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United States .To create value and make a difference by inspiring moments of optimism, inspiration and responsibility by providing the incredible privilege of having a German Shepherd Dog in the lives of the chosen few. With the power of the internet, you are not limited to breeders that are just local to your home. Call us today and allow us to help you find your German Shepherd dream puppy! Vertrauen German Shepherds believe that deterrence is better than confrontation any day, so we keep this in mind when choosing a pairing for our German Shepherds stud dogs and mothers. Many of our Vertrauen German Shepherd puppies have grown to become wonderful assets to the needs of humans as Autism Service dogs, PTSD service dogs, Cancer detection dogs, and explosive detection dogs. Vertrauen German Shepherd breeder Kansas City make the perfect home companion or can go on to a service career. Whatever you are looking for, we will match you with the perfect German Shepherd. We feel as though you are not only adding a new puppy to your family, you are gaining a friend with Vertrauen. Please feel free to contact us throughout the life of your puppy with milestones of growth, training accomplishments, or just share the love you have for your German Shepherd puppy. German shepherd breeder kansas city. German Shepherds for sale in Missouri Regis Regal Specializes in providing world class German Shepherd puppies and trained adult dogs Serving Missouri with german shepherds since With over 30 years experience in the breeding and training of world-class German Shepherds from some of the top bloodlines out of Germany, here at Regis Regal German Shepherds we've been very proud to have sold our puppies and adult dogs to the residents of Missouri. We're a small family run operation with our main training and breeding facilities based in Spring Grove, Illinois. Because of the quality and pedigree of our German Shepherds there's been a demand for our dogs all over the world. The owner, Cynthia Kelly, has a lifetime of experience in creating the perfect family companion, service dog or therapy dog. Because of the lack of top quality German Shepherd breeders in some parts of the United States, we've carefully set ourselves up so that we can send our dogs direct to your home by use of a private courier service. Louis, but have you considered looking further afield for the perfect puppy? At Regis Regal German Shepherds we produce a select number of puppies at any one time, and take the utmost care when raising and training them ready for ownership. You should not forget that when it comes to buying a puppy you also need to be mindful of other costs outside of the purchase or adoption fee. Included within the cost of our puppies are: Lifetime health guarantee contingent on meeting criteria stated in the contract. Send us a message or give us a ring on .Emotional support dogs are suited for both children and adults and have the ability to work with their owners in all types of locations. We have placed many dogs with children and teenagers in MO that suffer from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and manic disorders. Service dogs provide a physical service to their owners. We have been incredibly successful in providing service dogs to children afflicted with Autism and Asbergers, as our dogs can help to enhance the verbal skills of non-verbal Autistic children and support their overall way of communicating. Some of our previous placements our dog courier service - we ship to your door in MO! You might find this a bit hard to believe but we actually ship right to your door, wherever you are based in the US! Such is the demand for one of our dogs we decided it would make things a lot easier for our customers if we could hand-deliver them right to you. For those people in need of a top class GSD, and who can't get to our premises, this is a bit of a lifesaver. We make use of a private courier service whereby they come to us and pickup the dog in their vehicle before making the journey to your home. Our driver is well trained in the handling and care of your dog on the trip, and due to their temperament our dogs always enjoy the journey! On rare occasions our dogs have flown out to their destination, again accommpanied by one of the Regis Regal team to ensure for a very smooth and calm trip. We also go through a very thorough process to make sure our dogs are going to the right kind of owner - at the end of the day it's really important that we can rest easy at night knowing they'll be going to someone that's going to love them as much as we do. Because of COVID we've held plenty of online meetings where you can ask us any questions about our dogs, and you can even get to meet-and-greet them virtually! Reviews from Customers based in MO We like to think we've made a lot of people in Missouri happy over the years that we've been in business. Take a look below at some of the feedback we've received to date. You can find more reviews of ours here too. He is so sweet, intelligent, and such a cutie. Cynthia was very knowledgeable and eased our minds in regards to this larger breed. As you can imagine this can change quite regularly - so please send us a message below, or give us a call on .We look forward to hearing from you! Your name. All of these amazing GSD's arrived at MOGS with some rough edges, but have worked really hard and are ready to take the next steps in the rehab process - landing in their forever home! If you have a love for GSD's, strong canine leadership skills, experience with handling lack of confidence and poor socialization levels, and have room in your heart and home, read on and find your hidden gem today! Baron and Brandi have lived in a home prior to MOGS, but were mainly outdoor dogs, so need an owner who can be patient and teach them good indoor dog manners. Prior owners report they lived safely with young children. Brandi is the more social of the pair, and loves everyone. Baron is somewhat more shy and requires measured intros to both people and other dogs. Once Alma knows and trusts a person, she is super-loving, attention-seeking, and wants to be with them every minute that she can. She is very food motivated, really smart, and wants to please [most of the time ]. She is working on basic obedience, but like a true GSD, can be stubborn. She is housebroken, crate-trained and can be left unsupervised for brief periods of time in the home, as long as her person is home as well. Alma is a true alpha, dominant female with other dogs, and can sometimes be very intense. She can be an only-pet, but has also done with in small play groups with submissive, younger males and females. She cannot be placed with other dominant dogs, and has a small-prey drive, so no cats. She can sometimes be kennel reactive when she is crated and hassled by another dog that she doesn't like in her current foster home [dominant temperament male]. Posie is typically a gentle girl with her handlers in boarding, with a soft mouth for treats, and an affectionate, cuddly personality. Posie does have a high small prey drive, and cannot be around either small dogs or cats. She does struggle with some issues of selective reactivity, and would prefer to be in an only pet home. If he knows you he will want your attention and he will bug you until you give it to him. He wants to be a lap dog as well. Colby is a happy boy, he just wants to enjoy his home and all the thing he loves, food, his ball, his Buffalo horns, and hanging with his people. Because he is tentative with new people and dogs, he would not be a good candidate for dog parks, doggy day care, Home Depot visits or camping. Colby needs a home with no cats, but he has been in a household with a small dog and did very well.

Moreover, in case your Labradoodle has any sensitivity, weight, allergy, or other health issues, the Purina Pro Plan product range has got you covered. So, if your Labradoodle is struggling with a food allergy, you might not have to switch to another brand altogether. Instead, you can switch the chicken formula for lamb or fish, for example. The same goes for grains. This makes it perfect for all Labradoodles weighing more than 70 pounds. Although the list is not short and has some rather tricky names listed, it does contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, and even added glucosamine, which is great for Labradoodles who are at a risk of developing joint problems like hip dysplasia. Labradoodle owners know how important a beautiful coat is! Dicalcium phosphate DCP has been linked to kidney stones and the calcification of soft tissue Contains soy, which may be difficult to digest, cause bloat and gas, and trigger allergies 2. Fromm Fromm has formulas for all stages of life, large and small breeds, for weight management, and offers grain-free and grain-inclusive variations. The main sources of protein are beef, chicken, turkey, duck, pork, salmon, tuna, lamb, goose, pheasant, quail, venison, rabbit, and whitefish. Chicken is listed as the first ingredient, but it also includes fish meal, duck, lamb, and chicken liver. This formula is grain-inclusive and uses whole grains like oat groats and barley. Likewise, other natural ingredients like flaxseed, alfalfa meal, and inulin provide additional fiber. Not only are the most important vitamins and minerals included, this dry dog food is formulated with prebiotics and probiotics. PawTree formulas are made from real ingredients and they offer a variety of different formulas, specializing in grain-free recipes, and formulas that are free from certain ingredients to minimize allergic reactions. Allergies and food sensitivities are a common concern for many Labradoodles, especially when it comes to certain proteins or even grains. Other highlights in this formula include apples, blueberries, coconut oil, salmon oil, and flaxseed. In addition to quality animal proteins and plants, this dry kibble also contains added vitamins, minerals, and even prebiotics for good tummy health. In fact, this recipe has been designed for reduced stool volume and also to keep those smelly farts at bay. Pros First ingredient listed is real duck. Packed with nutritious ingredients that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Perfect for Labradoodles who are allergic to chicken and fish. Ideal for overweight Doods. Supports good skin and coat health. Naturally occurring glucosamine helps support the joints. Designed to be easily digestible. No corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-products, or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Cons None! Victor Victor Pet Food has formulas suitable for all life stages. Additionally, they offer special formulas for joint health, weight management and performance, and grain-free and high-protein formulas. For some Labradoodles, the food sensitivity, digestion, weight management, and joint support formulas might be beneficial. Royal Canin Royal Canin offers formulas that many Labradoodle owners might find useful like special food for large breeds, formulas for food sensitivities, weight management, and digestive health. All of which Labradoodles are at risk of. However, as Labradoodles tend to inherit the health issues of both Labs and Poodles, this option might work well for your Labradoodle. Diamond As with other brands, Diamond offers a variety of dog food options for different needs. Labradoodle owners might find their formulas for weight management or sensitivity issues helpful. It contains a decent amount of fiber that helps with proper digestion, as do added probiotics. The key ingredients in raw dog food diets are: muscle meats, organ meats like liver, kidney, spleen, brain, sweetbreads, whole, powdered or meaty bones, raw eggs, dog-friendly fruit and vegetables, and sometimes dairy, like yogurt. Kirkland Kirkland is another popular dog food brand that Labradoodle parents love. It offers formulas for all life stages, weight management, and also grain-free and organic options. However, they do have other formulas with different protein sources Ingredients To Avoid In Labradoodle Dog Food You already might know that there are ingredients your Labradoodle should never eat. Naturally, responsible dog food brands do not include these ingredients, anyway. Related Content. However, there are a few issues with Instinct Dog Food that outweigh the benefits. The first thing we noticed is a significant lack of raw freeze-dried chicken bits, which is disappointing considering how expensive this brand is compared to others. Another problem is the inconsistent quality that this recipe has faced with multiple recipe changes in the past few years. For higher quality and a better value, we recommend trying Blue Buffalo Wilderness first. Although the first Labradoodles were large-sized dogs, generations of Labradoodles have made different sizes available. Labradoodles are highly intelligent and require lots of daily exercise. They excel in areas like agility, service, and obedience competitions. Labradoodles also require grooming and clipping to keep their coats from matting and snarling. They will need diets with skin and coat support to keep them in tip-top shape. Image Credit: litthouse, Pixabay Important Things to Consider There are important factors to consider when buying dog food for your Labradoodle that will influence your decision. Here are some things to consider: Protein Sources Protein allergies can cause skin irritation and itching, as well as other serious side effects. When looking for dog food, make sure it contains a protein source your dog can have. Cost Cost is always something to keep in mind. While premium dog food brands may have all-natural ingredients, there are value-priced brands that still maintain high levels of quality. Before going out and buying the expensive stuff, think about the long-term cost of the food. Check the labels to make sure all essential daily nutrients are there for a complete and balanced diet. Lastly, double-check with your veterinarian before starting a new dog food. Conclusion After carefully reviewing each product, we found Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription to be the best overall Labradoodle dog food. Plus, they only use all-natural, whole ingredients, with real meat as the first ingredient, and the food is conveniently shipped to your door on your schedule. It also has a flavor that most dogs enjoy. Hopefully, we have made it easier to navigate through the market of dog foods that would be best for your Labradoodle. See also:. Fruits and vegetables Labradoodles can eat Dairy If your Labradoodle is not lactose intolerant, he can eat some dairy foods in moderation. Dairy foods provide protein, calcium, vitamin D, A, B12, zinc, magnesium, and selenium. They build strong bones, reduce the risk of diabetes, and may improve heart health. Experimenting with small amounts of dairy foods is best to see what your dog can handle. Some dogs have trouble digesting milk but can enjoy small pieces of cheese or a blob or two of plain yogurt. My dog loves small chunks of cheese but cannot tolerate even a small spoonful of heavy cream — although she is okay with some milk. World of Dogz Commercial Dog Food Aside from the foods listed above, you can also feed your Labradoodle commercial dog food. Labradoodles can eat dry, wet, semi-dry food technically wet, too , raw, dehydrated, or freeze-dried food. However, you must be careful not to select a food package for a different breed with macro nutritional requirements other than Labradoodles. The most remarkable thing about commercial dog food is that it is far less expensive than homemade dog food and takes much less time to prepare, store, and feed. Labradoodles cannot eat chocolate, macadamia nuts, black walnuts, onion, garlic, grapes, or avocado. Standard market-packed sardines are the safest fish for dogs. Even onion powder in a broth can have this effect. Garlic Garlic can also make your dog anemic. Make sure any food you prepare contains no garlic flavor. Chocolate Theobromine and caffeine in chocolate and chocolate-adjacent products are toxic to dogs. Ensure you choose an organic brand. Nuts Some nuts can lead to weakness, vomiting, and tremors. Macadamia and black walnuts are the worst at this. Other varieties are also too high in fat. Avocado The avocado skin can result in vomiting and diarrhea, so your Labradoodle should be kept away from this fruit. Your dog can OD on alcohol. Sugar Dogs love sweet treats, but if you feed a sugar-rich diet, they will get fat. Yeast Dough If you bake bread at home, keep your dog away from unbaked dough. It can ferment in the stomach causing alcohol toxicosis, and the yeast can rise in the gut, causing a severe blockage. The first is to sit down and curate a Labradoodle diet that dodges the above. The second is to simply opt for packaged dog food. Specific fruits can be toxic to your Labradoodle — especially grapes and starfruit. You can feed your dog veggies — yet garlic and onion can be problematic. You can provide your dog fish — but not if it is completely raw. However, organic food is healthier than extruded kibble cooked at high temperatures which reduces its nutritional value. On the other hand, packaged dog food is easy to get, feed, and store. Wet Dog Food If your Labradoodle turns his nose up at dry kibble, you can try wet dog food as it contains much higher moisture content than dry food. Some larger dogs like it, whereas others prefer a bit of crunch. Take note, though, that canned wet food can be expensive for dogs the size of Labradoodles, as you will need to provide much more. Ensure you check the protein content, as wet food contains a lot of water. Dry and Wet Mix This is one of the most widely preferred Labradoodle food types, and you get the best of both worlds. Most Doodles who dislike dry or wet food like a wet and dry mix. Adding a few scoops of wet food to dry food changes the texture and palatability of the food, making it enticing to your dog. You can also add water to dry dog food making it easier to digest and more appetizing, especially if you have a fussy eater or a dog with general appetite loss due to illness. This gives your dog added variety — but remember to adjust the calories accordingly. You may also consider semi-moist dog food. You can use one of countless dog chow recipes to produce homemade dog food. Some dog owners enjoy home cooking for their dogs as it gives them complete control of what they feed them. However, preparing a homemade diet can also be expensive and is very time-consuming. Check out the directory of certified vet nutritionists from the American College of Veterinary Nutrition to help you find one in your area. Raw Dog Food Of course, if you grasp the idea of feeding chow made from leftover meat, you can always get your Labradoodle a prime Wagyu steak. A raw food diet consists of raw meat and organs mixed in — and raw bones. This method of feeding your dog has grown in popularity in recent years. You can prepare a raw diet at home, similar to a home-cooked meal except raw , or buy pre-prepared complete and balanced raw food, which is more convenient. While weighing up your options, you might want to consider the price of feeding a raw diet. Dehydrated Dog Food Dehydrated dog food also known as air-dried is often confused with dry dog food because it is technically dry. However, you must add water to get the food into the shape it is intended to be served. A dehydrated doggy diet is a healthy and minimally processed feeding option as it uses a low-heat and gentle drying method. It combines the convenience of dry food with the nutritional benefits of raw. It is easier to store and far more portable, but it can be costly. Freeze-Dried Dog Food Freeze-dried dog food is prepared at the factory and brought into its wet form, then freeze-dried into solids that dissolve in the water. It is dehydrated at a lower temperature. Once the food is put in a sealed package, it can take years to degrade because there is no moisture for microorganisms to survive. When you buy freeze-dried dog food, it is still raw. For example, a Labrador mixed with a Standard Poodle will need far more food than a much smaller Lab mixed with a Toy Poodle. A smaller adult female needs 1. A Labradoodle puppy needs 12 — 16 ounces of food per day divided into 3 meals initially and then 2 meals at 6 months old. Labradoodles tend to control their weight pretty well. However, some dogs may be food-motivated and greedy, especially if they carry the POMC mutated gene , which is responsible for an increased appetite in Labradors. Labradoodle Feeding Schedule You should consider the energy your dog expends during the day when creating a healthy feeding schedule for them. Mini Labradoodles, for example, will burn off energy more quickly than the standard variety. However, it is advised to offer one cup of dry dog food or its equivalent and then wait eight hours before feeding another cup to avoid canine bloat. When your Labradoodle is a puppy, you must split his intake into 3 or 4 meals. Feeding your pup can be slightly complicated because of your, and not his, schedule. Labradoodle Puppy Meal Plan Puppies need feeding more often, as they need extra calories for growth and to satisfy their energy requirements. Labradoodle puppies should be fed 4 meals a day up to 3 months of age, 3 meals a day up to 6 months of age, and 2 meals a day from 6 months to adulthood. Age of Labradoodle. Labradoodles are unique because they come in a variety of sizes and shapes. In general, Labradoodles need protein-rich foods that contain essential fatty acids like omega-3s. These will help keep their coats shiny and their energy levels high. Additionally, Labradoodles need glucosamine to help support healthy joints, as well as probiotics for digestion and immunity. Proteins Labradoodles require a lot of protein in their diets. Look for foods that have high-quality sources of animal proteins such as chicken, fish, and lamb. Look for foods that contain healthy sources of fats, such as fish oil and flaxseed. Carbohydrates When shopping for food for your Labradoodle, you want to look for foods with complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, and oats. These will provide your pup with sustained energy throughout the day. Look for foods that contain essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin E, iron, zinc, and B Vitamins. These will help keep their immune systems strong and give them the energy they need. Overall, when shopping for the best food for Labradoodles, you want to look for proteins, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and essential vitamins and minerals. By doing this, your pup will get all of the nutrition he or she needs to stay happy and healthy! What Ingredients Should You Avoid? When it comes to dog food, you want to make sure you avoid ingredients like corn, wheat, soy, and artificial preservatives. These can all be difficult for your pup to digest and may cause allergies or stomach issues. Additionally, you want to make sure you avoid any food that contains by-products or fillers as these are not nutritious and could potentially be harmful. Labradoodles can suffer from a variety of health issues, including joint pain, allergies, and skin irritations. Depending on the issue your pup is facing, you may want to look for foods that are specifically formulated to address these problems. Joint Pain If your pup is suffering from joint pain, look for foods that contain glucosamine and chondroitin. These are natural supplements that help to lubricate the joint and reduce inflammation. Skin Irritations If your pup is suffering from skin irritations, look for foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats help keep the skin hydrated and can reduce inflammation. Sensitive Stomachs If your pup has a sensitive stomach, look for foods that are easy to digest and have limited ingredients. This will help minimize the chances of any digestive issues or allergies. Ultimately, finding the right food for your Labradoodle is an important part of keeping them healthy and happy. By following these tips and understanding their nutritional needs, you can ensure your pup is getting all of the nutrition they need to live a long and healthy life! Best Labradoodle Puppy Food When it comes to the best dog food for labradoodle puppies, you want to look for something that provides high-quality proteins and carbohydrates. These ingredients will help support healthy development and provide your pup with all of the nutrition they need. Best Labradoodle Adult Food When looking for adult food, you want to look for something with protein and carbohydrates as the primary ingredients. Additionally, make sure the food contains essential vitamins and minerals as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Orijen Puppy Food Orijen puppy food is one of the best options on the market. It is made with high-quality proteins and carbohydrates, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. A diet that meets these life-stage needs is essential for proper development and health maintenance. Labradoodle puppies. They also need a balanced calcium and phosphorus diet for healthy bone growth. Feeding high-quality puppy food formulated explicitly for Labradoodles puppies can help ensure they receive the necessary nutrients during this crucial developmental stage. Adult Labradoodles. Require a diet that is moderate in calories and protein to maintain their weight and prevent obesity. They also need a balanced diet of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to support their overall health and energy needs. You must slowly transition your dog to an adult recipe at one year old. Senior Labradoodles. Senior dogs may require a diet lower in calories and fat to maintain a healthy weight and higher fiber to support digestive health. Senior dog foods often contain joint supplements to help mobility and joint health. At around 8 or 9, you should slowly transition your Labradoodle to senior food. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are important to boost their weakening immune system. Labradoodles are a hybrid breed that combines the traits of a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle. They are known for their high energy levels and require regular exercise to stay healthy and happy. Feeding a Labradoodle a balanced diet that meets its nutritional needs will ensure it has the necessary energy for physical activities. If a Labradoodle is not receiving adequate nutrition or is being overfed, it may experience weight gain or become lethargic, which can decrease its activity level. Conversely, if a Labradoodle is not consuming enough food or getting the proper nutrients, it may lack the energy required for vigorous exercise. By providing the right amount of nutritious food, owners can help maintain an optimal activity level in their Labradoodles and promote their overall well-being. Although certain health issues that Labradoodles may experience are congenital and beyond our control, others can be influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors, such as diet. Some of the most common health issues faced by Labradoodles include the following: Food allergies. Certain ingredients in their food can cause allergies in Labradoodles. Food allergies in Labradoodles may present as dry, itchy skin, ears, or paws. However, unlike allergies, food intolerances do not involve the immune system but can lead to vomiting or diarrhea. Hip dysplasia. Some dogs show signs of pain and lameness. Elbow dysplasia. This can lead to painful lameness. It can cause mild or severe seizures. Progressive retinal atrophy PRA. This is a family of eye diseases that involves the gradual deterioration of the retina. Early in the disease, dogs become night-blind; as the disease progresses, they also lose their daytime vision. Sebaceous adenitis SA. This serious skin disease destroys the sebaceous glands that produce the skin and coat essential oils. This is a genetic bleeding disorder similar to hemophilia in people. It occurs in poodles and can show up in doodle hybrids. This thyroid gland disorder is thought to cause conditions such as epilepsy, alopecia hair loss , obesity, lethargy, hyperpigmentation, pyoderma, and other skin conditions. Heart disease. It can cause underlying conditions such as heart valve degeneration, irregular heart rate and rhythm arrhythmia , and dilated cardiomyopathy DCM. Labradoodle-Specific Dog Food Qualities To Look For Providing Labradoodles with a well-balanced and nutritious diet and preventative supplementation, as advised by your veterinarian, is crucial in maintaining their health and preventing potential health issues that may arise from poor nutrition. Here are the key qualities to look for in dog food for Labradoodles. Avoid common allergies. Because Labradoodles can develop allergies or food intolerances, we highly recommend conducting an at-home dog allergy test like the 5Strands kit. This particular kit can test for up to ingredients and determine which ones may cause food intolerance in your dog. Once you receive the results, you can use the list to avoid dog food formulas that contain potential allergens. Labradoodles can have sensitive digestive systems. Look for a dog food that adds probiotics to its formula. Dog probiotics support a healthy digestive system and immune system. Labradoodles can be prone to digestive issues, so look for dog food that is minimally processed, such as fresh dog food or homemade dog food for Labradoodles. Lower-quality kibble may contain fillers, artificial preservatives, and other ingredients that can be harder to digest and may cause digestive upset in some dogs. Skin and coat support. These nutrients help to maintain the health of the skin and coat. Joint support. Foods with added supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin can help support joint health, which is crucial for breeds prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. Adrenal support. Choose a high-quality, balanced diet that provides all the necessary nutrients, and avoid foods with high potassium levels, as these can exacerbate symptoms. Low glycemic index. Foods with a low glycemic index can help manage conditions like epilepsy. They can help to avoid sudden spikes in blood sugar levels that can trigger seizures. Eye health support. A diet rich in antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, and certain carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin can support overall eye health. Heart health. For heart conditions, food should be low in sodium and rich in taurine and L-carnitine to support heart function. Omega-3 fatty acids may also support heart health. Hypothyroidism management. Some research suggests that kelp and other seaweeds, rich in iodine, can support thyroid health. Chapter 2: The Reviews.

Come visit our facebook page!! Welcome to Dare to Dream Labradoodles! Our labradoodles are just outstanding! We pride ourselves in producing the BEST family pets. I have been dedicated to this breed for over 20 years now. With our labradoodles, our main emphasis is on health, temperament, and overall conformation. Being associated with these organizations is extremely important to us because it means that we hold our program to a very high standard. All of our Australian Labradoodles that are born and bred here at Dare to Dream Labradoodles come from the best breeding stock, which have all been health tested to the highest level. Our breeding program produces medium and standard size labradoodles. Since , all of our breeding dogs and pets have been hand-picked by me from the finest Australian and American lines. Our foundation dogs include Rutland Manor and Tegan Park lines. We are located on 4 acres of property in Southern Ontario. We are surrounded on all sides by farmer's fields. We are a family that absolutely loves what we do. Both my husband and I are actively involved with our dogs and our breeding program. We have a very young and growing family, which allows for the best puppy socialization available! Read more about our family in the About us link. Thank you for your interest in an Australian Labradoodle. Labradoodle Puppies In Ontario Excited to get a new puppy? Of course, you are! Searching for a new canine companion is a very fun process. Well, the reality is a bit different. Sure — you will get to see a lot of wonderful puppies that breeders have to offer. As a result, they develop unhealthy puppies with questionable genetic backgrounds. These dogs may develop many diseases in the future. Their life expectancy can therefore be cut too short. This is why you should avoid the first breeders you see on online markets, as well as backyard breeders, puppy mills, and pet shops. They all offer puppies for a cheap price. But, with such price tags, you are certain to spend a fortune on vet bills in order to correct the unethical way of breeding these breeders have done. As a responsible future dog owner, your main goal should be finding a responsible Labradoodle breeder. Accountable Labradoodle breeders pay a lot of attention to producing the healthiest pups. They go to great lengths in researching and finding the best breeding programs in order to produce the best dogs. This article contains a list of such reputable Labradoodle breeders in Ontario. Make sure to check them out and get in contact with the one you prefer the most! Labradoodle By Cucciolini. Their puppies are bred to inherit soft and wavy fleece coats. And, not only are they the cutest pooches you will see, but the Cucciolini Labradoodles are amazing family pets with the kindest temperaments. At Cucciolini, you can choose between medium and standard sizes. The Cucciolini team believes early socialization is the key to raising Labradoodles with the best personality traits. Their puppies are home-raised, vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped. When leaving for their forever home, each puppy is backed with a two-year genetic health guarantee. What makes Cucciolini Labradoodle breeders special is that their puppies have a therapeutic effect. These lovely pooches are loyal companions for the elderly, as well as for children with autism. This ethical breeder is very active on all social media platforms. You can check out their Facebook page for more cute Labradoodle photos and updates! Labradoodle By Cucciolini details. JR's musings on a dull life Tuesday, August 16, puppy farms I bought a puppy from a puppy mill. Yes, that's what I did. I don't know what came over me. I went on line looking for a puppy that would be smaller than a Golden, but with the same personality. What was I thinking? I have had a purebred Golden - the beautiful Carly that died from cancer a few years ago at 13 - and the famous Cooper the Doofus , a purebred Gordon Setter. We drove out to the breeder where the owner said her Mom hereinafter referred to as the Warden was looking after the pups. Small cages everywhere - dozens of puppies - with the poor Mom dogs locked in the cages with them. Nowhere to lie down the cages had wire bottoms which the pups kept getting their legs stuck in - yelping in pain. Dozens more full grown dogs were wandering around the main floor of the house - peeing wherever they felt like it. The Warden was non-plussed. She was much more interested in telling us her life story. Single Mom, four adult kids, all ungrateful. The oldest "kid" was her boss - the brains behind the puppy mill. Sometimes the louts go and stay with their Dad, but their Dad doesn't want them. A couple of days later - he sends them packing - back to the puppy factory. Why does she think we give a shit about her pathetic, disgusting, immoral life treating dogs and puppies like they were livestock only worse - and her Darwin award winner kids? Even though I had paid the deposit already, I should have just left - leaving my poor creature to whatever miserable life was his lot, but I didn't. Instead, I fell in love with a sad little guy and picked him out of the other sad little faces. The Warden picked up the 2 week old little guy and pushed him into my hands. I committed to him - committed to the worms and disease and malnutrition and trauma that I knew were about to come for him in the next six weeks before he could come home. We went back a few weeks later. This time, the Warden wasn't expecting us although we had confirmed with the Boss Daughter that we would be there and she was just about to leave. Two of her four adult children were coming up the stairs from the basement just as we arrived. Neither of them would look us in the eyes or acknowledge our presence. Were they ashamed of their Mother? Ashamed of living off of a puppy mill? Or just social misfits generally? Hard to tell. Again, a full grown Golden stuck to us - begging me with her eyes and wagging tail to release her from this Hell. A full grown Poodle sat on my partner's foot - hoping that by doing so he couldn't leave without taking him with him. The Warden admitted willingly to having 22 adult dogs living there. An unknown number of puppies. She was pretty miffed that she hadn't been told we were coming - but not because she was embarassed by the conditions we found, but because she wanted to go out, and now couldn't. The pup we had chosen was in it's wire cage with the 7 others in the litter. No water, no food. I picked him up and he lay perfectly still - no wriggling that you would expect from a 5 week old puppy - nothing. I handed him to my partner to take pictures. Again, he lay still - not looking towards my voice. Was he blind? Was he deaf? Or was he just terrified, dehydrated, and starving? I wondered aloud if he was alright. The Warden then brought water and some kibble to the cage. The kibble was hard - and I asked how they eat kibble when they don't have teeth. She roughly picked up a pup - and showed me it's gums - "they're hard enough to chew". The pups lapped up the water, and tried, but couldn't, eat the dry dog food. I couldn't sleep for days after. I will pick up my pup at 8 weeks - and hopefully his beginnings won't mean lifelong issues, but since he was bred for profit and nothing else, I don't have high hopes. The puppy farm has hired a lawyer in an attempt to remove this blog. Pretty sad, but I am told that the County is in a legal battle with them already and hopefully they can do something about this puppy farm. Posted by. To ensure the safety of our readers and the right fit for a new pet, we work hard to make sure only the most trusted breeders are featured on the site. We have a dedicated team that works hard and has done extensive research that involves checking both the breeder and their dogs, to verify that the breeders featured on our site are highly reputable and trustworthy. Feedback on Google and Facebook is also taken into consideration before they are listed as a breeder to have the highest standards possible. We hope that this gives you a little more information about how we list breeders on our site. Labradoodle Puppies for Sale in Ontario: If you are looking for a companion dog that has a calm personality and loves children, getting a Labradoodle might be the ideal option for you. As we know, Labradoodles is a designer dog breed that becoming one of the most loveable designer breeds in Ontario, Canada. In fact, these friendly and intelligent pups are being adopted by more families at an increasing rate than other purebreds. After you decide to get a Labradoodle, the next and most important step is to find out a reputable and ethical breeder who values the breed as much as you do. You have probably heard about puppy mills and how they produce dogs with indiscriminate breeding practices as their puppies are usually unhealthy and not well-tempered. When looking to add a new member to your family, you should always buy from a good and reliable breeder. A good responsible breeder will always be there for their puppies and ensure that all of their needs are met for as long as possible. Check out this list and do your own research first about the breeder and then decide which breeder you want to go with. The Best Labradoodle Breeders in Ontario: 1. Who raises happy and healthy F1B Labradoodles with wavy fleece coats in medium to standard sizes. The purpose of this breeder is to provide the best of the best Labradoodle puppies to families so that they can live with it happily. They understand the importance of this thing, how difficult it is to find the perfect dog that suits you and your family. All Labradoodle puppies in Ontario come with a two-year Genetic Health Guarantee that you can count on, As well as they also guarantee you the incredible personalities you will receive in their puppies. If you are looking for a dog that has always been happy and can live a long life with its family and has been wonderfully cared for and well socialized, then you can buy such a dog from this breeder. If you want to know more about this breeder, we have given the link below. You can learn more about them and find out more about Labradoodles, by visiting their website.

