mini bernedoodle puppies for sale in florida

Our collection of high-quality vector images features adorable Labrador puppies in a variety of poses and situations, from playing fetch to sleeping peacefully. Use our images to enhance your designs and capture the hearts of your audience. Types of Images Available Our collection of Labrador puppy vector illustrations includes a variety of images in different styles and colors, perfect for a range of design projects. Choose from playful and cute cartoon-style images or more realistic depictions of the breed. We also offer images in various colors, including classic black Labrador puppies, golden retrievers, and chocolate Labradors. How to Use Labrador Puppy Graphics There are many ways that you can use Labrador puppy vector illustrations in your designs. These images are particularly effective in advertising, especially for products aimed at families or pet lovers. Use them to create eye-catching banners or social media posts that will capture the attention of your audience. You can also use these images in product packaging, signage, and promotional materials for pet stores, veterinary clinics, and dog grooming services. When using Labrador puppy graphics, it's important to consider the tone and message of your design. Cute and playful images are great for advertising pet-related products, while more realistic illustrations may be better suited for professional or educational materials. Incorporating these images into your design in a thoughtful and strategic way will help to captivate your audience and achieve your marketing goals. Benefits of Using Vector Illustrations Vector images have become a popular choice for designers because of their versatility and scalability. Unlike raster images, which are made up of individual pixels, vector images are created using mathematical equations, allowing them to be resized without losing image quality. This makes our Labrador puppy vector illustrations perfect for a range of design needs. You can use them for everything from small-scale designs, such as logos or website buttons, to larger formatting, like billboards or product packaging. Additionally, because vector images are typically smaller in file size, they are easier to share and load on websites, resulting in faster load times and a better user experience. Conclusion Whether you're looking to create a playful advertisement or a professional brochure, Labrador puppy vector illustrations are an excellent addition to any design. Our high-quality images in AI, EPS, and JPG formats offer a range of options to suit your needs, while their versatility and scalability make them an excellent choice for designers of all skill levels. Keep in mind the tone and message of your design to make strategic use of these adorable illustrations, and capture the hearts of your audience. You should take your puppy outdoors and let him exercise his socialization potential at a young age. Visiting friends and family is one way to go about it. You can also spot a dog park and carry him there. Remember that your pet is still learning to follow directions and walk with you. You cannot expect him to cover long distances. The best way to avoid this is to take them far enough from the house and ensure they have a positive outside experience. It is worth noting that you should do this as often as you can, preferably daily. Start Potty Training It would be best to start potty training your Lab puppy the first day you bring him home. Start by showing your pup where you want him to potty, such as a sectioned-off area of your yard or garden. A good idea is to cordon off a small area and add some bark chippings. Next, you need a potty training schedule such as first thing in the morning, after mealtimes and play, and hourly for young pups. Many owners use dog crates to help with house training. I have a step-by-step guide on Labrador puppy crate training where you can learn tons more. Discourage Biting If you follow my blog, you know I am against punishment-oriented training. If you train your dog young enough to avoid harsh bites, you will not need punishment-driven discipline strategies. In any case, using physical force or yelling at your pup will only instill fear and distrust and can cause aggression in your dog. You can also check out my article, How to Discipline a Labrador , for greater insight into this topic. Instead, you can wait until your Labrador bites during a positive activity and then discontinue it. It will anchor the consequence better. Follow up using positive reinforcement by rewarding the correct behavior with a treat. Your Labrador will quickly learn that displaying good behavior reaps nice things. Puppies need to learn their bite inhibition soft-mouth by continuing the excellent work their mother and siblings taught them. Learn Bite Inhibition Training! Instill Patience You must use your best judgment when training your dog to be patient. Generally speaking, your Labrador will be mature enough to learn self-control by the tenth week. You can use a clicker or a whistle to teach your puppy to assume the natural heel position. Chances are, at first, your Labrador will try to change his pace to be behind you because of the force of habit. Walking in areas familiar to your dog will eliminate this problem. While you previously trained him to assume a heel position, you can also teach him these techniques. You may notice that your puppy can tell your words apart by the thirteenth week. So by the time he is four months old, you can use the position cues and positive reinforcement to get your dog to follow. These included whistling, clapping, or saying a specific word to indicate that your Labrador is doing a good job, typically followed by a well-deserved treat. Now is the time to see whether the anchors work! Where you previously whistled when your Lab ran towards you, now you must whistle, so he begins his run. This is the start of his Labrador recall training. Teaching good recall is an ongoing process. My dog was around 12 months old before seeing a noticeable improvement in her recall. Please avoid forcing the dog, as that only introduces confusion. Build Comfort With Crowds — Work on Socialization You have trained your Labrador to acknowledge close friends and family in the past few weeks. While this enables the puppy to be more social when you have visitors, a grown dog must learn to walk outdoors without acting out. This transition must be gradual, and try to keep experiences positive. Whether it is a cuddle, a pat, attention, or something tasty, you must teach your pup target training , for example, to touch a target with a specific part of his body. Remember that your Lab may end up biting or clawing to communicate if you do not teach him more acceptable communication methods. Here, I recommend teaching your Labrador to touch your hand with his nose. Ultimately, this is an excellent replacement for bites! Hand targeting is fun to teach, helps your pup build trust, and gets him using his brain! You have laid a strong foundation of discipline and positive reinforcement, making it easier to train your dog to follow more complex commands. In these weeks, you will introduce him to assuming different positions, obeying your commands as he moves away from you, and reacting to more nuanced anchors. Remember, 4-month-old Labrador puppies have a short attention span, so avoid long training sessions. Teach the Sit and Stay Teaching your Lab to sit and stay is a useful command for him to learn. Train Your Dog to Fetch If you have taken your Labrador to public parks and he has seen other dogs play fetch, it will be easier to teach him to retrieve whatever you throw. Your Labrador may not bring the toy back to you for a second round, but he will soon get the idea of retrieving it. You can gradually turn it into a game of fetch over the next few weeks and reward your doggo with high-value training treats. Continue Potty Training In the fourth month of Labrador training, you will continue potty training with a degree of independence. Continue with a good schedule and sync your walks with his natural cycle to align with the times he needs to go. You can use it to control your Labrador and later to test his ability to execute a command off-leash. A harness is also a good idea and is used for outdoor training and walks. Many owners will opt for a rear-attaching harness. Related: Harness vs. Collar for Lab Puppy: Which is Best? How to Train a 5-Month-Old Lab Puppy A five-month-old Labrador puppy is ready to be tested for his general obedience and the ability to deal with distractions, whether other dogs, people, or other animals such as squirrels or birds. Earlier, I mentioned that you could not expect an eight-week-old puppy to delay gratification. Your puppy can deal with distractions at five months old if you introduce them slowly. You must be prepared for your dog to run ahead of you now! However, suppose you have developed a solid relationship with your pup and worked on his training. In that case, he will stay within a reasonable distance, remaining by your side and showing loyalty. Once your Lab puppy has reached his 6-month milestone, it also marks the point where you introduce him to advanced obedience training. The good news is that all the training you have previously given will make it easier for your dog to follow your lead. Conclude Potty Training Your dog has had months to learn how to communicate his need to go potty. He has also likely refined the patience to hold it instead of relieving himself on the floor. Therefore, you can communicate your disappointment with your body language if your dog makes a mess. Avoid physical punishment and even verbal chastising as it impacts your dog negatively. All dogs can still have the odd accident up to 12 months old. Moreover, you must be prepared for your dog to relieve himself indoors if he is excited or frightened, known as either excitement or submissive urination. Increase Exercise Now that your Lab puppy is six months old, you can increase his exercise to thirty minutes twice daily. Energy levels, especially for larger breed dogs, escalate during this time. While the average exercise for a pup before this is generally five minutes of exercise per month of age, twice a day, a six-month-old Labrador can be out for one hour if you split his walks into thirty minutes a day. To train your 6-month-old Lab puppy, start with two commands with the most practical use. From six months onwards, until your Labrador is a well-trained adult, you can teach the following commands or tricks in any order. How to Train a 7-Month-Old Labrador As your Lab progresses to seven months old, a lot of the previous training needs to be kept consistent as you gradually teach him to comprehend more commands. Maybe there is a trespasser, and you want your dog to scare them away. You will need to continue training your dog to hold things or release them on command, but you can also proceed to add distance and even more background distractions. Ironically, you need to teach him to bark on command before learning to be silent on cue. Over this month, he will learn to associate the respective commands with barking and silence. This is quite tricky, but your Lab will eventually get there if you practice and stay consistent. The eighth month is ideal for training your Lab to go to different places upon hearing the command word. Either way, do not overload him with place commands, and stick to no more than two per month. Or you can use the ninth month to teach a cool party trick! After a week, you can remove the treat and teach your Lab to follow your finger. Of course, you will still need to reward him after he follows the command. By the third week, you can cue your doggo to spin and see if he does so without your finger guiding him in a circular motion. It might take an extra week or two, but I recommend this as an addition in the ninth month because it allows you to continue training your pet to learn previous commands better. You can teach him to go to different places, hold or release objects, and fetch toys. You can now progress this further and teach him to roll over on command. Your 1-year-old Labrador only learns to comprehend more at the same pace as he has since the 6-month mark. You should also audit previously taught commands and see any weak associations you can reinforce. How to Train an Month-Old Labrador You will not have to alter your training regimen dramatically if you have trained your Labrador properly from eight weeks onward. If anything, this is the period where you customize his training to your convenience. Now is when your dog must learn to be compatible with your life. From the month mark onwards, you must train your dog to be harmonious with modern adult life within reason. It is sad to see dog owners having to give away their pets because of behavior issues. Such things are avoidable if you train your dog correctly and sufficiently exercise him. It would be best if you simply established authority by having a positive yet commanding presence. Once your dog acknowledges your authority and sees you as a guide, you can merely treat him as a six-month-old, albeit on an accelerated schedule, and train him accordingly. Your job becomes even easier once you have a workable training schedule and stick to your routine. This month-by-month Labrador puppy training schedule will help you successfully train your doggo and turn him into the beloved companion you always desired. Good luck with your training! Related Posts You May Like:. Also the last meal of the day is several hours before bed time. The principles are the same. How much should my 9 week old puppy weigh? Your best guide to whether or not your puppy is growing properly is how he behaves and feels, rather than what the scales say. As a rough guide, many 9 week old lab puppies will weigh between lbs or a couple of pounds either side of this. Check out our puppy growth FAQ for more information. Puppy weights may also vary quite considerably between the two different types of Labrador field and show and even between individuals from the same litter. Potty training a 9 week old puppy Nine weeks is often the point at which people start to worry about potty training progress, or rather, lack of it. Perhaps you are taking your Labrador puppy outside after every meal, and every time he wakes up, but he is still making puddles all over the house. So what is going on? Nine week old pups have very poor bladder control, and short memories. He is still very much a baby and will need your help in this department for some time to come. Your role is to restrict his access to areas where mistakes are most likely to happen, through the use of baby gates or some other kind of temporary barrier. You will also need to take him outside before his bladder is over flowing which might be every twenty minutes at certain times of the day and to generally ensure that every wee goes in the right place. Check out our complete guide to potty training for more information. This is such a common concern, and often arises for the first time at about nine weeks. The puppy is settled in his new home, his shyness has worn off, his confidence is back, and he is ready for some fun. Concerns arise, simply because most people do not realise just how ferocious Labrador puppies seem when they play. Puppies bite hard and make a lot of noise and this is usually quite normal. Check out this article on puppy aggression to reassure yourself that you have not bought a vicious wild animal into your home. How much to feed a 9 week old puppy Many puppies, especially Lab puppies, are very greedy and wolf down every morsel you provide for them. Puppies like this will eat far more than they need and quickly become obese if you let them decide on quantities. You also need to bear in mind that every brand of puppy food is different. You can then add a little more to each meal if the puppy is not gaining weight steadily, or reduce the meals a tiny bit if he is getting too plump. However, if your puppy normally eats heartily and suddenly goes off his food, all food, then he may be unwell. Have a chat with your vet if you are concerned, especially if your puppy misses more than one meal. On the other hand, if he is quite happy to eat an alternative menu, the chances are he is simply exercising his right to an opinion. I strongly recommend you ignore this, and simply take his bowl away. You can offer the same meal later when the puppy is more hungry. If you are interested in feeding your puppy on a more natural diet, you may enjoy our guide to raw feeding: Raw feeding for dogs. And provided that you use modern methods, which are great fun for dogs of all ages. Fortunately this is not a problem at all, because a nine week old puppy does not need a walk. What he needs is space to trot about and play. And your yard or garden is probably suitable for this. So, you have all the time in the world, in which to introduce your puppy to his collar and lead. Let him wear a collar for a short while each day. Clip the lead on from time to time and let it trail. Distract him with food and cuddles. Occasionally pick up the end and encourage him to follow you. Just drop your email address into the box below: Socializing your 9 week old puppy We have known for several decades that puppies need to be exposed to different types of experiences before they are three months old , in order to become confident and fearless. Yet far too many puppies are kept at home, away from the world in those important first few weeks. Socialization is all about raising a friendly confident dog, and proper socialization helps to avoid problems like fearfulness and aggression. That means taking your puppy to lots of different places, carrying them in your arms or a carrier, to avoid contact with potential sources of infection. Enrolling your puppy in a well-supervised, modern force free training class can be a great way of building social confidence too. Studies have shown that puppies enrolled in classes before 20 weeks of age are less likely to be fearful than puppies kept at home. The same goes for houses you regularly visit with only dogs that you are confident have been recently vaccinated. Leaving a 9 week old puppy alone during the day is not a good idea. At this stage of their life they have only been in your home for a short time, and are still settling in. They need constant supervision for toilet training, and are probably still learning to be happy in their crate. Can I bathe my 9 week old puppy? But Labradors being Labradors, there is bound to come a point when you have a sticky or messy pup on your hands! Just use a gentle shampoo designed for puppies, and try to make the process fun for your little one. You might find the kitchen sink or a large plastic bowl is a lot less scary than the great big family bathtub. We are sure that this guide will be useful and interesting for you. In this lesson, we will show how to draw a Labrador. We can safely say that this is one of the most charming dog breeds. Labradors are active, friendly, balanced and easy to train. It is dogs of this breed that are most often used as a nurse, guide, and companion. Labrador quickly becomes a pet and gets along well with people and other animals in the house. Labrador is a large dog with a strong physique. Labrador has a large head, hanging ears and kind, smart eyes. You see all these features in the figure, and now you have to draw the same dog. Time needed: 1 hour How to Draw a Labrador Prepare the base. Draw three circles of different sizes, and thus indicate the location and size of the main parts of the body. Add the back and limbs. Depict a smooth line that connects the head with the rest of the body and smoothly passes into the tail. Use thin lines to mark the location of the limbs. Depict the lower outline of the torso. Draw a smooth line at the bottom and thus depict the neck, belly and lower part of the tail. Draw the front part of the muzzle. Be careful in this step and try to draw the front of the muzzle correctly. Draw the big nose and draw the upper jaw with a smooth curved line. Sketch out the rest of the muzzle. Draw two eyes that are almond shaped, and add the lower jaw with one smooth line. Depict the ears. The Labrador has soft hanging ears. Draw the front paws. Use guidelines to draw the two front paws. Try to correctly portray all the bends on the paws. Add the lower parts of the front paws. Depict the contour of each foot, add the fingers with short strokes and add the small claws on each paw. Depict the hind legs. The hind legs have a wide base and a narrow lower part. Be careful when you draw bends in the joint of the joints. Add the lower parts of the hind legs. The feet on the hind legs have the same shape as on the front paws, and drawing these parts of the body should not cause difficulties. Correct inaccuracies. All contours of the body are already drawn, and now it remains to remove the extra lines and make the drawing more clear. Color the Labrador. Use beige to color the fur and do not forget to draw shadows so that the pattern looks more realistic. If you want to use a different color, you can color the Labrador in brown or black. After you performed all the steps in these instructions, you can evaluate the result of your work. We hope that you correctly painted all the parts of the body of Labrador and you have a great drawing. If this lesson was useful for you, then leave a little review. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue using the site, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on this website. Click here to read our privacy regarding the use of cookies. I Agree Your address has been updated. Done Your password has successfully been changed! Sign In Crafting Extraordinaire Your file has now been converted to the desired format! To view file, go to the My Converted Files page or click the Download button below to receive your design. Download Your File We apologize for the inconvenience, but it appears that your file conversion has failed. We have queued your conversion request, please check back in an hour and visit the My Converted Files page to download your file. If you continue to experience issues, please contact our support team for assistance. Happy Designing! Thank you for submitting your design to be shared with our community of embroidery enthusiasts - it is because of people like you that we have such a great selection of free designs available and hope to continue growing this group of great designs. Your design will be reviewed and processed in the next business days. Do you have more designs you would like to add? Upload More Designs Your download has been completed. Done There was an error processing your download, please contact support. Support Almost There! Your download should start momentarily. If your download does not start after 30 seconds, please contact support. You may also want to have a reference photo of a Labrador puppy handy. The first step is to sketch out the basic shape of the puppy. Start with a circle for the head and add two small triangles for the ears. Then add a larger oval for the body and two smaller ovals for the legs. To finish the sketch, add a curved line for the tail. Begin by fleshing out the head, adding the eyes, nose, and mouth. Then move on to the body, adding the fur. Make the strokes go in the same direction to create a sense of movement. Finally, finish up by adding the finishing touches to the tail. Now you have a completed drawing of a cute Labrador puppy! Hang it up on your fridge or give it to a friend who loves dogs. Introduction — Why Labrador puppies are one of the most popular subjects to draw, and some tips on how to get started. Body — Step-by-step instructions on how to draw a basic Labrador puppy. Conclusion — Some final thoughts on drawing Labrador puppies, including ideas for further exploration. Gathering the Required Art Supplies Are you looking for a fun and easy way to pass the time? If so, you may want to consider learning how to draw a Labrador puppy. This breed of dog is one of the most popular in the world and is known for being friendly and easy to train. They make great family pets and are sure to put a smile on your face. In order to draw a Labrador puppy, you will need a few supplies. First, you will need a piece of paper and a pencil. You will also need some erasers and a sharpener. These items can be found at any local store that sells art supplies. Once you have gathered your supplies, you are ready to begin. Start by sketching out the basic shape of the puppy. You can use a reference photo to help you with this step. Next, begin to add in the details. Start with the eyes and then move on to the nose and mouth. Add in the fur and any other details that you want to include. When you are finished, you will have a cute drawing of a Labrador puppy that you can be proud of. Be sure to show it off to your friends and family. They are sure to be impressed with your work. Then, add two smaller circles for the eyes and nose. For the ears, draw two curved lines. To finish the head, add a curved line for the mouth. For the body, start by drawing a rectangle. Then, draw two front legs coming down from the body. For the back legs, draw two lines that come out from the bottom of the rectangle and meet at a point. To finish the body, add a tail. Now you have the basic shapes of a Labrador puppy! You can add details like fur, a collar, and a leash. Or, get creative and come up with your own ideas. Whatever you do, have fun and happy drawing! For the eyes, you can either keep them small and simple, or add some bigger and more expressive eyes. If you want to add some extra details to the eyes, you can also add some eyebrows. For the nose, you can either keep it small and black, or add some color to it. For the mouth, you can add some tongue or teeth, or keep it simple. For the fur, you can add some longer and shorter strokes to create a more realistic look. You can also add some spots or patches of color. For the paws, you can either keep them simple or add some claws. And for the tail, you can either keep it straight or add some curl to it. For the background, you can either keep it simple or add some extra elements such as trees, flowers, or even other animals. And for the frame, you can either keep it simple or add some decorative elements. Now you know how to add some simple details to the face and body of a Labrador puppy. Have fun and be creative! Once you have your sketch, begin fleshing out the details. Start with the eyes, then move on to the nose and mouth. Soft and fluffy? Sleek and shiny? This can be anything from tiny dots to larger patches of shading. Again, vary the pressure on your pencil to create different depths of shading. Thanks for reading, and happy drawing! Introduction — Why drawing is a great activity — Why Labrador puppies are a great subject to draw 2. Sketching the Labrador Puppy — Defining the basic shapes 3. To do this, start by sketching in some light, wispy strokes. Remember to vary the thickness and density of the strokes — this will give the fur a more natural look. Start by adding some light shadows around the eyes, nose, and mouth. Then, add some darker shadows in the areas where the light would naturally be darkest — under the chin, around the ears, etc. To create a realistic look, be sure to use a light touch and build up the shading slowly.

