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Twitter Pinterest Splish, splash! How do you give your Goldendoodle a bath? To answer this question, I put together this how-to guide filled with my favorite tips on how to bathe a Goldendoodle. How often should you bathe a Goldendoodle? Before we dive into the how-to, you may be wondering how often to bathe your Goldendoodle. In theory, I bathe my Goldendoodle once a month. Many Goldendoodle parents wonder whether they should bathe then brush or brush then bathe. Actually, when it comes down to bathing a Goldendoodle, I recommend all three: brush, bathe, and brush again. Brushing thoroughly before the bath will remove tangles and mats. Gather your supplies. The next step in bathing a Goldendoodle, is gathering supplies ahead of time. Most Doodle dogs have enough hair and fluff to go around! Choose clothing accordingly. Some Goldendoodle parents even make clothing optional! Your cell phone because who can resist taking a few pics of a soggy doggy! Create an atmosphere your dog enjoys. Just like a human spa day, creating a calm environment will help your doggo enjoy the experience. Here are some ideas: Play soothing music. According to a study on music and dogs I found in Science Direct, dogs respond positively to soft rock and reggae music. Just hearing your happy voice can set a happy tone for your dog. Make it positive. Give your dog plenty of verbal praise, love, and even treats. If your dog is food motivated, it may be helpful to use a lick mat that can be suction cupped to the side of the tub. Before your dog hops into the bathtub, place a nonslip mat in the bottom of the tub. Also, it could help prevent a slip-and-fall injury for your dog. This is very important. Since dogs are a little more sensitive to warm water than we are, even making it a little less warm than you might like it is probably about right. Keep the water pressure low and gentle. Also, it allows you to focus on keeping water out of the ears and eyes. Use a dog shampoo to wash your dog. Do not use human shampoo to bathe your Goldendoodle. I simply put shampoo and water in a nonbreakable cup and mix it up. Then, I massage the shampoo into her coat one section at a time. For all the details on the dog shampoo we love and use check out: Best Shampoo for Goldendoodles. Working gently, I start from the top and work down paying extra attention to the paws, which tend to be the dirtiest. GOLDEN TIP: Especially for our long-haired or fluffy Goldendoodles, visually assessing the body while wet makes it easier to determine body condition—overweight, underweight, or just right. Also, I make sure to avoid getting water in her eyes and ears. Rinse thoroughly. This may take several passes. When washing my Goldendoodle, I usually start rinsing from the top and work down. That way all the soap gets off the highest point and goes to the lowest point. Leaving shampoo on the coat can result in irritation. Towel dry working in the direction of the coat. Then I wrap a towel gently around her body and help her out of the tub. Holding her like a baby, I pat her coat, working in the direction of her hair and not against it. When bathing a Goldendoodle, my goal is not only happiness but also not to tangle the hair. Rather, I towel dry working with the direction of the coat and not against it. Over the years, my Goldendoodle has become so accustomed to this, she gives me her paw so I can dry it for her. Blow dry the coat. After bathing a Goldendoodle, the gold standard is to blow dry the coat with a high velocity pet grooming dryer. This helps separate the hair. When the hair is completely dry, gently brush the coat again. Once your dog has had a good break, comb or brush the hair. For this last step, I think a dog grooming table comes in handy. Sometimes we celebrate with our favorite pupsicle frozen yogurt dog treat. More Goldendoodle bathing tips What else can you do to help your dog love and not stress over a bath? I typically plan on making Goldendoodle bathing a two-day event…one day for brushing and the next for bathing, drying, and brushing. Use your happy voice and give your dog plenty of sweet talk. Always check in with your dog. Is your dog cooperative? Never take this for granted. What about bathing a new puppy? If you have a puppy, there are several things you can do set your furry bestie up for a lifetime of happy baths. When my Goldendoodle was just a puppy, I honestly lucked into making bath time happy for her. She loved drinking out of the bathtub faucet. I turned it on so it was just a trickle of cool water. She clamored into the tub. She lapped up the trickling water from the spigot. Then I cupped my hands under the faucet and she drank from my hands. She still loves doing this as an adult. Your Goldendoodle puppy may love this too. Or, maybe your dog is food motivated. If so, you can try placing a lick mat on the side of the bathtub to provide a happy distraction. Here are more ideas for how to help prepare your Goldendoodle puppy for the first bath: Preparing your puppy for a happy bath time experience Before the bath, plan a time to just let your puppy have fun exploring the area where bathing will happen. Of course, have the area puppy proofed first. Let your pup sniff, explore, or approach the bathtub on their own terms. Slow and steady wins the race. If all is going well, try placing your puppy in the tub, which should be empty with no water running. Give treats, praise, and make it fun! Always end any new experience on a positive note. Once your puppy likes the bathing area and the bathtub, try turning the water on…just a trickle. Remember, the sound of the water may be frightening to a puppy. Give treats and use your happy voice to give lots of verbal praise. Enhance the experience by using a lick mat suction cupped to the wall. This makes a happy distraction. Thank you for sharing your valuable time with us and for loving Goldendoodles. Goldendoodle hugs and kisses! Photo courtesy of cooperthedood on Instagram. Splish, splash! Does your Goldendoodle need a bath? Most humans require a shower nearly everyday, but what about the furry members of your family? How often should you bathe a Goldendoodle? A general rule of thumb is to bathe a Goldendoodle every weeks. For optimal coat health, Goldendoodles should not be washed more than once a month unless absolutely necessary! Keep in mind, the frequency in which your Goldendoodle should be bathed can depend on a variety of factors such as activity level, environmental exposure, and coat length. When your Goldendoodle is freshly groomed and has a shorter coat , you may be able to wait slightly longer for their next bath. Goldendoodles tend to be a more active breed , if you and your furry companion enjoy time spend in the great outdoors, it may mean more frequent bath times. Some pesky pups love to get all covered in mud, meaning an additional appointment in the bathtub! If your dog is visibly soiled in dirt you should opt to wash them at that time. What happens if you bathe your Goldendoodle too frequently? Bathing your Goldendoodle too frequently can cause some problems for your pup. Bathing too often causes dry skin which can become itchy and irritating for your Goldendoodle. Dry skin can be uncomfortable, and in severe cases, dry skin may lead to excessive itching resulting in skin lesions, hot spots, or sores. Related: Goldendoodle Dandruff: 8 Veterinarian Approved Remedies Dogs have natural oils that offer some protective properties for their skin and hair. Too much shampooing can deplete these important oils and cause decreased skin and coat health. The loss of these oils have a noticeable appearance on your dog, as their coat may lose some of its natural shine, and their hair may become more brittle and damaged. Additionally, both the Poodle and Golden Retriever, and thus the Goldendoodle, have water-resistant coats. Bathing too often can cause a decrease in the effectiveness of the water resistant coats. This can cause issues, especially if your Goldendoodle loves to swim! How often should you bathe a muddy Goldendoodle? Photo courtesy of avashumanmummy on Instagram. What if you just bathed your Goldendoodle a week ago and they decided to take a mud bath in the nearest puddle? Is it okay to bathe them again? If your Goldendoodle has a history of having sensitive skin, you may want to opt for the first option, where no shampoo is needed, thus reducing the chance of irritation. Simply get a bucket of warm water, and have your dog put their paws in it to wash off muddy paws. This task is even easier if you have a Mud Buster paw cleaner! Once all the mud is gone, you can towel dry your dog. Option two is to wait until the mud has dried. At that point, use a brush to get out as much as you can before bathing them. You might be impressed by how much dirt the brush can get out! After their bath, brush your pup again to ensure all the mud is off. Photo courtesy of doodlethekai on Instagram. Bathing your Goldendoodle is an important chore for both you and your dog. For starters, regular bathing can keep your home cleaner and smelling nicer. A lack of bathing, can cause a build up or dirt, debris, bugs, and whatever else your dog happened to get into to stay stuck on their fur. Not only is this unhealthy for your dog, but it can fall off onto your bed, couches, and other furniture, potentially transferring these particles and bugs to the rest of your family. Additionally, dogs can actually absorb allergens through their skin. These allergens can cause irritation, which leads to scratching, and can cause more serious injuries such as skin lesions. Therefore, washing your Goldendoodle regularly is a good way to keep these allergens in check. More About Goldendoodles…. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Instead, use a washcloth or sponge to clean their face. Another way to give their face a good cleansing is by using shampoo in a small applicator bottle to apply around the eyes and nose. A small shampooing brush can be used to lather the soap into the fur. You can apply the shampoo directly on their coat, working your way from the neck down to the tail. This includes their undercarriage, legs, and paws. If any shampoo gets left behind, then their skin could become dry and irritated. To thoroughly rinse a Goldendoodle, the best way to go about it is starting at the top and working your way down. Keep it systematic — also work from the front to the back. It may take a few rinses to get out all of the shampoo from their fur. Wipe them down thoroughly with a dry towel and try to soak up any excess water in their fur. Let them have a moment to run and shake themselves dry. A miniature Labradoodle puppy after a shower The next part is up to you. If you feel like the dog is dry enough, then you can let them take off. However, if you feel that they need to be dried off more, you may use a hairdryer on the lowest setting. However, that may not be the right option for every Goldendoodle because the sound does startle some. Remember to never do any grooming to the Goldendoodle while their fur is still wet. This is crucial because any extra water build-up in their ears could lead to an ear infection. Keep your pet smelling and looking good with their monthly bath. Does your Goldendoodle do well in the bath? If they are well behaved, and you would like to give their skin and coat a little more moisture, a mild conditioner or cream rinse is optional. My wife and I love playing with our active miniature Labradoodle Max. We want all Oodle puppies to be healthy and happy, have lots of fun and be part of the family. Load More. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Every dog loses their puppy fur to grow in their adult coat. For Goldendoodle puppies, this poses a challenge. A quick solution to this is using a slick brush a few times a week. Here is one of our favorites. All of our Doodles of NC puppies are brushed from just a few weeks old so they grow fond of the one-on-one bonding time. Bath time! In addition to brushing, our puppies learn to love bath time. Using a tear-free or mild dog shampoo allows you to bathe your doodle as frequently as every week without drying out their fur. Earthbath All Natural Pet Shampoo is our all-time top pick. Dogs, in general, have sensitive ears. If their ears start emitting a strong odor, or your dog scratches their ears and whines, we recommend a trip to the vet to check for an infection. Mini goldendoodles can easily be bathed in the kitchen sink. For larger Goldendoodles a walk-in shower or bath tub with a shower wand works beautifully. Lather twice and rinse thoroughly! Then towel dry and brush the coat. To speed up the drying process, a hair dryer on a low, cool setting, can speed up the process. Trips to the Groomers A goldendoodle's fur grows quite rapidly. We encourage a few trips to the groomers a year to help trim up their coat especially around their eyes to help minimize madding of the fur and healthy coat growth. And, one last tip! It is gentle enough for their delicate skin, but also smells super clean and fresh. And, feel free to reach out to us with any other questions you have on providing the proper care for your Goldendoodle. Some of the care should be done daily to weekly, and other care depends on the coat length you keep on your dog as well as your lifestyle. To help with this, we created a series of videos for those who want or need to do all of their grooming themselves at home. Check them out here! Lack of ear care can result in painful ear infections for your dog. Many groomers will also trim nails and clean ears. We recommend no more frequently than every two weeks, and no less frequently than ever 6 weeks. Even small snags can turn into mammoth mats in a bath. A longer coat understandably requires more care, as does a more active lifestyle. Find your own personal style with your Goldendoodle taking your lifestyle and maintenance preferences into consideration. Someone who keeps their dog in a very long coat and has a very outdoorsy, active lifestyle may need to brush every other day or daily. We recommend starting to brush your dog at least twice a week, and then adjust in either direction depending on your dog and your lifestyle. Brushing only works on the superficial part of the coat and misses most of the coat closer to the skin. To properly brush, use your brush on a small segment of coat, separating it until you can see the skin. Brush that out and then move on to the next section. Again, be sure to comb to the skin. Regular brushing AND combing can help avoid this. Always discuss matting with your groomer PRIOR to leaving your dog at the salon to avoid any unpleasant grooming surprises. The larger the mat, the more it can pull on the skin, and the more likely you may be to have skin problems under the mat. Matting can hold in dirt, bacteria, funguses, as well as painful debris such as burrs. Jun 21, Share Do you want to make your Goldendoodle look dashing and well-maintained? Then take care of their bathing requirements! But how frequently should you bathe your Goldendoodle? But generally, a Goldendoodle must be given a bath after every 4 to 6 weeks. The average gap between baths for a Goldendoodle should be 4 to 6 weeks. For instance, if you gave your dog a proper bath yesterday but today they came home covered in mud. In that case, give them a wash, but avoid doing it often. They may get dry and itchy skin, causing severe irritation now and then. Therefore, frequent use of these harmful items can cause soreness and flaky skin. However, if you forget to bathe your dog once a month, you may notice severe health issues in them. An unhealthy and uncleaned coat can easily absorb allergens that might lead to intense itching and skin problems. No pup deserves this pain, so clean their coat to get rid of all the stored allergens. So, take it this way: when you clean your dog, you put effort into keeping your home and family healthy. A win-win situation! We have two favorite shampoos for the job, both are safe, all-natural shampoos designed with your pets in mind. Our soothing shampoos are pH balanced, made in the USA, and free of glutens, dyes, sulfates, and phthalates. Do Goldendoodles Need Conditioner? We may bathe often, but bathing a dog too often can lead to dry skin, which causes itching in dogs. Grooming a Goldendoodle puppy should begin as early as possible in their life to promote acceptance of this task. This breed requires a lot of grooming, so get them used to a routine early. Some dogs will enjoy it, while others may only mildly tolerate it. The good thing is that puppies love to play, making it easier to undertake this ritual. Our Recommendation is to Take it Slow The first session can be a bit of a challenge for Lexie, but they will become less nervous about the process after the first few months. Having a puppy is a joyous time for a pet owner. We know it was for us when we adopted our beautiful Lexie. All that loveable cuteness with all that energy and curiousness about life can be fantastic fun to have around the home. As Lexie grew, she liked to go on little adventures around the house and our fenced-in yard, exploring and discovering lots of trouble. We found a perfect balance for bathing our cute teddy bear girl around once a month through research online and trial and error. We would only clean her more if she got extra, especially smelly or dirty, and needed it. In between those bath or shower times, we would brush her as needed with a slicker brush to remove tangles and prevent mats. If any mats have formed in their curly coats, you may need to cut them out with scissors or clippers. Puppies need to learn early on that bath time can be a fun experience. Regardless of how often a Goldendoodle puppy is bathed, it should always be positive since grooming is a lifelong task that they must accept and learn to enjoy. How do I bathe my Goldendoodle puppy? Those first bathing sessions were fun, where we ended up with just as much water on us as she did her, it was more like a family bath than a mini Goldendoodle puppy bath, but that was okay. Treats, verbal praise, and games can make the bathing experience enjoyable for everyone, from that first initial wash down to old age. These tools help keep it acceptable and fun for the whole family. It is important to brush and comb a Goldendoodle puppy before they receive a bath. Any discovered issues can be addressed, and then they can be bathed with a gentle dog shampoo free of fragrances designed for the unique needs of a puppy. You can follow this with a dog conditioner if desired. After this is done, offer a few treats and some much-needed praise. Overall it should be a positive experience for all involved, so everyone looks forward to the next time. We had a window of time to get it all done in those beginning days, fast before Lexie got bored. Thankfully her size made it easy for us to manage. A final brushing should do the trick, and both you and your beautiful fur baby pup will be headed for the next adventure of the day. It is highly recommended that a Goldendoodle puppy be bathed in a bathroom or possibly outdoors if the weather is tolerable. Some people like to think that bathing a dog weekly or bi-weekly will prevent them from being dirty, and to a certain point, depending on the dog itself, this is partly true what comes in its place though, can be much more irritating to deal with, dry skin. Not everyone enjoys baths at first, including us humans. Making it a fun experience can go a long way to creating the right environment for acceptance. Curiosity is the name of the game when it comes to bathing a Goldendoodle puppy. Depending on their unique pup personality, this may take a bit of time, a couple of sessions even, but throw in a few toys, and what Goldendoodle puppy can resist this fun? We did this once when Lexie was a puppy, and it was a warm summer day. If, after these sessions, a Goldendoodle puppy is less than enthused about a bath, their owner could undoubtedly join them in the tub for some water fun. Bathing a Goldendoodle puppy once a month is a guideline, not etched in stone. Should I have my Goldendoodle puppy bathed at the groomer every month? While a groomer can make a Goldendoodle look adorable, at the puppy stage, there is no need to waste money and time for them to do a task that a Goldendoodle puppy owner can do at home. Should the family be averse to doing it in their own home or yard, then a groomer will do a lovely job while offering them the experience of someone else handling them. This is a passive way to socialize with the Goldendoodle puppy. Grooming and bathing, whether at home or at a groomer, teach and train them while socializing them, which is beneficial for their mental and emotional development. They learn what is expected of them, and after a time, it naturally becomes a part of their life. In Conclusion A Goldendoodle puppy should be bathed about once per month. How often you bathe your Goldendoodle puppy is likely more informed by how dirty they get. This time frame is only a guideline as there may be certain times when they are bathed more or less than monthly. Whatever the length of time, we can tell you, a freshly bathed Goldendoodle puppy is too hard to resist! How Often Should I. How often should I brush my puppy? Your puppy needs to be brushed daily with a slicker brush followed by a metal comb. The slicker brush will only brush the surface. The comb will help you detect any mats that are forming underneath, which is a vital part of the process. Daily brushing will keep your puppy mat free and will also teach your puppy that grooming is a routine event. Typically they need to be clipped weekly to be kept at the proper length. As they grow, you can move to once or twice a month. A groomer will typically clip nails as part of the grooming service. How often can I bathe my puppy? As long as you use a tearless shampoo, you can bathe as often as you like. Be sure to fully brush after a bath to avoid matting. When should my puppy have its first hair cut? Your puppy will probably be ready for its first hair cut at months of age. You will want to find a groomer before you bring your puppy home so that you can take them to the groomer before their first hair cut to get them comfortable with the groomer and the process. How much does a professional clip cost? Pricing will vary based on location, kind of cut requested, and the length and condition of the coat. How long does a professional clip usually take? You can expect the grooming appointment to be hours depending the size dog and the kind of cut you request. This is a widget ready area. Add some and they will appear here. For all other questions: Email: admin goldendoodleassociation. Your membership helps to fund research and development regarding health, genetics, puppy development, and more. Member Application.

