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Bringing about a litter of English bulldogs requires artificial insemination of the female. While her gestation period is the same as other canines -- approximately two months -- the birth process is not. You must schedule a cesarean section with your vet. The bulldog puppy's large huge head makes it almost impossible to pass through the birth canal. English Bulldog Litters Bulldogs usually give birth to three or four puppies in a litter. Once you bring the bulldog and her litter home from the veterinary hospital, keep a close eye on her. She doesn't have much in the way of mothering instincts. It's not unusual for mother bulldogs to accidentally squish or smother their offspring. For safety's sake, it's a good idea to keep the litter in a separate, warmed box and only put them in with the mother for nursing. You must ensure that the mother dog licks the puppies to stimulate bowel and urinary functions. If she doesn't, you must gently rub the puppies after each meal so they will defecate and urinate. At three weeks, you can introduce the puppies to solid food. Because of their short noses, puppies might have difficulty chewing food. Ask your vet about special foods designed for bulldog puppies, aiding their ability to eat. In addition to reporting for a major newspaper chain, she has been published in "Horse News," "Suburban Classic," "Hoof Beats," "Equine Journal" and other publications. Due to this popularity, you may want to breed your French Bulldog to save some bucks since they are expensive. However, the question in your mind will be, "How many puppies can French bulldogs have? Female French Bulldogs can have a maximum of four litters in their lifetime, translating to 12 puppies. Therefore, a female French Bulldog will have 12 puppies before they are considered old to carry more. In the rest of this article, I'll discuss litters as they relate to French Bulldog breeding and the number of puppies. I will also cover the factors that limit a French Bulldog's ability to reproduce. Keep reading to learn more. A French Bulldog will typically have three puppies on average in a litter. This is a low number compared to other dog breeds like Golden Retrievers, which usually have more than eight puppies in a litter. It's worth mentioning that although rare, French Bulldogs can have up to eight puppies in a litter. However, this is considered unsafe owing to the French Bulldog's body size and shape. This means that a French Bulldog carrying more than four puppies at a time is in danger of dying from pregnancy-related complications. As a Frenchie parent, you're interested in knowing how many puppies your Frenchie can have over their lifetime. The number of puppies a Frenchie can have in a lifetime depends on the number of litters. A French Bulldog can have a maximum of four litters in its lifetime. Each of these litters will have an average of three puppies, translating to .Thus, you can expect your Frenchie to give you approximately 12 puppies in her lifetime. It's essential to consider the reproductive age when figuring out the number of pups your Frenchie can have in a lifetime. Most dog breeds, Frenchies included, reach reproductive maturity at six to nine months. Although French Bulldog females usually have their first heat as early as four months old, it's not advisable to breed the dog this early. Breeding a French Bulldog on her first heat exposes her to: Stunted growth Premature aging Complications during pregnancy and birth Even when a French Bulldog has had multiple litters, you should only breed her after two years. For safe delivery and recovery, veterinarians advise that the breeding period should not exceed eight years. However, some breeders inseminate their dogs after eight years to get more puppies. For this reason, knowing the factors that affect litter size will help you decide when to breed your Frenchie. The following are the main factors that affect litter size in French Bulldogs: Hormone Imbalance Frenchie females with a hormone imbalance will often undergo false pregnancies. In most cases, the dog will behave like she is pregnant even though there isn't any puppy inside her. Hypothyroidism is a hormonal imbalance problem in dogs that causes weight gain, lethargy, and depression. In extreme cases, it can cause abortion or decreased litter size in females. Age The older your French Bulldog gets, the smaller the litter size. Dogs bred between two and five years have larger litters because they are still young with more active reproductive hormones. By the time the dog is six years old, the litter size decreases significantly as the reproductive hormones become less active. Genetics Genetics play a role in determining your dog's ability to have puppies at any point in its lifetime. If both parents have a small litter size, you'll most likely have fewer puppies from your Frenchie mom. A mother with a bigger and broader family tree will have bigger litters. Therefore, you're more likely to get larger Frenchie pups if the mom comes from a family of bigger French Bulldogs. Health Healthy dogs can carry healthier and larger puppy litters. For example, your Frenchie can have a healthier and bigger litter if she has good nutrition. That's why it's essential to feed the dog with high-quality pet food throughout pregnancy. You may have questions like: When is the right time to breed my Frenchie? What are the steps to take in preparing for this process? What should I expect when giving birth? To make the experience smooth, here are the two crucial steps to follow: Artificial Insemination Apart from the hassles of looking for an appropriate and healthy stud dog, the narrow hips of French Bulldogs make natural mating hard. As a result, most Frenchie parents rely on artificial insemination. You must get a canine veterinarian to draw sperm from the stud dog and insert it into the female's reproductive tract. This process is usually done two to three times for positive results. The veterinarian will also be in charge of monitoring the pregnancy's progress. Therefore, you must keep in touch with your veterinarian to monitor the dog's progress and prepare for labor. French Bulldogs have a gestation period of approximately 63 days. The day your Frenchie goes into labor will be significantly different for each dog. Besides being responsible for the C-section procedure, your vet will guide you on what to expect during this period. Furthermore, they will take you through how to deal with any complications that may arise after delivery. It's worth mentioning that taking your Frenchie mom through natural birthing can expose them to dystocia. Unfortunately, 1. Factors That Limit a French Bulldog's Reproductive Ability Two to four puppies in a litter is a low number compared to other dog breeds. Why do French Bulldogs have such a small litter size? Read on to find out the limiting factors. Physical Conformation The physical nature of French Bulldogs makes it challenging for them to reproduce in large numbers. French Bulldogs have narrow hips. Although these hips make the dog beautiful, they hinder natural mating. This explains why these dogs are bred through artificial insemination. It's also hard for French Bulldogs to birth naturally due to their large heads. Consequently, most French Bulldogs undergo cesarean section C-section procedures. Due to their large heads, whelping your Frenchie mom naturally is a risky affair that can lead to: The pups getting stuck in the birth canal The mother suffering from complications such as hemorrhage or uterine rupture Injuring the pups Therefore, although costly and risky, C-section is the most humane option for helping your Frenchie canine give birth. Brachycephalic Breed Frenchies are among the brachycephalic dog breeds. Brachycephalic dog breeds have short nostrils and flattened muzzles with longer bottom jaws than the top ones. Due to their squished face, these dogs have difficulty breathing and cooling. This makes them prone to overheating. Moreover, the squished face exposes most of these dogs to Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome BOAS. This syndrome makes breathing a struggle, leading to challenges in carrying pregnancies and giving birth. Prenatal Care for a French Bulldog Your Frenchie's prenatal care should start as soon as she is pregnant. Here are some key areas to focus on: Diet Your dog needs a high-quality diet to support her pregnancy. A healthy, natural diet will strengthen the dog's body, allowing it to accommodate the mom and pups. Pregnant dogs need the following nutrients : Calcium: 1 to 1. During the summer, an average English bulldog can have up to four puppies. During the birth of English Dogs, they can also give birth to more than four puppies, which is potentially dangerous for the dogs if you own some English Dogs. A British bulldog tends not to live an easy life. Due to this, the delivery of a puppy is very difficult. A family in Coventry says a large litter of puppies has been born to an English Bulldog. It is crucial for English bulldogs to be bred for two or three times in their lifetime in order to ensure that they are in good health and well. This is an ideal breed of French Bulldog for those responsible for not breeding it more than three times a lifetime, and not one less than every two or three years. If that is exceeded, the dog will no longer be physically recovered, may even be mentally drained. Six months is a typical dog period for having a heat or estrus. When a baby turns six to eight months old, he or she is able to smell the heat for the first time. There is then a six-month cooling period followed by a two-year cooling period. Be very careful when pregnant with your Bulldog who may carry a virus while they are in the first year. Many dogs have been bred over many years to become bigger, causing their heads to expand so rapidly they cannot cessly through the pelvic canal. A canine with a squashed face known as a brachycephalic dog. There are probably more English bulldog puppies than you can imagine litters are possible. Puppies in a litter of three to four dingers commonly arrive. She does not have a lot of natural instincts when it comes to raising her children. A litter of 24 puppies holds the Guinness World Record for largest. How Many Litters can a Bulldog have a Year? How many litters can a Bulldog have a year? Also, how many times can a Bulldog go through a c section? Are they a good dog to breed? A female should not have a litter more than once and year due to the stress of the c-section which they have to have , and should not be bred more than 3 times in their lives. Bulldogs have to be artificially inseminated and have to have c-sections, and they usually do not have more than puppies. It is also hard to find good breed stock to start with. Answer by concerned Are you asking about an English Bulldog or a French Bulldog maybe some other bully breed? Some dogs come in season twice a year but somehow I doubt many English Bulls do. I would not recommend breeding back to back but there are recent differing medical opinions on that. If you're really interested in breeding, do your research and start out with something nice and as health clear as possible. But also go to Pet-Law, a yahoo group, just look it up. Read the achieves, the Animal Rightists are trying to end all home breeding and in fact pets, so it might be a good idea to have an understanding of what could happen in the near future before you begin. It might be nice if everyone understood what was going on and started to protect our ability to keep pets and show dogs too. Answer by grr. If you plan on forcing any dog through that, you are cruel and don't deserve to take care of a dog. Don't force her into having 7 litters of puppies, be happy with your own dog and encourage others to adopt homeless dogs and puppies. You are an enormous jerk for trying to make money off a dog's suffering while hundreds of other dogs are being killed every day. So give your dog the love she deserves and don't be an idiot. Every dog breed has a different experience with pregnancy, and English Bulldogs are not different. English Bulldog puppies are probably one of the most expensive kinds of puppies to purchase, and although some breeders may consider the financial benefits worth it in the end, the difficulties associated with pregnancy and birth for English Bulldogs should not be overlooked. How many puppies can an English Bulldog have? The average English Bulldog litter size is 3 to 4 puppies. Some English Bulldogs can have more than 4 in a litter, but this can lead to serious health issues and they may not survive long outside of the womb. Generally, a normal litter size for any dog is between two and ten, and several factors such as the breed, size and nutrition of a dog can have an impact on their litter. English Bulldog litter sizes are smaller than the average. English Bulldogs can have up to 4 puppies in the average litter size. How many litters can an English Bulldog have? To ensure their health and wellbeing, an English Bulldog should only be bred around three times in their lifetime. If an English Bulldog has more than 3 litters it can present health and welfare issues. Their average lifespan is smaller than that of other breeds — they generally live for up to eight years. And, with them becoming fertile around the six-month mark, it is probably advisable to spread the breeding process and pregnancies out throughout their lifetime. Did You Know? An English Bulldog will be pregnant for 63 days on average. If you think yours could be expecting, here are the pregnancy signs to look out for. Why do English Bulldogs have such small litters? To put it simply, the smaller the dogs, the smaller the litter. Bigger breeds such as German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers typically have litters of eight, and this is because they usually have much wider hips and a larger body. Now, consider smaller breeds like Yorkshire Terriers who, on average, have a litter of 3 puppies and English Bulldogs. Their substantially smaller hips, bodies and wombs mean that they have nowhere near the same level of capacity than their larger canine counterparts to carry and allow for the healthy development of a such a large litter. Can English Bulldogs get pregnant naturally? The only way that an English Bulldog can get pregnant is through artificial insemination. Although this can be done at home, the success rate will be higher and the environment safer if you arrange for your vet to do this. Can English Bulldogs give birth naturally? Although English Bulldogs have the same gestation period 2 months as other dogs, all female English Bulldogs will experience something called dystocia — which is a term used by vets to describe difficulties in giving birth. Specifically, English Bulldogs have a condition known as dystocia due to foetal-pelvic disproportion. In general terms, what this means is that the birth canal of the mother dog is a lot smaller than the puppies they are expected to birth. When it comes to English Bulldog pups, it is the abnormally large size of their head that is usually the issue. The consequence of this dystocia is that it is impossible for an English Bulldog to give birth naturally. The only way for an English Bulldog to have healthy puppies and survive themselves is through a caesarean section procedure at the vets. As with anybody with a caesarean section, it is crucial that your English Bulldog has plenty of care, rest and regular check-ups following the procedure to ensure that they heal up properly. This is why the recommended gap between pregnancies is longer for English Bulldogs than it may be for other breeds; at least a year is needed for them to recover from the previous C-section procedure. Why are English Bulldog puppies so expensive? Evidently, the entire pregnancy progress from conception to birth requires a lot of trips and procedures at the vets, which makes the resultant puppies a lot more expensive in order to make up for the bill racked up by breeders in order to bring them into the world. The fact that English Bulldogs cannot conceive or give birth naturally also means that puppies of the same breed are exceptionally rare, which gives them a much higher value as a result. Overall, both time and rarity contribute to the price of English Bulldog puppies. Handy Hint: If you are thinking about getting this breed please read my top things to know before you buy an English Bulldog which includes questions to ask the breeder. Ensure you have enough money for all the vet treatments as well as a little extra in case there is an emergency. Put the welfare of the mother dog first. Get the correct paperwork from Kennel Club. Give the mother dog at least a year to recover after birth before breeding her again. Ignore advice from your vet. Leave your English Bulldog alone with the puppies — they naturally have no motherly instincts and could end up harming them. Put your breeding business above the welfare of the mother dog. How can I tell if a breeder is not reputable? Breeders such as this can be difficult to spot, but if you get a strange gut feeling about something, it is better to be safe than sorry. The puppies seem too young under six weeks. The puppies seem abnormally small, weak or otherwise deformed. The prices are too good to be true. It is best to not let them know you know because then they might move away and risk capture. Stay calm, keep a cool head and call the RSPCA or the animal welfare charity that serves your country as soon as you leave. Handy Hint: Know when your English Bulldog is due her heat cycle is key to planning wanted or un-wanted pregnancies. Read my guide to the heat cycle of this breed, how long it takes, and what signs to look out for. Conclusion Thanks for reading my guide to how many puppies English Bulldogs have. Now you have an idea on what the average English Bulldog litter size is, it should give you an idea on why they can be so expensive to buy. English Bulldogs are a wonderful breed, but their journey into the world is far from simple. If you want to breed English Bulldog puppies, this is not a task that should be undertaken lightly. You need to research, consult your vet and have plenty of money for medical expenses. You might also like… If you already own this breed, here are some other help articles you might find of interest:. They often rank in the top 5 to 10 spots! Bulldogs are brachycephalic, not thanks to their short snouts. They are therefore more likely to snore, snort, grunt, drool, breathe loudly, and have excessive gas. No prizes for guessing who farted! English Bulldogs are frequently quite laid-back and easygoing. They do require some exercise, but a quick stroll will suffice. An English Bulldog gives birth to an average of 3 or 4 puppies in a single litter. Although there are some instances when they give birth to 4 or more, this is really rare and can actually pose a danger to the dogs. English Bulldog births are often quite difficult due to their small birth canal and will require human intervention in the form of Caesarean section in most cases. Although they are a medium-sized breed, they are known to have smaller litters than others in the same category such as Dalmatians and Huskies. Fun fact: the largest English Bulldog litter is shockingly 16, and that accolade belongs to Gucci, who lives in Coventry, England. Her breeder Jay Dhaliwal had to enlist the help of his family to help with this epic delivery! The size of a litter can be influenced by the breeding lines; some lines tend to have larger litter than others. English Bulldog owners who are considering breeding their dogs should talk to a veterinarian or breeder about the size of the anticipated litter. Many other variables, which I go into more detail about in the sections below, will also affect how many puppies there are in a litter. An English Bulldog puppy weighs between 10 to 14 ounces less than a pound! They put on weight quickly though and can be expected to reach 35 pounds by the time they are 6 months old only. The breed standard for an adult English Bulldog is between 40 to 50 pounds females tend to be smaller and the weight can vary slightly depending on genetics, diet, and activity level. All dogs, including English Bulldogs, do not go through menopause and can conceive puppies all the way into their older years. In general, their heat cycle lasts six to seven months or roughly twice a year. However, you should not take it to mean that just because they are in heat, they should be breeding. This is to give them a chance to recover properly. Your dog will experience a lot of stress due to overbreeding, which can result in heart disease, arthritis, and infertility, among other health issues. Stopping early also allows a breeder to spay their dog while they are still quite young and let them enjoy a quality life in their retirement. You should realize the significance of not overbreeding once you take into account that in some countries it is against the law to breed a dog more than four to six times during its lifetime. In the US, the American Kennel Club AKC does not accept registrations for dams that are bred over the age of 12 and under 8 months, and sires that are over the age of 12 and under 7 months. Age of the dam It should not be surprising that as the dam ages, the size of the litter decreases. After your English Bulldog breeds again after the first two times, you would probably see your dam having an extra puppy or two. Interestingly enough, the first two litters are typically smaller than the following ones, likely yielding only 2 or 3 puppies. Try to get your dog spayed long before that time to ensure their general health. Avoid breeding older dogs if possible. Health of the mom Only healthy mothers can give birth to healthy puppies, and that is the truth. Additionally, nutrition has a big impact on how many puppies are born in a litter. All year round, high-quality, protein-rich food should be provided to increase the possibility of producing a larger litter. Mothers who receive inadequate nutrition, especially those who are overweight, frequently have smaller litters. Size of dog In general, dogs within the same breed can differ quite widely in size. This is due to larger body frames in some dogs, just like us humans. Because of that, it also plays a part in the number of puppies an English Bulldog can have. Larger dams typically have a higher likelihood of having a larger litter. On the other hand, if your girl was born in a small litter herself, you can typically expect that she will have a small first litter. Type of breeding It might be preferable to save this topic for a later post given how quickly it could become complex. Just keep in mind that the type of breeding might significantly affect both the number and quality of the puppies. For instance, severe inbreeding will lower the quality of a litter. These difficulties are more likely to occur with two dogs that are closely related. Linebreeding , on the other hand, aims to maintain sufficient genetic diversity while preserving the best genes from a bloodline, making it frequently a safer method of dog breeding. Time of breeding It is said that a dam is more likely to have a larger litter size the closer she is to ovulation. This is defined as the period after the estrogen period when the Luteinizing hormone triggers ovulation. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any studies supporting this theory, so at this point, I would say this factor is probably not that significant. When an English Bulldog reaches its first heat cycle, it can start breeding, but this should never be done. They normally have their first heat cycle between the ages of 6 and 8 months, which is far too young for them to begin breeding. If you want to allow your dog enough time to grow sexually and acquire weight and size, wait until she is at least in her second or third heat cycle. Most ethical and responsible breeders will wait till an English Bulldog is at least 2 years old before breeding them. This would give them sufficient time to complete all the necessary medical checks which can identify potential for inherited diseases or conditions. Most female Bulldogs go through their first heat cycle between the ages of 6 and 8 months. A useful rule of thumb is that it will go into heat at about the same age that its mother did. Numerous symptoms, including bloody discharge, receptivity to male dogs, restless behavior, and others, can indicate that a dog is in heat. There are usually 3 to 4 puppies in an English Bulldog litter. Some English Bulldog breeds can have more than four puppies in a litter, but this will result in serious health issues and the puppies may not survive outside the womb. In general, English Bulldogs have smaller litters and shorter lifespans than the average dog for its size. There is a difference between the average and English Bulldog litter size. More than three litters in an English Bulldog can present health and welfare problems. Dogs generally live up to eight years on average, which is shorter than other breeds. Due to their fertile status beginning at around six months, it would probably be best to spread out the breeding process and pregnancies throughout their lives. Litters are smaller when the dogs are smaller. According to the American Kennel Club, the average litter size is puppies. Take into consideration smaller breeds such as Yorkshire Terriers and English Bulldogs, which have litters on average of three puppies. The significantly smaller hips, bodies, and wombs of these animals mean they cannot carry and support large litters to the same extent as their larger canine counterparts. The best way to find out if your bulldog is pregnant is to get an ultrasound. You should request an ultrasound 25 days after mating. English Bulldog ultrasound scanning is the quickest way to determine if your mating and conception plan worked. If you can wait at least 25 days after mating or artificial insemination, veterinarians recommend you do a pregnancy test as soon as 21 days after mating or artificial insemination. Timid dogs may find ultrasounds frightening, as they are noninvasive and painless. The noise may stress her out a bit. You will be able to see if any puppies are growing inside and how many puppies to expect. You can also come up with a prenatal plan for your dog once you know she is pregnant. When delivering a bulldog, the window for a c-section can range from 60 days to 63 days, depending on the gestation period. Puppies can be born early, but veterinarians often perform x-rays or sonograms to track their development. Early detection of a problem is typical if it exists. The rectal temperature of your dog during the final week of her pregnancy indicates when the puppies will be born. Drop-In Body Temperature The temperature of your dog should be between and degrees Fahrenheit if the dog is healthy. After the second reading of a low temperature, labor should commence within 24 hours. Milk Production Similar to humans, females provide milk to their pups shortly after birth. Their bodies prepare themselves for birth before even giving birth. In addition to swollen breasts, your dog may have swollen nipples and even some redness around the area. Panting When dogs exert themselves physically, they often pant. When dogs exert themselves physically, they tend to pant. It is common to see dogs pant excessively during active labor, with many short breaths that are followed by small pauses. Lethargy Your dog may need to rest a great deal as she gets ready to give birth as labor is a draining process. Your dog may be reaching the end of her pregnancy if she seems more sluggish than usual. Nesting Behavior It is easy to tell when pregnant dogs are nesting by the behavior they exhibit. To create a safe space for giving birth, your dog may begin digging through pillows, blankets, and any other comfortable items. By familiarizing your dog with a nesting box before this happens, it will be easier for you to provide a haven for her. Be sure to give your dog plenty of water if she starts vomiting before or during labor. This will prevent dehydration. You must be available to your dog during the birthing process for the simple fact that she may instinctively cling to your side. It depends on where you live and who you go to for a c-section whether it will cost you more or less. The information below will help you understand everything you need to know about c-sections and bulldogs, including how they can be performed safely and comfortably and why it is necessary. In bulldogs, natural birth can pose severe risks to their mothers and puppies. It is usually impossible for puppies to descend properly into the birth canal due to their size and shape. When they get into the canal, they will probably get stuck. Even though it is technically not necessary for you to assist your dog during delivery, it is always a good idea to be prepared in case of an emergency. The umbilical cord can be cut, the membrane can be removed, a towel can be used to rub the baby, and the baby can be kept warm. In addition, your female dog may require assistance walking and urinating after giving birth. When Can Bulldogs Be Bred? Bulldogs often begin going into heat between six and eight months of age. The first estrus is not a good time to breed your Bulldog. To ensure that she is physically and mentally prepared for a litter of puppies, we recommend waiting until her third estrus. A watchful eye should be kept on her when she is in active heat to prevent unplanned breeding. A healthy and happy English bulldog requires at least three breedings throughout its lifetime to stay in good health. English bulldogs may have serious health and welfare problems, even if they have been living with the same family for years. As for males, they usually reach full sexual maturity between the ages of 12 and 15 months after becoming fertile. It is not technically necessary for you to assist your dog is giving birth to her puppies, but you should be on hand in case a veterinarian is required in an emergency. The umbilical cord may be cut, the membrane may be removed, a towel could be rubbed over them, and they may be kept warm. In addition to urinating and walking, your female dog may need assistance after giving birth. You will also like:. Dogs of this nature tend to be smaller, and also have smaller amounts of puppies. And with French bulldog dams the females they have very narrow hips and small body. If a female Frenchie does have a large litter of over 3, there can be health implications for the puppies. They will probably be underweight, with the weaker ones in the litter struggling to get the milk they need during the first few weeks of being born. How many times a year can a French bulldog have puppies? How many litters can a French bulldog have in a year? They should not have any more than 1 litter a year, and most preferably every other year. Because they are delivered via C-section, the female needs time to recover and recuperate, so anything intensive is just cruel and designed to make money. For more information on Frenchie C-sections, click here. How many litters can a French bulldog have? Most female Frenchies have around 4 litters in total, although I have heard of irresponsible breeders who try to get more from them. This litter size of 4 puppies is quite normal, with the average amount of puppies being 3. If you are thinking about buying a French bulldog puppy, talk to the breeder and find out how many litters she has had. How long is a French bulldog pregnancy? Frenchies very rarely give birth naturally, with most puppies being delivered by C-section. A French bulldog pregnancy the gestation period i. She will typically deliver by Caesarean section and will have on average around 3 puppies in her litter. Frenchie breeders will often use artificial insemination to get their females pregnant, as this breed find it very hard to mate naturally due to their narrow hips. You can read more about how long a Frenchie is pregnant for elsewhere on the website. When people say a dog is in heat, what they actually mean is that they are in their oestrus cycle. It is very similar to when a human female gets a period. When a Frenchie dam is on her oestrus cycle it means she has gone into heat and will accept a mate and could end up getting pregnant. French bulldogs go into heat from the point they reach sexual maturity. The regularity of their oestrus cycles tends to be every 6 months on average but will vary from dog to dog. It can take up to 2 years for a French bulldog to develop regular heat patterns. Female French bulldogs can gain sexual maturity as young as 5 months old. At that point, if they have started to have regular oestrus cycles, they are at risk of getting pregnant. Do French bulldogs always need C-sections? If your French bulldog does have puppies naturally, it can be very dangerous for both the female and the litter. Handy Hint: French Bulldogs mating naturally is a very rare occurrence. It can lead to health risks too. Find out more about why Frenchies should not breed naturally in this new blog post. The last word French bulldogs make for great companions and pets. If you browse other guides on the website, you will see plenty of photos and videos of Claude, our own Frenchie. However, in recent years their popularity has exploded, and this has led to an increase in unscrupulous breeders who use irresponsible methods of breeding. This can result in poor health — read the various health problems that Frenchies are prone to. If you are thinking about buying a Frenchie, please do your research into the breeder before you even consider buying from them.

