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They are obedient and want to please you. Most dog breeds do not enjoy learning new tricks, but golden retrievers cannot get enough of them. This dog breed also has a better level of focus than most breeds. Golden retrievers are considered to be among the top five smartest dogs. As soon as your puppy is settled and comfortable in its new home, you can teach them basic tricks and ways to be obedient. They make great progress with these basic teachings by the time they are a couple of weeks old. If you wish to become a dog parent, want to avail all these wonderful benefits, and want a great golden retriever puppy price, we will provide you with deals you would not want to miss out on. Connect with us today! They require an ample amount of exercise every day. Generally, minutes twice a day is enough. Simple walks are not the only ideal option, but taking a run, and going for a swim are some other activities. They will become restless, or end up breaking items in the house, or be extremely noisy, or chew on things. Not exercising enough can also make them overweight. They have different problems with eye defects and hip dysplasia. Consulting a veterinarian is very expensive and can put a hole in your pocket. There is a rumor that golden retrievers suffer from back and leg issues, which is mostly true. Kidney and heart conditions are also common. You should prepare yourself for vet bills, but this expense is common for every dog breed. Proper research and finding a reputed breeder is always a plus point. They shed throughout the year, but they shed their old coats and wait for new ones in the fall and spring season. At this time, you will see a lot of fur coming off of them and brushing will become necessary. Sometimes, brushing will become a daily business. A simple trick is to go outside your house and brush them, this way you will have to clean less. For people who have allergies, this kind of fur shedding becomes unbearable. Make sure you are committed to getting a dog because no house that has any kind of dog breed will be squeaky clean. Golden retrievers are huge eaters. If they were given an opportunity, they will continue to eat and eat. It is important to be aware and know the quantity of food you need to feed them. Overfeeding can be dangerous. This can lead to many serious health problems and can also make them overweight. The food costs will be reaching the sky as well. We are sure this information has helped you. If you want to bring home a furry little golden retriever puppy and want the best golden retriever price in Mumbai, contact us and we will begin making all the arrangements required. Lets Dial Now. Based on your budgetary requirements, you can bring home a Golden Retriever of your choice. If you are looking for purebred and trained puppies, you would be required to pay a higher price. On the other hand, buying mixed breed puppies would cost you lower. Irrespective of the price you are willing to pay for a Golden Retriever in Mumbai, always make sure that you deal with trusted and authentic sellers, pet stores, or breeders. Can a Golden Retriever survive in Mumbai? Yes, a Golden Retriever can survive in Mumbai, provided you take the utmost care of them and offer them with a conducive environment. Selective and ethical breeding by responsible Indian breeders often make it possible for the breed to survive the climate of Mumbai. However, always remember that Golden Retrievers have a double coat that demands extra care during summers. If it tends to get too hot in Mumbai during summers, make sure you keep your pet in colder surroundings. Keep monitoring them as per seasonal changes in the city and you will not have trouble having a Golden Retriever in Mumbai. What can a Golden Retriever eat? As long as they are given in moderation, Golden Retrievers can eat a range of human foods. You can always feed them foods rich in protein such as chicken, turkey, lean meats and fish. Golden Retrievers can also eat fruits, vegetables, cooked rice, pasta, and dairy foods like plain yoghurt. If you want to play safe, you can always get dog food designed for Golden Retrievers. However, always make sure that you do not overfeed your pet as they would always seem hungry and would keep asking for more food. Is it hard to take care of a Golden Retriever puppy? If you are willing to dedicate some of your time out of your genuine love for your pet, it would not seem too difficult to take care of a Golden Retriever puppy. Especially during the first few months, Golden Retrievers tend to be pretty vulnerable and need proper care. Also, it is important to brush their coats everyday to keep them clean, healthy, and active. It is advisable to create a schedule just like one would for catering to their kids! Where can I adopt a Golden Retriever puppy in Mumbai? Look for authentic breeding centers in the city and reach out to them. You can always get in touch with verified dog breeders in Mumbai to adopt a Golden Retriever puppy based on your specific preferences. As you interact with them, make sure that they use ethical breeding practices and look after the health of the puppies before you adopt them. Also, if you are first-time pet parent, it is advisable to obtain all necessary information about their diet, vaccination, and medical needs before you bring the puppy home. To adopt the Golden Retriever puppy, there are lots of pet shop in your cities and website where you will find lots of Golden Retriever puppy for sale in Mumbai. But the most important questions while adopting Golden Retriever puppies are 1. Is Golden Retriever puppy is of original breed? What would be the Golden Retriever puppy price in Mumbai? The price quoted for Golden Retriever puppy is best or not? Are you buying the Golden Retriever puppy from registered pet shops or breeders. Golden Retriever puppies are vaccinated as required or not? Are available Golden Retriever puppy for sale in Mumbai are from different blood line? We solve all your problems in a single go because we ensure all above mention point and help dog lovers to adopt original breed healthier and loving Golden Retriever puppy or Golden Retriever Dog. The only thing you have to do is to only click below and contact us. Benefits to adopt Golden Retriever puppy from us: 1. We ensure the purity and originality of dog breed. We will not demand for any money transaction until you see the puppy, check the purity and quality, dog papers, vaccination card, dog health. We will provide our services even after you adopt the Golden Retriever puppy from us. Services such as advise need for training, food, accessories, any health issue, pet hostel etc. Things you should take care while buying a Golden Retriever puppy either from us or from any pet shop or breeder. Dog should be vaccinated as required and vaccination card should be given by the seller. Golden Retriever puppy or Golden Retriever dog health should be good and he should not be aggressive and most important puppy should be happy. Government guidelines has been followed while Golden Retriever puppy purchase or Golden Retriever puppy sale Golden Retriever puppy price can vary when you ask it in different pet shops, breeders etc. Price Variation Factors are: 1. Breed Mix or Pure Pure breed Golden Retriever puppy is always high in cost because quality and purity always matter when things come to getting a new family member. There are lots of fake or irresponsible breeders those who only bred Golden Retriever for money not for quality or not for purity. So, because of there are chances to get mix breed so if you are planning to adopt then go for genuine and trust able breeders only. Pure or original breed Golden Retriever puppies will only have the good temperament and the quality which this breed should have due to better genetics. There are lots of chances that mix breed puppies develop hereditary diseases or any other problem. Pure bred puppies always have good health, longer life span and they lesser get sick in in comparison to mix bred. There are lots of good YouTube video available which will help you to understand that how to identify that Golden Retriever is of original breed or not. Age Right age to adopt the Golden Retriever puppy is around 45 days to 60 days because it is easy to training puppy who of this similar age. Peoples like to adopt puppies rather than dogs until and unless if they are looking for kennels or for breeding propose. Puppies are must costlier than of dogs because of increased demands. If you find someone is selling puppies of lesser age please do not buy and report the same to concerned authorities. Puppies should be of required age because then only you will get healthier and active puppies which has been take care by her mother. If KCI registered puppy parents are from champions line i. When you ask breeders to adopt the puppies in India then they most the time says that this puppy is from champion line and many other things. But do remember please verify all the papers and facts before adopting the puppies from them. Location Delivery charges as per the location will also get included in the dog price. Colour In India Golden Retriever are available mainly in three colours such as golden white, black and chocolate. Very Basic Information of Golden Retriever Dog Breed: Golden Retriever Dogs are Affectionate, easygoing and lovable companion dogs and they are having a very playful personality, they are large dogs. Golden Retriever happily lives with the family and he is an excellent and perfect family dog. He is not a watch dog and might barks when he see strangers around him. Golden retriever dogs are very intelligent and have very beautiful feathery coat. Golden Retriever dogs are easy to train dogs because of their intelligence. Golden retriever dogs are very active, playful, gentle and they are best suited for everyone either someone is single, couple or family. Golden Retriever enjoy spending time with family, his eyes is so kind and he is so affectionate that no one will miss to love him. Golden retriever have thick, double and long length coat looks like creamy golden teddy bear. The life span of Golden Retriever dogs is around 10 years. The height of Golden Retriever adult dog can reach up-to inches and their weight can be up-to kilograms. There are lots of places where you find Golden Retriever puppy for sale in Mumbai but we believe above information will help you to adopt or buy the Golden Retriever puppy which you want to have with you. Love your pet and you and your pet will love like you are the only one for him in this world. Golden Retriever Country of Origin The Golden Retriever also known as Yellow Retriever has one of the most well documented and successful breeding histories among dogs. It was bred in England in the 's to push through heavy foliage and swim in cold water for long distances, gently retrieving game. Golden Retrievers were brought to America in and first recognized as a distinct breed in .They went quickly from being a well-liked hunting dog to a fashionable show and obedience dog, to an extremely popular pet. Famous Golden Retrievers include Gerald Ford's dog Liberty and Dean Koontz's dog Trixie Dean Koontz wrote two books from her perspective and gave her writing credits, making her the world's first dog author! Size The Golden Retriever has a shoulder height of cm in and weighs kg lbs. Golden Retrievers have a broad, rounded skull, short ears, round feet and thick, flat tails. They have black noses and kind, brown eyes. Coat and Color The Golden Retriever has a double coat which comes in various shades of gold or cream it should not be red. The outer coat is smooth, wavy and water resistant and the undercoat is thick, soft, and weather resistant. The tail and legs have longer hair. The Golden Retriever sheds heavily. Character The Golden Retriever is very noble, self-confident, sensitive, intelligent, and adaptable. They are one of the world's most popular pets and make great companions. Golden Retrievers are sturdy, strong, and kind, known for their adeptness at hunting and their strength of character. Golden Retrievers bark infrequently, but do bark when startled, making them poor guard dogs. Temperament Golden Retrievers easily get along well with their friends and companions, but can be belligerent with unknown visitors. They get along especially well with children, with whom they are gentle and patient. They are also friendly with other dogs and other household pets. The Golden Retriever is very devoted to family, and eager to please. The Golden Retriever is simply loving and loveable! Care The Golden Retriever requires regular grooming with a brush and comb at least twice a week. The ears should always be kept clean. The Golden Retriever should not be kept outdoors. If they are left alone frequently or for extended periods of time, they will become unhappy and mischievous. Skin allergies may occur, and should be examined by a veterinarian immediately. Golden Retrievers live years. Training The Golden Retriever is particularly easy to train. They are very sensitive to harsh treatment, so excessive strictness is not recommended. They learn very quickly and are extremely adaptable, making them perfect for therapy or service jobs. Golden Retrievers can learn many tricks and will remember what they are taught for the rest of their lives. Obedience classes are recommended. Activity Golden Retrievers have above average needs for exercise, although they will adapt themselves to the exercise habits of your family. The Golden Retriever requires frequent human interaction. It should be challenged with obedience lessons or allowed to retrieve or play active games. Golden Retrievers tend to be more active in the morning and at night than in the middle of the day. A golden retriever is a large breed of dog initially originating from a gun dog — a popular breed globally. Golden retrievers make great friendships and find fun being in the company. You can trust them because they are easy with kids and other breeds! You can find Golden retriever easily in any pet store. Golden retriever price in India city-wise Here is the complete detail of a golden retriever price in India city-wise, covering major cities where golden retrievers are available for sale with their corresponding prices. Factor affecting Golden retriever price Quality of the golden retriever pup Golden retrievers are warm, loyal, and easy-to-please family dogs, and relatively trainable. The golden retriever is even-tempered, smart, and kind. You can see them playful, yet gentle with children, and they gel well. Colour and size Adult male golden retrievers can grow upto 65—75 pounds, while females 55—65 pounds. Their colour ranges from light golden to cream and dark golden to golden. The physique can vary from broad and thick to leaner and more sporty. A good breeder focuses on the health and temperament of the golden retriever puppy. Before bringing it home, you can learn much about your golden retriever from the breeder. Location and demand The popularity and demand for golden retrievers are increasing in India, particularly in the major cities listed above. When the need for taking care of is high, and supply is less, the price tends to rise. Grooming cost of Golden retriever Golden retrievers shed hair moderately in summer and winter and heavily in spring. With an anti-shedding brush, the process of brushing gets smoother and faster. Trimming includes nails on the ears, neck, feet, and hair. As per the pet groomer, you should brush them once a week, trim their hair every weeks, and bathe them occasionally. This cost can vary based on your needs and location. Insurance cost of golden retriever Golden retrievers have righ risk of life-threatening diseases if they are obesse. You can try to reduce these risks and future expenses by getting a pup from a legal breeder, who can provide you screening results for the inherent conditions. You need to be aware about the risk and seek for insurance support that covers the medical needs, injuries, or loss. Training cost of golden retriever A golden retriever is a great companion dog. They have a good sense of balancing temperament and seldom get angry or harsh towards people and other pets. Being social is their nature, and you should take your goldie outside, so they encounter people. Your golden retriever can thriver when playing, exercising, walking and socialising with people. You might have to go for a hotel, transport, or even a kennel for the stay. This cost may vary from place to place based on your needs. Registration cost of golden retriever To ensure your pet golden retriever is safe and well-maintained, you need a professional system that supports it. Your pet needs a community that cares for it. KCI Kennel Club of India does it so well for dogs with timely checking on the health and safety of dogs. Veterinarian cost of a golden retriever A golden retriever is known as a healthy dog breed. However, a regular health check-up ensures your pet is safe and sound. As a pet owner, ensure that your dog gets its vaccinations and deworming tablets on time. Vaccination keeps your dog in good shape and prevents the chances of diseases like rabies, parvovirus, distemper, and hepatitis. Once vaccinated, they also prevent the spread of viruses or infections. The ideal time for vaccination starts when the puppy is weeks old to prevent the disease. After, when the golden retriever is an adult, he must have his core vaccine annually and rabies vaccine every three years. This versatile dog breed is one-of-a-kind and needs all love! Nothing can stop you from becoming their best parents if you can do so. A golden retriever is quick to win your heart, making training more accessible. A golden retriever is so active that he can play for a long time. Are you trying to be the person or want to be the person your golden dog wants you to be? Whether making a new friend or bringing a new pup home, you need to know them to improve your relationship with them. Here are a few top-searched Google questions related to a golden retriever and their answers to learn more! Their stunning flashes of brilliance and creativity are reminders that they may not be Einsteins but are sure closer to humans than we thought. The sudden breakage in the bond does bring some change in them. Golden retrievers are known for their quiet temperament compared to other dog breeds. When they bark, they usually show their loyalty to their owners. Retrievers are known to be smart, quick learners, and ready to please, which helps trainers. Golden retrievers best fit in a family-oriented set up. Labs and goldens are high-spirited breeds and love the outdoors. The same goes for the mid to large-breed dogs. The golden retriever is a Scottish breed. As sporting dogs, golden retrievers need lots of exercises. Like beagles, golden retrievers, too, make excellent therapy dogs. They are always young at heart, even as they age. This dog breed needs daily exercise and activities to avoid obesity and stay in shape. Do Golden Retrievers Love Everyone? While golden retrievers love everyone in the home, they also have a special affection toward the most social family member. Being social dogs, they love going around. Golden retrievers are a hyper dog breed. However, like most breeds, they are slightly calmer after their puppy phase, around 2 or 3 years old. Female golden retrievers mature more obediently than males, making them calmer. Golden retriever often needs panting or paw pads to cool down. Ice is the cold treat for them. Eating ice or drinking cold water lowers their body temperature. Are golden retrievers the happiest dog? Their qualities influence the environment and uplift the mood. Retrievers never get angry and makes people smile. Golden retrievers love listening to the music of almost all genres. You can see the change in their behaviour based on the song you play. The regular sleeping hours are per day. A golden puppy retriever sleeps longer than an adult. Sleep is essential to stay healthy and growing. You have to be patient with your golden retriever. Goldens are prone to allergies, skin problems, cancer and hypothyroidism. Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs. However, you can extend their lifespan which may vary from breed to breed with proper nutrition, a support system, and a healthy lifestyle. Shampoo used for golden retrievers should be mild and gentle. Dog experts generally advise bathing your golden retriever once every 6 — 8 weeks. A regular bathing schedule keeps infection, matting and dandruff at bay. You can see golden retriever glow because they are clean and well-maintained. You know what it takes to become the owner your pet wants you to be! Just go above and beyond to create the environment that needs to thrive! I'm Marketer by profession and a Dog Blogger by passion! I write about dog breeds, review products, and curate dog stories, photos, and videos. Post navigation.