Pleasant Puppies - Warwickshire About us.Jim and I are not professional breeders, this is Cathryn's hobby, We are both medical in our back grounds but Jim is now retired and Cathryn is semi- retired. We really started breeding after a throw away comment while walking our dog Lizzy one day with some friends. The comment was " wouldn't they make beautiful puppies! The rest as they say is history. We originally bred mini F1B Goldendoodles, but both of our Goldendoodle girls are now retired. She is an intelligent, playful, obedient people centred dog. She loves running around the fields or chilling by the fire in the winter. Her greatest enjoyment is always cuddles time! Maggie Mae will be bred with a health tested stud miniature poodle. So her puppies will be medium sized dogs. We, well mostly Cathryn, love the whole process of breeding and rearing the puppies. The puppy cuddling, the weaning and meeting exited new puppy owner but less so the puppy poop! We have a lady called Fiona who lives in our village and helps us out with looking after the pups. Cathryn has a team of puppy cuddling friends who love it as much as she does. We play the litter a cd of sounds including traffic and fireworks. We are fortunate to live in rural north Warwickshire and to have a house big enough to be able to deliver and rear the puppies within our home in a room off of the kitchen, which is warm and dry. From there, when the puppies are a bit older, we can take them out to a safe enclosed yard where they are fed and can play. Then comes the fun of herding them all back in again! We have a maximum of one litter a year and our dogs and stud dogs have all of the relevant heath testing before mating. The puppies go to their new homes having been vet checked vet and microchipped. We are happy to give the first vaccination if you wish us to. The puppies come with 4 weeks insurance, puppy food, toys , information on how to look after them and of course a smelly blanket which is rubbed over mum and the litter. Our puppies are fun and good natured and a number of previous owners have returned for another pup from the next litter! We are always sad and yet happy to see them finally leave to go to their new families. At 8 weeks, the puppies are ready to join their new families and we are ready to see them go! Why not check out our website at www. Location: North West, United Kingdom 2. Curtabernedoodles Curtabernedoodles is the best breeder for you to work with if you believe that you will be ready to bring a Bernedoodle into your life within the next year or so. Curtabernedoodles is a business based in the United Kingdom that serves the entirety of the United Kingdom and Europe. They are dedicated to the Bernedoodle breed and professionally conduct themselves when providing breeding and stud services. In addition to that, they train puppies. The owner of the company has a degree in the field of health and care. Breeding facilities are not eligible to purchase puppies from this company. They offer families the opportunity to buy puppies. All the puppies there were born and raised in enchanting settings from the moment they were born. Puppies come in several sizes , each with a unique combination of trio and bio colors. After you have decided to purchase a puppy from them, you will be required to deposit euros so that your name can be reserved on the master list. Because of the increasing demand, you should consider putting in some effort to acquire a healthy Bernedoodle for your household. There are several price ranges available, each of which is determined by the size and characteristics of the product. A suitable Bernedoodle can be purchased for anywhere between 1, and 3, euros. Contact Details:. Our main aim is to produce a happy, healthy family companion. We have bernedoodles living all over Europe and are happy toa ssist with exporting a puppy safely. Many of our Bernedoodle puppies are trained assistant dogs or are resident dogs at schools. We are really proud of the work our puppies are achieving in developing children's confidence and abilities. Many of our bernedoodles have instagram pages also. Here at spring well we have the show-type cocker spaniel. We love the cocker spaniel for their intelligence and their loving temperment. Our cocker spaniels make excellent family dogs , They aim to please and are fairly easy to train. We have 2 cocker spaniel males - Wichyn and Prince both are available on stud Cockapoo A firm family favourite; which Chlidren seem to love! Cockapoos are loved for their playful characters and for the less shedding of hair. Cockapoo are produced from an English Cocker Spaniel and our Petite Minature Poodles; we always try to get a great variety of interesting colours. Their sweet, loyal and affectionate traits are a big part of what we as a family love about the breed. Many people have returned to buy more of our beautiful Bernese. They provide breeding and stud services for Bernedoodles with enthusiasm and professionalism. Additionally, they offer dog training. The owner of the business holds a degree in health and welfare. They are simply selling the puppies to families. All of their puppies were born and nurtured in a gorgeous setting. They have puppies of all sizes with beautiful triad and bio colors. When you purchase a puppy from them, a euro payment is required to secure your spot on the waiting list. Because of their increasing demand, you must wait to purchase a wonderful Bernedoodle for your family. Their pricing ranges vary based on their size and characteristics. The price range for an ideal Bernedoodle is between 1, and 3, Euros. A few breeders began actively crossing Bernese mountain dogs with poodles; however, it is conceivable that the first Bernedoodles were the product of accidental breeding. Purebred dogs are highly standardized in height, weight, color, coat type, temperament, and body structure. Because the Bernedoodle is a hybrid and not a purebred dog, none of the relevant purebred dog registries, like the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club, accept it. The Bernedoodle also lacks an established breed standard; therefore, there is considerable variety in the appearance and behavior of individual Bernedoodles. Varied breeders may have different conceptions of what constitutes a Bernedoodle, making it difficult to predict what you may receive if you purchase a Bernedoodle puppy. Bernedoodles can be F1 first generation , F2 second generation , F3 third generation , and so on. The puppies produced by an F1 litter are pretty varied. Some may resemble Bernese Mountain Dogs, while others may resemble poodles. Some puppies may resemble a hybrid of the two parent breeds, while others may not resemble either parent breed. In a litter of F1 Bernedoodle puppies, the coat type and amount of shedding can vary significantly. Two F1 Bernedoodles are crossed to produce F2 Bernedoodles. Additionally, F2 Bernedoodles have varied coat types. Some breeders add more poodles to the bloodlines to increase the stability of the coat type. This is known as backcrossing and is represented by a B. Tips When Choosing a Bernedoodle Breeder When choosing a Bernedoodle breeder, it is essential to ask questions and be sure you know what to expect. Here are some tips: Ask if they have the parents and puppies available. If not, ask when they will be available. Ask how much litter they have produced in the past year or a few years. Ask about the kennels where your new addition will live- is it clean? Are there plenty of toys for them to play with? If yes, this should help ensure they have lots of fun while being socialized correctly! The price of a Bernedoodle puppy depends on the breeder, the age of the puppy, and its breed. Conclusion Bernedoodles typically get along great with children and other dogs. They are usually a very affectionate breed and will love to cuddle all day long. Image Credits:. For Stud Introduction The Bernedoodle is a hybrid breed that is full of vigour. He is a lively dog with a sweet disposition. His goofiness and great love for his human companions garnered him countless fans. Since it is relatively a new breed, he is not yet recognised by the Kennel Club. It is a designer breed, a mix of the poodle and the Bernese mountain dog. He was solely created to be a wonderful family companion. Origins of the Bernedoodle The Bernedoodle dog breed is thought to have existed for a long time. However, it was Sherry Rupke of Swissridge Kennels that was recognised as the first breeder to create this mixed breed. Back then, Sherry was separately breeding the golden Labradoodle and the Bernese mountain dog. It saddened her that the Bernese breed has such a short lifespan. So, she thought of making a new breed similar to the golden Labradoodle by using the Bernese. Thus, she cross-bred a poodle with a Bernese mountain dog. Her efforts proved to be fruitful as the first Bernedoodle pups were born in in Canada. Appearance and Grooming How big does a standard size Bernedoodle get? A fully mature standard Bernedoodle may grow approximately 23—29 inches tall. The smaller variation of the breed such as the mini Bernedoodle will have a height of 18—22 inches once he matures. Meanwhile, an adult tiny Bernedoodle will stand about 12—17 inches tall. How much does a Bernedoodle weigh? The weight of an adult standard Bernedoodle is approximately 50—90 lbs. What does a Bernedoodle look like? He has a triangular muzzle. His ears hang down along his head. He has black, oval eyes that are set far apart. His tail is bushy and carried high. He possesses thick, cushioned pads. A Bernedoodle that has a predominant Bernese gene is more likely to be taller and have a more defined, strong, equilateral physique. His coat often varies depending on which parent breed's gene prevails. One that has more Bernese blood will have a straighter coat. The one that acquired more of the poodle genes has more chances of inheriting the curly and wavy coat. His coat is dense, which gives him protection from the heat and insulation during the cold season. Is Bernedoodles hypoallergenic? The Bernedoodle's hypoallergenic coat is one of the things that are sought after by many dog owners. It is worth noting that a Bernedoodle with a curly coat sheds less, thus producing minimal dander. This dog is more fitting for allergic people. The one that possesses a straighter coat moults often, which makes him less hypoallergenic. The one with a straight coat requires at least once a week of brushing. However, since he sheds more, be prepared to brush him frequently during his moulting season. The Bernedoodle dog with curly hair needs more brushing. Brushing must be done at least three to four times a week to prevent mats and remove debris. Be sure to take him to the groomer if his coat grows too long. When it comes to bathing, only do it once he becomes too dirty or smelly. Frequent washing will dry his skin and hair and will cause skin problems. Clip his nails every three to four weeks to prevent splitting or cracking of nails. This poodle mix has droopy ears, so cleaning them often is a must to prevent ear infections. Gum diseases are common in dogs, so incorporate a daily dental routine in his daily grooming. Temperament and Intelligence The Bernedoodle is primarily bred to be a great family dog. He is expected to be extremely friendly and fond of his human companions. He is a Velcro dog that wants to stick close to his loved ones. He makes a good companion dog. Because of his loyalty to his owners, he can be protective of them and be indifferent around strangers. His love for his family has a downside. If left alone for too long, the Bernedoodle may have separation anxiety. It can cause him to develop unwanted behaviours such as incessant barking, digging, and ruining furniture. Therefore, make sure that he has a companion with him throughout the day when the rest of the family is out. The Bernedoodle is great for families with children and other pets. He is a lively dog that thoroughly enjoys fun and games. However, supervision is still recommended as he could be aloof at times and might cause an accident. Adults need to teach younger children how to gently handle dogs, too, to prevent them from hurting the dogs. Early socialisation paired with proper training is crucial. This will greatly help the Bernedoodle to mature into an amiable and sociable dog. Lack of socialisation may lead him to become vicious or timid around people and other animals. When it comes to training, the Bernedoodle is quick-witted and very eager to please his owner. However, he has a slight stubbornness in him, so be patient. Training should be firm and consistent, but also gentle. Rough training will only lead him to defy you. Instead, use positive reinforcement training, such as praising and giving him treats to encourage him even more. Fun Facts The Bernedoodle commonly has an affinity for snow and water. He inherited this trait from his parent breeds. The Bernese mountain dog enjoys the snow, although he may tend to dislike water. Meanwhile, the poodle is known to love swimming. There are various types of Bernedoodle generations. F1 is a first-generation Bernedoodle that is 50 per cent poodle and 50 per cent Bernese mountain dog. An F1b Bernedoodle is 75 per cent poodle and 25 per cent Bernese. An F2 Bernedoodle is a cross-breed between two different F1 Bernedoodles. Breeders do not recommend this as the offspring is likely to have genetic health problems. An F2 Bernedoodle is .The breed is often picked to become a therapy dog because of his friendly nature. He loves to interact with people and be with them. Nutrition and Feeding Protect your Bernedoodle pup from malnutrition and serious health issues by supplying him with a high-quality diet that is rich in protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Since the Bernedoodle is an active and high-energy breed, he will benefit more from protein-rich food. The best dog food will have meat as the primary ingredient. Some protein sources may include fish, chicken, or beef. Make it a habit to divide his meals into two servings. This is to prevent him from gorging on his food. Quickly devouring food can lead to a bloated stomach and weight gain. Health and Exercise An energetic dog that likes to have fun, the Bernedoodle needs at least thirty minutes to an hour of workout. Walking around the neighbourhood, playing fetch, or learning new tricks are fun ways to expend his energy. Since the breed is known to love water, consider taking him to the beach or the lake for a swim. The Bernedoodle is a healthier breed compared to the poodle and the Bernese mountain dog. In fact, he has a lifespan of twelve to eighteen years. Smaller variations of the breed tend to live longer than their larger counterparts. However, there are still a few health issues that you need to look out for, such as: Eye problems such as canine cataracts Hyperadrenocorticism Cost of Ownership What impacts the cost of Bernedoodles? Many factors can affect the price tag. These include: Number of Quality Breeders The breed is fairly new, so there are only a few reputable Bernedoodle breeders. This can hike up the cost of the puppy. New Breed The Bernedoodle breed is in demand, but because the breed is new, puppies come in low quantities. The low supply and high demand can make the puppy costly. Tricoloured ones are found to be the most expensive. Health Tests Responsible breeders always make sure to produce a healthy litter. There may pay expensive fees for health screenings. How much does it cost to raise a Bernedoodle? Bernedoodle Breed Highlights The Bernedoodle enjoys being close to his family and engages in goofy antics that will bring out smiles and laughter. He is good around children and other pets with the help of early socialisation. He responds well to firm and consistent training and positive reinforcement. He needs a minimal amount of exercise throughout the day. Are you sure the Bernedoodle is the best breed for you? Take the Pet Breed Selector Quiz to find your perfect breed match. Dog Breed Selector Quiz Disclaimer: The information, including measurements, prices and other estimates, on this page is provided for general reference purposes only.

Dam is Bailey who is fawn with a l… more. Look here to find a Boxer breeder close to youArkansas who may have puppies for sale or a male dog available for stud service. We expect puppies to be here the last week of June. His tail is docked and declaws removed. Look below for announcements our members have placed for their Boxer puppies. These breeders are far and few, so do your research and ask questions. We've connected loving homes to reputable breeders since and we want to help you find the puppy your whole family will love. Boxer Hound Unknown Type Female, 9 mos. These Boxers are available for adoption close to El Dorado, Arkansas. Welcome to Boxer puppies for sale on QualityDogs. Here are a few organizations closest to you: Shelter .Boxers for Sale in Fayetteville, AR. Adopt a Boxer near you in El Dorado, Arkansas. Find Boxer breeders with puppies for sale near Arkansas. AnimalsSale found Boxer puppies for sale in Arkansas near you, which meet your criteria top class boxer puppies availa Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Pet Price: Ask We raise our Boxer puppies in our home with lots of outside playtime. We have 3 male boxer puppies. He was then imported to the United States in .All fawn with white toes, chests, and a. Why buy a Boxer puppy for sale if you can adopt and save a life? Look at pictures of Boxer puppies in Arkansas who need a home. Over 4 weeks ago on Adopt-a-Pet. His main purpose is for hunting large game. AR Find Boxer puppies for sale Near Arkansas Despite their light and fun-loving nature, the Boxer is a hardworking, versatile, and vigilant breed that is incredibly loyal to their family. Red male is the largest of the litter. The American Boxer Club was established in .One is solid white, one is brindle and one is reverse brindle. Boxer Puppies for Sale Your search returned the following puppies for sale. Adopt Dogs in Arkansas. Boxer, Arkansas » Big Rock Township Boxer puppies available Marco Vena these boxers and still young, vet checked, had their first vaccination, flea treated, wor. These Boxers are available for adoption close to Warren, Arkansas. Expected August Contact for more information Mary Speer. Other than adoption fees, NovaStar is financed exclusively by donations and an occasional grant Contact us about reduced adoption fees on dogs that have been long term rescue residents!! Dam is Bailey who is fawn with a little flash and about .If you are unable to find your Boxer puppy in our Puppy for Sale or Dog for Sale sections, please consider looking thru thousands of Boxer Dogs for Adoption. Find your Boxer puppy for sale in Arkansas. Boxer puppies for sale in Little Rock, AR from trusted. Greet our Boxer puppies available in Arkansas, AR. These Boxers are available in El Dorado, Arkansas. Boxer dogs were originally bred to be medium-size guard dogs. Browse these Boxer rescues and shelters below. Laura Koch, her family, and her dedicated staff, offer high quality puppies from a clean environment. There are animal shelters and rescues that focus specifically on finding great homes for Boxer puppies in Warren, Arkansas. Boxer puppies for sale in Jonesboro, AR from trusted breeders. The right Boxer is worth waiting for. If you are unable to find your Boxer puppy. Boxer puppies for sale in Arkansas from trusted breeders. There you will be able to see pictures, find out more about the breeder, and contact them about their puppies if you wish. Boxer Puppies for Sale in Arkansas. Boxer puppies for sale Jonesboro, Arkansas Introduction of the Boxer The Boxer dog breed originated in Germany and has been around since the late 19th century. If you are looking for puppies for sale or a particular stud dog in your area you can also check our puppies. We've connected loving homes to reputable breeders since and we. On Good Dog, Boxer. These pups are in Jonesboro, Arkansas too! Below are our newest added Boxers available for adoption in Jonesboro, Arkansas. History: The Boxer descends from two dogs of the. To see more adoptable Boxers in Jonesboro, Arkansas, use the search tool below to enter specific criteria! Boxer puppies for sale in Little Rock AR. While they may be considered "Working Dogs" by the AKC, they often find homes as loving companions and family pets. Boxer puppies for sale in Arkansas from trusted breeders …. These Boxers are available for adoption close to Camden, Arkansas. Boxer Breeders : Our Top 10 Picks! Welcome to Petit Jean Puppies Raising award winning pure breed, and mix breed designer dogs since .Boxer Breeders in Arkansas. Boxer puppies for sale Find Boxer breeders with puppies for sale near Arkansas Boxer breeders directory Enter your 5-digit U. Boxer For Sale in Arkansas .AR Find Boxer puppies for sale Near Arkansas Despite their light and fun-loving nature, the Boxer is a hardworking, versatile, and vigilant breed that is incredibly loyal to their. Boxer puppies for sale in Arkansas with Price. If you are unable to find your. Proverbs "A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals". He was then imported to the United States in and was accepted by the American Kennel Club the following year. Boxer puppies for sale in Fort Smith, AR from trusted breeders. Timberline boxer puppies and adults are well socialized and loved daily. For Serious inquiries please call or us at xxx Photos and contact info on Advertigo website. Boxer puppy for sale in Arkansas. I live in Conway Arkansas I have 7 beautiful babies 4 females and 3 males. Beautiful boxer, puppies for sale. Boxers are a very loving breed of dogs that make great family pets! Boxers are also great working dogs! Igneshof Boxers come from a long line or working dogs. The puppies tails have been docked and declaws removed. Boxers for Sale in Paragould, AR. The Boxer dog breed slowly gained popularity throughout Europe in the late s. To find out more about the puppies in each listing, simply click View Listing. We've connected loving homes to reputable breeders since and we want to help you find. Anything Look…Weird? For the best experience, we recommend you upgrade to the latest version of Chrome or Safari. Lonoke County He's a beautiful boxer mix in search of his furever home. Pet insurance is basically a policy purchased by the owner of a pet that will. Prices may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy for sale in Fort Smith, AR. These Boxers are available for adoption close to Russellville, Arkansas. Below are our newest added Boxers available for adoption in El Dorado, Arkansas. But this dog breed was also useful in guarding and driving livestock. Our Dog Breeder directory is the ultimate source of listings for breeders in North America. I have one white male that is deaf other than that he is perfect. Boxers are a very loving breed of dogs that make great family. Find a Boxer for adoption at dog rescues or shelters near Arkansas. Boxers for Sale in Jonesboro, AR. If you have never owned a Boxer before, or are interested in reading more information, check out our Boxer Dog Breed Information page. Boxer puppies for sale Jonesboro, Arkansas. Easy, transparent and safe: healthy and happy Boxer puppies from the best breeders. Download an adoption application here Please email the completed application to adoptionteam1. PRESTON is eager for any adventure you have in store, but also knows when to settle down and curl up next to you while you catch up on your favorite shows. His engaging personality and friendly disposition will make for a smooth introduction to any of your current family members. PRESTON is well on his way to mastering his house breaking etiquette and does well in his crate when his foster family is away from the house. No need to stress if you need to slip away from the house for a few hours-he will be there wagging his tail happily upon your return. We will reach out to you as soon as your application is processed. Thank you in advance for your patience. All of our dogs start their journey in Memphis, Tennessee where they remain in loving foster families until they are adopted. Once adopted, some pups stay local in Memphis. Many others travel via one of our transport partners to their new forever homes. For our Midwest adopters, we have our own private transport. Breed selection is done in conjunction with two local vets and is not to be considered a guarantee but rather a well-educated decision from well qualified staff. Due to the extremely high volume of inquiries we receive, we ask that you request, complete, and submit an application before asking additional questions. We try very hard to include all pertinent information in our bios. We are excited to help you find your new family member. We want to spend our time saving dogs and assisting those adopters who have taken the time to complete an application. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for choosing rescue!!