These lovable pups are wildly popular and the perfect match for many families. They come in a wide variety of colors and coats, including all white—which is relatively rare. Here are just a few white Pugs whose humans share their lives on Instagram. Sometimes, he gets both! Sugar Sugar is a five-year-old white Pug who has an all-black Pug sister named Pepper! Why the Controversy? White Pugs are usually the result of a genetic mutation, but some breeders have attempted to produce white Pugs through selectively breeding dogs with genetic predispositions for albinism and leucism. Albinism is an inherited disorder that affects melanin production. Pugs with albinism produce zero melanin, and will have fully white fur, pale pink skin, and pale pinkish eyes. Leucism reduces but does not fully eliminate melanin production, and leucistic Pugs will typically have white or cream fur and light blue or brown eyes. Albinism and in some cases, leucism can cause vision impairments and blindness, sun sensitivity, and increased susceptibility to certain cancers. When breeders pair dogs that carry the genetic markers for albinism, they risk producing puppies with serious health issues and special needs that require additional care both financially and physically from their families. The controversy is based purely on the fact that it is unethical to purposefully produce dogs that are likely to have physical disabilities and health risks. Breeders eager to make profits prey on unsuspecting dog lovers and use the power of scarcity and exoticism to sell white Pugs. Unfortunately, many of these pugs find themselves in homes that are not prepared to support their special needs, putting them at risk of abandonment and neglect. White Pug Basic Info White Pugs are purebred Pugs displaying a specific phenotype of a genetic mutation, and will share all the same general characteristics of typical fawn and black Pugs. Here are some of the basics about this breed. In truth, white Pugs are typically albino or leucistic, though some may be mixed breed dogs whose parentage includes breeds known to typically have white coats. But as the breed was bred, these were seen as desirable characteristics and so they were brought forward to what the modern day Pug looks like. White Pugs can be bred, and their coloration is always a genetic mutation. White purebred Pugs are always albino or leucistic, and there is no evidence to suggest that any reputable breeders have managed to produce white Pugs without the albino or leucistic gene. Pugs are outgoing, goofy, stubborn, and sensitive. White Pugs, who are prone to vision problems may have additional needs due to their special needs. White Pug Size Purebred Pugs are typically inches tall, and should weigh between pounds. White Pug Health Pugs are brachycephalic, meaning they have short, squashed faces. The squashed-face look is a purposeful aesthetic choice developed over decades of careful selective breeding. Conclusion Origin and Physical Appearance The white-colored pug is a result of selective breeding. The American Kennel Club mentions only two varieties that is black and fawn and does not certify white one, as it is crossbred. These are often confused with the albino pug due to their coat color. These have a pure white coat with a dark muzzle on their neck. Breeders tend to charge more for designer dogs and continue to crossbreed due to their demand because it is a distinct color not possessed by all. Rarity These are extremely rare, and I am sure you must have spotted one in pictures only if you have ever seen them. A Controversial Breed? Yes, you heard it right. This is a controversial breed due to its origin. Interesting Fact There is a famous white pug, named Marshmallow, you can find him all over the internet. It looks so adorable and angelic that I am sure you will be mesmerized just by one look. Conclusion Despite being a controversial variety, these are still in demand, so breeders continue breeding. Post navigation. Keeping their coats clean White Pug Genetics There are a small handful of special genetic recipes which can cause dogs to have white coats. One is the white spotting series of genes. The white spotting genes cause patches of white — which can be small, or so large they cover the entire body. None of the white spotting genes naturally occur in the Pug breed. But they can be introduced by outcrossing with other breeds. Another gene which causes white fur is the recessive gene for albinism. Different genes cause albinism in different breeds. The gene which causes albinism in Pugs is recessive. White Pug Temperament The temperament of a white coated Pug will depend upon how they came to be white. A purebred Pug with a very pale fawn coat is likely to be the closest match to these qualities. However, breeding for color can have pitfalls. Prioritising color over temperament means that character flaws might be passed on, as a trade off for achieving a paler coat. For example, a breeder might overlook a history of severe separation anxiety. What About Albinos and Mixes? A purebred albino Pug should, in theory, also have a very typically Pug-like personality. Finally, Pug-mix dogs with white spotting genes will have a personality that combines elements of the Pug, and other dogs in their family tree. White Pug Health Sadly, the Pug breed is notable for its overall poor health. A white Pug will share these issues. In the region of two thirds have painful hip deformities caused by either hip dysplasia or Legg-Perthes disease. About two thirds of Pugs also suffer from elbow dysplasia. The extreme flattening of their face puts them at high risk of breathing difficulties and damage to their corneas. Their screw tail is linked to spinal deformities and spina bifida type diseases. Further complications of being white If a breeder prioritises choosing a sire and dam by their colors, and compromises on their health in order to achieve light colored puppies, then the overall health of the puppies can decline even further. Albinism, meanwhile, is linked to increased light sensitivity, and higher risk of skin cancer. Which can make them partially or completely blind. This can have a knock-on effect on their temperament, which might be more cautious or easily startled. The health of Pug crosses will depend on both the overall health of their Pug parent, and the health of their other ancestors. For example, creating white dogs by deliberately introducing the Extreme White gene from the white spotting series is linked to increased hereditary deafness and hearing loss too. However, crossing Pugs with dogs breeds that have a healthier body structure may also result in a puppy which is healthier overall than a purebred Pug. White Pug Grooming All Pugs need careful daily attention to their grooming , and the palest colored Pugs even more so. Pugs are very prone to trouble with their anal glands. So to avoid leakages, or explosive squirting of anal fluids when you least expect it, you may need to pay your vet to empty them every few weeks. Or learn how to do it yourself. The wrinkles on their faces create warm, humid creases which are an ideal breeding ground for fungal and bacterial infections. So they need to be gently cleaned every day. In white Pugs this makes their face more prone to tear staining as well. Tear stains are reddish brown marks around the eyes caused by porphyrin in the tears. Your White Pug White Pugs are an unusual color that falls outside of the breed standard. Sadly, due to the many health problems affecting Pugs, which seriously compromise their welfare, we cannot recommend them as pets. When white Pugs are created by selective breeding for pale fawn coats, these health problems are likely to be made even worse. Albino Pugs have extra health problems caused by their albinism. White Pugs created by crossing with other breeds may not have the same temperament as purebred Pugs. But they are the most likely to be healthier. An original white-bodied dog was created using the White Fawn Collie. These dogs have White Fawn colouring as a result, which gives them blue-grey skin, white paws, and blue to green eyes. The available White Fawn Pug is a very clever and lively dog. Due to their ability to exert pressure on livestock and deter predators, they have become well-known on farms. They enjoy playing, but they can also be obstinate and need a lot of encouragement. Pugs with White Fawn coats are frequently devoted friends who get along well with kids. As they may perceive these other pets as prey, they might not get along with them as well if they are not raised together. Because of the White Fawn colouring, each dog has a different coat length and texture, which adds to their overall appeal and originality. If you are looking for a White Fawn Pug for sale nearby, get in touch with our recommended pet shop! They can be aloof around others but are quite affectionate around their owners. You are for sale White Fawn Pug might prefer to play fetch at night and cuddle with you during the day. The comedian of the dog world likes playing with other dogs. They get along well with other dogs and enjoy being around people, making White Fawn Pugs for sale nearby excellent pets. Children, other dogs, cats, and even rabbits are all welcome at our White Fawn Pug for sale home! They do, however, require a lot of attention and socialisation, making them unsuitable for first-time dog owners. They can reside in either an apartment or a home with a yard. Because they want continual company, they thrive in households where someone is home during the day. Where can I find a nearby place to buy a White Fawn Pug? Related products.