Ian discusses how we should learn to see the world from our dogs perspective and in doing so, how we can better earn their love and trust. Armed with this love and trust, we will form a better relationship and as a result, effective training becomes just that much more effective and enjoyable for both you and your dog. But please, first make sure to use the search facility in the footer of this website and browse our other sections as the subject may have already been covered: Labrador health and care , Labrador behavior , Labrador puppies , infobites and Labrador breed information. External Resources On Labrador Training Although referring to all breeds in general and not purely Labradors, for those of you that love to watch and not read, the series of dog training videos on www. If you like reading books then check out one of our favorite Lab books: The Complete Labrador Handbook. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining. If this is the case,…. Image used with permission by copyright holder Are Lab puppies easy to train? The Labrador retriever got its start not in Labrador, but on the island of Newfoundland next door, part of the same Canadian province. Modern-day Labs owe their drive and work ethic to their ancestors, who were originally bred as working dogs in the s. With their dense double coats and innate love of water, Labs worked alongside fishermen , helping them retrieve their nets and swimming after escaped fish. Recommended Videos Intelligent, sociable, and eager to please, Labradors are the most popular dog in the United States. That being said, their intelligence can pose a problem if you spend a lot of time away from home. How long does it take to train a Lab puppy? You should also begin socializing your puppy as soon as you bring him home. Labs love people, but they can be boisterous. Teaching them how to socialize without getting too excited is paramount to having a well-trained pooch. Getting your puppy accustomed to being groomed at an early age also reduces anxiety. Fortunately, most Labs love water, so you might have a difficult time getting your pup out of the bath. Image used with permission by copyright holder How do you train a Lab puppy not to bite? Pun intended. So, what should you do if your puppy bites? Avoid rough play Playing the occasional game of tug-of-war is fine, but if your puppy equates roughness with playtime , he could develop a habit of nibbling at your fingers. Reward good behavior Instead of punishing your puppy, which could make him afraid of you, reward his good behavior instead. Give him a treat and praise him when he chews on his toys instead of household items. Image used with permission by copyright holder While training takes time and patience, there are a few rules that apply to all forms of training. Repetition is the best way for puppies to learn. Work in minute training sessions several times a day instead of trying to pack everything into one longer session. Be patient with your pup. Labs are intelligent dogs, but they need time to learn new skills. Editors' Recommendations. Fact checked by Emily Estep Emily Estep is a biologist and fact checker focused on environmental sciences. Emily has been a proofreader and editor at a variety of online media outlets over the past decade and has reviewed more than articles for The Spruce Pets for factual accuracy. These smart, social dogs are known for their amiable temperaments and their patience. Traditionally bred as hunting dogs, Labs also are among the most popular service dogs, acting as guide dogs for blind people and as therapy dogs. By socializing these dogs early, you can tap into their natural instincts as protectors and companions. Socialize Puppies Labs are natural born people pleasers. Introduce your Lab puppy to as many new people and places as possible during the early months of its life. Keep each new meeting and experience positive and upbeat. Doing this will reinforce your Lab's natural tendency to be friendly and accepting of everyone. If you have young children in the home, be sure to socialize them to the animal as well as the reverse. Although Labs are patient and tolerant, they may still nip at a child who teases or hurts them during play. Make sure everyone knows the boundaries and rules. Exercise Every Day Labrador retrievers are high energy dogs, which is part of the reason they are such great pets for active families. But if Labs aren't given sufficient exercise, they can quickly become bored. This often leads to destructive behavior and other common behavior problems , such as barking, chewing, and digging. It's also why Labs are not well-suited for apartment living; they're too big and too active. Plan on giving your Lab an hour or more of exercise each day. Most Labs love long walks or a game of fetch. These are the perfect way to burn off your Lab's energy. Take advantage of their innate trainability by starting an obedience program as soon as you bring your Labrador retriever home. You can work on basic obedience commands on your own, or sign up for a dog obedience class with a local dog trainer. Classes are a great way to train your Lab while socializing at the same time. Since Labs get to be fairly large and have a tendency to pull on the leash, make walking on a loose leash your first priority. You should also teach your Lab to "come," "drop it," and "fetch," so you can take advantage of its natural tendency for retrieving. Use Positive Reinforcement Training Their eagerness to learn, playfulness, affectionate natures, and their love of treats make Labrador retrievers fantastic candidates for positive reinforcement dog training. Reward their good behaviors with a small treat, a game, or some cuddle time with you. You'll find your Lab is soon offering you the behaviors you like with little prompting. If you decide to use treats in your training, remember that Labs have a tendency to become overweight. Plan on a Long Adolescence One of the most endearing qualities of Labrador retrievers is that they remain very puppy-like long after they've reached adulthood. The downside is that their energy level and tendency to get into mischief continues well into adulthood as well. Therefore, it pays to have behavior management tools handy. The training to become a service animal will vary depending on what the dog will be doing; some are trained to be animal companions to sick children and adults in the hospital, while others are trained to serve as seeing-eye dogs. Others may provide assistance to people with mental illnesses, or behavioral problems. Check the requirements for licensing and training where you live; some places have more strict rules and requirements for service dogs than others. Problems and Proofing Behavior Many Labrador retrievers are happiest and the most well-behaved when they have a job to do. Consider getting involved with a dog sport or training your Lab as a service animal or pet therapy dog. Crate train your Labrador so it doesn't have the run of the house when you're not there to supervise Provide your Lab with a variety of interesting toys and chews to keep it from getting bored. Continue practicing basic obedience commands; it reinforces your Lab's training and provides mental stimulation. No matter what training you decide on, keeping your Lab busy and active is sure to keep one of those famous Lab smiles on its face. Article Sources The Spruce Pets uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. McGreevy, Paul D et al. Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Canine genetics and epidemiology vol. How does it feel to be a new puppy parent? You must be chuffed. Take a look at these first few articles. All the ingredients you need for a happy home. But for now, beside your bed is the best place for your puppy to sleep — it will help them feel safe. Puppies like their crates rather cave-like; we suggest covering it with a blanket to block out light, but keep the front open so that they can see outwards. Make sure to make it snug inside with something like a vet bed or a blanket, or why not take it up a notch with a heat pad or hot water bottle to recreate the feeling of their mother. Nothing feels more comforting than that. Before you head to bed, take your puppy out for one last round of loo-going. Set your bedtime at a later time too — midnight sounds about right. Come back calmly, and place your puppy in the crate and turn out the light. Stuff you should know about Sleep Training your Labrador Your puppy will wake up several times in the night and will need the toilet at least once! Be prepared for not-so-deep sleeps and tired mornings — just for the first few weeks. Having them sleep next to you is only temporary. Consistency is key! As for you, full nights of sleep will start getting closer and closer. Alone Training How can I teach my Labrador puppy to be ok on their own? Start by feeding your puppy in their crate during meal times. If they seem worried by you leaving, stay in view, and just pop right outside their confinement area. Keep it short and sweet: No need to stay away for long, 60 seconds tops will do for now. Repeat: Do this at least once a day to make progress go steady and smoothly. Socialisation Exercises To Do this week Letting your Labrador puppy explore the garden Besides the gnomes and questionable garden furniture you may have, letting your puppy explore your own garden is a great and safe way to start showing them the sounds, lights and wonders of the outside world. Exploring different surfaces exercise Make sure that the surfaces you use are safe — nothing too crazy just yet. Gather surfaces such as An oven tray with a small layer of water A piece of astro turf A carpet tile A large piece of tin foil, cardboard or something crinkly PRO TIP: Set up for this exercise in the room your puppy spends most of their time in — it will help them to feel safe and confident. Pop the surfaces out safely on the floor and allow your puppy to investigate them. Nobody has ever enjoyed walking on those. Remember to be patient! Lucky for you — teaching them their name is easy peasy. Say their name in a happy jolly tone and reward with a treat. Repeat five times, 5 and take a break. Practice this 2 or 3 times a day so they get the hang of it. Teach your puppy to sit Teaching your puppy how to sit is a popular one. The first two are far more common though. Keep using this word when they do the right thing, and then follow it up with a food reward. In puppy logic, stinky means yummy. How to do it Start at home; where there are no distractions. Just make sure to shut off Gogglebox in the background. Recall — How to teach our Labrador puppy to come back when called Your puppy already knows their name at this point, so this should be a walk in the park. How to do it Treats and a cheerful voice will be what works here. Do these exercises before meal times so your puppy is more motivated. Practice this 5 times a day and in 3 different places in your house and garden to get them used to coming to you in all settings. How to do it Show your puppy that you have their favourite toy, and start to get them excited about it. When they show interest, throw it a little bit away from you. They will likely follow it and pick it up. If they do, encourage them back to you with your voice, so remember to sound happy! Swap the toy for a treat or another toy and do the process again. Repeat this about 5 times. Instead create more distance and excitement sounds to get them to come to you — spaniels like to show off, so they will likely want to parade what they have! Always swap the toy for something when they have it, this could be a treat or another toy. Resource guarding occurs when we force puppies to give up items or snatch things out of their mouths. For breeds like Labradors who are designed to want to hold things in their mouths, this is pretty important! Resource guarding is when a dog protects a resource from being taken by someone else — dog or human. For some reason, there is a solid list of things puppies find irresistible: Socks. Print Early obedience first step to better hunting dog Labrador puppies start out sweet and innocent. All you want to do is cuddle up with your pup and love them! And you should! But rest assured the innocence will not last. As your pup gains confidence and courage, they will begin to test you in many ways. That is why you must obedience train your Labrador puppy. Early obedience training is key to establishing borders and boundaries that will help your puppy grow, learn, and adjust with a good attitude. There is no shortcut to doing this, just use the name often when you talk to your puppy. Over time, the pup will start to respond to the name. Socialization, while not technically obedience training, is the single most important thing you can teach your puppy during the first few months of life. If you are not sure how to do this, refer to this post. Tools needed to obedience train Labrador puppy You will need a few tools to teach your puppy obedience. The products I recommend I believe are a good value or good investment for anyone working to train or maintain training on their retriever. When possible, I include links to the product. Some of these links may be Amazon or other affiliate links in which I am paid a small commission at no cost to you. All opinions and recommendations are my own. Collar — You should purchase a size appropriate collar for your new puppy. You may have to buy new ones as your dog grows, but it is important for your puppy to get used to wearing a collar early on. A simple nylon adjustable collar works great. Chain collar — If your puppy is more than a few months old, a chain or prong collar is extremely helpful in teaching obedience, but they must be used correctly. For more information on how to put a chain collar on your dog correctly refer to this video. A longer lead, called a check cord, is also useful for teaching HERE and retrieving. You can learn more about that here. Heeling stick optional — While optional, a heeling stick can be especially helpful in teaching basic obedience. Treats — Treats are good for teaching very young puppies. I use treats for pups under 12 weeks of age, but treats should be discontinued rather quickly. When to start basic puppy obedience training Obedience training can and should start within the first couple weeks of having your puppy home. Young puppies are ready and willing to learn and teaching obedience to a young puppy is much easier than teaching it to an older dog. How long should obedience sessions be? Most labs do not enjoy obedience training. For this reason, we aim to keep obedience sessions short, especially if your dog is under 4-months of age. Five to ten minutes of obedience a day can work wonders. Especially if you are consistent. Using rewards or praise to teach obedience Many people like to use treats or rewards for obedience training. And this can work, especially with very young dogs. But for hunting dogs, over the long-term treats can become a problem. We do not want our dogs, or the dogs we train to be obedient only because they are getting a food reward. We want them to be obedient because they understand their place in the family and respect the owners. To get these lasting results, we use praise words and petting and a reward that retrievers live for — retrieves! Well-timed praise is a particularly important part of dog training. A message that it is okay to ignore me the first 9 times! This simply means that after a few minutes of formal obedience training, we release the dog with an OKAY command and that means they can run around and be a dog. We then throw a bumper or plug a for the dog to retriever. We do this a few times with a lot of excitement and allow the dog to retrieve the bumper. For retriever breeds, this is often more effective than a food reward. Be careful that you are not letting your puppy get into bad habits with retrieving. For instance, if your puppy often goes out to retrieve the bumper but then runs away with it, or picks it up and drops it, do not continue doing retrieves. While retrieving is a reward for many Labs, it is not an excuse to engage in behaviors that are not going to be acceptable in the field. If you want to learn more about how to properly teach your Lab to retrieve, check out How can I teach my retriever puppy to fetch? Introduction to leash and nylon collar The very first step for any puppy obedience is to introduce your puppy to a regular collar and leash. This should be done in two separate steps, first the collar and then the leash. Introduce the collar by putting a nylon type collar on your puppy. This is normal and you should not react to it. Introducing the leash is a little different. We like to do this outside. After a few sessions of this introduction, you can start holding the leash by the end and walking with the puppy. When the puppy tries to run or walk away, hold tight to the leash, and just let the puppy get used to the resistance. Some puppies have a hard time with this and will growl or whine and whip themselves around at the pressure, but most will not. Remain calm and after a few sessions the puppy should get used to the resistance of the leash. Do not allow the puppy to pull you around. That will make for some bad behaviors that you will need to correct later. If you cannot control your puppy with just a regular collar and leash, you may need to move to a chain or prong collar to keep control. What commands to teach Lab puppy There are only four basic obedience commands that you need to teach your young puppy. Remember when it comes to commands, less is more. OKAY — this is a release command, basically tells your dog were done training, go be a dog. As your puppy grows and learns more, there are some other commands that may be needed, but for puppies I like to start with just the four above. Dog training requires consistency Before you start with obedience training, I want to make a note about the importance of consistency. Obedience training only works if you are consistent. This means that when you say a command, you expect the puppy to perform the command, and are willing to take steps to make the puppy perform the command. If you do not remain consistent in this expectation, you will confuse your dog and get poor results from your training. You and your family must be consistent! How to start obedience training Lab puppy The first command you want to start teaching your puppy is SIT. This is quite easy to teach with a small puppy but gets a little tougher as they get bigger. Then release the puppy with the OKAY command. Repeat this process several times, then stop. If your puppy is weeks old, you can repeat this training several times a day for only a couple minutes at a time. This will be a two-person job for a little while. The other person will put the food down a few feet from the puppy. Then release the puppy to eat saying OKAY. As the pup learns and understands the command better, you will no longer need a second person to hold the puppy. You must be a little careful here because young puppies do not have great bladder control and making them wait, even a few seconds, can mean the difference between an accident and them doing their business outside. But this is a great way to teach impulse control and manners to your puppy. I do not want to have to fight for a position by the door. You can usually start working on this within a week or two of teaching SIT. A great way to teach this command to young puppies is to use two people and sit in a long hallway, one at each end. Take turns calling your puppy with a HERE command. A toy or treat can often help the process. Let your puppy run around a bit but hold onto the end of the cord. Occasionally, call you puppy with a HERE command. It can be helpful at first to crouch down to encourage the puppy to run towards you. Then release the puppy with an OKAY command. Do this a few more times and repeat daily until the puppy is coming to you without you needing to pull the cord. It is also the command most of our clients struggle with the most. Mostly because they are using the wrong tool for the job. For heeling work, it is important that you work with a chain or prong collar. This will give you more control and stop the pulling and surging that many people struggle with. Using a chain or prong collar and a six-foot leash, start walking your puppy at your side. If your puppy is young, be sure to use a puppy chain collar which is smaller than chain collars for adult dogs. And make sure that you are putting it on correctly! An alternate tool to a chain collar and leash is the Wonder or Command Lead. These work great for teaching HEEL. As you start walking use gently tugs on the chain collar with the command HERE to keep your puppy at your side. If your puppy surges or pulls ahead, simply make a degree turn and start walking the other direction giving a sharp, upward tug on the chain collar and saying HEEL several times until the dog is back in a heeling position. Many of our clients have told us they never left their driveway the first few days! But if you are patient and consistent, your dog will quickly learn that if they want to go for a walk, they need to stay at your side. If you want to learn and progress in more obedience work, check out these obedience drills for retrievers. Final thoughts on how to teach your lab puppy obedience Teaching your puppy obedience may take a lot of patience, time and work, but it is such an important thing to do. You will never regret the time! A well-mannered dog is such a joy to be around both in the home and in the field. How to obedience train Labrador puppy. The Labrador is a highly capable and versatile working breed as well as the number one most popular family dog in UK and several other countries around the world! But despite being a common pet dog, they are an extraordinary breed with a fascinating history and a breed profile full of superlatives. This includes fabulous intelligence and trainability, adaptability, friendliness and trust towards people and other animals, motivation for work, endurance, and a phenomenal sense of smell. This makes the Labrador a breed of choice for many canine jobs, for example, medical scent detection, military and security force scent detection, search and rescue, a service or assistance dog for the disabled and people with a broad range of medical conditions, an autism support dog, hunting dog and even a therapy dog! Adorable Labradors can make wonderful family dogs, but only if their needs are met. They have a really goofy and playful nature which is heartwarming for many people! And, their trusting nature and eagerness to please people means they fit in easily into a family and human society as a whole. They tend to be bouncy and full of energy, which makes for a great company on countryside walks, jogging and recreational dog sports. Their boundless affection makes them particularly lovable, which is highly important for a family dog. Labradors: What To Consider As with all dogs, there are some things that you absolutely must consider before you add a Labrador into your home. And, Labrador training is always going to be a big essential. With all of their amazing energy, intelligence, enthusiasm for work, and highly social nature, also comes a list of requirements for potential owners. Unfulfilled and untrained Labradors are likely to find themselves a job or another outlet to release that energy and frustration. This can lead to destructive or inappropriate behaviours and a dog who is simply out of control. Typical challenges can include pulling on the lead and lunging towards anything that interests them, boisterous and over-excited behaviour including jumping up, grabbing the lead in their mouth, crashing into people and objects, stealing food and other items, and running off to greet people and dogs instead of coming back when called. But what do you need to do to make sure that they grow up into perfect family pets? Check out our top tips below to find out more about training this sweet and fun-loving breed. Socialise them early! Early appropriate socialisation is key with this breed. This includes all kinds of places, people, animals and sensations that will be a normal part of their life by the time he or she is 12 weeks old. Self-control is a big part of Labrador training Teaching your dog self-control is a really important skill for a Labrador, or any dog really, to have. You can help teach them self-control through impulse control games and real-life situations. This will help with teaching them basic doggie manners such as how to politely greet people and other dogs with all four paws on the ground, how to wait for their food bowl or their lead to be clipped on, how to pass through the door politely without dashing through, and so on. All those skills require mental self-control and focus despite distractions, which is essential for an excitable and boisterous dog. Lead etiquette is always needed Teach your Labrador to walk politely on a lead from as early an age as possible. For a Labrador, the world is full of fascinating scents, posts and tufts of grass that must me scent-marked immediately, especially for males, dogs and people that he or she is absolutely delighted to see including strangers , and objects that must be immediately investigated. This makes it hard for them to remember that there is a person on the other end of the lead. But with lots of practice, patience and a smart way of rewarding that works for them, keeping an eye on their human counterpart can become a habit for your dog that will last a lifetime! Once this happens, training will become a lot easier. Even better, the whole family can get involved and play with the dog. Recall is vital Teach your dog a reliable, fast and enthusiastic recall as soon as possible. This is so that no matter what other fascinating things are going on, they will always turn on a penny and run like the wind back towards you! Having a great recall is not only useful for your day to day lives, but it is also a safety concern. If there is a potentially dangerous situation for your pup ahead, you can always recall your dog back to you and keep them safe! Their mental wellbeing and happiness is important too! So, make sure to provide plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, including walks, swims, and sniffing opportunities. So, make sure that you provide them with something appropriate to do if you have to leave them alone. Food dispenser toys, puzzle games for dogs and appropriate raw bones can keep your dog busy and calm, and your furniture and shoes whole! Keep health and wellbeing in mind Always try your best to keep your dog slim and fit. Labradors have a tendency to become overweight because of their keen appetite. You can help to keep your dog lean by feeding them the right amount of nutritious food for their age and activity level, using their normal food as training treats wherever possible so that they can work for their food, and a versatile and appropriate exercise regime that you really stick to! And their appearance! And, regular health checks at the vet are important for any dog, to ensure that they are well and any potential health issues are caught early. Labrador Training Video We love our Labrador customers who come into Royvon for training or boarding! They really do make the perfect pets, especially with a bit of training to help them along their journey. Check out this video featuring Archie the Labrador to see more about what a well-trained Labrador can look like! Here at Royvon, we are passionate about training dogs of all breeds, and this includes Labrador training! Many owners come to us for a whole variety of reasons. Or, they may simply just not have the time to train their dog as they wish, and want to leave it up to the professionals. Whatever the reason, there is no shame in getting dog training help! In fact, you will be amazed at the difference it can make and how well behaved your dog will be, especially for problem pets who are hard to handle! We offer everything from group puppy classes to residential training tailored to aggressive or anxious dogs. Simply visit our website today! Enjoyed this post about Labrador training and want to learn about more dog breeds? We think you will enjoy this post about Rottweilers, or this one about Shiba Inus!

