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Exercises Grooming From ancient Germany precisely around the 19th century had the now extinct mastiff breed Bullenbeisser and bulldogs brought in from England. At the time of their arrival, they served as hunting dogs for bears, deer, and other ferocious beasts, it would capture the prey with the help of its awesome teeth and detain it until the hunter arrives. And in the first boxer standard club was launched with a comprehensive document that is still in use today. Shortly after, the breed made its way into other European countries and got into the U. S in the late 19th century with the American Kennel Club taking registration of its first boxer around .During the first world war, boxers played the role of a military dog as a pack-carrier, a guard dog, and an attack dog, later they were taken home by the soldiers and got introduced into the domestic world as a show dog, best companion, and a reliable guard. One with so much life, energetic, curious, attentive, active, smart, sociable and incredible fun with children is the boxer, they are also known to be very patient and highly protective of their family members making them the love and desire of many homes. As active dogs, they need a lot of exercise to keep them mentally fit, apparently having a mind of its own, you will find your boxer entertain itself by digging the ground often, chewing, and licking the mouth to beat boredom. They are also very stubborn in character which makes them a terrible choice for first-timers with dogs, they are generally a bit difficult with adult dogs including dogs of a similar breed but friendly with puppies. They usually do not bark unless there is a genuine reason behind it but they love to growl. If you have occupied home with people around all the time or you want a canine buddy the whole time, then a boxer is just the perfect breed to get. Being a highly active dog, they dread loneliness and they can cope finely in both a house and an apartment as long as you provide it with enough room and spaces for exercises and activities. What you must have is a large yard if you are living in a house for it to dig the ground and run around as it likes. And more so, if you are given to being away from home most of the time, getting a boxer may not be the best for you and the dog, because they usually get aggressive when left alone. Boxers are known as loud snorers and they drool greatly too. Boxers are playful and very energetic dogs as such regular exercises are part of a good canine relationship, especially a breed of this sort. Your boxer should be allowed to play in a fenced area and on-leashed since it is likely to jump and leap around in excitement. This puts a boxer as a bad choice for a frail owner as they may find it a tad impossible and daunting keeping up with its excessive activity demands. Being a breed with a short and thin coat its grooming demands are quite easy and little, all it needs is a light brushing of the hair twice every week to maintain its good and gleeful looks. Bathing should be a once in a while since boxers are generally clean dogs and its nails, be trimmed once every month or as often as they grow worn on surfaces, its teeth should also be brushed daily to avoid tartar formation and other dental crises. Our Boxer puppies for sale come from either USDA licensed commercial breeders or hobby breeders with no more than 5 breeding mothers. We only purchase puppies from the very best sources, and we stand behind every puppy we sell. Frequently Asked Questions Are Boxers good family pets? Yes, boxers are particularly fond of their family members especially when goodly trained. Are Boxers trainable? Though the boxers can be a little headstrong, they are very intelligent and with a proper training environment, they respond well. Are Boxers friendly with kids? They are very fond of children and they love playing games with them. Are Boxers friendly with other animals? Boxers are naturally patient with puppies, pooches and small animals but a bit unaccommodating of adult dogs and other animals. Are Boxers good apartment dogs? They can live anywhere you make as a home all you need is to provide it with enough space for exercise. How is Boxers shedding? Given the shortness of their coat, they shed minimally and occasionally, you can also regulate the shedding by frequent brushing of their coat. Are Boxers good for first-time owners? Not quite, as their exercise needs are way too high for their inexperienced hands. Are Boxers loud barkers? But growling is a thing they do most. Are Boxers tolerable to heat and cold? All they need is moderate exposure to heat and cold because of their thin fur body. How long can Boxers live? The average life-span of boxers is 10 years Are you interested in purchasing a Boxer? Fill out the below form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Download an adoption application here Please email the completed application to adoptionteam1. PRESTON is eager for any adventure you have in store, but also knows when to settle down and curl up next to you while you catch up on your favorite shows. His engaging personality and friendly disposition will make for a smooth introduction to any of your current family members. PRESTON is well on his way to mastering his house breaking etiquette and does well in his crate when his foster family is away from the house. No need to stress if you need to slip away from the house for a few hours-he will be there wagging his tail happily upon your return. We will reach out to you as soon as your application is processed. Thank you in advance for your patience. All of our dogs start their journey in Memphis, Tennessee where they remain in loving foster families until they are adopted. Once adopted, some pups stay local in Memphis. Many others travel via one of our transport partners to their new forever homes. For our Midwest adopters, we have our own private transport. Breed selection is done in conjunction with two local vets and is not to be considered a guarantee but rather a well-educated decision from well qualified staff. Due to the extremely high volume of inquiries we receive, we ask that you request, complete, and submit an application before asking additional questions. We try very hard to include all pertinent information in our bios. We are excited to help you find your new family member. We want to spend our time saving dogs and assisting those adopters who have taken the time to complete an application. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for choosing rescue!!

As a medium to large-sized dog breed, Boxers need more time to fill out and reach their full size than smaller dog breeds. As a general rule, expect your Boxer to grow until they are 18 to 24 months old. Keep in mind that this range is an estimate, so there are always exceptions. Image Source: Canva How big should a 6-month-old Boxer be? A 6-month-old male Boxer should weigh around 41 to 48 pounds, while a 6-month-old female Boxer will weigh about 39 to 44 pounds. According to Care. For a male Boxer puppy, this would be around 17 to 19 inches tall. Pro Tip: Check out this downloadable new puppy checklist covering topics like vaccination schedules, setting up the home for a new puppy, teething, veterinary visits, and more! How much bigger will my Boxer get? There are several ways to estimate how much bigger your Boxer will grow. If your Boxer is less than two years old, they are likely still growing. Some Boxers stop growing closer to 18 months, but many Boxers will continue to fill out in weight and body size until they are two years old. A puppy will rarely be larger than either parent, so this can give you a clearer idea of their maximum size. Do their paws look oversized compared to their legs and the rest of their body? This is a strong sign that your Boxer is still growing and filling out! What is the size of a full-grown Boxer? According to the American Kennel Club Official Boxer Standards , a full-grown male Boxer will stand around 23 to 25 inches tall, while a female Boxer will stand about .A fully grown male Boxer will weigh around 60 to 70 pounds, with their female counterpart will weigh about 55 to 65 pounds. As with many things, prevention is always better than treatment. Taking your Boxer to regular veterinary appointments is one of the best things you can do for their health, along with consistent love and care at home. One of the best things you can do at home is brush your dog's teeth regularly to help prevent painful periodontal disease and avoid pricey dental treatments in the future. Periodontal disease can cause bad breath and oral pain for your pup and may require your Boxer to have a dental cleaning or tooth extractions under anesthesia at some point in their lives if not attended to at home. Keeping your Boxer at a healthy weight is crucial for their longevity, overall health, and happiness. If your Boxer is overweight, talk to your veterinarian to develop a weight loss strategy so that you can get them back on track. Consult with your veterinarian about the ideal food and exercise for your Boxer. Like all dogs, Boxers have certain conditions that they are prone to. Boxers are a purebred dog breed prone to heart problems, like cardiomyopathy, heart valve narrowing, and congenital heart defects. Brachycephalic syndrome increases their risk of respiratory distress, allergies, heatstroke, and sinus problems. Regular veterinarian appointments are crucial in finding and treating illness early to give your Boxer the healthiest and longest life possible. Unfortunately, veterinary bills can be costly with many treatments for emergencies and illnesses, such as heart problems, being thousands of dollars to treat. When surveyed, .The financial safety net provided by pet insurance is why pet insurance is worth it for many pet parents. Keep in mind that even healthy behaviors, like exercise, can be overdone. Consult with your veterinarian about how much exercise is prudent. Medium to large-sized dogs that are still growing may suffer from joint damage if they are overexercised. Make a plan with your veterinarian today to provide your Boxer with the ideal amount of exercise to keep them lean, healthy, and happy. Boxer puppies grow into strong and sturdy adults that make fun-loving, often silly companions, and fierce protectors. Do you want to find the best pet insurance? Let's analyze your pet's breed, age, and location to find the right coverage and the best savings. Analyze My Pet About Pawlicy Advisor The pet insurance marketplace endorsed by veterinarians, at Pawlicy Advisor we make buying the best pet insurance easier. We can see when your Boxer puppy will become their adult size and reach its full height. Your new puppy will grow rapidly for the first two weeks. Your pup should weigh between 4. When your doggo is between six and eight weeks old, they should also prepare for their first vaccinations. Males should be around 17 to 19 inches .At one year old, females should weigh between 55 and 65 pounds .Many factors are involved. For your doggo to maintain a healthy lifestyle, monitoring their growth and weight is a good idea. How can you tell how big a Boxer will get? Within the first six months of age, your Boxer will grow rapidly. You can tell how big your pooch may get by looking at their paws and head. For example, your furry friend may look disproportionate for a while. However, some parts of their body will catch up to the rest within a few months or even a few weeks. Is your Boxer at a healthy weight? You can typically tell whether or not your Boxer is at a healthy weight by their ribs. But, on the other hand, if you can feel and see their ribs, they may be underweight. Always check with your vet to be on the safe side. What are some Boxer dog body shape changes? Boxer puppies grow in height faster than their weight gain. When this dog breed matures and becomes an adult, they will have a wide chest. But, overall, Boxer is strong and lean. In addition, different factors are involved when it comes to impacting how your dog grows. In addition, reputable breeders should have this information. The nutrition you feed your pooch can help or hinder their growth. For example, if you feed them dog food with unhealthy fillers and lots of fat, they may become obese, thus hurting their growth and overall health. Will neutering or spaying your Boxer affect their growth? Spaying or neutering your Boxer has more pros than cons. For example, some health conditions may include hip dyslexia, bloat, acne, arthritis, and cancer. The best way to ensure your pooch remains healthy is to work together with your veterinarian. Take your dog to regular vet appointments at least once per year for an annual check-up. In addition, talk to your vet about the type of dog food and exercise your Boxer should be getting. If your doggo is overweight or underweight, the vet will be able to help. Finally, properly groom your doggo. Physical activity Boxers need plenty of room to run around and stretch their legs. However, they love to play and enjoy a round of fetch with you in a fenced-in yard. Just be sure to wait until their bones and joints are fully developed before taking them for jogs or hikes. Otherwise, they could have joint issues later in life. Dangers of stunted or accelerated growth If your Boxer is a little bigger or small than the others of its breed, that may not necessarily be a bad thing. However, some issues can occur. For example, your pooch may be smaller due to a growth hormone deficiency. This controls the growth rate in dogs, their bone and teeth development and maintains a healthy coat. Dwarfism could also be the reason. When do Boxers stop growing? You can expect your Boxer to be fully grown and stop growing between 18 and 24 months of age. This system works on a scale of one to nine. One