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We can proudly boast that all of our dogs and puppies come from only the very best and proven bloodlines in the world. Each one of our males and females is health tested, titled, and has at least one parent that has earned a VA1 title Excellent Select, 1st place. The competition for VA is fierce and very few dogs attain this momentous achievement. Our Dogs Titles: So, what does all of this mean and why should it matter to a pet buyer? Working titles focus on the structural soundness and ability to demonstrate trainability and reliability in obedience, but more importantly, temperament is evaluated. Show titles provide a valuable tool for ensuring that the breed standard is followed. This is an in-depth evaluation that records the qualities and shortcomings of the dog. The temperament, conformation, courage, and function are reported. Temperament and character, along with physical and mental soundness play an enormous role in selectively choosing which dogs are breeding prospects. The German Shepherd is an athletic, loyal, self-assured, attentive, and intelligent dog. This applies to both competition dogs and family pets. Purchasing a puppy from titled parents ensures that the dogs being bred have passed vigorous testing and several judges along the way oversaw the process. Following this standard eliminates a biased breeder from breeding indiscriminately and encourages the goal to be producing the best puppies possible. At Centennial German Shepherds, meticulous planning and an abundance of thought go into producing every litter of puppies. Striving for excellence gives breeders credibility and provides the potential buyer with absolute assurance that their puppy is a product of deliberate and quality mating. Capo and our beautiful granddaughter, Shannon The meaning of Our New Kennel Name After working, showing, and breeding German Shepherds for over 25 years, we decided it was time to create a new kennel name and logo to signify our presence in Colorado the Centennial State combined with our Italian and Estonian foundation dogs. Centennial GSD chose to use the head of our gorgeous female Gucci and combine the American and Italian flags across her face to signify our team concept. Additionally, we blended the American and Estonian flags across our impressive male import's face to represent the Margman presence at Centennial. Our puppies are raised inside of our home where we can interact with them from birth until the day they leave with their new families. We assess them, take notes, photos, and videos, and create a detailed log about each puppy so that we can explain their individual characteristics and personalities as clearly as possible to anyone who is inquiring. We evaluate each puppy's growth and development, along with littermate interactions and responses to "daily life" situations on a full-time basis. Once the puppies are mobile, they are introduced to toys and small obstacles which are intended to spark curiosity and promote problem-solving and confidence. We understand that visiting the puppies or looking at photos is difficult, as both are only small snapshots of time in the rapidly changing life of a growing puppy. Visitors might experience the litter just before or after a nap, eating, playing, or any other event or activity that may skew the true personality of the puppy, and relying on a few minutes or even hours to make a decision can be overwhelming. For these reasons, frequent communication with prospective families from birth to placement is crucial. By clearly conveying expectations, we are able to assist in the selection process to ensure happiness and success for both the puppy and the individual families welcoming the youngster into their new home. Centennial GSD works hard at producing the finest German Shepherd Dogs through methodically and meticulously scrutinizing compatible bloodlines and pedigrees to ensure each breeding results in producing the best litter of puppies possible. Combining specific lines or avoiding lines that have genetic faults is important as we always have the betterment of the breed in mind. This is done by carefully choosing a mating pair that compliment one another by enhancing positive qualities and making an effort to reduce any faults known in one or both bloodlines. Our foundation dogs and the dogs we use for breeding trace back to the best Italian, Estonian, and German bloodlines. We seek out dogs with a geographically diverse gene pool while also studying line breeding to keep the integrity of the breed intact. By doing this, we reduce the risks associated with more closely related dogs. Our breeding dogs have certified hips and elbows, have been tested for DM, and are titled; ensuring that they are healthy both physically and mentally. None of the dogs in our breeding program and many generations back have joint or known hereditary issues and all of the dogs possess stable and wonderful temperaments. At Centennial quality over quantity always comes first. We stay in touch with our families after the sale of our German Shepherd puppies, whether it be for help with a question or just a friendly email to check-in. I sold several puppies almost two decades ago both out of state and overseas and have been fortunate enough to form beautiful friendships with many of those people that will last a lifetime. We take pride in our Colorado German Shepherds. Our goal is to produce healthy and beautiful German Shepherd puppies that win in the show ring, excel as working dogs, succeed as therapy or service dogs, and most importantly, flourish as loving family companions and guardians. I traveled to Estonia to pick up my female puppy Briatore Nordica, and while I was there I met another puppy her half-brother named Margman Othello. He was a gorgeous and friendly 7 month old sable youngster. Both puppies shared the same father, the magnificent multiple VA Margman Torsten. I was immediately smitten and consequently brought both back with me to Colorado. I also had the honor and pleasure of hosting Torsten, his owner, and his breeder at my home when they traveled to the United States for the first time after a Sieger Show. A few years later I imported another Margman female black and red who was bred to Torsten. Her puppies were wonderful and she enjoyed a nice life in Colorado. By this time Margman had become a household name and known for quality German Shepherds around the world. We had lovely puppies; a mix of sable and black and red, both long and short coats. It was then that I began my great love for the long haired German Shepherd. Rio was phenomenal in the show ring, he earned his SchH3 title, placed V1, and produced puppies that achieved the same and other working titles. He was a gentleman in the house and had a flawless character which he passed down to his puppies time and time again. His puppies excelled as therapy dogs, service dogs, and as healthy and loving family dogs. Rio was intelligent, possessed a solid temperament, and was stunning to look at. My beloved Rio was by far one of the best dogs I have ever had the privilege of owning and set the bar high for our future dogs. Now, many years later, I have once again imported a Margman dog; an impressive male to show, breed, and enjoy as a perfect companion dog. We look forward to combining the lines again and producing the best puppies possible. Expanding the gene pool while still staying true to the standard is our goal with future litters. Margman Dacapo is magnificent; an absolute dream dog. In we imported our first Margman long coat, a deeply pigmented black and red girl. Margit has bettered the breed by thinking outside of the box. Her sable and black dogs are the absolute best and she has also produced top long coats along with her phenomenal black and red dogs. She has combined strong females with the correct stud dogs to produce some of the best puppies in the world. She is devoted to her dogs and the future of the German Shepherd Dog. Her dedication is obvious, and the result has been and remains to be dogs that possess beauty, working ability, and outstanding character. Her vision is clear, her dedication is steadfast, and he loves the dogs so her goals are always set with the future in mind. Protection plus Love!!! We are a small "Mom and Pop", breeder of top quality, working line, German Shepherds. Established in , we are located in the very center of the state of Colorado in the Rocky mountains. Licensed, and AKC inspected and approved facility. Our goal is to breed Dogs who are top quality, and affordable. Beautiful, healthy, dogs that have stable temperaments. All our dogs hips and elbows have been checked, and passed by the OFA. We do genetic testing to insure none of our puppies will develop Degenerative Myelopathy detailed information regarding DM at the bottom of our "Family Comments Gallery" page. The medical documentation paperwork is available for viewing when you come visit to see our dogs or puppies. We breed for black and tan, black and red, sable, black and bi-color puppies. Mostly we have short coat dogs, but do produce limited numbers of long coat pups. Our dogs are predominantly Czech and German working lines. Trained dogs are a positive addition to the lives of their families. These pups can vary in drives and excitability levels but all are working dogs, capable of doing a job suited to their individual drive levels. We try to make it a top priority to match the right puppy to the right family. Our dogs bloodlines are versatile. We breed puppies who could excel in Search and Rescue, Schutzhund, French Ring or Agility, or be great pets and companions. We breed straighter back, working line dogs. We have answers. All that we can do is recommend that if you see the perfect Denver German Shepherd puppies for sale today through a reputable breeder below that you pull the trigger as soon as possible! What should I expect from the Uptown Puppies process? In order to begin all you have to do is browse some of the best German Shepherd breeders in Denver below! Yes, much better! At Uptown Puppies we look past the expensive advertisements and focus in on how the puppies are actually being treated! How does Uptown screen breeders and puppy raisers? Our company works to enforce strict standards when it comes to facility quality, sanitation measures, treatment of the puppies and breeding techniques. Because of our strict regulations and breeder pledge, the German Shepherds for sale in Denver that you will find on our website are among the best around. Do you recommend specific food for my dog? The reality is that each and every German Shepherd has different taste preferences and different dislikes which means that your new pup may turn their nose up at the top-rated food online! Can I find a cheap puppy for sale through Uptown? The breeders and businesses who have been accepted into the Uptown Puppies network never focus on selling the cheapest German Shepherds in the country. Instead with their experience, they offer a boutique variety of healthy puppies so that the end consumer can choose exactly the puppy that they want to take home and love! Why are puppy mills so bad for German Shepherd for sale in Denver? A puppy mill is a term used to describe any business who is breeding puppies for profit without care for the wellbeing of the animals. Puppy mills across the country still use inhumane breeding techniques which is why we want our customers to avoid them if at all possible. What happens after I choose my new companion? At the end of the day we want all of our customers to be happy with the new best friend they are taking home. What is a backyard breeder? Backyard breeder is a term that has been given to a puppy raiser or other underfunded breeder who does not have the proper funds to take all of the precautions necessary when raising a litter of new puppies. A lot of these types of businesses have very basic breeding setups that allow them to breed more Denver German Shepherds for sale at a cheaper price.
We do not transport and feel a lifetime commitment begins with making the trip to us to meet and spend time him. FINN must not spend more than hours a day in direct sunlight and early mornings and early evenings are best. We do not allow any adopted dog to be tethered, chained, or kept outside or inside unattended. He must always be walked on leash retractable leashes not allowed. Adopter must provide 2 references. Additional requirements and questions are on the application. Please note also, that if you are preparing for a sleepover, that a deaf dog should never be fed or left unsupervised with toys or treats with another dog. A deaf dog cannot hear warning signs from other dogs so if a deaf dog were to go home with your other pet s it is imperative that the adopter is responsible and uses common sense and makes necessary arrangements to feed separately. We encourage an adopter to learn more about caring for, training and living with deaf dogs, because they will add so much love and laughter to your family, plus, they rock! We Recommend: www. FINN continues his hand signal training, doggy door training, leash training, house training and socializing and playing with all the other special needs and senior doggies. This little boy is very alert to his surroundings and continues hand signal training, although all he wants to do is play with the other puppies unfortunately no physical contact for another 2 weeks , but he is content playing with his toys and chewies by himself. He is great during our nighly thunder and lightning storms, though was awakened like the rest of us in the middle of the night by a huge clap of thunder very nearby. With some reassurance and "it's ok" time, he settled back in to his kennel and play area. He does not look like he will be a large doggie when full grown. Probably around lbs. He is growing more leggy than stocky and his face has that slightly turned up nose like an ABD! He is kept out of the direct sun for obvious health reasons, so his play time and time in the puppy pool during this degree summer are from am and pm. FINN is a 9 week old DEAF pup who was part of a litter at 7 WEEKS OLD who were being given away to strangers including a homeless person in a big store parking lot by the irresponsible owner who allows her unaltered male and female dogs do what dogs do when given the opportunity! He will be due for his second round of vaccs in 3 weeks 2nd week in August. Puppy Dog Ranch requires the adopted puppy to be neutered at months and spayed at months. We do not transport our dogs and puppies. Approved Adopters must make the trip. We promote a sleepover with pre-approved adopters, prior to adoption. Please contact us if you would like an Adoption Application or if you have questions! Thank you! Please read the entire bio before contacting us with questions. She is very, very short and stocky like a small bowling alley. She was being given away by the breeder due to what is known as Swimmers Syndrome. It was either give her away or cull her so one of our board members took her in to give her a chance. The vet showed her what to do and with some time and rehabilitation she is now perfect. As much as her foster family loves her and tried to keep her she needs to find a perfect home with more attention so she can be the spoiled princess she wants to be. Tried her best to please her loved ones. Very gentle with the children and just craves attention. It is more like short bursts of running and playing and then watching tv. Would do best with a male dog to play and romp with. She does know how to use a dog door. She has not had any accidents since she got out of the puppy phase. Blackberry is an amazingly wonderful, sweet girl who would absolutely love a family of her own. She is absolutely perfect but she desperately needs a family who can give her all the love and attention she deserves. Her foster family fosters so her time is split with other dogs right now. She just loves loves loves all the love for herself so though they love her we are hoping for the perfect home that will love her and shower her with attention. She loves just hanging out in the house with her loved ones watching movies and cuddling but also loves her walks and going out into the mesa to explore and run. She is treat motivated but not really interested in toys. Prefers exploring and cuddling. Send us an e-mail to adopt almosthomenm. Animals are seen by appointment after we have an application. September 13, , pm.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Take back control of their behavior using these quick and easy solutions to stop German Shepherd biting that actually works. Even better, have a set of toys that are only used when you want to engage in play with your puppy. Hide these toys in a basket or box after your game of play. This makes them extra special. They are under your control and your dog must give them back to you. Special toys are more fun for your pup to bite than you. When in doubt of what special toy your dog likes, choose from this specially-curated list of what toys German Shepherds love for interactive toy ideas to keep your dog entertained. Say OUCH! When your pup bites you, say OUCH firmly. This simple technique catches the attention of many puppies when done correctly and can train a German Shepherd puppy to not bite you. You could also make a YIP sound instead, just like their little brother and sisters would make a yipping noise when playing too rough. If they continue to bite and nip, say OUCH again and then get up immediately and leave the room for a few moments. You may return to play but keep repeating this simple process until they learn to keep their teeth on their toys. This will only encourage them to continue their unwanted behavior. Use Puppy-Safe Partition Gates Only use pet-safe partition gates that are high enough to prevent your German Shepherd from jumping over. If your pup bites you aggressively when you and your family walk past you, then use an exercise pen or this German Shepherd-sized pet safe partition gate to contain them. Only use pet-safe partition gates that are high enough to prevent and discourage your German Shepherd from jumping over to continue to try and bite you. Use the items during busy times in your home to keep your dog calm and out of areas that might increase their excitement and biting and nipping you. Puppies tend to bite and chew when their teeth are coming in. They do this to relieve the pain and help soothe themselves. Freeze a durable large Kong with their favorite treats and kibble and have them on hand for times when your dog is acting out and biting you. Give them a Kong to gnaw on and bring icy relief to their gums. Plus, chewing has been shown to help relax and calm dogs. Redirections are actions that keep your pup from engaging in unwanted behavior by showing them appropriate behavior. For example: When your dog nips you, find their teething toy to bite instead. When your dog jumps on you to bite your hands or ankles, look around for a Kong to give to them to bite on. Squeaky toys like this toy that continues to squeak , even after a puncture, are ideal to distract your dog from your hand to another object. These toys differ from their special toys mentioned above because these redirection toys are ones you leave out for your pup to chew most of the time. So, be sure to have them nearby! Use Daily Leadership Skills How many times a day do you teach your German Shepherd to listen to you and offer them leadership? Use daily interactions as an effective way of teaching your dog about leadership. Have them sit before you take them for a walk or exiting a door. Ignore them altogether. Only offer them interaction and come back to them when they show you calming behaviors. Our dogs love our attention. And German Shepherds crave it! An overfed dog that is under-exercised may display destructive behaviors because of boredom and lack of energy needs being met. Get up off the couch and go outside for a walk and sniff party. Low impact activities and free-running off-leash running are best. Choose from a list of fun and gentle, age-appropriate German Shepherd puppy exercises to keep your pup healthy and better behaved. Stop roughhousing with your dog before it frustrates them. Use appropriate, puppy-safe toys instead of play sessions. This way, your pup can bite the toy instead of your fingers, hands, or arms. You may also stress out your GSD by engaging them rough of play. For your pup to either keep up with the play or stop you from too rough play, they may bite you! From day one, avoid play that involves mouthing or teeth on the skin. Use toys to provide your dog a way they can bite to release their energy… Without nipping you! And this game is great because it teaches your dog a necessary life skill. Practice the game: multiple times a day for 2 to 3 minutes at a time Your pup learns impulse control during the game and this transfers over to their ability to stop themselves from biting you. Read below for the easy-to-follow directions. If your dog gets too worked up and then bites, then teach them this Rev Up and Cool Down game. After a few running steps and before your pup gets too excited, stop running and walk slowly. Keep moving slowly until your dog also slows down. When you see them slow down, take a few more steps calmly and peacefully. Continue with steps one through three. Each time your dog should slow down sooner and quicker. If your puppy knows any of these basic German Shepherd commands , incorporate those commands to make the training more interesting and fun. The link above will also easily explain how to teach over ten commands! The point of the Rev Up and Cool Down game is to teach them to settle and stay calm without nipping and biting you. You need to keep your pup exercised, mentally stimulated, and show them what calming behavior is. Be fair and understanding. A Shepherd is a joy to own when given the direction they desire and the commitment they need. Found this helpful? Share it! She has a Bachelor of Science degree, with Honors, and has been training dogs for over a decade. Related Posts. German Shepherd puppies , like all puppies, go through a teething phase, and their biting behavior can continue until they are around 4 to 6 months old when their adult teeth have fully grown in. But how do you get German Shepherd puppies to stop biting, and when should you seek out more help? We dive into everything that you need to know here. German Shepherds are herding dogs, and as such, they love to go after anything that moves. This could be cats, kids, hands, fingers, or just about anything else. The more they get away with it, the more acceptable the behavior seems in the future. Addressing the problem early and consistently is vital. Just like babies need something to chew on when their new teeth are coming in, your German Shepherd needs something too! First, it stops when they get their adult teeth. Second, if you try to redirect them to something that they can chew on, most German Shepherd puppies are receptive. At this time, they should have all their adult teeth, which means no more teething to worry about. But at least you know the root of the problem and can start implementing the necessary strategies to address it. Instead, get them a few chew toys, bones, and other acceptable things to chew on as they teethe. You can also throw a few of these toys in the fridge or freezer to cool them down, and this will offer even more relief for your pup when they need it! While there are plenty of techniques to try, we recommend redirection and positive reinforcement. The method is simple. If and when they start chewing on the toy or other appropriate object, give them praise. German Shepherds love to please their owners, so this is typically an effective way to train your puppy. Therefore, you should have levels of concern. If they are still chewing and nipping at the 9-month mark, you should seek obedience training or talk to a vet to see what you can do. So, get on it early and often, and stick with it! Because with just a little work and dedication you can get your German Shepherd puppy to stop biting in no time. Check Price on Amazon 4. Use Positive Reinforcement Positive reinforcement means giving something pleasant to your German Shepherd when they perform what you want them to do so that they learn to associate the correct behavior with the reward. The more this is repeated, they will remember and do it more often. The reward is a reinforcing motivation. In the above example of redirecting your GSDs biting to a chew toy, once he accepts the toy and starts to chew or play with it, you then offer lots of enthusiastic verbal praise and reward with a treat. Again, timing is important, and this must be done instantly so that your German Shepherd will recognize or associate his behavior with the correct action. You can give other rewards, but these may be more suited to older pups, adolescent dogs, or adults. Alternatives could be giving them a special toy, playing their favorite game, such as fetch, or taking them on their favorite walk. Always use lots of verbal praise in parallel to the reward you choose. You will, no doubt, soon get to learn where your dog prefers to be pet. Go here for more guidance on where to pet your German Shepherd. This is also useful when your German Shepherd starts to put his mouth around your possessions or furniture, ready to have a good gnaw! Using a time-out can effectively discipline a German Shepherd for biting and other undesirable behaviors. A great way to do this is to grab their collar, push their bum down, and make them sit. The idea is that your German Shepherd will quickly learn to associate that the fun stops when his nipping starts! As always, timing is critical, so your pup learns what he has done wrong at the precise moment. For very young puppies, you should only put them in time-out for a few seconds, between 7 and 10, and no longer than 30 seconds. At the end of the time-out, redirect your pup back to play and use lots of verbal praise or offer a training treat for good onward behavior. You must time the click at the exact moment your pet is doing what you want to reinforce. If you quickly reward your dog with a positive experience such as a treat, he will soon learn to associate the noise of the click with great things. The idea is that you condition your German Shepherd so