What is the White color? There are a total of 6 color variations with white that are recognized by the AKC. Frenchies with pure-white coats will cost more than those with spots of other colors such as black throughout their coat. What White Frenchies look like While you may think that all White Frenchies look the same— this is not the case. As mentioned earlier, there are a few different variations of White French Bulldogs, with some having colors such as Fawn or Black throughout their coat. The Role of Color in Hearing You may be wondering how the color of the coat could affect hearing. A lack of pigment cells The reason for this is that these genes are associated with a lack of pigment cells which give the appearance of their coats. This affects the small hairs in the ear There are small hairs in the inner ear that are called cilia, and when there is an extreme lack of pigment cells, the cilia may not develop properly, resulting in deafness. Hearing tests can rule out deafness If you are interested in a predominantly white French Bulldog or are just concerned about the possibility of your new puppy being deaf, be sure to ask your breeder about performing a BAER test. Test for Health Issues. Currently the American Kennel Club ranks them at number 4 in their long list of most desirable. These dogs make their point communicating with expressive eyes, energetic attitude and possibly the Frenchie Talk. French Bulldogs are excellent watch dogs who adapt well to family life or single. They don't mind being inside most of the time. They get along well with cats and other pets and they like to make friends with your guests and family who drop by. No wonder this a favorite dog for city life from Europe to the US and beyond. The Frenchie dog breed comes in a variety of unusual colors. This article will look at rare colors found in French Bulldogs like merle, lilac, blue and more. Those colors come in pied only if the mother and father are both pied in theory. Rare colors in French Bulldog puppies can be exceptionally expensive and there is some debate about how healthy a rare colored Frenchie can be. Frenchies are one of the few breeds that come in a bewildering variety of colors. Most Frenchies are Brindle. This is a dark colored coat mixed with lighter color strands of hair and the most frequently found color in the Frenchie. Fawn is a lighter tan colored coat that can range from very light to a dark reddish tan. These French Bulldogs often have a darker face mask and ears with some brindle streaks thrown in for variety. The third most common color in this breed is white. White French Bulldogs have a very porcelain white coat and most of the time come with a darker mask. Frenchies with tan points - black and tan Frenchie, blue and tan Frenchie, lilac and tan Frenchie, chocolate and tan Frenchie etc. Trindles - French Bulldogs which have brindle in their tan points. All black French Bulldogs - with no trace of brindle is also quite rare. The Blue French Bulldog is one of the rarest colors. For that reason alone people pay very high prices for them. There is usually a waiting list for blue aren't so much blue as gray puppies. You can expect to pay twice or triple as much for a blue French Bulldog than the average price for a standard French Bulldog. Blue Frenchies are quite striking however can be prone to Color Dilution Alopecia or CDA ;a recessive inherited condition that causes patches of hair thinning or loss. This is most commonly seen in dogs with blue or fawn coats. The puppies are born normal looking, but the hair thinning and loss symptoms can start at 6 months up to several years later. It is most often associated with Blue Dobermans. CDA is not curable but it's fairly easy to manage. It is important to mention that our blue Frenchie never suffered from any symptoms to his coat. Not all blue Frenchies will be prone to the coat problems however, your vet can help you keep your blue French Bulldog healthy and happy if any issue arises. Blue Frenchies get cold easily - Some owners have stated the blue Frenchie gets cold easily, we are unsure if this is just a myth or based on actual research. Either way French Bulldogs can't regulate their body temperature well. Having any Frenchie in cold climate is not ideal due to their short coat. If you live in a cold climate there are ways you can keep your Frenchie warm. Always dress your French Bulldog with our specially tailored for Frenchies hoodies , Frenchie pajamas etc. The blue Frenchie skin condition can also impact your grooming regime. We have not experienced any of the above with our blue Frenchie. We also know plenty of the standard color Frenchies who suffer from skin conditions and allergies. We are not trying to promote or discourage buying the standard or rare colors we simply don't discriminate over colors. We love all our French Bulldogs friends that come in all colors of the rainbow. What are the different coat colors of a Blue Frenchie puppy? All Blue Frenchie - meaning all blue without any other colors to the coat. Blue Pied Frenchie - Frenchies with blue coats and patches of white or cream on their bellies, chest, legs etc. Blue fawn Frenchie- Frenchie coat that looks like a mix of blue and fawn. Blue brindle Frenchie - Blue coated French Bulldog puppy with brindle streaks. Blue merle Frenchie - a combination of different patches and streaks that are irregular and unusual. Blue and Tan Frenchie - Blue coated French Bulldog puppy with tan points usually around paws and face. A sable Frenchie usually looks like a fawn Frenchie with darker black hairs covering throughout the coat. There are rare Frenchies with cream or tan sable coats as well. Isabella French bulldogs Isabella color in French bulldogs come from dilution of the recessive gene. A Frenchie puppy can be born with a blue coat and mature to a more of a pale greyish brown or golden coat. For a puppy to acquire this rare coat color he or she needs to have the genotype dd. DNA of an Isabella Frenchie puppy will be ddbb which means that he or she will have two copies of each chocolate and blue gene. The Isabella Frenchie is the only lilac that is testable for the chocolate gene therefore some French Bulldog breeders consider the Isabella to be the true lilac. This rare French bulldog color is usually the most expensive due to their stunning looks and variety of rare coats. Isabella Frenchies usually look different with lighter shades of noses and eyes. Why are they so much more expensive than other popular breeds? Most Frenchies can't have live babies the normal way. They have narrow hips that aren't designed for natural birth. The high price tag reflects the expense of artificial insemination and c-sections to deliver the puppies. They also require constant attention and care when they are born. They require many health and genetic exams. These dogs have always been expensive. Reports have it one of the wealthy individuals named Robert Williams Daniel who survived the Titanic had his Frenchie along with him. While Robert survived when the ship sank on April 15th, sadly his French Bulldog did not make it. Many breeders would agree good breeding practices can greatly reduce the risks of genetic disorders that can lead to hearing loss, hip problems, and respiratory illness in French Bulldogs. Buying a well bred French Bulldog can help avoid a lifetime of vet bills and care. You are much more likely to get a happy, healthy dog who can enjoy a full, rich life. Merle is a pattern in a dog's coat. Merle French Bulldogs can have tiger stripes, spots, or patches. These come in different colors and patterns and are determined by heredity and genetics. Health issues can occur when two merle dogs are bred, therefore breeders usually mate a merle parent with a solid coat parent. While Merle French Bulldogs can be quite exotic and strikingly beautiful, this kind of breeding can come with a number of serious problems from skeletal defects to blindness to deafness to increased fetal mortality. This is why it is extremely important to choose a reputable Frenchie breeder. The blue merle is the rarest of colors that exist in the Frenchie breed. They are best described as gray with spots or how we like to call them cookies N' cream. They are so different from the standard common French Bulldog however, being that rare may not be a great thing especially when one considers all the health problems blue and merle Frenchies can have. It is important to mention that some merle French Bulldogs can live a healthy uneventful life. It is critical and essential to find a reputable breeder with good breeding practices especially when considering a rare color Frenchie. Also expect a blue merle to come with a hefty price tag. One of the most in-demand of rare colors is the Lilac French Bulldog. The lilac Frenchies are only produced occasionally and usually by breeders limited to the West Coast of the United States. They have a purple lilac coat color that can be quite attractive. Price is always higher than the already expensive standard French Bulldog puppy. Excellent Lilac Frenchies have a distinct color and vibrant eyes. This happens when they receive a combination of chocolate and blue DNA from both parents. As you can imagine, this rarely occurs. The Lilac coat can range from cool blue to a very classy looking silver and purple hue. Some have white markings on their chest and face. Another rare trait are their light colored eyes. This remains from the time they are puppies throughout life unlike the standard French Bulldog. The rarest colors of French Bulldogs are blue, lilac, blue and tan, and chocolate and tan. Add that Merle coats. A blue merle is perhaps the rarest of them all. In a world where a standard French Bulldog costs several thousand dollars, these rare colors can sell for tens of thousands. Since rare color Frenchies are prone to health and genetic problems , it is extremely important to find a reputable breeder who uses responsible breeding techniques with the right precautions otherwise you may be sinking your life savings into a dog that will be at the vet all the time, will be sick and may die prematurely. Rare Frenchies are just that - rare. Active breeders may only see one every few years if at all. Most rare colors are produced by breeders who specialize in producing them at a more frequent rate. Breeding rare color French Bulldogs is serious business. Most rare color breeders are running family operations dedicated to become experts in producing the highest quality rare French Bulldogs possible. Breeders expect to spend a significant amount of time answering your questions and sending you information. Be sure to ask them questions about the health of the puppy, their bloodline, and what to expect. The Frenchie is sweet and charming. It's no wonder so many people love their little Frenchie. These dogs are compact, muscular, lovable, and oh so smart. They are just right for apartment life and smaller homes with diminutive yards. Rare colors in French Bulldogs are perhaps the most exciting development in this already delightful breed. Rare colors in this breed can come with health issues so it is imperative to seek a reputable breeder who specializes in rare colors which will greatly reduce the risks of genetic disorders. They surprised me. She is now a mom to a Lilac , Brindle, and a pure Black babies. So exciting. I have a six month old male frenchie. When will he be sexually mature to breed? He has a blue tan coat I believe. Do I get a free puppy after? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Jera Benedict June 02, I have a black and tan make frenchie. I have several female frenchie owners asking what is my stud fee. He is 1 year old. He has the markings if a rottweiler. He has never been sick, has all his shots and was bred by a private breeder a former veterinarian. I have read numerous reports that I should beware of illness and disease. How rare is it to never have healty issues with the Blue Merle? Thank you so much for all the info! Where can I find info about it? Thanks Jules April 13, Very interesting reading thank you! Both parents are Kennel Club registered and Mum has Champion bloodlines. He has really strong red eye in the dark, does this mean he is a true Lilac? Thank you. I had to send AKC pictures for color matching. Frenchiestore Team March 03, Hi Georges, It sounds like one of the parents for your future Frenchie puppy is blue which is a rare color in French Bulldogs. Rare colors in the Frenchie breed can come with health concerns so it is vital you get your puppy from a reputable breeder who specializes in rare colors and does genetic tests etc which will greatly reduce the risks of genetic disorders in your Frenchie puppy. Thank you for your question, we hope we can continue giving you valuable information about the Frenchie dog breed. Thank you for reading and commenting on Frenchiestore blog, we hope we can continue giving you valuable information about the Frenchie dog breed. Gracias Joe A wonderful article. I learned a lot from reading this and gained some insightful information. Thank you for providing. Laurie October 02, Hi Benita, Thank you for the feedback. We hope we can continue giving you valuable information about the French Bulldog breed. We hope you found valuable information about potty training your Frenchie and other related topics that will help with bringing the puppy home. Me What exactly is a Brindle French Bulldog? You can recognize a brindle French Bulldog by light irregular streaks all over their dark base coat. The color of the brindle pattern is usually a light shade of fawn, while the base coat may vary: the standard is black but other colors like blue, chocolate and lilac are also possible. Depending on the mixture of the dark and fawn hairs, Brindle Frenchies can be very dark or very light. They usually have a black nose and dark colored eyes. Brindle is by far the oldest and most common pattern in French Bulldogs. To this day, it is one of the few accepted colors and patterns by kennel clubs along with fawn, white and pied as opposed to blue, chocolate and lilac colors. The first one has to be their funny and lovable personality! Frenchies are without the doubt one of the most social and friendliest dog breeds, who are also very smart and easy to train. Not to mention their cuddles are the best! Black brindle Frenchie puppies may also have a white chest or other small areas of white. Depending on the amount of fawn hairs, these streaks may appear either all over their bodies or on certain areas only. Blue brindle Frenchies are much more common than solid blue Frenchies, in fact the brindle patterns may appear on a blue puppy later on as they age. Blue brindle Frenchies also tend to have a white chest or other small areas of white. Pied Brindle Frenchies look the same except for the light fawn brindle patterns in the colored patches, mostly on their back. The way the patches are distributed and the proportion of the white and the other color on the coat can be quite variable from Frenchie to Frenchie. Chocolate brindle French Bulldog Chocolate brindle French Bulldogs have a chocolate brown base coat with light fawn streaks all over their bodies. The chocolate gene is considered rare in the Frenchie world so these puppies are quite unique. Reverse brindle Frenchies are much harder to come by than brindle Frenchies. Tiger brindle French Bulldog As the name suggests, tiger brindle French Bulldogs have a heavy pattern of light fawn streaks all over their dark-colored bodies, resembling the coat of a tiger. Lilac brindle French Bulldog Lilac Frenchies usually have a solid light grey coat, but sometimes light streaks may appear on them producing a lilac brindle French Bulldog. These Frenchies are very unique as their parents have to be blue and chocolate, or at least a carrier of the rare chocolate gene. Do Brindle French Bulldogs Shed? Brindle French Bulldogs, like any other Frenchie tend to shed throughout the year, more so in the spring and fall. During this period, they change their coat almost completely, replacing it with shinier, brighter and nicer fur. It's important to brush your puppy's hair at least two or three times a week using a Furminator. That will remove the undercoat that has fallen out but is still in the hair. When looking for a brindle Frenchie, you will most likely come across cheaper offers than the prices detailed above. Make sure to do your research and get your brindle Frenchie from a reputable breeder, and you will have a happy and healthy furry family member for at least a decade.

For the complete list please see our German Shepherd Breeders nationwide listings page. There are several factors that affect the price of a pup including age, breed popularity, bloodlines, champion titles, and show potential. Your German shepherd puppy will give you unconditional love and may also provide protection, companionship, and a lifelong friendship. The price can vary due to several factors including: Heritage — Pure breed dogs have been known to cost more than mixed breed dogs. Bloodline — Dogs with significant titles can be much pricier than newcomers in the show ring. Breed Popularity — The German shepherd is one of the most popular breeds in the U. Location — Most breeders in rural areas will charge less for a puppy than breeders in an area with a large number of people and dogs. Breeders throughout the state can be found online by searching for websites that sell dogs directly from their kennels. It is also possible to find breeders at local dog shows or through newspapers, magazines, and other forms of advertising. The following are some of the most important factors to consider when finding a breeder. Breeders should have at least one member in good standing within the appropriate breed club. Reputable breeders will also have a website and as much information as possible about their dogs, including bloodlines and even x-rays for those dogs with problems such as hip dysplasia. A breeder who specializes in producing show dogs should have some degree of specialization. Papers — Anyone can buy a dog, so reputable breeders will require proof that you are who you say you are before allowing you to purchase their pups. Payment — Reputable breeders generally have a set price for their pups, so you should not have to haggle them down. They may charge more if the puppy is being shipped by air because of the additional costs. Warranty — Reputable breeders will offer a warranty that guarantees the pup against certain health problems for at least two years. This does not cover illnesses or accidents, but major diseases of concern to German Shepherd owners such as hip dysplasia and other major hereditary defects. Visit Your German Shepherd Breeder in Alabama in Person Once you have located a breeder, it is not a bad idea for you to visit their home in person. To be sure that the pups are kept in a clean environment with plenty of fresh air and exercise areas where they can run around and play. You should also be able to reach into their cages and pick them up without being bitten. Another good reason to visit your breeder is to check out their kennels. A good breeder will also provide you with a tour of the facility which should be clean, but not spotless. The dogs should appear to be well-fed and healthy. You should ask about the type of food that has been fed to your pup during his first few months. When making a final decision about buying a German shepherd puppy, look for signs of shyness or aggressiveness toward people. Aggressive dogs are more likely to be prone to biting, whereas shy dogs can grow up to be timid and afraid of strangers. Any signs of aggression should automatically eliminate the pup from your consideration because aggressive pups often become aggressive adult dogs. At this point, it is usually too late for them to change their behavior patterns. Questions to Ask Ask for References from Your German Shepherd Breeder in Alabama Reputable breeders will have references available to you, so it is a good idea to ask for them. This provides added protection should there be any problems with your new pup in the future. References should include the names of buyers who have bought German shepherds from this breeder in the past. Their information should include their name, address, telephone number, and the years they were the customer of that breeder. If possible, call or visit these references to personally inquire about their satisfaction with the German shepherd puppies they received from your prospective breeder. While you are there, look at how well-behaved and friendly these grown dogs appear to be. Greet them yourself and ask for a short interview regarding their experiences with this breeder. You should also get to know these customers and their dogs, if possible. If you have children, take them along with you to meet these dog owners so they can see how friendly these adult dogs are around people, especially children. If any of the adults seem shy or hesitant in your presence, ask them why. This is perhaps the most important question for any buyer to ask a breeder. Reputable breeders usually have good relationships with at least one veterinarian in the area where they live. A reputable breeder will know which vets are knowledgeable about their particular type of dog and which ones offer low-cost spaying services, vaccinations, and neutering services. Look Out for The Signs of An Unethical German Shepherd Dog Breeder in Alabama Some unethical breeders will lie to their customers and potential buyers, so you always need to be extra careful when dealing with such a breeder. The following list of warning signs can help you avoid an unethical German shepherd dog breeder: The seller does not offer the AKC registration papers for the pup. The seller cannot provide vet references for the pup. The seller claims to be a champion breeder but cannot provide you with any proof of this claim. If your Alabama German Shepherd Breeder is Unable to Answer Your Questions, Be Skeptical A reputable breeder should be happy and willing to answer all of your questions about the pups and the breed in general. If you feel like your questions are not being answered to your satisfaction, then move on to another breeder. A good breeder will also want you to be aware of any health issues and what steps they take to ensure that this issue does not become a problem for their puppies in the future. A good breeder will tell you anything you need to know about the health issues or injuries of either parent dog. Some of these steps include: The most important decisions that you will make for your dog revolve around the type of crate you choose and where in your house it will be kept. While most puppies can be trained not to eliminate indoors if they are properly potty-trained, you still need to buy a crate for your new dog. Puppies can be very destructive if they are not given something to keep them occupied when unsupervised. While most pups can hold their bladders for up to four hours at a time by the time they are four months old, this is still a good idea if you want to leave your puppy. Potty Training Your New German Shepherd Puppy The most important thing to remember about potty training your puppy is that this process will not happen overnight. It takes a lot of patience and dedication, but if you can stick to it, then your pup will be potty-trained in no time. The best way to potty-train your new puppy is to take him outside every two hours. If you choose to crate your pup when you work all day or even when out of the house for a few hours , make sure that you take him out of his crate at the same time every day, and immediately take him outside to go to the bathroom. You can also leave a kitchen timer next to his crate so that he can learn when it is time for you to be let out. This is especially important when your dog is a puppy. We hope it helps you find the perfect puppy. There are many people who have asked us to write more articles on several different topics. If there is anything that you would like us to cover, then let us know in the comments section of this article or email us at. We will do our best. I love animals and love helping people adopt a pet. It all started when attending Missouri State University and I began volunteering at an animal shelter. Do you love the dog breed? A German Shepherd is a loyal, intelligent, and beautiful dog. These puppies were born on October 25th and have already undergone a veterinary examination, their first set of shots, and two rounds of deworming. Their parents have been hand-selected from various breeders, and the dam weighs pounds and the sire weighs pounds. Their dogs are raised under the highest standards and produce healthy and high-quality German Shepherds. This site also has shelter dogs available for adoption. German Shepherds are fiercely loyal and possess the best qualities of other breeds. They are highly intelligent and loyal, making them excellent companions. Their high sense of awareness makes them excellent watchdogs and make excellent family pets. They make wonderful pets for a family, but they can be suspicious of strangers, so early socialization is essential to curb this trait. If you can afford a German Shepherd puppy, the investment will be well worth it. If you love the breed, you should consider buying a puppy from a reputable breeder in Dothan, Alabama. This breed is one of the most popular breeds in the United States. These dogs are highly adaptable and capable of adapting to different environments. In addition to being loyal and loving companions, they are also extremely easy to train. They do best in a calm, stress-free environment, where they can be supervised. Before purchasing a German Shepherd puppy, make sure to ask the breeder to see your home and check for health issues. A good breeder will show their pups in recognized confirmation shows and will participate in many other breed-related performance events. It is the largest, non-profit pet adoption website in North America. You can filter the results by age and sex. Share this:.