means your pup is underweight and unhealthy. Nine means they are extremely overweight. The ideal place on the scale where you want your large dog to be is a five. What should you do if your Boxer is growing too fast? Growth disorders can occur in larger dogs, such as Boxers. If you notice your dog growing too fast, talk to your vet first. How to help your Boxer lose weight if he is overweight? This includes their diet and exercise. Take a look at what dog food you feed your pooch. In addition, do you feed your doggo people food and table scraps? Do Boxer mixes vary in size? If you want to learn more, you can read about Boxer mixes here. How Big Is Your Boxer? These happy doggos are a delight to have around. Boxers are great companions dogs for anyone young or old. While this pooch can have certain health conditions, they do have an average growth track. Overall, with proper exercise and dieting, your Boxer will develop into a happy, healthy pup. Did your Boxer puppy grow on track? Let us know in the comments below. Further reading: Learn more about the Growth of other Dog Breeds. Also, as long as you take your dog to vet check-ups regularly, and if the dog has received all the necessary vaccines for his age, you can be sure that your dog is healthy. However, an alarm could be triggered if you notice that your dog has problems with obesity or if he is underweight. In that case, it is necessary to find the reason for the inappropriate weight and work to solve this problem as soon as possible. A fully grown male Boxer weighs between 65 to 80 pounds. The adult weight of a female Boxer goes from 50 to 65 pounds on average. However, various factors significantly affect the average weight and height of a Boxer, so there might be some deviations from the average weight and height of these dogs. We will explain the factors affecting Boxer Growth in detail below. How big is your pet friend going to be? Birth-Two Weeks When they are just born, all that Boxer puppies do is eat and sleep. In this stage, puppies do not have teeth and are deaf and blind. However, this stage is not passive for Boxer dogs. Boxer puppies usually weigh around 3 pounds when they are born. At the end of their second week of life, their average weight is between 4 and 5. Therefore, this growth stage presents a rapid growth stage for Boxers. Two Weeks Weeks Being a large dog breed, Boxer dogs need a lot of food so they can grow accordingly. If you are used to having a small dog, be ready to give a lot more food to your new pet! When these dogs are around 4 weeks old, they start to eat solid food. During this period, they gain a lot of weight, so it is necessary to be careful not to exaggerate with the dog food. By the time they are 4 weeks old, Boxer puppies gain teeth and also develop a sense of hearing and open their eyes. When they are 5 weeks old, Boxer dogs start to show the urge to socialize and need their playtime. At the stage between 6 and 8 weeks, your puppy should start with his first vaccinations. When they are 8 weeks old, Boxer puppies are ready to leave their mothers and go to their new homes. In the next stage, when Boxer puppies are from 9 to 12 weeks old, dog owners will enjoy them the most, since this is the period when these dogs are ready to learn some basic tricks and commands. At the end of this period, both male and female Boxer puppies should be around 12 inches tall, according to the breed standard. Three Months-Six Months This is the period when your new puppy starts to explore the world. In this stage, it is extremely important to introduce your Boxer to new places and new people. This is the best way to properly socialize and train your dog. In terms of weight for this stage, a healthy weight for a Boxer at 5 months is between 33 and 40 pounds. As to height, a 6-months old Boxer should be around 18 inches tall at 6 months. Six Months Months Compared to some smaller breeds, you sometimes might think that your Boxer is not acting according to his age. Larger dogs or medium-sized dogs such as Boxers reach maturity in later stages than some smaller dogs. You might have to wait a while until you have an adult Boxer in your home! Most dogs of the Boxer breed reach their adult size when they are around 1 year old. However, some of these dogs continue to grow, so, according to the Boxer growth chart, these dogs will reach their full height and full body weight at the age of 18 to 24 months. According to some opinions, it takes up to three years for Boxer dogs to reach their full maturity! So, be prepared to enjoy a long period of childhood behavior from your dog friend. Larger dogs usually have a shorter life expectancy than smaller dogs, and we are not quite sure yet what is the main reason for this. What Factors Affect Boxer Growth? If you are well acquainted with the Boxer growth chart, you will be able to provide your dog with the lifestyle he needs to have to become a happy and healthy dog. A couple of factors might significantly affect the growth of your Boxer. Genetics Genetics is very important for your dog in general, as it largely determines the appearance and behavior of a dog. If this information is not available to you, you can always have a DNA test done that can help you find out how big your dog might get. Going for a walk, running around the yard or any other activity is always welcome to help your Boxer spend the tremendous energy he possesses. Although exercise is essential for this dog, it is important to make sure that exercise is not overdone. If a Boxer gets too much exercise before his bones and joints are properly developed, this could negatively affect his further growth. Nutrition Since Boxers are bigger dogs, they need a lot of quality food to develop properly. However, every Boxer owner must be extremely careful here. The food your Boxer gets should be full of vitamins and minerals, but you should not overdo it with the amount of food. Two meals a day is quite enough for a Boxer, so try not to leave food out for your dog outside of these two feedings. This way, the dog will learn his routine and will not look for extra food. Boxers are dogs that easily become obese, so proper feeding habits need to be instilled at an early age. Bottom Line We know that all dog owners sometimes wonder if their pet is at the right weight and height according to their age. To make it easier for you to answer these questions, we have described the Boxer growth chart in this article. By following this chart, you can conclude whether your dog is in the average weight and height range that corresponds to his age. If you notice minor deviations, do not stress! Various factors affect the growth process of your Boxer, and, remember, some Boxers continue growing even after their second year of life. All you as a responsible dog owner need to do is provide your dog with enough love, exercise, quality food, and regular visits to the vet. This way, your Boxer, without any doubt, will grow into a healthy and big dog! They suckle, sleep, and grow at a rapid pace. They have no teeth a mercy for the momma dog and their eyes are closed. They draw comfort from their littermates and mom, cuddling up close. And, at five weeks, the fun really begins as your puppies begin to play with each other and are keen to socialize with you too. Keep those interactions positive! Save the date. There are some really nasty doggie diseases out there, but most of them are preventable with vaccination and parasite control. Adopting a Boxer puppy or getting ready to home out your litter? Expect chewing and mouthiness. The permanent teeth are beginning to appear. Gently teach your Boxer puppy to take out that itch on chewy toys and not people or older household pets. Make sure your puppy gets plenty of exposure to other people and animals in positive settings. Getting to be a bit of a handful? A six-month-old female Boxer is approaching her first heat , but her body is not strong enough to cope well with pregnancy. He or she should know some basic obedience commands and have some control over that overwhelming puppy energy. Still struggling to raise a good canine citizen? Training your dog takes time, repetition, and positivity. Besides this, remember that large dogs often mature slower mentally than smaller breeds. Your dog is still growing up and is really still a pup until they are 18 to 24 months old. Adult A well-raised young adult boxer is incredibly loyal, affectionate, and — you guessed it — still very playful. Good nutrition, exercise, and play continue to be important throughout his adult life. How Big Do Boxers Get? Female Boxers are a little more daintily built than their male brothers. Males usually grow to be around 25 inches tall at the shoulder, weighing between 60 and 70 pounds. Females will be 21 to 25 inches tall, and weigh between 55 and 65 pounds. Of course, you might like to make a prediction for your puppy. However, be careful of letting your Boxer puppy get overweight. Then, of course, you can look at their paws. If they look too big for the body, your puppy still has some growing to do. Multiply that by two. The answer should be a good estimate of its adult weight. Looking for something more precise and scientific? The truth is that your Boxer will be no smaller if you spay or neuter. However, spaying or neutering too young can cause serious health issues. An interesting fact, however: spaying or neutering can affect the closure of growth plates, so a spayed or neutered adult Boxer may be taller. There actually has been a breed-specific study covering various health risks associated with spaying or neutering a Boxer. A look at the figures recorded during the study, however, reveals a different picture. Female boxers have no greater risk of cancer after spaying. Veterinarians recommend neutering male Boxers at six to twelve months old. For females, it can be best to hold out until two years old, but here you should weigh your risks. Dealing with a female on heat is intensive, and if she gets pregnant too young, that can cause health issues. How do they stack up size-wise? A boxer can get fractionally taller than an American Bulldog although both fall within the 22 to 25 inch height range. However, American Bulldogs are much heavier! An American Bulldog weighs between 75 and pounds in adulthood. Boxers only weigh between 55 and 70 pounds. So, what does? Female dogs of almost any breed are usually smaller and daintier than males. But of course, one does get unusually big female dogs too, and if a big female is bred with a big male, the genetics are likely to result in bigger-than-usual offspring. Nutrition Nutrition is always important in reaching genetic potential. Undernourished creatures of any kind never get as big as their genes would otherwise allow. Over-nourishing is equally bad, so the trick is to get the feeding balance exactly right. Boxers are very active dogs, so they might need a little more food than more restful breeds do. Too much exercise and high-impact activity can increase the chances of joint problems. Health, on the other hand, really does affect both height and weight in the long term. Keep up those vaccinations and remember that a listless Boxer puppy is probably a sick puppy. The right amount to feed your Boxer puppy depends on their age, metabolic rate, and the specific dog food you choose. Check the packaging for the calorie value of the food. For most dog foods, this comes to one to three cups per day. Feed puppies at least three times a day and divide the servings to match your calculations. When your Boxer puppy stops growing, you can reduce the calories to 40 per pound of body weight. Not sure of your math? Chat with your veterinarian to get expert recommendations. Do Boxers Experience Growing Pains? Giant breeds are the most prone to growing pains, but Boxers can get them too. Your dog may have a bone or joint issue, and the best person to decide on treatment will be your veterinarian. If your dog is just a little underweight or overweight, you can easily adjust its feeding, and if your Boxer is old enough and seems overweight, up the ante on his exercise. Does it have a good appetite? Does your pup seem to be unusually lazy? Thyroid issues are quite common in Boxers. Knowing them can help you to spot problems quickly and ensure that your pet gets treatment. Unfortunately, Boxers are somewhat prone to various cancers. As with many other big, active breeds, heart issues can also develop. These include dilated cardiomyopathy DCM which is a degeneration of part of the heart muscle. Sometimes, it can be treated effectively, but some Boxers will always have a weak heart as a result of the condition and its aftereffects. Bloat, or GDV happens very suddenly. The stomach fills with gas and the pressure can cause the stomach to turn right around. Discuss this with your vet. Hypothyroidism in Boxers is pretty common. Treatment is a must, and your Boxer will have to use meds throughout its life. However, if the condition is treated, your dog will be in excellent health. Finally, we have CCL disease or cranial cruciate ligament disease and hip dysplasia. The CCL is a ligament and it can break down for a number of reasons including obesity. A weakened CCL can tear, causing the knee to become disjointed. This can be repaired with surgery, but once your dog has CCL disease, it can occur again. I fell in love with the breed around ten years ago after seeing some of my friends adopt a Bully. I love the combination of the muscular physique and calm, loyal companionship that the American Bully breed has to offer. My enthusiasm for the breed has led me to train as a dog behavioralist and trainer. Over the last ten years, I have supported many households in raising their American Bully and maximizing the potential of the breed. Recent Posts. This post may contain affiliate links. Read more here. Courage and