disapproval known by using a 'dog' sound; 'Ahhh! If you find yourself becoming frustrated, then put the pup away and start again tomorrow. Don't take it personally and don't blame the dog. Corrections are necessary, but not out of frustration or anger. If it's not working, then look at your consistency and your communication. If the training is a positive experience then you will strengthen the bonding and learning process. Develop consistent communication and trust with your dog in the process of the training. Labrador pups love to please and they will be very proud of themselves when they accomplish the command and gain your approval. Pawling Chocolate and Black Labradors. Labrador Retriever pups are working dogs. This means they live to please you for a treat. The more you engage them with different puppy training behaviors the happier they will be. Of course, Labs will be Labs, and this means that dogs do dog things unless they are trained to follow your expectations. Potty training your puppy is just the beginning of you making clear expectations for your Lab. Puppy training from long leash training to potty training, to not nipping is discussed in greater detail along with clear, easy to follow videos at www. But we will give you an expert training tip summary below. For this reason, you need to become an expert on puppy training. Contact us for a discount on the Puppy Trained Right positive reinforcement training program. Expose your puppy to as many different people and situations possible. Teach dog to dog manners when required. Use Positive Reinforcement. Allow for Play with Other Puppies. Play with other Lab Puppies not only allows your pup to get some exercise it is a form of puppy socialization. Bond with your Puppy. Once a strong bond is formed your Lab Puppy will want to please you even more. Potty Train Right Away. Learn how Dogs Learn. Training a Lab puppy is easy if you understand how to go about it. Give your Lab Puppy Play time to Explore. Labs need this as part of their natural development. Spend more time with your puppy when young. This is the time when your expectations should be clearly outlined and can decrease as she gets older. Begin Training day 1. This happens weather or not you intend it to. Every action and reaction is something your puppy uses to form new habits. So ignoring them jumping up as an 8 week old puppy is training them to jump up and will be much more difficult to un-train once they are 70 lbs. Relax and make learning fun. Your pup needs you happy and enjoying yourself! Use Positive Training Methods because they work. This means reward what you desire. Ensure most Experiences are Positive. Imagine a training session of No, No, No, No! Expose them to as Many Human Situations possible. One cause is that there was not adequate socialization with different men. Be Patient. You are building an amazing K9 personality. The window is between 8 and 20 weeks old. Make the most of it. The better your Lab is socialized the happier they will be. Anxiety in dogs comes from many things. The more things your dog is comfortable with the less chance for anxiety and therefore the happier they are. Prepare yourself, your family and your home before your puppy comes home. It is too late once you meet your puppy as simply interacting with her is training. Allow for Safe Experiences both in the home and outside. Seek professional trainers to help guide you when faced with a problem. Be consistent. Clear expectations are easiest to learn. Focus on Guiding not controlling. Best Start Training or Training Classes are beneficial for both you and your puppy. Expect Success. We tend to move in the direction we believe we will travel. Reward the Behaviors you want to see even something as simple as 4 paws on the ground if you are trying to train your Lab not to jump up on you. Become Well informed. You are teaching a skill like reading that takes clear expectations and builds upon last session. Lab Puppies need constant supervision either human, a crate, a fenced area or a baby gate across a doorway. Encourage a soft mouth. Keep your training up or it will be forgotten. Begin Walking on a Loose Leash Right away. This is always easier for your Lab when they are 12 lbs not 70lbs. Change direction before the leash tightens so they are followers not leaders. This is much easier to train before it happens than correct. Allow alone time for your Lab. Know when to end a training session. End training before your puppy quits. Make time for a few shorter training Sessions. Three fifteen minute sessions are better than one 45 min one. Teach your Lab to respond to their name. Teach your Labrador basic obedience before tricks-come, sit, stay, down, leave it. Have all humans learn the commands and be consistent. Ignore undesirable behaviors. Ignoring includes not saying no, bad dog, touching your dog or making eye contact. Find rewards that your Retriever loves and use them when you have breakthrough training moments. Adjust your expectations as your Lab puppy matures, the older more experienced the higher the expectation. Set Realistic Expectations. Minimize distractions when you begin training. Be aware of your Body Language, Labradors pick up cues from you. Be aware of your leash tension. A tight leash says anxiety from the handler. Know when to get Help .Have fun! Understand that Labs do Lab things. Make them work for food and treats. Exercise your Retriever properly for both intensity and duration. Learn some exercise games Labs love. Give lots of repetition. Stop before they get bored. Establish a Pattern by Praising. Redirect undesired behavior. Accept partial actions at first and gradually increase your expectations. When treats end Verbal treats and chin scratches rule. They will know. Enjoy your well balanced purebred Lab puppy for many years. Purebred Lab Retrievers, are they easier to train? The answer to that is definitely maybe! Not all purebreds are bred for intelligence. For example, if a Labrador Retriever breeder chooses to breed their dogs for a certain look then they may overlook intelligence as one of the important characteristics in order to get a specific Lab look. We however breed for intelligence, health and temperament. So in our case, yes, our Purebred Lab Puppies are easier to train than many because we choose the parents and their puppies specifically for their smarts!