We have answers. We are absolutely committed to full transparency at Uptown. Only the very best Las Vegas French Bulldog breeders and businesses get into our network, and they provide full health and behavioral histories for each pup. So you know exactly what you are getting when you connect with French Bulldog breeders in Las Vegas in our network. What will my French Bulldog puppy be like? French Bulldogs are little dogs with big heads that give them an incredibly cute appearance. French Bulldog puppies for sale Las Vegas are friendly, fun, and adorable. They get on well with everyone, and they are companion dogs too, which means they love nothing more than spending lots of time with their owners. Is there a reason why French Bulldogs are expensive? When you look for French Bulldog puppies for sale in Las Vegas, they can cost more than other breeds. This is because their narrow hips mean they need to be artificially inseminated, and C-sections are needed to deliver pups. This extra skill and work involved leads to the additional expense when you buy a Las Vegas French Bulldog for sale. How can I find a puppy in the Uptown Network? Just search for a French Bulldog Las Vegas, find the available litters, and connect with the breeder. Once you have connected, you can start to make arrangements with them and you could soon be meeting your gorgeous new puppy. Can I go and pick up my new puppy in person? If you find a French Bulldog for sale Las Vegas nearby and find your perfect puppy, simply make arrangements with the breeder and you may be able to pick up your pup in person. But even if your new puppy is over the other side of the country, the breeder can make travel arrangements, so you can meet them at your nearest major US airport. Is this a place where I can find the cheapest puppies? The French Bulldog breeders Las Vegas in our network are the best of the best. They provide a boutique service and they all have incredibly high breeding standards. You can certainly choose a shelter dog, and we are not anti-shelter at all. The most important thing is that you get a dog from a humane and responsible source. But if you want a purebred French Bulldog for sale in Las Vegas or a dog with particular character traits, you may find it easier to use Uptown. How do I know that my new pup is going to be healthy? Because all the breeders in our network provide complete health checks for their French Bulldog puppies in Las Vegas. They will check your puppy's fur, eyes, mouth, skin, ears, and everything else for their French Bulldogs for sale in Las Vegas. What exercise requirements to French Bulldogs have? Compared to other breeds, their exercise needs are low. A short walk each day is recommended, so keep that in mind when you look for Las Vegas French Bulldogs for sale. And they will probably have some more energy to play at home. But other than that, they are happy to relax with their owners. Will my Frenchie pup be quick to learn commands? Many people look for French Bulldogs for sale Las Vegas because these are dogs that love to please their owners. They will love the attention you give them during training, but they can be slightly stubborn. Just be patient, and you will find that your Frenchie puppy will pick up new commands without any problems. No Comments If you are looking for the best quality French Bulldog puppy breeder in Nevada state, you are at the right place. The French Bulldogs are renowned for being easy-going, mischievous, and snuggly. Moreover, since French Bulldogs are polite and adaptable, many city folks have discovered that they make a great addition to their family. However, as long as their family is nearby, these dogs are willing to live anywhere. However, it must be difficult to locate a reliable French Bulldog breeder in Nevada. I believe that this article will assist you in getting your little buddy with minimal difficulty. You can consider RedRock Frenchies as your final destination to get your little buddy. They strive to produce purebred French Bulldogs. They raise not only a little pooch for you, they literally rear your future family member. There is no doubt that the French Bulldog is a special breed of dog breed. RedRock Frenchies makes sure the health history of the breeding line is neat and clean. They also provide all kinds of legal documents and history paper works of the puppy to ensure their authenticity. RedRock Frenchies has been in the breeding business for 10 years. So, you can rest assured that your little furry friend is in the right hand. The ultimate goal of the farm is to produce happy, playful, and healthy Frenchie Bulls for you. They do not hesitate to provide the best facilities for all their dogs. Their ultimate goal is to share their love for pets through the business. So, if you are in search of a French pup, you can undoubtedly give them a knock. They have been in this field for almost 20 years breeding rare-sized and colored Frenchies. They make sure all the parent dogs come with impressive pedigrees. For breeding Frenchies, they consider different factors like the temperament of the pup, top-notch genetic background, the structure of the puppy, conformation, and so on. All puppies come with a health guarantee for all genetic and structural defects, a comprehensive puppy package, potty training, and lifetime support. Puppy owners are welcome to visit after their puppies have received their first vaccination. There is always a long line for such beautiful dogs. So, if you want one of these pups, hurry up! Although spaying or neutering is not compulsory, it is highly advisable to spay your French Bulldog. This will help to decrease its chances of getting certain kinds of cancer. It also prevents the risk of unwanted breeding between your French Bulldog and any nearby dog. Are French Bulldogs Aggressive? French Bulldogs have the potential to be aggressive. However, they are not usually aggressive unless they are trained that way. It is important to note that they may show aggression towards other dogs or smaller animals. Owners should watch out for signs of aggression and nip them in the bud. What is the life expectancy of a French Bulldog? With a proper diet and nutrition, French Bulldogs can live for up to eleven or thirteen years. Can French Bulldogs eat raw meat? French Bulldogs can eat raw meat such as chicken, liver or kidney. They could also eat canned, dry food. What is the difference between a French Bulldog and an English Bulldog? French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs are quite similar but different at the same time. English bulldogs are bigger while the French Bulldog is considerably smaller. French Bulldogs also have upright pointy ears whereas the English breed has folded ears. Do I have to worry about fleas with French Bulldogs? Just like all other breeds, French Bulldogs can get fleas. If they do get fleas, this can be solved by getting flea medicine or using a flea comb to get rid of the fleas. How do you deal with separation anxiety in French Bulldogs? French Bulldogs are very prone to separation anxiety. To curb this, owners can crate train their dogs or provide them with chew toys. What is the best way to train your French Bulldog? Crate training is one of the best ways to train your French Bulldog. It helps to create good and positive behavior in your Frenchie and could be a fun place for it to rest. Are French Bulldogs children-friendly? French Bulldogs are not the best option for kids. However, if they grow up surrounded by children, the risk could be lessened. They should not be left unsupervised around kids. How big are French Bulldogs? The French Bulldog is about 11 or 12 inches tall and weighs an average of pounds. Are you interested in purchasing a French Bulldog? Fill out the below form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Welcoming a new puppy into your home is an exciting time filled with joy, cuddles, and a few inevitable challenges. One of the most common questions new puppy owners ask is, "When can puppies go outside? Table of Contents Easiest Dog to Take Care of: Top 10 Breeds for a Happy Home Do you ever dream about having a furry best friend who loves to play fetch, gives the warmest cuddles, and greets you with the happiest tail wags every time you come home? A friend who is not just any dog, but the easiest dog to take care of? We know, it sounds like a dream come true, right? But we also understand that bringing a new puppy home is a big step. It's like adding a new member to your family, a little brother or sister.All French Bulldog Insights French Bulldog Breed Info If you're seeking an adorable companion with a charmingly squashed face, an easygoing personality, and a distinct penchant for lounging on the couch, the French Bulldog could just be your perfect match. With their signature bat ears and expressive eyes, French Bulldogs, or "Frenchies" as they are lovingly known, have captured the hearts of many dog lovers around the globe, consistently ranking among the most popular breeds. Renowned for their easy maintenance and the ability to thrive in apartment living, French Bulldogs are a city dweller's delight. Their small size, typically weighing under 28 pounds, makes them perfectly suited to compact urban spaces. However, their charming personalities and heartwarming companionship are universally loved, irrespective of city or countryside living. This breed's laid-back nature does not mean they're devoid of fun and play. On the contrary, French Bulldogs can be quite playful and are known for their often comical and entertaining antics, which only further endears them to their owners. Their affectionate demeanor, combined with a remarkably low barking tendency, makes them a joy to have around the house. French Bulldogs are sturdy, compact, and stocky, with a powerful muscular build that contradicts their small size. They have a smooth coat that comes in a variety of colors, from fawn and brindle to white and grey. Their facial expressions are human-like, and they're known to "talk" using a complex system of yawns, yips, and gargles. However, owning a French Bulldog does come with responsibilities. Their brachycephalic short-nosed nature makes them prone to certain health issues and less tolerant of extreme temperatures. Despite their muscular appearance, they are not the best swimmers, and care should be taken around bodies of water.

To get on to our waiting list please see the following: 1. Because of the number of inquiries that we receive and the amount of information that we provide to you, it is preferred that your initial contact be via email. Interested families must fill out a questionnaire before being approved. You will be contacted and advised of your place number on the list, once you have been approved. GGK offers separate lists based on male or female preferences and planned breedings. A non-refundable deposit will be expected by the time the puppies are 4 weeks old to reserve your pick. Once pregnancy has been verified by ultrasound you will be notified. You must respond and comply within one week of this notification to maintain your position on the wait list. Failure to do so will result in a loss of your position on the list. GGK has the rights to first and second choice of puppies from each litter, if we so choose. The Buyer will make their puppy selection when the puppies reach 6 weeks of age. You are always more than welcome to come to our home and make your selection. Actually we prefer that. We will not ship puppies. We will however, arrange for the proper documentation that will allow you to pickup and fly with your puppy home for an additional fee. We think that it is beneficial for you to meet the parents of your new puppy, be able to choose the puppy in person, as well as seeing the environment that he or she has been raised in. However, because we know that this is not always possible due to distance, it is not mandatory. During the visit, puppies cannot be picked up by visitors and proper protocols will be followed to protect the health and wellbeing of the litter. GGK may elect to sell their selection to parties not on the waiting list. After GGK selects if we so choose , then the next selection belongs to 1 position on the waiting list. As dogs are placed, your name will move up the list. Once you are number one on the list, you have the right to select any puppy of the gender you selected or defer until new pups are available for selection. If a Buyer has had to return a dog due to illness or genetic defect, they will immediately become number 1 on the waiting list. Most importantly, we want you to love your GGK puppy as much as we do. This is why we do not require a mandatory deposit before pups are born or force you to take a puppy that may not be exactly what you are looking for. Your new puppy will be a member of your family for years to come. We hope to make this a pleasant and exciting experience for you! This waiting list has been designed to give you the power to choose, which we feel is the way that it should be. His temperament is fantastic. He had his CGC at 9 months. To see more images of Pablo go to instagram and search ggkpablopicasso Pablo is a proven stud and is available to all approved bitches. Please click "learn more" to see his pedigree and clearances. Nature has a way of changing our plans sometimes. We cannot put in an order for the correct amount of females or males. We will also only breed if we have a substantial amount of commitment deposits for that litter. Please be patient, we are committed to find the right puppy for you, it might even be with another breeder we recommend that would better fit your needs. Phoenix, Arizona. We breed quality Golden Retrievers for service, therapy, facility, hunting and pets. Sires we pick have all of the same health certifications as well. Which means that our goals for being a good breeder revolve around Health, Education, Accountability, Responsibility and Tradition. Our local owners enjoy six weeks of free puppy classes after they take their pups home and have unlimited counseling with us and our trainer. Family Pets Goldens are made to love We believe Golden Retrievers are the best for all types of owners. They are so gentle that you can be assured your loved ones are safe around these wonderful dogs with responsible training. Service, Therapy and Facility Dogs goldens are made to serve We breed for service, therapy and facility dogs at a high quality. All of our puppies are trained as if they are going into service. We typically have about pups in every litter that go into service of some kind. We usualy donate one puppy out of every litter. It is our tithe and a gift we love to give to someone in need. Our Training Mission goldens are made to work We strive for excellence in our training program. All puppies are introduced to many sounds, textures and surfaces to create a confident dog. We offer complimentary 6 weeks of puppy Socialization and Obedience with their litter mates. Testimonials "Quality parentage and conscientious breeding standards.He is beyond eager to learn. She has truly changed our lives, especially our daughters life. Breeders VS. The sad truth is that many pet store purchased pups actually come from puppy mills. Basically, there is zero authenticity with pet stores. When it comes to adopting any animal from a pet store, there is an increased risk of unforeseen health or genetic problems. You also cultivate a life-long relationship with the breeder, meaning support is available to you anytime you may need it. With My Golden Retriever Puppies , you have the option to come and visit both the puppy and the breeder in person! Golden Retrievers are an adaptable breed, meaning they are better at adapting to seasonal changes and various types of climate than certain other breeds. Goldens sport a double-coat, which ensures that these sweet pups are able to tolerate slightly colder temperatures than their friends from other breeds. Your pup deserves better than that, which is why here at My Golden Retriever Puppies , we ensure high-quality care is taken of your pet at all times. For more about the true price of a golden retriever puppy, you can read our full price breakdown here. Location Information for Arizona Customers Our home office is located in Ohio, but we understand that long-distance travel can be inconvenient. If you prefer to meet a breeder in person, they may be able to offer private visits at their home. Of course! Here at My Golden Retriever Puppies , we value family and authenticity, which is why we always guarantee our pups through our 2-year genetic health guarantee. Like adopting a Golden Retriever from a pet store, there is an increased risk when adopting a pup from a rescue center or shelter as well. For example, pups purchased through a shelter or rescue center are far less likely to come with the kinds of health guarantees and reassurances that a breeder can provide. What type of Golden Retrievers are sold in Arizona? We have some good news! Ready to make your Golden Retriever dreams come true? Take a look at our convenient list of available puppies. How do I know which breeders to trust in Arizona? Our independent network of trusted breeders have already been pre-screened and verified, so that you can focus on what really matters: choosing your dream puppy. Be the first to know when we have new puppies! All Rights Reserved. They are affectionate, obedient and loyal to a fault. Originally bred as a hunting dog for retrieving waterfowl it makes an ideal pet for any type of family. They make a great family dog because of its patience, versatility, and adaptability. A golden retriever is super easy to train because of how smart and devoted they are to their owner. Goldens are gentle and playful with children and other pets, making them a perfect family pet. Their coat comes in various shades of gold and is dense, waterproof and may be wavy or straight. Discover more about our Golden Retriever puppies below! Interestingly, the Golden Retriever is very calm and relaxed indoors despite its hunting roots. However, they immensely enjoy activities, such as carrying objects around in its mouth and a good game of catch. The breed is faithful, obedient and easy to train. Golden Retriever Disposition The Golden Retriever does best when kept inside with the family, though it needs daily exercise. The Golden Retriever is very playful. Not surprisingly, it lives up to its name as a great retriever, excelling in games of catch and carrying objects around in its mouth. While it enjoys active time outdoors, the Golden Retriever is calm indoors — making it a great household pet for anyone. They do especially well with kids too. This breed is highly regarded for its love of human companionship. It is faithful, obedient and picks up easily on new commands. The Golden Retriever is among the easiest breeds to train. Its enthusiasm for learning new tricks and the ability to quickly and easily understand new commands makes it a pleasure to own and train. See store for details on this particular puppy. American Canine Association.