that when he hears the sound of the clicker, he knows he has done something to please you. In the case of puppy biting, we are simply rewarding the puppy for choosing not to bite. You can achieve this by using the distraction technique described above. When the puppy makes the right choice and starts to bite on his chew toy, he hears the click and gets his treat. Look out for other symptoms such as drooling more than usual, bad breath, loss of appetite, or sneezing. If you are consistent and patient with your methods, you will achieve great results. Be firm but fair, which also helps to strengthen the loving bond between you and your dog. It leads to fear, avoidance, hurt feelings, guilt, stress, anxiety, and lack of trust. Owners should use positive reinforcement methods as much as possible. In another year-long study by the University of Pennsylvania, researchers found that using confrontational or aversive methods to teach aggressive dogs did not work. The dogs continued to be aggressive until the training methods were changed. The same study found that punishing techniques and dominance-based training, such as hitting or kicking, growling, or yelling at your dog, can cause aggression, as stated by Meghan E. An even more recent study in companion dogs suggests that using even mild punishments like yelling and leash-jerking can stress dogs out more than dogs taught using reward-based training. This stress causes negative consequences and poorer welfare. Alpha rolling is a controversial and outdated technique that physically puts your dog on his back or side in a submissive position to show that you are dominant or the Alpha. This old-fashioned technique is a form of positive punishment and was often used to house-train pups. Many people will have used this method decades ago without success, but at the time, they believed it was the right thing to do. For a positive punishment to work, the problem is that it has to be administered during or immediately after the act within 2 -3 seconds ; otherwise, the dog will not make the connection. Sometimes puppies naturally get over-excited and overtired. When this happens, instead of using the crate as a punishment, lure him into the crate with a treat offering lots of praise and letting him go down for a nap. If you feel sorry for your German Shepherd after disciplining him, you must never reward him out of guilt. Again, this only confuses your dog. Remember to be firm but fair. While a muzzle can prevent your dog from biting, it is not a solution to the underlying behavior issue. Muzzling your German Shepherd without addressing the root cause of their biting can lead to further behavioral problems and may even make the situation worse. Is it ever too late to discipline a German Shepherd for biting? It is never too late to discipline a German Shepherd for biting, but it may take more time and effort to modify their behavior if the biting has become a habit. Start with identifying the root cause and then take the guidance of an expert to set boundaries and train better to eradicate unwanted behavior. Final Thoughts Puppy biting is natural in all dogs. However, you now know the importance of disciplining your German Shepherd as soon as he starts to exhibit biting, nipping, and chewing behavior and how to do it. This is especially important with the German Shepherd breed as they quickly grow into big strong dogs. That could end in disaster for all concerned. No matter what you are teaching your German Shepherd, try to train him when young; 8 weeks old is a great time to start. Make sure you properly socialize him and give him lots of exercise and training will be much easier. Related Posts You May Like:. Puppies Have you ever reached down to play with a German Shepherd puppy, only to have that adorable little fur-ball pierce your skin with its razor-sharp puppy teeth? When I brought Allie into the family, she was fully in the German Shepherd puppy biting phase — so that first month was tough! Unfortunately, biting is an inevitable phase of puppyhood — it comes with the territory when you decide to be a puppy parent. My goal with this guide is to get you through the biting stage with as few battle scars as possible. Why do German Shepherd Puppies Bite? Up until this time, your puppy was with its littermates, and playtime meant lots of mouthy, nipping fun. Accordingly, this is the only way your GSD knows how to play! A German Shepherd puppy also uses their mouths to explore different things like toys — or hands, ankles, furniture… pretty much anything they can get their mouth around. Your puppy could also be teething, which can increase their mouthy behavior. Just be patient as you work through the German Shepherd puppy biting phase — give your pup time to learn to be gentle when playing or seeking your attention. Nothing is worse than an ankle-biter! I was very lucky not to have this problem with Allie. Why does your German Shepherd puppy target the ankles? Because your GSD is a working dog trying to do its job — herd you around the house like livestock. German Shepherds were originally bred for herding flocks of sheep. Your furry pal may also think heel nipping is just a really fun game. Using a toy as a distraction and keeping your pup active will help nip ankle nipping in the bud! Because she was too busy biting hands! There are lots of reasons why a pup may decide to start biting your hands. For one, good things treats, toys, love, attention come from hands. Also, hands are almost like swinging toys from the perspective of a playful pup — too enticing to pass up! How to Discourage Biting Behavior While the German Shepherd puppy biting phase is a rite of passage, there are some ways you can discourage bad biting behavior without harsh discipline. This is one of the most effective ways to teach your German Shepherd bite inhibition — or how to be gentle with her teeth. Think about when your pup was rolling and playing with their brothers and sisters — if your GSD was too rough, their sibling would let out a yelp. This trick worked great with Allie! Just make sure to be consistent until your pup gets the idea and learns to master the power of her jaws. Puppies will be puppies! Redirect the biting to an appropriate toy. For example, when your fuzzy friend latches onto your ankles, give a little puppy-like yelp, and then whip out a toy and encourage your dog to chew on that instead. Tug-of-war is the perfect game for the puppy biting phase. Socialize your puppy as much as possible. Other dogs are great at teaching your puppy that they playing too rough and biting too hard. Try a deterrent to prevent your dog from chewing or biting. If all else fails, there are lots of products designed to deter your dog from bad biting behavior. How do they work? Well, they taste awful. But if used correctly, they can definitely work. This is still attention — your puppy bites, your puppy gets attention. Otherwise, your pup may see this as a fun new game, kind of like tug-of-war but with your hands or feet as the toy. You want your furball to love playing with you! The goal here is to encourage your German Shepherd to play as much as ever but to play gently. As a pup, Allie thought she should greet everyone by jumping in their face and nipping — kind of like a kiss hello, but with teeth. And as she got bigger, it was harder to control. But trust me, it got old quickly. Be proactive. If I knew someone was coming over, I would put Allie in another room or in her crate. Once our visitor was in the house and the initial excitement had passed, I would let her out. By keeping her from greeting people right when they walked through the door, I could minimize her overzealous behavior. This is a simple command that teaches your dog to stay in her place until you give a release command. This is another way to allow the initial excitement to pass and your German Shepherd to calm down a bit before greeting anyone. Redirect attention to a toy like I talked about earlier. Fold your arms and turn away. Keep turning until your GSD stops jumping, then praise them and use a treat as a reward. What to Do If Biting Becomes Aggressive Although puppy mouthing is normal, there can be cases where biting can signal problems and possibly even aggression. Look for physical differences in your pup. If your puppy is having a moment of aggression, their body may stiffen when snarling, and bites will typically be more painful than during regular play. Also, if your GSD puppy is biting out of fear or frustration, you may need to take action. These types of behavior are not something your pup will just grow out of. While the biting phase will inevitably end, you may find yourself asking the infamous question — when do German Shepherds calm down!? I asked myself and our vet this question more than once! It honestly just depends. Sure, she had her calm moments thanks in part to her training , but she was still very hyper especially in more excitable moments. The type of German Shepherd dog is yet another variable that plays a role in its energy levels. So when do German Shepherds calm down? It really depends on your individual German Shepherd. Final Thoughts Unfortunately, the German Shepherd puppy biting phase is something all GSD puppy owners will go through, but it will pass. Try the tips above to help keep your sanity during this phase. Or any tips to help the rest of us? Please share! Since puppies lack the dexterity that you and I have, they use their mouths to explore the world around them. By understanding the behavior of biting itself, you can begin to see just how normal biting is in German Shepherd puppies. Just because biting is a normal behavior in a puppy does not mean we should tolerate it or promote it. Since biting is a form of communication for German Shepherd puppies, there are many things our puppies could be trying to say! So why do Shepherd pups bite? Puppies often communicate with their siblings through biting and pawing, especially when they are trying to incite a play session. Your pup may gnaw on your hand as if it were a chew toy, especially when you are a moving target. Puppies play and bite their siblings from the moment they are old enough to do so. This is why the behavior is so common, and why our Shepherd pupswill need to learn how to transition to playing with appropriate chewing options. Not only are our hands and feet tempting enough, but even more so when a puppy has a high prey drive. A prey drive is an ingrained need to chase after moving objects, whether it is appropriate or not. A swinging hand as we walk by can be extremely tempting for a growing pup, causing them to jump up and nip. If it seems like your Shepherd puppy is always biting you when you are in motion, it may be due to their high prey drive! They Are Curious As we mentioned above, German Shepherd puppies use their mouth to explore the world around them. Biting can help them examine and understand an object, and our hands and feet can fall into that category as well! If you catch your puppy gnawing on everything around your home, it may be their curiosity getting the best of them! A dog quickly learns what behavior gets a reaction, causing them to do it over and over again. Even if their bites result in a negative reaction from you, it still counts as attention. They Are Teething Similar to teething babies, a German Shepherd puppy experiences teething pain as well. If your Shepherd pup seems to find relief when chewing on objects, they may be biting you due to teething discomfort. They Are Herding You If your German Shepherd puppy is constantly biting at your ankles, they may be displaying some herding behaviors. German Shepherds are ingrained with a need to work, especially in dogs with a working bloodline. If your German Shepherd is always nipping at your feet, running to your side when you are moving, or showing signs of anxiety or frustration when you are moving around your home; it may be herding behavior. So how can you stop this normal puppy behavior? Redirect The Behavior One of the most effective ways to stop your German Shepherd puppy from biting is by redirecting the behavior. An effective distraction is a wonderful way to end the behavior without punishment, and show them how much fun the alternative to biting can be. The next time your Shepherd pup is displaying undesirable nipping, try to pull out their favorite toy. Since this will need to be a toy that your dog enjoys, be sure to offer them the option that they find most exciting. This can be a Kong toy , rope, bone, or any other chewing option that your dog loves. By doing this each time your Shepherd puppy begins to bite you, they will begin to understand that they would much rather play with an acceptable chew option. Having a variety of chew toys can alleviate their need to bite our hands and feet, and offer them the relief they seek in this uncomfortable transition. There are so many toys created for teething puppies, that it should be easy to fill your home with plenty of appropriate options. One of our favorite chew toys is the Kong Teething Binkie. Any attention can validate the behavior, causing them to make it a habit. This shows them that the behavior is unacceptable, and does not involve any harmful negative reinforcement. Our attention is important to a puppy, and they do not want to be ignored. By showing them that biting will only result in us pulling away, they will learn to ditch the undesirable behavior. Interrupt The Behavior Sometimes a Shepherd puppy needs a sharp and sudden sound to pull them out of a bad habit. By giving a quick interrupter cue ouch, yip, eek , you can pull your puppy away from the action and gain their attention. Because of this, it is so important to offer plenty of mental and physical activities throughout your home. For example, if your puppy nips at strangers each time they walk in the door, it may be best to limit their time around the guest and send them to a separate play area. Once they begin to understand that biting is unacceptable, you can refrain from using their separate play area as often. Similar to what we discussed above about being proactive, a separate play area can help them calm down and collect themselves. Once your German Shepherd puppy begins to mature and understand that biting is unacceptable, they should require less time away. Just as there are effective methods in canine training, there are counterproductive actions as well. Do Not Hit Or Yell Since biting is a normal behavior that puppies must learn to grow out of, it is not productive to hit or yell at your puppy when they bite. Doing this can show them from a young age that interaction with you results in something negative, and can hinder your training process. By using other distractions and training methods when they bite, you can turn every bite into a learning experience for your pup! This can seem like a fun game to your pup, and can actually encourage the behavior. Try your best to go limp when they bite you, and pull your attention away from the pup. By doing this, you show them that this behavior does not offer them any extra fun. Extra attention can validate their undesirable behavior, making it challenging to break. Try your best to refrain from reacting to a bite outside of your interrupter cue, and pull your attention away from your furry friend afterward. Biting is a normal behavior in puppies of all kinds. Puppies begin to bite their siblings from the moment they can move, and will continue this behavior until they learn otherwise. A biting German Shepherd puppy is to be expected, and should not result in any discouragement on your part. As long as you are following the tips we mentioned above, your puppy should shy away from this behavior in no time! Biting in puppies is not usually a sign of aggression. Mild biting is usually a form of play, and should be easily corrected. However, there are some rare cases where biting in German Shepherd puppies is a sign of something more. If your pup is displaying any snarling, growling, ears pinned back, stiff posture, or any other signs of canine aggression, your pup may be biting in reaction to fear or pain. If you are unable to make any progress within a month of implementing the tips we discussed above, it may be time to contact a dog trainer. A trainer can not only help your pup refrain from biting, but offer other obedience training as well. Final Thoughts As you can see, biting is a normal behavior for our beloved German Shepherd puppies. Be sure to review the tips we discussed above on proper canine training, and you can banish puppy biting for good! An aggressive pound dog pouncing on you can get quite ugly fast. Think broken bones, damaged muscles, deep lacerations, bruises, scars, and expensive medical bills. German Shepherds have a bite force of PSI pound-force per square inch, or the measure of strength that a bite inflicts on the victim , compared to humans with a bite force of PSI. In fact, the American Animal Hospital Association lists the German Shepherd as one of the six breeds with the most dangerous bites, based on a US study. Therefore, training your GSD to inhibit her bite is mandatory as it not only rewards you with a well-behaved dog, but also ensures your safety as well as the safety of the people around you. A crucial step towards correcting this nasty behavior is to first understand why German Shepherd puppies bite. Nipping or biting stems from various reasons. Understanding the root of the behavior will equip you with the proper corresponding countermeasures to correct it. German Shepherds Have a High Prey Drive One of the primary and distinct characteristics thatmake a German Shepherd a popular choice for police and military work is their high prey drive, coupled with their intelligence and high trainability. Take a look at the video below showing what GSDs were originally bred for. GSDs also have a natural inclination to chase almost everything that moves in their surroundings. They Are Teething As early as two weeks old, the baby teeth of pups start to come out. Puppies use their mouth to explore their environment, so nipping is to be expected. This behavior, called teething, can last until the puppy is six months old when all her adult teeth have started showing. Teething is very uncomfortable for puppies and can lead to sore gums, so puppies turn to anything to chew to soothe the discomfort. Unfortunately, this can include biting you! They May Be Taken From the Litter Too Early Young puppies learn to naturally inhibit their biting through socialization with their mother and their siblings. A puppy does not quite understand yet the force of her own bite unless she bites too hard and the recipient reacts by yelping out of pain. Taking a puppy away from her mother prematurely will therefore deprive her the chance to learn important socialization skills. As a rule of thumb, the American Kennel Club AKC recommends that you take home a puppy that is no less than eight weeks old. By this time, the puppy should have had ample time to interact with her playmates and learn bite inhibition. We concur that you should never take home a puppy that is less than 8 weeks old. In fact, more than half of the states in the U. This does not mean, however, that your puppy will completely stop nipping. As the new parent, it is your job to continue training the dog so that any subsequent bites should be gentler. For more on selecting the right German Shepherd puppy from a litter, including additional information on the proper age, what to look for in a puppy, and what to expect from ethical breeders, be sure to check out the 2 articles linked below: How to Buy a German Shepherd Puppy: A Step-by-Step Guide The Puppy Might Be Overstimulated, Fearful, or Anxious Sometimes puppies lose control of their bite because of overstimulation. Overstimulation can happen during playtime, or when your puppy has become cranky due to teasing. Your GSD puppy may also bite out of fear. Your puppy has but 2 defenses — to run away or to bite. If your puppy feels cornered, then biting is the defense that she will most often resort to. Because biting is normal canine behavior and GSDs are a breed that is more prone to it, the goal here is to inhibit the bite, not completely stop it. Do Start Training Early We keep mentioning throughout this site that training and socializing your GSD as soon as you get her home is crucial. Although training older dogs is not impossible, it is true that it is easier to train younger puppies, when habits are still new and can be easily corrected. If left untrained, adult German Shepherds can be prone to aggression towards other animals and humans, which can result in tragic situations. To get a better understanding of what is involved with these necessary steps, be sure to read these 2 excellent articles: German Shepherd Training Guide: All You Need to Know Do Use Toys as Alternative Items to Chew Puppies will nib on your hands or your feet especially during the teething stage. Train this behavior away by offering the puppy a toy whenever she starts biting your hand or your ankles. This teaches her what is acceptable to bite and which is not. It is good practice to always keep a chew toy nearby in anticipation of the biting behavior. She needs to understand that biting ends playtime and that it does not give her anything in return. In the Alpha Roll , the human pins down the dog on the floor on his side or back and holds that position to exert dominance. Besides, it has also been proven in many studies that dogs have very different behavior from wolves. Pinning your dog will cause him to freeze out of fear, which can also turn into aggression. It also teaches your dog that physical touch is something to be feared. Nobody wants to be punished by hand, not humans and certainly not dogs either. Do Reward Good Behavior Dog trainers and experts agree that positive reinforcement using rewards are highly effective in forming and keeping desirable behaviors as a puppy matures into an adult dog. If her nose touches your fingers without biting them, give her a treat and praise generously. Hold off the treat if she bites. Do this repeatedly until she associates the treat the reward with not biting your hand the good behavior. In fact, most dog bite cases in children occurred because of teasing! Instead, teach your child to be gentle with your pet , as even unintentional rough play can result in unwanted events. Dogs get cranky too, especially when they get hurt or feel that their privacy is being invaded. Never leave your child alone with your puppy unattended. Supervise their interactions at all times. Studies show that parents trust their dog around their kids too much that they overlook the signs that the dog is in distress. For tug games, keep in mind, however, that your dog must be calm and not overstimulated before playing. Otherwise, your puppy may get too serious and hold on to the rope too much. The AKC recommends that for breeds that are prone to aggression such as German Shepherds, tug-of-war can be safely carried out if the puppy knows you are in control and follows your commands. Once this has been established, a game of tugging can be used both as an exercise and as a reward for your dog. When playing, always remember to be gentle with tugging as your puppy still has baby teeth! By doing this, you are also socializing your puppy with other animals — an essential skill to learn for a well-rounded behavior. That being said, do not completely write off playing with your puppy! Playtime is still an excellent opportunity to bond with your dog, but make sure to keep it safe and fun by establishing boundaries. This method, however, is a matter of trial and error. Some puppies respond to this positively. On the other hand, many puppies get aroused by this and become even more aggressive. If you yelp and she stops biting without expressing any signs of aggression, the method has perhaps worked. You are then free to continue doing so until the puppy learns to stop biting hard. On the other hand, temper tantrums, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , are characterized by a stiff body, lips pulled back to show teeth, and growling. Biting will be more forceful and painful, since the behavior is typically caused by fear or anger. A German Shepherd puppy may be more prone to displaying this behavior, especially around unruly children. Bite inhibition is crucial especially among German Shepherds, a breed that is widely reported to be the culprit of many dog bites in America. Bite inhibition is simply one of the many important skills that your GSD must learn during her training. It can spell the difference between gentle playing and aggressive biting that leads to serious injuries. Always remember that dogs have feelings, too. They are not perfect little angels that never get angry. Even the most well-mannered dog in the world will snap out of irritation. Hopefully, we will have the answers to all of your questions in this guide. But, all that cuteness quickly disappears when the biting phase starts. Puppy biting is normal in all breeds, including the German Shepherd. And, luckily, we have some great tips and tricks to minimize the painful biting period. In fact, it could have a number of causes. Here are a few of the most common reasons, in a little more detail. Teething One reason why puppies of all breeds may bite is teething. This stage often starts at around 3 or 4 months of age — only a few weeks after your puppy will arrive at their new home. Luckily, it only takes a few months for your puppy to have their full set of adult teeth. So, biting from teething is not permanent. If your puppy is biting or chewing because of teething, you may notice other symptoms like drooling, irritability, and going off their food. Boredom or Getting Attention Bored puppies may learn that biting gets some fun responses from you! Just like barking can. If your puppy has learnt that they can get some attention from you when they bite, they may do it to alleviate boredom. This can explain why puppies concentrate most of their biting on one family member — the person who gives the most fun response. Natural Play Biting is a natural part of puppy play — as much as some owners might not want to hear it! German Shepherd puppies, just like any other breed, will bite whilst they are playing with you or with other dogs. If this behavior continues into adulthood, the biting can be