The Chabrador is no exception, even though all of them have friendly eyes, a dark blue tongue, and furry ears. One is a loyal, but proud and independent spirit frequently called the cat dog , while the other is friendly with everyone and loves to play and hang around her owners all the time. The results from mixing these unique temperaments vary from one puppy to another. In all situations, though, your dog will be your loyal companion, affectionate towards her family and with excellent watchdog abilities. Professional training might be needed Labradors are generally easy to train, but they can become stubborn as they grow up. Potty training is not hard, but you need to teach your Chow Lab Mix more than just how to ask herself out. If this is your first dog, or you have limited experience with training, I would recommend that you get professional help. Training an adult is much harder — but not impossible. Just take a look at the progress this two-year-old Chow Lab Mix has made in just a few weeks: A Chow Lab Mix will keep you busy This dog can be very demanding when it comes to exercise and grooming, so be ready to dedicate at least two hours a day to her. A Chabrador, just like a Labrador, likes to play. Start with short walks several times a day, and gradually introduce running and more intense activities. Luckily, these dogs love swimming, which is a lower-impact alternative to traditional exercise. As an adult, your dog needs daily walks, at least one short play session, and mental stimulation. Conclusion A Chow Lab Mix has the potential of being a great dog, for both singles and families. From my point of view, any responsible owner can control these traits through consistent training. What do you think? Do you like this mix between the Chow Chow and Labrador Retriever? Would you get one or do you have one already? Tell us your opinion of this beautiful dog in the comments below. About Alexandra Animalso I was raised to be a dog person. My first Shepherd grew up as I did and wanted to be where I was at all times. I got my second dog as a 16th birthday present, and her loyalty for me was just as strong as my first. I hope that my contribution to Animalso will help others find dogs who give them that same unconditional love. She was a rescue who came to live us at age 5 and was the most delightful and loyal companion imaginable. She was playful and enthusiastic almost to the end. She got along perfectly with other dogs, cats, horses and guinea pigs. She liked humans, too. People loved her sweet spirit and playful nature. I would have another of that parentage any time. Godspeed, DeeDee. See you on the Other Side. Although a playful pup sounds endearing, consider how many games of fetch or tag you want to play each day, and whether you have kids or other dogs who can stand in as playmates for the dog. Click here for more information on this characteristic Chabrador Highlights The Chabrador is a mixed breed dog. They are not purebreds like their Chow Chow or Labrador Retriever parents. The coats are usually solid, although spotting is sometimes present. Chabradors posses dense, double-layered, waterproof coats that are short to medium in length. This breed is a shedder. The Chabrador can be a snappy canine when undertaking guard dog duties. They are also often wary when strangers approach them for the first time. A well-trained Chabrador can be a great addition to a family and will form strong and loyal bonds with your kids. Their guardianship instincts will also kick in if strangers are around. In general, Chabradors need moderate amounts of exercise. As long as you can commit to regular walking sessions, these dogs can usually adapt to living in smaller home situations. These dogs were often employed to guard sacred temples, and their scenting abilities were used in hunts. Over on the Labrador Retriever side, this breed originated in Canada and was originally known as the St. Skilled hunting and working dogs, the Labrador Retriever is often cited as the most popular dog in the USA today. The Chabrador has become known as a designer dog breed, but many of them unfortunately end up in shelters. Chabrador Size The Chabrador is usually described as a medium-sized dog. Although, as is always the case with newer mixed dog breeds, exact size standards might vary. Most weigh in at 45 to 80 pounds and range in height from 18 to 24 inches. Female Chabradors are usually marginally smaller than their male counterparts. Due to their parental breeds historically being used in hunting and guarding activities, the Chabrador can be a snappy canine when undertaking guard dog duties. The Chabrador is a smart breed that learns very quickly. Adding interactive toys to regular play sessions can really benefit the development of this breed. As long as you can commit to regular walking sessions, these dogs can usually adapt to living in smaller home situations that might not have unfettered outdoor access. Chabrador Health Chabradors are generally considered to be healthy dogs—although the breed can be predisposed to some of the same conditions that the Chow Chow and Labrador Retriever face. Some of the more common health problems Chabradors suffer from include: Cerebellar Abiotrophy. Lab-Chow Puppy Video Temperament and Behavior Because both the parents of this breed have completely different kinds of behavioral characteristics, it is tough to predict how the temperament of the lab chow will be. It mostly depends upon which of its parents your puppy will take after. On a general note, this new breed is affectionate and loving, that makes a good companion. They are calm and sweet-tempered, and are loyal to their owners and family. They are good with the kids and other pets of the household. However, if they mostly go by the genes of their chow chow parents, they are often wary about strangers and might not be too tolerant of other animals. In that case, they also have a highly territorial instinct. Some lab-chows might display independent behavior, and might lead a life very aloof. They are large size dogs and need space to live in. Especially, if they are apartment dogs, they need frequent outings. But they love to play, and often expect that their owners would accompany them in their games. They also have a tendency to show some guarding behavior, when it comes to guarding their territory, or their family. Thus, lab-chows usually make a good guard dog as well. Because of their size, they need to burn down their daily calories, for which, they need to be taken out. Let them accompany you for a long walk or a strenuous jogging session, without which they might end up being destructive and display independent behavior. It is also good for them if you would allow them to play openly in an open space, or if you have a yard. Open their leash and see them run around in joy. Participate in different games like retrieving and fetching. Their potent instinct inherited from their lab retriever parent would surprise you. Grooming Grooming them is also dependent upon their coat, as to which of its parents side your puppy has taken. If your dog is much up to the lab side, it needs comparatively lesser grooming than if it has taken the side of its chow parent. If it has taken mostly the side of chow, its thick hair needs regular brushing to prevent its thick hair from getting matted. Like both its parents, they are mostly seasonal shedders. However, they have some regular shedding as well, and weekly grooming would brush off the dead hairs. You can bathe them once every one or two months, depending upon how dirty your dog has been. Health Problems This breed is a cross, and has no known health problems that is specific to this breed, or is life-threatening. Training Training this dog is very important. Considering its genetics, you should take the training issue very seriously. As it is, those lab-chows that have taken after their chow parent might end being disruptive and independent-natured, and lack of proper training might enhance this behavior further more. Begin socialization, obedience and housebreaking trainings when your dog is still a puppy, soon after you adopt it from the breeders, because once your dog gets older, it will become very difficult to break its old habits. This would ease your job. However, you can as well seek help from professional trainers. They must be taught how to behave properly, and how to show proper mannerisms to other pets and dogs. The quantity should also be the same, and this depends upon the amount of energy your big doggie possesses. Pick up foods that are recommended for dogs of such a size and levels of energy. Interesting Facts These dogs are also said to be available in a rare silver-gray color referred to by the AKC as a shade of chocolate. Lab-chows love swimming. Things to Know When Owning a Chabrador Here are a few more specific things that you should know about owning a Chabrador. You can expect yours to eat anywhere from 2 to 3 cups of food each day, depending on their activity level. Puzzle toys and short games of hide-and-seek should keep this crossbreed happy while spending time indoors. But at the end of the day, you may notice that your Chabrador has spent most of their time just lounging around in the yard or on the couch. Still, they have the capacity to learn any obedience command and trick that you want to teach them. Once they get basic obedience training down, they can embark on guard or agility training to keep their minds sharp. They tend to shed as the summer season plays out, so expect extra brushing and house cleaning at this time. Regular bathing is appreciated because this breed loves baths and their hair tends to pick up dirt easily as they walk and play outside. Their nails may need trimming once a month if they spend more time inside than outdoors. Their ears should be checked and cleaned as necessary to prevent wax buildup as they age. But there are a few health conditions that they could develop due to genetics. Minor Conditions. What is a Lab Chow mix? Its parent breeds have been around for a long time, but this dog is relatively new to the scene. In terms of their origin, what we know so far is that these hybrids were initially bred in the United States. The Labrador and the Chow Chow are two dissimilar breeds; in fact, they may just be the exact opposite of each other in terms of looks and temperament. As a result, even puppies coming from the same litter may look and behave differently from one another. Just like with any crossbreed, the best way to learn about the Chow Chow and Lab mix is through its parents. Chow Chow Chows are one of the oldest dog breeds in the world and are thought to be the ancestors of Spitz-type dogs. They were bred to hunt game and guard property, and, in other unfortunate times, these dogs were used for food as well. Chow Chows were so loved and prized in China that an emperor was said to own about Chows during his reign. In the late 18th century, British merchants brought dogs from China to Europe. The Chow Chow got its name from a pidgin-English term the merchants used for anything coming from the East. They were originally bred as helper dogs to fishermen. Labs are descended from the St. By the 18th century, the large dogs were bred mostly for waterfowling and hunting. Labradors are known for their intelligence, friendliness, and overall great temperament. A quick word on designer dogs As we said before, the Labrador-Chow mix is a new designer dog, despite the long history of its parent breeds. It takes two purebreds to make a designer dog, which is often created to combine the best features of its parents. This is definitely the case with the Chow-Lab hybrid. Some designer dog enthusiasts claim that these dogs are healthier because of genetic diversity. Unfortunately, the AKC does not recognize these dogs as distinct breeds. What does a Lab Chow mix look like? A Labrador is a large dog that weighs between 55 to 80 pounds 24 to 36 kgs and can measure between 21 to 24 inches 54 to 62 cm. Labs have a sweet-looking face with a kind, friendly expression. Coming in various colors such as yellow, black, and chocolate, their fur is short and thick. Their undercoats are soft and weather-resistant to protect them from water. On the other hand, Chow Chows are small to medium-sized dogs, standing 17 to 20 inches 43 to 50 cm tall and weighing 45 to 70 pounds 20 to 31 kgs. They have thick and fluffy coats that may come in black, blue, cinnamon, cream, or red. Most Chows have an aloof expression, despite their cuddly appearance. Their ears are triangular and stand upright. A unique feature of the Chow Chow is its blue or black tongue. How big does a Chow Chow Lab Mix get? Based on its parent breeds, the Lab Chow Mix is small to medium in size, weighing between 50 to 70 pounds 22 to 31 kg and measuring between 18 to 24 inches 45 to 60 cm tall. Most Chabradors have a longer muzzle and a head similar to the Labrador. They often have brown eyes but some may have blue eyes. Many of these hybrids have the blue-black tongue of their Chow Chow parent. These dogs can have coats of different colors, from black, white, and blonde, to red and brown. Their tails are often long and fluffy. What is the personality of a Chow Lab Mix? The temperaments of a Labrador and a Chow Chow are very different from one another, if not the exact opposite. A Lab Chow mix can take the characteristics of either parent so you can have a Chabrador puppy who loves hugs and affection and another puppy from the same litter who is aloof and reserved. The AKC describes Labs as outgoing and high-spirited companions. They are the perfect companions for running, hiking, and swimming and they have the energy and athleticism to be your workout buddy. These tireless canines often carry out duties to help their owners in their daily lives. The independent, protective Chow Chow A Chow is often described as having a dignified nature. They can be wary of strangers and might not be tolerant of other animals. These are loyal dogs that border on being territorial. They can be aggressive if not trained or socialized at an early age. We all want our dogs to have a happy and healthy life so we have to give them a proper balance of love, care, and proper nutrition. The Lab Chow cross requires a little more effort in terms of care, but the work is definitely worth it with these lovable crossbreeds. Consider brushing its fur at least thrice a week to keep it tangle-free. Regular brushing also prevents the fur from developing mats, which could be painful for your pet. Have a vacuum cleaner ready for removing clumps of hair from your carpet and furniture. What to feed these beloved canines Labradors and Chow Chows have different needs in terms of their food consumption. While Labs are known for their insatiable appetite and tend to eat anything given to them, Chow Chows need to be fed with a little more caution. Most Chows have sensitive stomachs due to their history. As mentioned earlier, these dogs were considered food in ancient China so they were given the same food as other livestock animals like chickens and cattle. Chows were fed soy, rice, and, at times, fish. As a result of this diet, these dogs became used to eating easy-to-digest food, so they may have some difficulties in digesting protein or meat. In the case of the Labrador Chow Chow mix, here are a few tips on how and what to feed them. Consider feeding your dog small but frequent meals. Feed him three to four times a day. Mix it up. You can add fresh vegetables or rice. Consider other protein sources. Eggs and cottage cheese are good protein sources for this dog. Talk to your vet about what food is best for your dog. What are their exercise requirements? Just how busy would you be when you decide to own a Labrador Chow Chow hybrid? The answer is: very. Expect to spend at least an hour daily on active play with your Lab Chow mix. They need this hour of exercise each day to remain in good physical shape. Exercise will also help them use all their pent-up energy. Running, playing fetch, and swimming are definitely activities your pup will enjoy. Potential health problems of the Lab Chow Mix This crossbreed is a fairly new designer dog and there is not much on record about their potential health issues. Finding a healthy Chabrador puppy. They also benefit from living in homes where someone is around for most of the day, and where plenty of training, socialization and exercise are provided. Origin of the Chow Chow Lab Mix Since the Labrador Chow mix is considered a first-generation crossbreed, there is very little known about his origin. But the results of this cross has made this mix more popular over time. By digging into the histories of the Chow Chow and the Labrador Retriever, we can learn a little more about their offspring, the Chabrador Mix. Chow Chow The Chow Chow has been around for quite some time. In fact, it is believed that this is actually one of the oldest dog breeds in the world! The Chow Chow is believed to have held a variety of trades during his long history, from being a loyal companion dog to the nobility in China, to hunting, guarding, and hauling. But mostly, this is a dog with a royal record. In fact, an emperor during the Tang Dynasty owned over 5, Chow Chows in his lifetime! Today the Lab is the most popular, number one dog in the US! These days, the Labrador Retriever is primarily known as a loving pet. They are renowned for their sweet disposition while at the same time being recognized as a phenomenal service dog and emotional support dog. This means features like coat color, weight, and height are left up to chance depending on which parent the Chabrador takes after most. An adult Chow Chow is a compact dog, around 17—20 inches tall. A male Chow Chow weighs around 55—70 pounds while a female will weigh around 45—60 pounds. Labrador Retrievers are muscular and range from 21 to 24 inches in height. They can weigh between 55 and 80 pounds. So a Chow Chow and Lab mix will likely fall somewhere within those numbers. He can come in both rough and smooth coats of different color markings, including: Red Ranging from gold to reddish brown Cinnamon Ranging from light tan to brown Black Blue The Labrador Retriever comes in three main colors — black, yellow or chocolate. As mentioned above, both the Chow Chow and the Labrador will have very thick coats, so a potential Chow Chow and Lab mix owner can prepare for a crossbreed that is similar. For instance, a black Lab Chow mix, especially if the Chow parent has black fur, will likely be black. And of course a yellow Lab Chow mix with a cream colored Chow parent will likely be lighter in color. Grooming and Shedding Labradors are known for their thick coats and seasonal shedding. And Chow Chows have a similar reputation! Since both the Chow Chow and the Labrador are shedders, a prospective Chabrador owner can certainly prepare for a bit of maintenance when it comes to grooming. And this is true whether you have a yellow Lab Chow mix, a black Lab Chow mix, or any other coat color! Chow Chow mixes will likely need a monthly bath as well, and it is recommended that after bathing he is brushed carefully and then blown dry with a blow dryer on cool heat. The Lab is less maintenance, with a shorter coat that sheds only seasonally. Still, a Lab mix should be brushed regularly to maintain a healthy coat and to help keep all that loose hair off your furniture and clothes! Nevertheless, both the Chow Chow and the Labrador share a few similarities, including energy level, loyalty, and friendliness. But what unique temperamental traits could the Chabrador inherit from each of his purebred parents? Chow Chow Temperament The Chow Chow is a serious dog with a dignified nature who can be standoffish with strangers, but very loving and affectionate with his family members. In fact, a properly trained Chow Chow makes a fantastic family dog and does very well with children. The Chow Chow is easily trained, considering his intelligent nature. He can be very adaptable to apartment living as long as he is exercised properly and given an adequate amount of attention. The nature of the Chow makes them protective over their family, with some guarding or watchdog instincts. So socialization is extremely important for this mix. Labrador Temperament We all know the Labrador Retriever for his intelligence. He is also one of the top choices when it comes to families with kids, due to his affable nature. The breed tends to be very friendly. In fact, they are sometimes almost too keen to spend time with their family and even random strangers they meet at the dog park. Labs are typically thought of as happy-go-lucky, but they are easily trained and make excellent service dogs. As always, we recommend early socialization and proper training to ensure the health and happiness of your Chow Chow and Lab mix. Introduce him, little by little, to new sights, smells, sounds, people, children, animals, and environments. This is important for any breed, even a notoriously overly-friendly breed like Labs. Proper socialization promotes a well-balanced, well-behaved, happy dog who acts appropriately in different situations without becoming overly nervous. And especially considering that Chows may be rather reserved and suspicious of strangers, your Chabrador mix definitely needs good socialization. This can be true of the Chabrador as well. Still, with patience and positive training methods, training your Chabrador should be simple. Remember, training can also serve as a wonderful bonding experience between you and your Chabrador. If the Chabrador takes after his Labrador parent, you can expect him to pick up commands easily and efficiently. However, and as we previously mentioned, the Lab is a very high energy dog, especially as a puppy. Keep in mind the Chabrador could inherit this trait. For more tips on how to train a puppy, check out some of the guides towards the end of this article. This means their Chabrador offspring will need to be walked daily, and he will need attention and mental stimulation. The Lab especially enjoys running outdoors, so a prospective Chabrador owner should expect lots of play and daily outings. Chow Chow and Lab Health The purebred Lab is known to suffer from hip or elbow dysplasia, where the joints are not properly formed. They can also have eye problems including PRA blindness or cataracts. They should be health tested for these three issues, at a minimum. You will also need to be aware of the potential for conditions such as cranial cruciate ligament disease. Labs are also more prone than average to suffer from the gastrointestinal syndrome, bloat. They can also suffer from acquired issues as they grow older, such as obesity, skin allergies, and ear issues. Chows are relatively healthy dogs. However, they do have some inheritable health issues to be aware of, including hip and elbow dysplasia, luxating patella, eye problems, and even cancer. Chow Chows have a slightly longer lifespan, averaging years. Keeping the above in mind, your Lab Chow mix life expectancy could be anywhere from 10—13 years. As crossbreeds like the Chow Lab mix grow in popularity, there are more breeders looking to capitalize on that popularity. As always, we recommend doing plenty of research before you decide where you get your Chabrador. If you are still unsure about where to go to find your Chabrador puppy, you can always attend local dog shows. Networking at events like dog shows can help point you in the right direction. Labrador Chow Mix Breeders One of the benefits of going to a breeder is the ability to ask questions and dig into the history of your potential Lab Chow puppies. So make sure to take advantage of this and use your voice. You should ask about previous litters and any concerns that have arisen in the past. Also, be sure to ask about health screening. A reputable breeder will answer questions, provide health test results, and be open to visits to meet the parent dogs. What About Shelter Dogs? Patience and care is required when bringing an adult dog home. It is possible that these rescue animal shelters have a Labrador Chow Chow mix who is looking for a lovely home. Here are some reliable rescue groups to contact. Try www. Its hair needs higher maintenance than most crossbreed dogs. However, it is nothing a normal person could not handle. The Chow Chow Labrador Mix hair could either be smooth or have a hard coating, depending on the favored parent. Needless to say, both hair types have a lavish double coat that will require steady and frequent grooming. It is recommended that there be consistent brushing at least twice a week to pull the hair to stiffness. The regular brushing must be consistent to help maintain the coat and keep the shedding of hair and loose ones from sticking to the carpet, floor, sofas, and other house furniture. A monthly bath is also highly encouraged. After each bath, it is recommended that he be brushed gently and blown dry with a neat blow dryer on a low-setting cool heat. The ears of a Labrador require constant cleaning, and the same goes for the Chow Chow mixed with Labrador. This is to keep wax and moisture under control. The nails also need constant trimming to avoid those nasty splits and cracks. Note, however, that grinding their nails need extra care and precision so as not to cause bleeding and prevent infection. Labrador crossed with Chow chow Health Problems It must be noted that all crossbreeds can be prone to an array of issues from either of its purebred parents. As such, before addressing the issues own the Chow Chow crossed with Labrador, we must first focus on those which its parent purebreds face, to give an overview before the specifics. In those 13 years, the common problems it has are hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, stomach cancer, gastric torsion, cataracts, and autoimmune thyroiditis. They are known to suffer from elbow or hip dysplasia. Similarly, they also develop eye problems such as cataracts or PRA blindness. With that information in mind, the life expectancy of your Chow Chow Mixed with Labrador could be anywhere from years, depending on its favored parent. The Labrador crossed with Chow Chow have usually been shown to be vulnerable to ailments that affect their parent: Hip Dysplasia: A lot of Chow Chow Labrador mix suffers from this. This is why it is vital to lessen the exercise of the dog at a young age. Over-exercising could lead to Hip Dysplasia in the long run. Eye Problems: Cataracts and other problems are also common for this crossbreed. Making sure to provide them with the best and healthiest food is key to their general good health. The amount of dog food needed is different for each breed, much more for crossbreeds. For a Chow Chow crossed with a Labrador, close monitoring is necessary. In the whole day, they can easily consume up to 3. However, since its parent Labrador tends to overheat, this daily intake must be monitored carefully. Administering of treats and scheduled feedings must be intermixed with free-feeding of at least once to twice per week. This is to ensure that your dog does not become obese. The focus on a healthy feeding pattern is to help avoid hip dysplasia. It is recommended that the dry food be included with one that is high in Omega-3 fatty acids to help ease the diet and avoid the susceptibility to this disease. The proper mix of vitamins and minerals for your dog must be consulted with the veterinarian. The doctor will be able to assess the nutritional needs of your dog relative to their age, weight, and size. Should you notice that the Labrador crossed with Chow Chow is feeling overheated or getting a tad bit too stocky, ask the veterinarian for exercise and diet tips. Monitor the weight of your dog following what is normal for their size and age. What must be the focus of the proper diet is a blend that would be good for joint and bone health. Such is done with the consultation with the veterinarian. Owners should be able to focus on purchasing dog foods that have glucosamine or chronodotin, or both. These nutrients help in lowering the risk for hip dysplasia. Ask your local pet store or dog food provider for products with these specific characteristics. Here are some examples of high-quality dog food available in the market: BlueLife Food: This company has a specialty in making all-organic and all-natural dog food. DHA is incorporated into their ingredients for more significant help in mobility and brain growth. In addition, this dog food is made with free-range chicken without added growth hormones and steroid to provide your dog with the necessary amino acids which help define muscle tone and fiber. It has fiber from real fruits and vegetables, which support digestion and intestinal health. The multiple protein sources from this dry dog food provide a healthy balance of amino acids, supporting muscle development and maintenance. Plus, it would be a flavorful change of palette for your dog with the natural flavors it possesses. Lastly, it has high levels of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for diet control along with a hint of Vitamin E to help maintain a shiny and healthy skin and coat. It is crafted as an ideal choice for average to large dogs for stocking them up with muscle fibers. This complements the joint health because without strong muscles the bone would remain to be susceptible to problems. Its main ingredients, among other things, are salmon meat high in glucosamine , real beef, and chicken, perfect for a Labrador and Chow chow mix to enjoy. SmartBlend One: One of the essential benefits from this Purina One product is its ability to provide a rich and delicious diet for your pup. Wellness Complete Health Senior Debone Chicken and Barley Recipe Dry dog food: What this fresh-tasting meal consists of is primarily deboned chicken, blueberries, apples, carrots, and spinach. This is ideal for your Chow chow Labrador mix because of its versatility in terms of what nutrients it can thusly provide for your dog. Not only does this provide an answer for those joints, but it also packs the fibers from berries and vegetable for their natural bowel movement. If you have a little munchkin at home, check out our list of the best puppy food brands. If the opposite is true, and you have an elderly furry companion, make sure to give them only the best senior dry dog food to keep those brittle bones intact! For every gorgeous mixed doggo out there, we recommend trying the best dry dog food for small dogs or the best large breed dry dog food and seeing which one sticks! It is required to be taken to a quick walk daily. This will require for the owner, a focused attention and mental stimulation. In these daily outings, one could expect not just a simple walk but sometimes also a playful jog and run. The Labrador Chow Chow Mix. Mix those two together, and you have the training attitude of a Chow Chow mixed with Labrador. That is if you teach it at the earliest instance that you can. Its obedience training must start at an early age. Before a Chow Chow mixed with Labrador turns to around months old, it must be at least expected to know how to sit and stay on your command. In addition, they must be, by that age able to sit closely with you. This is since it is especially difficult to train an adult Chow Chow mixed with Labrador. After such, they would be adaptive and straightforward to training, provided that you exercise patient and positive training methods. If your Chow Chow Labrador Mix takes more from its Labrador parent, it would be able to pick up commands efficiently and effectively than if it takes after the Chow Chow parent. It would tend to be territorial and aggressive against those people it is not familiar with. This is especially difficult for families with kids, because one moment they would be playing with the dog, the next second it would get territorial and aggravated. Because of this, it is a dog not ideal for families with a bunch of little kids. It must be explained to the children how the dog might get a bit too tempered at times. The only remedy to this is training your Chow Chow crossed with Labrador to be trained to be social and active. Unsociable Angry If you can impress them at an early age with your ability to be the pack leader, they will have no trouble following you. The Chabrador may wait until the perfect time to strike and become the alpha, which is why it is essential for you to constantly train them. They should not get their food, treats, or play with their toys until they work for the right to eat, play, or go outside. Your training of the Chabrador will take place throughout puppyhood, and if your dog is a stubborn dog breed then you might need to train throughout their lifetime. The intelligent Chabrador has a very strong mind and will need a steady drip of activity to feed an active brain. Labradors are famous for their ability to become obese quickly so control those treats. Labrador Chow Mix. Notice the bluish-purple tongue! A properly trained Chow Chow Lab Mix fits in perfectly with the family lifestyle. That includes little children, however, I would supervise the first months of interactions with the baby and dog. Socialization Needs of the Chabrador I often say that socialization, training, and exercise are the key to having a well-behaved dog. They are like the foundation for a well-built house. Socialization is vital for any dog, whether they are a chihuahua or a giant dog breed , socialization is the key to having a well-behaved and well adjusted dog. This is so that the puppy can start to become adjusted to sights, sounds, smells, humans, and other animals. Avoid Dog Parks With Puppies There is only one no-go place to take a puppy, and that is the dog park. There are several different reasons why not to allow your puppy into the dog park. The dog park can become rough, and some dogs can be mean, which means that your puppy could be scarred for a long time. Your dog has not had his or her shots and is susceptible to diseases and carrying them. Exercise of the Chabrador mix Exercising your dog cannot be a quick up and down to get the mail or a stroll down the sidewalk. Better to include a brisk strenuous walk or even a jog for a minimum hour of exercise for the most well-balanced dog. Both parents of this breed are active dog breeds bred to hunt and or retrieve throughout the day. Animals are happier and healthier when fit and lean, but they will keep eating if you keep feeding! Eye Problems — Cataracts are very common once they reach a certain age Glaucoma — Glaucoma is an elevation of the intraocular pressure IOP with associated optic nerve and retinal damage. Glaucoma in dogs is always due to a decreased drainage of aqueous humor AH —increased production does not occur. Cold tail — Cold tail normally happens to sport dogs. It is where the tail gives out due to overuse this can be very painful to a dog. Patellar Luxation — This is when the knee cap moves about and is very painful to the dog. My grandmother had a King Charles Cavalier, as a baby, he had a loose knee cap and he had to have surgery to fix it. The health list on this dog breed is very long, and quite a few of them are serious health concerns. Some of it can be smoothed over by buying from a reputable breeder who has ALL the paperwork and health info on both parents. The better health of the parents, the better chances of not getting a dog with all the health problems. Conclusion on the Chow Chow Lab Mixed Breed The Chabrador must have an experienced dog owner who knows what they are doing in training and socialization. The health record is very long compared to some other mixed dog breeds, other than those facts if you are an experienced dog owner who is looking for another dog breed then the Labrador Chow mix may be for you! We have several articles that may fit what you are looking for:. Labra-Chow Description The Chabrador is not a purebred dog. It is a cross between the Chow Chow and the Labrador Retriever. The best way to determine the temperament of a mixed breed is to look up all breeds in the cross and know you can get any combination of any of the characteristics found in either breed. It is very common for breeders to breed multi-generation crosses. Another reason for keeping her trimmed is she also competes in agility competition. It was an activity that helped burn off some of her excess energy in her younger years and she continues to love the competition. I've had dogs throughout my whole life and at the age of 54 I must say that Gracie is that once in a lifetime dog for me. She gives me love, companionship and a whole new exciting purpose to my life. As a puppy Gracie's eyes were a startling blue. Time is going way too fast, for my baby Gorilla puppy is already 7 years old. He is such a baby and loves toys. He is 7 months old in this picture. Her owner calls her a miniature Newfi ;- because she looks just like one. She is quite intelligent and very easily trained. Here she is posing for the camera from her new bed. This is Thunder Dogg. He likes to "Sik Balls" hee hee. See more examples of the Chabrador.