Reviews 0 Toy poodle puppies There are three types of Poodle: Toy poodle puppies, Miniature poodles, and Standard poodles. The three sizes are viewed as one variety and are decided by a similar norm. Today, the Poodle is fundamentally a partner and show canine, however it can adapt nearly anything. History of Toy poodle puppies The toy poodle puppies has been famous as far back as the sixteenth century when it was reproduced down from a Standard Poodle, likely in France, to turn into an ally for rich blue-bloods. Regardless of what you call these smart pooches, they have been mainstream in the U. Indeed, the American Kennel Club positions Poodles as the seventh generally well known out of perceived varieties. These fiery pets are enthusiastic, simple to prepare, and well disposed around different canines and individuals. A decent Poodle has a square outline, with roughly a similar length as the stature at the shrivels. This variety was utilized as a firearm canine and initially was utilized in Germany and France as a retriever of waterfowl. It is interesting and cunning. Its intrinsic dramatic artistry, made the Poodle into a superb bazaar entertainer. Temperament of Toy poodles Socialization at an early age is an unquestionable requirement. It will in general be very saved with outsiders. It will in general bark a great deal. This is a generally excellent guard dog for its size, only sometimes getting forceful. Typically it is well disposed with different canines and non-canine pets. It loves to swim; its feet are webbed for better swimming. This variety worships water and loves to take strolls. Your Mini Poodle will keep in better spirits and be fitter whenever offered standard chances to run and play off the rope in a protected region. She is a real beauty who will make a great companion and family pet. She is very social and playful. This puppy is being raised with children that play with her daily. She is vet checked, vaccinated, wormed and comes with a 1 year genetic health guarantee. Her momma is Shella 8. This puppy is looking for her forever family. Life Span Did You Know? Breeders developed Toy Poodles in 18th century England as smaller versions of their German predecessors. The Toy Poodle began to represent social status, and nobles would decorate their dogs in high fashion of the time. They became so popular, in fact, that they were one of the first toy breeds recognized by the Kennel Club. Toy Poodles are smart cookies. Their intelligence is one of their predominant features, and is often showcased during obedience training. These dogs have tremendous problem-solving capabilities that make them ideal for competitions. On the other hand, this same intelligence makes for an easily bored pup. They need mental stimulation, like challenging games and toys , to keep their busy minds occupied. The Toy Poodle may also be suspicious of strangers and slow to warm up to new people. This dog breed can adapt to a wide range of living situations due to their small size. As a matter of fact, they have trouble dealing with any kind of alone time. As such, the Toy Poodle is an excellent companion animal for people who love a little company. There are a few health conditions that Toy Poodles are more susceptible to than other dog breeds. For example, they may suffer from eye disorders, like cataracts, or blood clotting disorders, like Hemophilia. Because of their size, they may also bear the risk of dental crowding, kneecap migration, or trachea instability. With regular visits to the veterinarian, many of these potential health concerns can be comfortably managed. Owners typically have an easy time during obedience training with Toy Poodles. Their intelligence often hastens the training process. However, they can present destructive tendencies when left to their own devices for too long. Toy Poodles have famously low-shedding coats. They lack undercoats, so their shedding is minimal. Their fur is hypoallergenic and mats rather than sheds. These pups will only need to be groomed to prevent matting and increase shine. Usually, brushing your Toy Poodle once or twice a week and grooming every six weeks is sufficient. As a small dog breed, they are more prone to developing dental disease so good dental care is important. Poodles are an active breed in general, and Toy Poodles in specific are just as active. After a few laps around the kitchen, the Toy Poodle will tire out and happily sit by their owners during daily activities. The Toy Poodle stands at a mighty inches at the shoulder. Their weight ranges from pounds and usually averages around 8 pounds. Toy Poodles usually live 12 — 15 years. The Poodle coat is built for the water and even the Toy Poodle tends to have excellent, practically innate, swimming abilities. Featured Toy Poodle Article. Poodles are noted for their intelligence and affectionate personality. These wonderful animals rejoice in our good moods and provide comfort in times of sadness. In addition to being a wonderful companion animal our reds and apricots can be used as service animals to those with seizure disorders, blood sugar issues and owners with PTSD. Poodles can be trained to retrieve needed medications, alert owners before specific medical problems become apparent and can provide need support to those who suffer from anxiety in stressful situations. Puppy Care in the first year I want all my future puppy owners to make the best decisions. By reading the What to Except page it will help you prepare for the first year of puppies life. Please read our fan reviews to help ease your mind. Our Fans At Redhead Heaven, we strive to breed the healthiest puppies that grow into healthy long-lived adults. Our lines can be traced back 22 years and we have 35 years of experience with raising healthy dogs. We ensure that our lines meet the AKC standards for health, temperament and conformation lines. Using these AKC requirements we pick the best breeding stock available. We understand that most people are not looking for a show dog and are looking only for a companion. The rules that we judge our puppies by giving the best structural stability and consistent temperament. All of our puppies are born in our home and spend the first 2 weeks being handled and socialized daily. At 3 weeks of age, they are moved to the living room and are exposed to different noises, people, other dogs, cats, and different surfaces to help them develop a well-adjusted personality. Puppies come when they are called at about 4 weeks of age. Puppies are examined at weeks of age by our local Veterinarian. Puppies can go to their forever families at weeks depending on size. Health Warranty covers up to 12 months of the: elbows severe dysplasia heart congenital heart defect , eyes PRA , hips severe dysplasia in miniatures only. Our poodles typically range in size from about 6 lbs to 13 lbs. Litters are small and we do a limited amount of breeding per year, please understand we are doing our best to create a beautiful little puppy for your family! Teacup poodles grow to be approximately 3 to 4. Tiny Toy Poodles are between 4. Toy poodles are the largest of the small breed at 6 - 10 lbs at adulthood. Toy Poodles are extremely intelligent and active. This combination of brains and beauty has made them a European favorite. Toy Poodles are easy to train and thrive on pleasing their families when learning new tricks or participating in dog sports. Poodles are a hypoallergenic breed perfect for all family types. Teacup and Tiny toy poodle puppies are for sale in a range of colors including Black Toy Poodles, white, cream, phantom silver, red, and Chocolate Toy Poodle puppies. We also Have the gorgeous and exotic Merle patterns! Merle Toy Poodles for sale. We want our Teacup or Tiny toy Poodle puppies to help your family feel whole! For questions about, don't hesitate to call Collett's at or email us at garygcollett gmail. Projected Adult Weight is 5 - 6 lbs. AKC Registered. Projected Adult Weight is 6 - 7 lbs. Projected Adult Weight 6 - 8 Lbs. Projected Adult Weight is 5 to 7 lbs. Projected Adult Weight 3 Lbs 5 oz. Don't let distance stop you from falling in love with one of Collett's Toy Poodle puppies. We are AKC inspected and approved. You can trust in our healthy, happy puppies! We want our loves to help your family feel whole! Nationwide shipping varies by location. For questions about international shipping, don't hesitate to call Collett's at or email us at garygcollett gmail. Message Us Today! Thank you so much for my lovely toy poodle puppy. She's so fluffy, energetic and so much beautiful! We call her Annie. She is only the second day with us and already became a family honey! She loves running in the garden with our second dog Jerry. Jerry is quite jealous of her, but I think they will become best of friends in a few days I will send you more photos and videos in the evening With love. I just wanted you to know that they have become an important part of our family. They are very energetic and full of life we just love our new puppies. They are growing in to their dog body. I have included a picture of them. I will send you updates regularly. Take care! She got to hang out with me and my wife for about an hour before bedtime, and then she went to sleep in her new crate with no problems. Not a single peep out of her all night. She was then greeted by the boys at a. This morning, and loved them instantly! They have been talking, petting, and playing toys with her all day. Thanks so much for the wonderful pup, we just adore her. I have enclosed a couple of pics for you, and will send some more again soon. Our puppies are trained within home environment and as a result, all our dogs consistently demonstrate a delightful, intelligent and happy disposition. Money Back Guarantee.

When you bring a new puppy home, it's important to keep feeding it the same food that it has been eating at its previous home. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source Talk to the person or organization that you are adopting your puppy from to see what food they are feeding it. They should willingly provide that info and they may even send you home with some if you can't find any to buy. If you can't find the right food in your local pet supply store, consider ordering it online. However, you would need to order it ahead of time so that you have it on hand when the puppy comes home. If you want to feed your puppy a different food from what it has been eating, you will need to switch its food over the course of several days. Feed that mix for several days. Finally, you can give the puppy all new food. If you are content to give your puppy the food it was originally eating, it's fine to do that. Every puppy will have different nutritional needs. Because of this, it's a good idea to discuss proper nutrition with your vet. They can suggest great foods to give your puppy and how much it should be eating. Go to source The right portion size depends on the size of your puppy and its metabolism. Ask your vet to teach you how to body score your puppy. This will allow you to do a quick visual check to see whether your puppy is losing or gaining weight. Tip: If your vet suggests a specific food but doesn't tell you how much to give your puppy, follow the instructions on the packaging. Doing 3 or 4 feedings per day allows your puppy to get enough nutrients without overwhelming its digestive system with a huge amount of food at once. This is especially important when your puppy is under 6 months old, as they have delicate systems. Go to source Don't just leave the food out all day. Take the food away after the puppy eats for about 10 or 15 minutes. Lab puppies should always have access to fresh water so that they can stay adequately hydrated. Put out a dish of water and dump it out, clean the dish, and refill it daily. Some puppies are really messy with their water dishes. To prevent a mess, try putting the water dish on a tray, so that spilled water won't go right onto the floor. Top Picks For Our Dogs Preparing Your Home For A Puppy You should treat the preparation of your home for the arrival of a new puppy in much the same way as you would for the arrival of a baby because the process is almost identical. You must be ready to provide every little thing your puppy needs in life, making sure they have water, are fed, comfortable, happy, catered for and safe. To achieve this there are 4 main things that you need to do: Go shopping for equipment and supplies Puppy proof your home and garden to make sure your puppy stays safe Set up an area for your puppy to sleep and spend time in when you cannot supervise them Decide on the rules and routines required to successfully raise a puppy Without such preparation, things will be difficult. A Nutritious Puppy Food The most important supply needed for a new puppy is a highly nutritious puppy food. Hopefully your puppy came from a responsible breeder who was feeding them a high quality, complete and nutritious food. If so, you should ask what they were feeding, stock up on and continue feeding this if possible. If not, then puppies are incredibly active, growing fast and developing bone, muscle and more every day. Because of this they need almost double the calories, more protein and have different nutritional needs to mature adult dogs. Furthermore, they have far smaller mouths than adult dogs so puppy food comes in smaller chunks more suited to their size. Click here to see our recommendations for the best puppy food for labs Bowls for Food And Water There is a bewildering array of dog bowl choices out there so choosing the best can be difficult. Looks and design aside, I recommend going for stainless steel bowls because they are long-lasting, cannot be chewed and are very easy to clean. I also recommend buying bowls with heavy rubber bottoms so they stay rooted to the spot and are harder to spill or flip over. Unless of course you buy bowls in a stand, then these problems are already solved. A Puppy Crate And Bedding A good crate is one of the most beneficial things you can provide for the good of yourself and your puppy. First of all, supply some bedding to place inside for your puppy to sleep on. My recommendation for this is VetBed. Many puppies can chew and ingest normal bedding which can result in medical emergencies and VetBed is the most durable bedding on the market. During these times you need to provide a larger, but still safe enclosure to confine your puppy. You might also like to buy a plastic sheet and some puppy pads or use lots of old newspaper for them to use as a potty in your absence. Puppy Chew Toys Puppies chew. A lot. And they seem to prefer chewing phones, footwear and TV remotes more than anything else. Just make sure whatever toys you do buy are suitable for a puppy as many will be too large for their little mouths to begin with. Interactive Puppy Toys So you can play games with your puppy, provide exercise and mental stimulation, you will want to buy a few toys that encourage the two of you to interact. Balls for throwing and chasing, soft toys and ropes for playing tug, other toys for fetch, there are many available. You will also need a collar to provide a place to attach an all important ID tag. ID Tag An ID tag is an essential means to be reunited with your puppy should the worst happen and you somehow lose them or they run away. Clicker A clicker is an extremely useful tool used during training as a reward marker that dramatically improves the timing of communication between you and your puppy when you want to reward a behavior. Although not essential, I do highly recommend you use one. Puppy Training Treats Tasty food treats are the go-to reward used during training so you will want to make sure you always have a good stock at hand. They need to feel happy with being bathed, happy having their coat and teeth brushed, their feet touched, nails clipped and having their eyes and ears inspected. To do so, you should fake going the process, getting them used to being handled, the sight and feel of the tools and so on. To achieve this, you will need to buy and get them used to the following items: Dog shampoo Combs and brushes suitable for a Labrador Scissors Cotton balls Toothbrush Use these tools right away and often, and give your puppy praise and tasty treats as you go so they form positive associations with grooming. Puppy Proof Your Home and Garden The process of puppy proofing your home is very much like baby proofing before the arrival of a child. Except a puppy is far more curious, active and destructive and can get themselves into far more trouble. A puppy is a new-born. Everything is a toy and they will run and pounce and jump and chew on anything in their environment. So before you bring your puppy home you simply must make it safe for them. For things you cannot move skirting boards, table legs etc. To keep them safe while still providing an area for them to play in and stretch their legs, you want to restrict their access to a single room, or otherwise create an enclosed space for them. To do so, either buy a pet barrier or baby gate that goes across a doorway to restrict them to an easy to clean and safe room, or buy an exercise pen puppy pen to create an enclosed space in another room. I also strongly recommend buying a crate for many reasons, but initially, mostly just to provide the perfect place for them to sleep. I shall discuss crate training a little later in this article. All of this must be decided BEFORE you get your puppy home because consistency is a key part of raising a puppy successfully. Everyone must enforce and live by the same rules for your puppy to thrive. Initially they have no idea how you want them to behave, or how and when they can expect the things they want and need in life. The more consistent everybody is with the puppy, the quicker they will learn all this stuff and the happier everyone will be. So decide and write down if necessary when your puppy will have all their needs met, make sure everybody knows who is responsible for each task and make sure everybody knows the rules. You might think the collection and journey home with your new puppy is no big deal, but there are many things can go wrong. Therefore, you should never take a puppy before 8 weeks old. During the first 8 weeks, a puppy learns a lot from their mother and litter-mates: Bite inhibition, canine body language, acceptable play and interaction with other dogs and how to accept discipline. Things you will find it very hard to teach them later yourself. The flip side of this is that the 7 to 14 week stage is the most impressionable for a puppy, where they bond strongest with people and must be socialized to all the sights, sounds and smells of the world so they grow up confident and comfortable with their surroundings. So anyway, for the journey home there a few things you need to consider: Safety in the car, the need for water and toilet breaks and the possibility your puppy will be sick. Having a loose puppy in the car presents a very real danger of leading to a crash, they can easily climb out of a box and now is not the time to use a harness and car safety belt. If the crate is small enough you can place it on a front or rear passenger seat and secure it with the seat-belt, or you may have to place it in the trunk of your car. Fully line the crate with absorbent paper in case there are any accidents, this will keep most of the mess off your puppy and make cleaning easier. And finally, place a chew toy or two in the crate to keep your puppy occupied. If you have another person to help you, your puppy can ride home in their lap if the journey is short. They must be under your passengers control. They will also need to potty every half or so. Therefore, you should plan breaks along the way every 30 minutes or so. Stop the car, allow them to drink, then wait for them to wee before setting off again. When you stop, make sure your puppy is on leash and tightly held by someone before letting them out of the car. And as an extra precaution, carry your puppy and only put them down to do their business, then carry them back into the car. Take with you some towels, plastic bags, kitchen roll and deodorizer to take care of any accidents. And when driving, take all corners slowly, and accelerate and brake gently. If your puppy is on a passengers lap, they will be able to see some warning signs that puppy is about to be sick: Their lips will curl, they will excessively salivate and then eventually start to heave. When your passenger spots these signs, they can place a thick towel beneath the puppy to catch everything and avoid a mess in your vehicle. When bringing home a new puppy, make sure you collect them and then drive straight home. Your puppy is having the most stressful day of their short life so far, try not to make it harder than it already is by taking them to strange places and passing them around to strangers to say hello. You want to get them home quickly so they can start the process of settling in as soon as possible. Whether this is inside on paper, or a spot outside, as soon as you arrive home carry them there, set them down and wait for them to do their business before doing anything else. This might take 30 seconds or it might take 10 minutes, but patiently wait and when they go, praise them profusely. Well done! Shut them in another room away from the puppy as things are intense enough as it is. Explain they have to be calm and gentle during the first introductions. Let them sniff and look around, getting used to the area and their new little world. You can now let people come and say hello. Have people sit or kneel to greet them. Once everybody has said hello, you should stay with your puppy, show interest but stay calm. Allow Your Puppy To Sleep After all the excitement, stress, massive change and huge amount of mental stimulation your puppy has just been through, they will likely need to sleep soon after arriving at your home. So as soon as they either start to look tired, or the introductions to their new living space and family have ended whichever comes first put them to bed for a short while. On the other hand they might feel completely overwhelmed, retreat into themselves and show reluctance to explore. They might slink into a corner silently and sit there watching their new world with wonder but apprehension, before falling asleep for hours. And when it comes to the first night they might sleep right through, or they might cry and whine the whole night. As your puppy begins to get used to everything, their character will start to shine through and you will begin to see their true personalities. Exactly what this will be is different for every puppy…it will be fun for you to find out! And by being the provider of everything they need in life, giving them all that is good, it will only take 2 or 3 days for your puppy to learn to love you and get excited and happy to see you when you turn up. So your task is to set up and stick to these schedules, begin training your puppy and help them to learn how you want them to behave and when they can expect the things they need in life. What should you feed your puppy You should feed your puppy the same food they had at the breeders because an abrupt change in diet