This comes at no extra cost to you. At three months of age, Golden Retriever puppies get a little more confident, mischievous, and, of course, bigger! As a puppy parent, you might have lots of questions about your three-month-old Golden. Is this normal? Am I handling this the right way? Should I be doing something differently? At three months old, a puppy is feeling more settled in their new home. They are experts at identifying patterns and routines, and are understanding how things work around the house. You may notice increased confidence and curiosity around the house, as exploration can be fun for sixteen-week-old Golden Retrievers. This confidence boost may also come with more antics, like shredding the toilet paper in the bathroom and pulling down your nice throw pillows to wrestle with. You might observe that your three-month-old puppy has more energy than they did last month, as well. At this age, they also have better control of their bodies and are more coordinated, as opposed to when they were a two-month-old puppy. You may notice that they are running faster, jumping higher, and tackling obstacles like stairs. At three months old, a pup is still in the critical socialization window. What your puppy learns and experiences between three and sixteen weeks of age helps set a precedent for the rest of their life. Providing them with positive educational experiences with the sights, sounds, and experiences they will encounter as an adult dog is extremely important during this time. Avoid scary and stressful experiences with a three-month-old Golden Retriever puppy , as those can leave lasting negative associations resulting in a fearful or anxious dog. Remember that a pup at this age is still so young and needs lots of patient guidance as they grow into their adult self. Three-Month-Old Golden Retriever Puppy Size Most three-month-old Goldens will weigh between 15 and 35 pounds, but each puppy is a unique individual so there could be some that fall outside that range. Female puppies tend to be smaller than males, but there are exceptions to that rule. They will be growing a lot this month, so you may notice those legs getting longer by the day! Their cute little snout may also get a little longer as they develop. Golden Retrievers can have a variety of builds and sizes, so your vet can help you make sure that your puppy is at an appropriate weight if you have any concerns. With all that growing comes the need for a lot of sleep. Sixteen-week-old Golden Retrievers need about 18 hours of sleep a day. As much as possible, let your puppy sleep as much as they choose. At this age, they may not always be the best at settling themselves down for a nap even though they really need rest. Sometimes puppies can get overly tired and become super wild and bitey — puppy tornado mode! This is when your puppy needs you to step in and help them get the sleep they need. Utilizing a crate or pen is super helpful for this as it limits their options and promotes settling in for a nap. Set up the crate or pen so it has a comfy place for them to snooze. You can also offer them something like a bully stick or a stuffed kong to work on while they drift off to sleep. Many three-month-old puppies do well when the crate is covered, which cuts down on visual stimulation. You can also drape an old bed sheet over the panels of a pen to give the same effect. If your puppy struggles to settle, you can sit near their crate or pen, as your presence is a comfort to them. If you notice your pup curling up for a nap, you can pick them up and put them in their pen or crate. Behavior issues like excessive chewing , biting , barking and just general hyperactivity can come from lack of sleep. Ensuring that your puppy gets enough uninterrupted sleep is very important for their physical, mental, and behavioral wellbeing. If you got your puppy when they were two months of age, you may now notice that your three-month-old Golden seems to have more energy. With all that puppy energy, you might think that you need to wear your puppy out with exercise. While puppies certainly do need exercise, be careful not to overdo it. Exercise should be guided by the puppy. That means letting them set the pace and duration of exercise. Three-month-old Golden Retrievers do not yet have the physical and mental stamina for structured exercise like long leashed walks. Instead, short, easygoing walks are great at this stage. Think of walks more as adventures! Instead of trying to walk a certain route or distance, set an amount of time for the walk. Ten to twenty minutes is probably sufficient at this age. Free play is also a great outlet for exercise for three-month-old Golden Retrievers. Indoor playtime with toys is also a fun way for active pups to burn some of that puppy energy. Avoid long games of fetch, as the repetitive nature of the game can be hard on their growing bodies. Finally, getting your puppy out in nature is a great way to get them some exercise while also providing lots of mental stimulation. Historically, Golden Retrievers were bred to spend a lot of time outdoors in the fields with their owners. Our modern-day Goldens still absolutely adore getting outside in nature, and puppies are no exception. I recommend putting your puppy on a well-fitting, non-restrictive harness , and a fifteen or twenty feet biothane long line. This longer leash allows your puppy to explore more freely and makes pulling the leash less likely. Keep these outings short, and let your puppy take breaks as needed. It sounds a bit silly, but it can be easy to forget that a puppy is not a human! Keeping this in mind helps you stay patient as you teach your new best friend the ways of the world. One of the most important things for a puppy to learn is how to be alone. Even if you work from home, you have to run errands, hang out with friends and family, and go to doctor appointments. Using a crate or pen, or gating off a small space, is invaluable, as leaving a three-month-old Golden Retriever loose in your house would likely be a disaster! This e-book walks you through all the steps to teach your puppy how to be comfortable with confinement and being left home alone. Potty training will also be an ongoing process, so keep at it with your puppy this month. Just a few minutes every day is enough to start building some great skills with your puppy. You may also notice that some days your puppy has more energy, and on other days they are more relaxed. With their growing bodies comes a bigger appetite! Most three-month-old Golden Retrievers eat about two cups of food a day, split over three meals. As always, each puppy is a unique individual and so some puppies may eat more or less than that amount each day. Some days your puppy may eat all their food, and some days they may leave a little in the bowl, though Goldens are known to be chowhounds so your puppy might scarf down each and every meal. It can be really fun for both you and your puppy to feed meals in more creative ways. There are lots of toys available that make mealtime more mentally and physically enriching. You have to feed your puppy, so why not burn some puppy energy in the process! Here are some favorites:. Share 0 Shares At three months old, Golden Retriever puppies have experienced a lot of the world and their surroundings, which makes them more confident and can make them little rascals. By now, three-month-old puppies should be acquainted with their new homes, having been there for several weeks. Parents of these rambunctious, quickly-developing puppies are full of concerns. Training a 3-month-old Golden Retriever Feeding a 3-month-old Golden Retriever How to curb 3-month-old Golden Retriever biting Owning and caring for a week-old puppy is so rewarding, but taking care of the needs of these babies constantly can be a lot to deal with. Golden puppies at this age have become acquainted with their home. Unfortunately, that confidence borders on cockiness, and your sweet little puppy will sometimes seem like an agent of chaos and mischief. Your puppy will also be more vocal during this time period and bark more often. This is your puppy experimenting with its voice and learning about its capabilities. Three- months- old also marks a very important milestone for socialization. The socialization skills they learn during this time will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Try to avoid exposing your three-month-old Golden Retriever puppy to scary situations. Just as scary events can leave lifelong impressions on children, they can traumatize your puppy, as well. This can result in giving your dog permanent fears, phobias, and anxiety. Three months is still quite young for any sort of baby, so you need to remember that your role is that of a parent and a nurturer. How big a 3-Month-Old Golden Retriever will get? How much should a three-month-old Golden Retriever weigh? A three-month-old Golden Retriever puppy will typically weigh somewhere between lbs. Each pup is different and their health and size will be as unique as they are! Three-month-old Golden Retriever puppies are typically around 10 — 20 inches tall. Of course, there are several varieties of Golden Retrievers and they all have different sizes and builds. Your Golden Retriever puppy will need somewhere around 18 hours of sleep a day. Some days your puppy will sleep more. Whatever the case, your pup needs the extra zzzs. If puppies get overly tired they get cranky and start getting wild and bitey. Chewing is comforting to them. Another great way to help your pup wind down and get to sleep is by covering their crate with a blanket. This shuts out light and other stimuli so the puppy can focus on sleep without getting distracted. Again, this is much like children. When you see your puppy laying down and getting comfortable, you should put them in their pen or crate so they can take a nap. A lot of behavioral issues and hyperactivity at this age stem from a lack of sleep, so you can save yourself a lot of trouble if you start working to ensure your pup gets enough sleep. Like most pet owners, you likely got your puppy when it was two months old. This month, your puppy has a lot more energy! Most Golden Retriever owners assume that since puppies have this excess energy they need to exercise to burn it off. Your puppy will be able to instinctively know how much exercise they need. When they want to stop, let them. Your puppy may plop down to rest in the middle of your walk. This is pretty normal at this age. Instead, give them a few minutes to rest and see if they catch a second wind and start walking again. You should set your walk not in terms of distance, but in terms of minutes. Your pup will likely be tired after 20 minutes of walking. Another form of exercise that three-month-old puppies love is free play. You can let your puppy have free play outside if you have a fenced-in yard. Whether you have a fenced-in yard or not, your puppy will benefit from indoor playtime, as well. Golden puppies love a good romp with their favorite toys! You can play fetch with your Golden. Get your puppy outside and let them play. Golden Retrievers love the outdoors! They were originally bred to be hunting and field dogs, and although they have a variety of purposes today, they still love the great outdoors. Your pup will enjoy playing around outside and going for short nature walks. If you choose a longer leash, your puppy can explore independently without the dangers of being unleashed. For more information about the exercise needs of golden retrievers, check out our article about how much exercise golden retrievers need. How to Train a 3-Month-Old Golden Retriever Puppy Training is an important part of raising any puppy and ensuring they grow into a well-mannered adult. You need to train your puppy to be comfortable with being alone early on. You can teach your puppy to be okay with being alone by using a crate or gates. Golden Retrievers are easily trained with positive reinforcement and treats! For more information about puppy training, check out our article about golden retriever puppy training. In general, you should feed a three-month-old Golden Retriever puppy around 2 cups of puppy food per day spread out over the course of three meals. Again, there are no set- in- stone rules for how much to feed a three-month-old Golden Retriever. Some will eat more than others, and some will eat less. For this reason, you can give your puppies toys with food in them to slow them down a bit and give them a bit of mental stimulation during the process. You can put some puppy food on a towel or blanket, then roll it up and let your puppy find their food. You can also toss some kibble on the ground outside and let your pup follow their nose to their food. When it rolls, the kibble will come out of the hole. Using toys while feeding your puppy can help with their insane energy levels, too! Biting Puppies will bite, chew and nip. Biting and chewing are just how puppies play. The problem is that they have little needle-sharp teeth that hurt! But you need to stay calm so that you can teach them to stop. Instead, give them a toy to chew on. Another thing that helps is setting up a baby gate. When they bite and play too rough, you can put them on one side of the gate and yourself on the other side. Just let them stay in there long enough to calm down. When you do this, stay calm. Some people worry that puppies biting during this stage indicates aggression, but three-month-old Golden Retriever puppies rarely exhibit aggression this early on. One toy suggestion for puppies that are biting is a flirt pole toy. This is a stick with a toy attached with a string that you can pull around on the ground or floor. The puppy can burn off some energy chasing the toy, and then bite and chew on the toy once they catch it. Move the toy away from the puppy, and the second they drop the toy start moving it again. Excessive play and exercise can damage their developing joints and muscles. Conclusion Three-month-old Golden Retriever puppies are so much fun! During this month you should be doing lots of training, socialization, and bonding with your fur baby. With the right amount of nurturing and support, your puppy will grow into a well-behaved, emotionally- mature adult in no time! Check out our other posts about the development of Golden Retriever puppies:. How to Take Care of an 8 Weeks Old Golden Retriever There are many aspects of taking care of a week-old Golden Retriever: from the feeding, grooming, to the training, and so on. Just think about us, humans, for a second. A baby surely has different food and nutrition needs compared to adolescents and adults. As we grow older, our bodies change and we may eat differently. The same principle applies to dogs. When they are puppies, they require food at certain times of the day. For a week-old Golden Retriever, you should feed him four times a day. There are many important rules that you need to follow, in order to make the eating as easy as possible for your little Golden. The location where you place the food matters. The location should be the same every meal so that your dog feels familiarized and comfortably eats his food. It should also be a quiet place with minimal distractions. Do not forget to pay attention to the amount of food given. Remember that the amount of food consumed varies from dog to dog, so if there is leftover, try to cut down the food amount next time. Choose proper food for your puppy. Therefore, when you shop for dog food, pay close attention to the label and make sure it is food for puppies. Obviously, dogs need water too, not just food. It is vital to give your dog good quality water along with quality food. Fresh and clean water is necessary for your dog, and it should available to your pup at all times. If the water gets dirty, change the water. It is recommended that you change the water at least once a day. Some dog owners prefer using stainless steel bowls to contain water to plastic ones because the metal ones are less prone to bacteria, which is better for your puppies. Thus, this is a good suggestion if you are wondering which water container you should use for your dog. Golden Retrievers possess long coats that need regular grooming and brushing to prevent matting , thus it is important to have your puppy get used to brushing from a young age. When brushing your dog, make sure that you brush all the body areas such as neck, chest, ears, tail, and so on. As you go through the coat, pay close attention to any abnormality such as lumps or bumps. These can be a sign of an illness, so keep an eye on them for a few days and see if they are gone. If not, do not hesitate to consult a veterinarian immediately. One thing that you need to keep in mind is that shaving is highly restricted for Golden Retrievers. Some dog owners mistakenly think that shaving would keep the puppy cool, especially in hot weather such as summer. However, this is dangerous for your dog because the Golden Retriever needs its two layers of coat for water-resistance. If you think that a pup does not need exercise, you may want to think again. In fact, younger dogs require more exercise and activities than the elders. Hence, it is crucial to take your little Golden Retriever for a walk a few times per day or play some games with him to release his energy. Playing games is also a good time for your puppy to socialize with you and your family members so that he can get to know all of you over time. One common game that you can play with them is fetching. Fetching probably is one of the games that they are best at. They will definitely enjoy running and catching a tennis ball or a Frisbee while playing with you. You can also take your puppy to other activities as well such as swimming. Dogs are good swimmers. So do Golden Retrievers. They enjoy the water as much as the land. If you live near a lake or have a pool at home, you can totally take your dog to those water areas for him to swim around and enjoy the water. However, remember that the water should be clean, and the depth is safe for your puppy. This is a good time to train your dog so that he will get used to your home and establish his habits. One of the very first things that you want to train your puppy is to go potty at a designated place. Either the place is outside or inside, make sure that you follow the few tips following: Refrain from yelling at your puppy. There is the first time for everything, so take your time and be patient with your dog. Sometimes, it takes a couple of messes to have your dog familiarized with the place. Make sure that the place remains unchanged. After your puppy establishes his habit, you can start teaching him some basic commands. When it comes to training, remember to use treats as positive reinforcement. No matter if you have a puppy or a senior dog, positive reinforcements always work better than negative ones such as yelling or hitting the dog. You will definitely have great moments together, but it also takes time and effort to set things up for your puppy, as well as to establish new habits and routines for your puppy. Nevertheless, this effort will totally pay