Latest Dog Articles How to take care of dog's hair properly? Despite the fact, there are different breeds of dogs, every dog in one way or another needs care. There are less problems with smooth-coated breeds Great Danes, Boxers, Rottweilers, Dobermanns, and others. They can be cleaned every few days. If you have Games with the dog Games for the dog and its owner are not only good entertainment! It is also a great opportunity to establish a psychological contact with the pet and the most powerful tool of training. How to play with the dog rightly, so that it was not only pleasant bu A leash and a collar Collar and leash are an integral part of your dog's life from an early age, for the simple reason that they are useful in all aspects of life: during walks, education, training and in fights against bad habits of your pet. To accustom the puppy to the amm How to learn to understand the body language of dogs? Dogs are expressive. There is information sharing and expression of emotions between the members of the pack and between individuals of this species of living beings. Dogs use their body to communicate. They are able to transfer the body language of the a Yorkshire Terrier: Diseases Yorkshire terrier is breed of dogs that won the hearts of many lovers of four-legged friends. Could it be the other way? Today, in the bustling world we are looking for a small outlet. Yorkshire Terrier is an excellent creature: a small size, does not she The first pregnancy of the she-dog If you decided your favorite pet to have an offspring, be responsible in such a case. To do this, follow simple rules that will help her to get healthy offspring without problems, and do not forget to visit the vet. Estrus and mating During estrus you need please choose. Best seen on a computer, too many photos for most phones. Our puppies are all born in our home, or Kim and Justin's home. We love them to be house dogs and we work together to have a terrific line of quality Frenchies. Frenchies technically are born at the veterinarians since they have c-sections. French Bulldogs also often need to be bred by AI, and are normally born by c-section. C-sections also mean the moms will only have a few litters in their lifetime. Raising Frenchies, French Bulldogs is definitely not for everyone! The price of hard to raise puppies in breeds like French Bulldogs is simply greater due to the difficulty and cost involved in getting quality genetics and then of raising the puppies. Kims puppies at her home have started potty training at 6 weeks of age All puppies are microchipped and current on vaccinations. See the other pages: "About our puppies," "what comes with your puppy", and "is a puppy really right for you. Please do not get a puppy, or dog if you have any hesitation about long term responsibility of a furry best friend. We love our puppies and dogs and only want them in a home where they will be a part of the family! Frenchies are heat and cold sensitive, some more then others. Some are amazingly agile, fast, and athletic and do tolerate a wider range of temperature since we breed for a more open airway. Others are at risk of collapsing if overheated when simply out on a warm day and playing. Many make terrific therapy dogs. They are very sturdy and tolerant of children. See Fiona's story on the parent page. I need new photos! She has really grown, super cute! One up ear and one floppy ear yet. Mom, Mazzora, one of my favorites Mom, Mazzora, one of my favorites 6. He is a handsome guy, a unique heavily brindled blue, crate trained and well started on house breaking. Love to play and is catching on to sitting for pets, well socialized with other dogs and people. He is quite the ham, loves to bring you toys and bounce around in triumph. Very well natured getting along with lots of random dogs he's met along the way. We wont know if they are actually pregnant for awhile yet. The puppies would be 8 weeks old in December. Deposit information: Until puppies are born it is just an educated guess as to what colors they may be, or if the mom is even pregnant for awhile! We of course don't know gender, or color until birth. At times we have deposits prior to puppies being born, when that happens those families pick first and then the remaining puppies will be shown as available. We will post puppies as available until a deposit is received, then mark them as sold, or pending pick up. Always check by phone or email to be sure the website is updated for the puppy you are interested in. A deposit holds a specific puppy, or a place on the list for choosing a future unborn puppy. You can always pass and wait for the next litter when a specific color, or gender is desired, or just personal timing if you place a deposit. Past puppies and color references in the slide show! Brindle Pup with his new family Brindle. Located in the Midwestern region of the United States, Illinois is known for its bustling cities, rich history, and a wide range of dog-friendly activities. Our mission is to connect you with the best Illinois French Bulldog breeders and puppies for sale throughout Illinois. Our site features a wide variety of reputable breeders who specialize in raising healthy and happy puppies. Our breeders are committed to raising the highest quality puppies. They provide their puppies with all the necessary vaccinations and veterinary checkups to ensure they are in the best of health before they go to their forever homes. They also provide ongoing support and advice to ensure a smooth transition for both you and your new furry friend. Explore the vibrant dog-friendly scene in Illinois, featuring welcoming restaurants, spacious dog parks, and captivating dog shows. For those passionate about dog shows, events like the International Kennel Club of Chicago Dog Show provide an opportunity to appreciate the elegance and charm of French Bulldog canines while connecting with fellow enthusiasts. Illinois claims 10th in U. At TrustedPuppies. Most of our reputable French Bulldog breeders provide safe and affordable flight delivery, complete with a dedicated flight nanny who accompanies your new pup throughout their journey, ensuring their safety and comfort as they travel to their new home in Illinois. Many breeders also offer affordable vehicle delivery, utilizing specialized pet delivery services. This option allows your French Bulldog puppy to be transported directly to your door by a professional who understands the unique requirements of pet transportation. Begin your search for the perfect French Bulldog puppy on TrustedPuppies.

Connect with us on Facebook!! Our story.Our journey with these beautiful, intelligent and devoted dogs began back before we ever owned one. I began to think about using animals for therapy work around 20 years ago, when I was looking to find a way for my nephew, Cody, to use one of my horses for therapeutic riding. Unfortunately, my plans never came to fruition as we lost Cody before I had a chance to train a horse for him. I looked into requirements for developing my own therapeutic riding program, but there were just too many barriers in the way - it wasn't meant to be. It was so very impractical for the setup of our place, with hills surrounding our home in every direction and no handicap accessible route down the hill to our arena. I was beginning to lose hope, until the day I met my first therapy dog. The dream was brought back to life. I felt this pull, like this was something I could and should do - I could train a dog for therapy work and bring comfort and happiness to others with them. I began what became an extensive search for the perfect dog to make my dream a reality. Over and over, golden retrievers kept popping up as ideal candidates for therapy and service work. Unfortunately, I also read many sad stories of goldens being taken too early due to cancer, which is what brought me to the discovery of the English or European type golden retriever that was thought to have less incidence of cancer I have since seen reports that the research study this was based on may not have been specifically designed to test this theory, so we focus on health and longevity in our lines, not color or country of origin! And I found hope. I found a female puppy in Texas that was just what I was looking for. When she finally arrived, we fell in love with our girl, Hope. She was the perfect addition to our family, and even better than I had ever dreamed to train. She loves to work, loves to learn, loves to please her humans, and she loves every person she meets. We quickly advanced through obedience classes, obtained her Canine Good Citizen title, and reached our goal of being certified for therapy work. Hope is the cornerstone of our program, and we wish that everyone could have a dog just like her! Along our journey with therapy dogs, I also researched dogs and their suitability for service work. I searched for service dog trainers to speak with and quickly realized that service dogs are 1 expensive! Again, I went back to comb through research regarding rescuing dogs from shelters versus breeding dogs specifically for service work. I found that only a small number of rescue dogs meet all of the necessary requirements health, training, temperament, etc. Additionally, there are a number of things that a breeder can do to increase the odds of puppies being able to tolerate the stress and intensity of service dog training. These techniques fascinated me! I felt that Hope was a truly great example of the breed, and with her intelligence, drive, and focus on people I knew that her offspring could potentially make wonderful service dogs. And so it began. I studied and studied for another 2 years to find out what I needed to do as a breeder to produce puppies with the best chance of being able to truly help people that need them. We also utilize Puppy Culture, ESI early scent introduction and training the basic commands; all of this starts as early as when the puppies are 3 days old. Our goal is to maximize intelligence, trainability, and adaptation to stress so that our dogs can lead long working lives, or long lives simply with their families. Our entire family is involved in the process, and we keep our operation small so that we can be totally hands-on with the puppies every day. Waiting list OPEN! Pettable Academy is designed to bring out the best in your pet Access Guided Dog Training Today If you live with a disability, a golden retriever service dog may help you obtain more independence while increasing your happiness and overall satisfaction with life. When it comes to service dogs, golden retrievers are one of the most common choices. Golden Retriever Service Dogs Golden Retrievers are often trained as service dogs to assist individuals with disabilities such as autism, hearing loss, or mobility issues. These intelligent dogs are also popular as therapy dogs due to their friendly and patient nature, making them great companions for those in need of emotional support. Bottom Line What are service dogs? Why Golden Retrievers as service dogs? They are friendly, loving, and excel at training. How to get a Golden Retriever as a service dog? Then you will need to train the Golden Retriever as a service dog, which you can do at home by taking our online PSD training program. What's the difference between a service dog vs. A service animal is any canine that has been specially taught to carry out duties for the benefit of a person with a disability, including one that is physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or mental. In order to display their abilities to others, service dogs must wear vests. An assistance dog increases the level of independence a disabled person can have, and no other species, regardless of whether they are domestic or wild, trained or untrained, are regarded as service animals. An individual's handicap must directly relate to the task s that the service animal is performing. Among others, the following are some examples of such tasks: Assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds Providing non-violent protection or rescue work Pulling a wheelchair Assisting an individual during a seizure Alerting individuals to the presence of allergens Retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone Providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities Helping individuals with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors. Types of Service Dogs Service dogs come in various types, each of which is trained to assist people with certain needs. Here are a few of the popular categories of outstanding service dogs. Service Dogs Guide dogs aid those who are blind or visually handicapped in navigating their surroundings. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can be alerted to critical noises by hearing dogs. People who need wheelchairs or walking aids or have balance problems might benefit from the assistance of mobility dogs. Medical alert dogs perform a variety of tasks, including warning the user of allergies, detecting the start of medical issues like a seizure or low blood sugar, and many others. Psychiatric Service Dogs Assisting people with disorders including schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder is the work of psychiatric service dogs. Psychiatric service dogs may be used for tasks including halting repetitive behaviors, reiterating the need to take medicine, or entering a dark area and putting on a light to lessen stressful situations. Pettable offers a no-cost consultation with a qualified mental health expert to certify your dog as an official psychiatric service dog, enabling you to get a PSD letter of certification for your dog right away. You can read more about PSDs here. Did You Know? Psychiatric Service Dogs PSDs are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and are legally granted access to places where pets are prohibited, such as airplane cabins, storefronts and restaurants. Golden Retriever History Golden retrievers originated from the Scottish Highlands, where they were used primarily as hunting dogs. The Scottish estate owners needed a dog to retrieve birds in water or on land because their hunting grounds had many ponds and marshes. As guns were improved, retrievers were required to be able to bring back birds from farther distances. To develop the ideal retriever, the Baron of Tweedmouth, Dudley Marjoribanks, crossed a Tweed water spaniel with a yellow-colored retriever. The four pups were then used in further breeding with lines including the Irish setter, bloodhound, St. John's water dog, and black retrievers. He kept detailed records throughout the later years of the 19th century, showcasing the goal of developing a dog with a soft mouth for retrieving the game that was also strong and active. During the early 20th century, golden retrievers were introduced to North America as both hunting dogs and a companion. The American Kennel Club officially recognized the golden retriever in .Presidential golden retrievers include those owned by Gerald R. Ford and Ronald Reagan. Why Golden Retrievers Make Great Service Dogs When choosing a service animal, there are a lot of breeds to choose from, but among them, the golden retriever remains one of the most common service dog breeds. Golden retrievers make good service dogs because they have the necessary qualities to excel at training. Friendly Disposition Golden retrievers are known for their friendly disposition. Your dog may have to accompany you in public spaces, such as grocery stores, public transportation, entertainment events, etc. Unfriendly dogs may be wary or reactive to strangers. A golden retriever is a loving dog, eager to please its owner and happy to meet new people. People may attempt to approach your service dog or touch him. In these situations, your dog cannot be quick to react negatively. While you can instruct people to steer clear of your dog, you cannot guarantee that no one will touch him. For this reason, you cannot have a dog that acts aggressively or anxiously towards strangers. Loyal Personality Some of the best therapy dogs and service dogs are the ones that do not leave their owner's side. Even pet golden retrievers tend to follow their human around. Many people use the term velcro dog when referring to goldens because they want to be close to you at all times. When a dog trusts you, he follows you everywhere. They may be service animals that help you, but they also look to you for approval. Trainable Temperament Goldens are a trainable breed. Historically golden retrievers were hunting dogs, so it is natural for them to work alongside humans. Dogs bred for work tend to be more obedient than other breeds. They are trainable because they are one of the most intelligent breeds. However, this does not always mean that it's easy to train your service dog without a professional's help. Professionally trained service dogs are more likely to pass their tests. Golden retrievers are people-pleasers and food motivated. These two qualities make them eager to learn. Extra-large dogs may take up too much space in your home or require too much food for your household. A medium-sized dog like a golden retriever, on the other hand, has enough strength to support you with his body, open doors, and push buttons. A golden usually performs well when you need a service dog to perform height and strength actions. Golden retrievers stand from 20 to 24 inches tall and weigh between 55 and 71 pounds. Active Energy Level Golden retrievers have a lot of energy and require activity and plenty of exercise. They thrive the most when they are in a home with someone for most of the day. They may become lonely, frustrated or feel pent up when left alone for long hours. As a service dog, your golden would be at your side most of the time. Working provides the dog with the stimulation he needs. Additionally, he has the energy level to perform tasks as required. Drive to Work Golden retrievers are known to have a high drive to work on any task they are given to please their owner. Golden retrievers are extremely intelligent, aware, reliable, obedient, and have a strong work ethic. They are obedient dogs which make them popular service dogs. They find great purpose in retrieving items in exchange for a good old pet or pat on the head. Intelligence Golden retrievers are very intelligent dogs. This makes them excellent service dogs, as they can quickly learn any task given to them by their owner and are smart enough to detect when their owner's blood sugar is low or if a panic attack is coming. They can learn more than a hundred words and their intelligence is comparable to that of a toddler. Your dog has to be able to perform tasks that help you function in your daily life to qualify as a service animal. The following are a few examples of service dog tasks performed by golden retrievers, one of the most common service dog breeds. Guiding Guide dogs help those who have visual impairments. Guide dogs help determine whether there are obstacles or unsafe conditions in a person's path. Keep in mind that a golden retriever service dog is not a GPS. The dog cannot read traffic lights, but it can see the vehicles crossing. Often, the owner has to listen for signals. The person can then command the dog to cross the street, and the dog decides how safe it is to move forward. Retrieving If you have mobility problems, teach your service dog to retrieve your items. For example, dogs can bring you your medication. They can also help you with daily chores. If you need to carry an object to the garbage, your dog can help. Comforting Therapy dogs are companions to their owners. For people with mental illness, a dog's presence can be comforting. A trainer can teach a therapy dog to comfort others. For example, if a person has a panic attack, the dog can use his body weight to ground the person. Alerting Canines have a strong sense of smell and the ability to detect various medical conditions. For example, service dogs can alert to low blood sugar for diabetics, heart abnormalities, and seizures. Your service animal can learn to nudge, paw at, bark or jump to alert you of a medical emergency. Blocking Blocking is a standard command for a therapy dog. If a person begins to feel uncomfortable in a crowd or around people, the dog can put himself between his human and any stranger. Medication Reminders Since golden retrievers are easy to train, they can be trained to remind their owners to take their medication every day, every four hours, or at any interval a person needs to take their medicine but may be forgetful or lose track of time due to their disability. Physical Support Golden retrievers can offer physical support to those with disabilities. This can include pushing a wheelchair, leading a person to a bathroom or bed, fetching an item that fell or is out of reach for a person, or any other duties that may assist a person living with a disability. Pettable has a simple process to schedule a consultation with a licensed professional. Though not required, you may opt to get a PSD letter from the therapist to certify your need for a psychiatric service dog. Then, you will need to ensure that your service dog is correctly trained. There is no requirement that a professional trainer be involved in the process and self-training is perfectly acceptable. Complete Our Assessment To help us analyze your circumstances and your needs for a psychiatric service dog, you must first complete our brief assessment. You will then state the PSD option you require, such as lodging, transport or a mix of both. Consult With a Therapist After completing the assessment, you'll be matched with a licensed mental health professional and provided a link to schedule a live consultation with them after completing our privacy and permission papers to allow our doctors to work with you. To find out if you are eligible for a psychiatric service dog, you will visit a mental health professional for an examination. Train Your Dog You will need to train your Golden Retriever to perform tasks that assist you with your disability. You can pay a professional trainer to do this or you can opt to train the dog yourself. If you want to self-train a psychiatric service dog you may benefit from our online PSD training program. The program is delivered through video lessons and can be completed on any timeline. If you are not satisfied with the training program within 7 days of purchase we will completely refund your money. A Golden Retriever may be taught to serve as a service dog, you can opt to hire a professional trainer or train the dog yourself. Having patience with your dog if you plan to train your service dog independently is crucial because the process might take a while. Training a service animal can be a laborious but extremely worthwhile process if you're sincere about your devotion to it. It's important to keep in mind that training is necessary for service animals before they can be considered a PSD, whether it's done independently or a qualified expert. Golden retrievers can be adopted at neighborhood shelters or breeders, just like any other service dog or ESA. Regardless of where the dog originated from or even whether it is an existing pet, any dog can be certified as a service animal. This option will require owners to train their dogs, satisfy certification requirements, and establish a bond with them. The adoption of service animals who have already received training and need a new owner is nonetheless possible through various services. A certified mental health expert must be consulted in order to determine your eligibility for a Golden Retriever service dog. But there are several mental and emotional conditions that frequently make someone eligible for a service dog, such as: Depression and Depressive Disorders. Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular breeds worldwide, that have been ranked No. Why so many people love the representatives of this breed so much and what qualities the breed representatives have as service animals, are some topics that we would like to discuss today. If you would like to read more about the ADA regulations in regard to service animals, you can click here. As you can tell from the definition, only dogs can be recognized as service animals. However, some states allow handlers to have miniature horses as service animals as well, so you should keep this in mind. Dogs and service dogs in particular should be evaluated based on their individual traits. Some people are still biased, that certain breeds are not allowed to become service dogs or just can not become good service dogs. The ADA states, that service animals must not be discriminated based on their breed, and all kinds of breeds can be trained as service animals. However, there are qualities, that every service dog should possess to be reliable enough to perform specific tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Among these qualities are: Intelligence, trainability, eagerness to learn and please their owner, friendly personality, loving nature, balanced temperament, loyalty. The Golden Retrievers are ranked one of the most affectionate dog breeds that can strongly attach to their owners. They can interact with family members, new people, and other animals with ease! If you have small children, you can be confident, that they will find a loyal and playful buddy that they can spend such a pleasant time with! The Golden Retrievers are considered one of the most intelligent and trainable breeds as well. They are known as quick learners, able to retain a lot of information, and obedient dogs, eager to please their owners. Of course, there is no complete happiness.Our lovely paw friends tend to shed moderately during the summer and the winter. During the spring and autumn, you can expect them to shed more actively. Those of you who decide to have a representative of this gorgeous breed at home should be prepared for a certain amount of hair on their furniture and clothes at all times. Luckily, these cute doggies require a moderate level of grooming, so you do not have to invest so much time to keep their lovely double-coat neat. If you are in love with this breed, you should be prepared to spend enough time to keep them physically and mentally fit. The Golden Retrievers are quite energetic and playful. These amazing doggies are not considered barkers. They bark occasionally as vocalization is a type of communication not only in humans but in dogs as well. In general, we can say that the Golden Retriever is one of the most popular breeds as both pets and service dogs due to its indisputable qualities. Mobility and Balance-Related Tasks The female representatives of the breed can reach up to kg, while the male representatives- up to kg in weight. Their height can reach up to 51—56 cm in females, and cm in males. Considering their size and personal traits, these dogs can become great mobility dogs. They can be trained to pull a wheelchair or support a person having balance issues. There is a certain type of harnesses equipped with a robust handle, that enables mobility service dogs to fulfill this task. Guide Tasks The Golden Retrievers can become great guide dogs as well. They can be trained to assist a person with visual impairments navigate in the surroundings. As guide dogs, these canines can alert their owner about an obstacle on their way or ensure that there will be enough distance between their owner and passersby. Retrieve Tasks As the name of the breed indicates itself, these dogs are great at retrieving objects. This ability can be traced back to the reason for their breeding and namely- to retrieve shot upland game birds like partridge and goose. If you have impaired mobility, or you often feel disoriented and light-headed due to a certain condition or as a side-effect of prescribed medication, you can rely on your Goldie to bring to you all items you need. Since they are medium to large in a size, they are not suitable for jumping on your lap. However, they can paw you, nudge you, place their chin on your shoulder, arm or lap to calm you down when you need. Also, they can guide you to a safe place, when anxiety episodes arise. There are the following options available for that: 1. Contact a training organization or a personal trainer, specializing in service dog training. You can arrange a consultation online or in person at your home or at the training facility so that your dog can be evaluated and a training program can be recommended. You can contact an organization engaged in service dog training and get a trained service dog. These two options will give you confidence that your dog or the dog that you will be provided with, has been professionally trained and has acquired the necessary obedience and social skills. However, these options can be prohibitively expensive for some people. Training your own dog with the help of a trainer or a training organization is more affordable, however, a training session in-person, that takes about an hour, may cost you a hundred dollars or more. Some training programs, especially those designed for more advanced training can reach thousands of dollars. Contact a non-profit organization. This option is the most affordable one. However, in this case, you are likely to be placed on a waiting list and you may need to wait for a year or two to get a trained service dog. You can train your Golden Retriever to become a service animal yourself. In this case, you can focus on the tasks that you actually need your paw friend to perform. Also, you will be actively engaged in the training process and will be able to strengthen your bond. The biggest disadvantage of this option is that you may lack the experience and skills to conduct training yourself. Also, you will have to invest a lot of time and effort. Patience, discipline, and consistency are other words that you will need to always keep in mind if you decide to go that way. Enroll in an online course. By choosing this option you will get access to learning materials and support from a tutor support by a trainer is often calculated in the price of many online courses. Also, you will be able to make your own schedule instead of complying with a schedule set by a professional trainer. Training at your home and at your own pace are other benefits of this option. Needless to say, you and your doggy will develop an even stronger bond, as you will spend much time together and will know each other better. If you consider this option the most suitable for you, we would recommend that you take a look at the online courses that Service Dog Training School International offers: Online Courses. Essential Principles of the Training Process If you decide to train your Golden Retriever to become a service animal yourself, you should consider some basic training principles. You should be very patient and consistent and not give up if difficulties arise. Also, you should remember that each dog is an individual and you need to take the personality and temperament of your canine into account when conducting training. Keep the training sessions short and always reward and praise your paw friend when they perform a certain task. Do not rush things. As we mentioned above, this breed is deemed highly energetic, so you should not forget to exercise and walk your doggy on a regular basis. Physical and mental exercises will also help your canine spend their excessive amount of energy, and will reduce the possibility of behavioral issues occurring due to lack of activity. The ADA does not require service dogs to wear any type of service dog gear, including vests, harnesses, or ID tags. That way passersby are less likely to initiate contact, which may distract your dog. No wonder, that the Golden Retriever is one of the breeds that most people welcome. Such lovely doggies! Our Story Like every family, we have a story. Golden Rule Retrievers was born from our family's life-changing experience with Piper. Piper came to us at only five weeks. She was a gift to our daughter, Gracie, on her 14th birthday from her grandparents. At only five weeks, Piper was very intuitive and intelligent. She was a one-time learner and she quickly mastered some fun tricks. We used signs with her as we gave commands and she did the basics over and over. On command, Piper sat, army crawled, yawned, spoke, and even gave high fives. Inherently, of course, Piper fetched. She chose tennis balls over anything else and she loved it when we hit them with a tennis racket! She would track back and forth right to left, stop, look to us for a hand signal, and go in the direction we pointed, not once coming back without the ball. All day, everyday, Piper wanted to fetch, solve doggie puzzles, play hide and seek in the house; anything that kept her mind busy. She was a problem solver. At night, Piper slept at the foot of our bed. Soon, she began to alert to my shortness of breath and the silence that came when I didn't breathe at all. I was diagnosed in with Tracheal Stenosis, a chronic illness that continually grows scar tissue along the inside of the trachea and narrows the pathway through which we get air. At several points, my airway was only 2 millimeters. Yes, two millimeters. We were very blessed to be treated by Dr. Steven Zeitels at Massachusetts General Hospital, who, over the years, performed many surgeries, eventually stabilizing through a transplant and chemotherapy. Even with all the treatments and procedures, my airway remains very small, usually around 6 millimeters. Because our bodies tend to relax when we are sleeping, my greatest risk is at night. Piper began to nudge me when she noticed a change in my breathing. We were SOLD! While some of Piper's actions are inherited traits and behavioral characteristics, we have continued to work with her in other areas. Piper is now a certified therapy dog. She has experience working with children in public school classrooms, autistic and Downs Syndrome, physically handicapped, Hospice, and she has helped children in counseling. Piper also has aided in Domestic Violence Victims' Advocacy. Our little Piper became a big hit and eventually we decided to add to our number. Bella, an English Cream Golden Retriever, came to us in and was a happy and very busy little bee. When Bella came home, she had doubled in size and was absolutely a big, fluffy snuggle bunny! She immediately started going to counseling sessions and into classrooms to lighten Piper's load. Still, the more we volunteered, the more we saw the necessity for canine helpers in our community and surrounding towns. Sam is a lovable gentleman who adores Piper. His dark red coat and willingness to please with that dashing golden smile plastered across that beautiful face- Piper and Sam had a litter of nine puppies, all of which were healthy, happy and very easy to train. And again, the more we worked with them, the more we saw the need for well-trained Goldens that could be of service to those in need. Our family knows and understands what a working dog can do for a sick patient. We also have been down that road that is littered with medical bills, electricity cut-off notices and travel expenses due to the huge costs of a family member's declining health. It's during times like these that a dog with manners can be most helpful to a patient and family, yet coming up with the money to buy and train a dog can't be on the priority list at such a trying time. Our family decided that one way to make our corner of the world a brighter place, we would share our experiences and our Goldens. Piper and Bella became more and more involved with children, the elderly and those who are ill. We have since added other dogs to our brood. Every Golden family member lives inside our home and is a part of our family. Each Golden has many hours of public access and works regularly with teachers and their classes, attends community events and provides comfort when it is needed. A Duke University study showed that the action of petting a dog releases oxytocin from the brain. Scientists have known for a while that when the brain lets go of this chemical, stress is reduced and patients feel comforted. Our Golden Rule mission is to provide and train Golden Retrievers and Goldendoodles for the main purpose of training in therapy and service. We have searched far and wide for our precious Goldens, from the west coast, along the Gulf Coast and to the Pacific Ocean. While almost all of our dogs have hunting in their immediate pedigrees, our main purpose is not to foster hunting behaviors, but to reframe them in such a way that each Golden Rule dog can be helpful to their partners and families as they grow. Each dog exhibits positive characteristics we look for in therapy and service dogs as well as good companion dogs. Not all Goldens are cut out for service or therapy, but every single golden we have raised or trained is teachable. Some are better suited for families with small children or more lively home environments while others find comfort in simply being present with their human partner. We assess our dogs on working and behavioral scales as they grow to determine with whom they will bond and which homes are best suited for their temperaments. No matter where you go to choose a Golden Retriever, please take the proper steps and ask the right questions to determine which dog is best for you. One size doesn't fit all - it takes the right puppy, the right behavior and the right timing to make things work with a new dog. We wish you much luck and joy in your search! Life is truly Golden! You love me when I am not lovable. You find me in the darkness. You keep my secrets and lick my tears. You teach me to live like someone left the gate open. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Many of our Goldens stay in our Service Dog Program to help those with disabilities, but we have puppies from every litter who are sold into pet homes to provide love to others. Many ask how I got my start in the breed, and it truly started with the love of a dog who was not a Golden Retriever. Scout showed me a life I would never have experienced, and I wanted that same happiness and help for others. Disabilities are not easy, but having a dog by your side can truly be amazing and helpful. And then the breed became my favorite thing to live with and work with. I love my girls and the heart they give all the sports and training we do. Whether it is a Service Dog, Therapy Dog, or a family pet, my goal is to provide families with the right dog for them. Titling our Breeding Stock Our dogs are titled in many different venues to show that they are well versed and able to do a job before breeding. Our dogs work hard and are versatile as the breed standard states they should be. Health is a huge deal for us and any girl who fails health testing is not to be bred. How we Raise our Puppies How you raise puppies matters. From their first breath to the time they leave our home each moment is important. We work on Potty Training, Crate Training, Socialization, and many other things before our puppies leave our home. They are raised in our main area after they reach a certain age and are around our crazy life as well as working on different training aspects. Because of this reason we have many people who come ask us if we sell Service Dog's in Training to those outside of the Scout's Legacy Program, and the answer is No. We will only place Service Dog prospects with those who are in our program. As far as companion dogs, this breed is a huge hit. The Golden Retriever has many amazing qualities and is a top dog breed for a nearly endless list of reasons. What sets Golden Retrievers apart is their friendly demeanor and gentleness. Goldens are outgoing, trustworthy and eager-to-please pups who do well with pretty much anyone. The Golden Retriever maintains a puppy-like zest for life all throughout adulthood and is very receptive to obedience training, service training, and pretty much any type of training or correction. Goldies are one of the most common service dog breeds for individuals with disabilities. Their size helps them overcome physical challenges, their temperament makes them a perfect match for their human partners, and their loyalty makes them amazing assistance dogs. Service dogs must be intelligent, well-focused and friendly, all of which are traits the Golden Retriever possesses. In fact, perhaps the most famous Golden Retriever service dog , Sampson, is a fine example of why Golden Retrievers make excellent service animals. Sampson was trained to work in a lab at the University of Illinois with his owner, Joey Ramp. He even wears his own PPE while he helps his disabled handler do work in his lab. What are Service Dogs? The definition of a service dog according to the U. There are many different types of service dogs, which we will discuss later, but all undergo a vigorous training process and are a valued member of society for the assistance they provide to their person. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, alerting owners to a panic attack, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. A service animal can help with many things, but in this category, it is most often pups offering assistance with physical disabilities or impairments. Guide dogs: These dogs are also known as seeing-eye-dogs and help people with vision loss navigate the world. A guide dog will help their handler avoid obstacles, ensure they step over any holes or curbs, help them cross roads, open doors, etc. They undergo vigorous training and can accomplish dozens of tasks. Hearing dogs: These talented pups assist their deaf handlers in a world of sound. They are trained to help their owners with ensuring they receive vital cues of sounds they cannot hear themselves. They will guide their owner to the sound or to safety, depending on the situation. Medical alert dogs: These service dogs help owners suffering from seizures or epilepsy prepare for an upcoming episode and keep them safe during it. Another type of service dog under this category is a diabetic assistance dog, who helps alert their owner when their blood sugar is low or can seek medical assistance if necessary. Mobility assistance dogs: A mobility assistance dog is a type of service dog that helps humans with spinal injuries, leg injuries, or any injury that makes walking, standing or balancing difficult. These are typically larger breed dogs since they provide balance support for their handler. They help their human stay standing , open doors, retrieve items, etc. Psychiatric service dog: This special service dog assists people with mental disabilities. They have all the same rights as all the above mentioned service dogs, but undergo specialized service dog training to perform tasks their owner needs assistance with. An example of this could be including medication, or providing comforting touches. These service dogs help with mental health issues rather than mobility issues. Someone who suffers from depression, anxiety attacks, PTSD or other mental disabilities could greatly benefit from a psychiatric service dog. Click the below video to learn more about psychiatric service dogs. Therapy dog: A therapy dog is not a service dog, but instead a loyal pet that helps provide comfort to people in stressful situations. This is often a hospital or nursing home, but can also be schools, natural disaster sites, etc. There are even different types, such as hearing impairment therapy dogs, school therapy dogs, etc. They undergo specialized training, including passing an American Kennel Club Good Citizen test, then visit anyone who could need comfort. Emotional support animal: An emotional support animal is a companion animal that provides emotional support to their owner. They do not undergo any special training, and are not a service animal. Emotional Support Dog vs. These dogs undergo specialized training and have federally protected rights, such as the right to accompany their owner anywhere, including businesses, schools, non-pet friendly housing, on airplanes, etc. To get a psychiatric service dog, you must be diagnosed with a disability and prescribed a service dog who undergoes vigorous training to support you. An emotional support dog only requires a letter of recommendation from a doctor. They are a pet who offers mental and emotional benefits to their owner. It is very important to recognize the difference between these two types of dogs. Service dogs wear vests to set themselves apart, as they have a very important job and should be recognized as working dogs. It makes life for people with disabilities much harder, and poses a challenge to service dog owners, making the conditions of service dogs worse. Why Golden Retrievers? So why Golden Retrievers? To summarize, Golden Retrievers make excellent companion animals, but also great assistance animals, because of their size, temperament, friendliness, and intelligence. Golden Retrievers on average weigh about 55 to 75 pounds and stand between 22 and 24 inches tall, making them a medium to large sized dog by the public. They have multiple color variations, but all fall under the golden category: cream, dark golden, light golden, etc. Their average life expectancy is years. A Golden Retriever has a stockier build, but is still agile and beautiful. Their fur falls at a beautiful length, making them true stunners. They are considering a sporting dog, and as the name retriever implies, have a tendency to retrieve items and things, much like their sister breed, the Labrador Retriever. But energy level wise, the two are very similar. Goldens are loved for their permanent puppy attitude and their general zest for life and ability to remain calm and friendly in all circumstances. Goldens are extremely trusting and loyal. They aim to please, making them great mobility assistance dogs and service dogs. Golden Retrievers do well in public, are easy to train, have a lovely personality and make a great best friend. He was on a mission to find the best gundog to use at his estate. Over 50 years, he bred different variations of dogs in search of the best breed possible. Through this breeding, the Golden Retriever was created to fetch waterfowl from hunts, hence the name retriever. By , they were in dog shows and making their way into America. First off, their size gives them an advantage to help people with physical needs, such as balance support, opening doors, etc. They exude a quiet confidence and a general love for life. They strive to provide help for human needs, and do well in a breeding program, which makes it great for ethical breeding needed for healthy service dogs for an adult candidate. Good news, Golden Retrievers are very commonly bred for this sole purpose. They begin training as a puppy and are trained to be excellent service companions. Service dogs are only given to people with disabilities that hinder their quality of life. For a psychiatric service dog, you must consult with a licensed mental health professional. This is the only legitimate way to acquire a service dog. For physical disabilities, you must consult with a doctor in your area. If they recommend a service dog, the next step is finding a service dog for you. Look at rescues in your local area to see if they have any Golden Retrievers or Golden mixes available, or you can purchase a Golden from a breeder or service dog organization. If you adopt one or purchase one from a breeder, you will want to work with a service dog trainer or service dog program training to make sure your pooch becomes the best assistance dog possible. This is the best way to ensure you get a Golden Retriever that is healthy and has all the characteristics we love about the popular breed. Conclusion Now you see why Golden Retrievers are such a beloved breed, not only as pets, but also as service animals. Their gorgeous coat and all-star personality make them an easy candidate to become service dogs. Are you looking for a psychiatric service dog? Here at CertaPet , we can help. CertaPet is an online telehealth platform that improves access to mental health care in the U. We are currently coordinating with dog trainers who specialize in the service animal space and who will soon work in tandem with our network of licensed mental health professionals to make the process of getting and training a psychiatric service dog affordable, convenient, and hassle-free. Golden Retrievers are highly intelligent, friendly, loyal, obedient, driven and much more, making them a great service dog. How do I get a psychiatric service dog? First, you must consult with a mental health professional to see if you qualify. If you are diagnosed with a mental disability, you will begin your search for a dog and begin training What can a Golden Retriever service dog do for me? This breed is very versatile! They can be trained to do anything: calm anxiety attacks, fetch medicine, work as a seeing eye dog, alert to seizures, and much more. You may also like. Because of this, it is important that the dog breeds chosen to be trained as service dogs have the correct disposition. They must further have the ability to be properly trained in service tasks in order to fully assist individuals with disabilities. One example of a dog breed especially suited to being a service dog is the golden retriever. This dog is kind, intelligent, and dependable, making it a perfect candidate for service dog training. Slater Creek Golden Retrievers will discuss the specifics of why golden retrievers make fantastic service dogs and give you some tips on starting to train your own golden retriever in service tasks. It is important for a service dog to have a certain set of characteristics that make them good candidates for learning skills and supporting their owner. Service dogs need to be able to learn skills relatively quickly, be socialized in a number of different settings, and have the size and strength to perform necessary tasks for their owners. They should also be friendly and attentive without being too reactive or aggressive towards other people or animals. With these attributes in mind, it is easy to see why golden retrievers make such fantastic service dogs. Golden retrievers are incredibly loyal and predisposed to following their owner around, which can be very helpful for an individual who needs their service dog to remain at their side for long periods of time. They are very friendly in nature and have a tendency to be loving to everyone they meet; this makes it easy to bring a golden into multiple different social settings and around different people and animals without them becoming upset or aggressive. Golden retrievers also learn quickly and they love to perform tasks for their owners; bred initially as hunting dogs that were given the task of retrieving shot ducks, golden retrievers enjoy the challenge of learning new skills and being given a chance to prove themselves to their owners. Additionally, as a medium-sized dog, they are highly suited to performing tasks that need a little more strength and height, such as opening doors, pushing buttons, and supporting their owners with their bodies. Golden retrievers can perform almost all tasks assigned to them with the right training, but there are some responsibilities that they are more suited to than others. Guide Dogs Acting as a seeing-eye dog is where many golden retrievers shine. Seeing eye dogs need to be active and alert to their surroundings, something that goldens excel in, as a larger breed that loves the outdoors. Guide dogs also need to learn a wide range of skills and tasks that help their owner, which is something that golden retrievers are capable of and enjoy doing. Mobility Assistance Dogs As their name indicates, golden retrievers love to retrieve. They are a good choice for mobility assistance dogs as they are quickly able to learn commands and enjoy the act of bringing things to their owner. Therapy Dogs Because they are highly sensitive to the people around them, golden retrievers are very suited to becoming therapy dogs. They are often seen working in hospitals to provide comfort to patients and are often able to become emotional service animals keep in mind that ESAs are different from service dogs in terms of legal protections. Goldens are quiet and naturally disposed to being friendly and loving, one of the most important traits needed in a therapy dog. Our Golden Retrievers Are Here To Service You Golden retrievers are gentle, friendly, furry friends who respond well to training and are responsive to human emotional needs, making them one of the most common service dog breeds. Is your loved one looking for the perfect dog match? Would you like to have someone help them in their daily lives and guide them with their canine companion? For us, Goldens is a way of life. Our Goldens are raised in a fun-loving family environment, with beautiful, safe surroundings in the mountains of Colorado.