almost always leads to stomach upset. Complete and balanced means it has everything a puppy needs, and in the right quantities. So seek out this kind of wording and check the internet for other owners reviews. Puppies need to eat a lot because their rate of growth is very high. For puppies up to 12 weeks, you should divide their daily requirement into 4 portions, for puppies 12 to 26 weeks, feed them 3 times per day and from 26 weeks on feed them twice per day. You should also aim to feed them as close as you can to the same times every day and evenly spaced throughout the day. This will help their body clocks fall into a pattern and will help your house training immensely because they then potty the same times every day. For example: 8 to 12 weeks old, 4 times a day at AM, AM, PM and PM 12 to 26 weeks old, 3 times a day at AM, PM and PM 26 weeks old and ongoing, 2 times a day at and Obviously you can adjust these times to take into account when you get out of bed and to fit around your life. Also… The first few nights have the crate or exercise pen your puppy sleeps in placed in your bedroom. One night move the crate next to the bedroom door. The next night move it outside the door, but leave the door open so they can still see you. The next night further into the hallway. Finally to their eventual resting place. They might take to sleeping on their own OK, they might whine and cry. NEVER go to them to comfort them if they cry, you must only get up to take them to potty and then silently and without fuss put them back into the crate. Rewarding silence and ignoring noise is the only way they will eventually learn to be quiet at night themselves. Any time you cannot closely supervise them, you have to confine them, either in their crate, an exercise pen or a puppy proofed room secured with a barrier across the doorway. The point of confining them as a puppy is so they can enjoy all the freedom in the world once they are an adult. By confining them with treat dispensing chew toys they get rewarded for chewing the right things and develop a chew toy obsession. Confine them now, they form a good chew toy obsession and have no chance of developing bad chewing habits. Then once they are over their adolescent chewing stage you slowly open up the house to them and eventually they can have free roam and be completely trusted. A little sacrifice when young for a better life later. And a second hugely important reason for confining your puppy when you cannot supervise them is for speedier house training. In fact if you read my comments from earlier, you will see you start the very first moment you finish the journey home. In essence, house training is about creating good habits while avoiding bad ones and for the speediest success you want to start immediately. Wherever your puppy is able to potty has the chance of becoming their favored toilet spot for many weeks or months to come. So you want to prevent them pottying inside, and encourage them to potty outside. The main ingredients of a successful house training program are preventing mistakes and praising heavily for doing the right thing. Achieving this is all about schedules, supervision and confinement. Now, your puppy will need to potty anywhere from every 15 to 45 minutes. So to start with, take them outside every 30 minutes and adjust this schedule to suit their natural rhythm. You must also take them outside immediately after they wake up from any sleep, after any eating or drinking, after play and after any heightened excitement. These are times that often lead to a puppy needing to potty so take them outside at these times and you will avoid many mistakes while taking advantage of predictable opportunities to praise them for doing the right thing. In the first week or so, you will likely find your puppy almost instantaneously leaks with little warning. Simply do your best to take them out to potty extremely often so they go in the right place as often as possible. And confine them to a single enclosed room or in an exercise pen for the first week or so to protect your carpets. Crate training goes hand in hand with house training, being one of the best tools to help speed up the process. Therefore, you want to start crate training very early on, after just a few days of getting puppy home, and I personally aim for 9 weeks old to start. I prefer to wait a week or so to avoid them pottying in the crate as much as possible, doing the most I can to preserve their instinct not to soil where they sleep, the instinct that helps most when using a crate for house training. But by all means sleep them in their crate at night if you wish and I do. For more information on crate training your puppy and using it for house training purposes, please see the links below:. However, a healthy six-month-old labrador will grow significantly in size. Some of them can weigh up to 50 pounds. For a more balanced diet at six months, you can shift from feeding your puppy three smaller meals per day to two meals a day. To counteract this, you can drop the amount of food and gradually increase it. Setting Your Lab Puppy Up for Successful Potty Training Training an animal to control their bladders until you get outside is no different than potty-training for toddlers. In other words, crate training speeds up the potty-training process for your pet. Effective crate training depends on two things: Praising and rewarding your puppy for relieving itself outside. They come to understand this as a desirable behavior. Preventing your puppy from going to the toilet within the home. So, why is using a crate to train your puppy to go outside so effective? Initially, this should be every hour or so. As labs grow older, you can reduce the frequency as they learn to hold and release independently. Step 2: House Training a Lab Puppy Housetraining or potty-training small labs can be, well, frustrating. As a pet owner, there are simple ways to train your puppy to understand ideal behavior quickly. Instead, they simply forget that they should control it. This helps avoid any issues early on. Keep small labrador puppies off the carpet. How to Feed Your Dog for Optimal Growth Feeding your labrador puppy a balanced diet could be an entire guide all on its own. It can feel overwhelming because you do have many options when it comes to feeding your dog. For example, if you work from home, it would be easy to feed your dog homemade dog food. Similarly, you might work a and yet want to reap the health-related benefits of a raw diet. Make sure to speak to your vet first. You do have choices for what to feed your puppy and you can mix and match these. Popular feeding options for any animal include kibble, wet food, raw food, and home-cooked food. Remember, a puppy is still growing, and they need a complete profile of nutrients and minerals to support their development. There are many commercial brands of dry food or kibble to choose from and you can adjust what you buy based on the ingredients. Do your research and find a brand you trust, with as much bioavailable nutritional content as is helpful. These can harm your puppy. In order to maintain good health and prevent simple ailments, your puppy can also benefit from taking a supplement. Some families choose to mix scraps or raw food with kibble to provide moisture and decrease the amount of food versus the calories consumed. Any veterinarian will tell you that a hard and fast rule is not necessarily the type of food but the amount. Obesity is a condition that can lead to many health issues for this breed. Over-exertion, especially for a puppy, is possible. This includes activities like playing fetch or tug and release. However, breeds that worked as a hunting companion for humans love to be active. Again, this goes back to the strengths of the breed. Keeping up with your puppy could be a task-and-a-half, so in the first months of life, you should be keeping them in your backyard or playing with them at home. As they become house trained and get all their vaccinations, you can turn walks into light jogs or runs if you want. In the long-term, exercise will help keep dogs healthy and disease-free. However, early dog training can eliminate common problems with puppy temperament and help make sure that your fur friend is always as friendly and happy as possible through the years. Puppy socialization simply means making your puppy open to and familiar with new experiences. You want to provide stimulation and encounters with experiences that they will probably face as adults. The window of opportunity to make sure your puppy is always a happy and friendly pooch closes around 14 weeks. Pre-Vaccination Lab Puppy Socialization Any veterinarian will tell you that a puppy is all done with their vaccinations after 12 weeks of age. The main point is to keep your puppy away from other dogs who may not yet be vaccinated or the excrement and markings of other animals that could carry data diseases. You can head to an off-leash dog park to allow them to explore and meet other fur friends. You can also take them beyond your backyard to the countryside to enable them to swim or set up obstacle courses and play with them. Another thing that people forget about is spaying or neutering their dogs. Spaying or neutering your dog could help with behavioral issues and can also reduce the onset of certain health conditions. At the same time, spaying or neutering a puppy too early may also lead to health issues. For many people, this is a worthwhile and even enjoyable trade-off. A happy, sociable dog is always the result of consistent training. Training your dog is a significant aspect of their early years. The different stages include: Get it — Using positive reinforcement, trainers will help your dog carry out actions without commands. Teach it — This stage harnesses the progress you made in the previous stages. Your dog now knows the word and the action that goes with it. Proof it — Proofing is where many people get stuck. Your dog will learn to listen and obey commands at this stage even when they are engaged in other things. Maintain it — Consistently using the techniques you learned to keep your dog following the same desirable behavior. All breeds of dogs respond best when you train them. Every labrador retriever relies on their human taking control and showing them how to respond in any situation. You can be sure that if you follow these tips that you will be taking proper care of your new puppy and will be able to make sure that your puppy will live a long and healthy life. Share on. Quiet nights and crate training. This article will take you through everything you need to know, from what to buy, to how to help your pup settle in on his first day and night. Bringing a Puppy Home Bringing home a new 8 or 9 week old puppy is a potentially stressful experience for you and the pup. Of course, it will be better if you have been able to visit your puppy regularly before collecting him. But for most people, time and distance make this an unlikely option. Everything he sees, smells and hears, in your home will seem very strange to him at first. Fortunately, most puppies leave their mother and siblings at an age when they will readily accept their new friends and family. In a few days time, he will have settled in and accepted your home as his, and your family as his own. Holding Your Puppy The first thing to master when bringing home a new puppy is holding them the right way. This is the most comfortable position for puppies. But if you have had a long car journey, the first thing your puppy will need is to pee! Carry him in your arms to the area you want him to use for toilet purposes, and put him down there. Your first steps in potty training have begun. Maintaining Regular Bathroom Breaks Puppies vary widely in how often they need to empty their bladder. Some may last an hour or more from day one, whilst others seem to need to go every 15 minutes or so. During the course of the day, take the puppy to the toilet area at regular intervals half hourly at least to begin with. In addition, take him there every time he finishes a meal or wakes from a sleep. Set an alarm on your cell phone to remind you. Many Labrador puppies are very greedy and will eat astonishing quantities of food. New puppies are especially prone to upset tummies. The new environment and the stress of leaving home all add to the risk. You can reduce that risk by feeding little and often. If you want to change diets, do this gradually once the puppy has settled in. How often to feed Four times a day is the minimum number of feeds for an 8 week old puppy. Five or even six portions are better for a puppy with an upset tummy. Remember that the daily quantity is the same. More portions means smaller portions. If you get this right, there will be little or nothing left to put in the bowl when mealtimes come around You can find out more about using puppy food in training games by joining our Puppy Parenting course Meeting the Kids Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting time for all the family. For much of the first day, your puppy will probably be cuddled and admired. Kids should also be aware of safety precautions, such as learning to let the pup be if he seems uncomfortable. Some older dogs will play too roughly with a puppy. Others will growl and appear to reject the puppy at first. These are normal reactions but they do indicate that you are going to need to keep a close eye on things for a while. A baby gate or other barrier is a perfect way to keep a puppy from annoying the resident dog or cat while they adjust to the newcomer. As the day draws to a close, your thoughts will turn to night time, and getting your puppy to sleep! Or he howls the house down either constantly or intermittently throughout the night. There are two approaches to choosing where a puppy sleeps for those first few nights. One is to get him used to his permanent sleeping quarters right from the start. The other is to have him next to your bed until he has got over his homesickness usually three or four days. And if you keep going back, the howling may well increase. Leaving a puppy to cry alone in a strange house is also probably very distressing for the puppy and not a great way to start their new life. But we recommend having the puppy next to your bed for the first three nights. This reduces the risk of getting into an increasing spiral of night howling or having your puppy miserable for the first week. Just pop his blankets in there and put the box right next to where you sleep. Night waking Most 8 week old puppies wake in the night to pee for the first week or so. But the first few days is a time for settling your puppy in, building their confidence and avoiding bad habits such as whining or howling, getting started The best way to meet all those goals, is to keep your puppy very close to you until their homesickness has passed. Bonding with your puppy Your main objective now is to bond with your puppy. Spend lots of time with your puppy. Make him feel at home. Pay him a lot of attention when he is quiet, fuss and praise him when he pees outside. Once he has settled in, there will be plenty of time to think about crate training and learning manners, but for now just enjoy his Labrador puppy loveliness, and that scrummy new puppy smell. It will be gone all too soon, replaced by a bouncing, boisterous, and joyful friend who all too often smells of pond water. What you are doing is establishing good habits, which will last a lifetime. What About Crate Training? A quality dog crate is an excellent source of help with potty-training. But a puppy should not be left inside a crate for longer than his immature bladder can hold its contents. For some puppies, this is not very long at all. Socialization is a big part of bringing home a new puppy. This is the process we take puppies through, to make sure they are comfortable with all aspects of living in human society. For instance, dogs need to be confident around things like vehicles and machines. They should be happy to meet people of all different shapes and sizes and to go boldly wherever people want to take them. A confident dog is not just a happy dog; he is a safe dog. Socializing also means taking your puppy out and about. Naturally, many worry about exposing a not-yet-fully vaccinated puppy to the risk of infection. Yes you can! If you use modern dog training methods, you can get going right after bringing home a new puppy! In the first week puppy training is based on a series of fun games. So that your puppy will be learning without even realising. The games you play should lay foundations for future good behavior, teaching your puppy not snatch, to say please, to focus on you, to love their crate, to wear a harness or collar and to run towards you rather than away from you. A lot of people worry about whether or not to take a puppy to classes, and some are unable to do so. But there is a great deal you can do at home by yourself. You can avoid this by getting off to a great start with recall training in the very first week. The video below will help you. And never chase after a puppy. Puppy recall training starts right after bringing home a new puppy. Build an association between the act of running towards you and the sound of the recall word or whistle. If you call the puppy and he does not come, you will have begun to teach him that the recall command is optional. Check out our puppy recall training video to give you an idea of how easy it is to build this a good association if you start off in the right way. You can find out more about building a great recall from the beginning in Total Recall. But for now, in these first few days at home together, make sure no one calls the puppy to them. When they want him, they can simply pick him up. If he runs away, all they need to do is run in the opposite direction and he will come chasing after them. For the first few days after bringing home a new puppy, focus on bonding and helping him to feel safe. Consider having your puppy next to your bed for the first few nights. This will comfort him while he is feeling homesick and missing his mom and playmates. Expect to get up in the night to take your puppy out to pee for at least the first couple of weeks. Set a reminder to avoid teaching your puppy to cry for your attention. During his daytime naps, dive into the feeding, potty training, and obedience training guides mentioned in this article, and head over to the forum for support from our other readers, many of whom have been where you are now, and come safely out the other side! If you want help choosing an adorable puppy name, make sure you take a look at this article too! Print We recently brought home Bubba, a female chocolate lab puppy. Bubba is already sold as one of our Custom Trained Retrievers, so it is our responsibility to train her and raise her until she has progressed to the level of training the owner has requested. That means Bubba will be with for almost a year and a half. We train one or two of these puppies each year, and over the years we have gotten pretty good at it. We also train adult dogs for hunting and competition, so we see a lot of dogs come into our program. Dogs that have each been raised differently. There are some definite training tips that can help you help your lab grow up to be the best version of himself. Training and socialization for very young Labrador puppies — week one The first week of a puppy being away from its litter is very stressful for the puppy. Most often, the first two days, the puppy will sleep a lot! The pup is adjusting to all the changes, and they need time to do that. After the first couple days you may notice a spike of energy. This is your sign that the puppy is adjusting well and is ready to be exposed to a few more things. Labrador puppy training that first week home Here are the things we work on during week one. A nylon adjustable one is usually best since puppies grow quickly. It often takes the puppy a few days to adjust to having a collar on. Intro crate We introduce our puppies to a crate on day one. Literally the day we bring them home. Most puppies will cry, bark or howl while in the crate the first few or many times. Ignore it, it does not hurt the puppy at all. Always wait until the puppy settles down and is quiet, even if that quiet only lasts for just a minute or two. Learn more about crate training. Intro to housebreaking Another day one lesson and one that will last for a few weeks or months. We introduce housebreaking day one by allowing the puppy to run around an enclosed area under close supervision. If your puppy then goes potty outside, great! The thing to remember about housebreaking, is that your puppy should never be allowed to roam the house or a room without supervision. The only way to housebreak a dog is for them to get caught in the middle of an accident. That is how they learn that what they are doing is not right. Learn more about housebreaking. Intro leash We introduce a leash to our puppies around day three of being home. But once they start getting more energy and get more inquisitive, we use a Flexi-lead attached to the nylon collar to take the puppy outside. This accomplishes two goals. The gentle tugs on the leash and pressure when the puppy strains against the leash are great training for handling pressure as they get older. Intro to pressure and correction The last thing we introduce to our new puppy during the first week home is pressure and correction. This is an often-missing element to training that can severely handicap a dog that you want to be a hunting companion or competition dog. The kind of pressure I am talking about is very mild such as saying NO to the puppy when they are chewing up your shoes or scratching through the carpet. This is the way mama dogs carry their puppies and it does not hurt them at all. This does not hurt the puppy; it is exactly what a mama dog does to teach her puppies. Learn more about introducing pressure and correction. Commands to start using that first week home The first week there are some commands we start using so that the puppy will associate the words we use with actions. Puppies play and explore with their mouths, and often they will think it is great fun to bite your hands and feet. If this does not curb the behavior, I grab her lower jaw, wrapping her gums around her teeth and squeeze. I have found this to be very effective, especially if you start this the first week you have the puppy home. The longer you wait to start, the harder it becomes to stop this behavior. It takes very little pressure to stop a 7-week-old puppy from biting. Learn more about how to stop your Lab puppy from biting you. Off command The OFF command is also started day one. The OFF command is used to stop a puppy or dog from jumping on you. It can also be used to keep a dog off a sofa or other furniture. Starting day one, I gently use my knee to push down the puppy each time they jump on me. I say OFF when I do this. Usually, a gentle push with the knee is all it takes with a very small puppy. They learn this command very quickly. If your puppy is a bit more energetic or stubborn and tries to jump on you despite your gentle pushes, then you may need to use a