Where To Adopt A Golden Retriever In Colorado — Best Rescues Updated: June 30th, So, you have your heart set on a golden retriever, but you have decided to adopt from a rescue to help a dog in great need of its forever home. Below, you will find details about the three best golden retriever rescues in the Colorado area. Read on to learn more so you can find the perfect golden retriever in need of a loving home! Keep in mind you will also find golden retrievers in rescues that work with all dog breeds, but it is often a good idea to adopt from a breed-specific rescue. Different breeds have different needs in terms of their potential health issues and temperaments. By focusing on a single breed, the rescue is able to provide more specialized care and support for their dogs. Founded in by Laura Terroux, the organization rescues and rehabilitates dogs that have been abandoned or surrendered and seeks out appropriate forever homes for them. They rehome around dogs each year. While some dogs stick around long enough to have a profile on their website, most of their dogs tend to be adopted quickly. This is why it is best to contact them and put in an application so they can promptly contact you when a suitable dog becomes available. Most dogs are kept in foster homes in the Denver area and can be visited by appointment. They do not place dogs out of state. Additionally, their puppies are all spayed or neutered prior to adoption. They started out with no budget and the ambition to save just 30 dogs a year. Today, they save more than dogs annually. RROC is located in the Evergreen area, and you can see some of the dogs available to adopt on their website, but you may have more luck if you contact the agency with your interest. This way, they can let you know when a likely pup becomes available. You will need to complete an online adoption form, and when a dog becomes available, you will then be invited for a phone interview to see if you are an appropriate match. Before finalizing the match, a RROC volunteer will also make a home visit to make sure you have an appropriate forever home for the dog. Fees include spaying or neutering, microchipping, and all age-appropriate vaccinations. To adopt, complete an online application form to help GRFR determine what kind of dog would be best for you. Once an appropriate pup becomes available, you can expect a phone interview and home visit before the adoption is finalized. Here is what to expect from the adoption process. Prepare To Be Disappointed. While there are many dogs out there in need of homes, you should be prepared for disappointment. Puppies and attractive dogs like goldens are popular and get snatched up quickly. Usually, by the time you see a dog on a website, the rescue is already in the process of rehoming them with another family. So, while it is a good idea to browse sites and get in touch quickly when you find a dog that you connect with, you should register your interest with local golden retriever rescues. This way, they will contact you when an appropriate dog comes into their care and you can be at the top of the list. Most shelters will keep your adoption application on file for 3 to 6 months. Rescues know how hard it is for dogs to thrive when they are in homes that are inappropriate for them. For this reason, you should be prepared to answer quite a few questions about yourself as part of the application process. They will want to know about your experience with dogs and your living situation. For example, they will probably ask about the size of your home, whether there is outdoor space for the dog to use, how many hours of the day the house is empty with everyone at school and work, if there are children and other animals in the home, and whether you have an active lifestyle. Goldens need lots of exercise, so do best with owners who are already quite active. There may also be a few financial questions to ensure that you have the resources to provide the appropriate care for a golden retriever. Some of these questions will come up on the initial application, while others are commonly addressed in a phone interview. Many shelters will also want to organize a home visit to see your home and make sure that it is as you described and that it will be appropriate for the dog. Some people are surprised that they need to pay to adopt a dog. The fee you will be asked to pay helps to cover the costs of the rescue, both in general and for your dog specifically. You can expect your dog to have undergone medical checks, to be chipped, and to have received all relevant vaccinations. The fee can also be a measure of your seriousness. Families that are willing to make a financial commitment tend to look after their dogs for longer. Good shelters will follow up with you to make sure you and your pup are getting on well, and they can offer you support and advice if you have any questions about the health or care of your new dog. Once you have been matched with a dog, you should expect the adoption process to take between two weeks and one month to finalize. How long do golden retrievers live? Golden retrievers have a life expectancy of roughly 10 to 12 years. How much does it cost to adopt a golden retriever in Colorado? Is it hard to adopt a golden retriever puppy? Golden retrievers are very desirable dogs, so puppies in rescues get adopted quickly. However, because the demand is so high, there is also a steady supply of goldens available from breeders all over the US. Optimize your chances by registering with various rescues and being proactive about staying in touch. The Verdict If you are in the Colorado area and you are keen to adopt a golden retriever, there are a handful of great Retriever rescues in the area that may be able to match you up with the perfect pup. Golden retrievers are popular dogs, so expect there to be quite a bit of competition for dogs. Remember, the rescue will want to know quite a bit about you to make sure you are a good match for the dogs in their care and that you will be able to look after them in the long term. The last thing they want is to see their pups returning to the rescue. Have you worked with any of the rescues in the Colorado area? Share your insights with the community in the comments section below. You May Also Like. GRRR was founded in by Laura Terroux and has experienced continued organizational growth while working toward the goal of caring for our breed. For more information on our organization, please visit our ColoradoGives. We do not place on a first come, first served basis. Potential adopters entire family, including dogs are required to come to the meet and greet at our location in Arvada, Colorado. This will be set up by an adoption coordinator with you. Many of the Golden Retrievers who come into our care are strays and we have no history on them such as: Are they good with children; do they get along with other dogs; how do they behave around cats and small pets; do they jump fences; are they house trained, etc. We do our best to get to know them while they are in our care, but there will always be good and bad surprises as an adoptive family gets to know the new Golden in their life. We rarely place dogs with families with children under 8 years old. This policy is for your safety as we do not have the background with most dogs as to know how they are with small children. GRRR is primarily operated by volunteers and unfortunately with only two staff we are unable to return phone calls and emails regarding application status. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. We cannot guarantee a Golden for every applicant. We look to find the best match for the needs of the Golden and the applicant Applicants must be at least 21 years old. We seldom have Golden Retrievers in our care who would be appropriate for placement in a home without a fenced yard or in an apartment.

We breed Superior Quality Miniature, Medium and Standard Australian Labradoodles throughout the year in varying colours from chocolate, black, cream, red, apricot and gold. We have imported some of the very best Australian Labradoodles in the world for our breeding program offering top quality puppies from fully health tested parents. Please enjoy browsing through our Website which will give you a good idea of the look and feel of the Genuine Australian Labradoodle. Find out about our current litters , and our planned litters here. You can also find out about the purchase and reservation process here. What our customers say We have now had Cooper home with us in Scotland for a week. Davina made the process of buy Cooper very simple and was happy to answer all our questions. Both our vet and ourselves were very impressed with the pack of documents and advice sheets Cooper came with. This has helped us a lot in the first few days. Kerry Stanners We bought our puppy November .What a Fantastic dog he has turned into. He is the most perfect little bundle of joy you could ever ask for! Marley-Blue comes to school work with me every day to support children as a therapy dog. He has a perfectly calm temperament with a cheeky mix of playfulness. Courtlands were great, we picked our puppy from a beautiful litter, we were sent regular updates until he was ready to live with us. We got lots of information to take away and digest too. On his first visit to the vets for immunisation, the staff were vey impressed by the paperwork I had from the breeders. Shareen Bailey Wow. What a fabulous experience. The knowledge we left with when we picked our Freddie up at 9weeks old was superb. Totally professional with the best interest of our puppy paramount. We have a healthy happy puppy. Thank you Davina. He is a fluffy little bundle of joy and great with our children. Davina knew he had a long drive home to Scotland and had good advice to give us. He was great and not bothered at all. Collection was easy and all paperwork was in order and gone through with us. A delightful addition to our family. Thank you! Suzanne Thom We love our Fudge from Courtlands. She is perfect!!! Our pup, lotti, is just such a delight and so easy to train. She is great with our children, other children and just anyone she meets! Thank you so so much Davina! Many people keep asking where we got Lotti from so I think you can expect some Northumbrian customers in the future? Geno Arthur Pessers Hamish is fourteen months old now and is an absolute joy! Really happy with all the support Davina gave us in making the right choices and her advice has been absolutely spot on. I look forward to finding a brother or sister for Hamish very soon?? Matt Beard Welcomed our handsome, bundle of fluff, in May, into our family. Constantly complimented on his appearance. Just been such a wonderful calm dog, super mannered and I put it down to his breeding. No shedding, super calm, good with everyone and patient!!! Michelle Burgos Brought our puppy to Belgium. Davina made the whole process very easy and our fur baby is so calm and loving Brought our puppy to Belgium We are so happy with our new puppy Huey. Davina has been so helpful and supportive all along and her step by step guides make everything so easy to follow and understand that it takes any stress away. A great service and amazing dogs Louisa Johnson If Carlsberg made dogs xxx. Communication was really fast and Devina was very professional throughout the process. Our puppy is absolutely stunning, healthy and very happy! Davina had clearly done an excellent job with early socialisation. Obi is a delight every day. He is such an easy puppy and such a joy to have around. Behind us in this picture are loads of people flying kites. Kim Hewlett Gaia has been with us for 8 years and she is a fantastic girl. Thank you Davina for allowing this beautiful meeting. She illuminates our life and I hope for a very long time yet Fabrice Poirot We picked up our new puppy on Saturday from Courtlands. We were recommended Davina by friends who had one of her beautiful puppies 6 years ago. Ours is called Digby and is 10 weeks old. The whole buying process was made easy by Davina. She kept us informed and my endless questions did not phase her at all! Digby is gorgeous we all adore him already. Tess May I decided to get a dog after much encouragement ,following the loss of my eldest daughter. I got in touch with Davina and she had 2 puppies I could choose from. I liked the fact that we had a good conversation about why I wanted a dog, whether I worked and how the pup would live. Thankfully Davina thought a was a suitable owner and I brought Poppy home. I remember so clearly, hearing myself laugh properly, for the 1st time in 5 years. Poppy taught, teaches me, to enjoy simple pleasures. So much so that 9 months later I brought home Poppy's half sister, Truffle. Total joy and Courtlands, Davina, is amazing. I would recommend to everyone and thank you from Poppy and Truffle. Liz Bauer. We breed Superior Quality Miniature, Medium and Standard Australian Labradoodles throughout the year in varying colours from chocolate, black, cream, red, apricot and gold. We have imported some of the very best Australian Labradoodles in the world for our breeding program offering top quality puppies from fully health tested parents. Please enjoy browsing through our Website which will give you a good idea of the look and feel of the Genuine Australian Labradoodle. Find out about our current litters , and our planned litters here. You can also find out about the purchase and reservation process here. What our customers say Welcomed our handsome, bundle of fluff, in May, into our family. Constantly complimented on his appearance. He is the most perfect little bundle of joy you could ever ask for! Marley-Blue comes to school work with me every day to support children as a therapy dog. He has a perfectly calm temperament with a cheeky mix of playfulness. Courtlands were great, we picked our puppy from a beautiful litter, we were sent regular updates until he was ready to live with us. We got lots of information to take away and digest too. On his first visit to the vets for immunisation, the staff were vey impressed by the paperwork I had from the breeders. Shareen Bailey If Carlsberg made dogs xxx. Davina made the whole process very easy and our fur baby is so calm and loving Brought our puppy to Belgium We picked up our new puppy on Saturday from Courtlands. We were recommended Davina by friends who had one of her beautiful puppies 6 years ago. Ours is called Digby and is 10 weeks old. The whole buying process was made easy by Davina. She kept us informed and my endless questions did not phase her at all! Digby is gorgeous we all adore him already. Just been such a wonderful calm dog, super mannered and I put it down to his breeding. Henry Gittins We collected Dougal 10 days ago. He is a fluffy little bundle of joy and great with our children. Davina knew he had a long drive home to Scotland and had good advice to give us. He was great and not bothered at all. Collection was easy and all paperwork was in order and gone through with us. A delightful addition to our family. Thank you! Our pup, lotti, is just such a delight and so easy to train. She is great with our children, other children and just anyone she meets! Thank you so so much Davina! Many people keep asking where we got Lotti from so I think you can expect some Northumbrian customers in the future? She is perfect!!! Davina had clearly done an excellent job with early socialisation. Obi is a delight every day. He is such an easy puppy and such a joy to have around. Behind us in this picture are loads of people flying kites. Kim Hewlett Hamish is fourteen months old now and is an absolute joy! Really happy with all the support Davina gave us in making the right choices and her advice has been absolutely spot on. I look forward to finding a brother or sister for Hamish very soon?? Matt Beard Wow. What a fabulous experience. The knowledge we left with when we picked our Freddie up at 9weeks old was superb. Totally professional with the best interest of our puppy paramount. We have a healthy happy puppy. Thank you Davina. Xx Pamela Dawne Holt Gaia has been with us for 8 years and she is a fantastic girl. Thank you Davina for allowing this beautiful meeting. She illuminates our life and I hope for a very long time yet Fabrice Poirot We are so happy with our new puppy Huey. Davina has been so helpful and supportive all along and her step by step guides make everything so easy to follow and understand that it takes any stress away. A great service and amazing dogs Louisa Johnson We bought our puppy November .What a Fantastic dog he has turned into. Dianne Liptrot I decided to get a dog after much encouragement ,following the loss of my eldest daughter. I got in touch with Davina and she had 2 puppies I could choose from. I liked the fact that we had a good conversation about why I wanted a dog, whether I worked and how the pup would live. Thankfully Davina thought a was a suitable owner and I brought Poppy home. I remember so clearly, hearing myself laugh properly, for the 1st time in 5 years. Poppy taught, teaches me, to enjoy simple pleasures. So much so that 9 months later I brought home Poppy's half sister, Truffle. Total joy and Courtlands, Davina, is amazing. I would recommend to everyone and thank you from Poppy and Truffle. Communication was really fast and Devina was very professional throughout the process. Our puppy is absolutely stunning, healthy and very happy! No shedding, super calm, good with everyone and patient!!! Michelle Burgos We have now had Cooper home with us in Scotland for a week. Davina made the process of buy Cooper very simple and was happy to answer all our questions. Both our vet and ourselves were very impressed with the pack of documents and advice sheets Cooper came with. This has helped us a lot in the first few days. Kerry Stanners. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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Prevalence: Common Pugs are members of the toy group despite their solid appearance. They range in height from 10 to 11 inches and in weight from 14 to 18 pounds six to eight kilograms. They are square dogs with substantial limbs. Pugs are the sturdiest dogs of the toy group, befitting their mastiff heritage. Pugs are known for their large, round heads, with the shortened muzzles and extensive forehead wrinkles. The vertical wrinkle on the forehead is said to resemble the Chinese character for "prince" and thus known as the "prince mark. The tail curls tightly over the hip. They have a short, but very dense double coat. Colors can range from apricot to fawn, silver and black. All but the black dogs have a dark mask and ears with a trace of darkening down the back. The ears feel like black velvet. Personality: Pugs are not the lively socialites that some of the toy breeds are. They are a bit more serious, with a dry sense of humor. The breed motto is "multum in parvo," meaning a lot in a little, with plenty of dog in a small package. Pugs can be stubborn but normally want to please. These are fairly laid-back dogs, not usually given to extensive barking, digging or chewing. Pugs tend to get along well with other dogs and are sturdy enough to get along with children. They enjoy company and can be quite affectionate. True to their grouping, they are good companion dogs. Living With: Pugs are extremely easy to keep and have a serious tendency to become obese unless their diet and exercise are watched carefully. With the short muzzle, they do not do well in hot, humid weather and must be observed carefully for heatstroke. Pugs do tend to snore, again a result of the short muzzle. The prominent eyes are easily injured and care must be taken to keep them moist. Pugs are fairly robust and often live to 14 or 15 years of age. Pugs do best with some daily exercise to help with their weight problems. Despite their heroic alarm years ago, they are not usually great watchdogs, preferring instead to greet newcomers with a wagging tail. Pugs should be socialized to keep that outgoing temperament, and they do well with other pets. Grooming is important, both for the shedding from the dense coat and to keep facial wrinkles clean. A quick daily grooming, even a swipe with a hound mitt, usually suffices for the coat and a gentle wiping with a wet cloth for the face. History: While the pug is often associated with Holland, the breed originated in China, probably bred down from one of the local mastiff-type dogs. The little dogs with the round heads and expressive facial wrinkles were then transported to Holland via trading ships of the Dutch East India Company. In , a pug sounded the alarm that saved Prince William from the approaching Spanish soldiers, and the breed forever after was tied to the royal House of Orange. Napoleon's wife had a pet pug, and the duke and duchess of Windsor had a pug as a royal companion. Victorian England took on pugs as the latest rage in canine fashion and many pugs can be spotted in paintings of that era. The word "pug" may come from the Latin "pugnus" for fist, possibly describing the round face and head. The name does not fit the breed's temperament, because these are not really guard dogs, but designed first and foremost as companion dogs. Related Pet Care Articles. Although a playful pup sounds endearing, consider how many games of fetch or tag you want to play each day, and whether you have kids or other dogs who can stand in as playmates for the dog. Pugs are clowns at heart, but they carry themselves with dignity. Pugs are playful dogs, ready and able for games , but they are also lovers, and must be close to their humans. Pugs love to be the center of attention, and are heartsick if ignored. Pugs are square and thickset, usually weighing no more than 20 pounds. Their heads are large and round, with large, round eyes. They have deep and distinct wrinkles on their faces. Legend has it that the Chinese, who mastered the breeding of this dog, prized these wrinkles because they resembled good luck symbols in their language. His ears are smooth, black and velvety. He has a characteristic undershot jaw the lower teeth extend slightly beyond the upper teeth and a tightly curled tail. Personality-wise, Pugs are happy and affectionate, loyal and charming, playful and mischievous. They are very intelligent, however, they can be willful, which makes training challenging. If trained and well-socialized , they get along well with other animals and children. Because they are a small, quiet breed and are relatively inactive when indoors, they are a good choice for apartment dwellers. Pugs have a short, double coat, and are known for shedding profusely. Pug Highlights Loyal and affectionate: Pugs are known for being very loyal and affectionate dogs. They love to cuddle and be around their owners, and