How much does an 8-week-old Golden Retriever sleep? How much exercise does your 2-month-old Golden Retriever need? Eight weeks is typically when breeders allow puppies to be taken to their new homes, but some breeders keep them for a couple of extra weeks. This shy, sleepy puppy will eventually get more comfortable with its new environment and come out of its shell in a couple of days. Socialization is important for eight-week-old golden pups. Getting your pup used to these things is a good way to avoid potential behavioral issues as the puppy matures because it allows them to learn how to feel and react to various stimuli and leaves you with a confident, well-adjusted pup. You need to reinforce the idea that your puppy is safe and gain their trust during this time period. During this time, pups will be a little more fearful of things like strangers, sounds, and certain objects. It will pass, and usually only lasts a week or so. It can be a little scary or discouraging for the owner of a golden puppy to see them go through this fear period, especially if they start exhibiting fear towards people. Goldens are known to be such friendly and social dogs, so watching them exhibit such antisocial traits can be off-putting. You can still get them outside and introduce them to new things, just remain mindful of their feelings. You need to be patient with an eight-week-old puppy. These adorable balls of energy and fluff are completely dependent on you to meet their needs and there are a LOT of needs! Check out our article on the Best Shampoo for Golden Retrievers so you can meet their hygiene needs! You need to be patient with them so that you can not only bond with your new pup, but also help him grow and learn about the world around him. Sometimes the puppy that was the smallest puppy in the litter can grow and quickly become the largest. And the largest puppy of the litter may not always remain the largest. As a breed, Golden Retrievers vary in size and weight. So you should enjoy that before they grow too big to pick up and cuddle! You may be surprised to learn that 8-week-old Golden puppies require about 18 hours of sleep a day. This may seem counter-intuitive because most people would assume that if a puppy is full of energy it needs to run it off, but in all actuality what they really need is sleep. You should use either pens or crates to make sure that your pup gets the optimal amount of sleep both through the night and during the day. Here are some things you can do to help your puppy nap: Adorn their crate or pen with comfortable blankets or pillows. Learn whether your pup likes to sleep on a bed or on the floor, then set their crate or pen up accordingly. Cover the crate or pen using a blanket or towel so that their visual stimulation is limited. You can use aromatherapy products for dogs to lull your pup to sleep. Get your puppy something like a stuffed Kong toy because licking and chewing are relaxing to pups. Classical or calming music can help your puppy get to sleep. You can expect that your pup should be ready for a nap after being awake for around an hour. So, you can get him to sleep easier using these tips. An 8-week-old Golden Retriever puppy is largely able to know how much exercise it needs all on its own. What you should do instead is either pick them up and take them home or give them a break and see if they get a second wind. Golden Retrievers excel at playing fetch, but you need to keep games short. The running and then suddenly stopping to pick the ball or toy up and bring it back is hard on their tiny bones. People often adopt Golden Retrievers with the intent of getting a companion to exercise with running, hiking, biking, etc. Allowing your puppy to play with toys in your yard or house can be a good, safe way for your puppy to exercise. Having a yard is ideal because you can let your pup run around the yard and explore, while also burning off some excess energy. Just make sure you choose a short, easy walk that your puppy can handle. However, some days they have more energy than others, which is normal. Every Golden Retriever has varying exercise needs. Some are pretty chill and would rather lay around, while others are really hyper and active. You need to know that positive reinforcement works best for Golden Retrievers. You should avoid any sort of training that is based on punishment. There are also other training methods that can be beneficial to your pup. Group training is a good way to get your pup acquainted with other dogs and learn alongside them, while the trainer provides you with ways to better train your pup. You also have the option to hire a professional dog trainer, who will come to your house and give you customized tips to train your puppy. Before hiring any sort of trainer, ask them about the methods they use to avoid distress for puppies. They need to learn about confinement early on. Another important thing to teach your pup is their name, and to come to you when you call them. The bond with your pup is vital to any other training you do with them. For more about the training process, check out our article about Golden Retriever Puppy Training. Hey, food is good, okay? Most 8-week-old Golden Retriever puppies should be eating around half a cup of food three times a day. So, talk to your vet for a specific amount. They need high-quality puppy food. For more about what to feed your pup, check out our article about the Best Puppy Food for Golden Retrievers. Your golden puppy will probably quickly devour any food you place in front of them. It can be a good idea to buy a slow feeder bowl or toys that dispense food to slow them down a bit while also giving them some mental stimulation and making mealtime fun. Just as infants put things in their mouths, puppies do too. They do this to both plays and learn about their world. This can really suck for humans because puppies have sharp little teeth that feel like needles. The good news is that you can do some things to cut back on the biting and learn to deal with it. The first thing right off the bat you should do is to make sure your puppy is getting enough sleep. Secondly, scatter chew toys all over your house. Third, give your puppy a break if they start biting. This is as easy as going on the other side of their gate or putting them in their crate. This lets your pup know that when they start biting, the play stops, and access to you is denied. Many people suggest yelping and making loud noises when your puppy bites. But this is actually pretty counter-productive because it can make the situation worse by scaring the puppy. Other puppies can get more excited by the noise and bite harder. Biting is just something that puppies at this age do. However, remember that getting through this trying time is going to help you establish a lifelong bond with your new family member. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase the item. This comes at no extra cost to you. Is there anything cuter than a two-month-old Golden Retriever puppy? At eight weeks old, they are absolutely, impossibly, unbearably adorable! At two months old, a Golden Retriever is ready to leave their mother and littermates to join their new family. Some breeders will keep a puppy for a couple more weeks before sending them home, but eight weeks is very typical. Puppies at this age are usually playful and curious, with brains like little sponges. This usually only lasts a day or two, and then their true personality will shine through! They are in the prime socialization window here, which is the time between three and sixteen weeks when puppies are most open to learning about the world. Proper socialization can help you buffer against potential behavior issues as your pup matures, and teaches them how to feel and act in different situations and environments. It helps them feel confident and self-assured. A two-month-old Golden Retriever puppy is constantly learning! Make sure your puppy is learning that they are safe and that they can trust you both at home and out in the world. A fear period is a temporary span of time where a puppy may be more sensitive to things like strange people, strange dogs, inanimate objects, sounds, etc. It usually lasts about a week and you may notice your puppy showing signs of fear such as cowering, running away, growling, or barking. It can be a little scary as the owner of a puppy to see them acting this way. The good thing is that a fear period is short-lived and will pass. If they are concerned about something or someone, help them get more distance so they can observe the thing while feeling safe. They have a lot of needs and are totally dependent on you to meet those needs. Be patient as you help them learn how to live in our human world, and you can develop a strong, positive bond with your new companion. Getting a golden retriever puppy? Check out the Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook! This is heavily influenced by genetics, but is not always the best indicator of their adult weight. Some lines of Goldens are bigger or smaller than average, so puppy size will reflect that. Your vet can help you make sure that your puppy is at an appropriate weight if you have any concerns. Eight-week-old Golden Retrievers need around 18 hours of sleep each day. Oftentimes, a puppy that is wild and bitey is in fact overly tired and in need of a nap. It may seem like they need more exercise to drain that crazy energy, but they actually need sleep. Using crates and pens can help ensure that your puppy is getting enough sleep at night and throughout the day. Many two-month-old Goldens are not good at putting themselves down for a nap, even when they really need it. So, you may need to step in and help your puppy settle in for some sleep. Make sure that their crate or pen is nice and comfy before you put them in for a nap, so they are more able to relax and fall asleep. Every puppy is different, so yours may prefer a nice cushy bed , or they may actually like laying on the bare floor. You can take note of what kinds of surfaces your puppy lays on around the house and then recreate that in the crate or pen. Covering the crate or pen with a blanket can also help make sleep easier for a two-month-old puppy, as it cuts down on the visual stimulation. Products like Adaptil spray or diffuser , and the Snuggle Puppy toy can also help a puppy settle in for sleep. Chewing and licking are naturally calming behaviors for puppies, so it can also help if you offer something like a stuffed kong , which can assist in transitioning the puppy from awake to asleep. Playing Classical music can also help a puppy feel more calm and able to sleep. At this age, most two-month-old puppies are ready for sleep after about an hour of awake time, so by following these tips, you can help make sure your puppy is getting enough quality rest. Instead, you can give them a break and see if they choose to get up, or simply scoop them up and walk home. Sometimes people get a Golden Retriever to be a running or biking companion, which can be a great thing when the pup is a fully grown adult, but is too much exercise for a young puppy. Playing with toys in the house or in the yard can be a great way for young pups to burn some of that puppy energy. If you have a yard, letting your pup safely explore and run around outside can also be a nice way to get in some exercise. You may also find that your puppy needs more sleep on some days, and on other days, they need more playtime and exercise. Golden Retrievers as a breed can also vary a lot in terms of exercise needs. Some are pretty laid back and chill and others are up for anything and want to go hard. These differences can be reflected in how much energy your puppy has, as well as in what kind and how much exercise your puppy needs. Training is an excellent way to build a positive bond with your puppy and create a way to communicate with each other. Group puppy classes can be a good option for getting started with training, as the trainer will help you learn how to train your pup. You can also hire a certified, professional trainer to come to your home and provide personalized training guidance for you and your puppy. Before you sign up with any trainer, be sure to ask them what kind of training methods and tools they use, to avoid causing any physical or mental distress for your puppy. Potty training is definitely a top priority for two-month-old puppies. They have small bladders and bowels and will need frequent trips outside to help them learn appropriate potty behavior. Crate training can also be started at this age, as learning how to be okay with confinement is an important life skill. Eight-week-old Golden Retriever puppies eat about a half cup of food three times per day. There is no one-size-fits-all rule when it comes to feeding your two-month-old Golden. Puppies at this age need more frequent meals than adult Goldens, so three meals a day is recommended. Because two-month-old Goldens are undergoing so much growth at this stage, feed them high-quality food that can support them as they mature. Most Goldens have big appetites and will happily gobble down their meals when you serve them. Using slow feeder bowls like this bowl on Amazon , or other food dispensing toys, such as the Planet Dog Snoop , can help slow down their eating and provide them some mental stimulation while they eat. Puppies like to put things in their mouth as a way to learn and play. Unfortunately, it can be pretty painful for humans, as those puppy teeth are needle-sharp! There are, however, some things you can do to minimize and deal with the biting. First, ensure that your two-month-old Golden is getting enough sleep. Overly tired puppies tend to get super bitey and frenzied, so naps are key to preventing your puppy from turning into a piranha. Your floor might look a little cluttered, but it helps to keep toys within reach for a quick redirection. Third, you can simply give the puppy a break if they are on a biting spree. You could step on the other side of a baby gate or put them in their pen to calm down a bit, and then resume the play. This communicates to the puppy that when they bite, they lose access to you and the fun stops. A common piece of advice when dealing with puppy biting is to yelp in response to their nip, as if you were another dog. This is actually not a good way to handle puppy biting and can actually make it worse. Other puppies will be further excited by the yelp sound and come at you with even more intensity, resulting in harder bites. Good Beginnings Bringing a two-month-old Golden Retriever home is a very exciting thing. It can also feel pretty overwhelming as you figure out how to care for and train them. You might be sleep-deprived and have a couple scratches on your hand from those sharp puppy teeth, but try to keep in mind that this is the beginning of a special relationship with an incredible animal. Focus on bonding with your puppy, teaching them about the world, and creating good habits from the start. Have any questions about raising eight-week-old golden retrievers? Let me know down in the comments! Read the rest of our Golden Retriever puppy series here:. Golden Retriever puppies are easy to train to basic or advanced obedience standards. They enjoy physical activity and have many favorable traits as a gundog bred to retrieve downed game birds. They are friendly and gentle and often train as assistance or detection dogs due to their easy trainability. Apart from starting training while young, other breed-specific reasons make training a Golden Retriever puppy easy. Here are three examples: Golden Retrievers are among the smartest dog breeds. In his book, The Intelligence of Dogs , canine psychologist Stanley Coren ranks Goldens fourth of the brightest working dogs. So, even at just two months old, your puppy has it in his genes to learn and execute commands. To perform their original hunting job of retrieving felled ducks and other game birds in the Scottish marshland, Golden Retrievers had to be watchful, eager, and energetic. These are primary learning attributes. Golden Retrievers also have advanced skills as gundogs. They also have to excel at obedience. These are core training requirements that make your Golden Retriever easy to train. To succeed in your training mission, however, there are specific principles you need to follow. Read about these key training standards in the next section. Key Principles of Golden Retriever Puppy Training The purpose of any dog training is to have behavioral skills mastered. I explain these training requirements in my 10 key principles of successful Golden Retriever puppy training. However, they also have to handle grooming, making them feel uncomfortable. Your Golden Retriever can learn to manage this uneasiness if exposed to handling when young. In one study, puppies subjected to early gentling behaved more calmly at 8 weeks old than puppies not experiencing early handling. You can continue to hold your pup gently as soon as you arrive home. Teach Name Recognition How does your Golden Retriever puppy know you are talking to him if you only make commands? It would be best to teach him his name as this is the foundation for his future training. Say his name first, then give the command. That way, your pup knows to answer when you call. Assert Yourself as the Alpha Leader In dog training, your Golden Retriever must know that you are the boss from the start. Set rules and boundaries, and be consistent and fair. He will respect you as being top of the hierarchy. Never mistake being the alpha with punishment. It will only cause resentment. An alpha leader is calm and assertive, teaches his dog to be happily submissive, and approves of the behavior. Rewards reinforce the behavior, and you can use treats, a favorite toy, or activity, in conjunction with lots of verbal praise. Only Give a Command Once When it comes to training, you reap what you sow! Teach your pup to heed a command the first time you say it. Then make lots of eye contact. Repeat until he learns to obey the first time you give the cue. Dogs have poor short-term memory and will typically forget an experience in 2 minutes, as discovered in this experiment. However, dogs can recall your training commands through associative memory, which means they remember based on associations and not memories. For example, if you put your shoes on and grab your car keys, your Golden Retriever knows you are going out. Once your puppy has corrected his undesirable behavior with the required behavior, reward him with a high-value treat and heaps of praise. Other unacceptable confrontational methods include growling at your dog, forcefully removing an object from the mouth, withdrawing food, staring, using a shock collar, or tying your dog for hours. Your dog needs to have consistency, which means everyone else in the household. Dogs need simple training instructions, and everyone should also use the same verbal and non-verbal cues. Perform the same basic commands every day. At this young age, ten minute sessions are far better than a ten-minute session. For this reason, it is important to wean your puppy off treats when he has repeatedly performed the desired behavior and mastered it, including in different locations and with various distractions. With these ten principles, you can now apply them to the essential areas that you need to train your 8-week-old Golden Retriever puppy in first. How to Socialize a Golden Retriever Puppy Dogs are social creatures, especially the Golden Retriever, who is super friendly, good-natured, and loves to be around you. To socialize a Golden Retriever, expose him to many different experiences, places, and situations. Include noises, smells, other people, children, babies, animals, cars, bicycles, objects, the weather, etc. Early socializing and training your Golden Retriever plays a significant role in developing adult dogs, as found in this exciting study. Check out these two important findings: Dogs socialized well as puppies are less likely to display unwanted behavioral problems such as fear and aggression. Socialized dogs are more likely to engage in positive social behaviors with humans. They also learn better how to play games, helping them establish a real bond with their owners. Socialization will make your puppy feel confident around people and teach him to engage in his new world happily. You can teach your Golden Retriever social skills and confidence through intentional training moments in the family. My best tips: Take one step at a time. Use positive reinforcement. I often get asked whether you can socialize your puppy before his final vaccinations. Take him to non-doggy places or carry him where necessary. To potty train an 8-week-old Golden Retriever, create a separate area where you want your puppy to go, establish a routine, and start with hourly potty breaks. Supervise your puppy at all times, learn to spot the signs, and never punish him after an accident. Give lots of rewards and praise when he goes. Many new dog owners fall for this — your puppy has to learn to tell you he needs the toilet. Make sure you take your puppy outside often enough. Stick to your schedule! It is a gradual process for him to grasp this. It may take a few weeks to master potty training, not days! Usually, puppies will need to go early in the morning, after a meal, and after a play session. Use their natural rhythm for daily poop walks. Dogs hate messing in their sleeping area, and most will usually hold it. Walk your Golden after his morning meal and hang around for 15 minutes or so to allow him to poop. Do the same in the evening. Puppies need to be allowed to relieve themselves every hour, and a short walk every hours is an ideal routine. If you crate your puppy when going out, get friends or family to help you stick to your routine. Repeating this routine for the first few days will give your new pup a pretty good idea of your expectations. To crate train a Golden Retriever puppy, get him used to the crate by letting him explore it. When he is happy to go in and out freely, introduce treats or feed inside, and close the door; that way, he associates nice things with his crate. Gradually increase the time he spends inside with the door closed. Here are seven fundamental principles when crate-training your Golden Retriever: Let your puppy sleep in the crate at night. Initiate crate training on the very first day. It will be harder to succeed if he gets accustomed to other sleeping arrangements! My puppy cried during the early hours of the first night, but then, she was just fine. A rough guideline for puppies to be left alone in a crate is one hour for each month of age, up to four hours. Keep your puppy in the crate when unsupervised. It only sends a message that he can get his way. Instead, reward good behavior in the crate, i. He will quickly associate that being quiet leads to positive things. He will quickly learn that this is his particular spot. Interesting toys and comfy bedding will offer some solace for your Golden Retriever. Dogs are denning animals, so they often go underneath tables or desks. Instead, buy a crate with an adjustable divider that allows him to grow into it. My favorite is the MidWest Homes for Pets Dog iCrate from Amazon, as it has everything you need, including a divider and a handy removable wipe-clean plastic pan. Travel kennels like this Petmate Ultra Vari Kennel check price on Amazon are also hardy when you are on the move with your dog. This one is also airline adaptable and meets most airline cargo specifications. This sends a message that the bite hurts. Persist by leaving your hand in his mouth to prevent chase drive until he releases. Then, give praise and redirect the biting with a chew toy. When your puppy gets the hang of repeatedly letting go, and his bite becomes softer, this is a good sign that he is beginning to learn his bite inhibition. Helping a dog learn to curb the force of his bite is necessary to living with humans. All puppies need to master this technique that they initially began learning from their mother and siblings. Learn Bite Inhibition Training! Training your Golden Retriever puppy soft bite must be done in puppyhood as an adolescent dog will not be able to adjust the force of his jaws when he has adult teeth and jaw muscles. Remember to have realistic expectations, as it can take your puppy weeks to learn his bite inhibition. Teach a leash cue, and start very short walks. Reward with a treat and praise. You can do this by letting him wear them inside the house or yard for a few minutes. I use this one as it gives you more control, is inexpensive, and comes in various colors and styles. Give a treat when your dog obeys the command. Introduce your Golden Retriever to short outside walks on his leash. Anticipate the behavior and quickly distract him with a treat. Timing is the crucial part. Reward him every time commands are obeyed and gradually reduce the rewards as the art of leash walking is perfected. Follow the excellent training principles above and use reward-based training to train your puppy in these areas successfully. Be consistent in your commands, and always discipline at the precise moment of unwanted behavior. Are you looking for a puppy training schedule? Related Posts You May Like:. We took each puppy individually and did a rigorous eh, not really test to find out which puppies would be best suited to do service dog work. However, there were two tests that stood out: The Retrieve Test — We crumpled up a piece of paper next to our puppy to get his attention. I mentioned we performed 10 tests, but the results of the above two ended up determining which puppies would be our next service dog puppies in training. Puppy temperament testing is tiring! Liberty Berlin — While she performed about the same as all the other pups on every other test, Liberty stood out during the Umbrella Stability Test. She was the only puppy to enthusiastically approach the Umbrella. We knew from day 1 that Liberty was a confident puppy and had a good feeling that she would have no problem with the Umbrella. She lived up to our expectations boldly and playfully engaging the umbrella. Tank Bear — One of the larger puppies in the litter, Bear was our little cuddly buddy. He did not do well on the Umbrella Stability Test and neither did three of his siblings. However, Bear was a standout when it came to the Retrieve Test. Bear was the only puppy to run out, pick up, and bring back the crumpled-up piece of paper. Not only was he the only one to do it once he did it several times! Trooper Buster — Our smallest puppy by over 3 lbs. Trooper was our mini-mite. Even though he was the smallest he may have been the mightiest as he was the first of only 2 puppies Liberty was the other to climb out of the whelping box. While not exhibiting the enthusiasm of Liberty during the Umbrella Stability test Trooper had a more curious attitude towards the opened Umbrella as he approached, sniffed, and explored showing a more calm demeanor than Liberty. The response of the other puppies on the Umbrella Stability Test ranged from slowly moving away from the umbrella to cowering and running away from the umbrella. The Golden Bear Puppy — Checking out different surfaces. Day 56 — Puppy Names Since the beginning of this series, you may have noticed I listed 2 names for some of these puppies. After 8 weeks with these adorable puppies, they finally got to meet their puppy raisers. Bear stayed with us while Buster and Berlin went to new homes. Awww…Cuddly Golden Retriever puppies! Berlin — Our former first lady she was first born , Liberty first went to a puppy raiser home until she was 16 weeks old. Unfortunately, I did not have a puppy raiser to work with her for the full 18 months. As luck would have it the breeder we partnered with for this Golden litter was looking for a female puppy as a potential breeding dog. Again, we did not have a puppy raiser to train him and we looked to a service dog organization we volunteered with in the past. We contacted Tender Loving Canine Assistance Dogs and set up a meeting to have Buster tested, and he passed with flying colors. They fell in love with Buster on the spot and adopted him into their POOCH program where he is being trained at a prison to be a service dog. We kept our Lil Bear to train as a service dog. From the beginning, we knew he was a little softy, but he passed the retrieval test with flying colors so we had high hopes for him. We started taking him on outings to the book store, grocery stores, and shopping malls. He never showed the confidence we hoped and while he would eventually adapt to places after several visits he was always hesitant in new situations. He continued to progress and we were hopeful his confidence would grow as we exposed him to new environments and worked on his training. At the same time, an opportunity arose and we had to make a decision with Bear. Our friends had recently lost their long-time Golden Retriever, Sugar, and also tragically lost a puppy they had adopted. After discussing with my wife we decided to see if our friends were interested in adopting Bear. They said YES! And the rest is history. Heck, he has a huge following cheering for him every step of the way! Puppy Crate Training ? Once again, Happy Birthday to our Golden Litter! That concludes our 8-week journey with our Golden puppies! Just in case you missed any of the other blog posts in the series: Week 1 — Six Golden Retriever puppies are born! Week 3 — First bark! Week 7 — The great puppy escape artists! Week 8 — This is Week 8! I hope you enjoyed our pics and insights into raising a Golden Retriever litter. Raising a litter of puppies is a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. Definitely not for the faint at heart. If you have any questions or comments please leave us a note in the comment section below. Are you about to bring home an 8-week-old Golden Retriever puppy? If so, Puppies for Dummies is a good starting point for learning the basics of how to raise and train a puppy. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist. Colby Colby Morita has been raising and training guide and service dog puppies for over 13 years. Colby has been writing to the PuppyInTraining.