little more force. Even if you were to knock your puppy backwards onto her back, that is not going to hurt her seriously. But it will likely make a good impression and cause her to think twice before jumping on you again. With jumping, consistency is important. You must knock your puppy off every time she jumps on you. Learn more about how to stop your Lab from jumping on you. We use this as a que when we are taking the puppy outside to go potty. We use this while the puppy is on a leash, and we are pulling them toward us. I only use this command for very young dogs. Your goal is to get the puppy to rest in your arms and not move. But if you keep at it, you will see your dog settle for longer and longer periods of time. Introduction to retrieving Lastly, since all our puppies are retrievers, we start introducing the puppy to retrieving. The first few times are simply throwing a toy a few feet and if the puppy runs out and gets it and comes back to you, great. Then take the item and throw it again. If the puppy does not come back or does not even run out to get the item, then stop for the day. Just let the retrieving develop naturally. Next week we will start more formal retrieving training. Final thoughts on what you should do that first week with your new Labrador puppy As you can see, there is a lot of training that you can do with your seven- or eight-week-old puppy. And while you can wait for training, your puppy is ready and able to learn quickly right now. I will be posting weekly on the training we are doing with Bubba, so you can get a week-by-week snapshot of how we raise and train a puppy up to be a excellent, responsive hunting or competition dog as well as a well-mannered family dog. If you are struggling or need additional help with your new puppy, you can email me ottertailkennels gmail. I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs I offer. Until next time, happy retrieving. Lab Puppy proof the house. Things like dangerous chemicals, solvents, cleaning solutions, paint and other dangerous substances need to be secured. As well you will need to look at cords hanging and things falling on the puppy if they accidentally pull something down. Stairs need to be gated off until your puppy is older and learns how to walk down them without trying to jump off. Purchase a quality dog food. It never ceases to amaze me how some people end up feeding a low quality food to their dog, or something experimental like a vegan food, or even feed them a so called raw diet and not balance their nutrition requirements. The single biggest thing you can do for your dog is feed them a proven diet with nutrients delivered in the proper ratios. A second thing to consider is where your food is made and how you can be notified if there is a recall. At the time of writing this there is a popular food under recall for toxic levels of vitamin D. There have been numerous cases of deaths related to this and yet the company claims they independently test their ingredients. The food we recommend is such because we have years and years of experience over 13 years with it using it ourselves and recommending it to those who adopt our puppies. We have actually had so few health issues with our puppies and aging adults eating this food that we have increased our warranty to 4 years and include all major organs. Bottom line, feed a high quality proven food from the day you bring your puppy home, not necessarily one with the most protein. We will provide you with feeding suggestions once you place your reservation for a puppy and a proven puppy food to feed them. Visit the pet store for the required equipment. You are going to need a large dog crate with a divider so in the beginning your puppy will have just enough room to sleep. Crate training is the best way to protect your puppy while making them safe when unsupervised. As your dog grows you can remove the divider so it has room to lay down and not touch the walls. We stock the most popular toys and cover all the different types you will need so that you can get them when you pick up your puppy. They come with explanations of how the different types are used to both stimulate, calm and play with your puppy, how to cycle them, teething, and more. A stainless steel water and food bowl is also another good choice. I would wait on getting a collar so that you can fit them properly. We have inexpensive training leashes that adjust to any size for you to purchase when you are here. Have a family meeting to establish expectations. Every human in the home will need to follow the same rules consistently so that your puppy understands what is expected of them. Schedule an appointment with a good Veterinarian. Not all Veterinarians are of equal experience. We have heard some pretty crazy stories, so we suggest you get some referrals of some long term relationships of people you trust for a Vet. You should take your puppy to the vet a couple of days after you get home so it has time to get use to its new surroundings before being taken somewhere. Prepare fore the Drive Home 1. Your puppy can last about 2 or 3 hours without a potty break. We normally feed your puppy early in the morning on the day of pick up so that it has time to go potty before the drive home. Our recommendation is to give your puppy some water every 3 hours and then let them have a pee. This could also go along with letting them play or explore outside a bit. When you stop, find an unused grassy space to potty on. Arriving at home with your puppy 1. First quickly bring them to the spot you want them to potty. This is the beginning of your dog being house trained. They will likely have to go right after you get out of the car. So when you stop, give them a drink in the area you want them to relieve themselves in. Wait until they go and then you can take them into the home. Treat your puppy like a puppy. It is breakable and will be a puppy for about a year. Things like playing with larger dogs and such should be carefully supervised. Constant supervision. Your new puppy needs to be constantly supervised until they can be trusted and you know that they understand the rules. Constant supervision means either you or someone watching them, they are in their crate the crate is the supervisor , or that they are in a section of the home baby-gated off or also an outside run with a kennel and a cement floor so they cannot dig under the fence yes they will dig. After a potty bring your puppy to the room with their crate. Introducing them to their crate perhaps with a few pieces of kibble in it will show them where their safe space is. This is also where they need to be comfortable enough to self-calm and fall asleep. If you have another dog, first introduce them outside on neutral territory. Bringing a new puppy and simply coming straight into the home could have one of three effects. The first being that both dogs might be ok with it. Second is that the older dog has an issue with a new strange animal in its territory. This would result in your older dog being defensive, maybe even protective or possibly anxious and scared and once this has happened it is out there. Undoing this type of trauma could take days or weeks. Relax and let them get to know each other and all will be good. After some get familiar time begin training your puppy without distractions using Positive Reinforcement training methods. We suggest that everyone participates in some training classes either in a group format or private. The important thing to understand is that you are training you to train your puppy. Your puppy will also lose any training it has done if it is not reinforced by everyone in the home. Other resources are 80 Puppy Training tips that you can learn as well as an excellent site with video called Puppy Trained Right. We have a discount code available for those who are taking home one of our puppies. This will allow them time to eliminate most of their food and urine and will give a better chance of sleeping the night without having to go potty. Prepare their crate in a quiet, dark spot. Make it a sleepy place, place a blanket over the top and down 3 sides to block draft and to make it den-like. Some mild exercise or training just before bed. Just like a human, you want them to be tired before bed. So for example if you let them sleep from 9 to 11 pm they may not need to go down at 11 to sleep. The last while before bed try to stimulate them mentally and physically so that they are ready to turn in. This can be training sessions, a walk, a play session or even fetch in the house. One final potty around 11 pm. After you prepare them for sleep take them out one more time and give them ample time to relieve themselves. Bring them back in, let them settle in the crate, put an item of clothing in there that smells like you for them to snuggle on. The quicker they learn the new pack and learn to settle in the crate the better and that happens by not reminding them of their old litter. If they smell their old litter they will whine for them to find them. Settling in their crate. Once your puppy goes down you will want to be teaching your puppy that the time in their crate is for sleep, they are safe in there, and that if they bark or whine they cannot summon you to save them. So, what if they really have to go? This is something you will have to figure out. It may be possible that they must go outside to relieve themselves, but, they may also just want you to hold or feed them. If they go, just put them back in their crate to settle and go back to sleep. You will know within reason that next time they are just lonely. This normally stops after about 2 or 3 days. Whoosh them out to their pee spot. Pick them up and carry them quickly to their pee spot. When they go reward them with praise and say the potty word that you use. Feed, and then woosh them out again to their pee spot. Puppies often need to poop right after they eat, or sometimes while they are eating. Some exercise, training and mental stimulation. After waking up and eating they will be ready for a walk and some training. Setting them up for their first full day in the home. Plan their day out so that there is a balance of play, training, napping, eating, and potty. In the beginning your puppy will need about 20 hours or so of sleep a day so be sure it is getting enough. If your puppy gets nippy they may be trying to tell you they are tired and want to be left alone in their crate. Every opportunity that your puppy presents in the form of nipping is a training opportunity to teach bite inhibition. Coming home to your puppy after work. Learning how to greet them. If you work full time it is important to understand that a young puppy cannot hold their bladders for more than 3 or 4 hours. If you work full time you will need someone to watch them or at least visit them once or twice during the shift to let them out, drink and play. When you arrive home this is the time to teach them manners. Most dogs will be excited and will jump on you to greet you. Be sure you teach them how you want them to greet people. We will teach a dog to sit in front of us before it gets any attention. No attention means no talking, no eye contact and no touching. Will they need to relieve themselves? If they have been in a crate you will likely need to let them go potty, a walk or some fetching would also be good at this time because they likely have some energy to expend. Training pre or post feeding? There are also some Labs who are not food motivated. So if your Lab is not responding well to training after they are fed, you may want to train them before eating so the hunger is on your side. Socialization with people other than your family, and animals other than those in the home. While socializing you want to expose them to many people while not overwhelming them. To start we recommend 1 new person each morning and one new place each night. After you can see that your puppy is not overwhelmed you may decide to increase the frequency of exposure to new places, animals and things. Prepare for night time routine. Get your new furball ready for bed time as outlined above. Setting your puppy up for success. Avoiding dog parks and strange dogs. Until your puppy is fully vaccinated around 14 weeks old they are vulnerable to other diseases by unknown dogs. By all means, if you know someone who has a dog and you can verify that their dog is up to date on all shots such as Parvo, Rabies, Leptospirosis, Kennel Cough, Distemper, Hepatitis, Corona and Para Influenza, 2. Get into a reputable training class or private training with a reputable trainer. Training classes are mainly to train you. Ask around in your area for a recommendation of a good trainer at a reasonable price. Gentle, regular exposure to everyone and everything. For example, while you are exposing them to people you will need to expose them to female babies, toddlers, pre teens, teenagers, young adult women, middle aged women and older women. You will need to include women with glasses, hats, soft voices, loud voices, etc…. Adjust their food as they grow and as their activity level increases or decreases. If for example your dog is much more active or much less active then the recommended feeding amount will not be correct. Instead use your eyes. You might have to adjust the food amounts up or down as your Labrador gets more or less activity. Positive Reinforcement training by everyone in the pack. When you get into your car and you to go somewhere, you tell your gps where you want to go. Dogs are the same way. Instead teach your dog what you want it to do. Instead of scolding, simply withdraw your attention. This is enough punishment. Then, get back to showing your dog what you want it to do. If your puppy is not eating or has a loose bowel movement. Not eating much is pretty common when a puppy goes to its new home, however if it stops drinking then that would be cause for an immediate vet visit. In a new home your puppy might not be comfortable for a couple of days and eating might be just grazing. This is ok as long as it is drinking and seems to be playful. Loose bowel movements in the beginning could be due to nerves or your puppy could also have a parasite. At this young age puppies put everything, and I mean everything into their mouths. It is quite common for puppies to get loose stool from a parasite. This can be addressed easily if you take a stool sample into your Vet for analysis. What is a puppy emergency that requires a visit to the vet? Our rules for an emergency trip to the vet are: Uncontrollable bleeding, puppy not breathing properly, broken bone, puppy is not drinking and appears lethargic. If any of these present themselves you may want to consider getting help right away. Other things can normally wait until the next morning to be addressed because they are not critical. Depending on where you live however you may have a vet that is open 24 hours and even on the weekends. So this is a start for you to think about when you take a Labrador Puppy home. Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. 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I am familiar with common and uncommon health problems they may face so when my boyfriend and I decided we were ready to adopt our own english puppy finding a reputable breeder that prioritizes health was most important to us. Erica and Mitch of Bruiser Bulldogs are just that. They are experienced, ethical and quality breeders. I was referred to them by my friend that I trust after I saw their gorgeous healthy puppy. Our Puppy Primrose is the light of our lives! Bruisers was there to assist us every step of the way. We would highly recommend Bruisers Bulldogs to anyone looking for their own happy, healthy pup! Leah H. We were lucky to have come across Bruiser Bulldogs and even more so the fact that they were near our family and hometown made it even better. We have had Clementine Callie for four months now, and she is a wonderful dog. Her personality is amazing, and I think part of it is breeding and the other part is Erika and her family lovingly raising the puppies in their home with plenty of attention and snuggles. I also was impressed that, rather than send the puppies out right at 8 weeks, Erika kept ours for a few extra weeks because she was tiny and not read to leave her mom yet. It's that care that differentiates Bruisers from other breeders. Emily R. Erica was easy to work with thru the entire process from application to adopting and now beyond as we host our new family member, Chief. Her on-call support and willingness to provide open, honest advice to all of our questions and concerns continues to be appreciated. We would highly recommend Bruiser Bulldogs to anyone looking for an English Bulldog to join their family. Elizabeth W. Lady L. They are experienced, responsive and knowledgeable about all things bulldog related. They went above and beyond for us and are truly dedicated to all of their pups! We love our little girl so much and would recommend Bruiser to anyone looking for a healthy beautiful bully. Jonathan E. Erica and Mitch are trustworthy, excellent communicators, fair, passionate, and produce the best bulldogs. We were at the top of the waiting list for months and Erica reached out every litter to see if we were finally ready for a bulldog. When we were, she was very easy to work with. Her knowledge on bulldogs is outstanding. We had many questions on the process and she always knew what was best for the puppy. We've had Penny formerly Blair for two months and she is very healthy, energetic, playful, and sweet. She is great with other people and dogs. We are so happy with our pup. When we are ready for bulldog 2, we will only consider Bruiser Bulldogs. Mitch C. Bowser was born April and is an integral part of our family. When we were first exploring English Bulldog breeders our biggest concern was the overall health of the dogs. We decided to work with Erica at Bruiser Bulldogs because we liked their focus on improving the breeds breathing abilities and the fact that the puppies are raised within her family environment before coming home with their new owners. Bowser also breaths clearly and our vet was impressed with his overall health from the moment we brought him home. All that said we know English Bulldogs have a predisposition to many health issues and that his current health can not predict the future. With that In mind its important to start with a breeder that open to answer any of your questions as Erica has ours, and that strongly believes in improving the breeds overall health profile. Adam B. My sister ended up finding Bruiser Bulldogs and we knew right away that they were the breeder for us. In September we ended up driving 9 hours to pick up two Bruiser bulldog puppies- one for my husband and I and one for my mom. Jackson and Penelope have been nothing but a joy. They are both very athletic and healthy. They are also HUGE snugglers and always want to be with you. It is an absolute pleasure having these two bullies in our lives! Erica is very knowledgeable about the breed. She is very hands on throughout the process and is just overall a kind and honest person to work with. With all that being said I cannot recommend Bruiser Bulldogs enough! Collyn C. One of the reasons we chose Bruiser Bulldogs was due to the claims about breeding for health. During our first visit at our vet's office, he told us that our pup was one of the healthiest English bulldogs he had ever seen. He is healthy, happy and social. Would recommend to anyone. Christina S. We seen our dog on their website and sent them an Email. Mitch called us and personally walked us through the process and made sure we had the right dog for our family. We couldn't be happier when we picked up our dog Ramsey, Erica made sure we had everything we needed and then some. They are truly amazing people who breed truly amazing dogs! Jim T. Or, if you'd like to attend our events join our Meetup group where you can stay up to date on all of our events it's free -- no strings! CEBR is the oldest and most experienced non-profit c3 english bully rescue organization. You can feel confident that your donations are put to appropriate use and they are also tax deductible to the extent of the law. In addition we are a licensed shelter with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. We know you are excited about the thought of getting a bully. But before you make this decision, we ask that you have done the following: Spoken with all members of your household and come to mutual agreement. Discussed the new addition with your home owner's association or landlord if applicable. Experienced the breed yourself. If you do not currently have a bully family member, we ask that you attend one of our CEBR events before applying. Double check our Adoption Area Map to be sure you are within our adoption radius. Bullies are not an inexpensive breed and having a solid savings account that has an emergency fund is essential. Rescue bullies are also not a way to get a "cheap bully. Questions about Bulldog puppies for sale in Chicago IL? We have answers. How much are Bulldog puppies for sale in Chicago IL? Keep in mind that in order to breed Bulldogs Chicago, artificial inseminations and C-sections must occur. This raises their prices against other breeds. However, every breeder and business sells them at a different price! What if there are no Bulldog breeders in Chicago? What is the screening process for Bulldog breeders? We constantly have Bulldog breeders Chicago, businesses and companies selling Bulldog puppies in Chicago applying to be part of our network, however less than a tenth of them make it on board. Why is Uptown Puppies such a great Bulldog puppy-finder website? Start today! What is a Chicago puppy mill like? There are too many puppy mills in existence selling Bulldog puppies for sale Chicago today unfortunately. Chicago Bulldogs for sale growing up in puppy mills experience terrible treatment and conditions which, unfortunately, have a long-term effect on their behavior and health as they grow older in life. Are there any Bulldog puppies currently that I can buy? Just take a look on our site, find the Bulldog that catches your eye, and connect with its breeder, business or company. Get ready to meet your new best friend! Bulldogs for sale in Chicago have their origins in England where they were bred to drive cattle, and take part in a terrible, bloody sport involving bulls. Today their ferocity has been bred out of them, creating very friendly, social animals that are really sweet to be around - and a bit lazy! Their wrinkled up faces make them extra cute! What size is a Bulldog? Are they friendly? Bulldogs in Chicago were bred to have low bodies with broad shoulders and legs that are thick. This mix makes the Chicago Bulldog for sale medium-sized dogs. They have great temperaments , are very friendly, and love being part of families. What makes a Bulldog, a Bulldog? The Bulldog for sale Chicago is a well-loved dog by most dog-lovers in the world. They can be lazy, although some are famous for riding skateboards this is true! Which celebrities own Bulldogs? Celebrities have joined the bandwagon and also love the Bulldog for sale in Chicago.