This breed has been popular for a long time, due to its lovable nature. In addition, Labrador puppies are known for their great temperaments and have a reputation for making a wonderful family dog. American Labs are labradors that have been bred from working lines, such as gun dogs, whereas English Labs tend to be bred from show bloodlines. However, despite the different bloodlines, the two dogs are, in fact, the same breed. The breed was recognized by the Kennel Club in and by the American Kennel Club in , which shows you how long these dogs have been around. Breed Origin Labradors were first around in the s and were first bred in Newfoundland, Canada, and England. Originally, they were bred to be water dogs, gun dogs, and hunting dogs. Labradors accompanied hunters and were used to retrieve animals that had been shot. Thanks to their loyal, loving nature, they quickly became popular dogs for families and were registered by Kennel Clubs around the world. Today, these dogs are used as companion dogs for families but are still popular for working dogs and service dogs. In addition, you often see Labradors working as guide dogs and therapy dogs. Their friendly personalities, which make them so popular as dogs for families with children, also make them ideal for this kind of work. Most puppies from the breed are usually born in litter sizes of between six and twelve. You can expect your puppy to be ready for you to bring home to the family when they are around eight weeks of age. This breed is very popular, so you should not find it too difficult to find a breeder near to you. However, this popularity of the breed also means that are plenty of irresponsible breeders and puppy mills breeding for labradors. Make sure you do plenty of research first and look at a few breeders before you decide to buy, to make sure you are buying from a reputable, responsible breeder. Puppies from good breeders will be healthier and have a better temperament. Appearance English Labradors are considered to be a medium to large-sized dog breeds. American Labradors tend to be larger than the English Labradors, although English Labs often have a stockier build than the American version. Most labs stand between .The males are usually heavier than the females. The English Lab tends to be athletic in look, with a larger head and medium-sized, folded ears. In addition, they have a medium-length, thick tail, which would have originally been used to help to propel the Labs used as water dogs through the water, almost like a rudder. Coat English Labs have a single coat, which is short, stiff, and dense. This coat comes from its origins as working dogs and is weather resistant. Regular grooming can help to keep the shedding under control. Color There are three common coat colors for the English Labrador. You will usually see them in yellow, black, or chocolate. All of these coat colors have been accepted by the American Kennel Club in the breed standard. English Labradors should be one solid color and never bi or tri-colored. Temperament Labradors have long had a reputation for being one of the most gentle and least aggressive breeds of dogs. The puppies are friendly, with a very sweet nature, which has made them very popular, especially for families. In addition, labs tend to be very adaptable and sociable, which adds to their popularity. Their good nature makes Labs an excellent option if you have children. They play with children and will be very loyal to your family. Many Labradors have even been known to be pretty fearless and come to the rescue of their owners. This breed is a very active dog, so that they will be best suited to a more active family. However, they tend to love people and get on well with other animals who might also live in the home, making them a good option if you have other pets or young children. English Labs need to be trained and socialized, as all dogs do, but they are an intelligent breed, so this is not too difficult to do. They do need to be given lots of love and attention, but English Labs are an excellent job to keep in your home if you can give them this. They can be an ideal option for first-time dog owners, even if you have no real experience with dogs. Their temperament makes them an excellent choice for your first dog. Lifespan English Labradors have an average life expectancy of between 10 and 12 years. Unfortunately, however, the breed can suffer from two main health problems. The first more common issue is elbow dysplasia. This happens as a result of abnormal development in their hip or elbow joints. This can result in pain, discomfort, lameness, and a change in gait. Depending on how severe this condition is, it can usually be managed with medication and therapy. However, in some cases, surgery is an option. The other more common health problem that Labs can suffer from is patella luxation. It can be successfully treated with surgery. The most common cause of death in English Labs are cancer, cardiac issues, and old age. They can also suffer from epilepsy, which can be treated with medication. To spot any health issues before they become untreatable, make sure you keep an eye on your dog and schedule regular vet checkups. Remember to always buy from a reputable labrador breeder to greatly reduce the likelihood that your dog will struggle with any health conditions. A trustworthy breeder will do thorough health checks on both parents and will not breed from a dog if there is any chance that they will pass on any severe issues to their puppies. Daily Life What is it like to live with an English Labrador in your home? English Labradors tend to be a very easy breed to take care of, which is why they are often recommended as a good first dog for owners. Food And Diet English Labradors love to eat, and they should be given a healthy diet. The breed can be prone to obesity, so you should be careful not to give them too many treats, watch how much you feed them, and be sure to give them enough exercise to keep their weight in a healthy range. Your English Labrador should be given dry dog kibble once they have reached 8 or 9 months old. When they are younger puppies, they should be given four meals a day, which you can then reduce to two meals a day once they have reached adulthood. Most Labradors weigh around 60lbs. Labs of this weight should be given 4 or 5 cups of good quality dog food every day. Make sure you always check the back of your chosen dog food packet so you know exactly how much you should be feeding your Labrador. Like many medium to large breeds, Labs can be prone to bloat due to their love of food. Make sure you know what the symptoms of this are, as it can be fatal. To prevent them from bloating, make sure your dog is not allowed to eat too fast. You can do things like putting their food into a puzzle feeder to help them to slow down their eating. Smoky Mtn Labradors has nearly 4 decades of professional experience with English labradors and strives to provide its customers with the best labrador puppies in the nation. You can learn more about how to reserve one for yourself here. Labrador Retriever puppy breeders. The Labrador Retriever breed have a medium sized physique, a short coat that sheds, floppy ears and soulful eyes. They are a gentle, clever, high energy, breed that needs attention, training and love. Your Labrador Retriever will need lots of exercise and plenty of training. Regular brushing will help with shedding, but expect some fur around your home. Training and socialization helps prevent jumping up, pulling on the leash, chewing and separation anxiety too. They are also unlikely to be a guard dog, with greater chance of your dog jumping up and licking a burglar on the face than growling them away from the door. Our gorgeous fox red Labrador Retriever invented a funny game! From growing baby Labrador Retriever to a healthy, happy adult dog. We will also help you pick a Labrador Retriever from show ring or fieldwork lines, select the right color, as well as manage shedding. And train that high energy personality and those active Labrador Retriever breed traits, into a perfect family pet. The Labrador Retriever is a popular family pet, but they have a strong working background. And many pet Labs are still also working sporting dogs today! Due to being bred to work well with their human handler, they are incredibly clever and cooperative. The Labrador Retriever has had a well earned place the most popular pedigree breed for years. From a rich history as a working companion to finding their place in modern homes around the world, this lively, dog makes friends wherever he goes. Labrador Retriever History and Origins. Labrador Retrievers have an amazing history. They came from humble beginnings as a sporting companion, spending their days diving from boats to retrieve nets and even fish. The breed was brought overseas by visiting nobles. Labrador Retriever breeders then continued to standardise them into the dogs we know today. Average Labrador Retriever Size? Labrador Retrievers were bred to carry out a job, which required them to be strong and athletic. They needed to be able to run for long distances while carrying game, and to cope well in the water too. The Labrador Retriever is a well-proportioned dog with a broad head and long legs. Pups from show lines tend to be stockier, with working bred Labrador Retriever dogs maintaining a slimmer shape. Labrador Retriever Coat Colors! Black coats are the most common, with chocolate and yellow Labs being a little less frequent. Although these colors are the only official colors, there are a huge amount shades and genetic variations. Yellow Labs are also found in fox red , golden and white shades. And then there are the dilute genes! These make the standard colors more pale, and result in charcoal , champagne and silver Labrador Retriever dogs. Labrador grooming is an important part of their ownership. As these dogs tend to be rather prolific shedders. The right brushes, a good vacuum cleaner and a regular cleaning routine will help you to stay on top of it. Although they have a short coat, the Labrador Retriever needs brushing at least once a week. This will help you to keep on top of their heavy shedding. Are Labrador Retrievers Hypoallergenic? Labrador Retrievers are not hypoallergenic. They shed a great deal, and produce lots of allergy inducing dander in their coats and saliva. Typical Labrador Retriever Temperament Labs are well known for being friendly dogs that crave human company. They do not tend to have aggression problems, provided that they are well socialized and bred from friendly parents. Most Labs are confident and friendly. But some can be nervous, so make sure to socialize from a young age. The issues most owners have with Labs are to do with over friendliness and too much enthusiasm. Running off to greet strangers, jumping up and chewing are big issues that some homes contend with. Fortunately, training from an early age can help a lot with running away and jumping up. And chewing can be managed with toys and distractions. Are Labrador Retrievers Good Pets? The Labrador Retriever is a great pet for active families, who are around for much of the day or are able to put in place effective cover plans during the working day. Although generally good natured, Labs can be quite bouncy and pushy and knock over very small children or the frail. They do best in a home that has someone in the house for most of the day, and where they get lots of short training sessions as well as a significant period for exercising. With the right training and environment, a Labrador Retriever will make an excellent pet. Labrador Retriever Training Tips! Due to their history as cooperative working companions, Labs are fortunately fairly easy to train. If you know what you are doing, of course! The best way to motivate a Labrador is through food. Although some dogs will happily work for praise alone, food is always a winner with a Labrador Retriever. Positive reinforcement methods are used by all the top dog handlers now, and are the best way to form a strong bond and have a well behaved dog. Labrador Retrievers can inherit a few nasty diseases from their parents. And the breed is also prone to a few conditions. Through parental testing before breeding most are avoidable thankfully. Labrador Retrievers are also prone to cranial cruciate ligament disease and obesity. Feeding your Labrador Retriever is an important part of their care. Follow the instructions on the packet for amounts, because these vary from brand to brand. If your dog is looking too skinny or a little overweight , you can then adjust this amount to suit their physique. Finding a Labrador Retriever Puppy? These days a good Labrador Retriever breeder is relatively easy to find, if you know what you are looking for! Although you will probably then need to go on a waiting list until their next litter arrives, because they are in high demand. The best dog breeders health screen both parents. They will be happy to show you clear certificates for PRA, a recent eye test and great hip and elbow scores. The breeder might also have tested for the dwarfism gene. And it will be clear that they have a really strong bond with their dog. They will also have plenty of questions for you, to make sure you are right for their puppies. They want to know how often you are out of the house, where the dog will sleep and what you plan to do about training and exercising. Consider a Shelter Dog? Rescuing an older dog can be a great way to bring a new pooch into your home. You will be able to meet your adult dog and get to know their personality and make sure that it matches with the environment you would be able to provide. Non-slip bottom dog dishes Puppies naturally move their dish around as they are eating, especially if the dish has a flat bottom that easily pushes around the floor. We have found that dishes with a non-slip bottom can help so that your puppy is not chasing around his food dish. Make sure that it is large enough. And since dogs grow fast, that means they will likely grow to that size within a year to a year and a half. Almost all dogs we train eat between 4 -6 cups of dog food a day. So, make sure that your dish is large enough to accommodate this many cups. Water dish It is vitally important that your puppy have access to clean water for drinking. With the puppies we raise, we have found that it can be challenging to keep a small water dish full, so we prefer to use these 2-gallon water dishes. They are easy to fill and allow us to only have to fill them a couple times a week instead of several times a day. We suggest that you introduce a lead to your puppy as they start to grow in confidence and walk further from you when outside. There are two great reasons to do this early on. First it teaches your puppy how to handle the pressure of not being able to go wherever they want whenever they want. And it keeps your puppy from developing a habit of running away from you. A Flexi-lead works especially well if you want to give your puppy a little more freedom to go do his potty business but still keep control. Toys Puppies need toys. If you do not give them toys that they CAN chew and play with, they will chew on your sofa leg, or a book or a blanket or anything else they can find. So, purchase some good durable puppy chew toys. But watch your pup carefully. As they get older and stronger, they will be able to rip apart cloth toys and ingest them. Or they will chew rubber toys into small pieces and eat them. When your pup gets strong enough to destroy toys, it is time to take away the puppy toys and give them only dog toys designed for older , larger dogs or quality rawhides that they can chew that will not cause digestive problems. Stay away from rope toys. Many puppies have managed to ingest strings and ropes requiring surgery to remove them. Puppy-sized bumper If your plan is for your Labrador puppy to become a hunting or competition dog, you should have a puppy sized bumper. Learn more about teaching your puppy to fetch in this post. Barriers I recommend that you section off a small portion of your home and not let your puppy have full run of the entire house. Learn more about housebreaking your Lab puppy in this post. To section off a part, it can be helpful to have some child-gates available or an area of your home that you can close doors. This means that you need to show your puppy where the boundaries are and what is and is not allowed. To do this, you will need a few more tools. This is often when we see dogs that are running away from their owners, playing keep-a-way when retrieving and just basically being naughty. A lot of this could be avoided with the use of a check cord. Yes, a check cord can be cumbersome and often a pain to use, but it only takes one or two times of your puppy running away from you to make it worth it. Put a check cord on your puppy and allow them to drag it around with them. This alone is a great lesson for a dog. Dragging the weight is a type of pressure that they will need to learn to deal with. Occasionally, step on the rope and allow your dog to feel the pressure of being stopped and controlled. These sound like such minor things, but you would be surprised how much more well-adjusted your puppy will be just from learning these minor lessons. Chain or prong collar As your puppy gets stronger, it will get more and more difficult to control your puppy with a lead just hooked up to a nylon collar. As you notice that your puppy is getting harder to control, is pulling you around or dragging you down the street, you need to move to a chain or prong collar. Actually, it would be best if you changed to a chain or prong collar long before this becomes an issue. Remember, it is always easier to fix problems when they are small rather than waiting for them to become huge problems. Larger bumpers for retrieving dogs As your dog gets larger, you will want to move away from the puppy bumper and start using regular sized retrieving bumpers. We prefer to use plastic or rubber bumpers since they do not get as dirty or smelly as the canvas ones. They also last a lot longer and can be used for both water and land retrieves. Learn all about the different bumpers used for training hunting dogs here. Orange is a color that is difficult for retrievers to see, so that color should not be used for young dogs that are just learning about retrieving and hunting. Save the orange ones for advanced dogs working on blind retrieves. Final thoughts on What do I need to buy for a Lab puppy? There are many things that you will need for your new puppy both now and in the future. Take some time to prepare before you bring your puppy home so that you will avoid buying things on impulse that you may or may not need. If you are planning on using your puppy as a hunting or competition dog, check out 6 vital tools every gun dog trainer needs. You can email me at 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. What do I need to buy for a Lab puppy? 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.