loyalty are attributes the Boxer is usually described with. With a good work ethic, playful demeanor, and a goofy face, this dog breed ranks among the top 10 in the USA for a while now. Their nobility and elegance came to focus after the originally working breed Boxer became unemployed during the early 19th century. The breed name derives from the way they defend themselves with their paws while playing. It really appears as the dog spars with the front paws. There is no doubt one might be tempted to get bring home one of these loving fellas. The growth in dogs has much to say about their health and potential — but how? While growing up dogs that suffer from some diseases might stagnate more than others. Boxers are a medium to large dog breed and are pretty safe from the usual bone and muscle disorders in larger dogs. However, hip dysplasia remains one of the most common issues. Reputable breeders will let you meet the parents and give you contacts from owners of puppies born in previous litters. Most Boxer puppies will correspond just fine to the ranges mentioned for their age. It is super important to not rush the growing process. Dogs that are overweight can experience problems later on in life that might have been avoided by maintaining an appropriate body condition. Moreover, the veterinarian can have the pup checked for possible health conditions causing the slow growth. Photo by otsphoto on Shutterstock Even with late bloomers, there is no reason to worry. Some dogs experience growing episodes sooner than others. The same rules apply to puppies that grow too fast. Damage due to wrong feeding can be avoided by using high-quality premium food and sticking to the recommendations according to weight and age on the labels. Never miss out on consulting your vet on the topic first — they will be glad to guide you through it! Boxer Growth Stages Until they reach adulthood, Boxers go through 3 growth stages. The general difference between the growth stages is how fast the puppy grows during the period and how they appear in posture and body condition. The first stage is from birth until they are 2 weeks of age. After the second week, the growth rate slows down. Most breeders wean the puppies off around the 4th-5th week. At 18 months of age, you can probably introduce your companion as a fully developed, curious, and independent adult Boxer. Boxer puppies have somewhere between 2. At the end of the first stage, they can reach around 4. At 1 month of age, their stuffed muscle figure comes at about 5. By the time they are 16 weeks old, males weigh lbs .Male Boxers are expected to have approximately lbs .In the next six months, the growth slows down to about lbs 0. Male Boxers should weigh around lbs kg by the time they reach 6 months of age. Female boxer puppies are expected to have lbs kg when they are half a year old. Since the Boxer qualifies as a medium to large breed, it takes longer for them to reach their full-sized version compared to other smaller breeds. There are exceptions when Boxers complete the growth at 20, even 24 months. Female Boxers that are done growing up weigh approximately lbs kg and stand .Their male counterparts have between 60 and 70 lbs kg and are 23 to 25 inches cm tall. In the meantime provide quality food, regular exercise, and maintain regular veterinary check-ups to ensure their well-being. As with all other dog breeds, some adult Boxers will be smaller than the standard dimensions of the breed. On the other hand, there is a handful of those that are larger than the standard too. Genetics is the most probable cause for this. Rarely do Boxers end up being smaller than the rest due to low production of the growth hormone. Luckily growth hormone problems in Boxers are very rare and other breeds such as the Miniature Pinscher, Spitz, or Karelian Bear Dog are more prone to the condition. Growth defects in dogs can appear due to Dwarfism Achondroplasia. Minor deformities can be surgically corrected, but again with a dubious prognosis. In Conclusion Understanding the growth chart will help you understand what role nutrition, diet, and exercise plays and adjust accordingly. Getting rid of excess weight or ruling out health issues is something you and your vet can work on together. Disclaimer: This blog post does not substitute veterinary attention and does not intend to do so. I am not a veterinarian or pet nutritionist. If your dog shows any sign of illness, call your vet. Post navigation. Things then taper off as they age, with them gaining little to no weight between their first and second birthdays. Boxers undergo several different stages during their lives, similar to how humans change as they develop from babies to teenagers to adults. A healthy adult Boxer will have a noticeable tuck in their waist and a muscular build. For this reason, if the size of your Boxer is crucial to you, I encourage you to work with a reputable breeder. Of course, some puppies may not follow the genetic makeup expected of them, but such situations are uncommon. A mother Boxer feeds her puppies on the grass. A notable change is that puppies require less protein and fat the older they get. So, feeding them food with the same nutritional composition as when they were younger could damage their growth. The amount and timing of when you feed your Boxer are also vital. Your Boxer puppy can handle larger portions of food two to three times per day as it grows. Such a feeding schedule can be damaging to a younger puppy, who needs several smaller meals to achieve growth. You can expect male Boxers to grow taller and heavier than females within any given litter. The key here is within a litter. Two Boxer puppies playing in the garden. How does this happen, you wonder? But until their growth plates calcify, puppies are in a fragile state, meaning that excessive exercise or exercising on hard surfaces can hinder their growth. The longer-term ramifications of too much exercise at too young of an age are often arthritis and hip dysplasia. Most veterinarians recommend five minutes of exercise per month of age, meaning a 4-month-old Boxer can safely have 20 minutes of exercise per day. But did you know that fixing your Boxer at the wrong age could cause them to grow taller than nature intended? The reason is that spaying or neutering Boxers too early can slow the closure of their growth plates. As a result, it gives your dog more time to continue growing. Such a situation is less common in smaller dogs , given that they stop growing at an earlier age, meaning that their growth plates are usually already calcified by the time their owners fix them. Doing so can have long-term ramifications on their joint and bone health. A snoozing boxer dog. The Bottom Line So, when does a Boxer stop growing? You can be sure that your Boxer will stop growing by 2 years old, although it often happens between the 12 and month mark. Therefore, if you have your heart set on a particular Boxer size to ensure you have enough space for them, consider adopting a full-grown Boxer from your local animal shelter. My wife and I love playing with our active miniature Labradoodle Max. We want all Oodle puppies to be healthy and happy, have lots of fun and be part of the family. Load More. Final Thoughts Boxer puppies are like other puppies. This breed is aggressive by nature. They need to have a good amount of training before becoming calm and quiet. Also, they will not eradicate their wildness without proper nourishment, both food, and training. These puppies need to be socialized before they become old. Because this breed particularly fears new things, such as kids, strangers, and anything they are not familiar with. Boxers gain weight and height relatively fast. They grow about 12 inches or 1 ft at the end of 12 weeks. In 5 months, they will grow up to 16 inches long and 38 pounds weight. A boxer will grow until they cross 24 months on earth. A five-month-old boxer should weigh about 36 to 38 pounds. If the owner provides enough food and exercise to the puppy, it will grow well. Provide proper care along with food. The weight distribution for your 5-month boxer puppy is important. On the other hand, if your puppy has more weight than it needs, it will have obesity problems. Which eventually leads your puppy to some harmful diseases. And as boxer puppies will grow stronger than most other dogs, they need more care. You need to provide food and bark, and it will be aggressive. Food is the best way to reward your puppy. And make sure you provide balanced food. Always keep in touch with a vet. The regular food chart needs to have good nutrition for boxer puppies. These puppies need to grow a good amount of muscle and maintain a good shape, or they may fall. Both the five and six-month older boxer puppies need the same amount of food every day. The quantity of food is 4 to Cups. And they need to feed 3 to 4 times a day. The food consists of dry, wet, and raw meals. Dry foods are dry kibble, but make sure not to put allergens such as wheat-based foods. Wet foods are expensive. And you may not want to provide them wet foods as the food consists of high calories. For puppies of 5 months, you should provide fresh raw meat, or potentially harmful bacteria may ingest inside. How much should a 5 month old boxer eat? Five-month-old boxer puppies should eat about 4 to Cups. The owner should provide a balanced diet to the boxer. Before providing the food, you need to go to a Vet to make a chart of food that you can provide to your puppies. The food chart should have wet, dry, and raw food. The vet will say what food you can provide at which time. You should provide food for 3 to 4 times a day. Dry kibble is not as expensive as raw meat or wet foods. Also, dry kibble is a safer option for you. Allergens are highly avoidable. You should avoid overfeeding and underfeeding. High-calorie food can adversely impact the boxer. That is the only way to communicate with nature around the dog. The puppies bark for different things. Through barking, they show frustration, pain, sorrow, sickness, and other bad things. Also, if the boxer puppy is in fear, it will bark. Biting: As boxers are wild, and the boxer breed is kind of ferocious. Without proper training, the dog will bite anything they are not familiar with, or they think that is harmful to them. A boxer can bite children and an unknown person. So, you need to ensure that you provide proper training to the boxer puppy. This boxer breed is more exciting than regular dogs. Be very careful when handling a 5-month-old boxer. Aggressiveness: Enough socialization is needed. Or the boxer puppy will react to everything and may show aggression through a constant expression of disappointment. The anger or aggressiveness will easily be expressed through barking and biting. The solution to this problem is proper socialization by meeting with other dogs and people and letting the puppy play along. It may take 7 to 8 weeks for your puppy to socialize. How much sleep does a 5 month old boxer need? Like humans, puppies are also mammals and mammals need sleep to keep their bodies fit. Every animal takes a rest. But puppies need to take a rest in their growing phase. Or the problem of aggression and barking will take place. And sickness will never say goodbye to them. As an owner, you should ensure the boxer puppy sleeps for about 15 to 20 hours a day to keep them healthy. They are social animals, sleep with their owner, and rise with their owner. How much exercise for a 5 month old boxer? Puppies need to walk regularly. Or they will fall ill, and their legs will stop performing well. They need to stretch their legs every day. A five-month-old puppy needs to regularly walk for up to fifteen minutes to half an hour. Make sure to drill them to learn to lead properly. It needs regular training by providing food rewards. If you can provide them with a good reward every time they obey the owners, they will try to do that and make it a habit. So, start slowly, by walking five minutes every day, then increase the walking time gradually. How to train a 5 month old boxer? The following tips will help you to train your 5 month old boxer puppy — Potty train: The first thing you need to maintain is the proper food routine to have an idea of when your boxer puppy will need to go to the restroom. Most of them may go to the restroom after half an hour or an hour after eating. A reward is another key for them to obey their owners. Ensure proper reward if they go potty outside or to the selected place. Boxer puppies have the tendency to chew their own potty, so use a rope to keep them with you and retain them to chew the potty. Socialization: Boxer puppies are highly aggressive. Boxer lacks social instincts. They are more prone to acquire and achieve what they need. The owner must train their boxer to be social. Or the boxer will bark and bite everyone or every dog it sees when it gets older. To avoid this problem, maintain a company of other puppies when you take the puppy to exercise. Visiting a new dog is also recommended. And take your boxer puppy to parks so that it can see more of the nature around it. Also give your puppy proper rewards for maintaining calmness. House Training: The basic house training for your puppy is to teach it how to sit, obey, stay with you, and come to you. This breed is quite energetic and smart. So, you just need to maintain a routine to teach the puppy and always provide a reward to your puppy every time it obeys you. And treat the puppy well and make it comfortable with your touches to its paws, tail, and other body parts. Final Thoughts A boxer puppy is quite aggressive in the first place. If you provide proper care, it will give you obedience and follow all your instructions. Train your puppy well. Maintain weight and food. Train it to be more social. Provide enough time for the puppy to be a good adult boxer.