Blue-Eyed Golden Retrievers Could Suffer From A Medical Problem Golden retrievers are susceptible to several different health issues , some of which could cause them to appear to have blue eyes. Here are a few of them: Cataracts Cataracts are clouding of the lens of the eye that can leave them looking cloudy or blue. They may develop from disease, injury, old age, or genetic disorders. The bigger and denser they become, the more likely they are to lead to blindness, so bring your dog to the vet if you think they may have cataracts. Nuclear Sclerosis Many dog owners get cataracts and nuclear sclerosis mixed up. This is because they both give a cloudy, bluish hue to the eye. Glaucoma Glaucoma is a disease where the pressure in the eye is above normal levels. There are several potential causes, including injury or tumors, and it may lead to blindness. And like nuclear sclerosis and cataracts, glaucoma may cause the eyes to become cloudy or bluish in color. It could be a serious problem that could cause blindness. Good breeders are focused on the health and temperament of the puppies, and everything else is secondary. Conclusion Golden retrievers normally have brown eyes, not blue eyes. Have any questions about blue-eyed golden retrievers? Let me know down in the comments! Getting a golden retriever puppy? Check out the Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook! Related articles:. Weimaraner Husky Suppose you mix a Golden Retriever or a Lab with one — or more — of these breeds mixes. In that case, the chances are high that the result could be a blue-eyed mixed breed Golden Retriever. Blue eyes in a Golden Retriever can be linked to health conditions in their eyes. While this might not always be the case, there are a few issues to keep in mind. A few of them are: Cataracts A cataract is an eye illness when the eye lens becomes cloudy, leaving the eyes looking blue or cloudy. This may arise as a result of injury, genetic disorders, disease, or old age. The denser and bigger they become, the more likely it is for them to lead to blindness. Glaucoma Glaucoma is an illness where the eye pressure has levels that are higher than normal. It can be caused by a few potential events, such as tumors or injury, and can also lead to blindness. It could be a serious issue that could cause blindness. Nuclear Sclerosis Nuclear sclerosis and cataracts are often confused by many dog owners. Learn more about Types and Colors of Golden Retrievers. Albino animals have a deficiency of the genes that produce melanin, which is the pigment that gives color to the skin and hair. Albinism is very rare in dogs. In dogs, albinism is more likely to give them blue eyes. Albino dogs also have white fur and pink noses. There is a possibility where two purebred Golden Retriever parents can have an albino puppy. This would be one rare case where a dog with blue eyes could be a non-conforming Golden Retriever. It is extremely rare for Golden Retrievers to have albinism. Therefore, most Golden Retrievers with blue eyes are indeed Golden Retriever mixes. They include only dogs with brown eyes, where dark brown is preferred over light or medium brown. Therefore, if light brown is not considered acceptable, blue eyes have no chance. There are many puppy scams on the internet so be very cautious. They will claim these versions of dogs are rare and worth more. Conclusion To summarize, golden retrievers are not supposed to have blue eyes. The breed standard is brown eyes. There are three things to keep in mind when looking to get a blue eyed Golden Retriever: The eyes of a Golden Retriever puppy will change to the color brown as they grow older. Blue eyed Golden Retrievers could be the result of health issues. Most Golden Retrievers with blue eyes are the result of mixing with another breed of dog. If you wish to have a blue-eyed dog , then a husky or another breed with the tendency for blue eyes is a possible choice. Another choice would be to find a mixed breed dog, we would just advise to avoid paying a premium for those dogs and enjoy them for what they are. If you have concerns about the health of your dogs eyes, be sure to visit your veterinarian. To learn more about Golden Retrievers health issues, be sure to check out our post on Common Health Problems. She is board certified a specialist in canine reproduction. In her day job, she is a leader in a small biotech where she and a team of veterinarians and scientists work to develop new medications for pets. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of this wonderful breed of dogs. She and her husband have 2 children, 3 dogs and one cat. They love camping and hiking and she can often be found with her head in a good book. Recent Posts. Boxer Pitbull You can see just how many dog breeds have the blue-eyed gene in their makeup, and some of these breeds even allow this genetic presentation in registered dogs. You will need to make sure that the breeder can provide you with accurate information about the blue-eyed dogs that they are selling so you can look into the possible health concerns that your dog might show later on. Golden Retrievers have their own common breed health issues , but you need to be aware of the risks related to the other parent as well. Remember also that these other breeds have their own specific temperaments that they were bred with for purposes like hunting, protection, and so forth. This can impact the attitude and temperament of the dog that you are getting from this breeder. The differences in your Golden Retriever from breed standard might be more significant than just the blue eyes. If you are looking for a kind, sweet, loyal family dog, you might still get this kind of pet from a breeder making blue-eyed Golden Retrievers, but it is less likely. There can be many changes to the way that your dog acts, the way they feel about kids and cats in your home, and more just related to the other breed that is mixed with the Golden Retriever. These are the considerations that many people forget about when they are attracted to an unusual color or breed characteristic in a litter of puppies. Yes, many puppies have what look like dark blue eyes when they are born. As they get more mature, the blue color will turn to brown in purebred dogs. If you had felt a sense of panic when you went to look at your purebred puppy because its eyes appeared blue, there is no reason to be concerned. This is totally normal in very young puppies. However, if the dog that you have picked out has very blue eyes when it is approaching a few months old, this dog will likely have blue eyes for life. This is one of the things that many people have concerns about when they see pictures of a purebred litter. Rest assured that a breeder who is AKC certified will never breed blue-eyed dogs, and they will be able to prove that none of their animals has ever had blue eyes. The important thing to remember when you are dog shopping is that you should ask as many questions as it takes for you to be comfortable with your purchase. Responsible breeders will be willing to answer all the questions that you have. You should be concerned about a breeder that will not reply to questions or who seems to be cagey about answering questions about their litters. This is often a sign that something is not right, and you should consider looking for another breeder if this is the way that the breeder you are looking into is behaving. There are other reasons that a Golden Retriever might have blue eyes, and these are more concerning than just irresponsible breeding practices. You should be aware of the other reasons that this eye color might be present in a litter so that you can decide if you are interested in carrying on with getting a puppy from the litter in question. Albinism This is not common in the Golden Retriever breed, but there are albino genes in all animal populations. Responsible breeders will not sell puppies with albinism, and they will never breed the parents again that made this defect come to the forefront. These are all albino animals, and they often suffer from significant health issues throughout their life. Albino animals will have pink around their eyes in most cases, but they do not have to appear this way. Some albino dogs will just have blue eyes. Another dead giveaway, however, is the pink nose that often comes along with the albino gene. If the dog that you are looking at has blue eyes but a dark nose, it is just not purebred. If the nose is pink, it is an albino animal. Recessive Genes Brown eyes genes are dominant, so they should be expressed first when two purebred dogs are crossed. There is the chance that a dog that should not have been registered as purebred can land in the gene pool and create a recessive litter, but this is very uncommon. Most dog breeds that have been accepted by the AKC with the standard for brown eyes have been so carefully bred that this is not a concern. Again, just as with albino animals, responsible breeders will never allow these animals with recessive genes to be sold to new homes. It is always a red flag when a breeder is offering a blue-eyed litter of Golden Retrievers for sale because of the health risks associated with animals with recessive genes. Cataracts This was mentioned earlier, but it is worth some more discussion. Golden Retrievers are a breed that is prone to eye issues, and there are some unethical breeders that might offer litters of puppies for sale that have eye defects. These usually become worse over time, and they can lead to a cloudy, bluish eye appearance. Make sure that you do not look at young puppies who are showing signs of an eye defect and think that they are blue-eyed. A good way to check the difference between blue eyes and eyes with health issues is to take the dog over to the light and look at their eyes. Blue eyes will look clear and normal, while eyes with health issues will appear cloudy and dull and without sheen. This is a great way to check this claim by a breeder to make sure that you are not being given an animal that will actually be blind early in life. This can be all right, but you need to be aware that when you support irresponsible breeders, they continue to make more of the same litters with the same potential health concerns. Your dog will also likely have more health problems during its life, and you should be prepared for a pet that might not have a normal lifespan. When you choose not to engage with breeders who are not responsible, you will also be helping to preserve these carefully-bred animals that are created with care by other breeders. While a Golden Retriever puppy from a skilled breeder will never have blue eyes, you will be getting a dog who represents the breed, and that was created with care. Responsible breeders will also take the time to certify their dogs for all kinds of health conditions, and they will stand by their pet animals if something happens that makes your dog a poor fit for your needs. The protections and benefits of shopping with a skilled breeder are numerous, and you will always be better served by paying a little more and avoiding dogs that have blue eyes. If you are really sold on having a dog that has blue eyes, there are so many breeds that can have blue eyes without having questionable breeding. Huskies, Aussies, and Border Collies can have blue eyes and still be purebred. There are many other options as well for this kind of trait if you want to have a blue-eyed dog that you can trust the breeder to have created with care. While a lot of these breeds will not offer you the same sweet, kind, and gentle temperament that a Golden Retriever can offer, you will still have a loving companion in your home that has the blue eyes that you were looking for. There is nothing good to be gained by supporting unethical breeders, and you will find that your puppy might not be very healthy either. While it can be tempting to just get one anyhow because you think that they are cute or because you feel bad for them, be sure that you are prepared for what this purchase might mean. Your dog could enjoy a healthy and full life with you, or they might be very sickly and have lots of problems that a dog that comes from a quality breeder will not. It is usually worth reaching out to some other recognized breeders if you notice that there is someone offering blue-eyed Golden Retrievers for sale. These breeders are very motivated to help regulate their own breeding community, and they can reach out to the breeder. Sometimes local breeders who are not registered with the AKC do not realize that this is a no-no. This is a better method of handling this issue than telling the breeder yourself that they are not providing puppies that will be healthy. Taking on a dog with a genetic defect can be a really tough process, which is why there are rescues that are devoted to this process. If you really want to get a blue-eyed Golden Retriever, you should contact shelters that specialize in these kinds of dogs and get a puppy from a shelter. This will support the effort to end this kind of irresponsible breeding, and you will get the blue-eyed dog that you have been wanting. Golden Retriever Recommendations and Resources. Updated: March 21st, This article contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here. Blue eyes are somewhat rare in the dog world and are beautiful to behold. This unique trait can be found in a variety of dog breeds, like huskies and Australian shepherds. But have you ever seen a golden retriever with blue eyes? There is a lot of misinformation about blue-eyed retriever dogs that can have a lot of people scratching their heads in confusion! Interestingly, while golden retrievers can technically have blue eyes, there is no such thing as a purebred golden retriever with blue eyes. Continue reading to find out the truth about blue-eyed golden retrievers! Golden retrievers can have blue eyes, but not in the same sense that Siberian huskies have blue eyes. You see, golden retriever puppies are born with blue eyes, and older goldens may have blue eyes due to cataracts or other eye problems. Golden retriever mixes, such as the golden Aussie , golden retriever pit bull mix , or Goberian husky may also have blue eyes. As you can see, the blue-eyed golden retriever is a bigger riddle than it seems. A blue retriever can be born in a litter of two purebred, brown-eyed golden retrievers. In any other sense, these blue golden retriever puppies should look and behave like any typical purebred golden. While these rules may seem pointless and even exclude perfectly sound dogs, the main point of breed standards is to preserve distinct breeds from being lost over time. It takes a lot of years of planned and selective breeding to create a dog breed for a particular purpose, such as guarding, hunting, retrieving, herding, and so on. Without strict breeding standards, all of those traits can easily get lost in future generations. There are several explanations for blue eyes in golden retrievers. While any of these scenarios are likely, crossbreeding is the most common reason for blue eyes in golden retrievers. Check out the following most likely causes of blue eyes in golden retrievers: Recessive Genes The genes that are responsible for creating brown-colored eyes in dogs are dominant, which is the main reason why so many dog breeds have brown eyes. According to the breed standard, golden retrievers should have brown eyes, and they were deliberately bred for many generations to exhibit this trait. Consequently, recessive genes that cause blue eyes have become less common than before. There is a very small chance that two golden retrievers that carry recessive genes for blue eyes are bred together. If by any chance this does happen, some of their offspring may inherit blue eyes. Cataracts Blue eyes in golden retrievers can also be caused by several health issues, with cataracts being the most common one. Cataracts are an eye illness that causes clouding of the lens of the eyes, making them appear cloudy or blue. Cataracts can develop very slowly or almost overnight and can be caused by injury, disease, genetic disorders, or old age. The bigger and cloudier cataracts become, the more likely that they will lead to complete blindness. Nuclear Sclerosis Nuclear sclerosis or lenticular sclerosis is a painless condition that creates a bluish or transparent haze in the lens of the eye. This condition is often seen in middle-aged and senior dogs and is considered a normal part of aging. Glaucoma Glaucoma is a disease of the eye that is characterized by increased intraocular pressure within the eye. This condition is the result of inadequate drainage of aqueous fluids, which is caused by tumors, interocular bleeding, uveitis, injury, or damage to the lens. Albino animals lack the genes needed for producing melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin and hair. Due to the lack of melanin, albino dogs have white hair, pink skin, and pink noses. While albinism is rare in dogs, it can still happen and will cause an affected golden retriever to have blue instead of brown eyes. As their eyes start to develop, their sight will improve, and their eyes will gradually change color from blue to brown. If you are looking to purchase a purebred golden retriever and a breeder tries to sell you a blue-eyed golden retriever, turn around and walk away! The two main problems with blue-eyed golden retriever puppies are that they are usually mixed-breed dogs, and their blue eyes will turn brown as they grow up and get older. If you are set on getting a blue-eyed dog, there are many dog breeds with blue eyes you can choose from. Golden retrievers can have blue eyes, but not in the way you would probably imagine. All golden retriever puppies are born with bluish eyes, but they start changing color when the puppies reach around four weeks of age. The only way a purebred golden retriever can have blue eyes is if they have cataracts, glaucoma, nuclear sclerosis, or some other eye disorder that causes their eyes to get a blush hue. Are blue eyes in dogs bad? The blue color can be caused by the lack of pigment or the merle gene, which has been linked with hearing impairments. Conclusion Purebred golden retrievers have friendly and expressive brown eyes, not blue eyes. While all golden retriever puppies are born with blue eyes, they will start changing color to brown once the puppy is around four weeks old. You May Also Like. But every once in a while, you might see a dog that looks like a golden retriever, except for its bright blue eyes. Can a Golden Retriever have blue eyes? A golden retriever with blue eyes does not meet the breed standard for a true golden retriever. Although it is possible in rare cases for a purebred golden to have blue eyes, it is most likely that any dog appearing to be a golden retriever with blue eyes is actually a mixed breed. Read on to find out more about the breed standards of golden retrievers and how it determines which dogs can be considered true golden retrievers. You will also learn about some causes of blue eyes in goldens and discover the surprising links between eye color and illness in dogs. This article may contain affiliate links and loyalgoldens may earn a commission if a purchase is made. Unlock your goldens natural intelligence and see just how quickly problem behaviors disappear. This is the best at home dog training I've ever used! When you register a dog to be in dog shows, you get paperwork that says your dog is officially a purebred member of a particular breed. The GRCA and the AKC together define the breed standard for Golden Retrievers to include only dogs with brown eyes—and dark brown is preferred over medium or light brown. They may very well be the offspring of two purebred golden retrievers, but they have not inherited the particular combination of genetic traits that define the breed. This may sound like a lot of needless rules that exclude some dogs for no good reason. It takes many generations of breeding to create a dog breed with the characteristics suited for a particular purpose—hunting birds, herding sheep, pulling a sled, and so on. Without a fairly strict definition of the breed, it would be easy to lose those characteristics in future generations. Want to see the breed standard in action? The Complete Golden Retriever Handbook Amazon link : This handbook is intended for new and future owners of goldens and includes a thorough introduction to caring for and enjoying your golden retriever. Causes of Blue Eyes in Golden Retrievers There are two explanations for blue eyes in the offspring of purebred golden retrievers. One is albinism , and the other is recessive genes for blue eyes. But blue eyes as a result of crossbreeding are much more common than either of these scenarios. Albino animals lack the genes for producing melanin , the pigment that colors hair and skin. This causes them to have white hair and pink skin. Albinism is rare in dogs. Two copies of the recessive genes for albinism have to be inherited for a dog to display these traits. Dogs with albinism are more likely to have blue eyes. Albino dogs also have pink noses and white fur. Two purebred golden retriever parents can possibly produce an albino puppy; this would be one of the rare cases where a blue-eyed dog can be a non-conforming golden retriever. Recessive Genes The genes that are associated with brown eyes are dominant , and so most dogs have brown eyes. This would be the second circumstance where a blue-eyed dog could be considered a non-conforming golden retriever. Some golden mixes are easy to spot as mixes, while others can look a lot like purebred golden retrievers. Many have the coloring of a golden and the beautiful curls of a poodle. Some have the golden retriever coat color and the blue eyes common to border collies. Want to see an adorable golden boxer pup at play? You can see the huge variety among these crosses, including goberians that look like blue-eyed goldens, here: Goberian is a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Siberian Husky and often has blue eyes. Are Blue Eyes Linked to Illness? Because of this, many people mistakenly believe that all blue-eyed dogs are at greater risk of illness. They gradually darken to brown over the first months of life. But can it happen the other way? Can a brown-eyed dog become a blue-eyed dog? More often than not, they can simply be explained by a mixed genealogy or a harmless genetic abnormality. A particular eye color is not in itself a symptom of any specific health problem. It is usually the result of a water imbalance. It can generate very slowly and rarely causes pain or severe loss in vision, often meaning that the condition is not diagnosed until it has progressed. This is extremely common in older dogs, although some dogs will be more visually affected than others. Glaucoma Glaucoma is a potentially painful condition for your dog which results from high pressure inside the eye. If left untreated, it can eventually lead to complete blindness. There is no cure for Glaucoma, but the condition can be managed with routine medication. Heterochromia is a pigment condition in which a dog will have two different colored eyes. However, it can also come alongside uncomfortable conditions for pets, like as the result of inflammation or injury. Heterochromia is a common condition in Huskies, Australian Shepherds, and Collies, but significantly rarer in dogs like Golden Retrievers. The abnormality will be significantly more common in Golden Retriever mixes, particularly those mixed with a commonly affected breed like a Husky or Australian Shepherd. Conclusion Generally, Golden Retrievers have brown eyes. It is a feature of the breed, dating back to its first outings as hunting companions in 19th century Scotland. However, this is not to say that Golden Retrievers cannot have blue, green, yellow, or amber eyes. These features are common in mixes, can be the result of a random genetic abnormality, or could be symptomatic of a developing medical condition. Golden retriever puppies often have blue eyes, which darken with age. Finally, a Golden Retriever can have heterochromia, but this is incredibly rare. Most Golden Retrievers with heterochromia will be mixes, containing the genealogy of a commonly affected breed like a Husky or an Australian Shepherd.