To ensure the safety of our readers and the right fit for a new pet, we work hard to make sure only the most trusted breeders are featured on the site. We have a dedicated team that works hard and has done extensive research that involves checking both the breeder and their dogs, to verify that the breeders featured on our site are highly reputable and trustworthy. Feedback on Google and Facebook is also taken into consideration before they are listed as a breeder to have the highest standards possible. We hope that this gives you a little more information about how we list breeders on our site. Golden Retriever Puppies for Sale in California: Golden Retrievers are a hugely popular breed worldwide, thanks to their reputation as loyal pets and good hunting dogs. However, with so many breeders to choose from, it can be hard to decide which one is the best fit for you and your family. California is a great state to get a Golden Retriever, and there are plenty of reputable and ethical breeders to choose from. I have compiled a list of the top 14 Golden Retriever breeders in California, based on their breeding history, customer reviews, and service quality. Most of these breeders are hobbyists who breed for love, not money. With this list, you should be able to find the perfect Golden Retriever for your family. They are located in Southern California and they pride themselves on being an ethical breeder of quality Golden Retriever dogs. They source their breeding stock from all over the USA and Europe. This allows them to get the best genetics possible and produce healthy offspring. They want all of their puppies to go to good homes where they will be loved as family members. Additionally, all puppies are sold with limited registration. This means that the new family will not be able to breed their dog. The breeder only wants their puppies to go to homes where they will be treated as family dogs and not used for breeding purposes. The pups come microchipped, vets checked, dewormed, and doggy door trained. They also come with a 1-year health guarantee. Golden Retriever Breeder Info:. Breeding the best DNA tested parents for health, temperament, and good looks. About Rux Groodles. Location and family. Our dogs enjoy daily bushwalks and interacting with our young family. We have three young boys, and our dogs are a part of our household. They are well socialised for family life and accustomed to the bangs, vacuum cleaners, playing, stomping, and laughter that a young family brings. Style of our dogs. We want to focus on standard Groodles with European bloodlines, which are larger set dogs with broad round teddy bear faces. We feel confident that well-structured dogs are calmer and more robust than smaller breeds. You can wrap your arms around one and get a real hug. The perfect balance. Rux Groodles typically have a wavy to curly coat, which is low to non-shedding and their coats can be styled in all sorts of fun and playful ways. Health tested parents. We are very particular in our breeding programs and always think about which combinations will work best to create the most beautiful dogs. All our dogs have undergone Genetic Analysis and DNA testing and every puppy comes with health information on parents. We also invest time learning which characters match best for wonderful personalities. F1B Groodles. We breed F1b standard Groodles. F1 is a cross between a golden retriever and a standard poodle. F1b is when we take an F1 Groodle and breed it back to a Poodle. These dogs will look like the F1 Groodles and usually have a lower shedding coat. Fleecy coats are typically extremely low to non-shedding. The F1b is an excellent choice for those who suffer from allergies. Bonnie was our first standard Groodle. She arrived with our family by chance. We went to Central Queensland on interstate business and met a breeder of Golden Retrievers with European bloodlines. We chatted about his year history breeding Goldens and he wanted to show us a special dog he had. We viewed the groodle puppy as she sat calmly amongst a rowdy litter of puppies. She was sweet, calm, confident, and had the thicker English Golden retriever features with a beautiful round face, sturdy structured body, and a shed free coat. The match was made, and we took the next flight home and Bonnie came with us. Background continued. Instantly, we fell in love with Bonnie. She was a mellow, intelligent, and happy dog around the house. Bonnie was always careful around our young kids. She is both agile and robust, able to run on the beach or go for a hiking adventure, or just as easily lay quietly at the foot of the couch while we enjoy a coffee. We loved the non-shedding coat and our hair-free house. Bonnie brought so much joy to our family that we wanted to share this with others. Rux Groodles was born. We have limited litters, and our breeding dogs live in homes, not kennels. At Rux, our English Groodle puppies are lovingly raised in nurturing family homes, rather than kennels, ensuring they become the perfect family companions. With young children and adults actively participating in their growth, our puppies are seamlessly integrated into the lively dynamics of family life. They are well-adapted to the various sounds and activities of a bustling household, such as laughter, playtime, and everyday chores, guaranteeing a well-rounded upbringing for your new furry friend. We understand the importance of proper socialization and training during the early stages of a puppy's life, as inadequate training can lead to costly behavioral issues later on. By raising our puppies in family environments, Rux goes above and beyond to provide you with a loving, well-mannered companion that will bring joy to your home for years to come. Embrace the Rux difference and welcome a puppy that has been expertly nurtured and socialized, tailored specifically for family life.

How often you should feed a German Shepherd puppy depends on their age and their activity level. Many owners also want to know when they can switch to adult food formulas for their German Shepherd puppies. Switch your GSD puppy to adult food when they are around 12 to 18 months old. Puppies can begin adult kibble when they are approximately 80 percent of their adult weight. This usually occurs around 8 to 10 months of age, but you can safely feed puppy food up to 18 months old as long as they are not putting on excess weight too quickly. If you want to know what to feed a German Shepherd puppy, keep reading. Finding the best food to feed your German Shepherd puppy is overwhelming at times. This means choosing what to feed a German Shepherd puppy is even more serious and intimidating! Follow this feeding guide when you need to know what to feed German Shepherd puppies. I understand! The following dog foods are all recommended for large breed puppies and meet and exceed regulated nutritional standards. Feeding a high-quality kibble from a name-brand company that uses feeding trials ensures the best quality and nutrition. Here are some of the best German Shepherd puppy foods that are research-backed. Packed with nutrients to help limit inflammation of the joints and uses fresh ingredients. Easily digestible formula for puppies prone to allergies and sensitive stomachs. Rich aroma with DHA fish oil to entice puppies to finish every last bite while giving shine to their coats. The better the food, the healthier your pup will be inside and out. Cheaper GSD puppy food lacks quality proteins that are essential for your working breed dog. Adding too much weight to your German Shepherd too soon can cause lifelong joint issues that are painful to your pet and expensive on your wallet. Most GSDs are healthy and fit on commercial dog foods that are high quality. These balanced formulas keep their bones and muscles strong throughout their growing periods and can ward off later joint issues, a common breed problem, as they mature. There is a greater demand for quality nutrition during the early growth stage. For these reasons, you must feed high-quality food. Now, consider what to feed a German Shepherd puppy based on their age. These feeding charts and guides will help keep your new companion growing strong and athletic. Tiny portions of canned, wet foods are introduced. Meals per day: 4 or more Puppies should stay with their mom for to keep them healthy. Nutrition Warning! At 8-weeks-old a GSD pup is eating more solid foods and develops a better appetite for kibble and other foods. Add in only a couple of small spoonfuls of canned plain pumpkin, unsweetened Greek yogurt, or cooked oatmeal to entice your pup to eat. Meals per day: 4 Week-Old Puppy Continue feeding the same as the 8-week-old diet. Treats are not only enjoyable for your German Shepherd, but help you to eneterain and build a positive relationship with him. Be sure to keep their zoomies under control by playing plenty of fun German Shepherd games for puppies. Meals per day: 4 Week-Old Puppy Continue to feed the kibble. Watch for excessive weight gain during this growth time as their bones cannot take extra weight! Too much weight gain too quickly can cause joint issues as an adult and prevent healthy development. Use their mental energy to help keep them more relaxed throughout the day by playing brain-boosting mind games for German Shepherd puppies. Meals per day: 3 to 4 Week-Old Puppy Keep your puppy trim and athletic by monitoring how much you feed your puppy and their body condition. You can write how much they eat and track this over time, and adjust how much your feed your German Shepherd puppy to keep them at a healthy weight. Try using fresh, raw, cut-up pieces of carrots as healthy treats or small, deseeded cubes of fresh apple as part of their training treats. Keep your eyes open for a growth spurt about to begin! Meals per day: 3 Week-Old Puppy Around 4 months old, you might notice your puppy finish their meal quickly and look for more food. Be sure to watch how many treats you give them throughout the day. You can do this by holding them safely in your arms and weighing them with you on the scale. Then, place them on the floor and step onto the scale without them to weigh yourself. Remember, around 16 to weeks old your German Shepherd puppy begins to rapidly grow. Instead, when looking overhead at your puppy their waist should look trim and not rounded outwards. German Shepherd puppies should appear sleek in their waistline. Meals per day: 3 Week And Older Puppy Continue to feed your German Shepherd puppy dry kibble with a small amount of healthy foods mixed in. You can lessen the healthy food you mix in gradually if you prefer. But, even as adults, German Shepherds love a bit of tasty toppers on their kibble. Around a year old, begin feeding your German Shepherd puppy 2 meals a day. Two meals, one in the morning and evening, are not only safer but also provide your German Shepherd with sustained energy to fuel their high-energy lifestyle. You can create a positive meal time by using the following tips: Always offer fresh water during their meal times. Keep the area where they eat their food in calm and out of the way of the family hustle and bustle. I found sitting with a book reading, just keeping my GSD puppy company, encouraged my dog to eat their meals while giving us time to quietly bond. Feed your German Shepherd at the same time everyday. The best time to feed a German Shepherd puppy is in the morning, before you leave for the day, and in the evening, about 2 hours before you put your dog to bed. Allow them to potty after eating to ensure their comfort. Your dog also needs to eat at other times of the day for their health and growth. How much you should feed a German Shepherd puppy really depends on a number of factors. Your GSD pup should eat enough to maintain their growth and energy, while not carrying any extra fat. Every dog is different. Keep in mind the number of calories in the kibble, which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Each puppy food company has a different amount of calories and size of the kibble. Here are a few things that might affect how much your German Shepherd puppy should eat. The more active a German Shepherd puppy is, the more calories he needs to eat to replace lost energy. For example, puppies need nearly twice the amount of calories as compared to adults. And older or senior German Shepherds who are less active need less food. Health Maintaining a healthy weight is essential to feeding your German Shepherd. Simply put, you can prevent some medical conditions and health problems by monitoring their waistlines. Instead follow the healthy way to bulk up a German Shepherd. To see if your German Shepherd is at the right weight you can find the average weight depending on their age. German Shepherd care German Shepherd puppy diet: newborn For a German Shepherd puppy to develop and grow properly, it is imperative that they first nurse on their mother's milk. The first milk they receive is a protein and antibody-rich type of milk known as colostrum. This gives the puppy's immune and central nervous systems a boost. They then progress on to regular breast milk. Puppies will nurse for at least 6 to 8 weeks, gradually being weaned on to solid food at about 4 weeks. If, for any reason, the puppy cannot suckle its mother, don't give them cow or goat milk. These milks are very poor quality in comparison to a puppy's mother's milk. If your German shepherd puppy has to be prematurely weaned, a veterinarian will be able to prescribe specific infant formula and establish the appropriate dosage for your puppy. For example, a Chihuahua and a German Shepherd should not be fed the same food. This is because hese breeds have different nutritional needs. Take a look here to find out more about the diet for a prematurely weaned puppy. German Shepherd puppy diet: 1 month old From 3 to 4 weeks old, when it comes to feeding a German Shepherd puppy, we should start by letting them taste new foods and flavors. At this stage, the German Shepherd puppy's diet plan requires them to eat a special wet food for puppies. At around 6 to 8 weeks old, a German Shepherd puppy should be given a little dry dog food with water, or unseasoned chicken stock between nursing sessions. From their eighth week onward, a German Shepherd should be weaned and start feeding on solid food with a special puppy feed. The best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy is breed specific, but this may not be available everywhere. In these cases, your veterinarian can create a proper food plan for your German Shepherd puppy. At this stage, milk must be removed from the puppy's diet as it could cause diarrhea. If by any chance your dog or puppy is suffering from a bad stomach, we recommend taking a look at our article on what to do if yourt dog has diarrhea. In addition, it is vital that puppies have constant access to clean fresh water. German Shepherd puppy diet: 2 months old At two months of age, you can start to slowly decrease the moistening of your German Shepherd's dry food. Eventually, the puppy will be used to eating the food completely dry. Following the German Shepherd puppy food chart, from 2 until 4 months old, a puppy will eat 4 or 5 times a day. This has to be carried out with one very important addition: discipline. A puppy needs to learn that it will not be fed constantly throughout the day, but at specific times. We start of by placing a bowl of food down for 10 minutes, this should give the puppy enough time to finish its meal. After 10 minutes, we suggest taking the bowl of food away, even if your puppy hasn't finished eating. A puppy's food bowl must only be available to the dog for 10 minutes. This 10 minutes should be enough time for the puppy to eat all of its provided food. As already mentioned, after 10 minutes, you should take the food bowl away, even if the puppy hasn't finished eating. This pattern will introduce the puppy's food schedule and allow it an opportunity to become accustomed to particular feeding times. Accepting and adapting to a diet plan is very important for a puppy's intellectual development. It also facilitates more complex and demanding training sessions. Food for German shepherd puppies should be higher in calories, fats, proteins and calcium than adult German Shepherd dog food. This is because puppies are still growing and developing and therefore need better nutrition. German Shepherd puppy diet: food plan after 4 months Between 4 and 6 months of age, the number of meals which we have detailed in our German Shepherd puppy food chart should be reduced to 3 a day. The food quantity should be increased and an extra margin of 2 minutes to eat should be provided. The packaging of quality commercial dog food will detail the appropriate suggested amount of food for the puppy, depending on its age and weight. If you have any doubts, consult your veterinarian. You should eventually start mixing fresh food, such as meat, fish or vegetables, with the commercial dry feed. Beware of forbidden foods for dogs. Some people ask about a raw diet for a German shepherd puppy, but we recommend these such foods should always be cooked and never given to a dog raw. Meanwhile, treats for dogs should only be used as positive reinforcement during their training and learning period, never as a food supplement. Under no circumstances should you give your German Shepherd, or any dog, human food leftovers. Human food contains salt, sugar and seasoning contents which are very harmful to a dog's health. In addition, if you do offer your dog your food, it will pester you during meals [1]. For more, take a look at some of the harmful effects of treating a dog like a human. German Shepherd puppy diet: after 6 months When your German Shepherd puppy reaches 6 months of age, its daily food intake should be reduced to twice a day. When we do this we can increase the food portions and eating time accordingly. Our German Shepherd diet chart below should be taken into account depending on the age, lifestyle and size of your German Shepherd puppy. After 6 months, you should give your German Shepherd puppy shatterproof bones, such as beef, to gnaw on. For more, take a look here for more about; Bones For Puppies. German shepherd puppy: Dog food and water bowl hygiene Your puppy's food and drink containers should always be clean. Hygiene is very important in order to prevent the appearance of insects. If you notice that your puppy has not eaten for three consecutive meals, consult your veterinarian immediately. This lack of appetite in a puppy could be caused by bowel obstruction and stomach pain; due to the ingestion of toxic food etc. Don't forget that puppies are very sensitive and fragile and if you ignoring any symptoms of disease, it can result in severe issues or even puppy fatality. German Shepherd care German Shepherd puppies should be socialized and trained to live with you from day one. These dogs are incredibly capable and have the ability, if trained properly, to learn tricks and perform activities [2]. In addition to the diet of a German Shepherd, don't forget the importance of preventative medicines, following the appropriate vaccination schedules and general German Shepherd dog care. For more information about your German shepherd, take a look at.So, how many times a day should you feed your German Shepherd? German Shepherds should be fed at least twice a day. Vets recommend two smaller meals instead of one large meal for healthy digestion and energy. For puppies, feed 4 meals a day up to three months old, then 3 meals a day up to six months old, before finally reducing to 2 meals a day. It is essential to stick to food schedules that are consistent for the long-term health of your German Shepherd, especially as the breed is prone to the life-threatening condition, Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus GDV , commonly known as bloat. This article will cover how often to feed a German Shepherd whether puppy or adult and how much to give your dog to keep him healthy and happy. Hey there! As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commissions if you purchase products from other retailers after clicking on a link from our site. My German Shepherd Willow eating her meal Hey! As a working breed raised to herd and protect sheep, they are typically energetic, enjoy physical activity, and love having a job to do. Due to their dynamic character, they demand a high-energy diet. However, as large, deep-chested dogs, they are one of the breeds prone to bloat GDV , and vets advise against feeding one large meal a day. Twice per day is the standard, with a good few hours in between, as it allows your GSD to eat and digest his food properly. German Shepherds, like most dogs, work well when fed on a schedule. I absolutely agree with this, especially as the German Shepherd is susceptible to a sensitive stomach and is known to have more digestive problems than other breeds. However, if you have any concerns, you should speak to your vet. If you have a high-energy or working German Shepherd, such as a guard dog, assistance dog, or Police or Military dog that gets a lot of exercise, you may consider feeding little and often to prevent hunger. German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Schedule German Shepherd puppies will require more frequent feedings as they expend far more energy and have smaller stomachs to hold their food. You should feed a German Shepherd puppy four meals a day between 6 and 12 weeks old. Puppies aged between 12 and 24 weeks should have three meals a day, and from 24 weeks onwards, German Shepherd puppies should be fed twice per day. Age of Puppy. Split that daily amount up between all meals. For example, if your 3-month-old GSD puppy is a male and weighs 30 pounds, you should feed him approximately 2 cups per