more problematic. Responding to Rough Play Some people like to play with German Shepherd puppies in quite a rough manner. This can include pushing them, or rolling them over. Behaviors like this can make puppies very excitable, and encourage biting during play. Encourage calm play between your family members or friends and your puppy. Herding Instincts The German Shepherd breed has a history as a herding dog. The creator of the breed, Captain Max von Stephanitz, bred the German Shepherd in an attempt to create the ultimate all-round herding breed. This was all the way back in the late s. Although the history of the breed has changed over time, from herding to working dog, their origins remain the same. Many herding dogs are prone to natural chase instincts. They may chase small children or other animals — particularly those that are making lots of noise. And, these herding behaviors can include nipping at heels. Once again, your behavior can minimize biting from this cause. Exploration Another common explanation for young German Shepherd biting is their natural curiosity. And, they may do this partly with their mouths. What you really want to know is, when will it stop? However, you can minimize the period by making a few easy changes to your behavior when biting occurs. The best ways to stop puppy biting and minimize the biting period are training and prevention. This means training your puppy to be gentle with you and other people, and taking away opportunities for your excited puppy to bite humans. You may need to go as far as to completely separate your GSD puppy from small children and people who insist on rough play with puppies. We know that this can only encourage biting. Remove Yourself Calmly If your puppy starts to bite you, during play or any other time, the best solution is to calmly and quietly remove yourself. You can use tools like baby gates to keep your German Shepherd in a puppy-safe room. In fact — your puppy will learn that biting during play or cuddles only results in you leaving, and them ending up on their own! Not only will this help to show your puppy that biting is not an acceptable part of playtime, but it can also help your own sanity to remove yourself from those sharp teeth occasionally. Think About Clothing You should also think about the type of clothing you wear around your puppy. Loose, hanging clothing can be appealing to your puppy, and provide something easy to grip on with their sharp teeth. Wear tight fitting clothing to minimize the number of things your puppy can bite at. Use Distractions If you, or young children in your household, are keen to pet your puppy without being bitten, you should make the most of distractions like treats or toys. You can hold a chew for your puppy to keep their attention and mouth distracted whilst someone pets them! Often, puppy owners only think about biting whilst their puppy is actively gnawing on them. One method is to reward them with treats when you are petting them and they are not biting you. Another is to reward them for calm behavior around the house. This way they learn that acting calmly and letting you touch them without biting will earn them good things! One popular method to stop puppy biting is to squeal, squeak, growl, or make another loud noise. Some people claim that this method replicates natural puppy play and tells your GSD when they are being too rough. For some owners, this may work. If this is the case, making a noise when your puppy bites will act as a reward, and encourage your German Shepherd puppy to bite you even more. This is one reason why puppies biting children is so common. Many children will make lots of noise, especially if a puppy bites them, which can lead to further nipping. This is similar to the method above, if used alone. This is why training has to be done in small stages — first you must teach the puppy what action you want, and then you can give the action a name, or command. Punishment Methods The best methods to stop your puppy from biting involve positive rewards for the behaviors you want. Studies on dog training and behavior have shown that punishment based methods are often associated with an increase of problematic behaviors. Punishing your puppy for biting can lead to distrust and fear from your puppy. The causes of puppy biting that we looked at earlier in this guide apply to all GSD puppies. In fact, they apply to all puppies of any breed. Biting and chewing is a normal puppy behavior, and a normal part of play. As long as you react to this behavior in the right way, it is a period that will pass. The biggest fear for most German Shepherd puppy owners is that their puppy is aggressive when it bites. German Shepherd puppy biting can be accompanied by ferocious growls or snarls. It can even draw blood. So are behaviors like snarling and growling. And, if your puppy is biting hard enough to injure you, they may not have learnt proper bite inhibition yet. This is the process where your puppy learns to be gentle with his teeth on your skin. The positive reward methods we discussed earlier in this guide are the best way to teach your puppy bite inhibition. Remove yourself calmly and quietly whenever your puppy bites. And make sure to reward any calm behavior — including when your puppy lets you pet it without biting. Speak to a Behaviorist If you think your puppy is exhibiting aggressive behaviors, such as guarding their resources, you may want to speak to a behaviorist. They will be able to look at your puppy as an individual case, and analyse their behavior properly. Do Adult German Shepherds Bite? The German Shepherd breed is known for being aggressive in some circumstances — they make popular guard dogs, and are number one candidates for working dog roles in the police and military.
I think I was given that pretty name to make up for how I was treated before coming to Badass Bulldog Rescue and my current foster home. Even though my life started out rough, having that name gave me something to rise up to - it's hard to not feel like you have a better life coming when your name is Princess! At first when I came to my foster family's home, I wanted to engage with them but not fully. After a little time, I opened up to belly rubs and now I am a full on cuddler! When I'm the only furbae in the room, I velcro my eyes to whichever foster parent is there and like to stay on their heels. Same when they take me on walks. So I am looking for someone who is ready for BIG love in a stout package! Speaking of walks - I love them! My pre-foster life was not very active and I've had some babies, so my weight really crept up! I'm on my new health journey now with better nutrition, medical care and exercise and am already seeing positive changes in my figure. I really hope my furever home will keep me active and keep me on track - I'm a short gal so every oz matters! I have an older foster sister and brother and have had some great play sessions with them! Full disclosure, as much as I do like to play, I also have a tendency to get possessive over food and chewbones with them. My foster mom thinks it is because my beginnings to life didn't include regular feedings or the opportunity to have anything extra to chew on. So if my furever family would have patience and continue to practice with me, my ability to share could improve. In summary, even though I have a past and am still working on becoming every aspect of the name I've been given, I'm a catch. I love my people, toys, car rides, cuddles, walks and to play. My perfect furever home will keep me on the healthy lifestyle I'm on now, continue to help me understand that pets, food and treats are plentiful and be patient with me through the process of learning to share if I'm joining a home with other furbaes. Frequently Asked Questions What are some of the health issues English bulldogs are likely to face? The English bulldog has various health issues with the most alarming being cardiac and respiratory complications. English bulldogs are also prone to dyslexia in the hip due to their relatively large body size. Skin infections are also a concern do to the wrinkly and folds nature of the skin. What is the lifespan of an English bulldog? The English bulldog can live up to years on an average scale. This is usually due to the numerous complications and health challenges the bulldog faces in the course of life. How frequently do English bulldogs shed? English bulldogs shed more frequently during the cold seasons like winter and spring. Compared to other dogs, they shed rather moderately and even lesser as they age. How hard is it to train an English bulldog? This breed of dog is known for its stubborn nature and can be really difficult especially for novice dog owners to get the hang of. Patience and routine should be the keywords when dealing with a bulldog. Are English bulldogs good watchdogs? The English bulldog has a natural instinct to protect its territory. Even though the bulldog is not usually much of a barking dog, in the case of an intruder it is well equipped and confident to take on the challenge at every cost. Are English Bulldogs dangerous to their owners? The English bulldog is not a dangerous pet. It is very much territorial and somewhat apprehensive to unfamiliar faces, but once it warms up to you, the bulldog is one of the most loving and loyal dogs. How much exercise do English Bulldogs need? The English bulldog on average needs about 30minuites of exercise every day to keep it mentally and physically healthy. Are English Bulldogs family dogs? The English bulldog may seem aggressive at first glance but you will get to find that they have a contrasting character to their appearance. They are perfect around children and can play all day. They are extremely lovable and friendly. How big do English Bulldogs get? English bulldogs can weigh up to 50 pounds and can grow as tall as 15inches. Male or female English Bulldog? This depends solely on the owner as both genders have their specific pros and cons. English bulldogs are very friendly and warm dogs and are amazing around children. No wonder they are one of the most sought-after breeds in the world. Are you interested in purchasing a English Bulldog? Fill out the below form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Home of Kennel free living and lots of loving! Good Gracious Goldens was created in when I decided to follow in my mothers footsteps as she has been raising them for over 3o years. Recently we welcomed our 3rd child and decided it was time to split the work without compromising the experience for our adopting families. Now we are working along side Lone Oak Goldens, my dear friend Lori. This decision is not one we took lightly as our reputation is very important to us but I knew her care and expertise would only make us better! I could not imagine a more wonderful partner. She raises them in her home in NE and brings them to my home when they are ready as most of our adopting families are in Colorado including many repeat families! Now I can put all my focus in the communication I pride myself on quick replies , while Lori is loving on the puppies and socializing them getting them ready to meet you! And trust me when you see these puppies you'll see just how much love was poured into them!! I like to say us working together for you, is the truly best of both worlds! We love the English Cream and American Golden breed. We couldn't imagine a better way of life! Of course watching them grow up and thrive is amazing, but I would say my favorite part is seeing the families faces when they see their new family member. Thank you for taking the time to read about us! Our Philosophy! We believe dogs and puppies should be unconditionally loved and cared for as they truly become part of your family. When choosing the right puppy for your family, there are many choices out there. Some puppies are raised in undesirable conditions, this is incredibly heart breaking. Which is why we raise our Golden Retrievers with absolutely no kennels. We believe this makes us different from other breeders. As we are continually trying to improve our breeding program. Our reason for raising English Creme Golden Retrievers is because of our love for the breed and the joy our dogs have brought to our lives. We desire an extraordinary puppy for your family too. When you pick us, we have to pick you too, as we too are selective when choosing forever homes for our pups. Within the first 8 weeks of their lives we spend a lot of time helping them develop social skills and simply loving on them. We get to know each one of the puppies and are fully committed to helping you choose the puppy that is best for you and your family based on gender, temperament and color. We recently joined our breeding program with Lone Oak Goldens. Two families raising puppies together equals double the love! We want to thank you for taking the time to let us introduce you to our family dogs "Grace", "London","Ellie", "Viva", "Margo", "Cooper" and "Hudson" along with their sweet puppies! We look forward to meeting you soon! Sincerely, Libby and Lori. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. We have some terrific litters on the horizon and we look forward to working with you during this exciting process! We currently have 2 girls and 1 boy available, and they are ready to go home today! We currently have 3 girls and 2 boys available! Pups will be ready to go home on September .We currently have 2 girls and 2 boys available. This litter will be ready to go home on October 6. We currently have 2 girls and 4 boys available. This litter will also be ready to go home on October 6. This is going to be a beautiful litter. Contact us for more information! We are currently receiving deposits for this litter! We can't wait to meet their puppies! This is going to be a terrific litter! We do provide shipping with our awesome courier team! Selecting your puppy is easy. You will receive weekly updates full of information as well as pictures and videos. Selections take place at 8 weeks! Whether you are in a nearby city or multiple states away, we'll help guide you each step of the way. Some people come directly to our home and others make the selection from the convenience of their own living room with the assistance of FaceTime, Skype and plenty of conversations! At 8 weeks old, they'll be ready to join your home! Again, we wish you all the best in your journey of finding the perfect puppy. We know it's an important decision and we're here to assist in any way we can. We'd love to hear from you so feel to email us. Hello from the Orths! We are a family breeder with a huge love for English Cream Golden Retrievers located in a small town just outside of Spokane, Washington. We are a northern California breeder near Sacramento that prides itself on choosing our breeding dogs for top health, temperament, and beauty that conforms to the breed standard. Our dogs are selected from champion lines with health clearances. We will only breed dogs that pass all of these tests, so we can continue reaching to improve the breed through imposing high standards for our dogs. We breed dogs from these lines to continue a heritage of excellence in the breed. This standard is different from the AKC standard for golden retrievers, but both are accepted and licensed. The English type should have a blockier and fuller head, shorter muzzle, lower ear set, rounder eyes, stouter body structure, as well as a lighter color than the American type see comparison figure below. As an adult, it has been a pleasure to now show and selectively breed these beautiful English Golden Retrievers. Raising our English Golden Retrievers is a family endeavor that includes everyone from the youngest to the oldest. It is wonderful to make family memories with our dogs and children together. Our English Goldens are first and foremost pets who live and play among our family. Our children are involved from showing our dogs to whelping the puppies. Our puppies go home to their new families very loved and well socialized. In Northern California, we are located in Newcastle which is at the base of the Sierra Mountain foothills; close to Sacramento, and about miles from San Francisco or about miles from San Jose other cities near us are Roseville, Loomis, Folsom, Orangevale, Auburn, Lake Tahoe about an hour , and Reno about 2 hours. We can deliver our puppies to you if you are out of state, and personally travel with the puppy to bring your puppy to you. We cordially invite you to visit us and meet our beloved puppies and amazing dogs. We're located in the California Gold County just 25 miles east of Sacramento. Surrounded by golden foothills, we offer the perfect place to meet and enjoy the dogs. Expect to be greeted with wagging tails and wet noses during your visit, as our dogs are always excited to meet new people. Please let us know when you would like to visit by booking an appointment. The care and love you, Heather, and all at Classic Heritage devote to these pups is remarkable. The efforts taken to ensure pups are matched with their new happy forever home are excellent. Everyone I met was equally professional, educated, loving, kind, and a lot of fun. All of the dogs are beautiful and happy.We have had the best experience and have the most loving pup so anything we can do to help Classic Heritage we would. We have recommended you to everyone who has asked. Heritage Gold weeks with foundational training Our week-old puppies go home with a great start in our Foundational training program. See our training page for more information including pricing. We are taking reservations now for week-old puppies. Our next planned litters are here and we are taking reservations now for these pairings. These puppies have been chosen for their exceptional learning abilities and superior structure and temperament, and are considered top candidates for our breeding program. These puppies are also ideal for those in need of service-trained dogs. We are pleased to offer these exceptional puppies for adoption, beginning at 12 weeks of age. Please visit our training page to learn more about our Crown Reserve puppies and reserve one today. We also invite you to contact us to schedule a visit with the puppies and their parents, where you can meet us in person and see how our dogs and puppies live. If you are interested in providing a loving forever home for one of these amazing pups, please contact us for the next steps and to complete the puppy application. Every day we are learning how to care for this breed and will continue to update on what we have found that works best for putting your puppy on the best road to happiness and health. Here are some tips, advice and links we would like to share. More Information You can contact us for more information on our upcoming available puppies and the pairings. In order to reserve a puppy, contact us about your interest in upcoming litters by going to our "Contact Us" tab at the top. At that point, I can let you know about the dam and sire pairings, your pick placement, and more about the puppy homing process. If you wish to be included in our e-mail send outs, please tell us that you're interested. Just so you know, our puppies are normally reserved very quickly, so the earlier you reserve your puppy, the better chance you have to receive one. If you would like to take the first steps toward finding out about bringing home a Classic Heritage Golden Retriever puppy, write me an email about yourself, your experience with dogs, or anything that may help me know more about you and the environment you will provide one of our puppies. This is to ensure a thriving future for our puppies. We look forward to placing one of our puppies with your family! New Puppies available. Life Span Did You Know? The English Cream Golden Retriever is not a separate dog breed from the Golden Retriever ; it is simply a rarer coat color variation. These Golden Retrievers tend to have light white or cream-colored coats instead of honey, golden-brown, or reddish coats. As they are still standard Golden Retrievers, they are recognized by the AKC and other canine organizations and can be registered. An English Cream Golden Retriever has all the same traits as any other Golden Retriever; they are one of the most popular dog breeds and tend to be open, friendly, and make great family pets. One of the facts about Golden Retrievers is that they are considered one of the friendliest dog breeds. As long as they are socialized and trained, Goldens tend to get along well with children, other dogs, and other pets. They are even known for being open and friendly with strangers. As one of the kid-friendly dog breeds , Golden Retrievers love attention. These dogs tend to be energetic, full of personality, and are devoted to their families. They also tend to be excitable, which means they can be prone to barking. Training your dog to stop barking early on can help curb this habit and help prevent it from becoming a nuisance. Due to their friendly, gentle nature and intelligence, Goldens can often be found working as service, therapy, or search and rescue dogs. English Cream Golden Retrievers are highly adaptable dogs. Their high energy and exuberance make them better suited for homes with yards where they can run. They can adapt to apartment living, but you will need to dedicate a lot of time every day to ensure they get enough attention, mental stimulation, and exercise. Goldens fare well in most climates. As with any dog breed, they are sensitive to heat and extreme cold. Because they bond so closely with their families and are one of the most affectionate dog breeds , they do not like to spend long periods of time alone. Some potential health concerns to be aware of in an English Cream Golden Retriever can include canine cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia, and elbow dysplasia. Good breeding practices reduce the risk of these health issues and make a big difference in the health of puppies. Reputable breeders will screen their dogs to avoid passing preventable issues to puppies. You can also ask about any health tests or clearances that have been done. The national breed club recommends hip and elbow evaluations, an NCL DNA test, an ophthalmologist evaluation, and a cardiac exam at a minimum. English Cream Golden Retrievers are intelligent and eager to please. This makes them highly trainable dogs that are a good fit for owners of all experience levels. Not only are they one of the best dog breeds for first-time owners , but they also tend to excel at obedience competitions and other dog sports. As one of the smartest dog breeds , Golden Retrievers can get bored easily. Because they pick up things quickly, they can get bored with too much repetition in training. If your dog has mastered basic commands , move on to other activities or more advanced commands. Anything you learn will help and will only strengthen the bond you are building with your puppy. Plus, there are several other benefits of puppy training classes including socialization. English Cream Goldens may have a lighter-colored coat, but they still have the classic longer Golden Retriever coat that will shed a big year-round and heavier as the seasons change. You will want to bathe them as needed and get your Golden professionally groomed a few times a year, especially as the seasons change. Trimming nails once or twice a month keeps them from growing too long. Weekly ear checks, along with careful cleanings as needed, can help prevent ear infections. Daily tooth brushing is ideal to keep tartar buildup at bay. This, plus cleanings at the vet when needed, is good dental care for dogs and can help prevent painful dental diseases later in life. Golden Retrievers are known for being high-energy dogs. Like Labrador Retrievers , they also tend to have an extended puppyhood. They do tend to calm down a little as they grow into adulthood, but will still have a lot of energy. Daily walks plus some playtime, time to run, and other activities are usually enough to keep this dog happy and healthy. Goldens tend to be athletic and versatile dogs. So, once they are done growing and the vet has cleared them for higher-impact activities, you can take them running with you, play frisbee, go hiking, train for dog sports, and more. As one of the most active dog breeds , you will likely run out of energy before they do and they will likely be up for even more activity if you are. An English Cream Golden Retriever generally lives for years on average. Golden Retrievers are one of the dog breeds of famous dogs. Why choose MN English Golden? We are professional breeders that focus on 1 excellent genetic health testings, exquisite temperaments, and highest quality pedigrees such as World Championship Moondust Masterpiece and three times winning Steadfast Angus. Our pups are breastfed until couple days before they go home at 8 weeks old. Classified as a working dog with purposes such as Service or Therapy work. We breed to better the breed. We focus on superior health of our puppies to give our families the perfect golden. For more information view health testings on OFA. English Cream Goldens are such an exquisite breed. They are intelligent, playful, honest, loyal, and loving companions. Once you have a golden, you will always want a golden. They will always be by your side, full of love, and will make your heart melt! Majority of our pups are sold before pups are born. We recommend reserving your puppy early so you can be one of the first picks of the litter. Once pups are born we will mark each puppy with a different color collar and have weekly pictures for you so you can enjoy watching your puppy grow! We love to have our families come to our home and have the joy in picking out their puppy. Each family will have their own time to meet and play with the puppies, parents and meet our family. We will answer all questions and help guide each family in choosing their perfect puppy. If a family can not come to our home to pick out their puppy, then we will have the family pick out their puppy online before we ship or deliver puppy to you. Visit FAQ page for more information on delivering or shipping a puppy to you. Puppies will be ready to join their forever loving homes at 8 weeks old. We do have options where your puppy can stay and go through our puppy training classes. Please visit FAQ and training program page for more information.