they make great companions. Easy to care for: Pugs are relatively easy to care for. Good with children: Pugs are generally good with children. They are patient and gentle, and they enjoy playing with kids. Adaptable: Pugs are adaptable dogs. They can live in apartments or houses, and they can do well in both hot and cold climates. Funny and playful: Pugs are known for being funny and playful dogs. They enjoy making their owners laugh, and they are always up for a good time. Some historians believe they are related to the Tibetan Mastiff. They were prized by the Emperors of China and lived in luxurious accommodations, sometimes even being guarded by soldiers. Pugs are one of three types of short-nosed dogs that are known to have been bred by the Chinese: the Lion dog, the Pekingese , and the Lo-sze, which was the ancient Pug. Evidence of Pug-like dogs has been found in ancient Tibet and Japan. In the latter s and early s, China began trading with European countries. Reportedly, the first Pugs brought to Europe came with the Dutch traders, who named the breed Mopshond, a name still used today. Pugs quickly became favorites of royal households throughout Europe, and even played a role in the history of many of these families. In Holland, the Pug became the official dog of the House of Orange after a Pug reportedly saved the life of William, Prince of Orange, by giving him a warning that the Spaniards were approaching in .It is known that black pugs existed in the s because the famous artist, William Hogarth, was a Pug enthusiast. He portrayed a black Pug and many others in his famous paintings. In , Goya also portrayed Pugs in his paintings. Before she married Napoleon Bonaparte, she was confined at Les Carmes prison. In the early s, Pugs were standardized as a breed with two lines becoming dominant in England. Pugs were first exhibited in England in .The studbook began in with 66 Pugs in the first volume. Meanwhile, in China, Pugs continued to be bred by the royal families. When the British overran the Chinese Imperial Palace in , they discovered several Pugs, and brought some of the little dogs back to England with them. Two Pugs named Lamb and Moss were brought to England. He was an outstanding dog and was bred many times to dogs of both the Willoughby and Morrison lines. Click is credited with making Pugs a better breed overall and shaping the modern Pug as we know it today. Pugs became very popular during the Victorian era and were featured in many paintings, postcards, and figurines of the period. Often, they were depicted wearing wide, decorative collars or large bows around their short, thick necks. Queen Victoria had many Pugs, and also bred them. The queen preferred apricot-fawn Pugs, whereas another Pug fancier, Lady Brassey, made black Pugs fashionable after she brought some back from China in .At first, Pugs were very popular, but by the turn of the century, interest in the breed waned. A few dedicated breeders kept breeding and, after some years, the breed regained popularity. Pug Size Pugs weigh between 14 and 18 pounds male and female. Generally, they are 10 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder. He tends to be a sedentary dog, content to sit in your lap as you read a book or watch a movie. Au contraire. He is a playful, comical dog that enjoys living it up, and delights his owner with silly antics. Temperament is affected by a number of factors, including heredity, training , and socialization. Puppies with nice temperaments are curious and playful, willing to approach people and be held by them. Meeting siblings or other relatives of the parents is also helpful for evaluating what a puppy will be like when he grows up. Socialization helps ensure that your Pug puppy grows up to be a well-rounded dog. Enrolling him in a puppy kindergarten class is a great start. Inviting visitors over regularly, and taking him to busy parks, stores that allow dogs, and on leisurely strolls to meet neighbors will also help him polish his social skills. Health clearances prove that a dog has been tested for and cleared of a particular condition. You can confirm health clearances by checking the OFA web site offa. Cheyletiella Dermatitis Walking Dandruff : This is a skin condition that is caused by a small mite. If you see heavy dandruff, especially down the middle of the back, contact your vet. The mites that cause this condition are contagious, which means all pets in the household need to treated. A diagnosis of PDE can only be made by testing the brain tissue of the dog after it dies. PDE usually affects young dogs, causing them to seizure, circle, become blind, then fall into a coma and die. This can happen in a few days or weeks. They are prone to a condition called idiopathic epilepsy : seizures for no known reason. If your Pug has seizures, take him to your vet to determine what treatment is appropriate. Nerve Degeneration : Older Pugs that drag their rear, stagger, have trouble jumping up or down, or become incontinent may be suffering from nerve degeneration. Since their front legs often remain strong, some owners buy carts to help their Pugs get around, and the veterinarian might be able to prescribe medication to help alleviate symptoms. If your Pug squints or the eyes look red and tear excessively, contact your vet immediately. Corneal ulcers usually respond well to medication, but if left untreated, can cause blindness or even rupture the eye. Dry Eye : Keratoconjunctivitis sicca and pigmentary keratitis are two conditions seen in Pugs. They can occur at the same time, or individually. Your vet can perform tests to determine if this is the cause, which can be controlled with medication and special care. Pigmentary keratits is a condition that causes black spots on the cornea, especially in the corner near the nose. If the pigment covers the eye, it can cause blindness. Your vet can prescribe medication that will help keep the eyes moist and dissolve the pigment. Both of these eye conditions require life-long therapy and care. Eye Problems : Because their large eyes bulge, Pugs are prone to a variety of eye problems, including proptosis the eyeball is dislodged from the eye socket and the eyelid clamps behind it ; distichiasis an abnormal growth of eyelashes on the margin of the eye, resulting in the eyelashes rubbing against the eye ; progressive retinal atrophy a degenerative disease of the retinal visual cells that leads to blindness ; and entropion the eyelid, usually the lower lid, rolls inward, causing the hair on the lid to rub on the eye and irritate it. Allergies : Some Pugs suffer from a variety of allergies , ranging from contact to food allergies. If your Pug is licking at his paws or rubbing his face a great deal, suspect allergy and have him checked by your vet. Demodectic Mange : Also called demodicosis, all dogs carry a little passenger called a demodex mite. The mother dog passes this mite to her pups in their first few days of life. If your Pug has a weakened or compromised immune system, however, it can develop demodectic mange. Demodectic mange can be localized or generalized. In the localized form, patches of red, scaly, skin with hair loss appears on the head, neck and forelegs. Even so, you should take your dog to the vet because it can turn into the generalized form of demodectic mange. Generalized demodectic mange covers the entire body and affects older puppies and young adult dogs. The dog develops patchy skin, bald spots, and skin infections all over the body. The American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology recommends neutering or spaying all dogs that develop generalized demodectic mange because there is a genetic link. Staph Infection : Staph bacteria is commonly found on skin, but some dogs will develop pimples and infected hair follicles if their immune systems are stressed. The lesions can look like hives where there is hair; on areas without hair, the lesions can look like ringworm. You should contact your vet for appropriate treatment. Yeast Infection : If your Pug smells bad, is itchy and has blackened, thickened skin, he may have a yeast infection. It commonly affects the armpits, feet, groin, neck, and inside the ears. Your vet can prescribe medications to clear this up. Hemi-vertebrae : Short-nosed breeds, such as Pugs, Bulldogs and French Bulldogs, can have misshaped vertebrae. Sometimes, only a few of the vertebrae are affected and the dog is able to live a normal life. Others will stagger and display an uncoordinated, weak gait between 4 and 6 months of age. Some dogs get progressively worse and may even become paralyzed. The cause of the condition is unknown. Surgery can help. Hip Dysplasia : This malady affects small breeds as well as large breeds, including Pugs. Many factors, including genetics, environment and diet, are thought to contribute to this deformity of the hip joint. Affected Pugs are usually able to lead normal, healthy lives with proper veterinary attention. Legg-Perthes Disease : This is another disease involving the hip joint. Many toy breeds are prone to this condition. When your Pug has Legg-Perthes, the blood supply to the head of the femur the large rear leg bone is decreased, and the head of the femur that connects to the pelvis begins to disintegrate. Usually, the first signs of Legg-Perthes, limping and atrophy of the leg muscle, occur when puppies are 4 to 6 months old. The scar tissue that results from the surgery creates a false joint and the puppy is usually pain free. Patellar Luxation : The patella is the kneecap. Luxation means dislocation of an anatomical part as a bone at a joint. Patellar luxation is when the knee joint often of a hind leg slides in and out of place, causing pain. This can be crippling, but many dogs lead relatively normal lives with this condition. Vaccination Sensitivity : There are reports of Pugs suffering from sensitivity to routine vaccinations. Usually, symptoms include hives, facial swelling, soreness and lethargy. A dog that is sensitive to vaccines can develop complications or die, though this is rare. Watch your Pug carefully for a few hours after being vaccinated and call the vet if you notice anything unusual. Pug Care Though playful and rambunctious, the Pug is a low-maintenance companion, making it ideal for older owners. Because they are a small, quiet breed and are relatively inactive when indoors, they are a good choice for apartment dwellers as well. Light sleepers may also want to invest in a pair of ear plugs — Pugs are prone to snore. How much your adult dog eats depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level. It almost goes without saying that a highly active dog will need more than a couch potato dog. These dogs love to eat, eat, eat. This, combined with their small stature, puts them at risk for obesity. As a Pug owner, you must show great restraint. Do not indulge him with food. Feed appropriate portions , limit treats and encourage exercise. For more on feeding your Pug, see our guidelines for buying the right food , feeding your puppy , and feeding your adult dog. Pugs are typically fawn-colored or black. The fawn color can have different tints, such as apricot or silver, and all Pugs have a short, flat, black muzzle. Pugs shed like crazy, especially in summer. The wise Pug owner accepts this, and adjusts her wardrobe accordingly, wearing light-colored clothing that better hides hair. Following that, regular brushing and bathing helps keep the coat in good condition and shedding to a minimum. A monthly bath is sufficient, though some owners bathe their Pugs more frequently. These folds are hotbeds for infection if allowed to become damp or dirty. The wrinkles must be dried thoroughly after bathing, and wiped out in-between baths. Some owners simply use a dry cotton ball; others use commercial baby wipes to wipe out the folds. Because they protrude, the eyes are vulnerable to injury and irritation from soaps and chemicals. Like many small breeds, the Pug can be susceptible to gum disease. Regular brushing with a small, soft toothbrush and doggie toothpaste helps prevent this. Handle his paws frequently — dogs are touchy about their feet — and look inside his mouth. As you groom, check for sores, rashes, or signs of infection such as redness, tenderness, or inflammation on the skin, in the nose, mouth, and eyes, and on the feet. Eyes should be clear, with no redness or discharge. Your careful weekly exam will help you spot potential health problems early. Though small, the Pug is not delicate like some toy breeds, so he is a good breed choice for families with children. However, children who want an active pet to retrieve balls or play soccer will be disappointed with a Pug. Adults should always supervise interactions between children and pets. Properly trained and socialized , the Pug enjoys the companionship of dogs , and can be trusted with cats, rabbits, and other animals. Pug Rescue Groups Pugs are often purchased without any clear understanding of what goes into owning one. There are many Pugs in need of adoption and or fostering. There are a number of rescues that we have not listed. Sometimes calm and dignified. Always sturdy and stable, good-humored and amiable. This is the Pug. Though peaceful with all the world people and other animals , the Pug will sound off with his rather odd-sounding bark when visitors arrive. Then he will welcome them inside with snorts, snuffles, and grunts. As is the case with most short-faced dogs, his large expressive eyes, wrinkled forehead, cocked head, innocent expression, and strange sounds bring out parental feelings in many people. Indeed, a Pug is very childlike and always wants to be with you. If not spoiled too much, he can be depended on to maintain his sweet, comical, charming personality. Though stubborn, Pugs seldom get into real mischief. Adults spend much of the day sleeping. Gassiness can be an embarrassing problem, and housebreaking can be a challenge, especially in the rain, which Pugs detest. The biggest concern with this breed is their many serious health problems. If you want a dog who.Is small, yet sturdy and blocky Has a short face with large expressive eyes Has a short coat Is usually polite with everyone, including other pets Doesn't need much exercise Seldom gets into real mischief A Pug may be right for you. If you don't want to deal with.Snorting, snuffling, wheezing, snoring, some slobbering Gassiness flatulence Slowness to housebreak Constant shedding — every day! Lots of potential health problems due to his deformed build — yes, it might look cute, but it is badly deformed A Pug may not be right for you. Keep in mind that the inheritance of temperament is less predictable than the inheritance of physical traits such as size or shedding. Temperament and behavior are also shaped by raising and training. With an adult dog, you can easily see what you're getting, and plenty of adult Pugs have already proven themselves not to have negative characteristics. If you want a puppy, you can avoid some negative traits by choosing the right breeder and the right puppy. Unfortunately, you usually can't tell whether a puppy has inherited temperament or health problems until he grows up. More traits and characteristics of the Pug If I was considering a Pug, I would be most concerned about.Health problems. Unfortunately, breeders deliberately breed these good-natured dogs to be deformed. As such, they suffer more than their share of health problems — not only with their breathing, but also eye diseases, joint diseases, and a devastating fatal neurological disease called Pug Dog Encephalitis. Read more about Pug Health. Gassiness flatulence. All short-faced breeds gulp air when they eat, and that air has to go somewhere, after all. However, commercial diets make flatulence worse by including fibrous or hard-to-digest ingredients. Pugs who are fed a homemade diet of real meat and vegetables have much less trouble with gassiness. Constant shedding. It usually comes as a shock to new Pug owners just how much a Pug sheds. Most dog breeds have two shedding seasons per year where they shed the majority of their dead hairs. But Pugs are constant shedders who drop a moderate amount of hair all year. You need to be sure that you're okay with this! Pug "sounds". Pugs snort, snuffle, wheeze, grunt, and snore loudly. The sounds are endearing to some people; nerve-wracking to others. Pugs can be slow to pick up the concept of housebreaking. Expect several months of consistent crate training. Read more about housebreaking your Pug. Though they seldom get into real trouble, most Pugs are at least mildly stubborn. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say. Food is a great motivator with this breed, but too many cookies equals a fat Pug. Also you don't want a dog who only obeys when you're waving a biscuit at him. Instead you should establish the right relationship between the two of you, where you are the leader and he is the follower. In other words, you must teach your Pug to respect you. Read more about Pug Training. An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs. To help you train and care for your dog Dog training videos. Sometimes it's easier to train your puppy or adult dog when you can see the correct training techniques in action. The problem is that most dog training videos on the internet are worthless, because they use the wrong training method. I recommend these dog training videos that are based on respect and leadership. Respect Training For Puppies: 30 seconds to a calm, polite, well-behaved puppy. For puppies 2 to 18 months old. Your puppy will learn the 21 skills that all family dogs need to know. If your dog is over 18 months, you'll want Respect Training For Adult Dogs: 30 seconds to a calm, polite, well-behaved dog. Again your dog will learn the 21 skills that all family dogs need to know. Teach Your Dog English Words is a unique Vocabulary and Respect Training Program that will teach your adult dog to listen to you and do what you say. Related posts you might enjoy. Pug Dog Behavior Overview Every dog is an individual and will have his or her own quirks and character traits. With that said, each breed does have certain personality traits that while not found in every dog, are general behaviors that one can expect. And when it comes to lovable behaviors and even temperament, the Pug places high on the list. This section will discuss what you can expect with the Pug dog and tips for owners to deal with some of the more, well, let's just say, "interesting" aspects of this breed. Most owners will agree that the Pug knows what he wants.And he'll use a few different techniques to see if his owner will cave in. For the right owner, this is not necessarily a bad thing.In many cases, what the dog wants is attention. Can who can blame him! This is not an independent breed. Zeke Photo courtesy of owner Virginia Vaughn Zeke Photo courtesy of owner Virginia Vaughn Throughout generations, the Pug was bred to be a very valued companion and for quite a while this breed was kept by royalty. Pugs were even dressed up in clothing mostly ruffled shirts and pantaloons to sit at the front of horse-drawn carriages. He was put on display and revered. Statues were built and artists spent time paining portraits of this unique breed. Being a brachycephalic breed, the Pug was never extensively used for hunting and was only briefly used as a guard dog. Throughout history and up until today, Pugs have been and are indoor companion dogs. They crave the company of their humans. What will a Pug do? It's not uncommon for his to plant his feet down and refuse to go outside with you.He may try and make you work for it a bit. If you are both resting on the sofa, he's sprawled half across your body and you want to get up to get a drink, your Pug may groan a bit and make you roll him off. Most of his behaviors will be amusing, if you have a good sense of humor and if you are the type of owner who wants a dog with tons of personality. Hard to Train? Pugs are no harder to train than any other dog and most do excellent with both housebreaking and commands. It is important to note that any type of training is not accomplished in a day or even in a week. The 2 elements that will help you train your Pug will be ones that compliment and play off of his personality. You'll need to work a bit to keep him focused and you'll need to follow proper guidelines in regard to praise and reward. In some aspects, a Pug dog does better than some other breeds simply because his desire to please his human and his love of tasty treats makes for a motivated dog. There may be some quirks that make certain elements in need of extra attention. The Pug's easy going temperament and somewhat clingy personality can cause the dog to suffer with Separation Anxiety having a difficult time staying calm when left home alone. Taking time to prepare a really good indoor environment can help quite a bit. Adding isolation to the problem of feeling panicked when left alone only compounds matters. For this reason most Pugs do well with a good sized indoor gated off area that is set up in a main room of the house. The living room or kitchen are good choices. There should be space for toys and chews , a water dispenser, a food bowl, a comfortable sleeping area and a spot with newspaper or pee pads for bathroom needs. You can read more about this in the House Training section Begging Pugs do tend to have begging behaviors. If an owner gives in to this during the first year of puppy-hood, it can set up a foundation of begging behavior down the road. It is really difficult to not give in to those "puppy dog eyes" however, setting up rules and guidelines, with feeding in particular, lends to better health. While some "human" foods are perfectly fine for a canine to consume, it is the manner in which a dog is given that food that will either reinforce or discourage the begging. While home cooking for this breed is highly recommended, any food given off of an owner's plate is not a good idea. Once a dog is given any morsel, he will repeat the begging behavior again. A dog metaphorically thinks, "If I begged and received, surely all I need to do is keep up this behavior and I'm sure to eventually receive a treat again! Once this is learned, a Pug will obey commands, listen to the word "No" and show better manners. Meals should be scheduled, and a Pug should be commanded to sit before his bowl is placed down. Treats and snacks should be reserved for training and once a Pug is fully trained, snacks can be reserved for reinforcing good behavior. Note: If a Pug always seems hungry without good reason, reassess the quality of meals and snacks. Worms and other health issues can cause increased appetite, so bring this to the attention of the vet if you cannot resolve this. Chewing