day. Since she no longer needs the extra calories to help support her fast growth period, you can safely reduce her feedings to 2 or 3 meals per day. While she should still be eating puppy food at this point, you may consider purchasing a bag of her eventual adult formula. You can use individual kibbles from the adult formula for treats or training rewards. This will help her get used to the new flavor and texture. Around 9 months of age, you can begin slowly adding a small amount of the adult formula into her puppy food, though she should still be eating primarily puppy chow. Only your vet will be able to tell you when your dog has reached maturity and can be safely moved to adult food. So, make sure you are in close contact with your vet to be sure that your feeding plan is individualized for your specific dog. Adult dog food will have a different ratio of calcium, protein, phosphorus, and other nutrients than puppy food does. Feeding an adult dog a puppy formula can cause obesity as well as put too much strain on kidneys and other vital organs. Long term use of inappropriate food for an adult dog can have catastrophic consequences. That said, there is no need to panic if your adult GSD eats a bowl of puppy food now and then. Adult German Shepherds should be fed twice a day. Again, bloat is a real problem for large breed dogs, and large meals seem to be a big cause of this. I feed my adult dogs this particular blend for a number of reasons. The blend is designed specifically with German Shepherds in mind, as it uses high-quality, animal-based nutrients to counter the extra stress put on the joints of GSDs and to help the development strong lean muscle to keep your dog in peak physical condition. You really can see the difference. This is evident by the fast decline in health, joint flexibility, and energy in older large breed dogs compared to same-age smaller breeds. When your GSD moves from the adult life stage to senior, you need to adjust her diet. Large breeds reach the older stage not quite senior, but close around half of their assumed life expectancy. Inevitably, your GSD will need to switch over to a senior diet. Older large breed dogs have lower energy needs. Older dogs also tend to slow down their digestion, so an increase in fiber might be a good choice for your senior GSD. Do be sure to confirm this with your vet, however. Not all foods are created equal. For treats, senior dogs should avoid calorie-dense milk bones and high-salt or fatty treats. Opt for healthy, whole-food treats such as apple slices or carrots. Some senior dogs begin to develop health conditions that will require special care. This is often a result of poor nutrition early in life, but can sometimes simply be genetics and old age catching up with them. But for GSDs with health issues such as kidney disease and joint pain, diet can play an even bigger role in the quality of their lives. Getting a personalized recommendation from your veterinarian is worth the time, expense, and effort. These charts can seem pretty straightforward at first glance. Instead, use them as a starting point. Observe your dog, see how he looks and feels, and note any changes in his bathroom habits, weight, or energy level. Adjust his meals accordingly. Generally speaking, they talk about daily intake, not per meal. It means to split that 3 cups total over the entire day. If your dog eats 3 times per day, that would be 1 cup at each meal for a total daily intake of 3 cups. To further confuse dog parents, some manufacturers do list per-meal serving sizes, not the total daily intake! In these cases, if you read it incorrectly, you would end up underfeeding your dog. To help mitigate some of this confusion, it may be helpful to ask your vet how many calories your dog should be consuming each day. Then you can check the calorie content in the dog food and measure things from there. Raw Diets, Cooking for Dogs, and Other Alternative Feeding This article has been focusing mainly on commercially available dry kibble since that is what most pet parents ultimately choose for their dogs. However, there are many dog owners that choose to feed alternative diets. These include raw diets and cooking regular people food for dogs. There are many viable options for feeding your healthy German Shepherd, but there are just as many harmful fads, too. As with commercial foods, be sure to speak with your vet before starting your dog on a raw diet or home-cooking her meals. Human supplements are often unregulated, minimally effective, and often contain substances harmful to animals. Never use a human supplement for your German Shepherd. Final Thoughts What you feed your German Shepherd is just as important as how much you feed them. Pay special attention to the first 4 or 5 ingredients listed on the back of the packaging. Choose high-quality, safety-tested foods with clear ingredient and nutrition labels. The two most obvious goals of feeding your German Shepherd are for health and growth. How fast do German Shepherds grow? German Shepherds are medium-large dogs and therefore grow at a fast rate over the first six to seven months leading up to adolescence. Adult German Shepherds are 22 to 26 inches tall and weigh 50 to 95 pounds. Reputable weight charts suggest your German Shepherd puppy will have attained three-quarters of their final weight over these first six to seven months. This is A LOT of growing to do in a short amount of time — when you brought your puppy home, it was probably only eight inches tall and weighed around 15 pounds. By 12 to 15 months old, a German Shepherd is within an inch or less of their adult height. Therefore, your male German Shepherd will be 23 to 25 inches tall and weigh 59 to 93 pounds by his first birthday. How does diet affect the health of growing Shepherds? Recently it has come to light that a proper diet for puppies does more than prevent malnutrition. As part of this proper diet, there are many things that should never be fed to German Shepherds. Orthopedic Problems Many orthopedic problems such as hip and elbow dysplasia have a strong hereditary component. However, people often discount the role of diet in bone developmental issues. Merely creating an oversized puppy, as is often the case for show animals and people fixated on large dogs, can lead to several painful disorders: Hip dysplasia Elbow dysplasia Panosteitis — Generalized inflammation of the long bones in puppies; common in German Shepherds. Overnutrition and over-supplementation of certain vitamins and minerals lead to paradoxical malnutrition of the bone, and subsequently improper development. Nutritional experts have modified their recommendations regarding the diets of large-breed dogs. Many nutritionists and veterinarians advocate feeding German Shepherds and other large-breed puppies an adult or professionally-formulated homemade diet to limit the occurrence and severity of developmental problems. Pet food manufacturers have caught onto the concept of overnutrition in puppies, and most carry special diets for large-breed puppies. Also, do not supplement your puppy with vitamins, minerals, or proteins without veterinarian direction — their excessive use will disrupt bone and cartilage growth and harm the growth plates. Many people use the food bag as a starting point to decide how much to feed their dogs. However, a label on commercial food is one of the easiest ways to overfeed your growing puppy. Feeding your puppy involves regularly evaluating and tracking their weight. You should be able to assess how close your pup is to their ideal weight just by looking at them. Silhouette from the side — a slight tuck. Pat the ribcage where the abdomen slightly lifts towards the hips. From above — Clear waist; should see an hourglass shape from rib cage to hips When you palpate — You should feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat without having to prod very hard. Puppies will vary in their body scores and may change rapidly within a few days. Pups often lose their abdominal tuck right after a meal. Puppies under 16 weeks old commonly have a pot-bellied appearance without much abdominal tuck. Thin dogs will show more visibility of ribs, waist, and pelvis without appearing emaciated or unhealthy. If your puppy eats well but fails to grow or gain sufficient weight, consult a medical professional. German Shepherds can be susceptible to rare cases of pituitary gland dwarfism or a deficiency of enzyme production from the pancreas. Volume The easiest way to determine how much food to give your Shepherd pup is to figure out how many cups they need in a day and divide it by the number of feedings. German Shepherds eat about four cups of food daily from 16 weeks of age to nine months or a year regardless of weight. The volume accounts for the relatively high caloric requirements of the young growing animal. German Shepherds over a year old may need as much as five to eight cups of dog food. Other references, however, use weight rather than age. Pups eat one cup of food daily per 15 to 20 pounds. Dogs over pounds receive five cups of kibble plus an additional half a cup for every extra 20 pounds. Like all models, more active dogs need to eat more food — make adjustments up or down based on body scoring. You can estimate the volume to feed your German Shepherd pup once you find the conversion rate. Dry dog food bags and wet food cans usually have the kilocalorie equivalence of each cup of the product. The number of calories you feed your Shepherd depends on how close to the adult weight they are. Once your puppy reaches six weeks old, you may still have to feed it a mash but can decrease meals to four per day. German Shepherd puppies between the ages of 12 and 16 weeks can eat three to four times daily, while most dogs over four months of age decrease to a frequency of two to three times daily. Centering a few potty breaks around meals that stimulate their intestinal tracts helps develop consistent habits. GDV Your German Shepherd puppy will begin to develop a deeper chest combined with significant size by four to six months of age. Both physical characteristics put your puppy at additional risk of gastric dilatation and volvulus compared to smaller breeds. Four months is the age at which most pups will see a significant increase in their meal sizes. Studies have linked large meals with GDV , or bloat, life-threatening distension, and rotation of the stomach. Increasing the number of feedings greatly reduces the incidence of GDV. We recommend at least two meals a day for your dog, even as your Shepherd approaches adulthood. How much to feed a German Shepherd puppy is part of a broader equation that includes avoiding overfeeding, calculating portion sizes, and scheduling appropriate mealtimes. However, a fat or pudgy puppy is not a look anyone should encourage. The puppy may appear to be in good shape, but you need to feel the ribs to be certain. Four Months You can really start to see the amount the pup has grown compared to the eight-week-old puppy! To get a better idea of what to expect with a young GSD, feel free to watch this video! It illustrates the rapid growth rate of the German Shepherd and touches on diets as well. Recommended reading. The best food for German Shepherd puppies in their first two to four months of life is milk from their mother. This specialised care is usually left to German Shepherd breeders or veterinarians, who are knowledgeable in caring for pups with no mother to nurse from. If you have recently brought a German Shepherd puppy into your family, they are most likely older than 8 weeks, and so have started to eat solid foods. Before the four month mark, it is advised to include some dry food in their diet. You can do this in a few simple steps: Mix some dry food with specially formulated puppy milk to form a soft mixture. You can feed your puppy this mixture three to four times a day. Over time, reduce the amount of milk you include in this mixture, until they are at the point where they are happily eating dry foods. Read on to learn how much you should feed your German Shepherd puppy as they get older. With this rapid growth can come some risks. German Shepherds are susceptible to bone growth disorders, like hip dysplasia, that can start in puppyhood. They will be very active in their adolescent years, and so should be fed with this in mind. The transition from puppy food to adult food should happen between 12 and 24 months of age. This is because, being a larger breed who grows very quickly, you want to ensure that you are feeding them according to their large breed needs. Remember that the more active the pup, the more food they require. While following feeding guidelines is important to avoid over and underfeeding, you can adjust the amounts of food you provide to your dog based on level of activity. If you are unsure, it is always best to ask your vet for guidance. You need to take special care when considering what you should feed your German Shepherd puppy, as they require different nutrients compared to their adult counterparts. For puppies, this amount will often be two of three times higher, as they are more active and growing quickly. German Shepherd puppies need to eat food that is high in proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are also essential for supporting your active pup. Aside from nutritionally complete dry puppy food, German Shepherd puppies can benefit from the extra protein that raw meat can provide them with, such as lean beef, turkey, chicken, or fish. However, they can also be at risk of gastric dilatation or volvulus, or GDV. Certain dog breeds can be more susceptible to GDV; particularly deep chested breeds including German Shepherds. GDV can occur when a dog bloats a few hours after eating a meal. Though the exact causes of GDV are not known, grains and cereals are suspected to be contributors. The amount of food you give your German Shepherd is determined by their weight, energy levels, and age. For most adult German Shepherds, between 1, to 2, calories per day from high quality food sources is ideal. Female German Shepherds, which tend to be about 8 kilos lighter than males, may need less food, as will less active dogs. Dogs who need less food, whether they are less active or simply older, will usually still need around 1, and 1, per day. You may want to alter the amount of food you are feeding your German Shepherd based on how calorically dense their food is. German Shepherds should be fed twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Their daily allotment of food should be split evenly between these two meals. For most dogs, it is recommended that you exercise your dog before meal times to assist with potty training. However, some dogs who are at risk of GDV may benefit from exercise after eating, to aid with digestion. You should also try to give your German Shepherd a high quality food that is specially designed for larger or working breeds, especially if they are very active. For example, less active senior dogs will need to eat less food as they will not be burning calories as quickly as a lively little puppy will. Senior dogs may benefit from a higher fibre and lower calorie diet. Your dog may also develop chronic or short term medical conditions that require specially formulated food. German Shepherds can be particularly susceptible to skin disease or allergies, including canine atopic dermatitis, bacterial skin infections, flea allergy dermatitis, forms of contact dermatitis, or scabies. If your dog develops a skin issue, it is often a sign that they may be suffering from a form of food sensitivity. If you are unsure about what you should feed your German Shepherd, you should always consult your vet as they will be able to determine if your dog is suffering from any allergies or chronic health issues: creating a nutritional plan to help keep your dog healthy and happy for years to come. Part of figuring out what you should feed your German Shepherd includes deciding between wet, dry, or a raw food diet. Wet food for German Shepherds is often high in protein and fat, and is better at keeping your dog hydrated than other food sources. A raw diet can be a good option for your German Shepherd as you have more control over the kinds of food and amount of nutrients your pup is consuming. For this reason, raw diets require a lot more work on your part as an owner. Whatever you decide to feed your German Shepherd, all dogs need a similar ratio of nutrients in their diets. The amount of food you feed your dog should be determined by their activity levels, age, weight, breed, and size. Any meals prepared for your dog need to contain the right balance of nutrients. You should also be extra careful not to introduce your dog to foods that are harmful to their health. While we might enjoy the taste of nuts, artificial sweeteners, alcohol and onions, these can be toxic for dogs and can cause serious illness and even death. German Shepherds in particular need plenty of exercise as they are a large working breed with a lot of energy. No matter how old your German Shepherd is, it is important to keep to a consistent feeding schedule. A feeding schedule can help you keep track of any changes in behaviour around food that might signal illness or physiological stress.

Ready to adopt a loveable Labrador Retriever? Providing families with chocolate, yellow, and black English Labrador Retriever puppies and adults, Starlite Labradors is your trusted and responsible dog breeder. Whether your family wants to enjoy a wonderful temperament or simply want a furry best friend, our team strives to provide the same happiness to your family as Labrador Retrievers have brought ours. All dogs come available with their age-appropriate shots, AKC papers, and a 2-year guarantee for happy and healthy pups. Proudly located in Grabill, IN, we service all of the Midwest. For more information about our current Labradors available for adoption, please give us a call at ! Raising our family and Labrador retriever puppies on a small farm in Northeast Indiana since , our labs are well-cared for by our family. Feel free to look through our family of labs, and if there are any questions about upcoming litters or adult labs available for adoption, please get in touch with us; we would be happy to help answer any questions you may have. Pet Keen is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. We understand there are many reasons for seeking a breeder, though, so we encourage it to be done the right way. We have not personally investigated all of the breeders below, rather, we have gathered their details for you to get in touch and ask all the right questions before you decide. Learn more about our position and how to choose a breeder here. Labrador Retrievers are one of the most popular breeds around—and for good reason. These dogs are perfect companion animals, ideal for first pets, therapy animals , gun dogs , multi-pet households—and even show. If you have a love for this breed, you can pick from many reputable breeders in Indiana. The 7 Labrador Retriever Breeders in Indiana 1. All Labs at this location are raised as family members with direct access to children and other dogs. This website contains images of all the gorgeous specimens Buck Branch uses for breeding and a history of previous litters. They make temperament a top priority, breeding dogs who have docile, amiable personalities. These dogs undergo several health checks before placement, including a complete clearance from a board-certified ophthalmologist. They also introduce them to different environments and interact with children and other animals—including cats. These pups are bred for hunting companions, so there are tons of opportunities for training and other events at this facility. These breeders focus on common Lab colors—black, chocolate, and yellow. These dogs are registered through the AKC, capable of completing tons of work and field-related tasks. If this rare Lab color has your attention, this breeder has raving reviews about the quality of their puppies. This breeder has been in business for over 20 years. All puppies require a deposit before placement for which they take PayPal. These AKC-registered Labs live in climate-controlled kennels. They breed Labs of all colors—and many studs and dames have been used for varying purposes. This breeding facility is a moderate-sized facility, having over 20 breeders and six studs. You can check out all breeding dogs on the website as well as look at any available puppies. Even though this breeder might have less interaction with all pups, they do produce quality animals. These American-style Labs are excellent hunters and make stunning quality pups. This operation also has tons of training options, really getting to the roots of the Labrador breed. These pups come with all vet checks and health clearances. These puppies are microchipped before coming home—and there is a month health guarantee on all. Puppies require a deposit and come home after 7 weeks. This operation really explored color genetics, producing fascinating fur tones. All dogs are housed in indoor kennels that are completely temperature-controlled. There is very transparent pricing and easy information on how to bring one of these lovely dogs home on the website. Featured Image Credit: Alexx60, Shutterstock Written by Ashley Bates Author Ashley Bates is a freelance dog writer and pet enthusiast who is currently studying the art of animal therapy. A mother to four human children— and 23 furry and feathery kids, too — Ashley volunteers at local shelters, advocates for animal well-being, and rescues every creature she finds. Her mission is to create awareness, education, and entertainment about pets to prevent homelessness. Her specialties are cats and dogs.Read more Advertisement.