Breeding healthy, good natured Goldendoodles is our priority. We raise our puppies on a culmination of Badass Breeder BAB Curriculum, Avidog, Midwoofery and Puppy Culture - a week by week guide to aid in the neurological stimulation to emotional resiliency in our puppies. Temperament assessing helps our families choose the best companion for their needs. We are also featured on Good Dog for our responsible breeding ethics with a rating of Excellent, which is the highest rating earned on Good Dog. Why Choose Cherry Lane Doodles? The benefits of our breeding program culminate into superior puppies that are resilient, confident, calm, easy to train, and will bond strongly with their families! Additionally, customer satisfaction is very important to us. Check out a few of our reviews below, or to view all of our reviews go to Cherry Lane Doodle Google Reviews! Where should I start? Click on Availability and Pricing to view our anticipated litters coming up. Once you hear back from us, and if you are an approved applicant, you can Place Your Puppy Reservation. The Process of buying a Doodle 1. Make a deposit and get on the waiting list 3. Wait for the puppies to be born 4. Midwest Puppy Families We love him so much! We bought our Saintberdoodle from Midwest puppy a little over a year ago. Our experience from the get go was great. They were able to answer questions for us quickly and continued to help in anyway they could even after we brought our baby home. We love him so much! He is very gentle and is great with all people and doggies. He brings our family so much joy that we decided to get his half sister from Midwest Puppy today! She is just as sweet as her big bro! We are so lucky to have these gentle giants be part of our family. Thank you Midwest Puppy!! Heather Niemann Happy and healthy Midwest Puppy was a great team to work with from the moment we started looking for a fur baby. They were so quick to respond to my messages and answer any questions or concerns. We even were able to pick a time to meet our pup before bringing him home about a month before! Our doodle Teddy is happy and healthy. I would recommend Midwest Puppy if you want a personal and professional experience when choosing a puppy for your family. Midwest Puppy was great to work with through the whole process! Midwest Puppy really cares about their animals! Casey Glassburner Instantly fell in love Meet our new furbaby Bennie, we instantly fell in love. They went above and beyond to assure Bennie was a good fit. Although we were miles away during his first 8 weeks, they always made us feel connected. We absolutely adore Charley, our Bernedoodle! He has been so easy to train and has a sweet personality! Cheryle Amanda Shelton-Deal Subscribe to receive updates about future puppies! Join our mailing list for the latest pup-dates Email Address. What is the temperament of a Goldendoodle? Goldendoodles are gentle and affectionate dogs with an easy-going temperament. They are extremely intelligent, and according to the Goldendoodle Association of North America , they score in the top 4 of the smartest breeds. They have an extremely social personality and love to be with their fur parents. Testimonials Our experience with Fisher River Doodles was excellent! Our boy Winston is healthy, loving and energetic-all things puppy! Tammy was outstanding with communicating our puppy status, growth and development. She sent videos, pictures and video chatted several times as we waited for our boy to come home. Tammy really understands the breed and was able to answer all of our questions. What really impressed me was how accommodating she was and how quickly she would return messages. She is extremely invested in her dogs. We were able to visit Winston and found the kennels and puppy enclosures to be clean, safe and entertaining for the babies! The puppies are socialized and raised around children! Tammy loves her dogs and we loved our experience with Fisher River Doodles. I would highly recommend Fisher River Doodles to anyone looking for a top notch dog and a top notch experie Jan Mickelson Our experience with Fisher River Doodles was so great. Tamara is knowledgeable and accommodating. She updated us with pictures and how the pups were doing. Several times when I reached out for an extra photo Tamara would call with a video chat so we could see our little guy in action! We were able to come visit our puppy around 5 weeks and felt so welcomed by her and her family. She also had a separate Facebook page for families who have a pup from Fisher River so you can see updates from other families and see your puppies brothers and sisters. Gus has a great temperament and is so loving. We would definitely go through Tamara and Fisher River again!! Molly Paulson Would recommend this place a thousand times! We had a great experience getting our first family dog here. Tamara and her family are so nice, and welcoming when going to visit the doodles! They answered every question we had in person and over messenger in a timely manner. Within minutes on messenger Soo nice! They truly have a heart of gold and care for all of their doggos so much, and it really shows. Tammy is extremely knowledgeable and ensure puppies health is top priority! I would recommend them to anyone. She is a very knowledgeable breeder, quickly responds to any questions and makes sure that the puppies are all healthy. We have had Willow about 2 weeks now. She is healthy, friendly, energetic, fun and full of pure enjoyment! We really appreciate the time she gave us. We need to make sure it was the right decision for our family. They also answered all my questions throughout the process. I would highly recommend getting a puppy from them. Our Oscar has just totally fit in with our family!! Thank you so much. She checks in to see how Raven is doing and is always here to help if we need it. She truly has a love for her fur babies. My children enjoy going to her house to play with her fur babies. They have so much yard to run and play. Kaelyn Sineni We love our sweet girl Ayla!!! Beautiful pups and super smart. Call Now Message us You can message us anytime of the day as well and we will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible. We will be posting on there as well with information on litters. Welcome to Maple Valley! Looking for that perfect little furball to add to your family? Health tested parents See more details on our parents: click here 2. Birthed inside our home All the puppies are born inside our home and live in our house until weeks old. Our doggy parents are family pets and not kenneled We are committed to never becoming a large scale breeder. Our dogs are all personal pets. We founded Maple Valley in .Both of us Micah and Rose had prior experience with raising puppies. We have a private Facebook group, click here where families that have adopted puppies from us can connect and share updates as their puppies grow. We welcome questions, concerns and feedback for the entire life of your dog. If for some reason a puppy does not work out, we ask that you allow us to help in rehoming it. Meet Micah and Rose Raber. We have been providing our customers with loving healthy puppies for nearly 10 years! Every puppy is born inside our home. They receive lots of love and attention from the very beginning. We work hard to provide an outstanding adoption experience for you. As a busy family, we do ask that you have patience with us. We look forward to helping you find your next fluffy member of the family! He is a wonderful pup with so much energy and personality! He is such a goof ball, so smart, and healthy! Thank you guys so much! We are thrilled to have him as part of our family. Thank you so much for our adorable puppy! We love having a little golden doodle! She is smart, funny and adorable! She is great with our grandchildren. She loves camping and going for boat rides. She is the perfect puppy for us! Our vet commented that she could tell Charlotte came from a good breeder and we agree. Thank you! So very loving. The most playful dog, loves to cuddle and hug and kiss. Just everything about him is the sweetest! Southpaw is truly the love of my life. His fur does really well in this cold climate and barely sheds. I absolutely love my mini bernedoodle and have sent other people your way to get theirs. Thank you very much for creating such an amazing dog. She is a mini f1 with an apricot coloring. After about three weeks she was mostly potty trained with few accidents. She is very calm and loving and she gets attention wherever she goes. She loves playing with her other dog roommate and doggie friends! The process of reserving, communicating with, and picking up Paisley from the Rabers was so smooth and I recommend Maple Valley to all who ask!! And a Toy Goldendoodle was just what Luke needed. In the short 8 months that Luke got to spend with his beloved Jasper he brought him so many smiles and memories I will forever be thankful. Jasper helped Luke get through the hardest days of his life, he made him smile, laugh and the best cuddle partner there ever was. Sadly Luke was called home to heaven on July 21, .Luke was never alone with the help of Jasper, his parents Chad, Nikki and older brother Caleb. Jasper is of course still residing with Lukes parents and brother and I am still trying to figure out a way to dognapp him!! We visit them often and sweet Jasper is always the first to greet us at the door. The first photo is the day Luke was surprised with him. I just wanted to write a few lines and give you an update on our Stella Dalisha. She will be 17 weeks in two days and 20 lbs. We are just in love with her. She is exactly what our little family needed. She fit right in with her big brother and sister Titus and Margo. Her and Titus have become the best of friends and are inseparable. We all laugh at her silliness and her little facial expressions. She walks around on her hind legs begging to be picked up and carried. She loves to go for rides in the car and any squeaky toy she can find. She has one more round of puppy shots before I get her spayed. Everyone at the veterinary office thinks she is just a delight. Thank you for raising such wonderful bernedoodles. Thank you so much for our little Stella Mae. We love her so much! From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A Goldendoodle is a mixed-breed dog, a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. Poodle hybrids have become increasingly popular and it is likely that the combination of Golden Retriever and Poodle has been duplicated by breeders in various countries at different times. History The first Goldendoodles were likely due to accidental breeding between Golden Retrievers and Poodles. The Goldendoodle is usually bred to be a family companion dog. Some are bred and selected for careers in service to humans as Guide Dogs, Therapy Dogs and other types of assistance dogs. Many people select a Goldendoodle because they love Golden Retrievers, but would prefer a dog that sheds less hair. Some have lost their Golden Retriever or Poodle to cancer or inherited disease, and hope that the hybrid cross will give their new pet a better chance of reducing those risks. Others may desire a dog that may not affect their allergies, although not all Goldendoodles will exhibit the low shedding coat type of the Standard Poodle. Cross-breed dogs do not exhibit standard characteristics, and while Goldendoodles may shed less than a Golden Retriever, the degree of shedding will vary from dog to dog. Grooming requirements are as varied as coat types, with the least shedding coat types requiring more regular grooming than the coat types that shed. There have been no studies to date verifying that any canine is completely hypoallergenic. Goldendoodles often are good swimmers, a characteristic of both parent breeds. Like any other cross-breed, the Goldendoodle varies from individual to individual, displaying differences in size, coat type, and color. A Goldendoodle s size is generally somewhere between that of the Poodle and the Golden Retriever parents, and the range includes standard, medium and miniature. Some standard-sized Goldendoodles have weighed over pounds. Upon reaching adulthood, a standard Goldendoodle will often weigh 45 pounds or more; a medium Goldendoodle will weigh between pounds, and a miniature Goldendoodle will weigh approximately 15 to 30 pounds. Goldendoodles have different coat types: wool, fleece, hair or a combination. The wool coat is more like a traditional poodle coat. A fleece coat can be either curly, wavy or straight, with hair more similar to that of a golden retriever. As a general rule, the more curly the Goldendoodle s coat, the less shedding there will be as the dog has more features of the poodle coat. Common colors are white, cream, apricot, gold, and red. Less common colors are black and silver. Rarer colors include brown, parti, and phantom. Goldendoodles are classified as various types depending on the breed of the Goldendoodle s parents. Temperament Similar to the Golden Retriever and the Poodle. Intelligent, affable, trainable, very human oriented, yet friendly toward other dogs. Moderately high energy dogs, much like their parent breeds. The Goldendoodle is not a purebred; rather, it is a specific type of mixed-breed dog or crossbreed. Some breeders prefer to restrict breeding to first generation F1 dogs i. Other breeders maintain that a Backcross F1B Goldendoodle i. Still other breeders are attempting to take this one step further and develop the Goldendoodle as a breed via selective breeding. Together we are a mother-daughter team, raising Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles at two convenient locations: south central Minnesota, and central Wisconsin each about 2 hours from the Twin Cities. We offer exclusive, limited boarding for our Doodle families, and keep in touch for a lifetime to support your puppy journey. My family and I have heated and cooled indoor puppy space, and our puppies are hand raised from birth to adoption in our home, where we can give them the hour hands on care, attention, and the one-of-the-family bonding they deserve. With our family-focused lifestyle, there is always someone home to snuggle puppies, work on training, or play fetch. We are dedicated to the puppies-first life so we can provide our families with not only a well-bred, well-adjusted puppy, but also the connection and confidence that marks an exceptional puppy experience. Would I recommend Brooke? Definitely and already have! Brooke and family take care of and love these puppies so much! You can tell by how well they are socialized once you pick them up. They are playful, happy and extremely adorable! She is great at answering questions and giving training tips for when you take your puppy home—not to mention you get a gift bag of pure love. Our Puppies: Our puppies are raised in my home with one-on-one love from the start. We pride ourselves on intelligent, healthy, beautiful, balanced, and well-socialized dogs and puppies. Everyone in my home is involved in raising, training, and caring for our puppies. It's part of our family vision. As a family, we understand the value of a puppy that blesses the home. Health, attractiveness, and a loving temperament are prerequisites for each of our dogs. Our Process: We prioritize making the Brooke's Doodles puppy experience personal and joyful for every puppy family. Emails, phone calls, video chats, and in-person visits are a regular part of the process. Consider us your personal puppy professionals! With a structured puppy process from day one, you can expect to really feel like one of the family. After your puppy is home, we offer boarding for our puppies as available, and are happy to answer questions and offer guidance as your puppy grows with you. You can prepare for and adopt your puppy with confidence knowing you will have support from us both before and after your puppy is home.