We hear this question a lot. They do appear to be different.However, the difference is actually in the jaw structure of this breed and how the jaw sits. Per breed standards, the bite is undershot. This is a desired trait and proper breeding is done to preserve this element of the Boxer's appearance. This means that the lower jaw juts out a bit past the upper jaw. As it does, it curves slightly upward. This gives the Boxer its distinct look.And because of this unique facial structure, one may assume that the Boxer teeth themselves are different in structure. Now, with this being said, an adult Boxer has the same set of teeth as any other medium to large breed dog: Newborns are born with no teeth at all. They are present under the gums but at birth, have not erupted yet. By the age of 6 week, most of the milk teeth will be there. There will be 6 incisors the front ones on both the top and the bottom for a total of .To the sides of the incisors will be the premolars, 3 on each side, on both top and bottom. There will be Boxer teeth 28 in total for the puppy. Teething begins when the milk teeth fall out and are replaced by canines adult, permanent Boxer teeth. This phase happens at approximately 5 months of age, but there can be early bloomers 4 months or late bloomers months. If a puppy has not begun to lose their milk teeth by the age of 7 months, it is strongly recommended to have a veterinarian perform a dental check to look for potential issues that would be preventing this natural stage in the Boxer's teeth. Once all of the Boxer's teeth have broken through the gums, the adult will have a set of .There will be 6 incisors on the top and another 6 on the bottom as before, but of course, these will be larger to accommodate the larger jaw. There will be 4 premolars as opposed to 3 on both top and bottom. Additional Boxer teeth for the adult dog will be the molars. There will be 2 on each side on the top.And 3 on each side on the bottom of the dog's mouth. The total will be .The 4th premolar on the top and the 1st molar on the bottom combine to create what is called the Carnassial teeth. This is the term given to these particular Boxer teeth which are the largest of all and work well to slice through food. Yellow, Decayed or 'Rotted' Teeth Some owners become concerned when they realize that their Boxer's teeth do not look healthy. The color may be yellow, the gums may bleed, teeth may be crooked.This can all be attributed to poor dental care or a complete lack of dental care. Sadly, this is sometimes not noticed until it is too late. At this point, teeth may need to be pulled and medication given to clear up infections which can spread to other areas of the body. Before and even after these procedures, eating and chewing can be impaired. The best method to make sure that the teeth of a Boxer stay clean, straight and healthy is to provide DAILY dental care at home.And to allow for 1 professional cleaning 1 time per year. It only takes a few minutes to perform this element of grooming and makes a HUGE difference in the health and appearance of the Boxer. Dental care for Boxer dogs should begin from the day that you bring your dog into your family. There is no age in which a Boxer dog is not vulnerable to canine tooth decay. What is the difference between human tooth care and dog tooth care? With dogs, very few will ever get cavities. However, it is plaque, tarter and bacteria build up that can cause serious health problems. Doesn't a dog clean their teeth when they chew on bones? This is a common misconception. Some dog treats and certain quality toys will help clean a dog's teeth a bit, by loosening plaque. They will not clean the teeth enough to prevent eventual infection and decay. Dogs can develop some pretty serious ailments if they do not receive these regular brushings. Some chews work to scrape the teeth to a certain degree. This is good for your Boxer dog, but not enough. For excellent oral health, daily care must be taken to keep teeth and gums clean and healthy. This routine should be as normal as taking your dog for a walk or feeding him dinner. Won't it take up too much time to keep cleaning my Boxer dog's teeth? Once a dog is trained to sit nice, this will only take about 5 minutes per day and can save your dog's life. Once you fall into a normal schedule, this should become as natural as any other grooming or care element. What do I do if my Boxer hates having his teeth cleaned? Not to worry. With repetition, just about every dog can be trained to sit nice while you brush his teeth just like dogs learn to sit for grooming of the coat. All this takes is your effort to not give up on doing this task and allow your dog a week or so to become used to it. Before you begin, some things to remember: Never use human toothpaste. Canine specific toothpaste is not a marketing scheme or an unnecessary product. Human tooth paste is dangerous to dogs. Because so much of the paste can be swallowed, the build up of ingested ingredients can be toxic. While smaller breeds would be more likely to become ill.Do not take a chance with your Boxer's health and please purchase a high-quality canine toothpaste. Begin as soon as possible. Puppies that are taught to have their teeth cleaned will grow up knowing it is a normal part of their day. Do not give up if your dog tries to run away from you when you begin; with time and repetition a dog will learn that it is a routine part of the day. What You Will Need: A finger brush for dogs - this can be used first, if your Boxer dog is not used to having his teeth cleaned A dog tooth brush - Much different than a human brush, you should make all attempts to train up to the level of using a dog tooth brush Canine tooth paste - never underestimate the importance of using this How to Brush Your Boxer's Teeth Step-by-Step Have all needed supplies on hand Have your Boxer sit Give the "Open mouth" command and use your hand to manipulate the jaw open; within a week or so a dog will begin to learn to do this himself with very little strength needed on your part Brush swiftly and firmly on all surfaces of the teeth. Do not just brush the front ones! Do the front and both sides. You can hum to calm your Boxer puppy or dog down or simply speak in a matter-of-fact way After a full minute or so, wipe out the mouth with a wet washcloth; but don't worry that paste is being swallowed since a good canine brand will be perfectly edible and digestible Offer praise and a treat preferably a dental hygiene treat if your Boxer at least made an effort. What if my Boxer dog refuses to let me use a brush? Some dogs can be very stubborn. It is recommended to keep at it, but allow 2 weeks for each step. If that fails, you should then try using dog dental wipes. These are special wipes made for a dog's teeth. It will wipe off bacteria and will clean to a certain extent. It is very important that you schedule a once-a-year dental appointment with your dog's veterinarian and not only go if there is a problem. This yearly cleaning will remove buildup that daily cleaning simply cannot do. The vet will also be able to determine if there are any issues developing that need special care. If there are any serious problems,the vet will most likely refer you to a canine orthodontist. As a pup grows, works their way through the teething process and becomes an adult dog, they will have 42 permanent adult canine teeth. A puppy will begin to lose his or her temporary teeth at the age of 4 months. Aside from losing them, new ones will be growing in as well. The back molars will begin to poke through the gums at the approximate age of 6 months. Learn how to help your dog get through this stage of discomfort and pain. A dog will chew just about anything to help relieve the negative sensations. However, with some planning ahead of time and some easy training, your puppy will not destroy your home and you will be able to help your dog cope. Boxer teething time can be one of the largest hurdles that you and your dog will overcome; fortunately this phase is temporary. Teething and chewing problems can occur if an owner does not know how to help their dog cope with this stage. When a puppy is teething, without planning and training, he will chew on just about anything that he can get his mouth on. The urge to chew and gnaw is quite strong. As a Boxer owner, it will be your job to: Train your puppy what is not appropriate to chew on Offer the correct alternatives, so that the puppy has plenty of choices for other objects to chew on Training Patience and consistency will always be the 2 most important elements when training a dog to do anything, this included. Your dog has no idea that he is not supposed to chew on your favorite shoes; he is just trying to relieve his pain. A careful eye must be kept on your puppy so that you can stop him the moment he even thinks about chewing on something other than your pre-planned and purchased chew toys. As soon as your Boxer pup opens his mouth to take a nice bite out of your sofa or wants to gnaw on your hand, you must immediately say "No! The tone of your voice is very important. If "No! This command word will be one of great importance that is used in countless situations. Your dog must understand from the tone and the actions that you make that you mean business when you say this. After saying the command word to your dog: If he already has an object in his mouth - take the object away. Do not allow your puppy to engage you in a game of tug-of-war. A puppy will see that as fun and try to provoke this game as often as they can. As soon as you have the non-approved object away from your pup, immediately give him one of the approved chewing and teething dog toys. Say "Here's your toy" in a happy and excited tone. As your Boxer begins to chew on it, praise him for being a good dog. If your puppy is just about to grab onto an un-approved object, distract him. Say his name loudly to get your dog's attention. Then, immediately give your dog 1 of his chewing and teething toys. Again, say "Here's your toy" in a very pleasant tone and praise him for using it. If your Boxer puppy nips and gnaws on you, try to resist the urge to swat at him. A dog does not learn very much from an owner hitting him; even if the swat is a light one. All this will do is teach your Boxer to be afraid of you and it does not show very much will power on your side. If you want your dog to have control over his behavior, so must you as an owner. The correct training method is to say "No! Then, immediately give him his dog teething toy. Some are colorful pieces of rubber that are basically worthless. Owners are attracted to them because of the colors or perhaps because of the fun and amusing names of them. However, to truly help your Boxer puppy with the teething stage, a puppy must have a large supply of proper dog toys that are designed to help him. What are the perfect types of teething toys for your puppy? They will have 3 characteristics: 1 They will be able to be put into a freezer. Many of these will be filled with water, thus allowing the freezing method to work very well. Chewing on a cold object will help tremendously. It must be shaped in a way that allows your dog to use it to get right onto the gum that is in between teeth and to reach any area that is causing discomfort. What If I am Not Home? Just as you must plan for house training your Boxer even at times that you are not home, you must allow prepare for this. A Boxer puppy can be put into a gated area. However, that area should contain plenty of proper dog toys. To leave your puppy without resources to soothe itchiness and sore gums is just plain cruel. How long is too long to stay home alone? A 4 month old puppy, if going into the gated off area immediately after eliminating, can only hold on for 4 hours. An hour is added for each month your puppy grows older. Creating a space for your dog inside the home can work out nicely. This can be a spare room or this can be the corner of a room. Gates can be used to section this area off or a puppy play pen can be used. This will allow your pup to have plenty of space to walk around, play, rest and sleep and room for plenty of the dog toys. Adult Chewing Your Boxer will stop teething at approximately 7 months of age. However chewing may not stop if your dog has not been taught to use his or her toys in certain situations. When a adult dog chews this is usually caused by: Boredom Anxiety As a medium breed dog, a Boxer may be kept outside at certain times, given that the environment and temperature is safe and correct. However, a dog left alone for too long outside will make for a very bored dog. If your dog is bored outside and chews on grass, tree branches and other, he will not know how that differs from chewing on the leg of your coffee table. Whether you choose to keep your dog outside, inside or both, an owner must supply plenty of toys along with other essentials. See Also: Boxer dog internal stomach blockage - What can happen if you don't proof the house. As a pup grows, works their way through the teething process and becomes an adult dog, they will have 42 permanent adult canine teeth. A puppy will begin to lose his or her temporary teeth at the age of 4 months. Beside from losing them, new ones will be growing in as well. The back molars will begin to poke through the gums at the approximate age of 6 months. Learn how to help your puppy get through this stage of discomfort and pain. A dog will chew just about anything to help relieve the negative sensations. However, with some planning ahead of time and some easy training, your puppy will not destroy your home and you will be able to help your puppy cope. Boxer teething time can be one of the largest hurdles that you and your puppy will overcome; fortunately this phase is temporary!! Teething and chewing problems can occur if an owner does not know how to help their puppy cope with them. When a puppy is teething, without planning and training, they will chew on just about anything they can get their mouths on. The urge to chew and gnaw is quite strong. Training Patience and consistency will always be the 2 most important elements when training a dog to do anything, this is included. Your dog has no idea that they are not supposed to chew on your favorite shoes; they are just trying to relieve their pain. A careful eye must be kept on your puppy so that you can stop them the moment they even think about chewing on something other than your pre-planned and purchased chew toys. The tone of your voice is important. This command word will be one of great importance that is used in countless situations. Your dog must understand from the tone and the actions you make that you mean business when you say this!! Do not allow the boxer to engage you in a game of tug-o-war. A puppy will see that as fun and try to provoke this game as often as they can. As your pup begins chewing on it, praise them for being a good dog. Then, immediately give your boxer on of their chewing and teething dog toys. A dog does not learn very much from an owner hitting them; even if the swat is a light one. All this will do is teach your boxer to be afraid of you and it does not show very much will power on your side. If you want your dog to have control over their behavior, so must an owner. Then, immediately give them their dog teething toy. Adult chewing Your boxer will stop teething at approximately 7 months of age. However, chewing may not stop if your dog has not been taught to use his or her toys in certain situations. When an adult dog chews this is usually caused by; Anxiety As a medium breed dog, a boxer may be kept outside at certain times, given that the environment and temperature is safe and correct. However, a dog left alone for too long outside will make for a very bored dog. If your dog is bored outside and chews on grass, tree branches and other, they will not know how that differs from chewing on the leg of your coffee table. Boxer Dog chewing and teething November 5, by John Every one of you is aware of the teething process, as and when, it is get started in your baby. With the passage of time, the puppy gets older and the teething process is also beginning. Well, this is a real testing time for the owner or keeper of the boxer. Side by side, in this period, your darling puppy can feel annoyance and impatience. Because, in the teething period, the puppy starts chewing everything that comes to its range. Also it can nip you as well. Now it is the temperament of the owner, which makes the things normal. Never castigate your puppy, but you need to train and redirect him with patience. It is a normal behavior and the big mouth of your boxer