Posted by Colleen Hart in Behavior Problems , Pug Training 15 comments When you get your Pug puppy, the first thing you will notice is the amount of energy that the little guy will have. He will run around and play with anything and anyone he can find. Pugs are naturally pretty clever dogs and no matter how hard you may try to get your dog to not get into certain places or to not play with certain items, they will always find a way. My suggestion is start teaching him good behavior before he even develops those naughty habits. Obedience Training and Your Puppy While your little Pug is growing up, he is learning and shaping his habits. Start implanting good behavior habits into your Pug while he is still a puppy. This will make make training him once he is older much easier. The number one thing I tell new Pug owners is to set the rules for your pug puppy on the first day you get him. Here are some common rules you would want to set for your Pug puppy. No biting — It might be cute to have your pug puppy bite your hand or leg, but the older he gets the more painful his biting will be. Playing with his food — Some pugs like to make a mess with their food. Chewing on things — Nobody wants their pug to chew up their phone or remote. Showing him early on that he is only allowed to chew on his toys will help prevent destructive chewing in the future. Training Tricks One thing I love to do when showing off my Pug is to show people the tricks he can do. I started training my Pug simple tricks when he was just a puppy. Since then I found out that he actually enjoys learning them. Well he enjoys the treats and attention that come when he does something impressive on command. The very first thing I learned was that the only way my pug would listen to me was when he considered me the authority. I realized that when my pug saw me as the leader that he could trust and rely on, he would listen to me. This is what you must be when you train your puppy. Show him that you are the leader of the pack. Once you start acting like a leader and showing off traits that come along with the territory, training will become much easier. It is never too late to start training your dog. With enough time and persistence your Pug will learn what makes you happy and he will adjust his behavior accordingly. After all you make him a very happy dog, so he will pay you back with his loyalty. Related Articles. Pug Dog Breed Colours: Fawn, apricot, silver, and black Tail: Curls tightly over the hip Coat length: Short, smooth, and glossy Body: Square, cobby, with well-developed muscles Ears: Rose and button Teeth: Lower teeth extend slightly more than the upper Wrinkles: the more the wrinkles, the better the Pug breed Note! Pug Personality Pugs are incredibly friendly, low-maintenance dogs that love to be the center of attention. So they can easily adapt to life in an enormous house or little flat. Pugs bark, but not too much, making them perfect for any environment. So, are Pugs good with kids? Plus, these puppies can also get along well with other dogs and cats. Make no mistake — these little creatures are stubborn and can be challenging to train. But are Pugs hard to potty train? No more than any other breed. Using treats always helps. Just be careful as Pugs love to eat and can easily become overweight. Snorting and snoring can also be issues with the small Pug breed. Due to their flat face, Pugs can snore as loudly as humans. These dogs usually bark when they see or sense a stranger but quickly become friends with outsiders. Pug Maintenance Despite their short and smooth coat, pugs still shed a lot. So, weekly brushing is highly recommended for their coat, and investing in a good vacuum cleaner is a wise choice. Their face wrinkles require more sensitive care, especially around the eyes. Also, they need cleaning daily to prevent infections and irritation. Keep in mind that the Pug dog breed also has a particular odor, which you can easily manage with regular grooming and a pet odor eliminator. When it comes to exercise and daily walks, less than an hour is good enough for a Pug. Overall, a Pug is the perfect little ally for anyone who wants a low-energy, indoor companion. Here are the most common Pug health problems, followed by our best advice and simple tips: Eye Injuries Among the main Pug breed problems are eye injuries. You should also clean the eye wrinkles daily to avoid eye infections. When overly excited or hot, they find it hard to cool themselves down, resulting in fainting and collapsing. If you witness this condition in your Pug, immediately take it to the vet. Another common Pug breathing condition is the so-called reverse sneezing that makes the dogs gasp and snort. It usually happens when fluids or debris are irritating their throat. The symptoms go away once you gently massage the throat or cover the nose so they can breathe through the mouth. Still, you should avoid overexercising and overheating your Pug. Hip dysplasia is an inherited disease, causing the joints to develop improperly and resulting in arthritis. There are several ways to treat dysplasia. One is by surgery, but we recommend trying joint supplements for dogs first. Still, the treatment depends mostly on the severity of the injury. Since Pugs inherit the condition, when looking to buy or adopt a dog, ask for the pug and its breed history. PDE or Pug Dog Encephalitis One of the most severe health conditions in Pug dogs is necrotizing meningoencephalitis , or simply put, brain inflammation. Besides, it can affect both young and older Pugs. Once diagnosed, the disease is fatal. Food and Allergies Like most dogs, Pugs are always hungry. Pugs should eat smaller portions often throughout the day. Pugs are also prone to food allergies. They usually manifest on the skin or can be detected if your dog is vomiting or has diarrhea. So be prepared and check the best dog food for allergies. Aside from food, skin allergies are also common for the Pug breed. The ears and folds of the skin are most affected. Also, when grooming your Pug, you check the skin for any red spots or irritations. If you find any, talk to your vet about how to proceed. He became a celebrity after participating in the glorious movie Men in Black. And Frank even made it to the sequel. A Pug was the most loyal and beloved companion of Josephine, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. During her time in prison, she was only allowed visits by her Pug, called Fortune. She used its collar to send secret messages to her family. Pugs were initially bred as lap dogs. According to a Chinese legend, people praised Pugs for their wrinkles, believing that they bring good luck. Mopshond, or simply Mops, was used by Dutch traders as another name for the Pug breed. But black Pugs might shed less than others. The National Pug Day falls on October the 15th. Why Should You Choose a Pug? In a nutshell, the Pug dog breed is suitable for everyone. Also, they can easily adjust to huge homes or small apartments. Pugs are great with kids, rarely bite and chew, and are pretty inactive. When it comes to training, they might be a little stubborn, but you can still achieve results with patience and consistency. Overall, the Pug dog breed is a faithful and affectionate companion. Gabriela Delova Gabriela Delova is an experienced journalist and content writer. Passionate about words and storytelling, she has written hundreds of articles on different topics. Gabriela has adopted three abandoned dogs so far. Pug Should I adopt a pug? Pugs are wonderful companion animals! They are affectionate, attentive, entertaining and personable. Those who recognize their endearing qualities tend to become quite obsessed with them! However, there are special issues associated with this breed that you must be aware of before choosing to adopt one. Expensive Medical Problems Like most purebred dogs, pugs are prone to many expensive health problems. If spending a lot of money on veterinary bills is simply unacceptable, consider waiting until you are more financially prepared to adopt a pug, or look into less expensive types of pets or breeds. Common medical problems include: Their teeth tend to be crowded in their mouths. They require dental cleanings by a vet — often every year Pigmentary Keratitis, an eye condition requiring daily medication for life to prevent blindness Dry eyes, requiring daily eye lubricant Arthritis and general mobility issues Allergies — both food and seasonal Luxating Patellas which may require surgery depending on severity Wrinkles and ears prone to infection. They must be regularly cleaned They may develop breathing problems from their short snouts Elongated soft palates, which may require surgery depending on severity Eyes that are prone to injury Pug Behavior While some dogs were bred to herd sheep or hunt birds, pugs were bred to be lap dogs. And contrary to popular belief, most black pugs shed as much as fawn pugs. They are NOT hypoallergenic. They require regular nail trims which they usually hate Volunteer Links. Overview When you have a dog from the age of a young pup, this gives you a wonderful opportunity. It offers you a chance to bond with your dog from the very beginning. This also gives you an advantage because you will be able to train and teach your pup what they need to know before they learn any bad behavior from elsewhere. This section will discuss how to care for a Pug puppy, starting at 8 weeks old and up until he or she is an adult, at the age of 1 year. Transition to a New Home Things will run much smoother if you plan ahead and have most, if not all, of your puppy care items already in your home. Here are the most important items to have: A crate — One with an adjustable size is best to fit the needs of a growing Pug puppy. Crating is a good night time method to use until a pup is housebroken. Gates or a playpen — Choosing an area to gate off or using a canine playpen are good options for when you must leave your Pug puppy home alone or for when you cannot be right at his side. This keeps the pup in a controlled space which helps in regard to bathroom needs and keeping a puppy in one area when he or she has strong chewing urges. Puppy food — This should be obtained before the puppy is brought home. Owners will not always agree with the food that a puppy has been being fed, however any change should be done gradually. Have the food that the Pug has been used to eating on hand, as well as your new choice. Details regarding making this change can be found here: Feeding a Pug. You'll also want them to be sized appropriately and at floor level. Honey — Puppies are prone to the condition of hypoglycemia, which is a rapid and dangerous drop in blood sugar levels. Stress, among other things, can bring this on and while going to a new home is a happy event, it can also be stressful for a little pup that is leaving all that he knew and no longer has the companionship and friendship of his litter-mates. Treatment can be provided at home as plans are being made to bring the puppy to the closest animal hospital or veterinarian. A small dab of honey is rubbed onto the gums and then the puppy should receive professional treatment, sometimes an IV to restore sugar levels back to normal. Leash, collar and harness — Pugs are prone to conditions that involve breathing problems. The body structure of this breed confines breathing passages into a small space and Pugs can have smaller than normal nasal passages and openings stenotic nares. For this reason, using a harness can help a Pug breathe easier when on leash. A short 6 foot leash works best for both potty training and heeling. Read more : Choosing the Best Collar and Harness for a Pug Grooming supplies — The thick coat of a Pug sheds heavily and brushing it well and offering baths on a regular basis can help control shedding. Starting dental care at a young age can help a puppy become used to this grooming element and set up a foundation for a life time of good dental hygiene practices. Keeping the wrinkles, eyes and ears clean are important part of caring for a Pug puppy. Read more: Shedding - Expect your Pug to shed a lot and be prepared by having the right tools. Dental care - Taking care of your Pug's teeth should be high on your priority list. Ears - Expected shapes and proper care. Wrinkles - Keeping the wrinkles dry and clean. Sleeping supplies - Some owners prefer to have their puppy sleep in the bed with them and while this is not always a bad thing, an owner should think about how that will play out as the pup matures into a much larger adult dog. Having a pup get used to his own canine bed from the beginning, set up in a quiet corner of a room, may work out best. Do keep in mind that Pugs crave human companionship and do not like to feel isolated. Setting up the bed in a quiet corner of a well-used room allows a Pug to have a nice area to retreat to for rest and sleep while allowing him to be close to his human family. It will be normal for a little one to sleep anywhere from 16 to 18 hours a day.This included both night time sleep and naps that will be taken throughout the day. Chew Toys — Teething will begin around the age of 3 or 4 months old and can last up until a Pug puppy is 8 months old. Having a good supply of toys on hand for a puppy to chew on is important. Puppy Proofing Before bringing a puppy home and on a regular basis at least weekly owners are encouraged to go over all floors to remove any small objects that could be accidentally swallowed. All items that could be chewed on such as pocket books and shoes should be placed up high until the Pug has matured. Whining It is normal for very young puppies to cry when first brought to a new home, this usually only lasts for a week or so as the pup becomes used to his new family and environment. This can also be a sign of needing to go to the bathroom, so following house training guidelines, be sure to take your Pug puppy outside on a regular basis. Vaccinations for the Pug Puppy An important part of caring for your puppy will be to make sure he or she is up-to-date for all needed vaccinations. An 8-week-old should already have received his shots, as well as a de-worming. Veterinarians will have varying schedules, however this is a general guideline: 5 weeks Parvovirus: For puppies at high risk of exposure to parvo, some veterinarians recommend vaccinating at 5 weeks. Dogs at high risk are those that live in areas where wild life raccoon, skunk, deer, etc. The inclusion of either canine adenovirus-1 or adenovirus-2 in a vaccine will protect against both adenovirus cough and hepatitis; adenovirus-2 is highly preferred. You will want to talk to your veterinarian about this. Reactions to Vaccines Immunizations are intended to stimulate the immune system to then protect a dog against a specific infectious disease. It is very important to have your Pug receive all needed vaccinations. Your Pug may react to immunizations in ways that range from soreness at the site of injection to mild fever to allergic reactions. The allergic reactions can range from mild to severe. Mild- Mild reactions include fever, sluggishness, and loss of appetite. Mild reactions usually resolve without any treatment needed. This is called Urticaria. This happens when there is a reaction of the skin and shows as hives or bumps. It is usually extremely itchy. Urticaria may progress to anaphylaxis, which is considered life-threatening. However, Urticaria is the most common reaction in dogs if a reaction is to happen. Severe - The most severe reaction is anaphylaxis. This is a very fast, sudden, severe allergic response that causes breathing difficulties, collapse and possible death. This is very rare. Urticaria the moderate and most common reaction, if one is to occur happens soon after vaccination, often even before the puppy is brought home. It can happen in the car while you are driving back to your house. Your veterinarian will recommend immediate return to the hospital for treatment. Urticaria is usually treated successfully with injectable corticosteroids like dexamethasone or prednisone. Antihistamines do little to help with acute allergic reactions but may be given by injection to help prevent recurrence of symptoms after steroids wear off. Mild vaccination reactions usually require no treatment. However, if the symptoms persist for more than 24 hours, call your veterinarian. Growth Rate A Pug puppy grows quickly and this can happen gradually or with spurts and stops. Many Pug puppies have a growth spurt near the 3 to 5 month mark. As the pup nears the 1 year mark, growth will slow down. Once a Pug reaches his or her full height, there may still be some growth in the width of the Pug, as the chest widens and fills out. How a Pug ages and his growth is rapid, yet can be staggered during the first year. Getting Your Puppy Comfortable One of the most important parts of bringing a puppy home is allowing him or her to become used to their new surroundings. Allow your pup to roam around and check out his new environment. Be sure to keep a puppy's water in one designed spot so that the pup can know that it can always be found. The drinking and feeding area should be in a quite corner of a room, without much foot traffic or noise, since small puppies can feel vulnerable while eating. The absolute longest that a 2 month old pup can hold their needs is 2 hours. The bladder and bowel muscles are not yet fully developed. As they grow older, this time will increase as they have more control over their body. Usually it will increase by 1 hour for each month that goes by. Therefore, a 3 month old can hold on for about 3 hours, a 4 month old for about 4 hours and so on.With 8 hours being the maximum time for any age. Informational Note: When your 2 month old needs to go outside at least every 2 hours, be sure to not get stuck into that habit.It is important to slowly increase the time intervals. Your 3 month old can wait about 3 hours, but only if you allow the pup to use his bowel and bladder muscles to work and grow stronger. If an owner always brought their Pug outside every 2 hours, the dog would never learn to hold their needs for a longer period of time. Keep reading about the best way to house train a Pug puppy. All puppy vaccinations should be given before you take him or her out to the park, to pet supply stores or any other area in which there may have been or could be other animals. Many new owners already have another dog in the household. As your puppy grows older and is receiving the needed vaccinations, you can slowly begin introducing your new puppy to other dogs and allow normal socialization to begin. The Necessities of Care To have a healthy and happy puppy that will grow into a happy and healthy adult dog, make sure to always provide the essentials: A proper diet. You will need to decide if you want to offer manufacture food, home cooked food or a combination of both. Pugs are very sensitive to their human's emotions. A hug goes a long way! 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. Although innocent and cute, your Pug puppy can get himself into tons of trouble. If anything, you should be more careful with him while he is young and his energy level is only matched by his curiosity. During this stage it is your job to make the conditions just right for him to grow into a happy, healthy and well behaved dog. Each puppy is different. Puppy-proof Your Home Past the innocent look and behind those cute puppy eyes lies a little trouble maker at heart. So pug-proof your home A. Luckily for you, Pugs are a little more limited than other dogs. Since they are not that tall, jumping up and stealing things from most tables or counters is not that easy for them. Where most other breeds could use their nose to open doors or cupboards, their short nose makes it a little more challenging. Having said that, you should still be careful about keeping dangerous or expensive things out of reach. Surprisingly, not a lot of owners actually do it. Instead they just lock up their Pug in a crate or a single room for the whole day. It does work in a way that it stops the puppy from destroying the rest of the house, but it also leaves the little guy with not much to do — and eventually boredom will lead to destructive behavior. You want to make sure that your new puppy is perfectly healthy. This means regular checkups and the necessary vaccinations are a must. On top of the obvious benefits of taking your Pug to the vet, you will also have the opportunity to ask the vet some of your own questions. Take him with you whenever you have the chance. This can include… walk around the block.