Here's what you need to know about taking care of your newborn pups after they are born. Approach the Puppies With Caution Although you may want to pet and hold the puppies constantly, it is important not to intervene too much in the first week or two of their lives, as they are very susceptible to disease, and it can be stressful for the mother and puppies. Use caution when approaching the puppies, as some mothers may show aggression to humans or other household pets if they perceive a threat. As the puppies get older and more active, your dog will want more and more time to get away and sleep, exercise, or socialize with members of the household. So give your dog space to get away from the puppies, but make sure that she is often returning to check on them. Provide A Warm Environment Puppies cannot regulate their body temperature until they are 3 to 4 weeks old. Therefore, for the first 4 weeks of their lives, you should provide a warm, clean box or bedding for the mother and puppies to share. To keep the puppies warm, position a heating lamp above it. Ensure there are unheated areas, as the puppies will need to move away from the heat source if they become too warm. Monitor the puppies' temperature. If puppies are too cold, they cannot process milk and it may curdle in their stomach. Do not use heating pads, as the puppies may be cold and stay on the heating pad too much. If it is too hot, it can cause burns. Start Socializing the Puppies If the mother dog allows it, you can get the puppies used to your presence. Socializing them early can help ensure that they fit nicely into a household. Puppies should initially be weighed twice a day for the first week or two, then daily. Puppies should never lose weight or even maintain weight—either of these is cause for supplementation and concern. If you notice that one of your puppies is smaller, not gaining weight, or has less energy than the others, consult your veterinarian. Puppies should not be taken away from their mother and sent to their new homes too quickly, as they learn important social rules and behavior from their mother and siblings. Puppies should not be separated from their mother if they are younger than 8 weeks old, and it may be illegal before this in many states. Waiting until they are 10 weeks old will give the maximum benefit of social interaction with their mother and littermates. Feeding and Weaning Newborn puppies should nurse at least every 2 hours for the first week or two of life. After this, they can stretch the feeding times to hours, as long as they are still gaining weight and doing well. Once the puppies are 3 to 4 weeks old, you can begin the weaning process by giving them access to puppy food. You can mix a high-quality commercial puppy food with water or canned puppy food to make it easier for them to eat. It is important that the food is softened at first. They should still have constant access to the mother, as she will continue to nurse them. Over the next few weeks, they will rely more and more on puppy food rather than nursing. Most dogs will wean their puppies by 5 to 6 weeks of age. Puppies have sharp teeth at this point, so nursing may be painful to the mother dog. Continue to be vigilant and monitor her for signs of mastitis. Contact Your Vet Just After the Puppies Are Born Contact your veterinarian to ask for their recommendation regarding when the puppies should first be examined. They may want to see them right away to evaluate for cleft palates , umbilical hernias , and other health concerns, or they may advise you to wait until they are a bit older. Most veterinarians recommend deworming at regular 2-week intervals starting at 2 weeks old. Lauren Jones graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in , after receiving her bachelor's degree.Help us make PetMD better Was this article helpful? Abstract Background Weight at birth is an important predictor of neonatal mortality and morbidity in dogs. In addition, the birthweight of the puppies in a litter influences the decision to perform a cesarean section. The goal of the present study was to estimate heritabilities for the puppy birth weight in Labrador retrievers. Results Of the Labrador retriever litters whelped at the Guiding Eye for the Blind between September and February , were included in the analyses after data editing. Puppy weight at birth was the target trait, measured on a continuous scale in pounds, and converted to grams. Linear mixed models were used to identify factors influencing puppy weight at birth. The analyses showed that the sex of the puppy, litter size, length of gestation, adult weight of the dam, parity, year of birth and inbreeding coefficient of the puppies and dams contributed to the variance of the puppy birth weight. Dam and litter effects were included as random effects. A multiple trait derivative free restricted maximum likelihood approach was used to estimate variance components and genetic parameters with two animal models, one without covariates Model 1 and one with covariates Model 2. Sex of the puppy and litter size had moderate effects, whereas gestation length, adult weight of the dam, parity, year of birth and inbreeding coefficients of the dam and the puppies had minor effects. Estimates for Model 1 and Model 2 were 0. Conclusions In order to estimate reliable breeding values for puppy weight at birth, sex of puppy, litter size, length of gestation and the adult weight of the dam should be included. Estimates could benefit from weighing the dams prior to each mating. Background The size or weight of puppies at birth is an important parameter, which influences neonatal mortality and morbidity and is a predictor of puppy survival [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. After a physiological weight loss within the first three days post-partum the growth curve reverses and birth weight is doubled after two weeks [ 4 ]. Breeders should weigh the puppies daily for at least the first three weeks [ 5 ] and provide each puppy with an individual feeder bowl. In this way, problem puppies are recognized early and the breeder may seek advice from a veterinarian. A recent publication proposes health monitoring for newborn puppies by assessing blood and other parameters to reduce neonatal losses [ 6 ]. Factors with an influence on the birthweight have been reviewed for domestic animals [ 7 ]. Among them are year and season of birth, sex, age and diet of the dam and fetal environment. Possible influences on gestation length in dogs including breed, litter size, parental age and size or parity have been investigated in different breeds [ 2 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], but were not conclusive. A recent genome-wide association study revealed six canine SNPs associated with gestation length [ 14 ], which may lead to the identification of genetic variants influencing this trait. Birth weight is not only determined by the genetic makeup of the offspring and its environment, but also by the maternal genetic composition and environment provided by the dam [ 15 ]. Estimates for genetic parameters for the birth weight in dogs are scarce. Nielen and coworkers [ 16 ] estimated the direct heritability for birth weight in Boxers to be 0. Helmink and coworkers estimated direct heritabilities for German shepherds GS and Labrador retrievers LR to be in the range of 0. In the same study the maternal additive genetic heritabilities were estimated to be in the range of 0. Estimation of maternal effects may improve breeding value estimation. Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a non-for profit organization that breeds and trains mostly LR and a few GS to provide guide dogs to people who are blind or have visual impairment. The breeding strategy and detailed procedures of Guiding Eyes for the Blind have been described [ 18 ]. The aim of the present study was to identify factors that influence puppy weight at birth which can provide insights for improvement in the Guiding Eyes for the Blind breeding program. Results To reliably estimate parameters levels of covariates with less than 30 litters were not included in the analyses. As a result of this restriction, 91 litters with a litter size smaller than four puppies or larger than eleven puppies, 15 litters with a gestation length shorter than 56 days or longer than 63 days and 19 litters with parities larger than six were dropped, leaving litters with puppies in the study. The average puppy weight was g, and males were heavier g than females g. The fixed effects of season of birth of the litter, inbreeding coefficient of the sire, as well as adult weight of the sire did not have a significant effect on PWB in LR. Table 1 Effects influencing the individual birth weight of puppies. Comparison of the variance components of a model without covariates Model 1 and a model with covariates 2. The direct-maternal covariance was held at zero Full size table Sex of the puppy and litter size had moderate effects, whereas gestation length, adult weight of the dam, parity, year of birth and inbreeding coefficients of the dam and the puppies had minor effects Table 1. Estimates of variance components Table 1 and genetic parameters Table 2 for PWB are shown for models 1 and 2. To make the individual effects of the covariates model 2 more tangible, detailed information about their magnitude are given in Additional file 1. Table 2 Proportions of variance components influencing the individual birth weight of puppies. Comparison of the variance components of a model without covariates 1 and a model with covariates 2. The aim was to measure the genetic correlation between the two traits Additional file 2. The genetic correlations of the direct effects as well as the one of the maternal effects reached almost unity. These results indicate that the architecture of the direct as well as the maternal additive genetic effects of PWB should be very similar in both sexes. These findings allowed for jointly analyzing the PWB of both sexes and to run a univariate mixed animal model with sex as covariate. Discussion Birth weight is a complex trait and influenced by many factors. PWB and post-natal weight gain are important parameters to recognize problem neonates and puppies deviating from normal development, respectively. Variation in size is desirable for Guiding Eyes for the Blind client placements. Dogs provided to people who are blind or visually impaired and also have difficulties with balance require a larger dog to aid in stability. In contrast, many guide dog users prefer a smaller more compact dog to easily fit in smaller spaces available when using commercial means of transportation. However, too heavy or too large guide dogs may be a hazard for the user [ 17 ]. Avoiding the birth of puppies with extreme birth weights is desirable in dog breeding and enhances welfare of the animals in general. In dogs, season of birth was associated with risk for cardiovascular disease risk [ 21 ] and fertility in bitches kept in tropic countries [ 22 ], however, the authors are not aware of any work reporting a seasonal effect on PBW. This is in contrast to findings in humans where the season of birth was strongly associated with birthweight and adult weight, as well as health outcomes in later life [ 23 ]. Seasonal effects on birth weight were found in horse or sheep [ 24 , 25 ]. Sex of the individual affected birth weight in LR. On average, female puppies were 24 g lighter than male puppies. This effect of the sex of an individual confirms the results of earlier studies in the dog [ 3 , 16 , 26 ] and may reflect physiological differences between the sexes. In our data a genetical sex dimorphism could not be detected. As in full sib families dominance effects could affect the estimation of additive genetic effects [ 27 , 28 ] we also investigated possible dominance effects in our data using WOMBAT together with the R-package NADIV [ 27 ]. With the same approach we also assessed possible sex chromosomal influences usually not considered in variance component analyses. Our data revealed neither substantial dominance effects nor sex-linked effects Additional file 3. The antagonistic relation between litter size and PWB is well known for domestic animals [ 7 ]. In LR, an increase of the litter size by one puppy resulted in a moderate decrease of PBW of 11 g in average confirming results of earlier studies in the dog [ 3 , 16 , 29 , 30 ]. However, the effect was small with an increase of about 6 g for an additional day in the length of gestation. Whereas the adult weight of the sire did not influence PWB in LR, offspring of heavier dams showed a slightly higher PWB, on average by 5 g per kg adult weight, which confirms a previous report [ 3 ]. In a study of Great Danes with a rather restricted data set, the maternal and paternal adult weight had a positive effect on the PBW. Furthermore, higher adult weight of the sire increased neonatal weight gain in this breed [ 29 ]. In LR, up to about parity two to three the PWB in LR increased about 4 g in a linear fashion whereas from about parity two to three to parity six the PWB decreased about 4 g in a non-linear fashion. A similar observation was made in humans [ 31 ]. Although the PWB was fluctuating over the years there was a very small increase of 2 g per year from to .It is well known, that the year of birth may lead to variation of the birth weight by differences in the climate, management and selection of breeding animals in domestic species [ 7 ]. The reason for this very small increase of PWB in LR remains unclear but may be related to the selection of breeding animals. Inbreeding may affect many traits including birth weight [ 32 ] and litter size [ 33 ] in domestic animal species. In the present study, PBW was only marginally influenced by the inbreeding coefficient. Inbreeding of the puppies and the dam had very small but opposite effects. The residual variances are not different but the environmental variance of the litter in model 2 is less than half of that in model 1 and the direct genetic variance in model 2 is close to half of that in model 1. The differences of the maternal genetic variance and the environmental variance of the dam are much less pronounced between the two models. These observations are reflected in the estimates of heritabilities and proportions Table 2. The maternal heritability 0. The residual is larger in model 2 due to the smaller total variance. In Boxers, estimates for heritability of birthweight corrected for litter effects and sex were much higher 0. This discrepancy may be explained by the fact that for our study maternal effects were included in the models. Helmink and coworkers estimated heritabilities for birthweight in German shepherd dogs and LR [ 17 ] by using the following bivariate models: birth weight — 42 days weight and birth weight - mature weight accounting for the litter. For birthweight in LR they found similar direct genetic heritabilities 0. Our results suggest that the inclusion of covariates may lead to better estimates although standard errors of heritabilities and proportions are only marginally smaller in model 2 than in model 1. However, the knowledge benefits anyone especially the working dog community who wants to investigate birth weight in a specific population, canine or not, or improve the situation with respect to birth weight in specific populations. Results suggest that the inclusion of covariates in the model improves the estimates of variance components. The magnitude of the heritabilities indicates that estimation of breeding values could improve breeding program with respect to PWB. Whether our findings help to improve the situation with respect to the stabilization of PWB in guide dogs depends heavily on how they can be implemented in a breeding strategy that is focused on the guiding abilities of the dogs. To evaluate the impact of our results on the general LR population, reliable data on PWB need to be collected. Most of the covariates included in model 2 could also be recorded in the field. The target trait, individual puppy weight at birth PWB was measured in pounds and converted to grams. The final data set comprised puppies in litters by dams and sires, born from September to February Additional file 4. Potential predictors were chosen based on literature [ 4 , 11 , 26 , 29 , 36 , 37 ]. Breed, a well-known factor influencing PBW [ 6 ] was not relevant for the present study because all animals were LR. The diet of the dam during pregnancy can influence the birth weight of puppies [ 26 ], but was not included in the analyses, because keepers of pregnant dams adhere to the feeding regime recommended by the Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Descriptive statistics for PWB and variables in the analyses are given in Additional file 5. Prior to the estimation of variance components, the significance of factors was evaluated and correlations between explanatory variables estimated Additional file 6. Litter size ranged from 4 to .Litters with less than four puppies and litters with twelve or more puppies were excluded from the analyses. Parity ranging from 1 to 6 and parity squared, as well as length of gestation were included. Litters with gestation lengths shorter than 56 days or longer than 63 days were excluded. Litters after cesarean sections were included in the analyses, because the gestation time was known. Year of birth was a possible predictor and encompassed the years to .Further possible predictors were the inbreeding coefficients of the puppies and their parents, as well as the sex of the puppies. Finally, adult weight of the dam was measured in pounds then converted to kg. Model 1 contained no covariates, because covariates are not always easily recorded in the field, and Model 2 included the covariates identified to influence PWB Additional file 7. The covariance between direct and maternal genetic effects fluctuated around zero and was never different from zero. Therefore, it was fixed at zero for both models. For both models the following variance components were estimated: direct genetic variance, maternal genetic variance, maternal environmental variance, environmental variance by the litter and residual variance. Shop All Cat Food Few things are more delightful than a litter of newborn puppies, but the prospect of caring for all of these brand new little lives can be daunting. But don't worry. Check out this guide to newborn puppy care to tell you what need to know to raise a healthy, happy litter. A Clean Environment Newborn puppies will spend their first few weeks in the box or pen in which they were born, so it's important to choose wisely when preparing for their arrival. The space should offer enough room for the mother to lie down and stretch out comfortably without crushing the puppies, and she should be able to come and go freely while keeping the puppies contained. It should also be easy to access so that you can change out the bedding each day. In these early days, Mom will clean up her pups' waste, but if it's a large litter she may need help keeping up. Around the end of the second week or the beginning of the third week, the puppies will open their eyes and become more active. Once they start to toddle about, you can move them to a larger pen with room to play, and bathroom cleanup will require more of your attention. Although the puppies will snuggle up with their mom and each other for warmth, it's best to use a heat lamp during their first month of life. The lamp should be placed high enough above the box to prevent any risk of burning the mother or her pups, and there should also be a cooler corner that the pups can crawl to if they get too warm. For the first five days, the temperature inside the pen should be kept at about 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. From days five through ten, gradually dial back the heat to 80 degrees, and then continue to reduce the heat little by little until it reaches 75 degrees by the end of their fourth week, suggests PetPlace. Nursing and Nutrition During their first few weeks, puppies rely exclusively on their mother for their nutritional needs. Although she may be less active during this time, nursing uses up a lot of the mother's energy and her daily caloric requirements will be higher than normal, says the AKC. To ensure both mother and puppies receive adequate nutrition throughout the nursing stage, the mother should be fed several servings of a quality puppy food throughout the day. Your veterinarian can recommend the type and amount of food to feed your nursing mother. It's important to keep an eye on the puppies' weight during this time. If you notice any of the puppies being underfed, you may need to keep an eye on them when it's time to nurse and make sure the smaller puppies latch onto the fullest nipples for feeding, says The Nest. Puppies who cry or whimper frequently may also be hungry and need more attention during feeding. If the smaller puppies still don't show signs of healthy growth or weight gain, talk to your vet. It might be necessary to take over and bottle-feed them. It's also important to watch the mother for signs of mastitis, says Wag! Signs of mastitis include red and swollen nipples and reluctance to nurse. The mother may even snap at the puppies when they try to eat. If you notice these signs, contact your vet right away. By the fourth or fifth week, the puppies will start getting their teeth and the weaning process will begin as the mother's milk production slows. Once you notice the puppies starting to sample Mom's food, it's time to provide them with their own dish of puppy food. Health Young puppies are susceptible to disease and infection, so you'll need to keep a close eye on them. Newborn puppy care should include regular inspections to watch for signs of infection or poor health. Report anything unusual such as vomiting, diarrhea or a puppy who won't stand or eat to your vet. Little puppies are also especially vulnerable to fleas and other parasites, says The Spruce Pets , so talk to your vet about appropriate parasite control. Although antibodies they receive from nursing will help protect them from illness in the early weeks, these antibodies wear off around six to eight weeks, which is when they will need to receive their first round of vaccinations. Make sure you and all family members thoroughly wash your hands before interacting with these puppies to help reduce the risk of getting them sick from any bacteria that might be lying in wait on your hands. Socialization By the fourth week the puppies are ready to begin socializing with humans and other dogs. Weeks four through twelve are a critical window during which puppies need to learn about the world they'll inhabit so they'll become well-adjusted, happy dogs, says The Spruce Pets. Poorly socialized puppies tend to grow into anxious dogs who may have behavioral problems, so whether you plan to keep the puppies or send them to good homes, it's important to cuddle and play with them, allow them to explore and play and expose them to as many new experiences as possible. Newborn puppy care entails a lot of work, but these first several weeks go by in a flash. If your puppies end up being adopted, you'll be saying goodbye to them in no time, an event that is often bittersweet. Enjoy the pups while you have them, and when it's time to let go, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you gave them the best possible beginning. Contributor Bio Jean Marie Bauhaus Jean Marie Bauhaus is a pet parent, pet blogger and novelist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she usually writes under the supervision of a lapful of furbabies. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. In this article, we will take a look at some of the essential questions about puppy nutrition. We will start with how you can tell if your puppy is getting the nutrition they need. Next, we will look at how often puppies need to eat, how much they need to eat, and what they should be eating for optimal nutrition. This article is for entertainment purposes only. If you have any health-related questions about your dogs or puppies please consult with your vet or animal nutritionist. While we assume that nature will take its course for puppies that are nursing and that they will get enough nutrients from their mother, this does not always happen. How do you know? If it is just one puppy in the litter, it will be noticeably smaller than the others. This means that they should have doubled in size within the first week. When fed from their mother, newborn puppies will eat around every two hours. The time between feedings will gradually increase, so it might be three hours between feedings at two weeks and three and a half hours at three weeks. They should not be left without food during the night and may need one or two nighttime feeds. By the time they are four to five weeks old, you can expect that they will be eating around every hours during the day, and they should continue to eat at night. They should not go more than five hours without food. Once your puppy gets to six to eight weeks old, they can start being weaned onto solid food and should be eating around four times a day. They can go up to eight hours without food during the night. It is better to give your puppy smaller meals more often rather than larger meals at longer intervals to help with digestion. Also, puppies have not yet developed the ability to manage their blood sugar levels, so they need regular feeding to keep their energy on an even level. That said, for the first four weeks, they will spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and pooping. It can be a good idea to massage their bellies after a meal to help with proper digestion. As puppies grow and move on to solid foods, you can further reduce the frequency at which they eat. Try and get them into a regular eating schedule as soon as possible, to give them security and to make bathroom needs and house training predictable. How often they should be fed depends mainly on the size of the breed, but there are some exceptions. Toy breeds should have meals a day until they are about four months old. This can be reduced to meals a day at six months until they are full-grown; then they only really need two meals a day. Small and medium breeds can move on to a lower-frequency feeding schedule when they are about four months old and can eat just twice a day for the rest of their lives. Larger breeds will need meals a day when they are about four months old, but they will continue to need this more frequent feeding to keep up with their energy use as adults. What Should Newborn Puppies Eat? They are not dissimilar from the formula that human babies receive, but are tweaked for puppy nutrition. Below are some of the best puppy formulas that you can get today. It is recommended to reconstitute the milk with one part formula and two parts water, and every tablespoon will provide
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. Daily training sessions that last minutes any longer can cause disinterest and backfire as far as creating progress are key to helping this breed retain good manners and stay on track. It may be a wise idea to also enroll this breed in puppy classes or general obedience training with a professional. The Puggat can be a good fit for a beginner dog parent. Without proper stimulation, the Puggat will grow bored and frustrated — regardless of how much love there is for them. Additionally, this breed can develop separation anxiety. Dog parents who are frequently home or able to bring pups to work are a good match for this breed, although not a requirement. These breeds can be prone to behaviors humans find frustrating, like excessive barking and chewing, when understimulated. They will make it endlessly clear they are bored. With that being said, both of their parent breeds have their own rich histories. Pugs originated in China, dating back to the Han dynasty B. Some historians believe they are related to the Tibetan Mastiff breed. The breed was prized by the Emperors of China. In the latter s and early s, China began trading with European countries. It is known that black pugs existed in the s because the famous artist, William Hogarth, was also a Pug enthusiast. He portrayed a black Pug and many other Pugs in his famous paintings. In , Goya also portrayed Pugs in his paintings. In the early s, Pugs were standardized as a breed. The need for the Rat Terrier to catch prey and pests drove breeders to start adding new strains to the breed in the s and s. President Theodore Roosevelt is said to have named the breed, but this is disputable. He called his personal dog, who had solved the White House rat problem independently, a Rat Terrier. There is debate on whether the dog that President Roosevelt owned was the same Rat Terrier that we know today. In , the first hairless Rat Terrier was born and from that little hairless female a new strain of Rat Terrier was developed. The American Hairless Terrier comes in two sizes, miniature and standard. Puggat Size The Puggat is a small-sized mixed breed. They have no breed standard, so their coats may be found in a variation of colors from either parent. They will have a sleek, shiny coat, with thin hair, and often the curly tail of the Pug. Common colors for the breed are black with tan markings or cream with black markings. Training them consistently when young will ultimately improve their quality of life and yours as an adult. Hip Dysplasia. By Tracey L. Kelley After loving 19 cats, 11 dogs, and a canary, Tracey married someone allergic to all those creatures. Thankfully, she receives oodles of animal goodness sharing stories on Daily Paws! When not traveling, teaching yoga, or doing voiceover projects, she's an editorial strategist and developer for print, digital, and multimedia platforms. And rat terriers know how to extend spunky effort to any activity. With an ancestry of more than years, they were bred to keep their people safe by hunting vermin hence the name. But when the workday is complete, these intelligent small dogs are faithful companions, yearning for adventure and fun! Naturally, these qualities make rat terrier mixes practically irresistible. So as you dive into your breed research, these tips should help. He tells Daily Paws that prospective pet parents should always review the personalities and health factors for both breeds. This is like a doggie instruction manual, giving you all the intel you need to properly train , socialize , care for, and enjoy your special mixed breed dog. Rat terriers are generally plucky, healthy pups, and one of the longest-living breeds : 12—18 years, on average. They're prone to allergies and sometimes develop issues with hip dysplasia and luxating patella slipped knee caps. A veterinary consultation will help you gain the full health picture for your mix. Singletary also advises taking at least a couple of months or longer to research, interview, and visit breeders. If they're not willing to entertain pointed questions about their lines of dogs, then they may be trying to hide something," he says. Which means we're all making sure to give cuties like the ones below the best lives ever! Definitely inheriting more than a little zip and zing from their Chihuahua parent, the rat-chi is a bright, sassy pal with oodles of personality! Channel some of this zest into agility training to help him burn both physical and mental energy, and you'll be amazed at what he'll accomplish. They not only bounce high but also dig their way out of practically any situation, so choose fencing wisely. And this terrier mix is so doggone brainy, she might be able to help do your taxes, bake a cake, and fix a leaky faucet. So have an armada of puzzle games at the ready, and snuffly kisses will be your reward. Beagles are exceedingly good-natured huggable hounds and, as one—half of a rat terrier mix, will never run out of playtime tokens. Another thing this doggo will totally love as a group outing? Scent work! With easy-peasy grooming, a pupper like this is up for all the action. Click Here to solve all dog problems the kind and gentle way. This mixed breed dog inherits the body and energy of the Rat Terrier parent and the short nose and friendly nature of their Pug parent. Like other small breeds, this lapdog will alert you to strangers by making sharp, but short barks. Once well socialized, the Rat Terrier Pug Mix should become a fantastic family pet. The History of the Pug Rat Terrier Mix Like all other hybrid dogs, it is difficult to tell exactly when the first breeding processes took place. However, many people believe that crossbreeding the Rat Terrier and the Pug began sometime in the s. For that reason, we will take a look at the origins of the two parent breeds so you can gain a better understanding of the long history associated with the Puggat. If you want to own a Puggat, please consider getting one from a rescue or a reputable breeder. The Pug History Pugs were developed to be lapdogs for Chinese emperors. They made their way to the west in the 16th century and became extremely popular in France and other countries in Europe. The breed ultimately made its way to the United States as well. As their name suggests, Rat Terriers would hunt rats and other rodents in farms. Soon after, the Rat Terriers become very popular in America as farm dogs. The Puggat will inherit Pug-like characteristics such as a wide head, dark rounded eyes, a short muzzle, folded ears, and a curled tail. He may also inherit Rat Terrier characteristics such as a wedge-shaped head, erect ears, oval-shaped eyes, and a straight tail. The average height and weight of a male Puggat will differ from the height and weight of a female Puggat. The size of each parent dog will influence the size of the offspring. Coat and Coat Colors The Puggat has a short, shiny, and smooth coat that fits closely on the body. The coat may have either a coarse or soft texture. Common colors include white, black, brown, and golden. The Puggat inherits the cuddly, lapdog nature of the Pug parent and the playful and energetic nature of the Rat Terrier side. That means they need daily walks or trips to the dog park. They are affectionate and playful, which makes them a good choice for singles and families with children. They are great companion dogs due to their friendly and easygoing nature. Although they are wary of unfamiliar people , they can easily get along with them if properly introduced to each other. Want to train your dog without spending hundreds of dollars? Click Here to check out the brain training for Dogs course now! The Puggat is a protective dog who is suspicious of strangers and should alert you buy making sharp barks. However, they can still get along with them if well socialized. The Puggat is a child-friendly dog. Pug Rat Terriers should adapt quickly to their new home and can be a good choice for first time owners because of their low-maintenance needs. The Puggat is good with other dogs, so regular trips to the dog park are recommended. All you need to do is to provide him with enough interactive dog toys to enjoy playing with and meet his daily exercise needs. That way, he will be happy and healthy. Caring For the Mix The Pug Rat Terrier requires daily exercise, proper training, timely socialization, and daily feeding. Their active body is not designed for sitting or sleeping around all day. They dogs enjoy playing and being outside. Do to their small size, they are ideal for apartment living provided they are exercised for at least 30 minutes every day. Being smart, this hybrid dog needs mental stimulation, so buy enough interactive dog toys. Make sure you take him out for walks for around 40 minutes every day and consider making stops to give your dog an opportunity to explore around. For active dog owners, this should be more of an advantage than a disadvantage. Total 4 layers of orange petals can hide.But in order to provide more fun for lovely puppies, we set up .But your dog.When training your Puggat, use reward-based training techniques since this clever dog responds well to positive reinforcement. Although they master commands and tricks easily, you need to be firm, confident, and patient. Early socialization is also crucial for your mix. Otherwise, you may experience behavioral issues such as shyness or aggressive tendencies. Although the Puggat has a short coat, he sheds a lot, especially during the spring season. To reduce shedding, brush their coat at least twice a week. Grooming Since the Pug Rat Terrier Mix can shed a lot, buying a vacuum cleaner is the way to go if you want to remove any loose hair scattered around your house. Ideally, brushing your Puggat should be done at least twice a week. Last but not least, bathe your Puggat with fresh water and a high-quality, moisturizing shampoo every 4 to 6 weeks. View this post on Instagram.