is actually the exploring tool through which he wants to quench the thirst of its curiosity. As an older teeth falls, the new one starts growing the same time. When your puppy will reach up to 6 months, the large and flat molars will also begin to appear from its gums. During this period, your puppy might face infuriation, toothache and displeasure. Now to appease the soreness, your boxer will chew anything. But always remember, this is a temporary situation. Things will become normal soon. It is suggested, this problem can be adjusted with some correction and training and there will occur no harm in your bond with your puppy. Give proper training to your puppy The best way is obviously to teach your boxer puppy in a gentle and pleasing manner. Offer him with the suitable alternatives to chew on. And repeat this all with consistency during the teething period. Your boxer will jump on anything to chew as its gums are really irritant so he or she has no idea, what is to be chewed and what not to be. Your puppy is just relieving its pain. So the training is must, otherwise, your puppy will develop this as its favourite habit and it will prevail even in its adulthood. Make sure there is no medical issue with your boxer It is always better to have a medical examination of your puppy in the teething stage. Because sometimes the nutritional deficiencies caused by inappropriate diet might also result in bad chewing. Even there could be gastrointestinal problems in your puppy, so better is to consult with your veterinarian. Remove all other objects in which your puppy might take interest such as shoes and socks, the toys and entertaining stuff of your kids. Also restrain him in accessing to the places which it can be really dangerous for your puppy. Persuade and support him in substitute chewing Always persuade and support your puppy in chewing the harmless and alternative items, toys and other suitable stuff. Some colourful and attractive toys can be so appealing for your puppy. You should have a reasonable quantity of the dog-toys at your home, when you are growing up a boxer puppy. Some frozen liquids are really supportive in the chewing process. All the dog toys should be really solid as those will be in the continuous usage by your boxer. It is even better, if it is having a very low fat and longer in size chewing stuff which is also reachable to the gum of your boxer and it is also stretchable to the itching zone of the jaw. Also discourage your boxer in chewing the unsuitable things Whenever the young chap is about to take an unsuitable or damaging item in its mouth to chew, you should discourage him by a strong tone. If he is still disobeying, take the object slightly out from its mouth and keep a continuous check on your puppy. At the same time, offer him with a real alternative toy in a loving and affectionate way. Because, in this way, your boxer will never learn. Instead, he will become frightened of you. Spend cheerful time with your puppy Be jolly to your puppy in the teething period. Remember, your puppy is a real exuberant, frisky and playful mate. He or she needs attention and will always require fun time. Even if you are away from home, provide your puppy with an area or space in which lots of toys are available. Normally, the boxer puppy stops chewing at the age of months. But its habit of chewing will remain existing, if it is not given the satisfactory training during its childhood. If you keep engaging your puppy in the teething period with fun and exercises, it will not only help you in avoiding the unwanted situations occurring due to the un-suitable chewing, but also boast up the young pup and build a strong and confident personality of your boxer. This will also surely enhance the solicitous and warm-hearted relationship between you and your boxer. Conclusion When will my Boxer puppy lose its teeth? Boxers will grow two sets of teeth throughout their life. The first one is the milk teeth and the other one is adult and permanent choppers. To give way to their adult teeth, Boxer puppies will shed their milk teeth just like any dog. All the 28 temporary baby teeth will fall off within their first 3 to 4 months of life. Also, you may find the shed teeth all over your floor in the coming weeks. Once your Boxer reaches three months old, its permanent incisors will erupt. This will be followed by the canines in their fourth month of life. Moreover, the premolars and molars will erupt last. Overall, the process will take a total of six months. By the end of the teething phase, your Boxer puppy should have 42 adult teeth already. Take note that there could be complications along the way like some baby teeth not falling off as expected. In this case, your Boxer puppy will need a vet visit for the manual removal of the retained milk teeth. Overall, teething is one of the first hurdles your Boxer puppy will have to face. Proper care and management are crucial to help your pooch get through teething with the least possible discomfort. As the milk teeth sheds and the adult ones erupt, your pup will experience gum discomfort. This will lead to excessive chewing, biting, and drooling. Protect your furniture The first thing you need to do is puppy-proof your furniture. This is to prevent your Boxer pup from chewing and damaging the item. You can spray bitter apple on the feet of your furniture to discourage your Boxer pup from chewing it. Bitter apple is a safe formula that has an awful taste that canines hate. This will help save your precious couch from being shredded or your furniture from getting chewed. Provide chew toys Chew toys are indispensable when caring for a teething Boxer puppy. Take note that chew toys for teething puppies should be soft. Give tug-of-war toys Tug-of-war ropes are also helpful for teething Boxer puppies. Aside from that, tug-of-war games help teach your dog how to release a bite. The cold temperature help soothes their inflamed and achy gums. For this, you can freeze slices of banana, carrots, apples, blueberries, and strawberries. In case you run out of these frozen treats, a few pieces of ice cube will do the trick. This can also help your Boxer pup cool down during summer. Keep your pup busy Lastly, keeping your Boxer puppy busy can help take its mind off chewing. Exercise, playtime, and mental drills will help a lot for this doggo. Take note that the Boxer breed is naturally energetic. Playing Frisbee, running in the dog park, and having agility drills indoors are also effective routines. Here are a few tips to keep your Boxer pups teeth clean and healthy: 1. This way, your pooch will get used to the sensation as it grows older. This will help make the dog calmer and accustomed to being restrained while brushing its teeth. For your Boxer, choose the flavor that it likes best. Through this, your pet will find dental care a rewarding experience. It will also make your Boxer more cooperative during brushing. It usually comes with a delicious flavor, though you can also opt for the unflavored type. As your dog drinks the additive, it will help remove bacteria and potentially slow down the formation of plaque. Just make sure that you use an additive made specifically for canines. Provide chew toys Chew toys are useful even after your Boxer is done teething. Aside from that, the chew toy satisfies the natural instincts of Boxers to chew. This is formulated with ingredients that help reduce plaque and curb bad breath. But unlike other treats, dental treats should only be given once a day. This is to prevent stomach upset on the part of your canine. This will let you notice any changes that may point to a health problem. This simple habit can help you save hundreds of dollars from expensive vet treatments because you failed to spot early signs of tooth problems. This is a preventive measure to avoid the formation of plaque, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. Take note that as your Boxer gets older, it would be more prone to dental problems. Annual checks will help prevent or slow down these issues. Are Boxers chewers? Boxers are powerful chewers and they can be pretty destructive if not trained well. They can cause a great deal of damage to your furniture, especially when left alone for long periods. This is the reason why Boxers require a dedicated owner who will take the time to train them. Also, Boxers need regular companionship or they will become destructively anxious. Overall, Boxers could remain chewers even after the teething phase. Why do Boxer puppies bite so much? Biting is common among puppies, including the Boxer breed. Puppies use their mouths to interact and explore around, not to mention that they get very excited about almost anything. Are Boxer dogs destructive? Boxers can be very destructive dogs if not trained well. Also, leaving this dog alone for long hours can lead to behavioral problems like destructive chewing. Take note that while Boxers are affectionate dogs, they require early and continuous training just like any breed. This is to curb potential behavioral problems like chewing. They require an owner who can provide training and enough mental stimulation that matches their breed. Do puppies swallow their baby teeth? Usually, milk teeth will become uprooted while your dog is chewing its food or toy. How long does the puppy chewing stage last? Puppy chewing usually lasts until the teething phase is over. This is usually around six months of age. However, if you failed to train your Boxer, its chewing habit may stick and become a behavioral problem. In this case, your pup may become destructive around the house. The key here is early and continuous training. Conclusion When do Boxer puppies lose their teeth? The teething phase starts at around 3 months old and finishes at 6 months. You can provide frozen treats, chew toys, and other activities that will help it through the uncomfortable process. Most of all, you should involve the veterinarian in the process. Written By.

The puppies are picked up at 8 weeks old and go to their forever family to be trained and live with you for life. Once puppies are weaned the female is then returned to their Guardian family. We feel this will allow for the best care of the girls as they will be one on one with their forever families right from the get go instead of being replaced once they are retired from breeding. A Free puppy adopted through our breeder program is just that, a free lab retriever. In addition, there is compensation for travel to us to return her along with us paying for spaying after she has had her litters. On occasion we run into someone objecting to this program and they recommend that people visit their local shelter to adopt a puppy for free. These puppies need rehoming and we would want to get them into a home as much as the next person. The need for breeding however is still there because not all free shelter dogs have the intelligence to act as a service dog. Something as simple as a shelter dog not being screened for a genetic heart or eye issue may result in a lot of wasted training. If a dog lives for 10 to 12 years, and the shelter dog is 5 years old , training takes a year at least for suitable candidates, then the service can only work until about 8 to 10 years old until they begin to slow down. So, instead of the dog helping their handler for 8 or 9 years, all that training is put in to the dog for just a couple years. Normally this is a cost most people will not incur for such a short time. Read more on this here. You must live within an hour and a half or so or be willing to make the drive to participate in this program. People from Essex county and Windsor, Chatham Kent, Sarnia, London and Elgin county are the best candidates to partner with us and adopt a puppy for free, but living in one of those locations is not mandatory. If you are interested in our free puppy adoption program please specify so when applying as outlined on our contact us page and we will interview you for more information. Space in this program is very limited but also very rewarding as you will be helping us place a Lab puppy into the hands of a veteran or first responder to help them with their daily duties. Ownership is retained by Lucky Labs until the dog is finished breeding even though she will live with her guardian family. Around the age of three-four the mother is retired from breeding and we will pay to have the ownership transferred along with paying an agreed upon amount for the dog to be spayed. We make the first pick of a litter choosing the smartest female to mate in the future. Sometimes there may be two puppies that are equally intelligent, if so you can pick from the two. Either way you get the pick of the litter. You take your puppy home, administer veterinarian care as you would normally getting your Lab vaccinations at the proper times. You keep us informed of vaccinations and if your female comes into heat. Once she is old enough to breed we facilitate that. She is home with you for most of the year only being away to mate with our male for a few days, and to have her puppies. After the first mating we will evaluate the quality of the puppies she made. If they do not meet or are not above our standards to be trained as a service dog we may decide to spay her and sign her over to you. We may also try her with a different male if we feel the characteristics of the different male might make the puppies of a higher quality. In short, if her puppies are exceptional she may have up to 4 litters so we are able to donate the highest quality puppies available to our veterans and first responders. If her puppies are not we may instruct you to spay her and cover the cost. If you feel you can provide an excellent home for one of our best girl puppies, and you would like to contribute to our veterans, police officers, nurses, fire fighters and medics while caring for one of the best breeds of dogs going, then please apply below. People looking for a puppy to adopt can get the highest quality Lab puppy available in Ontario. We appreciate your help and dedication to helping out. Think you would be an Amazing Guardian of one of our dogs? Daisy and Brock are a beautiful mother and son pair who love to snuggle together and cuddle. They are both sweet, happy, and friendly. They adore getting attention from anyone they meet during their walks and easily draw people in with their sunny personalities and soft silky coats. They have settled into an easy routine in their foster home and relish their walks every day and visits to the dog park. During their walks Brock clocks roughly twice the mileage of foster mom and Daisy with his side-to-side walking style. Neither is true! These pups love to live it up at the dog park where they show off their speed as Brock sprints and dives after his Kong frisbee, often grabbing it taco style, while Daisy relishes fetching an orange Chuck-It ball before eventually resting to chew on it. Brock is also a master at tug-of-war who has learned to drop it sometimes after repeated requests so it can be thrown again. Brock is extra special because he was born without a tail, which causes him to be incontinent. Inside the house he wears diapers and a belly band, and his incontinence is easily managed. When coming inside from a walk, Brock waits patiently for his diaper to be put on. Daisy and Brock took time to smell the roses and ponder life. While happy to be in a foster home, they would love to find their forever home. Please open your mind and your heart to considering adopting these two gorgeous pups. You will never regret your decision. We specialize in breeding white labrador puppies that are socialized, free of hereditary health problems, well-exercised on 12 fenced acres, intelligent, and conform to the AKC Breed Standard. Our lab puppies are part of our family and live in a loving, inclusive, intellectually stimulating environment. All lab puppies are born in our home and remain there the eight weeks they are here at Bullis Lake. Our puppies are never caged. Their area is large and they can freely run and play with their littermates. His name is Luke! We just wanted to share a recent photo of our fifth family member. He is the most wonderful dog and continues to be incredibly healthy with no end of energy! People are shocked when they learn how old he is. He gives this family so much pleasure and joy! Bullis Lake Labradors guarantees all puppies with our Health Guarantee. Bullis Lake Labradors has veterinarians on call when the need arises. You are purchasing your next family member from a responsible, reputable breeder. We love to receive emails and pictures of our puppies as they grow. Many of our buyers become friends.