They are outgoing, active and affectionate companions who have a lot of energy and love making their owner happy. They have strong retrieving instincts as they were bred to be gun dogs, so they love both soft toys and diving into bodies of water. It is highly unusual for the puppy's owner to care for them during this time and is best left to a responsible, reputable breeder. Your puppy's body will double in weight as their muscles, organs and bones develop. Nutrition During the neonatal stage, your Labrador puppy will get most of their nutrition from their mother's milk. At around 4 weeks you may wish to introduce a mush of minced protein such as beef, but always consult your vet first before changing your puppy's diet at this stage. Health During this time it is important to monitor your Lab for any infections, diseases or birth defects. Puppies are unable to urinate or defecate by themselves initially, so their mother helps them but may additionally require your assistance. Keep your vet's contact details close by and educate yourself thoroughly on this stage of puppy development. By the end of this period, your puppy will be mobile and will explore the world mouth first — be sure to keep choking hazards and toxic foods out of their reach. Behaviour During most of this time your Labrador puppy will be asleep or inactive, but they will soon be playing with their brothers and sisters. After weeks they will go through as much sensory development as a human baby does in a few months. It is important to avoid disturbing the puppies' mother as she will be likely be protective, but some interaction with the young pups is normal so they become used to human touch. This is a formative time for your puppy and will be when they learn to walk, play, bite, hold their bladder, and interact with others. You will soon notice their attentiveness to you and their intense love of play — many Labs keep this caring and fun attitude for their whole lives if you foster it. Nutrition During the weaning stage, you should slowly introduce into their diet a nutritionally complete dog food which is appropriate to your Labrador's large size and young age. Labs are notoriously greedy and will quickly gobble down food and snatch treats from hands. You should familiarise yourself with lists of toxic foods and plants to avoid and hide as your puppy will soon find ways to get into forbidden snacks found only in bins. Labradors puppies instinctively like to 'dig' inside their water bowls so much of their water will end up on the ground. Make sure to get your puppy used to touching inside their small ears as they are prone to ear infections and will need regular checkups. Behaviour Due to the changes in their environment, your Labrador puppy will likely be under a significant amount of stress. It's important that you provide lots of attention and positive reinforcement for good behaviour at this time to establish boundaries early. Labradors are eager to love anyone but can be overbearing, so you should introduce them to a number of different people and environments so that they are not overwhelmed with excitement later in life. PUPPY By the time your Labrador Retriever reaches puppyhood their personality will be well developed and you will have established a loving, social friend who wants to maximise time with you and others. Your Labrador puppy will do well socially and behaviourally from puppy training classes as long as treats are involved. Nutrition Your Labrador puppy's diet should be based around a high quality, nutritionally complete puppy food. You may also wish to introduce them to fresh, lean raw meat — however, don't feed your puppy any meat you would not feed to a fellow human being. Bloat is potentially fatal but can be combatted by feeding your dog two smaller meals per day, a habit you should start while they are a puppy. A rough guide is that they should exercise for minutes per day and less after 5 years when many lose their appetite for long marathons of activity. Your pup will need brushing every few days, with more frequent grooming during seasonal changes to combat shedding. Bathing should be infrequent as this can damage the waterproofing of their coats, however, you should wash them after swimming or rolling in muck. After around 8 weeks your puppy will be due for some vaccinations, so they will need a checkup at the vet and to arrange for boosters after that. Studies showed that dogs supplemented with a diet of bovine colostrum had a quicker and stronger immune system response to CDV vaccine as compared to dogs fed a control diet. Colostrum supplemented dogs maintained a higher antibody level even after 40 weeks A diet supplemented with Colostrum helps bridge the immunity gap in puppies that occurs between 3 weeks and 5 months of age. Behaviour Do not be complacent with training your Labrador puppy — almost all are very gentle and well behaved, but this does not mean that training is unnecessary. Labs are very loving and patient with all that they meet, but they often do not know their own size. To combat this, they should be trained in how to act around small dogs and children to avoid intimidation or accidental injury. They will also benefit from obedience training to drop things from their mouths, avoid rushing across busy streets and make sure they come when called. Recommended Articles. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. As we all know too well, what we put in our belly has a huge impact on our health, vitality, length and quality of life. They have to strike a fine balance between getting enough nutrients to grow and avoiding an over-abundance that can lead to abnormal growth and disabling conditions. In this article you will learn precisely how to feed your puppy. What they can eat, what they should not, how many times you should feed them each day, basic information on home-made diets and the pros and cons of various commercial dog foods. The majority of Labrador owners feed their puppy kibble. Kibble is ground meal, shaped into dried biscuit-like pellets that are extremely convenient to buy, store and feed, providing everything a puppy needs in one easy to handle product. All the major brands carry a range of kibble and many are specifically formulated to suit the precise needs of puppies. For our recommendations of the best puppy food for labs, please read our article on: The Best Food for Labrador Puppies. Good breeders will supply you with all the information you need to feed your new puppy and you should follow this advice. Puppies almost always get upset tummies during a change of diet. The stress of moving to a new home is enough to deal with without them potentially having tummy upset on top. So try to avoid this. But expect your puppy to get diarrhea after such a sudden change. What Can Puppies Eat? With a bewildering choice of different puppy foods available, what to feed your puppy may not be the easiest decision to make. You Can Feed Your Puppy Kibble Kibble is ground up food, formed into pellets and dried for easy storage and convenience. It is a specially formulated, complete and balanced diet, containing everything a puppy needs to grow and be healthy. Many people believe kibble is the best way to feed a puppy, with it being so easy to buy, store and feed while containing every nutrient a puppy needs in the right proportions. Wet, Complete Puppy Foods Are An Option As the name suggests, complete wet dog food is complete and balanced, meaning nothing should be fed in combination. Everything needed is included in this one food. Complete wet foods come in individual pouches or tins with one pouch or tin containing one single serving. In the main these foods are low in nutrition, contain a high amount of cheap fillers, by-products and water and need mixing with a biscuit to give them some substance and to make them more complete. Because the food is such low quality, you have to feed a lot of it. And what goes in, must come out. This type of feeding was popular decades ago and I do remember my parents feeding our first dogs this way, but most people have moved on from this and are feeding their dogs in better ways now. Raw Food, BARF And Home-Made Diets Raw feeding is a diet that consists of mostly raw meat, edible bones and animal organs, though most practitioners also mix in small portions of fruit, veg and selected other foodstuffs. There are many people feel strongly that this is the best possible way to feed a dog. But I would caution most people that to feed this diet successfully, you need to do A LOT of research, gain a lot of knowledge and truly understand a dogs nutritional needs to make sure they get exactly what they need in the right amounts. Many people wonder if they can feed their puppy human foods, anything found in the fridge or larder. Furthermore, there are many human foods that are toxic to dogs that you should avoid at all costs. Too much of some nutrients can be bad in itself, but also prevent the absorption and use of other nutrients too. So supplementing a balanced diet is a bad thing to do. Can You Give Puppies Milk? Assuming you get your puppy at the recommended 8 weeks, they will have been fully weaned before you bring them home. Many puppies are intolerant of cows milk and drinking it leads to an upset tummy and diarrhea so you would do best to avoid giving your puppy any milk at all. One exception is for very young puppies under 6 weeks of age. When we have newborn puppies at our house we sometimes need to supplement and use Esbilac Milk Supplemen t. However, if you have a very young puppy that you think may need supplementing please first consult with your veterinarian. Are They Necessary? You will likely be feeding your puppy a commercially available complete and balanced dog food, in which case you certainly should not supplement their food. Supplementing this will mean too much of one or more things, making it unbalanced which can actually lead to harm. But an excess amount of calcium in the diet of a Lab puppy can lead to skeletal development problems. So adding a calcium supplement to an already complete diet can actually do more harm than good. There may also be times your vet advises you to do so. But if feeding raw, you should know more about nutrition than I do. This is a hard question to answer and sadly I cannot give you a definite quantity or weight to feed them each day. Puppies grow at different rates, some are more active than others and there can be large differences between metabolisms too. However… The biggest determining factor is how concentrated the nutrients and calories are in the brand of food you feed them. High quality foods are nutrient rich and give a puppy all they need from quite small amounts of food. But cheaper brands are full of low quality and nutritionally empty fillers that mean a puppy needs considerably more to get what they need. Start by feeding your puppy according to the guidelines on the label of the puppy food you buy for them. Then see how their body develops. Puppies should not be fat! But at the other end of the scale if they start to look and feel a little slim, up their portion sizes a little. The guidelines on the food you buy are just that…guidelines. You might also be interested in:. We may receive commissions from purchases made via our links. Once they reach eight weeks, changing to dry kibble food is best. We recommend feeding a Labrador puppy dry kibble for the first months before changing to an adult food type. But to remain healthy, owners should know what to feed them. Dog owners should feed a Labrador puppy dry food kibble , wet food, or fresh human food, depending on their budget and lifestyle. There are many options for food for dogs, and it can become challenging to determine which one is the best option for the dog. We have found the best options and listed them below. They help us with our daily tasks, are always there when we need them, and bring great joy to our lives. But, it is essential to ensure that our dog gets the best nutrition possible. They have a lot of energy and need to be fed accordingly. This includes the number of calories, food type, and the number of meals per day. We will explain all of these factors to help understand what to feed these precious animals. A Labrador puppy needs high-quality protein in their diet, so they should not be fed just any type of food. This is why we recommend three food options: dry food or kibble, fresh food or human food, or wet food. We prefer using dry food or kibble in most cases, but it is beneficial to start with wet food for young puppies and transition to dry food after a few weeks. Feeding a puppy human food is possible, but it can be more expensive and requires extra work to stick to a cleaner diet at this age. We have found it to be a healthier and more convenient option for our pets. It is also a good alternative to wet food which can be difficult to store and prepare. The benefits of dry dog food are that it offers the pup a balanced diet that doesn't need refrigeration. It also offers convenience because we can buy it in bulk and store it in the pantry or freezer until needed. Dry dog food is also less expensive than wet food, which is another benefit for pet owners. Fresh Food Human Food Feeding a Labrador puppy a diet of fresh, real human food is one of the best things to do for their health and well-being. It will not only make them happy and content, but it will also keep them healthy. This eliminates the guessing game; they are only fed real, natural foods with no unknown ingredients. However, it will become expensive and require regular cooking and preparation. Wet Food Wet food is recommended for Labrador puppies when they are first born and for the first weeks while they grow. It can be either raw or cooked. Wet food is a good source of water and minerals, which are important in the early days of their life to help them grow strong bones and teeth. It should be given to a puppy as soon as it comes out of its mother's womb, but it must not be given before it starts eating solid foods because it will cause diarrhea. Once they get more mature, moving to kibbles is best. It is known for its low level of grain and carbohydrate content and high protein content. Once they reach the week mark, there are better options to help the puppy continue to develop and grow. This food also helps with digestion and weight management. It also promotes proper bone growth with antioxidants and necessary nutrients like vitamin E. The kibble is also shaped strategically to help puppies who chew fast while helping with jaw growth. Overall, this is the best food option for a Labrador puppy. It is designed for all life stages, from puppies to seniors, and we love the benefits it provides to younger labs. The product features a blend of highly digestible proteins, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, taurine, and glucosamine. This ensures the dog gets the nutrition they need while also reducing the risk of digestive tract problems such as bloat or pancreatitis. It also has a low glycemic index and no corn, wheat, or soy in the recipe. Dog owners can also expect an excellent protein ratio when using this food. Both veterinarians and nutritionists have recognized it for its high-quality ingredients for young puppies. The Acana High Protein formula is made with a blend of chicken, turkey, and fish meals, whole eggs, and natural beef or lamb meal. The product has a limited ingredient list with no corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives. It also has no added sugar and a low glycemic index. This food also contains probiotics and prebiotics to help the pet maintain a healthy immune system. This is the perfect dry dog food for puppies after eight weeks old. This brand is also very affordable for those who want to feed their dog a healthy diet without breaking the bank. It features a patented recipe that helps to promote healthy digestion, strong teeth and gums, healthy skin and shiny coat, a strong immune system, healthy joints and muscles, and a healthy heart. This is a high-protein food option for Labradors too. It promotes lean muscle growth and improved body health with omega fatty acids, antioxidants, glucosamine, probiotics 5. It is made with high-quality ingredients and has a great taste and texture for labs to enjoy. This food is to help with puppy development and is suitable for all Labradors under one-year-old. This wet food provides the perfect balance of healthy proteins to support a dog's growth while providing the energy they need to maintain its fitness levels. This can be fed as a meal or as an occasional snack between meals. It has no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or added sugar. It also contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are important for healthy skin and the dog's coat. They are large, strong, intelligent dogs that need a lot of attention, exercise, and food. These dogs can be picky eaters and usually need a lot of calories because of their size. This is especially true for puppies so they can grow properly and remain healthy due to their increased risk of health issues. Food Type Labrador puppies' most popular dog foods are kibbles and canned wet food. Kibbles are the best option for a puppy because they are easy to chew and digest. Canned food is a good option for pups who have difficulty chewing or digesting dry food and would benefit from a little moisture in their diet. The food type also depends on the owner. Dry food or kibbles are faster to prepare, while serving human food to a lab puppy requires extensive prep time. Nutritional Value When it comes to nutritional value, we want dog food that has high-quality protein and carbohydrates. This will help the puppy grow strong and healthy. This is why we need to take into account the nutritional value, quality of ingredients, and taste. It should be made with all-natural ingredients that are sourced from human-grade materials such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. A brand should have all the essential nutrients for a pup but still, be low in toxic elements and preservatives too. Dietary Restrictions Lastly, consider the dietary restrictions of the Labrador puppy before choosing a dog food option. This includes any allergies or health concerns for the dog and shopping for something that suits them best. For example, lab puppies must reach a certain carbohydrate and protein number daily. Labradors are also known to have allergies, especially young ones, so planning around this is crucial. A puppy should be fed at least three times a day, with a meal size that is appropriate for its body weight. They should also be given small daily snacks to keep them satisfied and happy, including treats to help with training. We feed our puppies the best that we can. We want to give them all the nutrients and vitamins they need. We also want to make sure that they are getting a balanced diet. The most important thing when feeding a Labrador puppy is that they get enough calories from their food every day. In the first weeks, the puppy should eat four smaller daily meals. Once the lab reaches three months, this can be changed to three meals per day. And after months, we recommend two meals per day. The key is not to change the calories much when the meals change but to simply modify the size of each meal to fit the total daily food amount. Feeding a Labrador puppy is not rocket science, but there are some things everybody should know about what to feed them and when to feed them. We have covered this basis, but changes need to be made as they age. This leads to a common question about changing food to fit the needs of a grown adult Labrador. The dog's age will determine how quickly they grow and how much energy they need. Lab puppies can stick with kibbles for up to 12 months. Remember, Labs do not have a natural food intake regulator so you will need to monitor them with portion control. Using a cheaper brand is a poor option at half the price. You will use twice as much and you will have to clean up larger amounts of waste in your yard. To allow for an accurate control of body weight and growth rate, this amount of food can be dispensed over 3 meals per day. After 5 months of age, the feeding regularity can be reduced to two meals per day with the commensurate increase in food quantity. The amount of food a Labrador puppy requires will increase then level out during first 14 months of their life. At months, their bone density is increasing and