Here are some things to consider: Size Do you want a big or a small golden? Sex Do you want a male or a female? Style Or a stocky, blocky-headed golden retriever? Color Do you want a dark gold or red golden , a cream-colored golden , or something more in the middle? Personality Do you want a calm golden or more of an energetic one? Nobody will be able to tell you what you want out of a dog but yourself. Consider your lifestyle, home, whether or not you have kids , what you like to do on the weekend, etc. If you want to get a good feel for what a puppy will be like, look at their parents. Temperament and health are hereditary and no puppy test or observation will be as accurate as what their parents are like. So that being said, pick a good breeder that is breeding dogs that resemble what you want. There are two important things here: Talk to the breeder and tell them what you want Observe the puppies and look for the puppy that resembles what you want Talk To The Breeder The breeder has spent the last eight weeks with the puppies and knows them best. By telling them what you want they can help you decide the right one for you. But assuming the decisions lays in your hands, this next section will help you out. Selecting A Puppy From The Litter When we went to pick our puppy from the litter we knew exactly what we wanted: a big, calm, sweet boy. He had probably worn himself out trying to impress them because two days later we were wondering what happened to that calm puppy as a fluffy little tornado was tearing around our apartment! Are they submissive? This might give you some insight into their personality. Take note of their energy levels. Consider how your puppy interacts with people. How are they with you, whoever is with you, and the breeder? Are they fearful? A friendly dog will be outgoing and interested in you. Toss your keys or a toy. Put the puppy on their back. Either cradle them in your arms on their back, or roll them on their back on the floor. A dominant pup may squirm a lot, but a well-adjusted pup should calm down shortly. They should be ok with being handled. Shoutout to Vet Street for a few of the tips above. In addition to choosing the right puppy, you also want to choose a healthy puppy. Now even if you have your checklist and run each pup through these tests, it may all go out the window if a puppy picks you. But as we tried to give each puppy a chance and interact with all of them, Oliver kept coming back to my wife and nuzzling his nose into her to tell her that he was the one. Conclusion When picking a puppy you first want to decide what you want. Then pick a breeder that breeds dogs that resemble what you want. When it comes to actually picking the puppy from the litter, talk to the breeder about it and try to see which puppies match up with what you want. However, know that puppies may be different than how they initially appear. And finally, you might not even need to worry about picking the right puppy because the right puppy just might pick you. Have any questions about picking a golden retriever puppy from the litter? Let me know in the comments below! And if you know someone who is about to pick up a puppy, please share this with them! Related articles:. January 24, In search of a new forever best friend? Not sure what puppy breed works best for you and your family? What does it take to be considered ideal for a family dog? How do you know if the Golden Retriever is the right fit for you and your family? A Brief Background on Golden Retrievers! Bred in the highlands of Scotland by Lord Tweedmouth in the mid to late s, Goldens are a cross between a Yellow Retriever and an extinct dog breed, the Tweed Water Spaniel. Lord Tweedmouth wanted the ideal gundog to accompany him during fowl hunting and be able to withstand the rugged terrain and rainy conditions. Aside from being able to retrieve fowl, Lord Tweedmouth wanted an even-tempered dog to have at home when not hunting. And so, the Golden Retriever was born. Later in the s, they soon became a popular breed amongst American families when President Gerald Ford had a Golden named Liberty as his family dog. Golden Retrievers, like their name states, are golden! Their luxurious coats come in a variety of light to dark shades, ranging from light like the white Golden Retriever or English Cream to dark golden colors, even close to chocolate. Their coats feature feathering down their backs, chest, belly, hindquarters, and tails. Goldens have soft expressions combined with floppy expressive ears that give them a puppy-like appearance even as adults. Another thing to note of the Golden Retriever is that those fluffy coats are actually what are known as double coats. A strong water repellant coat on top coupled with a dense undercoat to regulate their body heat. This all means these pups can be heavy shedders! What are Golden Retrievers Personalities like? There is something to be said about being named a perfect family dog. The Golden Retriever breed is loyal, affectionate, playful, and gentle. If brought into a home with children, your Golden Retriever puppy will be a great addition for help introducing your new Golden Retriever pup to your kids and how to play together, check out our blog! But being a great family dog doesn't mean they are easy! Goldens have lots of energy which can come out in more jumping and being more mouthy, especially as puppies. Check our training tips for raising a well-mannered Golden at the end of this blog! Two to three daily walks are a must, and throw in fun activities like hiking or going for a swim, your pup will stay golden! Golden Retrievers are eager to please type of breed. They generally have happy go lucky demeanors which lends itself to affection and friendliness, including toward strangers. If you wanted a pup that could eventually become a service dog, a Golden Retriever is a great choice and make for excellent working pups! As a high-energy breed, Golden Retrievers do best in a home that will provide them ample access to romp around. Homes with fenced in yards or access to a park or field on a daily basis where they can run and fetch to their hearts content are the best environment for Goldens! These pups, with consistent early socialization, can adapt and thrive to living in a home with other dogs, or pets, and children! They love to play and make great playmates. That being said, their social nature can lead to dependencies on their owners and family. Golden Retrievers may develop separation anxiety if left alone and not properly trained from an early age. Golden Retrievers may also contract heart disease called subvalvular aortic stenosis SAS that with early diagnosis and treatment can allow for a regular life-span. When you are looking to add a Golden Retriever puppy, make sure you are working with a reputable breeder that cares for the health quality of the dogs they breed. Take advantage of that natural drive and eagerness to please by setting foundations at home. Start your puppy a regular daily puppy schedule to create structured routines in the home. Include consistent feeding, nap, play and obedience training times throughout the day to help your Golden pup learn what to expect and build confidence at home. During their puppy training focus on their obedience commands to help your puppy learn to look to you for guidance, build their communication with you, and solidify a trusting relationship! Since Golden Retrievers love to work, positive reinforcement and food rewards will be valuable motivators to get your puppy focused and listening. In-person and online puppy training programs will walk you through how to teach the commands, exercises to help your puppy learn them, and troubleshoot when your puppy needs it! Teach Your Golden Retriever How to Greet New People and Dogs While their open friendly disposition will help your puppy make new friends where ever they go, make sure to teach your puppy the right way to do so! Some overly energetic and friendly pups can get excitable around new people and dogs. That can result in some unwanted whining, lunging, and jumping. When done correctly, socialization helps teach your puppy the proper way to greet people, other dogs and create boundaries. During socialization sessions, you can work with your puppy on those common over-excited behaviors when meeting strangers. And if you're not sure how to do this on your own, hire a local puppy trainer or join an online puppy training school to help set you up for the best success! Do Calming Obedience Exercises With all their high-energy and high-drive, teaching your Golden how to be calm in everyday scenarios will help tame that wild side! Great calming exercises include having your puppy learn to wait for their food bowl and in thresholds each time you enter or leave a space. This also extends to activities like fetch. Goldens are a natal for this! This can be done simply by having your pup drop the toy when they return and pausing for a few moments giving them a chance to settle before throwing it again for them to retrieve. Teach Them to Walk Nicely on Leash Many high-energy pups have a tendency to lunge toward exciting new things! Couple that with a social nature, and you may encounter that your Golden Retriever puppy will start to pull on leash. Focus on teaching them proper leash manners including how to walk in Heel position and how to pass other people and pups without lunging, jumping and excited whining, barking or nipping at them! That can greatly help possible bad encounters with strangers and other dogs while teaching them great habits! Did you recently bring home a Golden Retriever puppy? Are you still planning and not sure what breed fits your lifestyle? Let us know in the comments! Check out these blogs related to puppy training and more! But simply picking a Golden Retriever from the litter might not be quite as easy as it seems, remember, this pooch would be with you for the rest of its life, so you have to be sure that the Golden Retriever pup you are selecting is just right for you and your family. There are a lot of things to consider, and lots of questions to be answered: What color should I pick? What temperament would I want? Should I pick a male or female Golden Retriever? Lots of questions that require answers. Your experience with the beautiful Golden Retriever should be enjoyed. First off, is Golden Retriever the right dog for you? I assume that you probably did a lot of research on the Golden Retriever breed before picking a reputable breeder to patronize or work with. The Golden Retriever is quite energetic and clingy, and as such does require a lot of time and attention. It requires a lot of exercises to keep from being destructive and for an adult Golden Retriever, an average of hours would be required daily to properly exercise the breed. And for those allergic to dogs or dog coats, the Golden Retriever might not be the best breed for you. This is because the Golden Retriever is a moderate to heavy shedder during shedding season. You might want to consider a Labrador Retriever, checkout our comparison for more detail: Golden Retriever Vs. When trying to decide what sort of Golden Retriever is best for you, answers to these questions would be needed. Male or Female Golden Retriever? This sort of decision might be quite easy for some and incredibly difficult for others. This is because to some, any gender is good enough they have no preferences , while for the rest, specific reasons or purposes could cause them to favor a particular Golden Retriever gender over the other. Both the male and female Golden Retrievers are very lively and equally playful at this stage of their lives. The only slight difference, however, that might occur or might be noticeable between both breeds might be size, as the male Golden Retriever is only slightly bigger or larger than the female when looking at the same litter. As both Golden Retrievers approach their individual sexual maturity, you might begin to notice a lot more differences. A lot of generalization is done between both, the male and female genders of the Golden Retriever breed. Some might say that the male Golden Retriever is a lot more hyperactive and could be harder to train than the female Golden Retriever, or that the female Golden Retriever matures quite faster than the male Golden Retriever, but again, these are all generalizations and speculations. Another popular generalization or myth is that the female Golden Retriever is a lot more independent and affectionate than the male Golden Retriever, again, it could still just be a myth. What Size of the Golden Retriever should I pick? As we already stated earlier, the gender of the Golden Retriever has a huge impact on the size of the Golden Retriever. Golden Retriever males are bigger than Golden Retriever females when comparing two Golden Retrievers from the same litter. What style of the Golden Retriever should I go with? Deciding on what Golden Retriever style you would like is equally important. Are you looking for an athletic Golden Retriever or a slim Golden Retriever, or are you in search of a more stocky and blocky-headed Golden? What Color of Golden Retriever should I go with? Of course, the Golden Retriever has a variety of different coat colors that you could be interested in. Some of these colors are; red-gold or dark gold, or perhaps, maybe a cream-colored Golden Retriever. Either way, there are some interesting Golden Retriever colors to choose from. What sort of personality should I look for? This is yet another decision that can only be made by you. The personality of the Golden Retriever you choose is quite important, so you definitely need an answer to this question. Are you looking for an energetic Golden Retriever dog or a calmer and more gentle companion? You might be searching for a friendly and outgoing Golden Retriever or perhaps a shy or reserved Golden Retriever. The breeder should know them best, being that they have spent approximately 8 weeks with the puppies. The breeder should be able to tell in each litter which of the Golden Retriever puppies is more dominant, which is shy, which is, which barks a lot, which is calmer, and of course, which of the Golden Retriever pups is most energetic. So, by simply telling him what exactly you are looking for in a Golden Retriever, he should be able to make helpful suggestions and recommendations. This is quite common in breeders today, they usually do the picking for you based on the requests and information you give them, which I personally feel is better. These 6 tips would be quite beneficial in deciding which Golden Retriever puppy is best for you. Does it dominate the other Golden Retriever puppies or is it a more submissive puppy? Try to notice the energy levels of each Golden Retriever pup A great way to figure out the temperament of a Golden Retriever pup would be by checking out their energy levels. A Golden Retriever pup that spends half its time barking and the other half running around is a clear indication that it is anything but calm. Notice how your chosen pup reacts or interacts with people In addition to watching how your pup reacts with other littermates, you also have to watch how they react with people. When you interact with them, how do they react, also watch their interaction with the breeder and basically strangers? Do they react in a curious manner? Are they quite fearful? Or are they the outgoing and friendly type that seems to be quite interested in interacting with humans? Try tossing a toy or your keys at the pup This is a great way to identify how alert your Golden Retriever puppy really is. Once you toss your keys or a toy at the pup, try to notice how quickly your Golden Retriever reacts to it. Does your pup run after it? Or does it follow the toy or keys with its eyes? Try putting the Golden Retriever pup on its back As you pick and cradle the Golden Retriever pup, you could try placing it on its back while in your arms or placing it on its back while on the floor. For a dominant Golden Retriever pup, it should squirm or struggle a bit, while for a more submissive and calmer puppy, it should also struggle for a bit but shortly relax. Try Caressing your Golden Retriever puppy You could try caressing your chosen Golden Retriever pup by gently rubbing its ears, tails, paws, and mouth. A calm Golden Retriever puppy should be cool with it. Note: Be sure to check the health of your chosen pup before choosing. Also, your Golden Retriever might pick you. This is not new, as some dog owners have shared their various experiences. Some pups could run up to you all sweetly and cute looking for a cuddle, some could pee on you while others might even go as far as peeing on you, but all in all, when a puppy picks you, you would know. Final Thoughts Picking a Golden Retriever puppy that is just right for you and your family is not an easy task, but it is quite important as this dog would be with you for a huge part of its life. So do ensure you stay attentive when choosing. Ensure that your chosen pup is quite healthy, ensure they are well tested and strong. Following all the steps listed above should be enough to help you when selecting a Golden Retriever pup. In all you do, please ensure that you shower your new Golden Retriever with so much love and care. Drink a lot of water, eat well and of course, always stay devoted to dogs. How exciting! Puppies are adored by everyone. Not every puppy will be the right fit for you. Choose a Trusted Breeder A responsible breeder is the best place to find a well-bred, healthy dog, whether you are looking for a family pet or companion animal. Breeders carefully choose the parents of each litter to emphasize desirable traits and minimize defects in their lineage. What is the best way to find a reputable and responsible breeder? A carefully planned breeding program As a Golden Retriever breeder, it is our goal to raise healthy, socialized puppies that represent the breed well and are ready to go into new homes with ease We guarantee the genetic health of each puppy we place for a period of two years Meet Your Puppy In-Person A puppy should never, ever be purchased without seeing it first. Use your senses to judge the environment. Buying a dog requires good observation skills. Clean conditions, plenty of space for the dogs, and a look of health and well-being in all regards are essential when visiting your chosen breeder. Puppies should be healthy, well-fed, lively, friendly, and free of any illness-related symptoms like runny noses, itchy eyes, blisters, or fleas. As a breeder, the puppy should be raised in the house, with normal daily activities so that it becomes accustomed to sounds and human interaction. When in doubt, walk away. Trust your instincts. A good breeder would not breed puppies without her present. If a breeder is unwilling to let you see her, walk away. Ask as well if you can see the father. This may not always be possible as the father may be owned by another breeder and used exclusively for stud purposes. At least three generations should be included the parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Lastly, find out how often the mother of the litter has been bred and the number of litters she has had — If she has had multiple litters in a year, then this is too frequent. Ask Questions A reputable breeder will conduct an interview with you. You will be evaluated carefully before the puppy is given to you. Breeders who care about placing their puppies in good homes take the interview process seriously. You should also expect the breeder to have a lot of knowledge about the breed and be able to answer any questions you may have. Breeders should also know about the major problems within the breed. Breeders of reputable dogs will have developed a breeding program that reduces or even eliminates the risk of such disorders occurring in their dogs. Ensure that both the mother and the father have formal health clearances even if the father is not present, the clearances should be on file. The mother and father should be at least 24 months old to receive final health clearances. No reputable breeder would sell their puppies without getting them inoculated and having a general checkup. Our pups undergo these simple exercises to prepare them for life. Since we see the benefits of Early Neurological Stimulation and know that it will help our pups grow into lovable canines, we will continue to use it. Take Your Puppy to the Vet Schedule a new puppy vet visit within a few days of picking up your new puppy, no matter what the breeder has already done. Any potential health concerns will be identified through a full physical examination and lab tests. The breeder intends to make sure that each puppy is in good health when adopted or delivered. Due to this, we ask that the buyer make every reasonable effort to have the puppy examined by a vet within three days after taking possession. Can You Return The Puppy? Under strict circumstances, we will offer returns on puppies. Is There a Contract? We do have a sales contract available for every puppy we sell. It is advised that your read the entire contract before signing. A copy will be provided to you. Picking Up Your Puppy It is ideal to pick up your puppy at the breeder, but we understand that this may not be feasible for everyone. If you cannot pick up your puppy in person, we offer two options for puppy travel and delivery : Puppy Air Travel Airport Selection We will find and select the most convenient airport that provides a pet program and an incoming flight schedule that is most convenient for the pup. Coordination To make sure your pup is well-prepared for the day of travel, we coordinate with you and the breeder. Our team will work with you and the breeder to coordinate schedules, and you will receive an itinerary for all flights. Puppy Pickup Our team will transport your puppy from the breeder to the airport. This is a great way for us to spend extra time with your pup to ensure that their travel day is as easy as possible! Accommodations The airline-approved kennel your puppy travels in includes absorbent bedding, food, and water. Joyful Reunion We will keep in touch to let you know your pup is on its way, and we look forward to hearing the good news that your pup has arrived safe and sound! Puppy Pickup Your puppy will be picked up from the breeder and brought to your home or a prearranged third-party location. Joyful Reunion This is the best part! Bringing the love of your life into your arms from our arms to yours is always a pleasure! A dog breeder needs to provide all the necessary documents when you purchase a dog. You should expect to be provided with proof of vaccinations and health certificates. In addition, papers verify that a puppy was bred ethically. Expect the following: Sale contract. This could cost you thousands of dollars in medical bills down the road. On the other hand, when you buy the animal from a licensed Golden Retriever breeder, you can pick out your future puppy with confidence. Not only will proof of his pedigree show that your breeder is certified, but it will also verify that your puppy is a true Golden Retriever. The best puppy breeders take pride in providing healthy dogs through careful genetic research. They should be so confident in their work that they offer you a health guarantee , which will tell you what to do if your puppy faces any unforeseen health issues. Since breeders are there from