The first route is to check your local animal shelters. Yes, this is a long shot since most Golden Retrievers will get scooped up quickly, but if you check often enough, you may get lucky and find one. Plus, you might find another dog that steals your heart! The second way is to get active in your local Golden Retriever Facebook groups. Again, this takes patience, but it could be worth it. Just be sure to watch out for scammers! Watch this video about the UGLY truth about Golden Retrievers for more on scammers The final way to find a Golden who needs your home is to get involved in your local Golden Retriever club. Some of the members there may have some insider information about a Golden who needs a new home and you can find your pup that way. This is another long shot, but the more Golden Retriever lovers you know, the more likely you are to find a Golden of your own. For example, they might help with: Socializing and exercising your Golden through their dog sports and other events Getting advice from experienced Golden Retriever owners Getting referrals for services like vets, groomers , and doggy daycares Here are the two Golden Retriever clubs in Missouri: Golden Retriever Club of Greater St. Louis Location: St. Do you hand make unique gift items? Do you frequent a local dog loving spot? Maybe you have a beach or mountain house? If any of these apply to you, we need your help! We are seeking in-kind donations to make our upcoming events a huge success. Please click the button below share your information and a volunteer will contact you. In-Kind Donation Form International Rescue Want to learn more about our international efforts and how you can help golden retrievers in need? Click the button below. Here you can interact with our available dogs, complete foster training, and learn how you can become involved with supporting NRGRR. See the calendar below for details. Please click on the event to see the list of dogs attending. Event Calendar Make a donation. Our volunteers give their time, their homes and their hearts to every dog who comes to us for help. Unfortunately, warm homes and loving hearts alone do not pay for the medical care and supplies our dogs need. Sadly, the number of golden retrievers who have entered our program, and the costs related to their medical care, have dramatically increased over the past several years. When you make a tax-deductible gift to the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue, you can be assured that your donation is directly supporting golden retrievers rescued through our program, and allowing us to continue to provide help to others in the years to come. Thank you for your support. Box , Raleigh, NC Phone: .Available Goldens Available Retrievers Featured below are just some of the wonderful golden retrievers, unique golden retriever blends and retriever cousins we have available for adoption. Each week we accept additional dogs into our program. They receive veterinary checkups and are moved to foster homes for evaluation. They also complete any required medical treatments needed prior to adoption while they are in foster care. With your support, you will see many of these dogs appear on this page someday available for adoption! Please help these special pups and sign up today! In addition to our Healing Hearts dogs in rescue, we have new arrivals who have just started their mandatory observation period in foster care. Click here for our important how to adopt information and application. Inquiries can be forwarded to info grrmf. If you have never considered adopting a golden retriever blend, please consider this option. These sweet dogs are each so unique because another breed is blended with a golden retriever. They typically are smaller than a golden which may work better for your home environment or lifestyle. They truly are one-of-a-kind furry companions that can give you a lifetime of love and devotion! The adoption time frame for any of our dogs will vary based on the qualities you desire in your furry friend, the needs of your family, the amount of dogs available and the characteristics of the dogs we get into our program. Our volunteers work very hard to individually match each dog to the family who can meet their important needs. Thank you for wanting to add a rescue to your family! Be sure to click on the photos below for a close up view — please check back often for updates. Oh where oh where did that doggie I saw here go? Likely they are now adopted and click here to see their happy face! Thank you! If you are looking to add to your fur family, consider adopting a dog. You will save the life of that dog and allow another to come into the shelter to be saved. Golden retrievers are well-mannered, loyal companions that love to play. They love meeting new people, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Goldens make great family dogs and hiking partners. Check out all 25 golden retrievers looking for their forever homes and share with a friend. Bruce Wayne Bruce is a 7-year-old sweetheart who is looking for a forever home. He loves to go for car rides and is completely housebroken. This perfect gentleman knows basic commands and just wants a loving home where he can cuddle next to his family at night. The rescue said his transition into a new home would be easier if he was the only dog but he is learning that other dogs mean him no harm. Bruce loves everyone he meets but will bark to alert his family someone is there. If this faithful pup sounds like the perfect match for you, you can find out more by clicking here. The playful girl will need a home with a fenced in yard to play fetch and run around. Does Layla sound like the perfect dog for you? Adopt her. He has the biggest heart and just wants to find a family who will love him the way he is. He gets around just fine thanks to a custom wheelchair. If you are ready to experience unconditional love — adopt him! The six-year-old loves attention and looking at herself in the mirror. She would do best in a home with another dog as she is unsure of loud noises and new things. A patient family with a fenced in yard would be perfect for Peaches. They arrived with three other siblings but these two would love to find a home together. They are incredibly smart, eager to learn, and ready for a forever home. If you are able to open your heart and home to two adorable puppies click here. The seven-year-old gentle giant loves children and people. He does not do well with other male dogs but could live in a home with a female dog. If this handsome boy caught your eye, you can adopt him here. While he still has bursts of energy, he prefers attention over play and has not shown any interest in playing fetch. Adopt him here. He can be a bit bossy so a home with older children or no children would be best. Rocko is too interested in cats to live with them but can live with another dog, after a meet-and-greet. Looking for an adventure buddy? Marley Mae is your girl and she loves car rides. Daily walks will be required but fresh air and exercise is good for everyone. Oliver is a love bug and just wants a family of his own. If you are willing to spoil him with attention and cuddles, apply to adopt him here. Boyd is currently in Texas looking for a loving forever home. Adopt him! The gorgeous pup will shed and is still learning to walk on a leash. He needs a family who will teach him basic commands and house train him. If you are ready for a lifetime of fun and learning, apply to adopt Asher here. Missy is a friendly gal rescue estimates she is 18! She prefers a home without children. Let her show you how to enjoy the little things in life, like a relaxing care ride. If she is the dog you have been looking for, adopt her here. Colin is 7 years young and a total sweetheart. He enjoys walks and meeting new people but also loves cuddling. The affectionate boy does have separation anxiety so he would do best with a homebody. She is 5-years-old and gets along well with other dogs. This loving girl is looking for a forever home. Adopt her! He needs a family that will take the time to teach him how to be a good boy. He is a year-old boy who loves other dogs, cats, and children. He is looking to enjoy his golden years with a loving family. Bring him home! He is missing hair due to a skin infection that is being treated by a vet. This good boy is ready for his forever home. She just wants a family of her own to go on walks and cuddle with. Anyone ready to give her a life of luxury and love her unconditionally can adopt her here. The young boy loves to play with a ball and will do so for hours. He loves people and would do best with a family that prefers to stay in or take him along on adventures. He loves treats and is a quick learner. An active family would be the best fit for Samson as he needs to go on a couple mile walk every day. He gets along well with other dogs and just wants a home of his own. Does he sound like the perfect dog for you? He loves going for walks and to the beach. As soon as he sees his leash his tail starts to wag. While he is always up for adventure, the big fella also loves to relax and cuddle. If you are looking for a best friend who will never leave your side, then look no further. Adopt Harlow here! The golden mix boy is inquisitive and energetic. He needs a patient family who will teach him how to be a good boy and watch him grow into his huge paws. She walks well on a leash and is as sweet as can be. She enjoys playing with other dogs but can be a bit bossy. The sweet dog is looking for a calm and quiet home to enjoy his golden years. He enjoys cuddling and going for short walks. FAQ about golden retrievers and how to start the process of adoption. What is the lifespan of a golden retriever? Golden retrievers are active dogs with a life span of years. How much exercise does a golden retriever need? The breed is part of the sporting group and was originally bred to retrieve ducks and fowls for hunters. They need daily exercise consisting of a walk, a game of fetch, or a trip to the beach. Ideally, they should have 60 minutes of intense exercise a day and a great way to achieve that is through hiking. How to adopt a golden retriever? If you think a golden retriever is the right dog for you, contact your local shelter. Be sure that your lifestyle is a fit for a golden and consider adopting an older dog. No matter what type of companion you are looking for, you can find a perfect fit in a rescue pet. History Where are Golden Retrievers from? One of the best documented and most fortuitous efforts to produce a breed resulted in the Golden Retriever. The man responsible for the breed was Lord Tweedmouth, who lived just north of the Scottish border along the Tweed River. How big do Golden Retrievers get? Goldens can reach a weight of 55 — 75 lbs, and a height between .A Golden Retriever has a dense, straight or wavy outer water-repellent coat, which sheds heavily twice annually and lightly throughout the year. Groom a Golden Retriever weekly to maintain the double coat and control shedding. What are the Golden Retriever colors? The breed was first considered to be a yellow variety of Flat-Coated Retrievers but was recognized as a separate breed, the Yellow or Golden Retriever, in .What makes the Golden Retriever dog so popular? The breed was valued for the hunting abilities so ably produced by the careful blending of foundation stock, and only later became popular as a pet. How long do Golden Retrievers live? Golden Retrievers have a lifespan of 10—13 years. What are some Golden Retriever facts and information? Facts Golden Retrievers are best known to: Push through heavy vegetation.

Brilliant Books for Labrador Parents! Books are wonderful resources for learning more about our Labradors. The Happy Puppy is a uniquely detailed and positive guide to raising a happy, confident and obedient puppy without force or punishment. From potty training to socialization and from biting to recall, Pippa covers every aspect of preparing for, and raising a new puppy. A treasure trove of information on Labradors, this is the perfect companion for anyone who loves Labrador Retrievers as much as we all do. Pippa covers finding a Labrador puppy, rescuing an older Labrador, training, feeding, neutering and health. All in her popular objective and constructive manner. Find out more about The Labrador Handbook on Amazon here. Total Recall is much more than just a recall training program, it teaches you how dogs learn and how to successfully train your Labrador without tearing your hair out. The extensive troubleshooting sections looks at all the ways in which training can go wrong and shows you how to avoid and fix them! They're one of the most respected breeds and with good reason - great as gundogs, brilliant in the show ring and a wonderful part of the family to boot. She supports modern, science-based dog training methods - but her passion is about helping people to enjoy their dogs. If you're looking for advice about Labradors, she is going to be difficult to better. The Labrador Handbook is thorough. Yes there are a lot of excellent colour pictures of the breed, but they're not padding: there is a lot of good sound information in here, from a short history of the breed and the two types of Labrador which have emerged - either for the show bench or the shoot. I liked the fact that she approaches ownership, not from the perspective of whether or not a Labrador is the right dog for you, but whether you are ready for a Labrador. They might be a popular dog, but that's not to say that they're easy, particularly if you're hoping to get the best from them. She's also keen that you should consider adopting a dog rather than opting for a young puppy by default. I can appreciate the sense of this - I love dogs, but I've never been overly fond of the puppy stage and our most successful bitch came to us when she was just emerging from the puppy stage. If you are looking for a puppy, there's exhaustive detail about the checks you need to make and the questions you have to ask. I'd recommend taking the book with you when you look at a new pup - it could save you from making an expensive - or heart-breaking - mistake. The advice on surviving the first few weeks and it is surviving if you're doing it properly is sensible - it can be extremely hard work, particularly with house training and socialising, all of which takes time. New owners will appreciate the suggestions about biting, barking, destructive behaviour, eating rubbish putting it nicely and possessiveness. It reassuring and realistic. Some health problems do occur frequently in Labradors and there's excellent advice as to when you need veterinary assistance. Much of the health advice - as with the section on training - applies to many breeds of dog, particularly the larger breeds, but that doesn't make it any less worthwhile. Even vets are divided as to when - or if - a dog or a bitch should be neutered - and I liked the fact that Mattinson puts the problem in the context of the owner's lifestyle and family rather giving categorical statements as to what should be done. The book closes with sections on what to do when things go wrong - and once again Mattison is totally realistic about the options - and how to help your friend at the end of his life. It's written with sensitivity and understanding, but then the whole book is very easy reading. It's the reviewer's lot to read the whole book right through I expect owners will read what applies to them at a particular time but it was no hardship to read everything in a couple of pleasant sessions. It's rather like having a chat with a knowledgeable, dog-owning friend. I've a minor quibble about conversions of metric to imperial measurement - but that's me being picky. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag. Please share on:.

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Have you always wanted a Labrador retriever, but are you worried about the common health problems of the breed? Someone might have recommended that you go for a Pit Bull-Lab mix. Labrador retrievers and American pit bull terriers began to be deliberately interbred in the s as a way of minimizing the health problems that are common to both pure breeds. The result is usually a gorgeous, medium-sized pup with the strength and loyalty of a pit bull and the intelligence and affection of a Labrador. But wait, you might be wondering if these dogs are highly aggressive, since pit bulls do have a reputation for being a pretty aggressive dog. While exactly what you get with a mix-breed pup is always unpredictable, the aggressive reputation of the pit bull is undeserved. They are, in fact, intelligent and affectionate canines. A word of warning, while pit bull-Lab mixes are highly affectionate and highly trainable, they are not generally recommended for first-time dog owners since there is quite a bit of work involved in looking after these special dogs. But whatever you call them, they are a mix between a Labrador retriever and an American pit bull terrier. Labrador retrievers are medium-large gun dogs that were initially bred to retrieve game. But over the years, they have also become incredibly popular family dogs. They are also highly intelligent, trainable, and friendly, so they are also often used as disability assistance dogs, for example working as guide dogs for the blind. American pit bull terriers are solidly built medium-sized dogs. In the early 19th century, they were often used in blood sports such as bull and bear-baiting, and after these sports were outlawed in , they were also often used in dogfighting. This is why the breed has a reputation for being aggressive, but they are not naturally aggressive when properly cared for. They are, in fact, strong, confident, and lively, and make excellent family pets as they love children and are protective of them. Pit Bull-Labrador Mix Characteristics Unlike with pure-bred dogs, which tend to have a fairly predictable appearance and temperament, you can never be sure exactly how the characteristics of parents will combine in a mix-breed dog. But it is possible to generalize about the most likely characteristics of a pit bull-Lab mix based on the characteristics that appear most often, and characteristics that breeders will often try and control to produce the best possible pups. Labrador-Pit Bull Mix Appearance Most pups that are a mix between a Labrador retriever and a pit bull can be characterized as medium in size. They usually range from between 17 to 25 inches tall and can weigh anywhere from 45 to 90 pounds. Male Lab-pit bull mixes tend to be significantly larger than their female counterparts. They will almost certainly have a strong and muscular physique. Labradors are fairly strong to start with, and this is only enhanced by the extreme muscular nature of the American pit bull terrier. Their facial features generally fall between those of a Lab and a pit bull, and they will have a broader forehead than a Labrador retriever, but it will be narrower than that of a pit bull. They usually have a relatively long muzzle and long pointed ears. Your pitador might also come out with the classic Labrador retriever double coat that sheds a lot. Breeders will often try and control for this characteristic, but there are no guarantees. There is no way of knowing what kind of coat they will have when you adopt a puppy. Coat colors vary from classic Labrador colors including black, chocolate, and golden yellow, but you can also expect to see white, spotted, brindle, and cream. Lab-Pit Bull Mix Temperament When you adopt a Labrabull, you can expect a dog that is affectionate, intelligent, and energetic, as these are characteristics of both Labrador retrievers and American pit bull terriers. Lab-pit bull mixes are very affectionate and bond quickly with new families. They are incredibly friendly with children and will be both careful and protective of them. While you can trust a pit bull-Lab mix with children, small children should never be left alone with any dog unsupervised. While they do get on with other animals, this breed does have a need to be dominant. They may engage in behaviors you consider aggressive or undesirable to assert their dominance over other dogs or household animals. They crave to be included in everything the family does and to be the center of attention. These dogs are very intelligent and also eager to please, which makes them highly trainable. They are just as capable of being trained as working dogs as their Labrador retriever parent. They are motivated by praise and reward, and training should always utilize positive reinforcement. When your dog is frustrated and confused by what you want from them, that is when they can become aggressive. But pit bull-Lab dogs are not naturally aggressive; they actually have a calm and fun-loving temperament. But they are also high energy and need a lot of exercise. They are highly alert and will bark a little to let you know if guests arrive at the door or strangers are lurking near the house. Lab-Pit Bull Mix Health These crossbreed dogs generally live for years and within that time are likely to have fewer health problems than either purebred Labrador retrievers or American pit bull terriers. Nevertheless, they can be inclined to develop some of the joint conditions that are common in Labrador retrievers, such as hip dysplasia. They can benefit from glucosamine supplements to help keep their joints supple and healthy. You can find our recommendations for the best glucosamine supplements here. These dogs are also more inclined to developing epilepsy and hyperthyroidism than some other dog breeds. You should monitor your dog for seizures to identify the onset of epilepsy. You can read more about seizures in dogs here. Finally, dogs that are a mix of Labrador retrievers and pit bulls can be inclined to develop skin conditions and allergies. For this reason, it is important to choose a good pH-balanced shampoo for your dog, and try to keep their food and environment free of toxins that can trigger or exacerbate allergies. These might help you to decide whether they are the right breed of dog for you. Exercise Lab-pit bull retrievers are energetic dogs that need lots of space to play. They need a yard to give them space to run and play throughout the day. They need a lot of exercise each day. They need at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as running or playing catch, each day. On top of this, they will need hours of moderate exercise such as walking and playing. This exercise is best when split into at least two exercise sessions each day. It is advisable to keep your pit bull-Lab mix on the leash when in public parks as they have a high prey drive. Attention These dogs thrive on love and attention, and since they are so intelligent, they also need a lot of mental stimulation. This means that it is not appropriate to leave them alone for long periods of time. If you leave one of these dogs alone for ten hours a day while everyone is at work, you will come home to a lot of destruction and a frustrated dog that may become aggressive in their need for your affection. Grooming Most Lab-pit bull mixes have the short-haired, low-shedding coat of a pit bull, which only needs brushing once a week. But if they turn out to have the high-shedding coat of a retriever, you may find that you need to brush them every day to keep on top of their shedding. You will also want a powerful vacuum cleaner that is designed to pick up dog hair. You also need to pay a lot of attention to dental care, as Lab-pit bull mixes are prone to tartar build-up and gum disease. Diet Since these dogs are highly muscular and full of energy, they thrive on a diet that is high in animal-based proteins and high in healthy fats. You do need to be careful how much food you give them, as they will usually eat even when they feel full, and they are prone to put on weight when they overeat. So, feed them a diet that is low in carbohydrates and put food out at regular times rather than leaving food in their bowl for them to graze throughout the day. Since these dogs are prone to allergies, it is important to invest in high-quality food that does not contain any artificial additives that can be toxic for dogs. It is also a good idea to vary their diet, and ensure they are not eating the same type of meat every day. Dogs are most likely to develop allergies to the foods they eat the most. So, if you feed your dog the same chicken-based dog food every day, it is likely that over time they might develop an allergy to chicken. Varying the protein that makes up their diet can help prevent this. Where To Adopt There are many reputable breeders out there breeding top-quality pit bull-Labrador retriever mixes. Generally speaking, you will find that the Labrador is the mother, as they are a slightly larger breed, and it is safer for the dog when the mother is a bit larger than the father. So, if possible, look to adopt rather than buy. A great place to start looking for adoptable dogs is at Petfinder. We found our Australian Shepherd Labrador Retriever mix through petfinder. FAQs Is a pit bull-Lab mix an aggressive dog? No, pit bull-Lab mix dogs are not aggressive. They can have a reputation for aggression because pit bulls have traditionally been used in blood sports, but the breed is not naturally aggressive. They can be dominant among other animals and may engage in classic alphamale behavior to assert their position in the animal hierarchy. When do Lab-pit bull mixes stop growing? Lab-pit bull mix dogs will usually keep growing until they are about three years old, which is around the same time as they start to lose their puppy energy. You can expect them to grow between 17 and 25 inches tall and to weigh between 45 and 90 pounds. Are pit bull-Lab mixes a good dog breed for families with kids? Yes, Lab-pit bull mixes are excellent kids. They are gentle and playful and will also be highly protective of their young charges. While they will give you a bark to let you know that strangers are around, they are actually very good with strangers as well. Can you have a pit bull-Lab mix with another dog? Pit bull-Lab mixes are highly dominant animals, so they will try and assert their dominance over any other animals you have in the house. For this reason, they need to be well-socialized from a young age to ensure they learn appropriate behavior. So, while you can introduce a Lab-pit bull mix puppy into a home that already has a dog, you might want to be wary about introducing an adult dog into a household that already has another dog. Do pit bull-Lab mix dogs bark a lot? No, these highly intelligent dogs are not the type to bark continuously or for no reason. They might give you a bark to let you know when something has happened or if someone is approaching. When do Labrador-pit bull mix dogs calm down? From about the age of one year, these dogs begin to calm down and have less energy. The Verdict Labrador retriever-American pit bull terrier mixes make excellent pets for anyone with an active lifestyle and lots of space for these dogs to stretch their legs. They combine the intelligent and friendly temperament of both breeds in an adorable dog that is less likely to suffer from some of the serious medical conditions that are common in both pure breeds. They are also highly trainable and have a calm and friendly temperament as long as they are getting the physical stimulation and the attention that they need. You will need to be prepared to make the time commitment to keep these dogs healthy and happy. Do you have any experience raising a Lab-pit bull mix pup? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments section below. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining. Although a playful pup sounds endearing, consider how many games of fetch or tag you want to play each day, and whether you have kids or other dogs who can stand in as playmates for the dog. Click here for more information on this characteristic Labrabull Highlights Labrabulls are mixed breed dogs. The main colors of Labrabulls are black, white, gray, brown, yellow and silver. The vast majority of Labrabulls are black with white accents. Labrabulls love children. Sturdy, energetic, and tolerant, they are ideal playmates. That said, no dog of any size or breed should ever be left unsupervised with children. Labrabull History The Labrabull mixed dog breed may have existed naturally over the years, but designer breeders started intentionally mixing American Pit Bull Terriers and Labrador Retrievers in the late s, likely in North America. Breeders wanted to mix the two parent breeds to minimize health issues that tend to affect pure breeds as they are often inbred. Breeders continued to create Labrabulls as demand for the mixed breed pups climbed. Even though the Labrabull breed got its start as a designer breed, some have ended up in shelters or in the care of rescue groups. Consider adoption if you decide this is the pup for you. Check your local shelters, look up Labrabull rescues, or check with breed-specific American Pit Bull Terrier and Labrador Retriever rescues, as they sometimes help to re-home mixed breed dogs. That said, as a mix between American Pit Bull Terrier and Labrador Retriever parents, you can expect Labrabulls to be medium in size—though they are typically on the larger end of medium. Most weigh in 45 to 90 pounds and range in height from 20 to 24 inches at the shoulder. However, many can be smaller or larger. The males typically run up to 30 pounds heavier than the females. Labrabull Personality Labrabull parents usually describe them as being loving and loyal. Their high energy levels mean they would probably prefer a game of fetch to an afternoon nap. They love affection so make sure to give them some cuddle sessions at the end of the day. Labrabulls are easily frightened. If you are looking for a rough, tough dog, keep on searching. Labrabulls are also very loyal and protective of their family. If their family is threatened, they would not hesitate to display aggression. Labrabulls do well with early training, they are eager to please, and they thrive on positive re-enforcement. Make sure to establish yourself as pack leader and be consistent. They are intelligent with a sweet disposition. Labrabulls have a strong, muscular build. They are energetic and excel in agility training and sports. If you want a dog to exercise with, this may be your new best friend and favorite workout partner. Their activity levels mean they may prefer a house with a yard; however, make sure that yard is secure, as some may exhibit wanderlust. For a highly active person with the right lifestyle a Labrabull would be just fine in an apartment. While most are generally healthy, some may be prone to a few health issues, which is why it is important to maintain good care and regular veterinary checkups. Some of the more common health problems Labrabulls suffer from include: OCD. Loyal and easy to train, the Pitbull Lab mix will make an excellent addition to any family and provide great companionship. History Of The Pitbull Lab Mix Both the Pitbull and the Labrador Retriever are historically working dogs , so it comes as no surprise that the Pitbull Lab mix likes to keep themselves busy and entertained. They were originally bred to combine the most desirable characteristics from both parent breeds into one dog — the temperament of the Labrador and the loyalty of the Pitbull. Breed Origin The breed origin of the Pitbull Lab mix is actually unknown and we cannot be sure when these dogs first appeared. However, we can look at the history of both parent breeds so you get an idea of where these pups originated from. The Pitbull parent in the Pitbull Lab mix can actually be any of four types of Pitbull. The Pitbull was created in early 19th-century England for the popular spectator sports of bull and bear baiting. They were thought of as aggressive fighting dogs but it was also known that they were very gentle with humans and made excellent family dogs. Later, these Pitbulls accompanied immigrants to America and they began new careers as all-around farm dogs. Their jobs included hunting wild game, guarding the property from animal intruders and providing companionship. The Labrador, as we mentioned above, is the most popular breed of dog in America. Labradors were originally bred as gun dogs in the s and used to accompany hunters and retrieve animals that had been shot. They were also used in Newfoundland to retrieve fish that came in off the trawl, which is why they love the water. Their loyal and loving nature mean that they quickly became a very popular family dog and are still used today as working dogs, such as guide dogs. Characteristics Of The Pitbull Lab Mix Because the Pitbull Lab Mix is not a purebred breed and it is not recognized by any kennel clubs, this means that there is no definite breed standard for these pups. This means we cannot be sure how each litter of puppies is going to turn out. However, we can guess based on previous litters. These dogs are normally born in litter sizes of 5 to 10 puppies, with the average being 7. It is not normally an issue which parent is the sire or the dam when breeding. Appearance As we have said above, you can never be sure what your Pitbull Lab crossbreed will look like. They may look more like their Pitbull parent or more like their Labrador Retriever parent. The Pitbull Lab Mix is classed as a medium to large breed dog, and they can weigh anywhere up to 80 lbs, with females generally being smaller than males. These dogs will likely have floppy ears and will be muscular yet lean in statue. Coat A Labrador Pitbull Mix will generally have a short, smooth coat and they will not require too much grooming. We will go into more detail about grooming later on. Color The parent breeds of the Pitbull Lab Mix dog can vary greatly in color, which means your designer dog will likely vary greatly too. A Labrador can be yellow, brown or black and a Pitbull can be a huge range of colors — especially because there are four different breeds of this dog! If you want a good indication as to what your Pitbull Lab may look like color wise, you should take a look at the parent breeds. Temperament The Pitbull Lab Mix is a friendly and sociable dog that loves to be around people. This is particularly true for the Pitbull in them, who can become feisty when bored or not stimulated. Therefore, they will do well when they are around a lot of people and are being given lots of attention! This could not be further from the truth. When raised properly and socialized well, these dogs are sweet-natured and loving — traits which are passed down to the Pit Lab Mix. They are not known to bark and will alert you when there is anything wrong, making them a great guard dog or watch dog. The intelligence level of this mixed breed dog means they are easily trainable and will be top of the class at puppy school. They will also happily learn tricks and engage with their owners! Lifespan The Lab Pit Mix has a relatively long life expectancy and can live, on average, anywhere between 10 and 14 years. These are normally the same health issues that their parent breeds are predisposed to. However, there are two health problems that are seen more frequently, both of which are seen in Labradors. Some dogs show pain and lameness on one or both rear legs, but you may not notice any signs of discomfort in a dog with hip dysplasia. Progressive Retinal Atrophy PRA — this is an eye disorder that eventually causes blindness from the loss of photoreceptors at the back of the eye. Regular vet checkups and keeping an eye on your dog will ensure you can catch any of these issues before they become untreatable. Remember — buy from a reputable breeder and the chances your dog will suffer any health conditions will be greatly reduced. Trusted breeders will do health checks on both parent breeds and will not crossbreed if there is a chance of passing on any issues to offspring. Daily Life While the different traits and characteristics that your Pitbull Lab Mix may inherit from their parent breeds can be somewhat of a mystery, fortunately taking care of these dogs is pretty straight forward. Below we discuss their food and diet, their exercise needs and their grooming needs. As an adult, this should be anywhere between 1, to 2, calories a day, which equates to four cups of kibble a day. You should always check the back of the food packet to see the exact amount you should be feeding them of a particular food based on their weight. When they reach maturity, this should be reduced to 2. As an adult, you should try to feed them three times a day. Always remember to feed your Pitbull Lab Mix nutritious, high-quality dog food. We have included a food that we recommend below. This food is formulated with protein-rich chicken as the first ingredient, ensuring your doggie gets all the nutrients they need to keep their muscles healthy and strong. Designed specially for large dog breeds, this food contains glucosamine and chondroitin to help support joint health and overall mobility of bigger dogs. There are also antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to support immune system health, life stage requirements and a healthy oxidative balance. Exercise A Pitbull Labrador crossbreed is a medium to large breed of dog and therefore has high exercise needs. A dog of this size should be exercising for around minutes a day, so you must make sure you have the time to dedicate to this breed before buying. When the Pitbull cross is a puppy, you should remember the 5 minute rule. Therefore, if your pup is four months old, you should only be exercising them for around 20 minutes. These pups will love to join you on a hike or a run or, like their Labrador parent, they also love to swim. Because of their intelligence, they can also learn different dog sports such as flyball or agility, so this is something to think about. Check locally to see whether your area has any restrictions. You may need to keep your dog on the leash or have them wear a muzzle. Loving and friendly, these pups thrive when they are around people and like to be right in the middle of everything, getting all the attention! They do not do well when left alone and can exhibit destructive behaviors and signs of separation anxiety. Therefore, you must make sure you are not going to be out for hours at a time if you are thinking about bringing one of these dogs into your home. These dogs need to be kept entertained and stimulated mentally, which is why they can be such a good playmate for children. They also get on well with other family pets, so there is no need to worry about their reaction to other dogs and cats. The Pitbull Lab Mix is a very intelligent dog, which means training them is very easy. Training and Socializing We have mentioned above that the Pitbull Labrador crossbreed is a very intelligent dog. This means that training them is easy and is one of the reasons they are recommended as a good first dog. These pups respond best to positive reinforcement training. This includes verbal praise and reward-based training such as treats. Socializing your Pitbull Lab cross is also not difficult. They get on well with children and other animals, so there should be no issue within the family home. You should start socializing them from a young age and introduce them to new sights, sounds, places, smells, people and animals when you are out and about. Grooming Fortunately, your Lab Pitbull Mix will not require a lot grooming. You will need to brush them roughly two to three times a week to ensure that shedding stays at a minimum. Unfortunately, as they have a Labrador parent, they will shed a lot! You will need to invest in a good vacuum cleaner if you want to keep your home fur-free. Bathing your Pitbull Lab is also important, but this can be done as infrequently as times a year. You should also check their ears regularly to spot any signs of infection, and ensure their nails are clipped as needed. We touched on this above but the answer is no. There is a common misconception that all Pitbulls are dangerous, but when trained properly and brought up in a loving and caring environment, Pitbulls are affectionate, loyal dogs and love to be around people. Are Pitbulls illegal? In some areas of the United States, Australia and the UK, Pitbulls and other related dog breeds are under breed-specific laws. These laws prevent residents in those areas from owning these dogs, except from under special circumstances. Pitbulls in these areas are seen as a danger because of their reputation and dog fighting background, even though there is a huge amount of evidence to show that when trained properly Pitbulls make great pets. How much does a Pitbull Lab Mix cost? If this is out of your price range, you can always check your local shelter to see if there is a pup there that needs a loving home! Summary The Pitbull Labrador Mix breed was created to cherrypick the best traits from each parent breed — the temperament of the Labrador and the loyalty of the Pitbull. These loving, friendly dogs make excellent family pups who just love to be around people, both adults and children, and other animals too. While the Pitbull has a reputation for being aggressive, this could not be further from the truth and, when put in the right home, the Pitbull Labrador Mix is a companion for life. What do you think, is one of these dogs right for you? Other Pitbull Related Guides. .You will never know if your puppy is going to look more like a Lab or a Pit in the future. Pit Lab Mixes are black, brown, tan, white, and yellow. Some Pit Lab Mixes are solid in color, while others have distinctive white marks just like a Pitbull. Originally, all Labradors were black. When a litter is influenced by the predominant features of the Black Lab, it is very likely for you to have a litter of jet black Lab Pitbull pups. A majority of Lab Pitbulls are actually black in color with distinctive white marks on the face, on the chest, at the tips of the paws and tail. Its spectrum of rich brown hues can be passed onto its offsprings. Brown Lab Pitbulls usually have markings, too. Labradors with orange hues to their coats are also classified by the American Kennel Club as a yellow Labrador. Pitbull Lab Mix Looks Generally speaking, Pitbull Lab Mixes have the following features: a broad head a pair of almond-shaped eyes small droopy ears a long tail a smooth, dense coat But as with any crossbreed, there is no way you can accurately guess how your puppy is going to turn out. You will just have to wait until he is fully grown. A Pitbull Lab can grow to a height between 30 cm. As always, this breed sits in the grey area between the Pitbull and the Labrador even in size. Their weight also depends on how much Labrador or Pitbull genes they have in them. Pitbull Labs in general, weigh around 45 lbs. However, a Pitbull Lab with dominant Pitbull genes can weigh up to 95 lbs. Pitbull Lab Mix Character Traits We all know that the Labrador Retriever has a playful, friendly spirit while the Pitbull has a bold, courageous demeanor. So, what could be the personality of a Pitbull Lab mix? Read on to find out! Pitbull Lab Mixes are family oriented and will protect their humans at all costs. These courageous canines will stand up to any threat! Pitbull Lab Mixes are highly protective of their pack, which is often displayed as an aggressive behavior. When given proper training, the Pitbull Lab mix can easily distinguish between threat and unusual stimuli, so he can exercise restraint. The Pitbull Lab mix is usually quiet, which makes them the ideal pet for apartment living or for close-knit subdivisions. Likewise, Pitbull Lab Mixes are great watch dogs as they always keep their eyes peeled. They can sense danger from afar, be it a wanted criminal or a teenager who is up to no good. A big softie Another remarkable trait that Labrabulls have is their ability to connect with their owners. They can sense if you are sad, troubled, or in pain. These dogs will snuggle next to you and give you wet licks — the canine equivalent of hugs and kisses. So, the next time you are about to cry, you can count on your tail-wagger to comfort you during hard times. This is certainly a trait that they have inherited from Labradors. After all, Labradors are notably known as therapy dogs. A goofball Pitbull Lab Mixes are ever-ready to face any danger that represents itself. But these fearless dogs also melt easily into a jiggly pile of face-licking love around their beloved humans. Pitbull Lab Mixes love to run fast, tug hard, jump high, play games and solve doggie problems like the smart and creative creature that he is. Clingy Although the Pitbull Lab mix is a big softie, this breed does have a tendency to develop a neurotic behavior if left alone for long periods. Encourage him to be a little more independent by allowing him to explore the world a little further away from you. Docile Pitbull Lab Mixes are notable for their obedient demeanor towards their owners. Applies to all dog food recalls in the U. Be sure to establish yourself as the Alpha of the pack, especially when your Pitbull Lab Mix is still a pup. Lab Pit Mix Temperament A majority of dog owners are not yet convinced with the Lab Pit Mix temperament, which mainly harks back to the reputation of its parent breed, the Pitbull. So, why are these dogs depicted in a bad light? But truth be told, the tiny Chihuahua is actually more threatening than the hulking Pitbull. James Serpell, a renowned professor from the University of Pennsylvania, conducted a series of tests to determine which canines are the most aggressive. Furthermore, the American Temperament Test Society performed a study in to evaluate the temperament of the controversial breed. According to the results, the American Pitbull Terrier has a temperament passing rate of .In other words, many canines that share Pitbull-like characteristics are quickly categorized as a Pitbull Terrier. Likewise, the CDC stated that there is no scientific proof that shows Pitbulls are more involved in fatal attacks compared to other breeds. But of course, any dog that was cultivated for aggression can terrorize a whole neighborhood. This applies to all dogs, not just for Pitbulls. Therefore, an angry Pitbull is not the closest thing you will encounter next to a Great White Shark. While its parent breed has proven itself a true fighter, a Pitbull can only be aggressive if the dog was bred for the wrong reasons. Undesirable traits are rooted in improper training and lack of socialization, regardless of which breed you have. This means a Labrador, which is easygoing and gentle by nature, can get into a bevy of troubles if he has no concept of right and wrong. Unfortunately, the Pitbull Terrier remains a cult favorite among irresponsible owners. Therefore, it is imperative that you take the time to ensure your canine buddy gets properly trained and socialized. Despite their undeserved reputation, a Pitbull or a Pitbull Lab mix can respond well when training is done the right way, especially when you shower your pets with tender loving care! Are Lab Pitbull Mixes Sociable? Dogs are social creatures and are happiest when in contact with others, so yes, that includes the Pitbull Lab mix. But just like any other dog, your Lab Pit Mix must learn social skills at a tender age to keep fighting at a minimum. Socializing allows your tiny pup to get used to various settings and be comfortable towards meeting new people and animals. Keep in mind that Lab Pit Mix sometimes love to play a little rough. However, this should not be mistaken as a high prey drive. As a fur-parent, you also have to be well-balanced as the dog you seek. If you have a grumpy canine with a killer glint in the eye and a growl to match, step back and consider whether you are teaching your dog the right lessons. If not, get professional help! Establish yourself as the Alpha First of all, you have to firmly establish yourself as the leader of the pack. It means you have to set boundaries, stick with your own rules, and avoid doing things out on a whim! Otherwise, your growing pooch would think you are weak and inconsistent. A successful relationship depends upon you being in control. If your little Pitador does what he wants in small, harmless ways, it is likely for him to do what he wants in big, annoying ways. Nevertheless, be sure to be fair and calm when correcting your furry sidekick. Pitadors are among the most obedient dogs but they can also be very sensitive. Employ positive reinforcement Pitadors care about praise… and yummy treats! So, be sure to hand out some tasty dog biscuits to your pup for his little accomplishments. You can also alternate it with praises and belly rubs. Positive reinforcement is absolutely crucial, especially during the first weeks of potty training. When your Pitador goes potty outside instead of your hardwood floor, make a fuss and reward him. Considering how the Pitbull Lab mix is extremely intelligent, your pup is quick to understand which of his actions are good and desirable to you. Thus, he will repeat the behavior as often as possible. Correct your dog the right way Punishment is often associated with physical harm, such as hitting your dog with a stick. This method is not only harsh but also counterproductive. So, how do you correct your canine lout without making him anxious or wary of you? Since it is no good trying to reason with your dog, the most efficient and humane way to teach him is through constructive punishment. You can confiscate his favorite toys or simply ignore your dog for a certain period of time. Physical punishment only hampers the