Chewing is usually a behavior that is triggered by something as opposed to being an inbred trait or part of a dog's personality. Teething certainly brings strong urges to chew and boredom or anxiety also causes a dog to chew. For teething, offering ice cubes either plain or flavored can help to sooth sore gums. Chilling teething toys in the freezer can also help. Be sure to choose sturdy ones with different textures that promote good dental hygiene and healthy teeth. During this brief phase that all puppies go through, keeping personal items out of reach can prevent the destruction of shoes, pocketbooks, wallets, etc. Keeping a close eye on a teething puppy allows an owner to quickly stop undesirable behavior: Clap your hands to get the pup's attention, take away any object that is not a toy and offer a good chew toy instead, offering praise as the puppy mouths it. Temperament with Other Dogs The Pug generally gets along well with other dogs. Some can be skittish of larger dogs and some will engage full force to be the life of the party. It is rare for a Pug dog to be overly dominant to any other animal and his friendly nature may make him vulnerable to large, more aggressive canines. When out at dog parks or if visiting friends who have pets, it is always a good idea to keep watch. Puppies, in particular, are very inquisitive, sometimes charging ahead into a situation in which they are not prepared. The Pug is by no means shy or submissive to all other dogs, it is more a matter of this breed being a bit more curious and friendly as opposed to what may be other somewhat serious dogs. With Children This breed usually gets along very well with kids of all ages. In a household with younger children who may tend to get rowdy and noisy, it can be helpful to have an area set up in advance, that a Pug dog can retreat to if he is feeling overwhelmed. Often, this can just be a dog bed or other resting area, set back a bit in a quiet corner of a main room. Even though the puppy or dog may want to take a break, he will still want to be able to see and hear his humans, therefore placing him in a separate room is usually not a good idea. Tank St. Bernard and Pugsly 20 weeks old Photo courtesy of the Caywood Family Mimicking One of the best personalty traits of the Pug dog breed is his tendency to mimic his owners. Always aiming to please, a Pug will tend to be more laid back or more outgoing, depending on his owner's nature and habits. This is a learned behavior and it can change over time. This breed is very adaptable, as long as his basic needs are met and he is in a healthy environment. Energy Levels Puppies will be more independent, exploring to find out the answer to "what is this? It is normal for Pug puppies to scamper around, sliding on floors and sniffing at just about everything. It is also normal for pups to mouth objects, since that is one of their main methods of exploration and learning. For this reason, homes should be periodically "puppy proofed", removing any and all small objects off the floor and placed out of reach. An adult will be more relaxed, often content to sit beside or on his owner in front of the TV. One or two 15 to 20 minute walks per day will help to keep this dog healthy.They tend to pick up cues from their humans and then follow along, so an owner should take the initiative to take breaks and never push the dog to go beyond what he can handle Sensitivity This breed is sensitive to his environment and to those around him. In regard to environment, not only does he physically react to temperature he may shiver in a cold house and have trouble breathing in a hot, humid house and how comfortable or not his living quarters are, he also does best in low-key, positive atmosphere. In regard to the interaction he has with his owners, Pugs are rather sensitive to harsh words and tone of voice. How you discipline your Pug will have lasting consequences in both how well he listens and how he reacts to you. If a Pug his yelled at, he can emotionally back away and it can take quite some time for his hurt feelings to mend. Pugs should be rewarded for good behavior, not punished for misdeeds. Without tons of non-judgmental love, this breed can become emotionally withdrawn. While it is recommended to speak in a confident, firm voice when training, be sure to show enthusiasm for things done right and respectful correction for misbehavior. Just about every resource lists one of the Pug dog's traits as being "comical", but what does this mean? Sometimes, the dog is just being a dog, but his appearance can make normal behaviors seem amusing. Other times, it is a matter of a Pug wanting attention.In this regard, command and trick training is often successful, since a Pug will crave those "good boys" or "good girls", a happy pat and a yummy treat. One element to keep in mind, is that even though this breed is known as a "joker", he is not always turned "on" and cannot be the entertainer all of the time. Just like any other pet, a Pug needs downtime to rest and relax. Punk 7 months old Photo courtesy of owner: Miranda Kuney Noises Many, but not all, do exhibit some rather amusing noises. If you are seeking a quiet dog, the Pug may not be the best choice. The most common noises are: burps, flatulence, snorts and snores. Most of this is expected and normal, however if your dog has a sudden or severe increase in breathing related noises, a veterinarian checkup is recommended. Since snores can be quite loud, some owners find it helpful to obtain a white noise machine which can muffle out night time snores. As a Whole This is a well-rounded breed, good in just about any sized household and most certainly a close canine companion that is loyal and extremely friendly. Pugs love to play, learn and be part of the family. Good with other pets, including cats, the Pug is a true family dog. Sometimes wary of strangers, if an owner has regular visitors to the home, they will be accepted over time as long as the Pug does not feel excluded. Most have a very deep bond with their owners, wanting to sleep in their human's bed. Since this is the largest of all toy sized breeds, an adult can take up a good amount of room and may snore in his owner's ear, but will be much happier than if left in another room. This breed does best when the following is offered: A well rounded, healthy diet of wholesome foods A good selection of interactive toys Treated with affection, respect and tolerance A warm, comfortable place to sleep that encourages a feeling of safety and security Plenty of interaction with family members, not having any prolonged periods of isolation Kept inside, except when outside with owners during non-severe weather conditions to exercise and play Brought for regular check-ups with an experienced and reputable veterinarian preferably with previous or current Pug patients , including dental care This is a perfect dog to have for singles or a family who can offer an inside environment with daily outside bursts of activity. Please remember that this breed is not an outside dog. A Pug should never be left outdoors, unattended, for any amount of time. If you are a sucker for a cute face with wrinkles , a dog that shows emotions and an affectionate companion this breed is for you. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon. Pugs have very distinct physical traits that may prompt you to take one home to your family, but before bringing a Pug home, it is important to consider their personality and temperament. Pugs may be well known for their wrinkled faces, stubby legs, and compact frame, but the personality and temperament characteristic of Pugs is vital to understand before choosing one to bring home. During this initial time in their history, Pugs were only allowed to be owned by members of the Chinese imperial household and Tibetan monasteries. Pugs possess a lineage steeped in respect and adoration. They were first brought to Europe around and quickly became a favorite of the wealthy. Pugs are considered one of the oldest canine breeds in existence today. In recent years, they have grown in popularity and now are a well-known and recognized dog breed around the world. Pug Characteristics Pugs are small in stature and are part of the toy breed. They weigh on average between pounds and measure at approximately inches at the shoulder. Despite their petite stature, pugs are full of personality. They are most well known for their short snout, curly tail, large head, and protruding eyes. Unlike many dog breeds, Pugs were not bred to perform a task. They are not hunters, guard dogs, or retrievers; instead, they are companion dogs. Pugs can have a stubborn streak, but though they may be stubborn, they are not aggressive and are eager to please. They can be trained with dedication , patience, and the use of treats as motivation. Pugs are a suitable dog for families with children because of their small stature and love of attention. Because of these qualities, Pugs thrive in homes where they will receive copious amounts of love and attention with very little time alone. Pugs are often an easy-going dog that prioritize pleasing their owners above all else. Pug Behavior Pugs are a calm dog breed that enjoys spending their days napping. Their low energy level means it is easy to keep a Pug in good physical health with just a small walk or quick playtime. Pug behavior is often seen as silly because they are often quite lazy until they get a quick burst of energy, which is then often followed by a nap. Since they are food motivated, Pugs often develop the frowned upon behavior of begging for food. However, with some training and dedication, this habit can be trained away. Pugs are typically a vocal dog breed, which includes barking, yapping, grunting, snorting, or other noises. This may be seen as an undesirable quality depending upon the owner and their lifestyle. Because Pugs snouts are very short, they often wheeze after excessive exercise. If these vocal qualities are unwanted, training can also be used to correct these behaviors. Pug Personality Traits Pugs are intelligent and playful, but also extremely affectionate. Because they are intelligent, they can be mischievous, especially when left alone for extended periods of time. Pugs are a friendly breed, which makes them behave well around other pets and small children. There are many qualities that comprise the unique composition of a Pug personality, but chief among them is their love of sleep. Pugs are wonderful family dogs that love their family unconditionally and will want to spend their entire life by the side of their owners. If you decide a Pug is the right breed for you, it is likely you will be soon sharing your bed with your new family member. Marissa Taffer is a consultant, writer and strategist based in Philadelphia. She lives and works with her rescue dog Charlie, a certified therapy dog. Their size and personality make them a great pet as well as an urban or family dog. Does your dog eat wet or dry food? Let us know and get started with healthy personalized meal plans! Wet Food The Pug: A brief history The pug originated in China, and these dogs were reported to be the prized possessions of the Emporers. How did these regal creatures come to be household pets here in the US? Pugs made their way into the hands of some Dutch traders who brought the pups from Holland over to England. Like in China, the English royalty also bred and kept Pugs as their companions of choice. The English breeding lead to the more refined dogs we see today. In , the breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club. They have come in and out of popularity ever since. As you can see from this very brief history, the Pug is a dog that was bred purely as a human companion. They are not generally used as working, hunting, or sporting dogs. They tend to be happiest when being spoiled rotten by their humans! Pug Temperament Pugs are very pleasant dogs and they make great pets. Most Pugs are suited for life with both small children and other dogs. If a Pug is in a fight with another dog, there is a slim chance that they are the ones who started it. Pugs are happiest when hanging out with you. If you enjoy relaxing on the couch or like to read a lot, the Pug might be the perfect companion for you. Like any other breed, you should always supervise young children and dogs and not leave them alone together. Eager to please Pugs are friendly dogs. They will lick your face and do everything they can think of to make you laugh. They form close bonds with their humans. They also are not the type of dog that believes in personal space. They want to be near you all the time. If you work from home or are raising young children, this might be the perfect pet for you. You should also not isolate your Pug from the rest of the family gating them only in certain parts of the home. Pugs were bred to be companions and they are happiest when they are part of the family. Not overly athletic As Pugs were bred for a life of leisure, they are not the most athletic dogs. Some pugs do enjoy participating in sports like Rally competitive obedience , Agility, or even learning to do some tricks. Pugs love to eat and they can pack on the pounds pretty quickly. Keeping your pup at a healthy weight will help prevent other health issues from popping up, especially as your pet gets older. Typical Pug Physique Small Pugs are a smaller dog breed with the average pup weighing in at pounds when fully grown. This makes the pug an ideal candidate for those living in apartments and urban environments. They can easily fit in a carrier or Sherpa bag, which can also make them ideal travel companions. Brachycephalic Pugs are brachycephalic , which means they have a flat face! While this is a descriptive term, it also means a few things in terms of health risks. Brachycephalic dogs are prone to breathing and eye issues. Because they do not have a long nose to offer protection, they are more susceptible to eye issues or injuries. They may also have limited depth perception. Next time you see a pug at play, watch to see if they crash into anything. Another significant note about brachycephalic dogs is that extreme temperatures have a stronger impact on them. If you live in an extreme climate hot or freezing cold — consult your vet about ways to help your pug thrive. This may include limiting outdoor time or helping your pup stay warm in the cold weather. Curly tail A signature trait in the pug physique is the curly tail. The breed standard , as set by the Pug Dog Club of America says, the tail is curled as tightly as possible over the hip. The double curl is perfection. Short-haired Pugs are short-haired pups making their coats easier to maintain. You will, however, still need to bathe them regularly, take care of their skin, nails, and ears. Note that pugs do shed quite a bit — their looks can be deceiving. If you have severe allergies, bringing a Pug into your space might not be the best idea. The pug breed standard allows for two colors, fawn, and black. Brindle, white, or blue pugs do not meet the breed standard. The Pug Dog Club of America says that reputable breeders are not interested in the development of additional colors. Famous Pugs In addition to making great pets, Pugs personalities lend themselves to stardom. Pugs have been featured in movies, on TV, and even become internet sensations. The film is about an unlikely friendship and is a real tearjerker. Doug The Pug Doug the Pug is an internet sensation. He has a NYT bestselling book and merch for sale through his website. Doug lives with his mom in Nashville, Tenessee. The Ollie blog is devoted to helping pet parents lead healthier lives with their pups. If you want to learn more about our fresh, human-grade food, check out MyOllie. They are also loved for their bright personalities! Pugs may be small in size, but they have huge hearts and make some of the most dependable four-legged family members around. Read on to learn about the surprising characters that give this breed unique appeal. Queen Victoria was particularly renowned for having an affinity for the breed due to its small, cuddly look and figure. Their memorable features—bulging eyes and compressed muzzles—sparked her interest. Thanks to her patronage, pugs continued to rise in status. Now more than ever, these ridiculously cute little dogs have become a favorite breed worldwide. Clearly, they continue to win over hearts with no indication of slowing down anytime soon. For generations, pugs have been a fan-favorite of many families and dog lovers alike. Known for being a wrinkly but playful companion, these breeds will never fail to put a smile on your face. Nevertheless, there's much more to this breed than just their cuteness. Pugs boast many distinct personality traits that make them incredibly endearing, loving partners at home. Here are five of them: 1: Pugs Have a Gentle Disposition Pugs are truly among the sweetest and gentlest dog breeds. This attitude is perfectly embodied in their charming demeanor. Pugs have a peerless talent for making people feel comfortable in their presence. Nothing makes these dogs happier than giving their loved ones a warm embrace or snuggling. Wide-eyed and stubby-nosed, it's nearly difficult not to feel a rush of affection for them as soon as you meet! And when that happens, the world can seem much better. According to the American Kennel Club, a trusted expert of reputable breeders in the United States, they can thrive in various environments, from an apartment to a suburban family home. Thanks to their melting-sweet aura, they blend in perfectly with any lifestyle. They may be small in stature, but their versatility is certainly prized—one reason they will always remain appreciated by all. What does that mean? Pugs are the ideal pet for households that do not wish the challenge of high-energy animals. Naturally, they need regular walks, grooming, and ample opportunities for early socialization with people and animals. But they don't require quite as much commitment as more active breeds. In fact, you might see them lounging in their beds all day long. They actually love to meet new faces! These little pups love to display their affection for any new person that comes into their lives. It's frequent to see a pug instinctively zooming up to strangers with jolly enthusiasm and an instinctual desire to make new friends. Then, as if it has known them its entire life, a pug dog will start wiggling its nose with excitement wanting to be petted or cuddled by the newcomer in a short time. Underneath that tiny surface lives a family-protective beast. Although pugs may not resemble the typically large guard dogs, they often show signs of anxiety if they sense that their family is being threatened. They also trigger hostile behavior, like barking when someone aggressively attacks them or their companions. Considerations to Remember Before Bringing a Pug Home Welcoming a pug puppy or dog into your home is thrilling for both pets and owners. These companion dogs carry an overriding, loyal affection and a playful trait. But before you create irreplaceable memories with these canines, you must be willing to put in the necessary effort. With proper training and reverence for routine, these sweet munchkins can be wonderful buddies to any household. Moreover, they can certainly radiate lots of love without any worries. Many people are wild about the squishy faces of these little fur babies. Still, potential owners should remember that they may still exhibit a varying range of behaviors compared to other breeds. Establishing knowledge of their temperament is crucial for successful integration into their forever home. Spanning from their whimsical personalities to occasional stubbornness, incoming pet owners should research its characteristics to assess if they can stay committed. Doing so can guarantee a seamless transition into living together as a family and keeping everyone at peace. Pug Health Issues Pugs are exceptionally fun-loving dogs with unmistakable grumpy faces and signature curly tails. They have an intelligent and sportive essence that has gained them a lot of popularity worldwide. Unfortunately, these brachycephalic breeds often suffer from breathing difficulties due to their short muzzles and tight airways. They are also susceptible to pug dog encephalitis PDE , a neurological condition that can occur in the pug breed. In some cases, pugs can get tired more easily and have trouble regulating their body temperatures. Consistent exercise can also be beneficial for their overall well-being. These toy breeds may seem less active, but providing them a pastime is still paramount for preserving their vibrancy. More importantly, giving them daily outdoor activity is an excellent way to help unleash their natural capability and curb behavioral problems. Pug Grooming Like furry, large dog breeds, pugs also have a particular set of needs with hair care. Potential owners must take extra care of their silky, delicate fur to keep them good-looking. Regular brushing is a must throughout the year to help prevent matting, which can end up trapping dirt and moisture close to their skin. However, immediate removal is essential for those times when mats do form. This is because broken hairs and split ends can cause further damage. Pug Sleeping Patterns Before bringing a pug into your home, you should be mindful of its typical sleeping patterns. Depending on their disposition and level of physical activity, pugs prefer sleeping during the day rather than at night. Sadly, this may mean that your new furry friend's snoring or anxiety problems keep you up at night. Giving them plenty of playtime is strongly suggested to satisfy their instinctual need to expend energy before seeking comfort in slumber. Pug Drooling Habits Those cute pug faces may make you instantly fall in love. But beware: along with that adorableness comes a drooling habit. Thus, you have to be certain that you are prepared for the mess of dog saliva that will inevitably be there when these sweet puppies arrive. The significance of diligent house training in fostering a stress-free home cannot be overstated. Set expectations beforehand, and ensure you have the resources available to clean up regularly after your lovable doggo. Remember, the wrinkled muzzle of a pug can bring just as much joy as it can frustration. So tread lightly, and plan for any potential messes! Perfect Petzzz is the perfect substitute for anyone seeking to experience the delights of pug ownership. If housebreaking worries you, there is no need to sweat—these adorable animals will never make those messes! Get your pug love fulfilled with an adorable alternative. Browse our amazing animal collection at Perfect Petzzz! Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published.