the day the puppies and their parents! And picking the right pet for your family starts with finding a breeder you can trust. No matter how nice they seem or how attractive their website looks, you should always do a little bit of research before choosing a Golden Retriever breeder. Here are important points that all breeders should address: Image Source Does the breeder give back to the breed? Breed preservation should be the primary goal of Golden Retriever breeders. They should participate in keeping the species alive through membership at a Golden Retriever breed dog club, a performance club, or an obedience club. What type of experience does the breeder have? Do they stay true to the pure genetic traits of the breed? Do they provide health screenings and health guarantees? Can you meet the puppies and parents in person? How many litters do the females have each year? Female Golden Retrievers can have up to two litters per year. However, breeders who follow ethical practices will only allow the females to have four to six litters in their lifetime. A female can breed between the ages of two and eight. Once you choose a breeder that seems like a good fit for you and your family, you should write up some questions to ask them. And in return, expect some questions about you, your lifestyle, and your home! One of the first things any breeder you inquire about should provide is a list of former buyers. Reviews posted online are one thing, but being able to talk with customers directly speaks volumes about the legitimacy of the breeder. When you speak with their former customers, ask questions about their buying experience and how their dog is doing years after purchase. Puppies should receive some level of preventative care that is appropriate for their age. Newborn puppies up to eight weeks old should stay with their mothers, but they will also receive their first round of core vaccines during these few weeks. They should have a yearly examination by a licensed veterinarian that will perform vaccines, flea, tick, and heartworm prevention, as well as general health checkups. A reputable, passionate breeder will be more than happy to receive updates and questions about their puppies well into adulthood. With that being said, the breeder should also provide a health guarantee. A health guarantee states that you are not financially liable for any genetic issues in the puppy, as long as the health condition is verified by a certified veterinarian. This is an essential point that you might not think twice about. A good Golden Retriever breeder will ask questions to determine if your household is a good fit for their puppy. Image Source 1 Why do you want a dog? This is a simple yet important question that you should have an answer to. Golden Retriever breeders that dedicate their livelihood to continuing the pure genetic bloodline will want to know what appeals to you about these energetic companions. Additionally, the breeder might ask who will be walking, feeding, and playing with the dog. Golden Retriever puppies require tons of attention, especially during the first two years of their lives. If the breeder asks this, they want to know how your children will be participating in the handling of the puppy. They also want to understand how you plan to introduce the puppy to other pets so they can coexist safely within the same home. No matter how nice a breeder may seem, you want to avoid accidentally contributing to backyard breeders or a puppy mill disguised as a reputable breeder. Doing so can cost you thousands of dollars in medical bills and years of potential heartbreak. Here are some of the most critical and obvious warning signs of an untrustworthy breeder. Less experienced breeders will charge on the lower end, and more experienced breeders usually with generations of pure genetic proof! Additionally, some of the best breeders will only sell trained puppies to ensure their pooches are family- and forever-home ready. Therefore, you should receive standard documentation upon adopting your new Golden Retriever puppies, such as care instructions, registration papers, vaccination records, and necessary contracts. The contract may also state that you agree to surrender the puppy instead of adopting him out to a shelter or the pound. Some warranties will say that the breeder should have the right to reclaim the puppy in an unexpected situation like this. If you do ask for references, and they give you a list of written reviews instead of contact information for former clients, this is a red flag. A refusal for a tour means that the breeder knows potential clients may be turned away by the environment. If you are invited to tour a facility, learn about what a professional kennel should look and smell like first. The bottom line is, you need to do plenty of research.
maltipoo poodle puppies - Contact Us Red Poodles With all the colors available in Poodles it could be hard to choose your puppy. However, it is the red Poodle that is so very rare, so stunning and so special! It does appear that it is a completely separate gene than the other poodle colors. Red Poodles are the newest color developed, it only became an official color in .A red poodle will have black points, nose, gums, under paws and very dark eyes. Liver points are acceptable, but not preferred in red poodles. Red poodles are a stunningly beautiful color, one that is very close to the color of humans with natural red hair. Poodles come in the light red new copper color to the darkest of any human with dark auburn hair. Ilse Konig was the first person who developed the red color of poodles. It was first developed on the Standard Poodle, then crossed with an Apricot female miniature Poodle. After many years of selective breeding, we now have Red Poodles in all the poodle sizes. While developing the red color, it was imperative to breed for all the qualities of a well-bred poodle, which includes temperament, health, conformation, and beauty. Missing any one of these characteristics the red poodles would not be complete! Typically, red poodle puppies are born quite red, then, when they are about 6 weeks old, their coats will turn less red. Then at about 10 weeks, you can see a definite dark red line next to the skin where the new coat color is coming in. It is thrilling to see this in a red poodle puppy. Their mature red color changes cannot be predicted by the color of the puppy. Some dark apricot poodles will stay a brighter color than the red poodles. The Poodle breed is a breed that does change color, as do some other breeds. Do be aware that red poodles can fade, it is common for these breeds to lighten up as they age. Each dog is an individual and will change. This is not to say that the mature red coat will not be gorgeous in its own right. Red Poodles, and poodles in general, tend to lead lively energetic lives. Red poodles are extremely loyal companions, making them ideal pets. They love to learn tricks and will perform for audiences of enthusiastic onlookers and their red color stands out above the rest! Most designer dogs have one thing in common: they are crossed with a Poodle. There is a very good reason for that, the Poodle cross brings up the intelligence and ability to train. Crosses also get some of the benefits of the hypoallergenic qualities of the Poodle, and less shedding. If you live afar, we can safely ship your red poodle puppy to the closest major jet port. If you would like to move forward with reserving one of our red poodle puppies, or any of our puppies, then please search our available poodles , find one you are interested in and then submit your application! Poodles are noted for their intelligence and affectionate personality. These wonderful animals rejoice in our good moods and provide comfort in times of sadness. In addition to being a wonderful companion animal our reds and apricots can be used as service animals to those with seizure disorders, blood sugar issues and owners with PTSD. Poodles can be trained to retrieve needed medications, alert owners before specific medical problems become apparent and can provide need support to those who suffer from anxiety in stressful situations. Puppy Care in the first year I want all my future puppy owners to make the best decisions. By reading the What to Except page it will help you prepare for the first year of puppies life. Please read our fan reviews to help ease your mind. Our Fans At Redhead Heaven, we strive to breed the healthiest puppies that grow into healthy long-lived adults. Our lines can be traced back 22 years and we have 35 years of experience with raising healthy dogs. We ensure that our lines meet the AKC standards for health, temperament and conformation lines. Using these AKC requirements we pick the best breeding stock available. We understand that most people are not looking for a show dog and are looking only for a companion. The rules that we judge our puppies by giving the best structural stability and consistent temperament. All of our puppies are born in our home and spend the first 2 weeks being handled and socialized daily. At 3 weeks of age, they are moved to the living room and are exposed to different noises, people, other dogs, cats, and different surfaces to help them develop a well-adjusted personality. Puppies come when they are called at about 4 weeks of age. Puppies are examined at weeks of age by our local Veterinarian. Puppies can go to their forever families at weeks depending on size. Health Warranty covers up to 12 months of the: elbows severe dysplasia heart congenital heart defect , eyes PRA , hips severe dysplasia in miniatures only. Our poodles typically range in size from about 6 lbs to 13 lbs. Litters are small and we do a limited amount of breeding per year, please understand we are doing our best to create a beautiful little puppy for your family!
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maltipoo poodle puppies - So Many Options! Where To Get a Labrador? We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Except, you remember hearing you should only buy from professional breeders?! But that puppy in the pet store was so achingly cute! This article discusses the things you should consider before making that life changing decision. From dedicated experts who breed pedigree dogs to work or for show, to those who breed too many puppies, litter after litter purely for sale without love nor care for the health of the mother or quality of the litter. For how to recognize who the good breeders are, read our article: Labrador breeders — How to find the good ones! Buying from a good, responsible breeder is without doubt the best source for a quality, healthy Labrador puppy. They care about the overall welfare of the breed, as well as the health of the mother, quality of the litter and giving the puppies the best start in life. Responsible breeders: Guarantee a purebred and pedigree Labrador. Screen the parents for health problems before breeding , so puppies will be as free as possible from inherited diseases. Selectively breed aiming for conformance to the breed standard, so your lab has the most chance of looking like the perfect lab. Carefully socialize puppies from birth so they are well-adjusted and confident before sending them to a new home. Help buyers to select the right puppy from the litter to suit their personality, hopes and expectations. Helping you to get the puppy of your dreams. Provide expert help and advice on caring for the dog from puppyhood right through to adulthood. When you go to a good breeder you should expect lots of questions. They will also help to match you to the perfect puppy that suits your personality, preventing you from getting the wrong dog on impulse. You know the cute but feisty one that got your attention by barging through his litter mates to run up to you and be the first to say hello? Well, he may very likely become a dominant and strong-willed dog! You May Need Patience You should note that many breeders will have a long waiting list for their Labrador puppies. Then this may not be the right way for you. But this is a good thing! And nobody should buy a puppy on impulse, it must be a well thought out and reasoned decision. Maybe you would like to give a lucky Labrador a second chance at life and happiness? Adopting an Older Labrador From a Rescue Kennel Can Have Many Benefits: They will have been house trained already — No getting up in the middle of the night to relieve your puppy…or cleaning your floor after the inevitable mishaps. An adult Labrador will already show signs of any underlying problems so you can avoid this. Many will have received a decent amount of training already — Saving you lots of time and work. Having said all that… There are Some Obvious Risks! Or perhaps due to health problems that developed. Some may have faced abuse and neglect leaving them with psychological scars. Behavioral problems are sometimes well hidden, and aggression may only surface in very particular situations only. But if you are patient, understanding and can inject some routine and love into one of these dogs lives, they can become absolutely wonderful pets. There are also different types of rescue center and animal shelters. You will be able to get a feel for the level of the center when you visit and how professional they are and the staff to dog ratios. The Process When rescuing a lab, a good, well staffed shelter will ask you to visit and spend time with your potential pet. They will have assessed the dog and will tell you all they know about the dogs history and temperament. They will ask you lots of questions to find out whether you and your lifestyle are a good fit for a Labrador. They will want to meet you and your whole family. They will want to see how the people the Labrador is to live with interact with it and how the lab interacts with them. And that your choice of dog is well suited to you and interacts well with you on visits will they eventually allow you to adopt. Rescuing a Labrador can be a very good choice as long as due care is taken to pick the right one. And you will earn many karma points for doing a very good deed. It is a massive risk to take a puppy from a litter like this. These dogs have more than the average number of inherited diseases and behavioral problems. So although you will be saving a bit of money compared to paying out to a professional Labrador breeder. Or you might even be saving a dog from being given to a rescue center and possibly eventually being put down. You just might be letting yourself in for some expensive surprises in the way of vets bills or behavioral specialists later. But having said that, of course many of these puppies do become very good pets indeed. In fact a few places in the world have now banned the sale of puppies from pet stores. In these places, dogs are often bred in poor conditions, sometimes kept in small wire cages and given very little chance to socialize and little if any personal contact with humans. Have you had any good or bad experiences of getting a Labrador from any of the places listed above? Is there anything you would like to add about the pros and cons of the various places you can get yourself a Lab? Please let us know in the comments section below and you just might help people reading this article to make the right decision! Related Article:. When you click an affiliate link and make a purchase from the merchant we will earn a small commission. That commission is paid by the merchant and not the customer. This does not affect the price of the products you buy. You can read our full affiliate disclosure by clicking here. Want to know how to buy a labrador puppy? We have a deep dive for you today with all the details you need to know before you move ahead. Labs are typically very friendly, loyal, and trainable. Labs have been a popular choice for years among families with kids and singles alike. Although just about any Lab will be a fantastic go-with companion, selecting a puppy is always a tough thing to do…they are all so cute and they all want a loving, forever home. You have some options. There are options and you should check them all out: Reputable dog breeders Local rescues These three are usually good Lab purchase and adoption sources. Also, classified newspaper or magazine ads and local organizations sometimes prove to be good sources. But, be careful! Not all pet ads are placed by honest or knowledgeable sellers. How To Buy a Labrador Puppy Buying from Breeders Buying from a reputable breeder is very important—there are some bad apples out there so get references and do a background check. The breeder should only sell dogs he knows to have clean pedigrees and zero health issues. Finding a Reputable Breeder Do your research. Check with local dog breed clubs or breed organizations. These organizations may offer a breeder referral service that can give you good breeder leads in your area. Also, ask for good breeder recommendations from other Labrador owners or local veterinarians. Discount those with any obvious red flags like negative reviews or no clear explanation about their services. Ask the Breeder After refining your list of potential breeders then ask the following friendly questions: Can I visit your facility and see the puppies and their parents? Do you have health and pedigree papers? What are your dog breeding business core policies? What kind of socialization and training do you give the puppies? What are your health guarantees, if any? What is your refund policy? An honest breeder will answer these questions. And, they will give you all the documents, including health certificates, at or before the time of sale. Walk away if the breeder has no papers or makes excuses for not having them. Buying any puppy is a big deal—only buy a healthy and well-adjusted puppy from a reputable breeder. Preparing for Your Puppy Preparing for a new Labrador puppy is an exciting time—it can also be overwhelming. Following are some things to prepare for your new Lab pup. Puppy-Proofing Your Home Before you bring the Lab puppy home, first make sure your home is puppy-safe. Think about it carefully—puppy-proof your home like you would for any baby. Excited puppies will pee so protect your valuables and be ready to clean up accidents. Puppies, like little kids, are curious and excited when they come to a new home. For a handy guide on pet-proofing your home. Do not buy a retractable leash, they are dangerous. Food and water bowls Choose non-tip pet bowls that are the appropriate size for your puppy. As the puppy grows get bigger bowls. Never give your puppy table scraps, left-overs, alcoholic drinks, sugar, salt, spices, or chocolate. Crate or carrier Buy a pet crate or carrier that is the appropriate size for your puppy. Use it for training, traveling, and napping only. It is not a dog house! Avoid cheap, foreign made pet toys. Do not buy artificially flavored or salty treats. Here are some important things to keep in mind: Puppy Temperament The temperament or disposition of your newly acquired Labrador puppy needs to be watched closely for any unwanted behavior. Things like nervous barking, growling, biting, or fidgeting are indicators that something bothers or frightens the puppy. In fact, before you even bring the puppy home, first observe his or her demeanor around littermates and when being handled by people. Then, think about the temperament you really want in a dog. Some Lab puppies are more forceful, playful, and energetic, while others are quieter, laid back and less active. Look for a puppy with clear eyes and a shiny coat. These are obvious signs that the pup is well-fed and not sick. Then, check for any outward signs of injury, infection or parasites. Check the other littermates to be sure the whole litter looks healthy and well-fed. You should notice things like normal size, eyes and nose, body temp, coat type, and coat color. If there are one or more fur white spots, then the pup is not a purebred. Be mindful that some coat colors may be temporary due to diet factors, skin allergies, or other temporary health issues. But, ask questions and do your research before buying. Buying the right Labrador puppy for you takes your careful consideration of several factors. Take your time and do your research to ensure you find the perfect furry companion for you and your family. Bringing Your Puppy Home After picking out your beautiful Labrador puppy—the time has come to introduce the excited pup to its new home. Here are some tips to help make this as smooth as possible. No by-products, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. The First Few Days Your new puppy may feel tense or even pensive about their new surroundings. After all, it is a big change from what the puppy knows. Expect the pup to mess on the floor once or more—oops accidents will happen, so be prepared for this—lots of towels, no anger. You have to give your Lab pup time to adjust and feel right in his or her new digs. Here are some things you can do: Make a quiet space for your puppy to rest and sleep. A crate is perfect for this. Have lots of toys and teething chews to keep your pup busy. Establish a routine for feeding, potty breaks, and playtime. Introduce your puppy to family members and other pets slowly and carefully. Be patient and understanding as your puppy gets used to their new home. Training Your Puppy Training your puppy is key to being a responsible pet owner. Here are some tips to help you train your pup: Start with basic obedience commands like sit, stay, come, and down. Use positive reinforcement like treats and praise, never use punishment. Always be consistent with your commands, praise, and discipline. Establish a potty training routine for you and the pup—stick to it. Socialize your puppy in a puppy training class and a safe dog park. Bringing your new Labrador puppy home is a very exciting time. But, you need to be prepared and patient. Good preparation and training will help your puppy quickly become used to his or her new home. As the founder of the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers, he has transformed the lives of over , dogs and their families. Final Thoughts So today we have walked through the answer to the question, how to buy a labrador puppy? Always check out prospective sellers or breeders carefully. Make sure your puppy is from a reputable source, not a puppy farm. Be prepared for the time, effort, and expense that comes with raising a puppy. Lab puppies are a pure joy, but they need a lot of attention and care. You need to think about your lifestyle and living situation to be sure that you are a good fit for a Lab. Puppies grow into adult dogs—be prepared for that. The shelters are full of Labs that were abandoned because of owner ignorance. However, If you really want a great dog and raise your pup right he or she will mature into a happy, healthy, and well-behaved companion for many years to come. Instant Download Add your name and email below and the planner will be sent direct to your inbox. Send me the Planner! Print Looking for a new gun dog or duck dog? Many people start their search with good intentions. They want to find a good quality pup that will serve as a hunting companion as well as a family dog. However, somewhere along the way they end up just picking up a cute puppy that the family could not resist. Maybe, but it is a needle-in-the-haystack approach. While there is no guarantee that any puppy you