off. After these first few steps, things would become easier for you. Related Posts. Your new furry friend has a lot of growing to do, and you probably have a lot of questions. Your Golden Retriever puppy will go through a number of developmental stages throughout their first twelve weeks. Male Golden Retrievers generally weigh between 65 and 75 pounds and stand from 23 to 24 inches tall. Females are generally smaller weighing between 55 to 65 pounds, and will grow to stand .At 4 months, your Golden Retriever puppy will reach about half their adult height. When it comes to mental development, it can take even longer than that before the Golden Retriever is fully mature. However, every puppy is a unique individual, and these are merely milestone guidelines. Disparities exist between the working and show Goldens, as well as between males and females. Golden Retriever puppy growth can also be quite sporadic. As an overall average, many Golden Retriever puppies will weigh just approximately 1. Golden Retrievers are classified as a gundog breed, and these dogs are often divided into those bred for show and those meant for work. However, the body of the show Golden is typically larger, taller, heavy-boned, and fuller in the chest. Small Parents Like people, puppies inherit physical traits from their parents. And even puppies from the same litter can vary in size. Neither of these scenarios is healthy for a puppy. Larger breeds like the Golden Retriever are more at risk for growth disorders than small breed dogs. This article will give you a lot more information on how much to feed, what to feed, and how often to feed a Golden Retriever puppy. Illness and Puppy Growth If a puppy has been seriously ill for a prolonged period, it may affect their ability to grow normally. However, once the puppy is free of worms, they should continue to grow at a normal rate. The best way to determine if your puppy is too thin or too fat is by how he looks and feels. When looking at your puppy from above, he should have a noticeable waistline. Another way to tell is by putting your hands on either side of his ribcage. You should be able to feel his ribs using a gentle pressure. But if his ribs are visible, he could be underweight. Obesity is a huge problem for many dog breeds. Although there are ways to make your puppy grow bigger, this is not something you should attempt. It could also mean you end up with a fat puppy. One of the best ways to ensure your puppy has a long, healthy life is to ensure he stays at an optimal weight. Hip and elbow dysplasia and other musculoskeletal disorders are associated with excess weight in larger breeds. Having your dog neutered at a young age can also cause them to grow taller. The problem is, this can also cause abnormalities in joint formation. Neutering also makes Golden Retrievers more at risk for certain types of cancers. Typically it will take approximately 18 months for your Golden Retriever to become an adult dog. Even though they can reach their full height at anywhere from 9 to 12 months, it will usually take them longer to fill out to their full weight. Remember that there are wide variations in size within the Golden Retriever breed. If this is the case, you should contact your veterinarian to seek advice. Beginning the puppy development stages before birth Puppy development stages week by week Amazingly, in a way the puppy development stages begin before your dog is even born. Your puppy spends approximately 9 weeks developing inside his Mom. The mother dog has a womb or uterus, that has two long tubes, and the puppies grow in a row along each tube rather like peas in a pod. The puppies are joined to their mother by a placenta which provides all the nourishment they need for those few weeks. To begin with, the puppies have plenty of room to move but they grow fast and as the time for birth draws near they are packed in quite tightly. The one week old puppy Your puppy is born fully furred but with his eyes and ears closed so he cannot hear or see. His front feet are strong and he can pull himself towards his mother with them. He can cry if he is uncomfortable and his mother will respond to his cries by moving him towards her and licking him. Your puppy spends most of his time sleeping or suckling. He cannot regulate his own body temperature and needs his mother for heat, or an artificial heat source. In the first week to ten days of his life your puppy grows rapidly and will double his birth weight. His forelegs are getting much stronger. She licks the puppies bottoms to stimulate a bowel or bladder movement and eats the result. There is no cleaning up for the breeder to do yet. The breeder will begin to handle the puppies more though, and get them used to human contact. She will worm the puppies for the first time at the end of this week. Puppies begin to get their personalities. Your puppy can stand and sit up by the end of the week. Tails can be wagged, ears will be completely open and puppies start play growling and interacting with their littermates. Your puppy can regulate his body temperature more effectively and will start to cut his first teeth in preparation for weaning. The front teeth, canines and incisors are cut first. Toward the end of the week he may have his first tiny taste of puppy food. They also start to move away from the sleeping area to empty their bowels and bladder. They may try to climb out of the whelping box. If she lives indoors, she may rejoin the family for more of each day. Your puppy will cut his back teeth and the breeder will get weaning underway this week and by the end of it, your puppy will be getting quite a bit of his nourishment from puppy food. She will also worm the puppies a second time. If the mother is allowed near the puppies after she has been fed, she may regurgitate her dinner for them. This is completely natural and normal. He is a proper little dog. Rolling around with his brothers and sisters and playing with toys. Teething toys, puppy Kongs, balls and rope toys are big favorites with puppies. He can bark too and some puppies can be quite noisy at this age! He chases after his mother whenever she appears and suckles hungrily, but she is starting to get fed up with it, and may be reluctant to feed her brood for very long. His mother is teaching him not to bite too hard. If he lives in outdoor kennels he should spend part of each day indoors with the family. By the end of the sixth week, most are fully weaned, and eating five or six little meals of puppy food each day. Socialization must begin in earnest. He is now two months old and ready for his new life. It is the time during which they become fearful of anything unfamiliar and need to be thoroughly socialized. This is also the time during which most puppies get to grips with house-training, learning to wait before eliminating and start sleeping through the night without a potty break. It is a busy time for new puppy owners. Your puppy will have his vaccinations during this month. Biting can be a big problem during this stage and you need to be patient and consistent in order to teach the puppy not to hurt people when he plays. Provided you use force free methods, this is a great time to get puppy training under way, and especially to teach a puppy recall, and to get your puppy used to working with food. So, for a 2. You can do the same calculation for medium pups at sixteen weeks and large breed pups at 20 weeks — just divide his weight by his age in weeks before you multiply by .Medium to large pups will reach about half their adult height by the end of the month. If the weather is warm you can get your puppy swimming now. He should be able to come when he is called, in and around your home, provided there are not too many distractions. It all depends on what you have taught him. He may still be chewing a lot and biting too. Use frozen Kongs to help him and give your furniture and fingers a break. Puppies can go for short walks now. By the end of this month your puppy could have a twenty minute walk each day. He may also enjoy fetching a ball and playing with other dogs, but take care to stop before he gets very tired. Less dependence This is the month during which some puppies start to become less dependent on their humans for security. Keep your puppy close to you outdoors by changing direction frequently so that you puppy has to keep coming to find you. And engaging him in games. The foundations of a great recall are often build or spoilt during this month. If your puppy knows how to sit or lie down at home, start some simple proofing exercises with him in public places. A healthy puppy can usually manage on two meals a day from around six months. During this month a Retriever, Spaniel or GSD puppy will reach around two thirds of his adult weight. A Great Dane and other large breeds will have reached about half their final weight and little dogs will have almost completed their growth. Some female dogs will come on heat for the first time during this month, or the next, so keep an eye open now for swelling of her vulva and any discharge. Your dog will become increasingly confident over the next few months so practice, practice and practice that recall! Make it a habit he cannot break. And be generous with your rewards. Small breed pups may now be more or less mature. Your puppy will enjoy half hour off lead walks now, and should be able to walk on a loose lead for short periods with plenty of encouragement and rewards. Keep practicing that recall! These help to slow his growth further and to build his confidence. Make sure you practice good outdoor management on walks to maintain the good recall you have built and work hard on thoroughly proofing all his obedience skills. Read up on neutering before you take this important step, for dogs of either sex. Once your dog is a year old he can participate in more strenuous activities and sports. Now is the time to think about the kinds of activities you would like to do with him — go jogging together for example — and if necessary, to start to get him fit. Puppy development stages — Summary There is huge variation in the way in which dogs develop and mature. The puppy development stages and ages outlined above are a rough guide. We hope you enjoyed them and found the information interesting. When it comes to training, you get out what you put in. Your progress depends as much if not more on you rather than your puppy. If you train your puppy five times a day, six days a week he will learn many, many times faster than a puppy that is trained once a day at the weekend. Enjoy watching your puppy grow and develop. And have fun! What are some signs of illness in a Golden Retriever puppy that is 12 weeks of age? We remember this time with our Golden Retriever Glee well. Before she was a large breed Golden Retriever, she was a tiny little Golden Retriever puppy who needed our help to provide the foundation for a good life. At this age, your pup is still in the critical socialization period, where they are learning about their environment and how to interact with other dogs and humans. So, what can you expect with a three month old puppy? Your Golden Retriever pup is likely to be more confident and curious about their surroundings, but still in need of plenty of guidance and attention from their human family. They may be losing their baby teeth, which can cause some discomfort and make them even more prone to nipping and chewing. Note that this is a dense and long-read, full of useful information. Golden Retriever Mom is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Setting up your home for a Golden Retriever puppy Golden Retriever puppies, both males and females, are curious and active, and they require a safe and stimulating environment to thrive. Here are some tips for setting up your home for your new furry family member: 1. Essential puppy supplies Before you bring your Golden Retriever puppy home, make sure you have all the necessary supplies. Here are some steps you can take to puppy-proof your home: Secure all hazardous items, such as cleaning supplies and medications, in cabinets or drawers. Keep small objects, such as coins and paper clips, out of reach. Use baby gates to block off areas of your home that are off-limits to your puppy. Cover electrical cords and secure them to baseboards to prevent chewing. Put away shoes, clothing, and other items your puppy may be tempted to chew. Crate training Crate training is an essential part of raising a Golden Retriever puppy. A crate, like the Diggs Revol Crate which we love, provides a safe and comfortable space for your puppy that will ultimately grow to be a large breed dog right before your eyes to rest and sleep, and it can also help with potty training and reducing destructive behavior. Here are some tips for crate training: Introduce your puppy to the crate slowly and gradually, using positive reinforcement. Make the crate comfortable with bedding and toys. Never use the crate as punishment. Gradually increase the amount of time your puppy spends in the crate, starting with short periods and working up to longer periods. Never leave your puppy in the crate for longer than they can hold their bladder. Here are some tips for potty training: Take your puppy outside frequently, especially after meals, naps, and playtime. Choose a designated potty area in your yard and take your puppy there consistently. Reward your puppy with treats and praise when they go potty outside. If your puppy has an accident inside, clean it up thoroughly to remove any odor that might attract them back to the same spot. By following these tips, you can help your Golden Retriever puppy feel safe, comfortable, and loved in their new home while also setting them up for success with crate training and potty training. Feeding your Golden Retriever puppy One of the most important aspects of raising a healthy and happy Golden Retriever puppy is feeding them a balanced and nutritious diet. Here are some tips on how to choose the right food for your pup, create a feeding schedule, and incorporate treats and chews. Choosing the right food When it comes to selecting food for your Golden Retriever puppy, you want to ensure that you choose a high-quality, balanced diet that meets their nutritional needs. Learn more here. Avoid foods that contain fillers, by-products, or artificial preservatives, and opt for foods with real meat as the first ingredient. Most Golden Retriever puppies should be fed three times a day until they are about six months old, then you can gradually reduce to two meals a day. Also, be mindful of the calorie content of treats, as overfeeding can lead to weight gain. We love Nylabone both for puppies and large breed dogs like Goldens. Other good options include rawhide chews, dental chews, and antlers. By choosing the right food, creating a feeding schedule, and incorporating healthy treats and chews, you can help your Golden Retriever puppy grow up strong and healthy. Exercise and Playtime Exercise and playtime are important for the development and health of your Golden Retriever puppy. Regular exercise also helps your pup build strong muscles and bones, maintain a healthy weight, and improve their overall mood. A Golden Retriever puppy needs about minutes of exercise a day. However, this exercise should be spread out throughout the day as puppies have a lot of energy and can get restless quickly. Safe exercises for puppies include short walks, playing fetch, and supervised play with other puppies or dogs. Overexerting your puppy can lead to joint problems, injuries, and other health issues. Playtime is also essential for your Golden Retriever puppy. It provides an opportunity for bonding and socialization, and it helps your puppy develop cognitive and social skills. Interactive toys such as balls, chew toys, and puzzles can help keep your puppy entertained and engaged during playtime. In addition to physical exercise, mental stimulation is also important for your Golden Retriever puppy. Mental stimulation can help prevent destructive behavior and keep your pup engaged. Activities such as training, teaching new tricks, and puzzle games can provide mental stimulation for your puppy. Training your Golden Retriever puppy Training your puppy is an essential aspect of their growth and development as they grow from a puppy into an adult Golden Retriever. It not only teaches them good behavior but also helps build a strong bond between you and your pup. Here are some important areas to focus on: 1. These commands can be taught through positive reinforcement techniques such as treats and praise. Socialization Socialization is an important aspect of raising a Golden Retriever puppy. It involves exposing your pup to different people, animals, and environments to help them develop into a well-adjusted adult dog. Socialization can be achieved through puppy classes, dog parks, and walks in different locations. House Rules Establishing house rules is crucial in helping your Golden Retriever puppy understand boundaries and acceptable behavior. This can include rules around where they are allowed to go in the house, what objects they are allowed to play with, and what behaviors are not acceptable. By focusing on these areas, you can help your Golden Retriever puppy develop into a well-behaved and happy adult dog. Additionally, if you would like a more fulsome training regime, consider an online dog training course. Grooming your Golden Retriever puppy Grooming your Golden Retriever puppy is an essential aspect of taking care of your pet. Here are some grooming tips to keep your Golden Retriever puppy healthy and happy: Bathing: How often you should bathe your Golden Retriever puppy depends on their activity level, coat type, and lifestyle. A good rule of thumb is to bathe your puppy once every two to three months. After the bath, towel dry your puppy and let them air dry completely before brushing. For more information read The Ultimate 7 Step Guide to Giving a Golden Retriever a Bath Brushing: Golden Retrievers have a dense, double coat that requires regular brushing to prevent matting and tangles. Brush your puppy at least once a week using a slicker brush or a pin brush. Start brushing at the head and work your way down to the tail. Trim the nails every two to three weeks using a sharp dog nail clipper. Important note! Be careful not to cut the quick, which is the pink part of the nail that contains blood vessels and nerves. By following these grooming tips, you can keep your Golden Retriever puppy looking and feeling their best. Regular grooming also provides an opportunity to bond with your pet and strengthen your relationship. This includes regular check-ups, dental care, and parasite prevention. It is also important to be aware of any signs of illness in your puppy. These may include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, or changes in behavior. If you notice any of these symptoms, it is important to consult with your veterinarian right away to ensure that your puppy receives the necessary treatment. Here are some external links to Amazon products that will help you get started: Puppy Supplies:.