Whelping means the process where a female dog gives birth to puppies. And a whelping box is a container or box designed to keep the puppies safe and warm. Having a whelping box makes it convenient for the mother to give birth comfortably. Female dogs are very protective of their puppies. Hence the nesting box offers a sense of security. Female dogs need assistance and a safe place to give birth. Hence, a whelping pen would be of great help. If your dog is about to give birth, it would be better to get a box or make it yourself. For a small dog like Pomeranian, you can convert a large card box into a whelping pen. You can put your creativity into the process and make a nesting box for your dog. If your dog is big, she might probably give birth to a large number of puppies. Hence, the size of the box should be large enough to fit the puppies and the mother. Furthermore, you can get the box from a pet store if creativity and DIY are not your forte. Here are some of the factors that you need to consider: The sides of the pen should be high enough that can keep the puppies safe for three weeks. Also, make sure that the mother can move to and fro freely. The size of the pen should be spacious enough for your dog and puppies. It should have enough space where the mother can feed her pups comfortably. In addition, it should allow them to move freely. It will help to keep the pups warm when the mom is not around. These are the factors that you need to consider while getting a nesting box. It helps the mother and the pups in the long run. You would notice the growth within the first few weeks. They can move and stand up over the sides of the whelping pen. By three weeks, they become mobile and able to move towards the edge of the nesting box. However, before it reaches that stage, you should take care of it diligently. Some pups would go astray and get lost. Hence, getting a box with proper height is essential. Sometimes the mother has to go out of the box for a nature call or food. The box offers a sense of security both to the dog owner and the mother. When the puppies are born, they have no control over their body temperature. So, while the mom is out, the box will keep them warm. However, you have to make sure that the bottom of the box is covered with a soft blanket. By three weeks, they will start moving, and some puppies might even get out of the box. So, the real chaos begins when they reach three weeks. It would be best if you were more careful than ever. How to Keep the Nesting Box Clean? Taking care of puppies can be quite tiring. Once the puppies are born safely in the box, it would be better to change the sheet or the beddings. The mother will take care of it. However, from the second to the third week, the real work starts. It will help if you make sure that the box is clean. While cleaning the box, you can keep the pups temporarily in a warm blanket. You need to replace the sheet or newspaper at least twice or thrice per day. However, keeping the box clean prevents the puppies from possible bacterial infections. It also helps to keep the puppies clean. You should see that the nesting box is clean and dry. So, like a responsible dog owner , make sure that the box is clean and warm. Changing the Whelping Box to Other Areas Once the puppies have passed the first week, you place the box in other areas. It will help them to get used to the new smell and sounds. However, make sure that the place is quiet and warm. Some kids would like to hold the pups, which would be too early and maybe dangerous. During the first two weeks, puppies are pretty delicate. So, it would be best to keep far away from children. The first three weeks are a crucial moment for you and the pups. The puppies are in their developing stage, and they need a quiet and calm environment to grow. So, you should make sure that puppies are kept safe and warm. They would be too young to take the regular food and would cause indigestion. But you can keep water for the mother. They get very thirsty while taking care of the puppies. She requires good protein and energy to keep the pups fed through her milk. You can place the food in the water once they can move or walk. However, make sure that the food is easily digestible. Also, puppies tend to eat food without a limit. So, you should give the food moderately. Overeating can cause indigestion and vomiting. Hence, it would help if you were careful not to overfeed them. It offers a sense of security to the mother and the dog owners as well. Having a nesting box helps to keep the puppies from going astray. The first three weeks are crucial for the puppies to grow and develop healthily. Having the right size of the whelping box can help both the puppies and the mother move freely. It allows the mother to breastfeed the puppies comfortably. If your dog is about to give birth, it would be better to arrange a whelping box. It offers safety and assurance to both the mother and puppies. These links are affiliate links, so if you do end up using the links, I will earn a commission. Dog Food: Every dog needs to eat correctly, and finding the best food for your dog can be challenging, as the market is absolutely flooded with products. A whelping box is an important item to have when puppies are about to be born. You can construct something yourself or buy a specifically designed boxes from pet stores. When can puppies leave the whelping box? Puppies can often leave the whelping box at 3 weeks old. At this age, puppies can move out of the whelping box as they become more mobile. Puppies can stand up and even climb out of the whelping box nest. At this age, puppies start to explore outside of their nest, to find out more about the wide and exciting world around them. Well, I can tell you that a whelping box will help you and the mother cope better with a horde of tiny puppies in their first few weeks. What is a whelping box? Also known as a nest or whelping pen, the whelping box is a container designed to keep the newborn litter in one safe and cozy place. The mother also likes to have a place where she can give birth to her puppies in comfort while having a sense of security. Whelping means to give birth hence the name of the box. It should be placed in a quiet part of the house and set up a couple of weeks before your dog gives birth. This gives her time to get familiar with the box. Image via Pixabay. What can I use as a whelping box? If your dog is a little girl, you could convert a large, sturdy cardboard box into a nesting box. You can make your own if carpentry is your hobby or you could go to the local pet store and buy a whelping box. What to look out for when picking a whelping box You need to make sure you pick a whelping box that takes into consideration the following factors: The sides are high enough to keep the puppies safely contained in their first 3 weeks but low enough for the mother to move in and out freely. The size is big enough to accommodate all the puppies being born. The bottom of the box may come with whelping pads or you can simply line it with newspapers and a soft blanket. Some breeders will use wood shavings to cover the floor of the box. Some whelping boxes come with an extension which is great for more active puppies who are still too young to leave the pen but are moving around quite a bit. Picking the right whelping box goes a long way to keeping mum and pups comfortable and secure. When is the right age for puppies to leave the whelping box? Puppies develop and mature very quickly in their first few weeks. A whelping box is designed to keep the newborn puppies safe, warm, and comfortable. Keeping the puppies in one place and even using a heat lamp will help keep them warm. And, when the mother needs time out, she can leave the box and get some space knowing her pups are all safe in one spot. A whelping box gives you peace of mind your puppies are well-protected, staying warm, and not disappearing once they start crawling. But be ready for the exodus once they reach 3 weeks old and might start walking! How do I keep the whelping box clean? If your dog gave birth to the puppies in the whelping box, you would need to change the bedding once all the puppies are safely delivered. Keep them warm with a blanket. Use a non-chemical cleaning detergent and warm water to wash out the box. Remove any dirty bedding and replace with clean blankets, newspapers or wood shavings. Some breeders do put in a litter box for puppies once they start crawling. This could be the first step to house training your pups. Do regular inspections throughout the day to make sure the whelping box is always dry and clean. Can I move the whelping box to other areas? Once your puppies have passed their first week, you could consider moving them to different areas in the house. But remember, you need to keep them warm so make sure there are no draughts and the puppies are not too intimidated by the new environment. Be careful also with handling newborn puppies when moving them. For the first 3 weeks, the puppies are small, developing, and can be easily disturbed by too much activity around them. Do I need to put food and water in the whelping box? The puppies will be drinking milk from their mother for the first 3 to 4 weeks, before moving onto water. For the first 3 weeks, you could keep a bowl of water in the box for the mother. She will be very thirsty while nurturing her puppies. However, once the puppies start becoming mobile keep both the water and food outside the box. Conclusion Get ready for a whole lot of fun, but also stress. She will take them no doubt but being able to help just a little with whelping boxes, nesting, and more will make it so much easier for you. You might also like…. During that first three weeks we weigh the puppies daily, trim their toenails every days, and put new collars on them every days as their growth is so rapid. The standard puppies are weighed on a regular digital scale and should gain an ounce a day at first and then up to ounces daily, whereas miniature puppies gain in a tenth of an ounce to start with and then an ounce or two a day. Jenny with litter at birth in 4' x 4' whelping box with lots of absorbent padding. Tasy in her "birthing bed" with the first three pups of the TS5 litter "Tasy" moves into her "doll crib" after the puppies are born - shown here at 3 weeks of age. We find it essential that the dam have food and water inside her whelping box the first week, however once she is willing to leave the box for short periods of time it can be set just outside the box, otherwise she will not eat and drink enough to provide all the milk needed for the puppies well being, and if you are not supplementing with goats milk, your puppies can suffer from dehydration. The standard dam has to produce almost two gallons of milk a day by the time a litter of puppies is two weeks of age. That's twice the amount a good dairy goat gives, who is at least double the dam's body weight. We find that goat milk, canned or fresh, is a much better supplement than the commercial formulas, as we have better weight gains and hardly ever have diarrhea in our puppies. If you have more than 8 puppies it is also essential that the dam's tail area and vulva be washed each time she goes out to go, as since there are not enough teats to go around there will always be a puppy trying to latch onto the vulva. The puppies can pick up bacteria and worm eggs, and a one celled organism called coccidiosis in this way which can lead to diarrhea. Mandy with AM3 Litter x Sterling at 1 week old. We practice what we call "giving the puppies an opportunity to learn" as a puppy raising method. We whelp the puppies in one corner of the living room where we have easy access to the box. We have found that moving the whelping box or puppy pen set-up on a weekly basis exposes the puppies to new scents and air currents and increases their adaptability and development by about two weeks, especially compared to puppies who are raised in the same corner until they go to their new homes. This is the first stage of their house breaking. Within hours the smartest puppies of the litter, barely able to crawl, will crawl out to use the paper and then crawl back into the whelping box. Within a few days the entire litter will usually be using the paper. Supplementing the puppies these first weeks gives us a good chance to play with the puppies feet, and get them used to their faces being handled for grooming, however even when we don't supplement we take time daily to handle every puppy and get them used to different textures, smells, and having their feet, faces, ears and tails handled. At three weeks of age when the ears open we start their cereal feeding, and use a soft clap with a "come, babies" command each time they are fed. This leads to the next step in the transition of removing the second box and the addition of a paper lined exercise pen to the whelping box at four weeks of age. At this time we start walking the puppies outside about every two hours from AM to PM. During this time ,the 4th-5th week, we teach them some basic commands - "in", "out", "potty outside", "walk", "watch", and continuing with their "come" command. Once they have understanding of these basic commands we then take them out to an outside play yard, regardless of the weather. It's really important to have this set-up close to an outside door if possible, or to use sections of an exercise pen to make an aisleway directly outdoors. Puppies can be carried outdoors, however their "potty outside" is learned much faster if they walk out the door in tune to the "out" command and the "potty outside" command at the same time. Usually within two days my standard puppies have quit having messes on the paper and are actually asking to go "out" - often at AM at this stage, and I do get up to accommodate them as this speeds their training amazingly, and I have a lot less mess to deal with - and less dirty crates when that time comes along. You can see that I do sleep within hearing of the puppies - usually until those we are continuing training with for their new families are weeks old. TS5 Miniature Litter - 2nd day of cereal feeding and 1st trip outside to the "big" world. We also start the grooming training at 4 weeks of age - starting with a bath with a soft water spray in a utility tub, and using a soft flow warm air dryer and a slicker brush - brushing the coat up the body toward the head, and up the legs toward the back as it dries. We always groom on a table, or the washer or dryer, or a counter - this is essential in getting the puppies used to being groomed on a grooming table and getting over any tendency toward the fear of heights. We cuddle them in our arms on the table to help them feel loved and secure, and to build their confidence level. We try to take pictures at birth, day old individual pictures, then every week thereafter for their new families, and for our albums. We also try to take litter shots as well at the various stages. I find that special touches add a lot of enjoyment, both for us raising the puppies, and for our families who are kept in the "link" of their puppy growing from infancy to toddler weeks. A Tasy x Promise Puppy before his first grooming and after his first grooming. My, oh my, what a difference!! We also start the worming program at four weeks of age - and this is really essential if you occasionally have a puppy that coughs after feeding, or vomits back up milk or cereal. Round worms are the one type of worm that the puppies can get in utero, and they grow as fast as the puppies. A heavy case of worms can often mimic other serious conditions in young puppies. It is also essential to use a low dosage of wormer in cases of heavy infestation, and at times give the puppy a few drops of oil by mouth, and possibly even an enema with a few drops of oil to help pass the worms. We use pyrantel pamoate for our first series of wormings. It is essential to worm every days until no worms are seen - these worms look like spaghetti - and once you see a litter of puppies pass them you never forget them. The wormer works in about six hours and is very effective. We have a computer generated health record that we complete on each puppy, and note all the worming's on it and on the litter weight records as well. Once the worming has been done, and if the teeth are coming in on the entire litter we start adding softened and mashed with potato masher kibble to the puppies cereal mixture - gradually reducing the rice baby cereal. During the next two weeks we gradually start adding cooked rice, cooked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, ground apple and carrot, and a supplement Green Vibrance which has microbials in it to their soft feed. As soon as the puppies are able to eat dry kibble well and not just play with it we gradually reduce the soft feedings to AM and PM. The puppies often prefer dry kibble during times of heavy teething, however dry kibble no matter how well promoted does not meet all of their nutritional needs. Also the more organically chemical, steroid, and low grade antibiotic free a puppy can be fed, the better for its health and longevity. We keep our puppies on microbials their whole life as this keeps their intestinal system in optimal health - they absorb more nutrients, they produce less fecal material, they are less prone to other bacterial infections, they don't have smelly gas, they are less prone to bloat typical in a number of large breeds , they have better pigmentation as a result of absorbing more nutrients. We have also found that since taking this approach to diet that puppy and show coats on adults are more luxurious. As you can see their fourth week involves a lot of changes for the puppies. At six weeks of age we start the weaning process - although most "mothers" have already started it. A poodle "mom" is the most devoted creature ever the first week or two, but after that usually reclaims part of her own life to be with her human family. She will return to the whelping box every few hours to take care of her puppies needs, but other than that spends her time on a blanket or pad outside the box. Using a higher powered water spray, a higher powered table dryer, and if the coat is still thin enough a palm pro clipper again to clip the face, feet, tummy and tail. At this time Mishelle also adds standing the puppy properly on the table and does the first scissoring around the tail head and up the rump - as much to get the puppy used to the sound and feel of the scissors as because there is that much coat to scissor off. This is also when we try to take the first pictures of the puppies in a nice stance to send to everyone. This also helps to train the puppy for standing on the table which benefits when we do the conformation evaluations at 8 weeks of age. Puppies fearful on the table are very difficult to assess. This is also essential for miniature puppies that are going to be shown. It's very sad when a miniature is put on a table in the show ring for the judges inspection, and is fearful. Just minutes a day on a table, being encouraged to stand and be touched, can make a remarkable difference in just a week. A Maddy x Calvin puppy at 6 weeks of age after her 2nd grooming Six weeks is also when we remove the whelping box, as the mother now just gets in with the puppies about 4 times a day and either sits or stands to nurse them. She also starts to regurgitate her feedings for the puppies at this stage. The teeth are starting to come all the way in at this time, and the puppies will start sparring, and at times will really yelp. They learn at this stage not to bite each other too hard, and this is the first step to them learning not to bite humans too hard. We often have families who want to get their poodle puppies at this age, especially if they are going to training in agility. We do not allow any puppies to go to their new homes until they are weeks of age, as we feel that they need the "sibling rivalry" stage to learn aggressive and defensive behavior - which is learned by their interplay with each other. Many of our poodles go to homes with runners, and I can't tell you how many times they have had to defend their owners from aggressive dogs of other breeds, and always successfully. You never know when your poodle may have to come to your defense, and the maneuvers they learn as puppies at this age are the foundation for their defensive techniques, increase their alertness, and the speed of their thinking and their reactivity time. I love watching the puppies develop their skills during playtime at this stage. It is their transition from infancy to toddlers. It is also at six weeks that we remove the whelping box replacing it with two small crates without the gates on. Our favorite crates are the Furrari's, as they just snap together, and the gates can be opened from either side and simply lifted off for this stage of training. The first night all the puppies will crowd into one small crate - then I will hear them in the middle of the night groaning and grumbling, and in the morning the puppies will be divided between the two crates. That day we add a third small crate, and go through the same process - which we repeat until there are two puppies per crate. We never put the gates on at this stage, just allow the puppies the freedom to sleep in or out of the crates, and to play with them. We estimate that a poodle puppy develops 21 years in it's first year. From infancy to toddler, to preschool, to kindergarten, to pre-adolescent, to adolescent, to pre-teen, to teenager, to post teen, and early twenties. Their intelligence is equivalent to that of many humans, and the learning of human vocabulary in a standard poodle is amazing. They are a joy to work with and to train, many almost training themselves. At this point we start giving the puppies rawhide chew bones to help with their teeth cutting, the cardboard rolls from toilet paper, paper towels, tape rolls, and small boxes that they can pack around, tear up and destroy. Much like a toddler builds a stack of bricks and then knocks it down destructive stage so also does a puppy need to go through this stage. So we give them things that don't cost anything, that are light weight, and the right size around for a puppy jaw to pick up. They love it. We also start giving the puppies soft and hard toys to play with, and also try to observe which puppies in the litter are water lovers - they play in the water and empty the container almost as fast as we can fill it. We often get asked for puppies that like water by families that boat, or live on rivers or lakes, or on house boats. We start watching closely for the different types of personalities that the puppies have, how they relate to each other, to new situations, to new people, to other animals they come in contact with. Those that are more adventuresome, more curious, more courageous, etc. We are also watching for activity levels and how they move. It is also at weeks that we take the puppies to the back yard to play - as they are then big enough to be taught to go up and down steps. We have closed back steps, and open backed steps like condos and the steps at the air cargo depots for them to learn on. This can be quite a challenge to some, and we usually have to delay this training with the miniatures for a couple of more weeks when they are a bit bigger. They are so proud of themselves when they achieve success in going up and down the steps, even though it is just three steps - and will run up and down just for the joy of it. In the back yard they also learn to drink from an automatic waterer, so that they don't fear the hissing sound as it refills. Having nice clean feet, faces, and tail head and rump helps us to evaluate the puppies much better, and they will score better when all can be seen and evaluated. We do not give the puppies any treats prior to testing, nor do we do any actual crate training in closed crates. At this age the puppies get their first bath in the grooming tub with a harder spray of water instead of in the utility tub. The Force dryer is used for the first time, and the Andis or Oster clippers. This is also the clipping that helps us to determine the color that the puppies might end up as - blues and silvers are born black, silver beige and cafe-au-lait can be born very dark brown, light apricots that are going to cream out - we study the nose, feet, heels, and under the tail and neck for signs of color change. Tasy x Promise Pup - Black - at 8 weeks! A Mandy x Sterling Pup - Silver - at 8 weeks. Silvers and blues are born black and change gradually - starting with the muzzle and feet We try to schedule temperament testing 16 tests and conformation evaluations a three page form using AKC breed requirements, International breed requirements, and Puppy Puzzle testing at 8 weeks minus or plus three days, as this is the most accurate time for assessing conformation before the puppy starts its rapid growth spurts. This is at times a little early for temperament testing, however as so many families want their puppies at 8 weeks of age, it is necessary to do this before the litter starts to go to new homes. Often our entire litters are reserved before they are even born, or at least by the time they are 6 weeks of age, and this helps us to match puppies and their capabilities and personalities and temperament to the homes they are going into, especially the puppies that are shipped across the United States. This also means asking our prospective families for lots of details about their home style, their activities, other pets or animals in or around their homes, and what they want to do with their puppy as an adult. We also help families at this point to decide the best age of puppy to suit their lifestyle, as many families in todays age have difficulty getting the time those first weeks to house train a young puppy. The weekly cost covers food, treats, training, vaccinations and wormings. Temperament testing is beneficial, although there are those that disagree. It is done in a strange place by a strange person. It's purpose is to note the natural instincts and adaptability of the young puppies, and our families have found our assessments to be pretty accurate as their puppies have developed. The disadvantage of testing at 8 weeks versus 12 weeks, is that puppies can be conceived over a ten day period. The gestation period is days, with all of the body development being in the first 50 days, and the weight gain being in the last days. If the bitch whelps according to the first puppy conceived, then the last puppy or puppies conceived may not have had much weight gain - however due to genetics it will not always be the smallest puppies. When we do temperament testing we also try to be aware of which puppies opened eyes first and last, which had teeth coming in first and last - as these can be indicative of which puppies in the litter are the oldest and the youngest - as the psychological development can also be different, with the thinking processes of the youngest not being quite as developed as the thinking processes of the gestationally oldest puppies. In temperament testing we are looking at social skills, inanimate object retrieving instincts, sensitivity testing, chase response, bird retrieving instincts, perseverance and motivation. These help to determine which puppies might be best suited as companions, service and therapy candidates, agility and obedience prospects, those with "bird" instincts, and very important today those with good search and rescue and tracking instincts. Conformation evaluations are where we literally take a puppies body structure apart and put it back together again - all on paper. We are looking for the few puppies in a litter that are the most correct by breed specifications in bone structure. As companions for runners, horse back riders, hikers, bikers, etc. Most of our standard puppies, after 10 years of breeding are quite structurally correct - however we try to match structural correctness, temperament and personality to the needs of a family. To be a pick of the litter puppy it must score high in all three areas. At times a structurally correct puppy may not have the best temperament for competitive events, and a senior family doesn't need a puppy with a high working drive. When we complete the testing we vaccinate