Please be polite and respectful of other forum members. Debate is welcome, fighting is not. Our forum is dedicated to our breed, but we welcome discussion of other similar working and herding breeds, including Belgian Malinois and other working Shepherd breeds that are similar in look and temperament to German Shepherd Dogs. We support responsible German Shepherd breeders and rescues. If you are part of a German Shepherd Rescue group, please post about it. This is a forum to talk about German Shepherds and other herding or protection breeds. Our rules for posting are: 1. Respect the breed. Repeated disparaging comments about German Shepherds and the other breeds we include will not be tolerated. Do not compare our breed to breeds whose traits are diametrically opposed and say our breed doesn't measure up in comparison. Do not post pictures of non herding or non protection breeds. Do not promote other or dissimilar breeds. Anyone who repeatedly posts fake or false information will be treated a as troll. Anyone who disrupts orderly forum posting will receive a warning. Please take it seriously if you want to continue posting. Do not argue with a moderator or blame someone else. If it continues, posts that violate our rules will either be deleted or edited with a note about what type of comment was deleted and why. Posters may lose posting privileges Information provided here is the opinion of the author of the post. While our members and moderators are usually experienced dog owners, we have no way of verifying what anyone posts. Please take posts as suggestions. If your dog has an illness or medical problem, or you have a question about diet, please contact your veterinarian. If you are experiencing behavior problems, locate and work with a local dog trainer. Our advice may be excellent, but it's just a suggestion. Ultimately, the responsibility for handling and care of your dog is yours. Members: 5. Dog Training Forum This forum is a well-collated place to get access to various dog training resources. Some of the most reviewed links have been pinned to the top of the feed. The topics include links, books, blogs and others for reactive or leash-aggressive dogs; training tactics; dealing with issues like separation anxiety, attention-seeking behaviour, desensitizing your dog to immobile things in your house, and so on. One of the threads in this forum talks about an adolescent GSD that interacts excessively with loose dogs. The replies are super friendly and educational, so you can be sure to receive prompt replies and accurately directed guidance for the same. Posts: .It has easily approachable content organised as folders under various sections. Health and Fitness, and the training and behaviour sections are very actively updated by a dedicated community. If you want any information on nutritional supplements, you can find them here. Unfortunately, there is no public access to the discussions on this forum. Sign in to the community and start engaging. Threads: 2, Members: 7. German Shepherd Training Forum on Officer. German Shepherds are excellent companions for the police, so a trained dog becomes as important as a human cop in operations. This forum contains resources that you can refer to for raising your GSD as a police dog. As a GSD owner, you may want to look around for books and resources. Here is a starting point. Like any forum, users have posted their queries and comments about GSD. However, one thing stands out: instead of categories, the discussions have been sorted by the tags or keywords. So if you want to get related information on a specific topic, such as training or showing your GSD, you can simply click on that tag and get a full list of posts under that tag. It keeps track of recent news in the GSD community, such as current affairs, events and club info. However, the German Shepherd Guide website, which is a popular and trusted platform about all GSD-related matters, lists the best forums for your convenience. You can meet new owners, enthusiasts and other specialists who can help you in your bonding and raising experience of a GSD. German Shepherd Subreddit Created in , this Reddit forum boasts of .At first sight, the most engaging posts are the pawfully cute German Shepherd pictures uploaded by members around the world. They are also followed by queries, concerns, or tips for behaviour management. This subreddit has been around for a pretty long time and is quite an engaging platform for gsd lovers. When you can visualize exactly where the discussion is leading, you can also give your inputs in an effective manner. Please note that as a responsible and informed dog owner, your first line of action for any GSD-related issues must be to consult a specialist or a vet. Forums online have the drawback of anonymity, spamming and irrelevant information, which may not help you at all. Make sure you cross-check with specialists, as these forums are meant for simply interacting with similar-minded people. What a sweet and beautiful face she has! Thanks for sharing these pics of Faith. How long did it take her to start using the wheelchair? Did Faith have any other health challenges when she was younger? If so, how were they treated and what happened after the treatment? This is important to know for two reasons. It gives us information about her vitality 2. Symptom suppression can trigger the NWS never well since syndrome and dis-eases that are best treated by knowing that they came from suppression. Quiz for them: why would we use this rubric? Regarding the x-rays, yes, bridging spondylosis can be a clue to vertebral instability and inflammation and cauda equina syndrome that can manifest with DM symptoms. Regarding whether to proceed with further diagnostics, well that depends on whether you will feel better at ease with them. Personally, I would. As an example, I was diagnosed with a "mystery" neurologic dis-ease at the age of 12 and symptoms have continued throughout my life. They'd engendered the "anxiety of uncertainty" in me until I received my "definitive" diagnosis several years ago. I mention this because relieving our own distress is one of the good reasons to get a diagnosis. Assuming that it can be reached using non-invasive diagnostics like a blood, saliva or urine test and x-rays, ultrasound, etc. Anesthesia for MRI and is invasive. Especially if IV contrast and spinal taps are done at the same time as they often are. I would do the DM tests for genetic markers there's more than one. However, the results probably will not affect how you treat Faith. The deciding factor might be expense. If that's not a factor, then get the test. If expense cost depends on the testing lab is an issue, then do not even bother. Regardless of how you treat and your diagnostic decision, try adding raw chicken and beef heart to her diet. I can't think of a NoCal holistically-oriented vet neuro offhand but maybe Dr. Christina does. Please keep us updated in this thread about Faith's treatment and how she is doing. Gratefully, Dr. Jeff Together we can keep your pets in balance and as healthy as possible with Practical and Positive Veterinary Spirituality. Hahnemann, .I just want to make sure i do good job with her. How safe is it to take her on a farm? There Just horses on there but I think it would be good as there is a friendly dog that she could hang around. No other dogs go there so would the risk of parvo be low? Click to expand.It is likely you will get a whole host of different answers to that question. You have to weigh up the risks in your own area. I personally think the benefits of early socialisation outweigh the risks - but only in circumstances where there are not large numbers of unvaccinated dogs. Hopefully the breeder will have chosen a dam of excellent temperament who was unstressed throughout pregnancy and will have already started the process of getting the litter used to various things at home? Is there a reason you collected your pup at 10 weeks rather than 8? It isn't an issue though if the pup has strong nerve and genetics from her parents and the breeder has taken some time to get the pups used to household noises, travelling etc. GSDs have a reputation for fear aggression, especially towards other dogs, and so I like to get my pups out asap - carrying in my arms if necessary. If you have friends with friendly dogs then you can also introduce your pup to them, but always make sure she isn't getting stressed or upset and remove her from any situation where you are concerned it might be too much for her. Try to keep all interactions as positive as possible but a strong nerved pup should also bounce back from any small knock backs during socialisation. One of the key things is to enjoy your pup and try not to get stressed yourself. Oversized, had to be put down at 11 due to DM and other problems. She was the absolutely most fantastic dog I've ever had or hope to have. She was German and Belgian lines. Taser is 7 and going strong, nothing much wrong with that dog so far. I understand the concern with the longevity. I've studied Chow lineage more than GSD, and one of the things that really bothered me was that a number of breeders were producing dogs that lived to only 8 or 9 years old. I couldn't find out the "why" of their deaths, though, so it's unknown as to why they were only living that long. But as a purchaser of puppies, I look at longevity in the line as much as I look at any other potential health problem. If a breeder is producing dogs that typically die at a younger age, then I avoid that breeder. I want my dogs to live as long as they comfortably can, and I don't think that breeders who fail to take longevity as a serious quality in their dogs are doing our dogs a huge disservice. I'm not sure whether line breeding has any real effect on longevity. And if you take two from the same lines, each with a background in early death, and line-breed those two, then you're doubling up on the problem. But if you line-breed two dogs from longer lived lines, you should be doubling up on the better side of things. Line-breeding works with what it's offered, and properly done can really "set" good traits within a developing breeding line. When I look at Chows, the background on Khana which I've researched back more than seven generations , I can see how the breeder was pushing together particular lines in order to work through some of the myriad problems the breed has - and in doing so, produced the first dogs to pass all six OFA health tests. Now we're seeing more Chows passing hips, elbows, patellas, thyroid, eyes and cardiac. But Khana's sire was the first, and she was the sixth chow to ever pass all of those tests. It was done with judicious close line-breeding, done twice in her five generation pedigree, along with some careful breeding within the lines but farther out, and an occasional out-breeding to add in something that needed assistance. I'm in awe of breeders who know their dogs so well that they can do this successfully. I think line-breeding is a tool that can be used well. But to use it, a person needs to understand and know the dogs well - not only the dogs they're using, but all the dogs in those dogs' pedigree. They need to be honest about the health problems the dogs carry including dying young , and then always breed with those health problems in mind. A new breeder, or one that is breeding casually, should NOT line-breed in my opinion. If you don't know what you're doing, you're likely to end up making the breed worse. And any breeder who is primarily breeding for looks or drive is not an ideal breeder, also in my opinion. First and foremost, breeders should be focusing on health and temperament, THEN whatever else they want. Without a healthy dog and a solid temperament, what's the point of a pretty ear or a strong drive? It doesn't matter what breed it is - health and temperament should be first on a breeder's list. Just for the record: I am not nor have ever been a breeder. I considered it with Khana, because of her amazing health record, temperament and intelligent she is about the most perfect chow you can find , but after really looking into it I decided to leave it up to those who really worked hard to study the lines and bred to produce the best they can. If I HAD bred her, it would have been to a male chosen by the breeder of Khana's sire, because she's the one "in the know", but it just wasn't meant to be. I do want to add what I can to the knowledge base for the breed, which is why I spent the money to have Khana fully heath tested and all results are published on the OFA and CHIC sites. Having the info on as many Chow lines as possible can only help those who are studying and trying to bring health back into the lines Chows are notorious for bad elbows, patellas, thyroid and eyes.