their growth plates are set. We do not recommend desexing you pup until at least 3 years of age. This allows for an appropriate development and supply of hormone which in turn produces proper bone, muscle and vital organ development. Table foods dispensed randomly to dogs are not nutritionally balanced. We do not offer our dogs table food at all. There will be no problems if you are feeding a puppy with a homemade diet but it should be prepared from prescribed recipes that are nutritionally complete and balanced. Diets consisting of an unplanned and indiscriminate mixture of human foods particularly including carbohydrates will likely result in obesity and even dietary-induced disease. When you Lab reaches 14months of age, it should be given an adult food that contains less energy and calcium. This will decrease the risk of obesity and orthopaedic conditions. And do not feed them coffee or tea as they can contain caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. These toxic substances can dangerously affect the heart and nervous system. Onions, garlic, raisins and grapes can be severely toxic in labradors. Raw meat is potential source of parasites and pathogenic bacteria for your puppy. Eggs yokes are an excellent source of protein. Raw eggs contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin a B vitamin. This can, in extreme cease, lead to skin and coat problems. Liver contains higher levels of protein, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Raw liver can be a source of parasites and pathogenic bacteria. Excessive amounts of liver can cause Vitamin A toxicity. Raw bone chewing will control tartar buildup on a pups teeth. However, bone chewing can cause intestinal blockages and perforations. Never use cooked bones. Commercial Puppy Foods Most commercial puppy foods are designated for small, medium, large and giant breeds. This designation can be found on the label. Puppies of medium sized breeds are less than '25 kg fully grown adult body weight'. A full grown and lean Labrador will usually weigh between 25kg and 45kg. We feed our dogs at the 'lower' level of the recommended range. The 'Hills Body Fat Index' is a very helpful body shape indicator. The same food as the bitch You should feed your new puppy with the same brand of food as the bitch received during lactation. From 2 weeks into pregnancy, our expectant mothers are fed 'Royal Canin Labrador Puppy' food. Introducing a new brand of food If you are wanting to introduce a new brand of food to your puppy, then blend it gradually with the existing brand in increasing amounts over 3 days. This should prevent food rejection and any kind of gastric upset. It is best to choose a diet designed for large breed puppies. Selected commercial feeds should contain a limited percentage of filler compounds. Pawlinglabs uses Royal Canin Labrador as our preferred option. Growing labradors Labrador pups have a very steep growth curve, and their total daily energy needs do increase as they grow. Calculate the amount of puppy food that will satisfy that need. The feeding guidelines on the commercial pet food label provides an estimated quantity of feed for several different ranges in body size. These instructions will give you an estimated starting point for the particular brand. Medium or large? Medium breeds should be transitioned to an adult diet by 12 months of age, while large breeds between 14 — 18 months of age. Mature female labradors are medium and weight approx kg. Mature males are large and weight approx kg. Their calcium and energy content should not exceed that level recommended by a registered nutritionalist. Sound skeletal development Sound skeletal development in labradors is produced by the interaction of genetic, environmental, and nutritional factors. The phase prior to weaning and the growth phase, up to 14 months are integral to sound skeletal structure. Don't take your young pup on extended distance walks and certainly not 'running' until at least 18mths of age. You must avoid stairs and slippery floors for the same reasons. Their growth plates are set at about mths of age. Feeding and Overfeeding Large breeds like Labradors are the most susceptible to skeletal disease. Feed consumption, nutrients balance and feeding methods influence our ability to produce sound skeletal development and eliminate skeletal disease. Appropriate food consumption and nutrition plays a critical role in bone development. Overfeeding will not increase or benefit the growth rate of young and growing labrador puppies. And it does not correlate with optimal adult size. However, it does increase the risk of skeletal abnormalities. The vast majority of skeletal disorders occur in large breeds including labradors and they are associated with consumption of table food and an excessive intake of a commercial food and supplementation. The large breeds like labradors are limited in their ability to cope with an excess of minerals such as calcium. The result of this over consumption is abnormal bone development and skeletal disorders. Nutritional management will be critical in the to prevention of bone and joint diseases. In most cases, skeletal disease can prevented by appropriate quantities of feed in a regulated diet with optimal nutrient levels. A complete and balanced commercial diet is essential. Dietary deficiencies will be of little concern if your labrador pup is fed with a complete and balanced commercial diet. Brands like Eukanuba and Royal Canin are specifically formulated for young, growing labradors. There is real potential for harm by over feeding and giving additional supplementation. Housing safety and activity levels Housing safety and activity levels are under the your influence. Nutrition is also under your control and it is the single most important factor affecting the development of the musculoskeletal system. Energy, protein, and calcium are the critical nutritional components affecting skeletal development. However, if they are given in excess, they will be detrimental to normal bone and joint growth. Most pet owners feed commercial dog food. These prepared diets are balanced and complete. Pawling Chocolate and Black Labradors. The source of protein matters when considering a high-quality diet. FATS The rest of the diet should be made up of fats, carbs, and vitamins. Labs need to have a correct protein -to-fat ratio, where protein takes the lead. Dogs tend to convert fat into glucose, so this is an important source of energy. Dogs rely mostly on protein and fats, but carbs are necessary. That said, a low carb diet is best for puppies. However, you still need the right percentage of carbs, since this gives your dog the sensation of being full. These include starches, fibers, and sugars. Try to opt for more complex carbs like starchy grain and veggies because these are easier to digest. Your Lab puppy will thrive when his or her diet includes: Vitamin B12 especially during puppy development , Vitamins A and E, C, Vitamin D, phosphorus, and calcium, Potassium Each of these required vitamins and minerals contributes to a healthy, happy, and energetic puppy. They also help offset issues like obesity. Vitamins A and E are important because they help your dog burn calories and promote eye and skin health. Vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus, on the other hand, are part of a trifecta that works to strengthen teeth and bones. Potassium is a heart health-preserver. Labs with poor genetics are especially prone to orthopedic issues. Osteoarthritis and hip dysplasia are common health problems for this breed. Glucosamine, an amino-sugar, together with chondroitin sulfate, helps replace and support naturally degrading cartilage during old age. Recently,"grain-free" foods are being championed as a preferred and even high-quality form of dog food. That's, not the whole story. An investigation launched by the FDA revealed that there are potential links between a form of canine heart disease and grain-free foods. So far, researchers have provided an update to this researchers have provided an update to this research staring that the issue may not just be grain-free diets. Grain-free may be part of other trends knows as "BEG"- boutique companies. Puppy diets don't' need to be complicated. They also don't need to include ingredients that humans might enjoy. Enjoyment doesn't necessarily bring any nutritional value to your puppy's development. Keep it simple, using the guidelines for fats, proteins, and carbs above and don't shy away from food with grains in them. It's not their presence that's a problem it's often the ratio. There shouldn't be more carbs or grains than protein. Nor does including only legumes, seeds, lentils, or chickpeas as the primary ingredients make the food more superior. It's perfectly healthy to include complex carb sources like starchy rice and other grains. Grain-free isn't and shouldn't be a qualifying factor for your choice in puppy food. Feeding Your Puppy Kibble Kibble is dried, pelleted food that stores well is easy to eat, and is pre-formulated with everything your puppy needs to thrive and grow in his early developmental months. There are plenty of popular brands that don't measure up to the Snowy Pines standard. That's why it's so vital for you to learn how to read puppy food labels. Puppies should stick with "puppy stage" food, while adults should stick to bags marked "adults. Instead, your dog should have regular bowel movements, allowing them to absorb all the nutrients available. You should also keep in mind that caloric intake is calculated a little differently for puppies. Kibble diets are measured by how many calories the proteins, fats, and carbs represent for each gram. For puppies, this should be 3. Sticking to these ratios will help ensure your kibble choice is a healthy one. It's also important to note that kibble calories are often higher when compared to wet food. If it's high-quality wet food, it won't have as much fat to preserve it, which means fewer calories. You may have to supplement with dry food, especially if you're trying to keep the calories of carbs, proteins, and fats in the right per-gram ratio. How often and what time to feed I will show you the best puppy foods, whether dry, wet, or raw, and look at food safety, together with schedules, quantities and even a handy puppy diet chart. Best Puppy Food for Labs The best Labrador puppy food provides a diet that is nutritious, healthy, and tasty. So, what is the best puppy food for your Lab? Puppy kibble or dried food is the most popular option. Kibble is complete and can give a perfectly balanced diet. Puppy kibble and tinned dog meat combined is another common choice among puppy parents. Feeding your Labrador puppy on home cooked food or on a totally raw diet is also possible. Raw puppy food is growing in popularity, and there are pros and cons to raw feeding your puppy. People often feel very strongly that one way of feeding is better than another, and you can always find evidence to support your view. Dog breeders, veterinarians and even nutritionists have their own strong views. The dire consequences they list for not listening to them can have puppy owners very worried. The truth is that there is no good quality evidence showing that kibble is better for the long term health of your dog, or that raw feeding is better. There are risks and benefits to both, and the main thing is to ensure that your dog has good quality food to eat. Puppy kibble suits some better, and raw puppy food is better for others. Puppy Kibble for your Labrador Puppy food made into pellets is called kibble. An airtight plastic container or tin will do the job, although you should make sure it is food grade quality. Puppy kibble is the best way of feeding your Labrador according to most breeders and your veterinarian is most likely to support this method of feeding. Good puppy kibble will contain every nutrient your Labrador puppy needs in order to grow and remain healthy. The kibble pieces will be tasty, good for keeping teeth healthy, and free from additives that can provoke allergies or stomach problems. Labrador puppy kibble only needs to be fed next to water. Puppy kibble from a reputable manufacturer is intended to be a complete and balanced food. But some owners like to mix in canned dog food or even scraps of raw food with kibble. Your puppy is likely to get an upset stomach or to not have the right balance of nutrition when fed this way. Whether you decide to feed only with kibble or you want to mix it up, pick a good dried food manufacturer and stick with them. Feeding your Labrador puppy raw food has its benefits and drawbacks. One of the downsides is that there is a lot to learn. Here is a link to the articles you need to help you decide whether or not raw feeding is for you: Although I like the raw diet for my dogs, most puppies fed kibble go on to have long and healthy lives. Whatever puppy food you choose, the most important thing is portion control. How Much to Feed your Labrador Puppy? People often tell me how much their puppy weighs, and ask how much puppy food they should give him. Your Labrador is particularly at risk if they grow too quickly. The following diet chart is for kibble fed puppies and does not apply to raw fed pups. It gives you an idea of how much to feed your Labrador puppy Lab Puppy Feeding Chart The Lab puppy feeding chart below is only a very rough guide. The quantity of food you need for your puppy will vary depending on your puppy and on the brand of food you are feeding him. Labrador puppy food must be aimed at medium to large breed dogs. Check the pack carefully and look at the dietary charts. Ideally, you want the optimal protein content and the lowest amount of additives. Part of this always comes down to the cost. The healthiest puppy food is usually the most expensive and may not be affordable for some families. The Cost Of Puppy Food Some puppy food brands are more concentrated than and contain a higher proportion of proteins, essential oils, and other nutrients. The absence of these fillers means that you can often feed lower quantities of more costly food, making them less expensive than they first seem. You might also find that cheaper brands make your puppy poop more due to those extra fillers going straight through him. While some brands are beyond the budget of many families, it is usually good to buy a premium brand. High Quality Brands of Puppy Food Some brands of puppy food have developed a reputation for producing a high quality product and have many devoted supporters, including breeders that have fed them to generations of puppies. The best food for Labrador puppies to consume in their first two to four months of life is milk from their mother. This specialised care is usually left to trained breeders or veterinarians, who are knowledgeable in caring for pups with no mother to nurse from. If you have recently brought a Labrador puppy into your family, they are most likely older than 8 weeks, and so have started to eat solid foods. You can do this by mixing some dry food with specially formulated puppy milk to form a soft mixture. You can feed your puppy this mixture three to four times a day. Over time, you can reduce the amount of milk you include in this mixture, until they are at the point where they are happily eating dry foods. Read on to learn how much you should feed a Labrador puppy as they get older. In their four months living with you, and once they are weaned off milk, Labradors are likely to reach almost half their adult weight. They will reach their full adult weight by the time they are 6 to 7 months old. With this rapid growth can come some risks. Labradors can be susceptible to bone growth disorders, like hip dysplasia and joint abnormalities that can start in puppyhood. Once your Lab puppy hits 6 months, their growth begins to slow down. Once puppyhood is over, you can move to feeding your lab twice a day instead of 3 or 4 times. Labs are still very active in their adolescent years, and so should be fed with this in mind. The transition from puppy food to adult food should happen at around 15 months. This is because, being a breed who grows very quickly, you want to ensure that you are feeding them according to their large breed needs. You need to take special care when considering what you should feed your Labrador puppy, as they require different nutrients compared to their adult counterparts. It is also dangerous for a puppy to overeat. Labradors are large breeds, which means they need plenty of nutrients and calories as they grow to ensure they go from being active puppies to healthy adult dogs. Labrador puppies need to eat food that is high in proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are also essential for supporting your active pup. Aside from nutritionally complete dry puppy food, Labrador puppies can benefit from the extra protein that raw meat can provide them with, such as lean beef, turkey, chicken, or fish. The amount of food you give your Labrador is determined by their weight, energy levels, and age. For most adult Labradors, around 1, to 2, calories per day from high quality food sources is ideal. Female Labradors, who tend to be around 5 to 10 kilos lighter than males, may need less food, as will less active dogs. Dogs who need less food, whether they are less active or simply older, will usually still need around 1, to 1, calories per day. You may want to alter the amount of food you are feeding your Labrador based on how calorically dense their food is. Adult Labradors should be fed twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Their daily allotment of food should be split evenly between these two meals. For most dogs, it is recommended that you exercise your dog before meal times to assist with potty training. However, some dogs may benefit from exercise after eating: especially high energy Labs with a lot of energy to burn off. You should also try to give your Labrador a high quality food that is specially designed for large breeds, especially if they are very active. For example, less active senior dogs will need to eat less food as they will not be burning calories as quickly as a lively little puppy will. Senior dogs may benefit from a higher fibre and lower calorie diet. Your dog may also develop chronic or short term medical conditions that require specially formulated food. For example, Labradors can be particularly susceptible to obesity. As a breed, they tend to be one of the most commonly obese dogs in Australia. This is due to several factors, including a genetic predisposition to unhealthy weight gain and a famously large appetite. However, plenty of Labs suffering from obesity are simply overfed and not getting enough exercise. Choosing a low carb diet is crucial to preventing obesity in your Labrador. If you are unsure about what you should feed your Labrador, you should always consult your vet. They will be able to determine if your dog is suffering from any chronic health issues, and they will be able to create a nutritional plan to help keep your dog healthy and happy for many years to come. Wet food for Labradors is often high in protein and fat, and is better at keeping your dog hydrated than other food sources. Chewing on dry food can be especially good for teething Labrador puppies. A raw diet can be a good option for your Labrador as you have more control over the kinds of food and amount of nutrients your pup is consuming. For this reason, raw diets require a lot more work on your part as an owner. Whatever you decide to feed your Labrador, all dogs need a similar ratio of nutrients in their diets. Different dog breeds will need different kinds of nutrient support as they go through the various stages of their life. It can also be easy to overestimate the amount of food your Labrador needs to stay fit and healthy — especially if they are skilled at begging! You need to make sure that your dog is eating the right amount of food for their breed, their size, and activity level. You should also avoid foods that, while delicious for humans, can be harmful or toxic for dogs. Foods like onions, nuts, alcohol, cooked bones, and artificial sweeteners are commonly included in dinners meant for humans, but can cause serious health issues for your Labrador. No matter how old your Lab is, it is important to keep to a consistent feeding schedule. A feeding schedule can help you keep track of any changes in behaviour around food that might signal illness or physiological stress.