each of the puppies and tattoo them with their individual identification number - that designates their dam, her litter number, and the number of puppy within the litter - in their left ear. This tattoo must be read and entered in the medical records of the puppy by the families veterinarian at the time of the "well puppy check" within 10 days of receiving the puppy for our 2 year from date of birth guarantee to go into effect. As soon as the testing is completed we start crate training the puppies. The first night two puppies are put into a crate with the gate on, and given 3 small treats. They are cuddled before being put into the crate, and we use the "in" command which they are used to. When they are taken out in the morning they are hugged and cuddled again, and given their "go potty outside" command as we take them "out" the front door. The second night they are crated individually, and are also crated during the day for short periods of time, to get them used to taking "naps" in their crates. They are always given three tiny biscuits when we want them in their crates, and usually within three days they compete to see who can get in the crates first and turn around for their treats. Usually at this age the puppies will crate from approximately PM to about AM without having accidents in their crates, however I do get up in the middle of the night and let them out if someone gets really fussy. In hot summer weather they at times need out during the night to get a drink just as much as they need out to go potty. We always make their last soft feeding of the day by PM, so that they have plenty of time to evacuate before bedtime. Remember poodle puppies are very smart, and if they get me up several nights in a row - I watch very carefully to see if they really needed to go - and if not they have just decided to get me out of bed for some extra attention and playtime - remember the pre-adolescent who wants another drink of water, etc. They will test their new families in the same way, and if they win they are ruling the family instead of the family ruling them. At this point the puppies are ready to go to their new homes to families living locally, or those driving from other states to get their puppies. If they are flying we keep them for two more weeks - and ship when they are approximately 10 - 12 weeks old. This allows us to start travel training and leash training of the puppies, and allow them to develop better holding capacity for daytime crating before shipping. Also it gives us time to receive family t-shirts worn until sweaty and placed in ziploc bags to give to the puppies in their crates three days before shipping. Having items of clothing which we tie into knots for a pillow or toy allows the puppy to get used to it's new families scents, and helps it to adapt and bond much more quickly. It also gives us time to ship their puppy pack to them, before the puppy is shipped. We follow up on our puppies for years, and encourage our families to keep in touch with us and contact us with any questions regarding nutrition, training problems or needs. We also board our own puppies back, which is wonderful as then we get to assess their development and personalities as adults. We have families now who purposefully plan their vacations for the Oregon Coast just so they can leave their much loved poodles with us - they come from as far away as Montana, Idaho, north eastern Washington, California, Utah, and of course the closer regions of Oregon and Washington. Unless we are expecting a litter imminently they get to come back and live in the house with us, and always enjoy playing with so many other poodles in our huge back yard, and side yard play areas. We also continue any training that is in progress on the younger puppies. A Mandy boy at 15 weeks! A Lucy daughter at 1 year - sent by her family in Idaho Many of our families also return with their puppies to take the one-on-one grooming classes with us - with Mishelle now being the primary instructor. Many of our families are now doing all of their own grooming, and even if they aren't have found the class very beneficial as they have learned what to expect from a good groomer. Many have returned for second and even third classes to learn advanced scissoring techniques, and several are now learning show grooming and handling from us as well. It's biblical that the older are to teach the younger - and we feel very strongly about this after not finding anyone willing to assist us when we first started out. We want those who have a true desire to become breeders of the poodles to start in the right way, learning to do the proper testing and research, taking part in genetic research projects, learn to groom their poodles properly, and to breed properly, caring for their whelping bitches and puppies correctly. Mishelle should have been in the picture with "Eve" but was in the Show Ring with her instead. She groomed 14 standards and 2 miniatures for this show. The poodle is a wonderful and unique breed - sharing life with it's family. Stages of Puppy Development Birth to 3 weeks The first 20 days of a pups life it is not capable of much learning. The mental capacity is about nil. The pup will react when it is in need of food, sleep, warmth and its mother. During the first 3 weeks it is VERY important to look after the dam as well. She will in turn, look after the puppies. Once or twice a day the puppies should be handled by a human and they should be weighed daily. During the first 3 weeks most dams like to be in a warm secluded area, not in the family living area. Pups remain contently in their whelping box for the first 20 days of their life. Newborn puppies sleep most of the day away. No matter what the breed, this is the time when the dormant senses wake up. From day 21 to 28 puppies are in need of their mom more than any other time as their brains and nervous systems begin to develop and they become aware of their surroundings. As mom jumps out of the box, they suddenly watch her wondering where she went. Pups may start climbing out of the whelping box at this age, so it is time to expand their home. At this stage we add a small potty area beside the whelp box. If a puppy were to loose his mom at this stage it would greatly affect his emotional wellbeing. Emotional growth is just blossoming as the puppy realizes it is alive. It is also at this age that characteristics can develop like shyness and fear. Any negative characteristics that develop at this stage in life are often permanent personality traits. The puppies sleep 20 or more hours a day. They will not go far, but they will begin to explore. At this time we expand their area to add a play and eating area in the daytime. This is the time to move them out to the kitchen and family room area, where life is happening in the home. This is not the age to be in the back bedroom, garage or barn. During this time, a puppy will learn to respond to voices, sounds and recognize different people. The puppies in their group will establish a 'pecking order', some will want to lead and some will want to follow. The dominant ones will eat first and the omega ones will wait. The dominant ones can become bullies and hog all the toys. This is an important stage to watch to learn the temperaments of each puppy and should be used for placing puppies into the proper homes. Some scientific studies prove that if there is a bully in a litter that is making others cower and be shy it can set in traits that are very hard to turn around, but it is also important to leave puppies in a social group long enough to be adventurous and for the puppy to acquire some social competitive skills. On the same note, a puppy should never be allowed to get too pushy. While shyer puppies have to learn to handle themselves in social groups, a dominant puppy needs to learn it is not acceptable to be a bully. Different breeds need to be separated at different ages. Often if the bully is adopted out first the remaining puppies will loose some of their shyness. Puppies at this age sleep 18 to 20 hours a day. By 7 weeks, a pup is considered emotionally developed and ready to learn, but the pup does not possess an adult brain yet. At 7 weeks old the breeder of the pups can start crate training for an hour or two a day with 2 pups in a crate. This helps with separation anxiety. By 8 weeks of age a puppy should be able to go in a crate alone for a nap, and it is almost ready for its new home. A puppy should never be taken away from it's mother before weeks of age. The mother dog teaches the puppies in the litter manners, respect, social skills, and proper etiquette, along with many other valuable lessons. When a puppy misses this stage it can cause the pup to have future behavior issues as most humans do not understand natural dog behavior enough to teach the pup these things. What a puppy learns now will be retained and become part of who the dog becomes and his personality. Most dams stop caring for their pups by 7 weeks, as they have teeth and she pushes them away. If a pup is left with the dam during this period it's emotional development can be altered, as it remains dependent on her. The same can happen if littermates are placed together. They rely on each other instead of the new owner and they often do not find adequate security in their mom or littermate. They need their new owner to take over the role and it is important that the humans understand natural dog behavior in order to fulfill the puppies instincts and needs. First shots should be done at 7. When a puppy stays with his litter after 8 to 9 weeks of age without adequate human contact it doesn't adjust as well to a human social life. The optimum time to take a new puppy is from 8 to 9 weeks of age. It is always best to have a pup do his learning from his new owner and in his new home. Puppies are often adopted out at 8, 9, 10 or 11 weeks. Older puppies can do just fine if the breeder has spent a lot of time socializing them away from their littermates. Ideally 9 weeks seems to be the perfect age for most breeds to go to new homes. What the dog learns from 8 to 12 weeks will be with him forever. At this time the puppy must be introduced to other people and go for walks on the pavement street avoiding dirt or grass until it has had its 2nd shots. If the first shots are done at 8 weeks and second are done at 12 weeks it is a good idea to enroll in puppy kindergarten that starts right at 12 weeks. At this age on up to several months old, puppies will sleep 16 to 20 hours a day, give or take depending on the puppies energy level and the activity around them. Sleeping more during rapid growth sprurts. The sleep is broken up between night time sleep and naps during the day. It is common for a puppy to play hard, running around with bounds of energy, then suddenly crashing into a deep sleep. It is important to keep in mind that all puppies by this time have formed a general personality. Some are natural born leaders, some are middle of the road and could go either way and some are very submissive and really prefer not to lead anything. All puppies have an instinct to have a leader who can provide structure, because in their minds without it the pack cannot survive. Therefore even the most naturally born submissive dog may feel the need to take over as an alpha should they feel everyone else around them is too weak to care for the pack. These dogs are often very stressed out about their role because they really do not want it, but feel the need to lead just the same. After all, to them it's a matter of life or death. One of the biggest questions new owners call about is that the pup is an angel for the first couple weeks and then it starts to nip in an attempt to control things around it. This happens when a puppy does not see the humans as natural born leaders to which it can respect and it attempts to get the pack in order. If this happens it does not necessarily mean you got a bad puppy, but often means you are not being a good canine owner. Owners must be calm but firm and follow through. Set the rules of the home and stick to them. Teach basic obedience and how to heel on a leash. Do not let the puppy bolt out the door. Stay calm and confident and remember that dogs can feel your emotions. If you have emotional problems your dog knows and will see you as a weak being. Always remember to a dog anger is a weakness, so take a deep breath and control yourself. Should the puppy feel it is stronger minded than the humans it will not want to be at the bottom. Puppy owners should be prepared that the pup may attempt to establish itself as the dominant one in the family. This is where you need to understand a dog's natural instincts and learn their language so you can read them. It may see whether it can physically strike out at his owner like some teens and could nip or growl. Should this happen be prepared to stop the behavior immediately. It is kind of like kids wanting dessert before dinner or to stay up later. You just have to say NO. Each dog is different, just as kids are, therefore you need to figure out what works for you and your situation. If it is being aggressive one method is to pin it on its back and hold him there with a firm NO. If a pup is allowed to get away with bad behavior it will lose respect for the owner and learn that rebelling gets him his own way. The key is for the humans to be calm, confident and firm all at the same time. If you find yourself yelling or angry you as the human are out of control and need to learn how to portray yourself as someone your dog can look up to and respect. Dogs do not listen to unstable humans and anything but calm, confident and firm, to them is unstable. There should be zero tolerance for aggressiveness. Heaps of love and understanding will not stop bad behavior. A pup must be shown fast and firmly that you are the one in charge. If you have a good breeder who understands the dog even returning him for a few days can help as the breeder gets the dog back under control and you assess your own behavior and understanding of this animal you are trying to live with. Sending a dog away to be trained without training yourself never works, as the way your dog is acting often has more to do with the humans it is living with. This goes for any dog of any age. Learn how to groom your dog. Teach it to lie still for grooming and nail trimming. If you are having trouble call the breeder or a behaviorist for help. It is best to have earned a dog's respect and trust in regards to grooming by 16 weeks of age. A pups natural instinct will be to periodically try to test the order in the pack. Especially if there are children. If the owner is submissive, quiet and week, thus making the dog feel the need to lead the home, its respect for its owner will weaken and the owner will become inferior in the dogs eyes. In these cases the owner is destined to be owned by the dog and you will surely see behavior problems emerge. A puppy should have a good start on crate training when it leaves a breeder's home. Help your puppy feel secure by giving it its own bed and crate in a place where it can be alone when it needs some quiet time. It should be crated for one or two naps per day, especially when making and eating dinner and crated at night. It should not ever have the run of the house till after 6 months of age or housebreaking and training can become very difficult. A puppy should start formal obedience by 6 months of age, preferably sooner. Remember when you choose to adopt a dog you are choosing to take an animal into your home. The animal is not a human baby and humans are not born with canine instincts. Take some time to learn about the canine and be prepared to change your way of life to accommodate the new member of the family. The puppies have arrived. They have been weighed and identified; they have nursed and are now sleeping quietly except for the normal twitching. Now what? Your job is not over yet, in fact, it's really just beginning. Nutrition and Feeding The mother will be ready for some food and water. Bring the dishes to the whelping box, as she will not want to leave the newborn puppies. Do not leave the dishes on the floor in the whelping box, as the puppies could crawl into them. Hang the dishes from the side of the whelping box or offer her food and water at least every hours to start. She should be taken outside on a frequent and regular basis to relieve herself. Within days, the mother's appetite will dramatically increase to times her pre-pregnancy intake. She will need a near constant supply of a high quality puppy food do NOT use large breed puppy formulas, which are generally lower in protein, fat, and minerals and water to maintain her weight and health while feeding the puppies. She should not look gaunt or thin if her weight is maintained. Ideally, she should weigh the same at the time of weaning, as she did when she was bred. A healthy puppy is firm, plump, and vigorous. Puppies should nurse every 2 hours or so. If they nurse until their stomachs appear round and they sleep quietly, they are eating enough. If they are crying and moving a lot, they are not eating enough. They may be swallowing air, which makes the stomach appear larger. As they become weaker, they will lay still and not cry. Their weight should double in the first days. Before, during, and after nursing, the mother will lick the stomach and perineal area to stimulate urination and defecation. She will continue to do this for weeks. Weigh the puppy daily for the first 2 weeks, then weigh at least weekly. A food scale typically works well for weighing the puppies. Failure to gain weight is often the first sign of illness in puppies. At about 3 weeks of age, the puppies will begin to imitate the mother's eating and drinking. A secure shallow water dish should now be available at least part of the day. Prepare the puppy mush by placing 2 cups of high quality dry puppy food in a blender with .This should be blended until the consistency of human infant cereal. This feeds puppies of a medium-sized breed. The puppies should receive meals a day of this to start. Once the puppies have checked it out, walked in it, and have eaten some, the mother can be allowed to finish it and clean the puppies off. Each week, increase the amount of food, decrease the amount of the milk replacer and water that is added and the time of blending, so by 7 weeks of age, the puppies are eating dry food. Once they are on dry food, it may be left in with the puppies when the mother is out of the box or the meal times can continue. As the puppies eat more solid food, the mother may be let away from the puppies for an ever longer period of time. If the weaning is not rushed, she will naturally start decreasing milk production, as the puppies increase their intake of solid food. As the puppies begin eating the puppy mush at 4 weeks of age, start changing the mother's diet back to adult food to also help her decrease milk production. Keep increasing the adult food and decreasing the puppy food until by the 7th week postpartum she is eating only adult food. Hopefully she has been fed well during pregnancy and lactation so she weighs the same at weaning as she did before pregnancy. Want to learn how to save on your dog's veterinary care? Click here Sanitation and Housebreaking During and after whelping, the mother should be allowed to go outside to urinate and defecate. Take her out on a leash bring a flashlight if it is dark , and watch her closely, as she could have another puppy. The whelping box needs to be changed at least once a day at this stage, and times a day as the puppies begin eating solids and the mother is not cleaning up after them. A large heavy paper may be laid on the bottom, several layers of newspaper over that, and a tightly stretched blanket over the newspaper. The blanket should be large enough to fit under all 4 sides of the box. If the box was made so the sides set into the floor, the sides are picked up, the blanket stretched, and the sides set down to hold the blanket in place. Puppies can become lost under blankets or under wrinkles in blankets. When cleaning, check the consistency and color of the puppy stool. It should be brown and formed, but not overly firm. Any deviations and the veterinarian should be contacted. To facilitate housebreaking, the puppies should be given definite feeding, playing, sleeping, and elimination areas. Once the puppies are mobile, they will use one area for elimination. Cover this area with a layer of newspapers with cedar or pine shavings on top. The new owners then place a small amount of cedar or pine shavings in the preferred location of their yard to aid in housebreaking. Keep the elimination area clean and dry. Puppies head toward the heat source to nurse so do not have the heat source warmer than the mother. Hanging a household thermometer on the inside of the whelping box will help you know the temperature in the box. Puppies typically lay side by side or on top of each other to share warmth. If the puppies are scattered throughout the whelping box and away from the heat lamp, the temperature is too warm. If they are all piled on top of each other, it may be too cold. Puppies need the extra heat, as they are unable to regulate their body temperature until several weeks old. Health of the Mother Each mammary gland and nipple should be checked at least once a day for redness, hardness, discharge, or streaking color. If mastitis develops, the veterinarian should be notified immediately. If caught early, milking out the affected gland and applying hot compresses will help prevent a spread of the problem. Sometimes, antibiotics are necessary. If she gets multiple glands with mastitis, the puppies will need to be bottle fed. The puppies' nails should be trimmed weekly starting within days of birth. This will help prevent some of the scratches on the mother's mammary glands. The deciduous teeth start coming in around day .Check the mammary glands of the mother daily for bite marks. The mother will have a bloody discharge from her vulva which may be quite heavy for several days. It should decrease in amount and become darker and be almost gone within weeks. The mother's hair may have become very thick and luxurious during the pregnancy. Around the time of weaning, the mother starts to shed. This extreme loss of hair coat is natural and it should be back to normal in about another months. This shedding is more extreme than a normal shed cycle and some mothers become quite bald. This is often called 'blowing a coat. Click here Puppy Healthcare Puppies who are not thriving should be examined as soon as possible by a veterinarian to check for birth defects. Some defects, such as a cleft palate are not compatible with life. These puppies should be humanely euthanized. Dewclaws are removed and tails docked at days of age. Make an appointment with your veterinarian for these procedures to be done. Check your breed's standard, as some breeds need to have dewclaws left intact in order to show. Tail length changes, so again, the current breed standard should be consulted. When the puppies are at the clinic and having these procedures done, the mother should be taken for a walk around the block until the puppies are done. She should not be close enough to the clinic to hear the puppies crying. Once they are put back with the mother, the puppies normally nurse and then sleep. Vaccinations are started at weeks of age. Some breeders give a parvo virus vaccine at 5 weeks of age, if the puppies are at a high-risk. Ask your veterinarian if your puppies should be vaccinated early for parvo virus. They recommend puppy deworming for roundworms and hookworms start at 2 weeks of age and be repeated at 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Thereafter, use a heart worm preventive medication that is also effective against hookworms and roundworms. Foster and Smith suggest that owners of newly acquired puppies obtain the deworming history of their new pup and contact their veterinarian to determine if additional deworming is needed. The mother should be dewormed at the same time as the puppies. A health check done by a veterinarian at weeks of age before the puppies head for new homes should include checks for heart murmurs, hernias, cryptorchidism, demodectic mange, other parasites, eye disorders, etc. Normal puppy development The umbilical cord normally falls off within days of birth. Infections of the umbilicus are rare in clean, well-managed kennels. Puppies normally twitch and jerk while sleeping. This helps with the development of their nerves and muscles. The puppies crawl well by days, walk at 16 days, and have a normal gait at 21 days. They need to be on footing that offers traction. By 4 weeks of age, the puppies follow each other and carry toys in their mouths. They will play-fight with each other and learn how to inhibit their bites. If a puppy bites a littermate too hard, the littermate will yelp and stop playing with him. If the puppy is allowed to bite humans, he will not learn to inhibit his bite. It may be cute as a 7-week old, but it will not be as a 7-year old. Puppies are born without teeth. The deciduous baby teeth start to erupt at weeks of age. All of the deciduous teeth are usually present by 8 weeks of age. The puppies' eyes will open around days of age. The retina matures around 21 days of age. Puppies should see clearly by 4 weeks of age. Do not pry open the lids for any reason, as the immature eye is not yet ready to handle light. If the eyes appear swollen before they open, take the puppy to a veterinarian immediately as an eye infection may be present that needs to be treated to prevent loss of vision. Some puppies will take a day to open the eyes while others will take days. The eyes will have a bluish color to them at first and then change to their adult color over time. If the eyes appear white or solid blue, take the puppy to the veterinarian right away. The ears open at days of age. They should hear clearly by 4 weeks of age. Deafness may not be noticeable while the puppies are together and first noticed when the puppy is in her new home. Interactions Between the Mother and Puppies By the time the puppies are weeks old, the mother should have an area near the whelping box, but separate from the puppies to allow her time to rest. At about this time, the puppies will start trying to leave the box to explore. They should be well supervised and have safe toys available. The box at this point should be big enough to be divided between eating, sleeping, playing, and eliminating rooms. At this stage, a crate with the door removed and lined with sheepskin or a dog bed can be given to the puppies for sleeping quarters and to familiarize them with crates. Puppy Socialization Early socialization of the puppies will help them become confident and develop fewer behavior problems. The puppies should be exposed to everything possible from metal food dishes dropping, to vacuums, garage doors opening and closing, thunderstorms, sirens, garbage trucks going past, cats, and other pets, etc. Do not try to keep the area quiet during the day. The puppies need to get used to normal household noises. Children should be allowed to play outside the whelping box supervised so they do not enter the box or drop toys in , as children behave differently than adults. Everything the puppy is exposed to now, will help her become a well-socialized, unafraid adult. The puppies should be handled several times a day. They can be picked up, their teeth looked at, ears checked, toes played with nails will need a weekly trimming , and have anything that may be done as an adult started slowly now. Play helps to develop the puppy's mind, as he needs to find solutions to problems he encounters. If the puppies are not in new homes by 10 weeks of age, they should be separated from each other for a large part of the day and given one-on-one time with humans. They can have play times during the day, but they should eat, sleep, and be handled separately. Being in a kennel group situation beyond weeks of age decreases trainability. Ready to start saving money on pet wellness care? Then take a look at Mint Wellness, the pet wellness plan that provides fast reimbursement on routine pet care. Save on vaccinations, wellness exams, preventatives, dental, and more!