The protein will come from readily available sources such as chicken or beef, and not exotic or boutique sources like kangaroo or venison as you saw in second study mentioned above. According to the AKC , quality, regulated animal byproducts can be good for your dog. These byproducts can include organ meats or entrails, which often contain more nutrients than, say, plain chicken breast. Another misconception is that dogs should eat grain-free diets. As you saw in the second study mentioned above, that can actually be very harmful for your dog and cause DCM. But food labels can be a little vague and confusing, so below is an explanation of what some of these terms mean, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual and the AKC. There is one caveat though. For instance, flaked corn, ground corn, and kibbled corn could be sprinkled in an ingredient list and not be listed as the first few ingredients, but in reality, if you were to add them all up they are all corn, after all , you might find that this food is made mostly of corn. The same goes for chicken, chicken meal, and chicken byproduct. Meat vs. Meat Meal vs. The quality of these ingredients can vary widely, so be sure to talk to your vet about this and choose a reputable brand of food. Below are a few examples: Obesity. Golden Retrievers love food and they do have a tendency to become overweight if you let them. This problem can often affect these next two problems… Joint issues. Golden Retrievers are prone to joint issues and growing too fast because they eat too much can often make this problem worse more on this in the next section. Heart issues. Skin issues. Golden Retrievers are prone to hot spots and excess protein in their diets can be a factor that causes them. Many goldens suffer from food allergies. One cup of Brand X food may have calories per cup, while Brand Y has calories per cup. During a vet visit our veterinarian said he looked too small and lethargic for a puppy his age about 8 weeks at the time , and he recommended we feed him a little more. As far as how often to feed your puppy, this same rule applies. For us, we fed Oliver three times per day until he was a little over a year old. Getting a Golden Retriever Puppy? Get the gameplan for raising them right with the Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook. Those two statements may sound random, but they are related. According to the Banfield Pet Hospital , overfeeding your Golden Retriever can cause them to grow too fast and increase their risk of hip dysplasia. You probably noticed that a raw diet was the fourth-most popular diet Golden Retriever owners feed their dog. Since puppies are growing and adults are just maintaining their weight, they have different dietary needs. And for fats, puppy food should have at least 8. As far as when to switch from puppy food to adult food, talk to your veterinarian. To see a list of other milestones your puppy will hit like when they lose their first teeth, or when their coat is fully grown check out this timeline of Golden Retriever puppy milestones. Like most of the other questions in this post, this is something to talk to your veterinarian about. Many foods will have the same vitamins that pills have already in them, but on the other hand, some breeders require that you give your puppy vitamins for their health guarantee to be valid. First, we unknowingly started him off on one of the brands listed in the graph above that is correlated with DCM. Then we switched to another brand that he just sort of liked. If we were to have another puppy, we would definitely start with the Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy food. How To Switch Food Brands The other day I was talking to someone who was complaining that her puppy was having lots of stomach issues. Dogs have sensitive stomachs so if you want to switch foods, you need to do it slowly. You should take about a week to transition from the old food to the new brand. Also consider how long the brand of food has been around, whether or not there have been any recalls of that brand, and if there is any research behind it. What do you feed your Golden Retriever puppy? Have any questions about what to feed them? Let me know in the comments below! Related articles:. Royal Canin makes dry food tailored explicitly to particular breeds. Its Golden food variation uses chicken and brown rice ingredients to support digestive health, strong bones, and a healthy coat. Gorgeous coats, healthy body conditions, great activity levels- perfect puppies! With a combination of healthy proteins, fruits, vegetables, and more, this dry dog food will encourage healthy muscle development in your Golden Retriever as well as strong teeth, a healthy heart, and improved skin and coat texture. Looking at the ingredients makes me feel that I have purchased a quality product for my guy. With ingredients like real protein, fruits, and vegetables, this dry food increases energy, strengthens bones, improves immune strength, and neutralizes free radicals. Her coat is healthier and shiny. She even trimmed down a little as her old dog food was making her fat. They produce high-quality dog food for your Golden Retriever at an affordable price. Veterinarians recommend IAMS Proactive Health because it uses ingredients like animal protein and antioxidant-rich veggies to nourish your dog and meet their complete health needs. Highly recommend it. Good for maintaining a decent weight too. Gobbles it down! With fish as the main protein, this kibble promotes a gorgeous coat and healthy skin and improves digestive issues. He eats it enthusiastically, and it has really helped him thrive! He is energetic, has a gorgeous coat, and devours his meals! She is a much happier dog. The Save Shredded Puppy Blend includes probiotics to help ease the digestion in growing Golden Retriever puppies with sensitive stomachs. I mix it with wet food, and he loves it. He loves the chunks of shredded chicken! I highly recommend it. This large-breed dry food can help your Golden Retriever maintain a healthy coat and great skin as well as smooth digestion. All of them love this food! Their coats are shiny and soft, and their poops are small! The exclusive formula also increases energy levels! We tried another brand, and it caused all kinds of allergic reactions. We went back to Eagle Pack, and all is right again. Great product! That may be because they have a senior Golden Retriever who is struggling with dental issues or feel that dehydrated food options are healthier. This particular food contains real protein and essential nutrients that can benefit dogs of all ages. Once we got this, she became a food-crazed puppy! This food includes a combination of freeze-dried raw-coated kibble with real pieces of freeze-dried raw meat! This variety has lots of meat sources plus several strains of probiotics. In general, your dog will benefit from puppy food from about 8 weeks of age until they are six months to a year old. Check with your vet to determine the right time to switch from a puppy food to one for adult dogs, as recommendations vary based on the size of your dog. A few days later, you can begin making it a half-and-half blend. Make sure to watch for loose stool from your pup as you transition — if you notice that your Golden is struggling with the new diet, wait for a few days before increasing the blend. When in doubt, check with your vet! Most dog foods come with specific volumes listed on the side. Overfeeding your pet can lead to a variety of health concerns. To determine what food will suit your dog the best, check out 17 of the top dog foods on the market for Golden Retrievers, no matter their age. Check with your vet to determine whether your Golden will need any special dietary considerations. Foods considered toxic to Golden Retrievers are macadamia nuts, chocolate, onions, garlic cloves, grapes, raisins, walnuts, alcohol, and any foods sweetened with xylitol. Try to avoid feeding your Golden food containing any of these ingredients. Grain is an essential component to the diet of Golden Retrievers. The absence of grain has been known to lead to a deficiency in taurine, which can potentially cause heart problems for your golden. Galen has been connecting quality Golden Retriever breeders with loving families since and is the founder of My Golden Retriever Puppies. He and his wife have four children and love spending time together, traveling lived oversees for 4 years , enjoying the outdoors and connecting Golden families. Be the first to know when we have new puppies! All Rights Reserved. They are growing quickly, so while they eat smaller quantities of food than adult dogs, they need to extract far more nutrients like protein, minerals, and vitamins, to sustain their growth and development. Different Dogs, Different Diets Nutritional needs vary from breed to breed. One only needs to look at golden retrievers to know they require a different diet than a Chihuahua! For example, joint and bone problems are much more common in big dogs than in little ones, but choosing the right puppy food can reduce the risk. Large-breed puppy food has reduced amounts of calcium and phosphorus, which helps control the rate of skeletal growth. Also, you may find puppy foods that contain glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health and mobility. By consuming too much food, your puppy will have elevated levels of the very nutrients that should be limited. Additionally, overweight puppies may develop other health issues such as diabetes and heart disease. Good eating habits developed during puppyhood will lead to a healthy mature dog in the years to come. Nutrition For The Outside One of the most visible components of your dog is its fur. Nutrition plays a vital role in this area. A large percentage of the protein your puppy takes in goes towards maintaining its coat. Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids are also essential for healthy skin and fur. Which Food Do I Choose? There will always be those who buy the cheapest brand on the market. Some will opt for the most expensive, while others will simply go with a brand name they recognize. The key is to find the right food for your particular puppy. One thing you cannot afford to ignore is the nutritional content. Because they are still growing, puppies need more protein than adults. Proteins foster muscle growth and development in puppies and lean muscle maintenance in adults, so the more of it there is in a diet, the better it is for your growing retriever. Fats, too, are important for golden puppies because they provide the energy required for everyday activities. You should be careful, however, not to feed your golden excess calories because this will result in excess weight or obesity. Eventually, your dog will end up battling joint problems. For instance, less expensive dog foods typically have lower-quality ingredients. The contents are often inexpensive, low-grade animal protein sources, like by-products and fillers. Fillers are frequently things like cornmeal, rice flour, or seed hulls. In general, thoroughly review the nutritional content of your chosen diet. Are the ingredients wholesome and natural? Does the diet have controlled calcium and phosphorous levels? Is the calorie and fat content limited to manage growth? Does the label state that the diet is complete and balanced? This can lead to obesity and will certainly cause increased defecation. The latter of these two issues will make house training more difficult than it already is. By contrast, costlier dog foods usually have higher-quality ingredients. The scales will be tipped heavily in favor of high-grade animal protein sources and fillers will be few and far between. Price is not, however, a guarantee of quality. The best dog foods for a golden retriever puppy are made with high-quality natural ingredients and have high levels of protein. Make sure the food is complete and balanced for daily feeding and formulated to meet the nutritional needs of large breed puppies. At this point, golden retriever puppies have likely already been switched to dry puppy food and you should continue feeding your pup the same type of food the breeder used. From the day you bring them home until they are six months old, you should feed your golden retriever puppy three times a day. Ideally, your pup should have breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. A grain-free diet is the default meal for golden retrievers that are sensitive to grains, but if your dog is healthy, feeding her such a meal boils down to choice. A lot has been said about grain-free diets. Reports and studies have been carried out in recent years trying to establish any connection between it and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy DCM. That all starts with choosing the best puppy food for golden retrievers. Avoid low-cost foods that are more filler than substance, and look for better foods that are packed with nutrients to help your puppy grow. In particular, consider trying a large breed formula to meet the specific needs of your golden retriever puppy. Good nutrition is an essential part of any health regimen, and providing high-quality puppy food will lay the foundation for a long, and enjoyable life. You May Also Like.

Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Deer Creek Comfort Dogs Shaping future companions for families and those in need of comfort Our family has been raising puppies for over 20 years. Our children have always had a passion for dogs which began our journey and now our grandchildren enjoy growing up with our wonderful dogs by their side. Deer Creek provides emotional support dogs, therapy dogs, service and therapy prospects, canine good citizen dogs as well as family pets. Deer Creek assists our families with puppy selection to help ensure the families get the puppy that will work well with their needs. Someone once said, "Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative" and we hope you choose one of ours. If you are interested in finding your new family member, fill out our puppy application and we will be thrilled to work with you. We recognize that our dogs have the capability of changing peoples' lives on a therapeutic level. Many of our Doodles have become therapy dogs at funeral homes, children's advocacy centers, hospitals and nursing homes, and others have found homes as anxiety, PTSD and emotional support dogs. Learn more about our nonprofit organization Deer Creek Paw Prints at www. Learn More Molly, Rhys, and Beau! We raise high-quality Mini Labradoodles as well as a few other breeds. We also have partnered up with several other reputable breeders that raise mini labradoodle pups that meet our strict genetic criteria and testing. So we usually have a good selection of very high-quality puppies. View Our Available Puppies! F1B Mini Labradoodle Puppies are a second-generation cross or hybrid. The father is a Mini Poodle and the mother is an F1 Labradoodle. The F1B Minature Labradoodles usually have soft hair that is usually wavy or curly. Thes puppies are considered semi-hypoallergenic since they shed minimally. These puppies can be a good fit if a person that has mild pet allergies. Once F1B Mini Labradoodles reach 6 months old they require to be groomed once every 8 weeks or so to keep their fur healthy and to stop matting. Adult F1B Mini labradoodle dogs range in size from 14 inches in height and pounds in weight. The average life span is typically years of age. The F1BB puppies usually have curlier coats and will be totally hypoallergenic. Once the F1BB pup is 6 months they will need regular grooming every 6 to 8 weeks. F1BB Puppies are usually slightly smaller than F1B puppies and range from 12 inches in height and pounds in weight. Mini Labradoodles are known for their intelligence and the ability to be trained very easily. They make amazing family pets and love to participate in family activities like swimming, hiking, camping or just playing tag in the yard. This breed is also a good choice for people who live in apartments as long as they get at least minutes of exercise a day. So if you live near Owensboro Kentucky and are looking for a healthy and beautiful Mini Labradoodle puppy that can be delivered to you then check out our available pups now by Clicking Here. Below are some Mini Labradoodle pups that have been adopted.