relationship between you and your beloved pet. Explore new grounds Take your furry sidekick as many places as you can go. You can stuff him in a pet carrier while he is still a puppy and have him walk beside you when he is finally bulky. Having your little Pitador tag along with you provides him with a spectrum of experiences with various people, animals, and objects. This is the best way to shape his behavior towards boisterous children, unusual structures, and fast-moving vehicles among many others. The more exposure he has as a puppy, the calmer he becomes as an adult. Provide mental and physical stimulation Both parent breeds of the Pitbull Lab mix requires tons of mental and physical exercise, so it is quite unsurprising for their offspring to have the same demands. Regular exercise is paramount if you want to keep your furry sidekick fighting fit. Otherwise, your Pitador is bound to carry extra weight that can have a huge impact on his overall wellbeing. Dogs are rarely lazy but if the exercise is boring, dogs are as likely as humans to refuse to do it. However, simply letting your dog chase squirrels out in the backyard is not going to cut it. So, what are your options? Walk your dog Walking your canine buddy is the most commonly performed exercise. Ideally, active dogs such as the Pitbull Lab mix should be taken out for a long walk twice daily. To make this a viable solution for busy fur-parents, choose to walk around the neighborhood a couple of times or go to a park that has a decent distance from your home. Try to change the route of your walks from time to time, so your Pitador has a new battery of smells to get excited over. You can always count on the treadmill if it rains cats and dogs! It gives your dog the workout he requires in a playful manner, while you just sit and relax. It would be wise to come equipped with a nifty device, such as a toughened tennis ball with a long-handled launcher that sends the ball flying into the far distance. Dog Frisbees also fly long distances to be retrieved by your pet. Go out for a swim A lot of dogs are afraid of the water but once they get the hang of it, they will paddle like a wild duck! Swimming is also one of the most enjoyable activities you can do with your dog. There is a plethora of toys from pet stores, such as a Kong floating toy to encourage your furry pal to swim. Your fun-loving Pitador will surely jump right in and retrieve the object for you. Find out what reward motivates your canine buddy and include some of that reward for him in your exercise regime to encourage him to be more active. Even racing up the stairs with your dog can be a fun and effective exercise, as well. The simplest forms of exercise can deliver amazing results. In fact, running up and down the stairs is the quickest way for obese dogs to lose weight! They will chow down anything delicious, whether it is the best dry dog food for small dogs or the best large breed dry dog food! So, it is up to you to provide your canine buddy the balanced diet he needs to stay hale and hearty. Go for the best dry dog food and keep them away from the nutrient-deprived worst dry dog food. His choices are:. Pitbull Lab mix puppies, breeders or adoption? The Pitbull Lab Mix can be a great pet for the right home. In this article we will look at how well suited the Labrabull is to your family, and give you tips for finding the perfect puppy. We will also give you the information you need to properly feed, care for and groom your dog. And explore their behavior traits and training, exercise and socialization requirements. This guide is packed with information and will help you decide whether an adult Lab Pitbull mix will suit your home and lifestyle. Pitbull Lab Mix Origins? Labradors and Pitbulls have been being bred together informally for years, for pet homes and as ranch dogs. But in recent years with the rise of the designer first generation dog mixes, then are gaining more of a following. Labs are one of the most popular breeds in the US. Their ancestors originated in Canada and they were bred there in the 18th century to aid fisherman who needed a trusted and reliable helper dog. On the flip side, this hard-working, rough and tough canine also has a sweet personality. Today Labs are best described as loyal, intelligent, friendly and eager-to-please. Labs can co-exist with various age groups as well as with a cross-section of other animals. They take to training easily and make Labs a popular choice as police dogs, service dogs, and therapy dogs. The Pitbull originated from crossing Bulldogs with Terriers back in the s. Breeds used for fighting, bullbaiting a ratting. Despite their lurid beginnings, the Pitbull is actually an affectionate breed with a fierce loyalty to their owners. Once brought over from the UK to America, Pitbulls were commonly used as farm dogs to protect livestock and herd sheep. They were known for their docile temperament with people and children and were not just working dogs but family pets. Pitbulls are strong, athletic, and courageous dogs, but underneath it all, they are often big softies looking for the same love and attention as any pet. They have expressive eyes, pointed ears and a long fairly straight tail. In other words, given his parentage, your pup can be counted on to be one of the most handsome dogs zipping around the dog park! How Big is the Pitbull Lab mix? The Labrador Pitbull mix is a medium to large, powerful, dog that can reach up to two feet in height and weigh anywhere from 50 to 90 pounds when fully grown. The fur is smooth and shiny, and not difficult to maintain. You can expect the common coat colors to be a solid tan, black, white, yellow, or brown. However, the Pitbull Lab Mix can also come with various colors like the Pitbull; so a brindle is entirely possible! Pitbulls tend to shed on the low to average end of the spectrum. However, a Lab Pitbull Mix could well take after their Labrador parent in the molting department and be more of a heavy shedding dog. Either way they are not a hypoallergenic dog and are not recommended for allergy sufferers. They can also need quite a lot of grooming in the shedding season, despite their short coat. Pitbull Lab Mix Grooming A Pitlab has a silky, short, and dense coat that benefits from brushing to keep it shiny. The Labrador undercoat is not common in this particular mix breed. Due to being a high shedding dog Labs need a good grooming tool for the heavier shedding parts of the year. A weekly brush the rest of the time should be fine. Use a doggie toothbrush and toothpaste to keep his pearly whites clean. And at the same time check for any signs of infection. The Pitbull Lab Mix grooming needs range from low to moderate. The latter was bred in the 19th century to be used in physically punishing ways, such as dogfighting. In America, this tenacious and strong dog was bred with larger canines and was used as a farm dog, who was also called upon to aid in hunting large game. Today, the American Pitbull Terrier retains an alert and protective nature. He is known for his courage, determination, and loyalty, but also comes with a reputation for being a naturally aggressive breed. This is not entirely unfounded. And according to one source on dog bites, in there were 22 Pitbull dog bite fatalities in the US. For the same year, Labradors and their mixes were responsible for 3 deaths. The Pitbull is a banned breed in some countries including the United Kingdom. In regard to this particular mix breed, one source reports that between and , 46 Pitbull Lab Mix attacks had been recorded. Are Pitbull Mixes Aggressive? However, a lot of people believe that this loyal dog has been maligned. Counter-arguments regarding the dangerousness of this breed highlight the fact that until the mids, the Pitbull was not a feared dog. And was actually considered a friendly family pet. This argument identifies the change in attitude as a social construct and media bias rather than any actual increase of aggression in this breed. The unreliability of victim and witness memory and accuracy of identifying dog breeds correctly has also become an area of interest in the Pitbull debate. Some believe that attacking breed is often misidentified when victims report dog bites. It is important to note that it is only the American Pitbull Terrier under scrutiny. Temperaments of other Pitbull breeds, like the American Staffordshire Terrier, have never been called into question. However, we would add a note of caution here. There are plenty of sources now that argue that Pitbulls are less likely to bite than previously thought. Bite Type and Frequency The Pitbull Lab mix is not much more likely to bite than many other popular breeds. However when weighing this up it is important to bear in mind the possible consequences of a bite, should one happen. While no dog bite is pleasant, the American Pitbull has been bred with the physical structure needed to bite hard. With big canine teeth and strong jaws. It holds on. The damage done by their bite has the potential therefore to be far greater than that of a typical dog bite. This is especially relevant in families with small children. This trait could be passed to your Pitbull Lab mix. They will likely be an energetic and loyal dog that loves attention from their owner. If there is more Pitbull temperament in them, your dog will be more reserved and docile. Thorough socialisation will be essential for this pup. If they inherit more Labrador personality they will probably be very social and exuberant. With socialization and good breeding practices, you can have a reasonable expectation that they will get along well with children and possibly other dogs. And will make a good family pet. When it comes to other pets, the Labrador side of your Pitbull Lab Mix has a better chance of getting along with them than the Pitbull does. You should take caution with strangers and other dogs until you know how your animal typically reacts in such situations. Although a pup with a very friendly Pitbull parent, that is well socialized, could be a very friendly and cuddly companion indeed. It is advised to start training young, as early as 8 to 12 weeks old. The longer you wait the more strong-minded your dog will become. With consistent and positive reinforcement training methods, they can be a terrific and well-mannered companion. It should be noted that punishment based training is not recommended as a modern training method and it has the potential to mask problems and cause or exacerbate aggression. Therefore access to things like a yard for self-exercise, fetch with the owner, and space and time to run around is important. Owners should be aware of health issues discussed below such as Hip and Elbow Dysplasia and Exercise Induced Collapse EIC and adjust exercise routines for their dog in consult with a vet. Larger dogs generally have greater issues with hip and elbow dysplasia, and both parent breeds are prone to hip dysplasia. In addition, gastric bloat and hypothyroidism may be potential issues for your pup. You should inquire with your breeder about heart, eye, skin, and ear issues. Purchasing your puppy from a reputable breeder decreases the chances of owning a dog with unexpected, surprising health problems. You should test both parents for health conditions that commonly affect their breed. Like any breed, they have some minor health issues to be aware of, like skin problems and allergies. The Pitbull Lab cross has a similar life expectancy to that of the parent breeds. Labradors are one of the most popular family dogs. They have a friendly and affectionate nature. On the other hand, Pitbulls have had mixed reviews in this department. You probably associate Pitbulls with dog fighting and aggression. Historically, though, they are known for being loyal family dogs that are good with children. This mixed-breed would make a good family pet if bred and socialized properly like any other dog. When visiting a litter, be sure to observe the temperament of the Pitbull parent and socialize your pup early to help increase the chances of a friendly, gentle companion. Unlike Labs, Pitbulls do not get on well with other animals so your pup will do best as the only furry child. Another option would be to get a purebred Lab or another kind of mix. Rescuing a PitLab All too often designer dogs end up relinquished by owners who were ultimately unable to care for their needs. Not all mixed breeds have their own specific rescue. However, breed rescues for the purebred parents often take in related mixes as well. Pitbull Lab Mix Puppies With the increasing popularity of mixed-breed puppies, it is important to find a responsible breeder that follows the recommended guidelines for all health testing. Make sure they provide a clean and loving environment for their dogs. Working with a good breeder is the best way to increase your chances of a healthy and happy Pitlab Mix Puppy. Pet stores and puppy mills have a reputation for producing unhealthy puppies, sometimes with more challenging temperaments. Unethical breeding practices and poor treatment of the parent breeds, especially with the Pitbull parent, will not produce the desirable traits you are hoping for in your new Pitbull Lab Mix Puppy. Labrador Pitbull Mix Breeders It goes without saying, but you should only deal with an ethical, reputable breeder that can ensure your Labrabull was crossbred from parents free of medical issues. A good breeder is happy to provide evidence of clean health checks and to answer all of your questions about the Bullador. Plus, your breeder should be asking you questions to make sure you are equipped to handle this large, energetic breed. If you buy from a breeder, ask about the temperaments of your Pitlab parents. You can also ask to see the bloodlines of both of the parents for any clues. And If possible, ask to see the parent so that you can observe their temperament for yourself. Any sign of aggression in the parents is a red flag. Unfortunately, unethical breeding practices go hand in hand with the increase in demand for designer dog breeds. Do your research and ensure you are choosing a responsible breeder that can provide you with a healthy and happy pup.

With the Pug dog being the largest of all toy breed dogs, there is confusion among many people as to whether there is an actual breed of the Miniature Pug or "Pocket Pug" The Answer There is no such recognized breed as the Miniature Pug dog, toy, teacup or other term used to denote a smaller than average dog. However, there is a dog that is called a Miniature Pug One dog that is referred to as a mini Pug is a mix of a Chihuahua and a Pug dog. It is also called a Pughuahua or a Chugg sometimes spelled 'Chug'. Some refer to this crossing of two purebreds as 'designer' or 'hybrid' dogs. The result is a canine that looks extremely similar to a Pug, however one can notice a difference in the length of the snout which will be just a bit longer. The body of a matured "mini Pug' will be leaner with longer legs. This will depend on the Pug to Chihuahua gene ratio that is passed down to the puppy; though most will be smaller than a typical Pug. Final adult weight will range from 3 pounds 1. Is This Safe? Yes and no. Many discourage the mixing of purebreds. It does not help toward breeders' goals of maintaining integrity and improving the bloodlines of either purebred. Breeding and subsequent pregnancy can pose risks. If a Chihuahua is chosen as the dam, with a Pug being the sire, the puppies will have larger heads due to Pug genes than otherwise. The breed is already prone to needing C-sections and this sort of crossing only increases the chances of that. Pocket Pugs While a breeder can in fact breed a Chihuahua with a Pug to produce what the public knows as a Miniature Pugs, there are others who claim to have "Pocket Pugs" Some breeders will take 2 runt Pug dogs dogs that are the smallest of their litter and then breed them together, hoping to produce smaller than nature intended dogs, and will dub them teacups. When you take two tiny dogs, that are smaller than the breed standard, these dogs may require more care. Bones may be more fragile, there may be issues with hypoglycemia, etc. To pair two tiny Pugs will only serve to produce more Pug puppies that are too small and with more potential health issues. Others will falsify the pup's age so that one will believe that they are receiving a small Pug when that dog is actually younger than the papers show. As you can imagine, this is highly unethical and is very dangerous for the pup's health. Caring for an Undersized Pug If you have obtained the so-called "Miniature Pug" or "Teacup", care will follow along the guidelines of the care of smaller toy breed dogs such as the Pom or toy Poodle. Because this dog will can be as small as 3 pounds 1. You may also have a Pug that happens to be smaller than average due to Mother Nature. What is considered small? However a pocket pup these sizes may be growing slow. He or she may have a growth spurt later on and reach the standard size. Here are things that you can do to best protect your undersized or mini Pug: When driving in the car, any dog should be fastened in safely with a seat restraint. However, a Miniature Pug will be especially vulnerable to falling off of the car seat during a sudden stop or quick turn and can be injured very easily. Care must be taken when family members are walking around the home. Small children must be aware that this dog can scoot under their feet quickly; if a child or any person stepped on a Miniature Pug by accident, great harm would be done. Having a mini Pug sleep in an owner's bed can have risks. Being so tiny can hold the risk of suffocating under thick blankets or being rolled onto unintentionally during slumber. This smaller type of Pug will not be able to hold their elimination quite as long and time and patience should be given in regard to house training. This very tiny dog will be considered an "underfoot dog"; as they should be. Very tiny pups and dogs can be easily stepped on or tripped over.The weather may affect this Pug more than usual. It is recommended that any small toy breed dog have dog clothing for outdoor elements. A small dog should be protected from the cold, most importantly. Rain gear is also suggested. If your Miniature Pug is a cross between a Pug and a Chihuahua, there may not be any extra health concerns. However if your tiny Pug is a result of unethical breeding, health issues can be many. Did you find this article helpful? 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. What is a teacup dog? How are teacup dogs made? Teacup versions of already small dog breeds include Pugs, Pomeranians, Shih Tzus, and Chihuahuas, amongst others. Puppies are often photographed sitting inside of teacups, to showcase their small size. But how are these teacup versions made? There are a few ways. Teacup dogs are usually produced by breeding runts together to create the smallest version of the dog possible. Unfortunately the small dogs chosen to breed are sometimes also not the healthiest. They may be small because of a birth defect or other medical condition, and that can then be passed on to their offspring. Health risks for tiny versions of dogs can be significant, and breeders often take these risks because they want to rake in the big bucks. Another way a teacup dog might be bred is by mixing smaller breeds. For example, a teacup pug might have a small amount of chihuahua in them, to ensure a smaller size. What is a Teacup Pug, or a Toy Pug? What is the pug breed standard? Glad you asked. What is a very small pug called? In the United States and Canada, the pug breed standard only has one classification — standard. However, people do use certain words to describe purebred pugs that happen to be on the small side. They often just have one goal: to breed smaller and smaller dogs. Common health risks that come with breeding small versions of dogs include: Hydrocephalus: also known as water on the brain, hydrocephalus is a build-up of fluid in the brain. Hypoglycemia: a condition where the blood sugar glucose level is lower than normal. Collapsing Trachea: Tracheal collapse is when rings of cartilage in the trachea begin to flatten out, making it difficult for air to get to the lungs. Patella Luxation: or sliding kneecap, is a condition where the knee cap rides outside the femoral groove when the knee is flexed. They can also be prone to seizures, respiratory issues, and liver shunts. These health issues and complications result in higher vet bills, and dogs with shorter life spans. Share your comments below. Pin for later! This is largely due to their natural charm and loving temperament, which usually extends to children and other pets. Distinctive physical features include a large round head, big dark eyes, and a wrinkled brow. An adult Pug stands between 10 and 13 inches and weighs between 14 and 18 pounds. To be classed as a Miniature Pug they simply need to fall below these parameters when full grown. In some ways, a small dog seems like having a puppy forever. There are three ways to miniaturize a dog breed. The first is to mix a standard breed with a smaller breed, as in the case of the miniature Pug. The second way is to introduce the gene for dwarfism, also known as achondroplasia. The final way is to repeatedly breed from the smallest, or runts, of litters. Mixed Breed Minis Chihuahua Pug mixes can look quite Puglike as puppies, albeit often with shorter muzzles. But their personality will be quite different to your average Pug. Both the Chihuahua and the Pug are already very small dogs. Each of these breeds has more than their share of inherited health problems. The Chihuahua and the Pug have the same amount of teeth as any dog. The problem is that little dogs have little mouths, and their teeth crowd together. This puts the miniature Pug at a high risk for tooth decay and gum disease. Due to their small size, Chihuahuas have trouble giving birth and often require cesarian sections. If a Chihuahua is the dam and the Pug is the sire of a miniature Pug, the mother is very likely to have difficulty producing a litter. Dwarfism Genes A popular method of shrinking a puppy down in size is introducing the gene for dwarfism, which shortens the legs and therefore their height. However breeding for extreme conformational traits has been shown to result in an increased risk of certain diseases. And using the gene for dwarfism has been linked to intervertebral disc disease along with some other painful conditions. Breeding From The Smallest Dogs There are breeders who try to create even smaller dogs by breeding two runt Pugs together. These dogs are referred to as micro mini Pug puppies or pocket Pugs. When dogs are way under the breed standard , they can already possess health issues like hypoglycemia and heart defects. Breeding two extremely small dogs together is very likely to cause even more health issues and is highly unscrupulous. General Pug Problems Any Pug or Pug mix is at risk of the two main health complications this breed is prone too. The endearing short muzzles, wrinkled facial skin, and bulging eyes are associated with brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome. This makes them prone to seriously compromised respiratory systems. Their short flat faces make it very difficult for them to regulate their body temperature. This means they can overheat very quickly in warm weather. Abnormally shallow eye sockets , which make the eyes protrude, are another issue for brachycephalic breeds. Screw tail is another disease brachycephalic breeds are genetically predisposed to. If the deformity occurs higher in the spine, it can be very painful and cause severe neurological problems. How to Avoid Unscrupulous Breeders Miniature Pug puppies, like many miniature breeds, are a hot commodity, and breeders are getting thousands of dollars for these pint-sized pups. Unfortunately, this is a huge incentive for disreputable breeders to create smaller and smaller dogs. If you see advertisements for micro mini Pugs or teacup Pugs, this is definitely a breeder to avoid. Another red flag is if there is no waiting list and puppies are immediately available for purchase. Ask questions about their breeding practices. Any reputable breeder should be informed about the health issues surrounding miniature breeds. Miniature breeds are usually prone to more health issues. Their unnaturally small size means they also become injured more easily. When you have two small breeds like the Chihuahua and the Pug, who already have many health problems, you can see that this is a dog who is greatly at risk. The only way to stop breeders from creating very small dogs is to not buy them. Perhaps this is a fad that will soon cease to be popular. But in the meantime, dogs specifically bred to be tiny and fragile are suffering.