bring home is going to grow into a well-mannered hunting partner, there are ways to stack the odds in your favor. Today, we are going to discuss the process I go through when looking for a new puppy. These are my opinions, so take it for what it is worth, but I do have extensive experience buying Labrador puppies. I have been doing this for over 30 years and I rarely have a puppy that does not work out. Research puppy litters I buy my puppies based on pedigree. I want proven working parents. This means that I want to see that either the mom or dad, preferably both, have AKC retriever field trial titles , AKC retriever hunting test titles or UKC retriever hunting test titles behind their names on an official pedigree. Be sure you see field trial or hunt test titles. Sometimes you will see AKC show titles or other titles like agility. These are NOT the same as field trial or hunt test titles and are generally not something you want to see on the pedigree of a hunting or competition dog. There are many places to search for litters on the internet. And many sites offer the ability to limit your search by state. However, do not be afraid to look for puppies further away from you. If the litter has a great pedigree and is exactly what you are looking for, you can always have the puppy flown or shipped to you. Some of the sites that are good for looking for litters are: retrievertraining. Again, I am not saying that great dogs cannot come out of these places but rather that the odds are not in your favor. Why are hunting titles important? Hunting titles tell you that the dog has proven its ability to perform at a certain level. It also tells you that the genetics are there. If the parents can perform at a Field Champion or Master Hunter level, there is a good chance the puppies will also have that ability. Do all your research prior to going to look at the puppies Everybody loves puppies. They are cute, cuddly and so lovable. That is why I recommend that you do not ever go look at a litter that does not already meet your standards regarding pedigree. It is just too easy to end up bringing one home. And if you have kids or a spouse involved, I guarantee that any litter you go look at you are most certainly going to end up bringing home a puppy. Does color make a difference? Well-bred puppies are available in each of these colors, and we have trained excellent hunting dogs in each color. However, you may now see litters advertised as fox red or white. These colors are not recognized by the AKC and you should beware of purchasing a dog based solely on color. In addition, there are now Labs being sold as silver, charcoal and champaign. These litters are technically not pure Labrador Retrievers. They are often referred to as dilutes because the genetics have been diluted to produce these colors. Many trainers will not train dilutes because of the many health problems and genetic issues that go along with these breeds. There are, unfortunately, people breeding pups specifically to produce a specific color without regard for temperament and the betterment of the breed. We prefer to stay away from litters that do not have a proven pedigree and have been breed specifically for color. In addition, our experience training dogs from these types of litters has proven to be a struggle. How much does a good puppy cost? For many people this is a defining question. So, a new hunting partner can be a significant investment. But for us it is worth it to stack the odds in our favor. Find a great retriever breeder Unfortunately, not all breeders are equal. Over the years, some breeders have stood out to us as exceptional. They go over and beyond just taking good care of the puppies. You can tell they really want their puppies to turn out great and they take steps, while the pups are very young, to help ensure their puppies have a good strong foundation that will help them succeed in the future. Beyond the breeding of quality dogs, the difference is in the socialization of the puppies. As I talk extensively about in Raising a Lab puppy to be a duck or gun dog , socialization is an essential key component in training a retriever puppy. Breeders that go out of their way to socialize young pups are worth their weight in gold. The truth is that raising puppies, done the right way, takes a lot of time and commitment. We specialize in training and prefer to let others specialize in doing a great job raising litters. Ask prospective breeder the right questions When you call and talk to a breeder about an upcoming litter, it is important to get answers to some important questions. If the pedigrees are not available online, be sure and request one from the breeder. How often do you breed? How often has this mother been bred? When looking for a great hunting dog puppy, you want to avoid puppy mills. Puppy mills are breeders that are just pumping out puppies for money and without concern to the overall health and betterment of the breed. Responsible breeders have a plan for the litters they are producing and will be able to talk to you about why the litter is worth the money they are asking. What breeds do you breed? Look for a breeder that specializes in Labrador Retrievers or whatever breed you are looking to purchase. What does your health guarantee cover? Responsible breeders will offer you a health guarantee for the puppy. While what this guarantee covers may vary, with Labrador Retrievers some of the things you want to make sure the health guarantee covers includes: Hip dysplasia Eye issues In addition, you may want to make sure that the parents have been genetically tested for other genetic diseases such as Exercise Induced Collapse EIC and Centronuclear Myopathy CNM. What do you do to socialize the puppies? Asking this open-ended question can give breeders a chance to tell you about the work they do socializing the young pups before they are ready to go home. Or, you may want to follow up with more specific questions such as: Are the pups exposed to children at all? Do you take the pups to different locations during the day? Do the puppies get outside time, what does that look like? The goal is to find out if the puppies are getting socialization and exposure to new and different things on a regular basis. Pups that get this exposure tend to adjust more quickly to their new homes and new situations later in life. Have you done this specific breeding before? How did those puppies turn out? Breeders that are working for the betterment of the breed, may breed a set of parents more than once. If this is a repeat breeding, it is likely that the breeder will know how previous litters performed in the field or in competition. Serious Labrador Retriever breeders often keep track of how their puppies perform as they age. Alternatively, you could ask for references and talk to previous buyers to find out what they think of the breeder and the puppy they bought. Should I meet the prospective dog parents? While some people might tell you that you should meet the prospective parents of the puppies, I do not see a lot of value in this. Some good breeders do not own both the parents. Often, they work with other breeders so both the Dam and Sire may not be onsite. And if you are basing your pup purchase off pedigree first, as I would recommend, you already know the most important things about the parents. If looks are important to you, then photos of the parents will show you what you need to know. Choose a retriever puppy from the litter Once you decide on a litter, the waiting begins. Ask the breeder to provide videos and photos of puppies as the grow. This is a great way to see the puppies progress and you can see some personality traits in the different pups. If you did all the work in researching pedigree and breeders, you already have stacked the odds in your favor. You know that the litter is a good one and that the puppies have a good chance of turning out to be great hunting partners. This is important because it takes a lot of pressure off when it is time to pick the puppy from the litter. When you do go to the breeder to pick your puppy, take a few minutes to observe the puppies. This will allow you to see some personality traits. Understand though that this is only one snapshot in time. The puppy that is active at this time, might have been sleeping right before you showed up. Or, the one that is sleepy may have been running around like crazy just minutes before. At Otter Tail Kennels, we often look for a puppy that likes people. A puppy that chases a child around the yard or runs to the owner when they walk away is attractive to us because we want a people-centered dog instead of a dog that prefers to spend its time with litter mates. But this is not an exact science by any means. That is why we rely on the fact that we have done our homework and know the entire litter has promise. Final thoughts on how to find a good Labrador puppy Any time you set out to buy a puppy, you do not know how the journey will end. There are a lot of unknowns. You cannot tell for sure what the puppy will look like as an adult, and you cannot tell if they will be a great hunter or a great family dog. What you can do is stack the odds in your favor. Find a great litter from a great breeder and select a puppy from that litter. Once you do that, you are on your way to having a great duck or gun dog. Then the next important step is to socialize, expose and train the puppy. Read how to do that here. Have questions about finding a great retriever for your hunting and family needs? I am here to help! You can email me ottertailkennels gmail. I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs and services I offer. Until next time happy retrieving. How to find a good Labrador puppy. Are they good family dogs? Labrador Dog Price — The Costs Involved Buying a Labrador is not just a question of the purchase price of a Lab puppy, though of course that is important. There are other costs involved, both financial, emotional and in terms of time and effort. So we need to look at those too. You may be wondering whether you will have the time for a dog, and if you have the space and energy for a large and lively breed? But this page will take you back to the fundamental considerations, to help you to make the right choice for you and your family. Do you have time for a dog? Can you afford a dog? What about your lifestyle? Will a dog fit in with your family? Is a Labrador the right dog for you? These questions all apply regardless of the type of Labrador you are looking for. The needs of a black Lab, yellow Lab or chocolate Lab are all the same in these respects. The same goes for an English or American Labrador too. Dogs need space, both indoors and outside. Even small breeds need room to stretch their legs and run about. And Labradors as fairly large and lively dogs need quite a lot of space. This means you need a decent sized backyard if you plan on buying a Labrador puppy. Somewhere that your Lab dog can run around, play and enjoy training sessions with you. Labradors can be quite silly during adolescence, bouncing and cavorting in the home. Their tails are long and thick, easily knocking any fragile decorations you might have from shelves. If you have lots of ornaments then you will need to move them to higher shelves to avoid them getting damaged. You will also need to move anything that could be easily damaged by chewing. With small puppies this will be very often indeed. Perhaps every 15 to 20 minutes during their first few days with you. If you live in a flat, or do not have a garden, this will be difficult for you. These are helpful but do take up a lot of space. Although this will take up a lot of space indoors, it can work very well for larger apartments with no easy outside access. Ideally however you do need to have a garden, and a part of the garden which your dog can use as a bathroom, along with a good system for clearing up after him hygienically. Space is key for a Lab dog! The right space for a Labrador includes large clear rooms in the house, with no breakable or fragile objects within his grasp. And ideally access to a garden where they can easily be let out to the bathroom and have room to play. Keeping a single Labrador permanently outside however is not usually a good idea, even with adequate shelter and security. Labs are very sociable dogs and prone to separation anxiety if they lack company. This means your dog may be both sad and noisy. It is always sad to hear from new puppy owners that are struggling to juggle the needs of a puppy with their need to work. These articles will help you to deal with this common issue. Even with a visit at lunch time. An older dog may cope with being left for up to four hours in row on a regular basis, but puppies need more attention than this. Contented Labradors are fairly quiet dogs and unlikely to disturb your neighbors. Nor are they very good guard dogs. However, lonely dogs bark and wreck things. If you work all day, can you afford to pay someone to come in and let him out to stretch his legs and empty himself? Or do you have a relative or friend that would be prepared to do this on a regular basis. Bear in mind that this is quite a lot to ask of anyone in the long term. The biggest long term time commitment in owning a dog is in the form of training and exercise. Training Takes Time All dogs need training in order that they can rub along in human society without being a complete nuisance. This means a regular daily commitment of ten to twenty minutes from you, in addition to your regular interaction with the dog. Training cannot be saved up for the weekend, your dog will have forgotten most of what he learnt the weekend before, and he does not have the attention span to concentrate on you for an hour and a half. You can find out more about training your Labrador puppy here. Staying Fit Exercise is required on a regular basis, for some breeds of dog this means at least an hour a day of walking or jogging to keep your dog fit and healthy. You can find out more about the exercise requirements of a Labrador puppy here. Whilst your dog will not come to any harm if you miss a day occasionally, a daily routine is often the best way to ensure that you build this important habit. Can You Afford A Dog? Dogs can be quite expensive to run. You need to consider not only how much a Labrador will cost you to buy, but also how much it will cost you to keep. How much do Labradors cost from breeders? The price of a Labrador puppy will vary from breeder to breeder, and from place to place. Perhaps you know a friend that has a litter of puppies and they are going to let you have one for free. However, the purchase price of a dog is almost irrelevant. It is such a small part of the final cost. The cost of keeping a Labrador The reality is, you are also going to need to fork out a chunk of your wages each week on keeping your pooch happy and healthy. Obviously you will have taken the cost of a good brand of Labrador puppy food into consideration. It is a good idea to budget for veterinary insurance too. Not because it is unreasonably priced, but simply because it is now so advanced. You can fix a lot of problems these days. We can do open heart surgery, mend complex fractures, treat cancer with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Pretty much anything you can treat in a human, you can now treat in a dog. And the catch? It costs. The more comprehensive your insurance package the more it will cost. Watch out for very cheap deals, as they may not provide continuing cover for long term ailments. You will also need to vaccinate your dog against common canine illness , and this will probably need to be done each year too. Especially if you are wanting to occasionally leave them in boarding kennels when you go away, as they require up to date vaccination certificates. Labrador Puppy Costs There will be a few other one-off costs such as a puppy crate and puppy play pen for your home for when your dog is young, another for your car if you have one. Then there are bowls, bedding, collar, leash etc. But you may be able to borrow a crate or get one second hand. Here are some of the items you will need for your new Labrador puppy, and reviews on the best options for Labradors:. It is their outgoing, affectionate, and eager-to-please demeanor that makes them so qualified to take on all of these jobs and still be the perfect family pet. When it comes to breed standards, the AKC recognizes three official colors for the Labrador: black, chocolate, and yellow. At Hidden Pond Labradors, we understand that everybody has a different preference in mind when they set out to bring one of these incredible dogs into their home. Yellow Labrador Retriever Breeder The yellow Lab is one of the most popular colors, in part due to its photogenic nature. This also makes them excellent show dogs, although any of the three recognized colors can easily achieve Grand Champion status. Coat shades that are classified as yellow range from white to fox red. Like chocolate, the yellow coat is a recessive color that requires both parents to carry and pass on the gene. Yellow Labrador Retrievers, just like every other color, have a stable, amiable temperament. Their trainability and discipline should not be mistaken for lethargy though. Labs are very active dogs that will bring a lot of fun energy to your household. Are you interested in the unconditional love, support, and joy a Lab can bring to your family? Get in touch with Hidden Pond Labradors! Your purchase of one of our yellow Labrador Retriever puppies includes a veterinarian health certificate , first set of vaccinations, one-year written health warranty, and a lifetime placement warranty should you need it. Contact us today to reserve a puppy from our next litter! Life Span Did You Know? Labrador Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds. The Chocolate Labrador Retriever is not a distinct dog breed from other Labs, but it is a separate coat color variation that is specifically bred for. Similar to the other standard coat colors of Labrador Retrievers, Chocolate Labs are energetic dogs that get along well in a family setting. As a Retriever, they also make great hunting dogs and have also been known to fill other working dog roles including service dogs, guide dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and more. They are even one of the common dog breeds employed in K-9 units. A point of interest is that all modern Chocolate Labrador Retrievers can be traced to three specific Black Labradors that lived during the s. Chocolate Labs are industrious little pups. They were bred for retrieval and will often sniff about for something to get into. They are also one of the most affectionate dog breeds and absolutely love being with their favorite humans. Properly socialized and well-trained, Labs are one of the kid-friendly dog breeds. They get along well with children, other dogs, and other pets. They are famously even-tempered and playful. This makes them fantastic dogs for a growing family, as they tend to be gentle and patient with little ones. They can have a high prey drive. They usually do well with small pets within the family that they have been raised with or socialized around, but likely will still have the urge to chase other animals while out and about. They also tend to be open and friendly with strangers. After all, strangers are just more people to give them attention and play with them. Chocolate Labrador Retrievers may be high-energy dogs, but they are also highly adaptable. They will thrive in homes with fenced yards where they can run freely. They can adapt well to apartment living as well as long as they get plenty of daily exercise, attention, and mental stimulation. Their natural urge to dig and bark when they are bored or agitated can be quelled with a little training and exercise. Although they can handle some alone time, Labs love to be with their families and thrive on attention from them, so they do not like to spend long periods of time alone. Chocolate Labs also have a water-resistant double coat that makes them well-suited for most habitable climates. As with most dogs, they are sensitive to heat. Although they can handle some cold and will likely love to play in the snow, they are not a snow dog breed and may need to bundle up while out on walks in areas with harsher winters. Potential health concerns to be aware of in a Chocolate Labrador Retriever can include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia , progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, hereditary myopathy, and heart disease. There is also a condition with a genetic link called exercise-induced collapse EIC , which can occur in young adult Labradors. Carriers of this can be identified by DNA tests and it is advised that breeders test for this and avoid practices that would produce the disease. Good breeding practices make a big difference in the health of puppies and reputable breeders will screen their dogs to avoid passing preventable issues to puppies. Make sure you ask about the health and genetic history of both parents and about any health tests or clearances that have been done. As a large, deep-chested dog breed, Labrador Retrievers are at a higher risk for bloat. Bloat in dogs can be dangerous and can quickly become fatal if the stomach flips gastric torsion. Chocolate Labrador Retrievers are incredible companions and are also one of the best dog breeds for first-time owners. Their energy can make them a handful at times, but their intelligence, adaptability, patience with people, and eagerness to please make them easy to train. Labs are one of the smartest dog breeds , so they pick up on things easily. As long as training is consistent and focused on positive reward and praise, a Chocolate Lab will do their best to respond as expected and will often exceed expectations. Chocolate Labs have a short, water-resistant coat that will shed year-round. Brushing a few times a week, daily brushing during seasonal shedding, and the occasional bath are all that are needed to keep a Lab coat healthy and looking great. They may need baths more often if they are avid swimmers, go on a lot of outdoor adventures, and get dirty a lot. Floppy ears tend to trap dirt, moisture, and debris. Proper dental care for dogs is imperative to help prevent painful dental diseases like gum disease or tooth decay later in life. You can also supplement your dental care efforts with vet-approved dental hygiene chews. Labrador Retrievers are one of the most active dog breeds and need a lot of daily activity to be happy and healthy. Daily walks plus playtime, time to run, and other activities are usually enough, but your Chocolate Labrador will likely be up for more activity if you are. One of the facts about Labrador Retrievers is that they have an extended puppyhood and tend to maintain that puppy-like energy and maturity until they are years old. Swimming can be a great lower-impact activity and Labrador Retrievers are one of the dog breeds that tend to love water. Between that, their water-resistant coat, and webbed toes, you may have trouble getting your Chocolate Lab out of the water. Fully-grown Chocolate Labrador Retrievers usually stand inches tall and weigh pounds. Chocolate Labs generally live for years on average. Fourteen years later, the American Kennel Club did the same in .Featured Chocolate Labrador Retriever Article.