Easiest Dog to Take Care of: Top 10 Breeds for a Happy Home Do you ever dream about having a furry best friend who loves to play fetch, gives the warmest cuddles, and greets you with the happiest tail wags every time you come home? A friend who is not just any dog, but the easiest dog to take care of? We know, it sounds like a dream come true, right? But we also understand that bringing a new puppy home is a big step. It's like adding a new member to your family, a little brother or sister.Top 30 Smartest Dog Breeds In The World If you're a dog lover, you've probably heard the age-old debate: which dog breeds are the smartest? While all dogs have their own unique intelligence and personality, some breeds have proven to be consistently brilliant over time. In this guide, we'll explore the top 30 smartest dog breeds ranked, from problem-solving whizzes to trainable and intuitive pups. We've done our research to provide you with an updated and informative.These pooches are joyful, lively, eager to please dogs. They are adventurous, kind, family-oriented pups who love hiking, swimming, canine games, sports and any, and all, family activities. These puppies are merry and bouncy little marshmallows. They are cuddly and sweet pups who love running around, playing, making friends and are very enthusiastic learners. The breed is divided into 3 recognized categories: Toy Poodle; Mini; Standard. Although they differ in size, one thing is for sure: they are glamorous companion pets. Questions about Poodle puppies for sale in Miami FL? We have answers. Give me an overview of Poodle puppies for sale in Miami FL. You will notice that there are lots of different prices for a whole range of Poodles out there. Prices will change depending on the coat of your Poodle, its size big or small , not forgetting how many years the breeder has been in the business. With Uptown you can afford your pup! Can breeders arrange travel for Miami Poodles out of state? You see, to us, the health of dogs and puppies come first, so we have a strict vetting process to see if they are a true fit for Uptown. The happiness of all puppies comes first! How do you screen miniature Poodle breeders in Miami? Why is Uptown Puppies different from other miniature Poodle breeders Miami? The main intention we had, when creating Uptown, was to make sure healthy, happy and well -taken care of puppies could land up in homes that would cherish them for life. What is a puppy mill like for miniature Poodle Miami? Puppy mills are the stuff that horror films are made out of. The only difference is that the victims of the horror story are the dogs and puppies themselves, trapped in the small cages provided for them. They also tend to die at a very young age, unfortunately. Are there any miniature Poodle puppies Miami for sale now? You are definitely in luck because there are many Poodle puppies available for sale at the moment. They are a very popular breed and breeders love raising them. You just have to begin your search underneath to find the Poodle puppy that will fill your heart with love and your hands with play. What kind of dogs are mini Poodle puppies Miami? Are Poodles from France or Germany? Many Poodle lovers debate over this topic while some say the Poodle originates from both countries. Poodles are quite regal and dignified. They are also highly protective over their owners and families and love eating. They are slightly goofy and happy dogs in general. How do I know I can trust you with miniature Poodle puppies in Miami? With Uptown, you can be guaranteed a smooth ride from start to finish. Once you start searching for your perfect puppy you can be reassured with confidence, that your puppy is coming from a good place with only the best intentions involved. Our breeders take a Breeder Pledge to ensure everything is under the strictest standards.

Rachael Ray Nutrish is another brand I love for Labrador Retriever puppies as it is packed with DHA for healthy brain and eye development and specially formulated for young, growing dogs. You can also select different sizes and recipes. My favorite is chicken and brown rice. Bedding And Toys Lab puppies need quality bedding and toys for teething. Labrador puppies grow quickly and have sharp claws and teeth. Puppies also go through a teething phase and will need special teething toys to help soothe their sore mouths and help keep your furniture safe. As far as bedding, the best bedding for a Labrador puppy is going to be made of high quality material that is soft and plush while also being sturdy enough to keep them off the floor and support their growing bodies. KONG toys are wonderful tools to use during crate training , but they also help with separation anxiety , boredom, and the teething stage that all puppies go through. Enter the Nylabone Puppy Starter Pack. These flavored chew toys come both textured and regular to help get your pup and your furniture through the teething stage safely. Cuddly toys like the Smart PetLove Snuggle Puppy Behavioral Aid Toy above can help your new Labrador puppy adjust to sleeping on his own, assist in crate training, and may even help alleviate anxieties including noise phobias and separation anxiety. Puppy blankets are a must and can be used for multiple purposes in your home for your pup. My favorite puppy blankets are blankets that are specially made for dogs, like the Luciphia fleece blankets above. While you can use any blankets on hand, blankets that are specially made for dogs are usually a bit more durable, easier to wash, and have been made with quality and safe material for your pooch. Puppy blankets just make it easy to always a comfy place for your puppy to rest his head no matter where you are. Ultra Squeaker Ball is an absolute favorite in my house and with my clients. I especially love using this toy for puppies who are just getting the hang of playing fetch. For puppies, picking up on how to play fetch can be tough. Balls that squeak or make noise when thrown help to make the game more exciting and help encourage young pups to chase whatever is making that high pitched sound! Leashes, Harnesses, and Collars Collars, leashes, and harnesses are important tools to help socialize your puppy. Getting your puppy used to wearing a leash, harness, and collar is an important step towards socializing them. So even though your Labrador puppy will outgrow his harness and collar quickly, I still suggest investing in these items. Here are five of my favorite leash, harness, and collar products for Labrador Retriever puppies. As I mentioned above, puppies are especially fragile so steer clear of attaching a leash to their collar and try to help them adjust to wearing a harness that is comfortable. What I like about this harness is that it is adjustable so you can use it a bit longer as your puppy grows. Best of all it is the perfect length five feet for puppy training and is a leash your Lab puppy can take with him into adulthood. It is built like a standard leash, but it offers you control over how far away your puppy can get. This is excellent for puppy parents who live in busy neighborhoods or who are working with a puppy who likes to wander. Large breed puppies like Labrador Retrievers require crates that grow with them. This is why I love crates that come with dividers so that they can grow with your Lab puppy. I also recommend playpens, as Labrador puppies are notorious for being very active and energetic. Lab puppies are also incredibly curious and tend to chew a lot in their first few months, which is why indoor dog gates will also be an important part of puppy proofing your home. Take a look at some of my favorite puppy-proofing products below. Nobody likes cleaning up potty accidents. Of course, no one wants a big, bulky pen that takes up half of their home either! I also love that the pen is big enough for puppies to grow into and allows them to learn how to explore a space larger than their crate while keeping them and your home safe from their curiosity. And since crate training is such an important part of puppyhood and actually helps your puppy adjust to being alone and feeling secure, we recommend investing in a good, high quality crate you can use for years. It has two separate doors for entrance and exit and it comes with a divider so it can be adjusted to the size of your dog as he grows. Just remember to leave your pup inside his crate with a KONG and some bedding so he is comfortable, and remember that puppies who are younger than six months old should not stay in their crates for longer than four hours. For those of you who plan to leave your puppy out and about while you are gone and after he is trained, of course , then a crate that folds may be your best bet. The MidWest Foldable Dog Crate posted above is one such crate that is not only made well, but also stores well. Like most crates ideal for Labrador puppies, this crate also comes with a divider so it can grow with your dog. Along with crates and puppy playpens, you also might consider getting a gate to keep your puppy from entering places in your home that may pose a risk to him. Many of my clients keep gates up in their kitchen entryway, or gate their living rooms where puppies are tempted to chew on wood furniture. Richell Wood Freestanding Pet Gate Sale Buy on Amazon For those of you worried about installing something or accidentally damaging walls or paint, there are always free-standing gate options, like the Richell Wood Freestanding Pet Gate. I do like the way these gates look and the simplicity of them, however, they are not always the most secure and may not stand up to a strong and curious puppy. These gates are also not ideal for leaving puppies unsupervised as they can sometimes find ways to knock them down. Grooming your Labrador puppy early on not only helps to socialize him and prepare him for a life of vet visits, groomer visits, and physical contact with people, but it also helps to keep him clean and healthy. Like babies, puppies are more sensitive to certain products and require products that are specifically designed to be gentle on their sensitive skin and fur. Be selective of the shampoos, dog brushes , and other grooming products you pick for your Labrador puppy and make sure you always use high-quality products. Some of the products I recommend most for grooming a Labrador puppy are listed below. Pet Care Sciences Puppy Shampoo. Top Picks For Our Dogs Preparing Your Home For A Puppy You should treat the preparation of your home for the arrival of a new puppy in much the same way as you would for the arrival of a baby because the process is almost identical. You must be ready to provide every little thing your puppy needs in life, making sure they have water, are fed, comfortable, happy, catered for and safe. To achieve this there are 4 main things that you need to do: Go shopping for equipment and supplies Puppy proof your home and garden to make sure your puppy stays safe Set up an area for your puppy to sleep and spend time in when you cannot supervise them Decide on the rules and routines required to successfully raise a puppy Without such preparation, things will be difficult. A Nutritious Puppy Food The most important supply needed for a new puppy is a highly nutritious puppy food. Hopefully your puppy came from a responsible breeder who was feeding them a high quality, complete and nutritious food. If so, you should ask what they were feeding, stock up on and continue feeding this if possible. If not, then puppies are incredibly active, growing fast and developing bone, muscle and more every day. Because of this they need almost double the calories, more protein and have different nutritional needs to mature adult dogs. Furthermore, they have far smaller mouths than adult dogs so puppy food comes in smaller chunks more suited to their size. Click here to see our recommendations for the best puppy food for labs Bowls for Food And Water There is a bewildering array of dog bowl choices out there so choosing the best can be difficult. Looks and design aside, I recommend going for stainless steel bowls because they are long-lasting, cannot be chewed and are very easy to clean. I also recommend buying bowls with heavy rubber bottoms so they stay rooted to the spot and are harder to spill or flip over. Unless of course you buy bowls in a stand, then these problems are already solved. A Puppy Crate And Bedding A good crate is one of the most beneficial things you can provide for the good of yourself and your puppy. First of all, supply some bedding to place inside for your puppy to sleep on. My recommendation for this is VetBed. Many puppies can chew and ingest normal bedding which can result in medical emergencies and VetBed is the most durable bedding on the market. During these times you need to provide a larger, but still safe enclosure to confine your puppy. You might also like to buy a plastic sheet and some puppy pads or use lots of old newspaper for them to use as a potty in your absence. Puppy Chew Toys Puppies chew. A lot. And they seem to prefer chewing phones, footwear and TV remotes more than anything else. Just make sure whatever toys you do buy are suitable for a puppy as many will be too large for their little mouths to begin with. Interactive Puppy Toys So you can play games with your puppy, provide exercise and mental stimulation, you will want to buy a few toys that encourage the two of you to interact. Balls for throwing and chasing, soft toys and ropes for playing tug, other toys for fetch, there are many available. You will also need a collar to provide a place to attach an all important ID tag. ID Tag An ID tag is an essential means to be reunited with your puppy should the worst happen and you somehow lose them or they run away. Clicker A clicker is an extremely useful tool used during training as a reward marker that dramatically improves the timing of communication between you and your puppy when you want to reward a behavior. Although not essential, I do highly recommend you use one. Puppy Training Treats Tasty food treats are the go-to reward used during training so you will want to make sure you always have a good stock at hand. They need to feel happy with being bathed, happy having their coat and teeth brushed, their feet touched, nails clipped and having their eyes and ears inspected. To do so, you should fake going the process, getting them used to being handled, the sight and feel of the tools and so on. To achieve this, you will need to buy and get them used to the following items: Dog shampoo Combs and brushes suitable for a Labrador Scissors Cotton balls Toothbrush Use these tools right away and often, and give your puppy praise and tasty treats as you go so they form positive associations with grooming. Puppy Proof Your Home and Garden The process of puppy proofing your home is very much like baby proofing before the arrival of a child. Except a puppy is far more curious, active and destructive and can get themselves into far more trouble. A puppy is a new-born. Everything is a toy and they will run and pounce and jump and chew on anything in their environment. So before you bring your puppy home you simply must make it safe for them. For things you cannot move skirting boards, table legs etc. To keep them safe while still providing an area for them to play in and stretch their legs, you want to restrict their access to a single room, or otherwise create an enclosed space for them. To do so, either buy a pet barrier or baby gate that goes across a doorway to restrict them to an easy to clean and safe room, or buy an exercise pen puppy pen to create an enclosed space in another room. I also strongly recommend buying a crate for many reasons, but initially, mostly just to provide the perfect place for them to sleep. I shall discuss crate training a little later in this article. All of this must be decided BEFORE you get your puppy home because consistency is a key part of raising a puppy successfully. Everyone must enforce and live by the same rules for your puppy to thrive. Initially they have no idea how you want them to behave, or how and when they can expect the things they want and need in life. The more consistent everybody is with the puppy, the quicker they will learn all this stuff and the happier everyone will be. So decide and write down if necessary when your puppy will have all their needs met, make sure everybody knows who is responsible for each task and make sure everybody knows the rules. You might think the collection and journey home with your new puppy is no big deal, but there are many things can go wrong. Therefore, you should never take a puppy before 8 weeks old. During the first 8 weeks, a puppy learns a lot from their mother and litter-mates: Bite inhibition, canine body language, acceptable play and interaction with other dogs and how to accept discipline. Things you will find it very hard to teach them later yourself. The flip side of this is that the 7 to 14 week stage is the most impressionable for a puppy, where they bond strongest with people and must be socialized to all the sights, sounds and smells of the world so they grow up confident and comfortable with their surroundings. So anyway, for the journey home there a few things you need to consider: Safety in the car, the need for water and toilet breaks and the possibility your puppy will be sick. Having a loose puppy in the car presents a very real danger of leading to a crash, they can easily climb out of a box and now is not the time to use a harness and car safety belt. If the crate is small enough you can place it on a front or rear passenger seat and secure it with the seat-belt, or you may have to place it in the trunk of your car. Fully line the crate with absorbent paper in case there are any accidents, this will keep most of the mess off your puppy and make cleaning easier. And finally, place a chew toy or two in the crate to keep your puppy occupied. If you have another person to help you, your puppy can ride home in their lap if the journey is short. They must be under your passengers control. They will also need to potty every half or so. Therefore, you should plan breaks along the way every 30 minutes or so. Stop the car, allow them to drink, then wait for them to wee before setting off again. When you stop, make sure your puppy is on leash and tightly held by someone before letting them out of the car. And as an extra precaution, carry your puppy and only put them down to do their business, then carry them back into the car. Take with you some towels, plastic bags, kitchen roll and deodorizer to take care of any accidents. And when driving, take all corners slowly, and accelerate and brake gently. If your puppy is on a passengers lap, they will be able to see some warning signs that puppy is about to be sick: Their lips will curl, they will excessively salivate and then eventually start to heave. When your passenger spots these signs, they can place a thick towel beneath the puppy to catch everything and avoid a mess in your vehicle. When bringing home a new puppy, make sure you collect them and then drive straight home. Your puppy is having the most stressful day of their short life so far, try not to make it harder than it already is by taking them to strange places and passing them around to strangers to say hello. You want to get them home quickly so they can start the process of settling in as soon as possible. Whether this is inside on paper, or a spot outside, as soon as you arrive home carry them there, set them down and wait for them to do their business before doing anything else. This might take 30 seconds or it might take 10 minutes, but patiently wait and when they go, praise them profusely. Well done! Shut them in another room away from the puppy as things are intense enough as it is. Explain they have to be calm and gentle during the first introductions. Let them sniff and look around, getting used to the area and their new little world. You can now let people come and say hello. Have people sit or kneel to greet them. Once everybody has said hello, you should stay with your puppy, show interest but stay calm. Allow Your Puppy To Sleep After all the excitement, stress, massive change and huge amount of mental stimulation your puppy has just been through, they will likely need to sleep soon after arriving at your home. So as soon as they either start to look tired, or the introductions to their new living space and family have ended whichever comes first put them to bed for a short while. On the other hand they might feel completely overwhelmed, retreat into themselves and show reluctance to explore. They might slink into a corner silently and sit there watching their new world with wonder but apprehension, before falling asleep for hours. And when it comes to the first night they might sleep right through, or they might cry and whine the whole night. As your puppy begins