When you bring a new puppy home, it's important to keep feeding it the same food that it has been eating at its previous home. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source Talk to the person or organization that you are adopting your puppy from to see what food they are feeding it. They should willingly provide that info and they may even send you home with some if you can't find any to buy. If you can't find the right food in your local pet supply store, consider ordering it online. However, you would need to order it ahead of time so that you have it on hand when the puppy comes home. If you want to feed your puppy a different food from what it has been eating, you will need to switch its food over the course of several days. Feed that mix for several days. Finally, you can give the puppy all new food. If you are content to give your puppy the food it was originally eating, it's fine to do that. Every puppy will have different nutritional needs. Because of this, it's a good idea to discuss proper nutrition with your vet. They can suggest great foods to give your puppy and how much it should be eating. Go to source The right portion size depends on the size of your puppy and its metabolism. Ask your vet to teach you how to body score your puppy. This will allow you to do a quick visual check to see whether your puppy is losing or gaining weight. Tip: If your vet suggests a specific food but doesn't tell you how much to give your puppy, follow the instructions on the packaging. Doing 3 or 4 feedings per day allows your puppy to get enough nutrients without overwhelming its digestive system with a huge amount of food at once. This is especially important when your puppy is under 6 months old, as they have delicate systems. Go to source Don't just leave the food out all day. Take the food away after the puppy eats for about 10 or 15 minutes. Lab puppies should always have access to fresh water so that they can stay adequately hydrated. Put out a dish of water and dump it out, clean the dish, and refill it daily. Some puppies are really messy with their water dishes. To prevent a mess, try putting the water dish on a tray, so that spilled water won't go right onto the floor. How does it feel to be a new puppy parent? You must be chuffed. Take a look at these first few articles. All the ingredients you need for a happy home. But for now, beside your bed is the best place for your puppy to sleep — it will help them feel safe. Puppies like their crates rather cave-like; we suggest covering it with a blanket to block out light, but keep the front open so that they can see outwards. Make sure to make it snug inside with something like a vet bed or a blanket, or why not take it up a notch with a heat pad or hot water bottle to recreate the feeling of their mother. Nothing feels more comforting than that. Before you head to bed, take your puppy out for one last round of loo-going. Set your bedtime at a later time too — midnight sounds about right. Come back calmly, and place your puppy in the crate and turn out the light. Stuff you should know about Sleep Training your Labrador Your puppy will wake up several times in the night and will need the bathroom at least once! Be prepared for not-so-deep sleeps and tired mornings — just for the first few weeks. Having them sleep next to you is only temporary. Consistency is key! As for you, full nights of sleep will start getting closer and closer. Alone Training How can I teach my Labrador puppy to be ok on their own? Start by feeding your puppy in their crate during meal times. If they seem worried by you leaving, stay in view, and just pop right outside their confinement area. Keep it short and sweet: No need to stay away for long, 60 seconds tops will do for now. Repeat: Do this at least once a day to make progress go steady and smoothly. Socialization Exercises To Do this week Letting your Labrador puppy explore the yard Besides the gnomes and questionable yard furniture you may have, letting your puppy explore your own yard is a great and safe way to start showing them the sounds, lights and wonders of the outside world. Exploring different surfaces exercise Make sure that the surfaces you use are safe — nothing too crazy just yet. Gather surfaces such as An oven tray with a small layer of water A piece of astro turf A carpet tile A large piece of tin foil, cardboard or something crinkly PRO TIP: Set up for this exercise in the room your puppy spends most of their time in — it will help them to feel safe and confident. Pop the surfaces out safely on the floor and allow your puppy to investigate them. Nobody has ever enjoyed walking on those. Remember to be patient! Lucky for you — teaching them their name is easy peasy. Say their name in a happy jolly tone and reward with a treat. Repeat five times, 5 and take a break. Practice this 2 or 3 times a day so they get the hang of it. Teach your puppy to sit Teaching your puppy how to sit is a popular one. The first two are far more common though. Keep using this word when they do the right thing, and then follow it up with a food reward. In puppy logic, stinky means yummy. How to do it Start at home; where there are no distractions. Just make sure to shut off Gogglebox in the background. Recall — How to teach our Labrador puppy to come back when called Your puppy already knows their name at this point, so this should be a walk in the park. How to do it Treats and a cheerful voice will be what works here. Do these exercises before meal times so your puppy is more motivated. Practice this 5 times a day and in 3 different places in your house and yard to get them used to coming to you in all settings. How to do it Show your puppy that you have their favorite toy, and start to get them excited about it. When they show interest, throw it a little bit away from you. They will likely follow it and pick it up. If they do, encourage them back to you with your voice, so remember to sound happy! Swap the toy for a treat or another toy and do the process again. Repeat this about 5 times. Instead create more distance and excitement sounds to get them to come to you — spaniels like to show off, so they will likely want to parade what they have! Always swap the toy for something when they have it, this could be a treat or another toy. Resource guarding occurs when we force puppies to give up items or snatch things out of their mouths. For breeds like Labradors who are designed to want to hold things in their mouths, this is pretty important! Resource guarding is when a dog protects a resource from being taken by someone else — dog or human. For some reason, there is a solid list of things puppies find irresistible: Socks. Fact checked by Emily Estep Emily Estep is a biologist and fact checker focused on environmental sciences. Emily has been a proofreader and editor at a variety of online media outlets over the past decade and has reviewed more than articles for The Spruce Pets for factual accuracy. These smart, social dogs are known for their amiable temperaments and their patience. Traditionally bred as hunting dogs, Labs also are among the most popular service dogs, acting as guide dogs for blind people and as therapy dogs. By socializing these dogs early, you can tap into their natural instincts as protectors and companions. Socialize Puppies Labs are natural born people pleasers. Introduce your Lab puppy to as many new people and places as possible during the early months of its life. Keep each new meeting and experience positive and upbeat. Doing this will reinforce your Lab's natural tendency to be friendly and accepting of everyone. If you have young children in the home, be sure to socialize them to the animal as well as the reverse. Although Labs are patient and tolerant, they may still nip at a child who teases or hurts them during play. Make sure everyone knows the boundaries and rules. Exercise Every Day Labrador retrievers are high energy dogs, which is part of the reason they are such great pets for active families. But if Labs aren't given sufficient exercise, they can quickly become bored. This often leads to destructive behavior and other common behavior problems , such as barking, chewing, and digging. It's also why Labs are not well-suited for apartment living; they're too big and too active. Plan on giving your Lab an hour or more of exercise each day. Most Labs love long walks or a game of fetch. These are the perfect way to burn off your Lab's energy. Take advantage of their innate trainability by starting an obedience program as soon as you bring your Labrador retriever home. You can work on basic obedience commands on your own, or sign up for a dog obedience class with a local dog trainer. Classes are a great way to train your Lab while socializing at the same time. Since Labs get to be fairly large and have a tendency to pull on the leash, make walking on a loose leash your first priority. You should also teach your Lab to "come," "drop it," and "fetch," so you can take advantage of its natural tendency for retrieving. Use Positive Reinforcement Training Their eagerness to learn, playfulness, affectionate natures, and their love of treats make Labrador retrievers fantastic candidates for positive reinforcement dog training. Reward their good behaviors with a small treat, a game, or some cuddle time with you. You'll find your Lab is soon offering you the behaviors you like with little prompting. If you decide to use treats in your training, remember that Labs have a tendency to become overweight. Plan on a Long Adolescence One of the most endearing qualities of Labrador retrievers is that they remain very puppy-like long after they've reached adulthood. The downside is that their energy level and tendency to get into mischief continues well into adulthood as well. Therefore, it pays to have behavior management tools handy. The training to become a service animal will vary depending on what the dog will be doing; some are trained to be animal companions to sick children and adults in the hospital, while others are trained to serve as seeing-eye dogs. Others may provide assistance to people with mental illnesses, or behavioral problems. Check the requirements for licensing and training where you live; some places have more strict rules and requirements for service dogs than others. Problems and Proofing Behavior Many Labrador retrievers are happiest and the most well-behaved when they have a job to do. Consider getting involved with a dog sport or training your Lab as a service animal or pet therapy dog. Crate train your Labrador so it doesn't have the run of the house when you're not there to supervise Provide your Lab with a variety of interesting toys and chews to keep it from getting bored. Continue practicing basic obedience commands; it reinforces your Lab's training and provides mental stimulation. No matter what training you decide on, keeping your Lab busy and active is sure to keep one of those famous Lab smiles on its face. Article Sources The Spruce Pets uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. McGreevy, Paul D et al. Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Canine genetics and epidemiology vol. Learning to be alone Happiness is a Balancing Act Your job is a bit of a balancing act. Keeping your little one happy, while ensuring that he is educated in the ways of our curious human world, and that he learns to behave himself Here are a few tips to help you along the way. This is natural and normal. It makes them feel safe. Puppies also feel safe if they have a den, a place of safety, like the whelping box or nest where they were born, to rest in when they are on their own. But you can hurry that process up by leaving the door open all day and leaving food and nice toys in there for your puppy to find. If you or your children are very excited, your puppy will get excited too. He may get very overexcited, which is when biting can get very out of hand. Of course, there are bound to be times when, despite your best efforts, your puppy gets a little too over-excited. But, learning how to deal with this can help calm things back down. Outdoor Time To Potty I get a lot of questions from people that are struggling with potty training because they are expecting a new puppy to go too long without a wee during the day. Sometimes two or three hours. Some eight week old puppies will empty their bladder in the garden, come indoors and wee again just 15 or 20 minutes later! This is very annoying, but it is a short-lived phase. Restricted Access Many people find it hard to cope with their puppy simply because they are giving him access to too large an area of the family home. He has no chance of learning to be clean if he cannot be watched constantly by a family member and is far more likely to have accidents on carpets, than on hard floors. He will also be constantly in trouble for chewing things he should never have been able to reach. Baby gates are a brilliant way of restricting very small puppies to a fairly small designated part of your home with washable floors. The puppy can then be gradually introduced to more rooms as they mature. The Right Feeding Routines Puppies often have sensitive tummies. Especially in the first few days and weeks in their new home. Most Labrador puppies are greedy and will eat large meals. The quantities on food packet are daily rations and should be divided into at least four portions to begin with. And the result is can be a nasty attack of diarrhea, although of course there are other causes of upset stomaches too! Puppies need to be out and about. There is a small period of time during which puppies can easily accept new experiences. And after which they become fearful of strangers, strange objects, and strange experiences. This unique time slot is called the window for socialization, and it is all but closed before the puppy is 14 weeks old. So you need to get your puppy out and about, meeting all kinds of people, vehicles, shops, machinery, and so on. Positive Reinforcement Leads To Happiness! Nowadays we train dogs using positive reinforcement. Essentially this means with rewards. These rewards can be anything he enjoys, from toys, to food, to simply running around. But puppies need to be shown how to earn rewards the right way. So that we get the right responses from them. It is all too easy to reward your puppy for doing the wrong things. Lots of puppies learn to bark to get attention for example or to jump up to get a stroke. There are lots of games you can play with puppies to help them learn how to earn rewards. Let the puppy know what you like them doing with a marker word like YES and follow it up with a treat. You can start rewarding your puppy like this, for making eye contact with you, right from the very first day. Learn To Be Happy Alone? All companion dogs need to be alone at times. And the best time to learn this skill is when he is small. As soon as your puppy has settled in to his new den, after the first few days it is time to start leaving him alone for short periods of time. Pull up a chair and start by getting the puppy used to being shut in the crate with you next to him. When he is happy to be crated while you are there, you can start leaving him for very short periods of time. Just a few seconds to begin with. Time Off The Leash! Small puppies have a powerful following response — I call this the safety response because they do it to feel safe. If you put and eight week old puppy on the ground and walk away, he will follow you. If you keep your puppy on a leash for the first six months of his life, when you let him off he will no longer have this following reflex, and you will have wasted a great opportunity to establish this good behavior. Check out below for a demonstration, on teaching the puppy recall. So that he can learn to follow in your footsteps as you lead the way in exploring the great wide world. Obviously this needs to be done in a very safe space. Later on when you take your puppy into a more distracting environment, you should attach a trailing line to their harness for safety. If your little one is allowed on the sofa today, he may think he is allowed on the sofa tomorrow. Decide what your rules are, and work out how to achieve them. Find out everything you can about how puppies learn so that you can teach your puppy how to live in our world, with love and kindness. 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. Labrador Retriever pups are working dogs. This means they live to please you for a treat. The more you engage them with different puppy training behaviors the happier they will be. Of course, Labs will be Labs, and this means that dogs do dog things unless they are trained to follow your expectations. Potty training your puppy is just the beginning of you making clear expectations for your Lab. Puppy training from long leash training to potty training, to not nipping is discussed in greater detail along with clear, easy to follow videos at www. But we will give you an expert training tip summary below. For this reason, you need to become an expert on puppy training. Contact us for a discount on the Puppy Trained Right positive reinforcement training program. Expose your puppy to as many different people and situations possible. Teach dog to dog manners when required. Use Positive Reinforcement. Allow for Play with Other Puppies. Play with other Lab Puppies not only allows your pup to get some exercise it is a form of puppy socialization. Bond with your Puppy. Once a strong bond is formed your Lab Puppy will want to please you even more. Potty Train Right Away. Learn how Dogs Learn. Training a Lab puppy is easy if you understand how to go about it. Give your Lab Puppy Play time to Explore. Labs need this as part of their natural development. Spend more time with your puppy when young. This is the time when your expectations should be clearly outlined and can decrease as she gets older. Begin Training day 1. This happens weather or not you intend it to. Every action and reaction is something your puppy uses to form new habits. So ignoring them jumping up as an 8 week old puppy is training them to jump up and will be much more difficult to un-train once they are 70 lbs. Relax and make learning fun. Your pup needs you happy and enjoying yourself! Use Positive Training Methods because they work. This means reward what you desire. Ensure most Experiences are Positive. Imagine a training session of No, No, No, No! Expose them to as Many Human Situations possible. One cause is that there was not adequate socialization with different men. Be Patient. You are building an amazing K9 personality. The window is between 8 and 20 weeks old. Make the most of it. The better your Lab is socialized the happier they will be. Anxiety in dogs comes from many things. The more things your dog is comfortable with the less chance for anxiety and therefore the happier they are. Prepare yourself, your family and your home before your puppy comes home. It is too late once you meet your puppy as simply interacting with her is training. Allow for Safe Experiences both in the home and outside. Seek professional trainers to help guide you when faced with a problem. Be consistent. Clear expectations are easiest to learn. Focus on Guiding not controlling. Best Start Training or Training Classes are beneficial for both you and your puppy. Expect Success. We tend to move in the direction we believe we will travel. Reward the Behaviors you want to see even something as simple as 4 paws on the ground if you are trying to train your Lab not to jump up on you. Become Well informed. You are teaching a skill like reading that takes clear expectations and builds upon last session. Lab Puppies need constant supervision either human, a crate, a fenced area or a baby gate across a doorway. Encourage a soft mouth. Keep your training up or it will be forgotten. Begin Walking on a Loose Leash Right away. This is always easier for your Lab when they are 12 lbs not 70lbs. Change direction before the leash tightens so they are followers not leaders. This is much easier to train before it happens than correct. Allow alone time for your Lab. Know when to end a training session. End training before your puppy quits. Make time for a few shorter training Sessions. Three fifteen minute sessions are better than one 45 min one. Teach your Lab to respond to their name. Teach your Labrador basic obedience before tricks-come, sit, stay, down, leave it. Have all humans learn the commands and be consistent. Ignore undesirable behaviors. Ignoring includes not saying no, bad dog, touching your dog or making eye contact. Find rewards that your Retriever loves and use them when you have breakthrough training moments. Adjust your expectations as your Lab puppy matures, the older more experienced the higher the expectation. Set Realistic Expectations. Minimize distractions when you begin training. Be aware of your Body Language, Labradors pick up cues from you. Be aware of your leash tension. A tight leash says anxiety from the handler. Know when to get Help .Have fun! Understand that Labs do Lab things. Make them work for food and treats. Exercise your Retriever properly for both intensity and duration. Learn some exercise games Labs love. Give lots of repetition. Stop before they get bored. Establish a Pattern by Praising. Redirect undesired behavior. Accept partial actions at first and gradually increase your expectations. When treats end Verbal treats and chin scratches rule. They will know. Enjoy your well balanced purebred Lab puppy for many years. Purebred Lab Retrievers, are they easier to train? The answer to that is definitely maybe! Not all purebreds are bred for intelligence. For example, if a Labrador Retriever breeder chooses to breed their dogs for a certain look then they may overlook intelligence as one of the important characteristics in order to get a specific Lab look. We however breed for intelligence, health and temperament. So in our case, yes, our Purebred Lab Puppies are easier to train than many because we choose the parents and their puppies specifically for their smarts!

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MarciPooch Perks Lover Why Pooch Perks Stands out We hand select the products in our themed boxes from many different vendors which allows for a variety of items in our boxes. At Pooch Perks, we offer a monthly dog box that gives your furry canine friend something new to enjoy every month. Customize Your Box While our team designs the dog boxes each month around a specific theme, there are customization options available. Choose from a mix of toys and treats or a box that contains toys only, making it the perfect gift for dogs with food sensitivities. We take great pride in curating a fun monthly dog subscription box every month so you and your pooch both look forward to what may arrive. Choose the perfect monthly dog box for your furry family member today! One of the most popular membership boxes out there, BarkBox is all about themes. You and your pup are sure to be delighted by each month's delivery. From Scooby-Doo to Cinco de Mayo, the boxes come filled with two toys, two treats, and a chew curated to fit the theme. When you sign up, you will answer a few questions about your pup weight, age, and allergies. Shipping is free within the contiguous United States, and BarkBox even has an online shop selling more toys and surprises. If your pup likes to chew , you might want to opt for the Super Chewer box filled with impossible-to-destroy toys. You can cancel at any time on a month-to-month plan, but the other plans cannot be canceled. You can also get boxes that provide your dog with both premium-made toys and treats. Based on box selection, your package may contain five or six surprises for your pet, and you can customize the toys based on their preferences. This brand is a great choice for anyone looking for value. Each month you will receive a box of well-made toys and treats for less than you would spend in a store. The BoxDog subscription box is a monthly service that comes with two treats, one skincare item, and two to three toys, clothing, or accessories you pick. Choose from items such as a dog jacket, a squeaky toy, or a premium leash, depending on what your dog needs. Your first BoxDog box typically ships within a couple of business days, and then every three months for the seasonal plans. BoxDog is a great choice for any pet parent who wants a less-frequent subscription box and likes curating items for their pup. Instead, consider a monthly subscription like the Pet Treater box, which offers a toy-only bundle or a treat-only package. Items like stuffed animals, chew toys, and rope pulls will make sure your furry friend will never be bored again. Want more for your little buddy? Choose from a monthly subscription, or pay for multiple months in advance to save even more. You can cancel at any time, and customer service representatives are always available via live chat, email, or phone. You can even tell the customer support team to avoid certain types of toys e. Best for Chewers: Bullymake Sign Up Now Anyone with an intense chewer knows the pain of seeing a brand new dog toy in shreds after only a few minutes. But if a chewing debacle happens, the company offers to send a replacement as long as you provide a photo of the sacrificed toy. Every box comes with two to three chew toys and three healthy treats. While Bullymake boxes cost more than some other choices on our list, the price is worth it for toys that last. This monthly subscription includes a trendy bandana with every installment, as well as two treats and two toys for your pooch. We give bonus points to the Dapper Dog Box for how easy it is to cancel or skip a month without speaking to customer service just do it on your profile. This subscription offers fresh dog food packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. All ingredients are human-grade and never processed, nor do they contain artificial ingredients or fillers. Every shipment arrives cold and should be frozen until you're ready to feed your dog. This monthly subscription is made by the same company that offers BarkBox, but this service is focused specifically on dog dental hygiene. With every box, the company donates bowls of food to shelter pets in need, so you can feel good about spoiling your pooch. The longer you subscribe, the cheaper the monthly cost. And, you can cancel any time with a month-to-month subscription. Even if your dog does not love one of the toys which we doubt is possible , you will still feel great about giving back and helping a shelter dog in need. While the company doesn't offer full or partial refunds, you can send them an email with a photo if your package is damaged and they will try to resolve the problem. You can also cancel your subscription at any time. The price depends on the type of surprise you want for your pup treats or toys, for example and how often you want a box delivered. A dog subscription box is often cost-effective if you tend to get your dog treats and toys regularly. Many companies charge less than pet store prices. What Comes in a Dog Subscription Box? Most shipments include a variety of products such as toys, treats, and chews. Heavy chewers, dogs with allergies , or pups that ignore toys can all benefit from a dog subscription box. While some dog subscription boxes only provide chews and treats, most come with a toy or two every month. If you are mostly interested in toys, you can opt for a box specializing in dog toys such as Pet Treater Dog Box or Bullymake. These options are great for dogs that go through toys quickly, requiring frequent replacements. Related Topics. Design: Liked the theme and the toys were definitely durable. Health: Treats were made in the U. I mean, I love celebrating Halloween early as much as the next person, but in March? Mostly I was just weirded out by feeling like I'd been sent a Halloween box in March? Happy early Halloween, y'all! But in addition to that, everything in the box felt extremely high quality. Design: Both dog toys here felt very high-end and durable. Neither one was hideous, and I liked that there was a subtle St. I also loved that the rope toy is created through Fundacion Mitz which gives jobs to women in vulnerable communities. Health: I appreciated that the Loving Pets treats were made in the U. Customer Experience: I canceled my subscription via email, and it was easy. The customer service representative was pleasant and I liked that I got an email warning me that my subscription was renewing before I was out of the cancellation window. Summary: I was skeptical of this box going in because subscribing on the Greater Good site felt a little jenky, but I was actually really wow-ed by the quality of the items in the box and the value. I loved the products, and loved even more knowing that my purchase was feeding shelter animals. And our pick for the best Dog subscription box is… Okay, I lied. I love that it gives back, and everything in it felt really high-quality and thoughtfully-curated. I loved seeing a Fair Trade toy in the box, too. It felt good to buy an indulgent treat for our pups that also helped pups in need. Thanks for reading! Pin It The Dapple sometimes receives a small affiliate income when you shop using links featured on our site. Never Miss a Pupdate Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Email Address. Directly supports hungry shelter animals Gives you a premium assortment of products Still affordable considering the included donation Cons Subscription doesn't accommodate food allergies Why It Made the List Anyone who has a rescue or simply loves dogs is sure to appreciate The Animal Rescue Site's subscription box. RescueBox lets you spoil your dog every month while supporting a good cause in the process. With every RescueBox, you'll be sent five premium products, and The Animal Rescue Site will provide dozens of meals to homeless pets and shelter animals through its charitable partners located in the U. If you've been on the fence about splurging on a monthly dog subscription, RescueBox gives you the perfect excuse to do so. Subscriptions for small, medium, and large dogs are all the same price and include the same number of products. No other customizations can be made beyond dog size, but the treats, chews, and toys you receive are always carefully selected by a team of pet experts. The products also follow a monthly theme, so your dog will get to enjoy an exciting variety of high-quality goodies, and you'll feel good knowing that your subscription is helping pets in need. Yes Products Include: Treats, toys, and chews Final Thoughts If you want convenient monthly deliveries of different toys and treats for a price that doesn't make you think twice about spoiling your dog, a subscription to BarkBox gets you the most bark for your buck. Some subscriptions let you customize your plan based on your dog's needs and preferences, while others have experts that curate an assortment of goodies based on a new theme; BarkBox does both. You can expect a fun-themed variety of premium toys every month but can also customize your plan to your dog. Upgrading your plan to accommodate another dog or one who just goes through toys fast will increase your bill but will also qualify you for free shipping. It can be hard guessing whether or not your dog will like something you order online, but all BarkBox plans have a percent satisfaction guarantee. Free shipping isn't always included, but when it's not, you can often qualify for it by adding extra products to your order. None of the subscriptions on this list require committing to a certain number of boxes, though most plans are automatically set up for either 12 months or four quarters of recurring deliveries. You're always free to cancel whenever you want, and you never have to pay the cost of the entire subscription period upfront if you prefer month-to-month payments. Chewy's Goody Box is the only exception because unless you set up recurring shipping at checkout, every box must be ordered individually. Most dog subscription boxes contain bundles of both food and non-food items, but Pooch Perks , Bullymake , and Pet Treater let you adjust your plan to receive only toys. However, if accessories are the non-food item you prefer, BoxDog is the best option. While the subscription does include treats and toys, it also sends skin care products and lets you pick out accessories every month. The same applies to Bark Bright , which will supply you with a monthly supply of toothpaste and chews. Methodology To find the best dog subscription boxes, our team reviewed nearly two dozen services, evaluating each one on the following criteria: Average price Number of items per box Variety of products.