This means all our breeding dogs trace back to AKC registered purebred dogs or they have been DNA tested to ensure no other breeds are present in their ancestry. Each and every dog in our breeding program has been tested and certified clear of issues of the heart, eyes, hips, elbows, and patellas. Furthermore, every dog has a complete DNA panel completed to determine if they are carriers of any of the issues that plague our breed. Fox Creek Farm is the proud founder of this non-profit organization created to guide the development of the Goldendoodle and to track the lineage of every Goldendoodle. Their mission is to improve canine health and to ensure puppy buyers are working with reputable breeders that meet their requirements for endorsement. They concentrate on breeding practices, physical health of breeding dogs and their puppies, mental health of breeding dogs and puppies, environment, and buyer education and policies. All heart, eyes, hips, elbows, and patella certifications are completed by the OFA. Vets complete x-rays and physical exams and submit the results to the OFA for certification. Fox Creek Farm has these 5 certifications on every breeding dog in our program. They verify the identity of breeders and screen the information against a recognized puppy mill database. They provide resources to breeders to learn about health and nutrition, pregnancy and whelping, and puppy care. Puppies learn to climb objects, problem solve, and manding. We use methods to prevent aggression and we teach our puppies to sit on command by 8 weeks of age. Sign Up for our Newsletter First Name. We specialize in breeding Mini Goldendoodles as well as a few other breeds. We also have partnered up with several other high quality breeders that raise mini goldendoodle pups that meet our strict genetic criteria and testing. So we usually have a good selection of very high quality puppies. View Our Available Puppies! Not all mini Goldendoodles are equal, there are a few different versions to choose from each having a little different genetic background based on the pups parents. We will explain all the differences in Mini Goldendoodle puppies and how they are bred below. We raise all versions of the mini goldendoodle breed. F1 Mini Goldendoodle Pups. A F1 puppy is also known as a First Generation puppy. The puppies mother is a Golden Retriever and the pups dad is a Mini Poodle. This version of mini goldendoodle usually has soft wavy or curly puppy fur. They will shed until they lose their puppy fur, after shedding they will shed a lot less, but will shed. This version is partially hypoallergenic and usually requires low maintenance. F1 mini goldendoodles usually need to be groomed every 6 months along with daily brushing to keep their curly hair from matting and getting tangled. The dogs usually grow up having great temperaments similar to golden retrievers. They usually get about inches high at the shoulder and range in weight from pounds. F1b Mini Goldendoodle Pups. An F1b is known as a second-generation mini goldendoodle with the pups mother being already an F1 Goldendoodle and the pups dad being a mini poodle also. So the difference between F1 and F1b is that the mom is not a golden retriever but an actual F1 Goldendoodle. They also have very soft curly hair but with almost no shedding. This F1b version is semi-hypoallergenic and a better choice for anyone who has pet allergies. The F1b also should be brushed on a daily basis but will need to be groomed more frequently then a F1. A 6 to 8 week grooming schedule is recommended to keep their coat in perfect condition. F1b Mini goldendoodles get around 18 to 20 inches tall at the shoulders and range between pounds in weight. F1bb Mini Goldendoodle Pups. An F1bb goldendoodle is also known as a third-generation mini goldendoodle. This mini goldendoodle version has a coat more similar to a poodle than of a golden retriever. This is because the pup is more of a poodle than a retriever. Making it the very best version for anyone with pet allergies. A 6 to 8 week grooming schedule is required to help prevent knots or matting. This version is super intelligent and loving, and usually seems to have more energy than the other versions of Mini goldendoodles. This version is usually smaller in size, weighing around pounds and only getting inches tall at the shoulders. The smaller size makes them a great size for smaller homes and apartments. So if you live near Bridgeport West Virginia and are looking for a healthy and beautiful Mini Goldendoodle puppy then checkout our available pups now by Clicking Here. Below are some Mini Goldendoodle Pups that have been adopted!

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Vaccinations can protect your dog against a variety of life-threatening illnesses. Not to mention, some vaccinations are required by law. Why Do Puppies Need Vaccinations? Puppies need vaccinations to help prevent the catching of various dangerous diseases. If your dog ever comes in contact with a disease they have been vaccinated against, his immune system will know how to destroy it. There are vaccines available to protect your puppy against more than 11 different diseases. However, depending on your circumstances and where you live, your puppy might not need them all. Your vet will be able to recommend those they think your really needs, with others being up to your choice. There are four core vaccines for diseases all puppies should be vaccinated against and seven non-core vaccines that the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medicine Association recommend. The non-core vaccines may or may not be recommended by your vet, depending on different variables, mostly the prevalence or absence of a disease in your area. The Core Vaccinations Rabies. This is a potentially fatal and highly contagious disease. Depending on which state or country you live in, your dog will need to have a booster once every one to three years. This common virus is hard to treat and has an 80 percent fatality rate, which is why inoculating against it is so important. Canine viral hepatitis is also known as adenovirus. Canine distemper. Before vaccination, this was a big killer of dogs. Vaccinating against this disease will protect your puppy if he comes in contact with the virus while out and about. The Non-Core Vaccinations Lyme disease. The vast majority of cases have occurred in the eastern American coastal states between Massachusetts and Virginia. Parainfluenza and Bordetella. The parainfluenza virus and the bordetella bacterium are both major causes of kennel cough. Inoculation is generally only necessary if your puppy is going to be exposed to many other dogs. For instance, at boarding kennels, doggy daycare or dog shows. This infectious disease is a common cause of stomach upset. This bacteria can infect dogs and their human companions. In serious cases it can cause organ failure and death in dogs. In certain high-risk parts of the country, your dog might need a booster every six months. Giardia are parasites that commonly live in the digestive tracts of dogs. Many dogs have them, but they rarely cause problems. How Are Vaccines Given? Most vaccines are given as injections. These are given either under the skin or into the muscle. Most combination injections protect against distemper, leptospirosis, hepatitis, parainfluenza, coronavirus and parvovirus. This allows their body time to develop a good immune response. Recommended and Most Common Schedule of Vaccinations: 6 to 7 weeks old: This is when your puppy should get his first combination injection. He needs his second combination vaccine. Make sure you have a record of his first injection to show your new vet. If necessary, he will also have a Lyme disease vaccine. At this point, your vet will advise you when your puppy can go out for his first walk. Are There Any Risks Involved? Unfortunately, there are potential risks to having your puppy vaccinated. That said, the risks are far outweighed by the benefits. However, you should monitor your dog closely after a vaccination and contact your vet right away if you notice any of the following symptoms: Hives. Prev Article Next Article Vaccinating your dog is important, not only does it makes your dog be able to fight against diseases, but it is also a law in numerous countries to vaccinate your dog. Furthermore, vaccination is not just a one-time thing, its schedule is divided into various age groups, and dogs require vaccination as adults as well. When it comes to their vaccination, it is just like any other dog. One great thing to know is that, if you visit a government hospital for pets, most vaccinations are free of cost, only a select few are paid. A lab puppy is sad as it gets vaccinated Core Vaccinations These are the vaccinations that are essential for each dog and must be administered in the early stages of life, and then dogs require booster doses that are given later in their life. It is a combined vaccine and is administered from the age of 6 weeks, and a booster dose is given after every 21 days until the age of 16 weeks. This entire vaccination course cost Rs. Rabies: A fairly common disease found in dogs, and vaccinating your dog for rabies is mandatory in India. This vaccine is given in 5 to 7 shots, and each shot costs Rs. Leptospirosis: Another crucial vaccine for a disease caused by a bacterial infection that leads to organ failure. This is valid for one year, and each shot costs Rs. For a puppy labrador, your vaccination cost will be around Rs. While the annual booster dose of DHPP is subject to debate, you must get your dog vaccinated every three years. Non-Core Vaccinations When it comes to non-core vaccinations, these are not always recommended for every puppy but it is a good idea to give them to your Labrador puppy. Lyme disease: Lyme disease is another common condition found in dogs, in which dogs lose their appetite and get a fever. Your dog will need 2 doses of this vaccination that will cost Rs. It is valid for 1 year. Therefore, the total cost of vaccination for a Labrador Retriever for the first year is Rs. Once your puppy crosses the one-year mark, they only require vaccination for leptospirosis and Lyme disease each year, and the rest of the vaccinations every 3 years. It seems like every time you turn around, there's another shot your pup needs. And keeping track of all the different types of vaccinations can be a real challenge. But don't worry, we're here to help. In this article, we provide a comprehensive A-to-Z guide for dog vaccination in India - covering everything you need to know about what shots are available, when they should be administered, and more! Why vaccinate your dog? There are a number of important reasons to vaccinate your dog. Vaccinations help protect your dog from a variety of serious and potentially deadly diseases. They also help reduce the spread of disease among dogs and from dogs to humans. Vaccinating your dog is one of the best things you can do to keep them healthy and happy and is an important part of responsible pet parenting. So here's a quick rundown of the most common vaccinations dogs need. All dogs should be vaccinated against rabies, and booster shots should be given every one to three years depending on state law. Parvovirus: Parvovirus is a deadly disease that can affect dogs of all ages, but puppies are especially vulnerable. The virus attacks the gastrointestinal system, causing severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Parvovirus can also cause heart problems and death. All dogs should be vaccinated against parvovirus, with booster shots given every one to two years. Distemper: Distemper is a highly contagious disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of dogs. It can cause severe coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, and death. Puppies are especially vulnerable to the disease. All dogs should be vaccinated against distemper, with booster shots given every one to two years. Leptospirosis: Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects the kidneys and liver of dogs. It can be transmitted through contact with contaminated water or soil. The disease can cause severe kidney damage and death. All dogs should be vaccinated against leptospirosis, with booster shots given every one to two years. Infectious Canine Hepatitis: Hepatitis is a viral disease that affects the liver of dogs. The symptoms can range from loss of appetite and thirst, fever and bleeding. It is usually spread through contact with contaminated or infected urine, saliva or faeces. Non-core Vaccines for Dogs: There are a few vaccines that are considered "non-core" for dogs, which means that they are not necessarily required for all dogs. However, your veterinarian may recommend them based on your dog's lifestyle and risk factors. Bordetella kennel cough is a bacteria that can cause respiratory infections in dogs. It is often spread through close contact with other dogs, so if your dog socialises with other dogs regularly, your veterinarian may recommend this vaccine. Canine ParaInfluenza is a virus that can cause respiratory illness in dogs. It is most commonly spread through close contact with other infected dogs. You might want to get this vaccine once you discuss it with your veterinarian. Lyme Vaccine is used to help prevent Lyme Disease, which is caused by a bacteria transmitted by ticks. If your dog spends time in areas where ticks are common such as woods or tall grass , your veterinarian may recommend this vaccine. Coronavirus: The canine coronavirus CCoV is a virus that can cause intestinal infections and abdominal discomfort in dogs. It is most commonly spread through close contact with other infected dogs, therefore, if your dog socialises