to get used to everything, their character will start to shine through and you will begin to see their true personalities. Exactly what this will be is different for every puppy…it will be fun for you to find out! And by being the provider of everything they need in life, giving them all that is good, it will only take 2 or 3 days for your puppy to learn to love you and get excited and happy to see you when you turn up. So your task is to set up and stick to these schedules, begin training your puppy and help them to learn how you want them to behave and when they can expect the things they need in life. What should you feed your puppy You should feed your puppy the same food they had at the breeders because an abrupt change in diet almost always leads to stomach upset. Complete and balanced means it has everything a puppy needs, and in the right quantities. So seek out this kind of wording and check the internet for other owners reviews. Puppies need to eat a lot because their rate of growth is very high. For puppies up to 12 weeks, you should divide their daily requirement into 4 portions, for puppies 12 to 26 weeks, feed them 3 times per day and from 26 weeks on feed them twice per day. You should also aim to feed them as close as you can to the same times every day and evenly spaced throughout the day. This will help their body clocks fall into a pattern and will help your house training immensely because they then potty the same times every day. For example: 8 to 12 weeks old, 4 times a day at AM, AM, PM and PM 12 to 26 weeks old, 3 times a day at AM, PM and PM 26 weeks old and ongoing, 2 times a day at and Obviously you can adjust these times to take into account when you get out of bed and to fit around your life. Also… The first few nights have the crate or exercise pen your puppy sleeps in placed in your bedroom. One night move the crate next to the bedroom door. The next night move it outside the door, but leave the door open so they can still see you. The next night further into the hallway. Finally to their eventual resting place. They might take to sleeping on their own OK, they might whine and cry. NEVER go to them to comfort them if they cry, you must only get up to take them to potty and then silently and without fuss put them back into the crate. Rewarding silence and ignoring noise is the only way they will eventually learn to be quiet at night themselves. Any time you cannot closely supervise them, you have to confine them, either in their crate, an exercise pen or a puppy proofed room secured with a barrier across the doorway. The point of confining them as a puppy is so they can enjoy all the freedom in the world once they are an adult. By confining them with treat dispensing chew toys they get rewarded for chewing the right things and develop a chew toy obsession. Confine them now, they form a good chew toy obsession and have no chance of developing bad chewing habits. Then once they are over their adolescent chewing stage you slowly open up the house to them and eventually they can have free roam and be completely trusted. A little sacrifice when young for a better life later. And a second hugely important reason for confining your puppy when you cannot supervise them is for speedier house training. In fact if you read my comments from earlier, you will see you start the very first moment you finish the journey home. In essence, house training is about creating good habits while avoiding bad ones and for the speediest success you want to start immediately. Wherever your puppy is able to potty has the chance of becoming their favored toilet spot for many weeks or months to come. So you want to prevent them pottying inside, and encourage them to potty outside. The main ingredients of a successful house training program are preventing mistakes and praising heavily for doing the right thing. Achieving this is all about schedules, supervision and confinement. Now, your puppy will need to potty anywhere from every 15 to 45 minutes. So to start with, take them outside every 30 minutes and adjust this schedule to suit their natural rhythm. You must also take them outside immediately after they wake up from any sleep, after any eating or drinking, after play and after any heightened excitement. These are times that often lead to a puppy needing to potty so take them outside at these times and you will avoid many mistakes while taking advantage of predictable opportunities to praise them for doing the right thing. In the first week or so, you will likely find your puppy almost instantaneously leaks with little warning. Simply do your best to take them out to potty extremely often so they go in the right place as often as possible. And confine them to a single enclosed room or in an exercise pen for the first week or so to protect your carpets. Crate training goes hand in hand with house training, being one of the best tools to help speed up the process. Therefore, you want to start crate training very early on, after just a few days of getting puppy home, and I personally aim for 9 weeks old to start. I prefer to wait a week or so to avoid them pottying in the crate as much as possible, doing the most I can to preserve their instinct not to soil where they sleep, the instinct that helps most when using a crate for house training. But by all means sleep them in their crate at night if you wish and I do. For more information on crate training your puppy and using it for house training purposes, please see the links below:. 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. Lab Puppy proof the house. Things like dangerous chemicals, solvents, cleaning solutions, paint and other dangerous substances need to be secured. As well you will need to look at cords hanging and things falling on the puppy if they accidentally pull something down. Stairs need to be gated off until your puppy is older and learns how to walk down them without trying to jump off. Purchase a quality dog food. It never ceases to amaze me how some people end up feeding a low quality food to their dog, or something experimental like a vegan food, or even feed them a so called raw diet and not balance their nutrition requirements. The single biggest thing you can do for your dog is feed them a proven diet with nutrients delivered in the proper ratios. A second thing to consider is where your food is made and how you can be notified if there is a recall. At the time of writing this there is a popular food under recall for toxic levels of vitamin D. There have been numerous cases of deaths related to this and yet the company claims they independently test their ingredients. The food we recommend is such because we have years and years of experience over 13 years with it using it ourselves and recommending it to those who adopt our puppies. We have actually had so few health issues with our puppies and aging adults eating this food that we have increased our warranty to 4 years and include all major organs. Bottom line, feed a high quality proven food from the day you bring your puppy home, not necessarily one with the most protein. We will provide you with feeding suggestions once you place your reservation for a puppy and a proven puppy food to feed them. Visit the pet store for the required equipment. You are going to need a large dog crate with a divider so in the beginning your puppy will have just enough room to sleep. Crate training is the best way to protect your puppy while making them safe when unsupervised. As your dog grows you can remove the divider so it has room to lay down and not touch the walls. We stock the most popular toys and cover all the different types you will need so that you can get them when you pick up your puppy. They come with explanations of how the different types are used to both stimulate, calm and play with your puppy, how to cycle them, teething, and more. A stainless steel water and food bowl is also another good choice. I would wait on getting a collar so that you can fit them properly. We have inexpensive training leashes that adjust to any size for you to purchase when you are here. Have a family meeting to establish expectations. Every human in the home will need to follow the same rules consistently so that your puppy understands what is expected of them. Schedule an appointment with a good Veterinarian. Not all Veterinarians are of equal experience. We have heard some pretty crazy stories, so we suggest you get some referrals of some long term relationships of people you trust for a Vet. You should take your puppy to the vet a couple of days after you get home so it has time to get use to its new surroundings before being taken somewhere. Prepare fore the Drive Home 1. Your puppy can last about 2 or 3 hours without a potty break. We normally feed your puppy early in the morning on the day of pick up so that it has time to go potty before the drive home. Our recommendation is to give your puppy some water every 3 hours and then let them have a pee. This could also go along with letting them play or explore outside a bit. When you stop, find an unused grassy space to potty on. Arriving at home with your puppy 1. First quickly bring them to the spot you want them to potty. This is the beginning of your dog being house trained. They will likely have to go right after you get out of the car. So when you stop, give them a drink in the area you want them to relieve themselves in. Wait until they go and then you can take them into the home. Treat your puppy like a puppy. It is breakable and will be a puppy for about a year. Things like playing with larger dogs and such should be carefully supervised. Constant supervision. Your new puppy needs to be constantly supervised until they can be trusted and you know that they understand the rules. Constant supervision means either you or someone watching them, they are in their crate the crate is the supervisor , or that they are in a section of the home baby-gated off or also an outside run with a kennel and a cement floor so they cannot dig under the fence yes they will dig. After a potty bring your puppy to the room with their crate. Introducing them to their crate perhaps with a few pieces of kibble in it will show them where their safe space is. This is also where they need to be comfortable enough to self-calm and fall asleep. If you have another dog, first introduce them outside on neutral territory. Bringing a new puppy and simply coming straight into the home could have one of three effects. The first being that both dogs might be ok with it. Second is that the older dog has an issue with a new strange animal in its territory. This would result in your older dog being defensive, maybe even protective or possibly anxious and scared and once this has happened it is out there. Undoing this type of trauma could take days or weeks. Relax and let them get to know each other and all will be good. After some get familiar time begin training your puppy without distractions using Positive Reinforcement training methods. We suggest that everyone participates in some training classes either in a group format or private. The important thing to understand is that you are training you to train your puppy. Your puppy will also lose any training it has done if it is not reinforced by everyone in the home. Other resources are 80 Puppy Training tips that you can learn as well as an excellent site with video called Puppy Trained Right. We have a discount code available for those who are taking home one of our puppies. This will allow them time to eliminate most of their food and urine and will give a better chance of sleeping the night without having to go potty. Prepare their crate in a quiet, dark spot. Make it a sleepy place, place a blanket over the top and down 3 sides to block draft and to make it den-like. Some mild exercise or training just before bed. Just like a human, you want them to be tired before bed. So for example if you let them sleep from 9 to 11 pm they may not need to go down at 11 to sleep. The last while before bed try to stimulate them mentally and physically so that they are ready to turn in. This can be training sessions, a walk, a play session or even fetch in the house. One final potty around 11 pm. After you prepare them for sleep take them out one more time and give them ample time to relieve themselves. Bring them back in, let them settle in the crate, put an item of clothing in there that smells like you for them to snuggle on. The quicker they learn the new pack and learn to settle in the crate the better and that happens by not reminding them of their old litter. If they smell their old litter they will whine for them to find them. Settling in their crate. Once your puppy goes down you will want to be teaching your puppy that the time in their crate is for sleep, they are safe in there, and that if they bark or whine they cannot summon you to save them. So, what if they really have to go? This is something you will have to figure out. It may be possible that they must go outside to relieve themselves, but, they may also just want you to hold or feed them. If they go, just put them back in their crate to settle and go back to sleep. You will know within reason that next time they are just lonely. This normally stops after about 2 or 3 days. Whoosh them out to their pee spot. Pick them up and carry them quickly to their pee spot. When they go reward them with praise and say the potty word that you use. Feed, and then woosh them out again to their pee spot. Puppies often need to poop right after they eat, or sometimes while they are eating. Some exercise, training and mental stimulation. After waking up and eating they will be ready for a walk and some training. Setting them up for their first full day in the home. Plan their day out so that there is a balance of play, training, napping, eating, and potty. In the beginning your puppy will need about 20 hours or so of sleep a day so be sure it is getting enough. If your puppy gets nippy they may be trying to tell you they are tired and want to be left alone in their crate. Every opportunity that your puppy presents in the form of nipping is a training opportunity to teach bite inhibition. Coming home to your puppy after work. Learning how to greet them. If you work full time it is important to understand that a young puppy cannot hold their bladders for more than 3 or 4 hours. If you work full time you will need someone to watch them or at least visit them once or twice during the shift to let them out, drink and play. When you arrive home this is the time to teach them manners. Most dogs will be excited and will jump on you to greet you. Be sure you teach them how you want them to greet people. We will teach a dog to sit in front of us before it gets any attention. No attention means no talking, no eye contact and no touching. Will they need to relieve themselves? If they have been in a crate you will likely need to let them go potty, a walk or some fetching would also be good at this time because they likely have some energy to expend. Training pre or post feeding? There are also some Labs who are not food motivated. So if your Lab is not responding well to training after they are fed, you may want to train them before eating so the hunger is on your side. Socialization with people other than your family, and animals other than those in the home. While socializing you want to expose them to many people while not overwhelming them. To start we recommend 1 new person each morning and one new place each night. After you can see that your puppy is not overwhelmed you may decide to increase the frequency of exposure to new places, animals and things. Prepare for night time routine. Get your new furball ready for bed time as outlined above. Setting your puppy up for success. Avoiding dog parks and strange dogs. Until your puppy is fully vaccinated around 14 weeks old they are vulnerable to other diseases by unknown dogs. By all means, if you know someone who has a dog and you can verify that their dog is up to date on all shots such as Parvo, Rabies, Leptospirosis, Kennel Cough, Distemper, Hepatitis, Corona and Para Influenza, 2. Get into a reputable training class or private training with a reputable trainer. Training classes are mainly to train you. Ask around in your area for a recommendation of a good trainer at a reasonable price. Gentle, regular exposure to everyone and everything. For example, while you are exposing them to people you will need to expose them to female babies, toddlers, pre teens, teenagers, young adult women, middle aged women and older women. You will need to include women with glasses, hats, soft voices, loud voices, etc…. Adjust their food as they grow and as their activity level increases or decreases. If for example your dog is much more active or much less active then the recommended feeding amount will not be correct. Instead use your eyes. You might have to adjust the food amounts up or down as your Labrador gets more or less activity. Positive Reinforcement training by everyone in the pack. When you get into your car and you to go somewhere, you tell your gps where you want to go. Dogs are the same way. Instead teach your dog what you want it to do. Instead of scolding, simply withdraw your attention. This is enough punishment. Then, get back to showing your dog what you want it to do. If your puppy is not eating or has a loose bowel movement. Not eating much is pretty common when a puppy goes to its new home, however if it stops drinking then that would be cause for an immediate vet visit. In a new home your puppy might not be comfortable for a couple of days and eating might be just grazing. This is ok as long as it is drinking and seems to be playful. Loose bowel movements in the beginning could be due to nerves or your puppy could also have a parasite. At this young age puppies put everything, and I mean everything into their mouths. It is quite common for puppies to get loose stool from a parasite. This can be addressed easily if you take a stool sample into your Vet for analysis. What is a puppy emergency that requires a visit to the vet? Our rules for an emergency trip to the vet are: Uncontrollable bleeding, puppy not breathing properly, broken bone, puppy is not drinking and appears lethargic. If any of these present themselves you may want to consider getting help right away. Other things can normally wait until the next morning to be addressed because they are not critical. Depending on where you live however you may have a vet that is open 24 hours and even on the weekends. So this is a start for you to think about when you take a Labrador Puppy home. Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. Frankly and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact pressreleases franklymedia. Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox! Morning Headlines. Vet bedding fleece on a roll is ideal puppy bedding. You can line both his bed and his car crate with this. Buy several pieces so that you can pop one in the washing machine when it gets dirty or if he has an accident. There are lots of lovely beds you can get to go around the house, but in those first days veterinary bedding is an essential alternative to keep his crate cosy and clean. Puppy Toys For Labradors Puppy toys need to be sturdy. Many puppies destroy soft toys quite quickly though they are so adorable, you may not be able to resist buying one or two. Kongs and rope toys are very tough and seem to survive the onslaught of puppy teeth. A Radio If you intend your puppy to sleep alone in the kitchen from the first night, you may find it helpful to leave a radio next to his crate. Just a simple, cheap Portable Radio with the volume turned down low can serve the same role as some human company. It just helps him feel less along during those first few nights when he may be feeling very homesick. Puppy Harness There is no rush for this, but once your puppy is too heavy to carry, and going out and about on the ground, he needs some kind of safety restraint. These days I usually recommend a harness as they avoid pulling on the puppies neck. The kind where the lead attaches at the front and on the back are ideal. You can find an expert review of the big brands of harnesses, from a professional trainer here. When he is older and has learned to walk next to you, you can buy him a collar. To let your puppy know when he has done something you like. It is a really useful tool to help you teach your puppy to be quiet, and to learn simple skills. It will make training your puppy much quicker, easier and a lot more fun. Getting a recall to whistle established at an early age gets your puppy training off to a great start. I recommend the Acme Dog Whistle. There is plenty of information on the use and choice of dog whistles in this article: Should you buy a dog whistle .It will help to get you off to a great start with your new puppy.