They Are Naturally Mouthy Golden Retrievers are a mouthy breed, to begin with, they are naturally inclined to pick up and hold anything and everything in their mouths. While it may seem like there is something wrong with your puppy to cause him or her to bite so much, rest assured, all puppies bite, not just Golden Retriever puppies. Play Behaviour When you see a litter of pups play together, they often nip and bite at one another. It is their way of socializing and initiating play. Your puppy will bite and nip at you during playtime with you because it is a natural behaviour to them. They Are Teething Many people associate puppy biting with teething, however when a puppy is teething they will resort to chewing and mouthing in order to relieve their pain. They may chew or mouth on your hands and fingers, but teething is not the cause of biting that every puppy owner experiences. Puppy biting is most often just play. To summarize, puppy biting is normal and should be expected as a puppy owner. In general, biting will naturally subside in Golden Retriever puppies around the age of months. This is around the time that their adult teeth have come in. Puppies at this age usually already know how to moderate their bite, and will not bite or nip at you as much as they did when they were younger. While biting anything and everything is normal behaviour to your puppy, it is not something that you want your puppy to continue to do. It is up to you to teach your puppy not to bite humans, especially children. Take a look at the common mistakes puppy owners often make, and learn to avoid them. Puppies who are excited bite more. Children often fall victim to the most puppy bites because they get very excited around puppies and this just gets the puppy going which results in biting. Any attention that you give your puppy after they bite you will seem like a reward to your puppy, and the biting will just continue. Yelling at your puppy, pushing them away, talking to your puppy, or even looking at them is giving them the attention that they want. Bite inhibition is when your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite. Puppies learn this skill when they are with their littermates, which is why they need to stay with them and their mother until they are 8 weeks old. Playing with their littermates teaches puppies that biting too hard hurts and will end playtime. The puppy then learns to bite softer. When your puppy comes home with you, it is up to you to teach your puppy how to control the force of their bite. Biting down on the thick fur coat of his mother or littermates is a lot different than biting down on human skin. By not teaching your puppy bite inhibition, you will risk your puppy turning into a dangerous adult. Puppy bites are a lot different than adult dog bites. Once your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite, eventually the bites become gentler, and in time, your puppy will learn to stop biting altogether. This is part of teaching your puppy bite inhibition. This is a way to mimic how puppies play together, when one puppy bites another puppy too hard, that puppy yelps in pain, and will walk away. In some cases, puppies could get even more worked up by the noise and keep on biting. This is when you need to walk away. When your puppy has calmed down, you can resume playing with your puppy. When your puppy bites you again, repeat the steps of yelping and walking away. Eventually, your puppy will learn to soften his bite, because biting too hard ends playtime. The following video discusses why puppies bite, how to teach bite inhibition and how to survive puppy biting. It is a good idea to have a few chew toys on hand to offer up as a distraction from your skin. Check out this list of the best teething toys for puppies. This will get your puppy to stop and focus on being obedient. A great way to solve boredom is by going for a walk with your puppy. How much exercise should you give your Golden Retriever puppy? A good rule of thumb is 5 minutes of exercise for every month that your puppy is alive. So a 3-month-old puppy should get 15 minutes of exercise a day, a 5-month-old puppy should get 25 minutes per day, and so on. This is in addition to and not instead of playtime. Bitter Apple Spray can also be used to prevent your puppy from nipping and biting at you. Before you interact with your puppy, spray it on your arms, legs, pant legs, or sleeves, anywhere that your puppy likes to nip at you. Once your puppy bites at you, he will get a bad taste in his mouth and will stop. Bitter Apple Spray may not work on all puppies, some may actually develop a taste for it. I know that when my Golden Retriever Ellie was a pup this stuff worked amazingly well, but as she got older she developed a taste for bitter things such as crab apples which are extremely sour and she once sucked on a vinegar packet that was lying on the ground! Reward Good Behaviour Every time your puppy stops biting and nipping at you, you need to see this as positive behaviour. Good behaviour should be rewarded so that your puppy learns that he did something good. Rewarding good behaviour with affection and praise is great, you can also use treats, or toys, sometimes the best reward for your puppy is just spending time with them. Be Patient and Consistent Owning a puppy requires a lot of patience! It is so easy to lose your patience at times, but you need to know that your puppy is learning what is right and wrong, and that takes time. It might not happen overnight, but as long as you remain consistent and patient, your pup will learn good behaviour. If your puppy is nipping at your pant legs or sleeves, chances are he is loving the tugging feeling and is actually already playing tug-of-war. Instead of using your clothing, redirect his attention to a rope toy. One thing to be careful of is being too rough with tug-of-war, especially when your puppy is going through his teething phase. A game of fetch offers your pup a distraction from biting, and Golden Retriever puppies naturally love to retrieve things. This is a great way to also teach your puppy to drop it, by offering a treat when your puppy drops the ball or rope toy. A well-socialized puppy will be less likely to exhibit any unwanted behaviours later on. Enrolling your pup in puppy kindergarten or arranging some play dates with other dogs who are friendly and vaccinated is a great way for your pup to learn social skills. Other dogs are sometimes the best teachers for a puppy because they will let your puppy know what is okay for play and what is not okay, in terms of biting and nipping. Always supervise your puppy while playing with other dogs. Yelling at your puppy will only make your puppy scared and confused as well as lose trust and respect for you. Common mistakes people make when their puppy is biting are pushing them away, clamping down on their mouths or spraying them in the face with water. All of these are a bad idea! Your puppy could see this behaviour as a form of play and continue biting and nipping at you even harder. If you remain calm and use a firm voice not yelling , your pup will see you as in charge. Puppies and dogs often exhibit the same behaviour as we do, if you get upset and start yelling, your puppy will just get even more excited. As unpleasant as puppy biting is, it is normal behaviour. Your puppy biting and nipping at you with a mouth full of shark teeth may seem aggressive, but it is most often just out of curiosity and play behaviour. Golden Retrievers are known for their calm and gentle demeanour, but there are rare instances where you may have an aggressive puppy on your hands. Puppies who have been taken away from their litter earlier than weeks, bad breeding, being abused, a chemical imbalance, and not being socialized are all reasons for aggression in puppies. Signs of an aggressive puppy include barking, growling, lunging at you or another dog, a stiff posture, and showing teeth. If you think your puppy is aggressive, it is important to work with a professional dog trainer or behaviourist in order to find out the reasons for aggression and work on correcting the behaviour before it gets worse. It is important to keep your calm and work with your puppy to teach him the important skill of bite inhibition, and to redirect his biting to more appropriate behaviour. Socializing your puppy, as well as rewarding good behaviour will all help to turn your puppy into a well-behaved dog. Have you tried any of the tips mentioned above? Do you have any other tips to stop Golden Retriever puppy biting? Share your thoughts and comments below, as well as any questions you may have. I would love to hear from you. Jenny I am the proud owner of a Golden Retriever named Ellie. She keeps me busy, and when she is resting, you can find me working on my blog. She is always close by though. I live in Stirling, ON Canada with my husband, and we both enjoy the never a dull moment life with our Ellie. Spread the love. But much like other puppies, a Golden Retriever puppy has a tendency to chew and bite. So, how can you train your Golden Retriever puppy not to bite? Consistency is the key to teaching your Golden Retriever puppy not to bite. However, you have to train your dog to behave, and that includes keeping them from biting. This article may contain affiliate links and loyalgoldens may earn a commission if a purchase is made. Unlock your goldens natural intelligence and see just how quickly problem behaviors disappear. This is the best at home dog training I've ever used! Get up and walk away from the dog. Leave the room if you can. Focus on something else for a bit. And believe me, a Golden Retriever puppy or not always wants your attention! Now, you may not see immediate results with this method, but it will work over time if you remain consistent. Sending your new puppy mixed signals will only confuse him or her. You can pet your dog to reward them for not getting mouthy with your hand or fingers while playing. It can take a while to get to this stage, so be patient. When, your dog gets through an entire play session without biting, that deserves some extra love. Now, you have to be careful not to give too much attention when your dog does bite. If your Golden Retriever reverts to biting out of excitement or nervousness, immediately stop giving them attention. Turn away and ignore your dog like what you did before. Hopefully, they will get the message more quickly, so you can go back to playing without them biting. Use a firm tone rather than a cute tone you might use when praising your dog. When you say no, use physical signals to get your Golden Retriever to stop. Take your hand out of their mouth and move it out of reach. Make sure anyone who trains the dog uses the same firm tone. Tips to stop golden retriever pups from biting. Watch for Patterns Another way you can train your Golden Retriever puppy to stop biting is to watch for patterns. See if your dog tends to bite more at certain times of day, in the same room, or while playing with a particular toy. When your dog does bite, you can use other methods to get them to stop immediately. But after the fact, write down the date, time, and situation. If multiple people are training your dog, you should also log who your dog tends to bite. That way, you can see if there are patterns. Use Bitter Spray When you start training your Golden Retriever puppy, you may want to try using a bitter spray on your hands. Try this bitter spray Amazon , it works on your hands to stop chewing and biting and it also works on other things around the house that a new puppy might want to chew on like houseplants, furniture, etc. This can be an easy way to get your dog not to bite you. Now, this can be difficult if your dog bites other areas of your body, but it can help. You might get quicker results than if you only stuck to ignoring your dog. Have Lots of Toys Another excellent way to train your Golden Retriever to stop biting you is to use toys. You should be careful and use toys when your dog exhibits good behavior. But you can give your dog chew toys so that they have something they can bite. There is even a teething ring for dogs Amazon that you keep in the freezer and it provides something cool to chew on to help ease the pain during this period of your puppies life. Then, your dog will want to behave well when they play with you. Discover how to train your Golden Retriever by playing games : 21 games to play with your Golden that will make them smarter and better behaved! You can have a bag of small treats in your pocket that you use when playing with your dog. Whenever they go a long time without biting, you can give them a treat. You can also use the treats to distract your dog. If you know their patterns and when they usually bite, you can preempt that with a treat. Then, your dog can chew on the food rather than your hand. There are tons of treats out there, so go with something small. Try to avoid using treats as a bribe, and focus on making them a reward. That way, your dog can look forward to a treat for their good habits. Start As Soon as Possible Training your Golden Retriever puppy not to bite should start as soon as you bring your puppy home. If you wait until your dog gets into the habit of biting, it will be hard to break. You may still need to use various ways to train your dog, but it should be easier. Starting when your puppy is super young can also help them with other areas of their life. If you can train them not to bite, you will know how they learn best, which will help you train them for other things. It will also be harder if you use one method while your spouse uses another method. Everyone in your household should decide on how and when to train your Golden Retriever puppy. Use the same toys or treats, train your dog simultaneously, or use the same speaking tone. That way, your dog can learn from everyone rather than a single trainer. Then, you all can enjoy your Golden Retriever, and they can develop good habits. Final Thoughts Training a Golden Retriever to stop biting can take some time. You have to figure out when your dog bites and what triggers the biting. Then, you have to determine how your dog learns best and use that method to train your puppy. But once you find the perfect tool, your dog will learn to stop biting. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase the item. This comes at no extra cost to you. Wish your golden retriever puppy would stop biting so much? Puppy nipping is one of the most frustrating things about raising a new puppy—their teeth are razor-sharp, it hurts when they bite, and they can ruin your clothes! But why do puppies bite so much? Puppies bite to learn acquired bite inhibition, or ABI. What exactly is ABI? He might leap up and bite you because you hurt him and scared him. But the important thing is this: how hard will they bite? This is where ABI comes in. So ABI is really important. Now the question is, how do they learn it? The only way for puppies to learn ABI is to bite, and bite often. The best teachers are other dogs. Next time they bite a little less hard and playtime continues. This is how they learn ABI. Obviously, it takes a lot of repetition of this scenario to happen for a puppy to learn not to bite so hard, but this is essentially how it works out. Yes, you will need to help teach your puppy ABI. You can do this two ways: Set up puppy playdates and take them to puppy kindergarten so other puppies can teach them ABI. You actually want them to bite a little bit and learn to control how hard they bite. That being said, letting them go on a biting rampage is not helping the situation, so here are five tips to help you stop your puppy from biting so much: 1. Socialize your puppy Other dogs are the best teachers of ABI so make sure to get your puppy in kindergarten and set up playdates with dogs that you know are vaccinated. Remove yourself from the situation Puppies can often be over-stimulated or over-tired. One thing we did with our puppy, Oliver, when he got in these moods was to go sit at our high-top table in the kitchen and ignore him until he calmed down or distracted himself with a chew toy. Exercise your puppy A tired puppy is a good puppy. Young puppies have weak jaws, so if they had dull teeth, a bite from them would be no big deal. Most adult golden retrievers bite out of fear and a professional can help you properly handle it. Puppy Biting vs. Chewing Puppy biting or nipping is when a dog purposefully bites you. As we already talked about, they need to do this to learn ABI. Puppy chewing, on the other hand, is when puppies chew on things to relieve the pressure in their mouths from their adult teeth coming in. Since puppies bite and chew for different reasons, you need to handle these problems differently. Mentally wear them by out by training them, going for long walks and letting them sniff around, and giving them puzzle toys or frozen kongs. Remember that a tired puppy is a good puppy. A: It can take up to six weeks or more for your puppy to learn ABI and what is appropriate to bite or not. If it takes longer than six weeks, just remember to be consistent with the steps to stop it and have faith that it will slow down soon. Q: Is puppy biting an act of aggression? A: Most puppy biting is a form of play. It helps them learn ABI. If you think your puppy is biting out of aggression, then you should talk to a professional. Q: Why are puppy teeth so sharp? Q: What is ABI? A: ABI is acquired bite inhibition, or the natural ability for a dog to not bite so hard. Q: Do all puppies bite? A: Yes! Instead, they need to learn to control their bite force, then learn to bite less. Have any questions about puppy biting? Let me know in the comments below! Related articles:. You are bound to want to know when your biting puppy will grow out of this phase and how you can speed that process up. Biting, as you will have discovered is usually accompanied by lots of noise! Why do puppies bite? So why do puppies bite? My puppy is biting hard Puppies do bite hard and it does hurt. But I want to reassure you that even at 8 weeks old, your puppy has learned to moderate his bite in play. Puppies have powerful jaws designed to tear through flesh and crush bones. Those of you who feed your puppy a raw diet will know that even an 8 week old puppy from a medium sized breed can crush bones the size of your little finger. He is deliberately attempting to be gentle. Puppy Biting — Bite inhibition This ability, that your puppy has, to moderate the power of his jaws in play, is called bite inhibition. It is something that his mother started to teach him when he was just a few weeks old. And now it is your turn to take over and complete the training process. Growling and Puppy biting One thing that often worries people who have a new puppy in the family, is the growling that accompanies puppy biting. It sounds horrific. Great snarls and snaps accompany the biting and the puppy can appear quite demonic as he grabs onto your skin, or clothes. Tugging away with all the strength he can muster. Ninety nine times out of a hundred this is completely normal play biting. Is my puppy biting aggressive? You cannot determine whether or not a puppy is biting aggressively by how hard he bites or by the volume of the noise he makes. Play biting puppies bite hard and growl fiercely. Some puppies do occasionally draw blood. But these are not normally savage or crushing bites and the puppy is clearly enjoying himself. Fierce but fun! The play biting puppy will launch himself at the target of his bite. Whether it is your slippers or your fingers, with equal tail-wagging enthusiasm, hanging on grimly and grabbing repeatedly when the item is removed from him. All this, shocking though it may seem, is normal, and is not a sign that your puppy is going to be an aggressive dog! In fact some of the gentlest and most amiable breeds the labrador for example are the worst and fiercest play biters. The puppy that is a cause for concern is the puppy that is frightened. Because although puppies rarely bite through aggression, the nervous puppy may become aggressive as he matures Is my puppy afraid? A scared puppy may bite and scared puppies can grow into scared adult dogs so this is something you need to address quickly. You will know that your puppy is scared because he will try to avoid whatever it is he is scared of. A really frightened puppy will sometimes give off a distinctive musky smell. This hiding, and retreating, and the scared smell are warning signs that you have scared your puppy badly, or purchased a poorly socialised puppy. In this situation you need to get specialist help right away. Your vet should be able to advise you. For the vast majority of puppy owners then, biting is normal puppy behavior. Will my puppy biting stop naturally? To some extent biting is a phase caused by natural puppy playfulness and teething. Some puppies do stop biting with very little input from their family. Which is great. You may feel he should have grown out of it by now. We can physically prevent puppies from biting and we can train puppies not to bite. Both of these are good strategies. Or when children are getting upset, or visitors are winding your puppy up. Prevention usually involves interrupting the biting behavior, then redirecting the puppy into an alternative and more acceptable behavior, such as chewing on a toy. Or, it may involve temporarily separating him from his playmates. Interrupting the puppy biting In mild cases you may simply be able to put a toy in your biting puppy's mouth and get him tugging on that instead of on your fingers. If you are on the floor with the puppy stand up. And if you are standing up, turn and walk away from the puppy. This is where dog gates come in very handy with small puppies. A standard baby gate works fine for most breeds of dog. Managing the puppy You may have to pick up your biting puppy to remove him from the scene if he is biting your children for example, rather than you If he bites your hands and clothes as you try to restrain him, put him on the other side of a barrier or in his crate or puppy playpen for a short while. Although the puppy does learn from them, these are useful management techniques to enable you to control the situation. They help you to keep your puppy calm, and prevent the biting escalating through over excitement. Over-excited puppies Puppy play biting is directly linked to excitement. The more excited your puppy gets, the more and the harder he will bite. And the harder it will be to interrupt and distract him. Rough play excites puppies and noisy play does too. Children tend to squeal when they play and get very physical with puppies. One of the first rules they need to learn when playing with dogs, especially big dogs, is to stand up and stand still when the game gets too much. Limit such play and call a halt to it if your puppy is biting. With medium to large breed dogs, physical rough and tumble play is not a great idea. It can lead to dogs bowling people over or humping them, neither of which is very pleasant. Stopping play when it gets rough is a good management strategy and it is a form of training too. Over time, your puppy learns that biting and rough play loses him his playmates and that people simply leave if he is being mean. When do puppies stop biting? Many puppies have stopped biting completely by six months of age and biting is usually subsiding by the time that the puppy is heading towards five months old. This is if the puppy has been managed appropriately If people have been exciting him, or rewarding him for attention seeking behavior then biting can persist And it can be much more of a problem in bigger stronger puppies than in little ones. Training Puppies Not To Bite The idea of this exercise is to teach a puppy to accept being stroked and handled in any way, without touching us with his teeth. The event marker is a distinctive sound. Even around his mouth, without him making any attempt to bite you. You can also make it easier for him by starting this training when he is calm and not distracted. But for now, keep things simple. It can be a good way of getting the training started so that you have chance to say YES and give the puppy the opportunity to learn what you want him to do. Over the next few sessions, you can work on getting your hand closer and closer to the puppy. Until you are brushing the sides of his face without him making any attempt to mouth or bite at you Progress to touching and holding his collar, stroking his ears, grooming him, examining his paws and so on, all the time rewarding him for the correct behavior. Anytime the mouthing returns, back up to a point where he can succeed and move forward more slowly again Bite Inhibition Training Some experts feel that puppies should be allowed to mouth and even bite gently for a week or two before being prevented from biting altogether. Simply follow the instructions for managing your puppy above when he bites hard. But allow him to mouth you when he bites gently without much pressure. This is a great way to teach a dog excellent control over his mouth. After a couple of weeks of this, you can progress to the training exercise I outlined in the previous section. Older puppies that bite in play have often learned that this gets them a lot of attention. They have discovered that people squeal and shout and get quite cross. Sometimes these people push and shove the dog around which young dogs quite enjoy when they are playing. For these dogs it is important that you stop all physical play, with all family members If a puppy is biting hard at your hands when you try to interrupt his game. Or an older puppy is getting out of hand biting at clothing, you need to put your puppy on a harness and house-line a short trailing leash. This will enable you to control your puppy, and take him to a calming place, without handling him. You can just pick up the end of the line and lead him away. Older biting puppies are often bright and bored. And the best approach to avoiding future episodes of bad behavior is a structured programme of training and interesting activities. A professional dog trainer using modern positive training methods will be able to help you with these. Summary So now you know some tips on how to stop your puppy from biting. The first few weeks can be tough with a determined biter in the house, but you will get through this and come out the other side. A few months from now, this difficult period will be a distant memory In the meantime, focus on keeping your biting puppy calm, avoiding too much rough play, and redirecting his biting onto appropriate toys and activities. Spend some time on the training exercise set out above. Are you a proud new golden retriever puppy parent or considering getting a furry friend? While puppies are adorable and full of energy, they can also be a handful, especially when it comes to biting. This article will cover practical strategies to manage puppy biting and help you and your pup develop a solid and loving relationship. Thus biting is natural. Their bites will become softer as they practice and learn to manage their bite strength. They will eventually stop biting entirely. While biting is a natural part of the learning process, it is essential to train your puppy not to bite excessively. Here are a few tips to get you started: Providing Chew Toys for Redirecting Biting Behavior Providing chew toys is an excellent approach to help your puppy stop biting. When your puppy begins to bite you, remove your hand or foot and replace it with a chew toy. This teaches them that biting is acceptable, but only when done with toys, not people. It is essential to keep an eye on your puppy when they play with chew toys to ensure they do not consume anything toxic. By exposing your puppy to a variety of people, animals, and environments in a controlled and positive manner, you can help them develop proper social skills and reduce biting tendencies. Socialization helps puppies learn appropriate bite inhibition and establishes boundaries for acceptable behavior during interactions. Through well-planned socialization experiences, you can guide your puppy towards becoming a well-behaved and gentle companion. Employing the Time-Out Strategy for Persistent Biting Use the time-out strategy when other methods fail to stop your puppy from biting. If your puppy continues to bite, place him on a time-out for 30 seconds before allowing him to return to play. This teaches your puppy that biting is unacceptable and will result in a loss of playtime or attention. Again, use a gentle tone and avoid shouting or scolding your puppy. When your puppy plays gently with their toys instead of biting you, shower them with praise and perhaps even a tasty gift! This teaches your puppy that good behavior leads to beautiful things. Instead, concentrate on encouraging appropriate behavior and redirecting any inappropriate biting. Your puppy will learn to control their biting and play in a friendly and safe manner with time, patience, and positive reinforcement. This entails repeating the same commands, techniques, and rewards each time you train. When you do this, your puppy learns what is expected of them and how to get rewarded. On the other hand, if you are inconsistent, your puppy may get confused and unsure of what they need to do to please you. This can make training more difficult and frustrating for you and your puppy. So, strive to be consistent in your training. However, they can get nippy during their fun exploration of the world around them. The good news is that this is a natural habit for pups, and there are ways to deal with it. Puppies prefer to bite to initiate play, learn more about their surroundings, and adjust their bite pressure, especially when they are teething. These actions are part of how they play, interact, and learn about their environment. First, however, puppies must be taught how to control their biting pressure and redirect their biting to appropriate toys and chew objects, which we will discuss later. Puppy bites, for example, can become more painful and even harmful as they increase in size. Additionally, it might lead to destructive chewing if you do not divert their biting habit to appropriate chew items. As a result, it is critical to address this habit early on through regular teaching and positive reinforcement. Understand what motivates them and what makes them more likely to engage in biting. Adjust your training methods: Not all puppies respond to the same training techniques. Some may respond better to positive reinforcement, while others may require more redirection and distraction. Consider their energy levels: Golden Retrievers are known for their energy and enthusiasm. Be patient and consistent: Training takes time, and each puppy learns at their own pace. Be patient with your puppy and provide consistent guidance. Remember, every Golden Retriever puppy is an individual, and what works for one may not work for another. With a customized approach, you can effectively address biting behavior and set your unique puppy on the path to becoming a well-behaved and happy companion. So, most puppies begin to bite and mouth less frequently when they are 8 to 10 months old. However, this varies greatly depending on the individual pup. Some may stop sooner, while others may take a little longer. Golden retrievers, for example, love using their tongues. At the same time, herding dogs such as border collies or corgis may continue to nip at ankles as they age. Just keep working with your pet and providing the guidance they require to create positive habits! Conclusion As you begin the joyful road of raising your Golden Retriever puppy, keep in mind that training and socialization are essential for producing a happy and well-behaved dog. You can teach your puppy what is expected of them and create healthy behaviors that will last a lifetime using consistent and positive reinforcement techniques. Remember that each puppy is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. You will be rewarded with a devoted and well-behaved companion if you are patient and committed to the training process. Remember to give your puppy enough exercise and mental stimulation and to continuously reward positive behavior. You can help your puppy grow into a happy and healthy adult dog who will provide you happiness for many years by doing so. By the time your puppy reaches around three months of age, they should start to develop bite inhibition and learn to control the force of their bites during play. As you continue to interact and train with your puppy, you can gradually increase your sensitivity to the level of bites you find acceptable. By the age of four or five months, their play bites should no longer exert any force. Can I use physical punishment to stop my puppy from biting? Certainly not! To stop a puppy from biting, never use physical punishment. It is not only ineffective, but it can also be harmful and cause long-term behavioral issues. Instead, train your puppy using positive reinforcement techniques, including redirection, time-outs, and excellent rewarding behavior. What can I do? Puppies frequently nip and bite while playing with other dogs, but teaching them to control their bite force is essential. My puppy is teething. What can I do to stop them from biting? Teething is a normal developmental stage for puppies , and they naturally want to chew and bite things. Similar to what we discussed earlier. 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. Read the full disclosure here. Tasty finger! Your golden retriever puppy is as friendly as can be — great with kids, respectful of other dogs, and not overly attentive to your cat. Yes, golden retrievers are known for their good-natured demeanor, but they are still dogs — not so very far removed from their wild cousins, and they can be unpredictable when faced with stressful, disturbing, or frightening situations. One of our jobs as responsible dog owners, of course, is to keep our dogs safe, but we may not always be able to protect them, and we may not always be able to prevent them from biting through fear or when in pain. What is Bite Inhibition? Puppies begin learning this from their mother and siblings as soon as they start to tumble around with each other in play. If they bite too hard, they are scolded by their mother or alerted with a yelp from their siblings. Eventually, they learn how hard is too hard, and they use their teeth more gently in play. Human Sensitive or Advanced Bite Inhibition By the time your puppy moves into your home, they will have been using their bite inhibition skills for weeks. Your puppy needs to learn that human beings are fragile and should be treated with care. There are many professional trainers who recommend that you simply train your puppy not to bite. This seems like a practical course of action, and it does work — in the short term. Teaching a puppy not to bite will give you quick results, but it may mean they never learn how much force is safe to use on people when they are forced to bite in an emergency. So if they do eventually bite, they will know to hold back the pressure safely and will not cause anywhere near as much pain or damage as they otherwise might. Why is Bite Inhibition Important? Believe it or not, even the most gentle dog that has been trained from a young age never to bite, can react to certain triggers. Those triggers are fear and pain. Consider these situations: Your dog has been suffering from chronic ear infections and hates to have his ears handled. The neighbor stops by with her toddler, who immediately runs to your dog and fondles his sensitive ears roughly. What will he do? You and your dog are walking down the road like you do every morning when out of nowhere comes a huge dog who attacks your dog without thinking twice. You manage to pull your dog away, but in the process, your frightened dog bites your arm. Your sweet golden retriever has gotten themself tangled in some barbed wire while hiking. As you loosen the wire from her skin and fur, she snaps at you, biting your hand. You may never experience any of these situations. By teaching bite inhibition while your puppy is young, you will be far safer and ready for any of these situations should they occur. Teaching Advanced Bite Inhibition Following is a general guide to the bite inhibition skills your puppy learns and when, as well as where you should aim for their skills to be at certain ages. She will start the puppies off by teaching them how rough is too rough during nursing and play. These lessons begin when the puppies start nursing day 1 and continue until the day you pick your puppy up from the breeder. This works for some puppies, but for others, it just seems to arouse the pup and make matters worse. You will have to experiment to find out what works for you and your pup. You should withdraw all of your attention from your puppy for very hard bites. Do not over-correct your puppy so they become afraid of biting. After your puppy has calmed down, use a chew toy as a reward and let them chew it in your lap or lying by your side. This teaches you puppy that there are other ways to keep their mouths and teeth busy. By four or five months, all force behind play bites should be eliminated. Kids tend to play rough with puppies, and puppies will get rough right back. Your puppy needs to know that every human being is sensitive to their bites, not just you. It is a process that sometimes lasts months, depending on your puppy. Be prepared for this, and remember that long-term results in your adult dog are more important than curtailing puppy bites as painful as they may be. Supervise your puppy around children — If you have young children at home, you will have to think carefully about how you will protect them and your puppy. Little puppy teeth can cause a lot of pain, especially when your pup is still learning to control those urges. Young children can also cause a lot of pain to small puppies. Always supervise very carefully when your pup and children are together. A tired puppy is a happy puppy — It will be much easier to teach bite inhibition if your puppy is not bouncing off the walls. Make sure they get enough exercise every day. Not only will this help with training, but it will also help prevent all kinds of other destructive behavior. Conclusion Teaching bite inhibition to your golden retriever puppy is a gift you give to your pup that will last forever.