with other dogs regularly, you can consider administering this vaccine once you discuss it with your veterinarian. They will need a booster shot every weeks of core vaccines until they are 16 weeks old. After that, they will need an annual booster shot. However, with happiness, come responsibilities, like a challenge — what feels in their meals to instruction to the dog vaccination schedule. Every pet differs. Cat or your dog may react to a vaccine differently than a cat or each other dog on earth. Though your vet might be the ideal person. If you read about the vaccination program for your furry friend! Vaccines include antigens, which seem like the receptor into the system but do lead to illness. When the immune system is stimulated after the vaccine is introduced into your system. His system is ready to recognize and combat it or decrease the intensity of this disease when a pet is exposed to the disease. Vaccines include antigens, which mimic organisms but do lead to illness. By getting it to recognize the antigens present, the objective of dog and vaccines would be to stimulate the immune system. In this manner, if a puppy becomes vulnerable to the disease, it is the system will understand this, and so be ready to fight with it off, or at least reduce its consequences. Here is our take on vaccines for both cats and dogs. Do not forget to vaccinate—receive free email reminders! Register now! Core puppy vaccinations and puppy vaccinations are thought to be critical to all canines according to a worldwide threat of exposure, the intensity of illness, and the probability of transmission to other puppies, in addition to other animal species such as human beings. Our pets have increased risk of diseases as they are susceptible to various organisms in the environment directly or indirectly. Vaccinating your pet is much economical than treatment against diseases. The common diseases against which the pets can be vaccinated include — Rabies, Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Canine Distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis and kennel cough. However, this temporary maternal protection wanes by the age of 6—9 weeks. To continue and enhance this protection, vaccinations are available to protect the animal from contracting various highly contagious diseases. There is a large anti-vaccination theory that floats around human and animal vaccination protocols. However, keeping in mind the kind of diseases that are endemic to India or are largely prevalent, we need to compulsorily ensure that we do not just vaccinate our little pets on time but also remember to give their boosters on time. An important thing to remember is that different veterinary doctors can have different vaccination protocols. This protects the puppy from deadly life-threatening airborne viruses such as Parvo and Distemper. Around 8 weeks of age, a combined cluster of vaccines commonly known as 5-in-1, 7-in-1, 9-in-1 or in-1 is given with a Booster Shot after 21 days again. These protect your puppy from viruses such as Adenovirus, Parvovirus, Distemper, Leptospira, and some other deadly diseases, which can be fatal for your puppy. There is a base level protection against five diseases and in the rest of the vaccines, there is increased protection against more strains of Leptospira. This vaccine is a once in a lifetime vaccine that protects your pet sufficiently from Kennel Cough. Animals are often susceptible to the infection when their immunity is compromised due to some other reason. The kennel cough vaccine is often recommended before you can board your dog at a hostel or foster. For Pet Cats, there are 3 core vaccinations that are vaccinated together in one injection commonly known as Feligen or Tricat in India. This can be given to a kitten between 6 to 8 weeks of age followed by a booster at 16 weeks of age. Anti-Rabies Vaccination is also given to cats, following exactly the same protocol as dogs i. Now you know all the important Vaccinations your pet dog or cat should receive in the first year. So, what are the other important things to remember about Pet Vaccinations? Some vaccinations are required to be given boosters annually, and some are required once in three years. Be sure to ask your vet about when vaccine boosters are required and post reminders for yourself. I would recommend setting a reminder or an alarm on your phone since so many apps are equipped for this purpose. Insist that your Vet gives your pet a complete once over before administering any vaccination. Vaccines should not be administered if your pet is running a fever or in any poor health condition. Vaccines must be given to healthy animals only. Some pets do not mind injections and do not even realise they are being given a shot! However, some pets are sensitive and will yowl incessantly at the prick. If this happened the first time around, the next time, you can request your vet to use a thinner gauge needle or an insulin syringe needle. Distract your pet while he or she is getting a vaccine. Holding them firmly while being injected is extremely important. You can also speak to them, lift their front legs or tap them on the nose to distract them. You may observe that your pet is slightly dull the day after vaccination or is not eating well. If this persists for more than 24 hours, please visit your vet. If you feel a lump at the point of the injection, which is increasing over a month or larger than 2 cm or is simply present for more than 3 months, please make sure that your Vet is aware of this. Also, remember, that if you ever need to travel abroad with your Pet, timely vaccination along with their records is absolutely critical, so be meticulous about storing your Vaccination Certificates and records. When these pests are allowed to grow, there will be a host of health complications. The following is a suggested schedule for eradicating worms check with your veterniarian for clarifications and ways to identify a worm infestation - every fortnight for pups aged three months or younger, once a month for those between three and six months of age, once in two months for puppies between six and twelve months of age and after that point, every three months. Otherwise, vaccination has to be given as early as possible. The booster dose is given 3 weeks after the first dose after which it must be given annually. The first anti-rabies vaccination is given when the puppy is three months old and the booster dose must be given annually. Both de-worming and vaccination on a regular basis are essential to avoid serious health problems for your pet. Your veterinarian will give you a vaccination card that will contain dates and names of vaccines given.

As mentioned above a full-grown Mini English Bulldog still weighs between 25 — 40 pounds 11 — 18 kg. Carrying them around all day would be a serious workout. Males reach up to 11 to 14 inches 27 — .This breed looks like your standard English Bulldog, with a deep chest, rounded ribs, broad shoulders, and short snout. The only notable physical difference is size. The average English Bulldog height is 16 inches 40 cm maximum and a weight of 55 pounds 25 kg maximum. Back in the s, breeders crossed a Pug and an English Bulldog to create this designer dog mix. They wanted to design literally a healthier English Bulldog…but were they successful? I can tell you right now from my experience that this parent breed comes with a lot of health issues. More details on that later. Both the Pug and English Bulldog have ancient histories with royal families. Pugs were favored by the Chinese, specifically the Shang dynasty, who ruled from to BC. English Bulldogs were praised by… the English! What a surprise! Out of all the Bulldog breeds, the American is the largest at a maximum of pounds 59 kg and a height of 28 inches 71 cm. The smallest Bulldog is the Frenchie. The one thing all Bulldogs have in common is their friendliness and need for positive attention. Even Bulldog mixes like the Beabull and the Valley Bulldog are huge sweethearts, especially with kids. The Teacup Bulldog was primarily bred to be an excellent companion. As I mentioned briefly before, the Pug and the English Bulldog are both prone to many health issues thanks to their snout and wrinkles. English Bulldogs are prone to overheating so keep your dog indoors in the summer , cherry eye eyelid issue , hip dysplasia, and joint injuries. Pugs have very similar health concerns. With that, we can deduce that a Toy Bulldog could experience one or all of those concerns. Be prepared to spend a lot of money on vet visits, especially in their old age. The good news is that a healthy Mini Bulldog can live up to 12 years! The temperament of an English Bulldog is docile, friendly, and willful. The personality of a Pug is also docile, clever, charming, and social. They do carry a stubborn side, too. Combining these traits makes for a very outgoing and sweet Mini English Bulldog. Overall, the Toy Bulldog is a great family pet. When it comes to noise, the Bull-Pug has two levels. They hardly ever bark…but they snore like crazy! Consider sleeping with your dog in the other room. This breed sheds moderately and is not hypoallergenic. The Mini Bulldog can adapt to any size home, from a small apartment to an echoing mansion. Miniature English Bulldog vs. English Bulldog — which breed is stronger? Watch the video below to see who wins the toy fight! Not the most low-maintenance breed. It would much rather sleep all day than run. Puppies are more active than adults, but Teacup Bulldogs of all ages are happy with a short walk twice a day. Yes Please This chunky dog eats more than your typical small breed. Puppies need cups each day. And the lack of exercise only makes things worse. Pugs are included in the list of top hardest breeds to house train , so you may have some wet carpet stains around your home for a while. The sit, stay, and roll over commands will take some time with the Toy Bulldog. Most dogs learn best when there are treats and positive reinforcement involved. If your Toy Bulldog is not trained properly, it could try to be the alpha. With its fragile health conditions, this dog cannot be left alone for hours on end. It needs a responsible owner with enough money to take care of any health issues right away. Otherwise, it may suffer. These breeders typically focus all their time and energy on raising healthy dogs, so it may be worth it in the long-run. It could save you future vet visits. For Miniature English Bulldog breeders, check out these websites:. Sometimes called a Bull-Pug, the Miniature Bulldog is a cross between an English Bulldog and a Pug, Puggle, or French Bulldog to create a smaller size bulldog that will be perfect for your family. English Bulldogs were bred to bait, guard, and control bulls while Pugs have been companions to royals since about BC. They are peaceful and get along well with animals and people. You may find that some males are territorial or try to display dominance or aggression toward other male dogs. By nature, Bulldogs may occasionally display overprotective behaviors, but early training and socialization can help you manage it. They can be stubborn and slow during training, but they retain what they learn well. It frequently has a shortened muzzle like both parent breeds, which can sometimes lead to difficulty breathing especially in extreme temperatures. Eyes are dark, large, and round, and ears are thin and small and hang in a rose or button configuration. Mini Bulldogs have sleek and short, smooth and glossy coats that shed moderately but almost never tangle or mat. Black and fawn is the most common coloration, but you can also see brindle, red, and white. Typically this breed will be about 15 inches tall and weigh 15 to 45 pounds. They are not likely to ask for walks, and you may even find your pup to be lazy! But some daily exercise is crucial to keep these naturally thick-set dogs from becoming obese. Obesity runs in both parent breeds, so Mini Bulldogs are especially prone to putting on unhealthy weight. We recommend 30 minutes of activity per day and about 2 miles walking per week. Take care when exercising because their shortened muzzle makes them particularly sensitive to extreme temperatures. Call Morgan at for specific pup identification if you are leaning towards placing an early deposit. Please check back, we update our website daily! Please see our Deposit Page and our Transportation Page for information on getting your puppy. We love the English bulldog temperament, physique and expression, I just personally like it to be about lbs. We find the smaller sizes are more buoyant and playful and, though still very heat sensitive, are better able to cope with life in general. Downsizing an AKC breed takes time. Our girls all come from long lines of lb. We not trying for 20 pounders…our goal is to have healthy, beautiful babies that consistently mature at lbs. If you see a puppy that tugs on your heartstrings please call, or go to our deposit page for more information. In the last few years it has become clear that most people would prefer their puppy to be transported using our White Glove transport or Nanny Flight transport. Today, we have requests for our Puppies from all over the country. Because of this, the majority those requesting a Sugarplum Bulldog Puppy have also requested transport to their area of the country; those in Florida, for example, cannot easily make the drive to RI. As such, the majority of our Puppies have shifted to a transport model; this gets them closer to their new forever home. Because of this, we have come to the decision, that for the well being of our Puppies and for the benefit of our new Sugarplum Bulldog owners, we have developed a transport model for our pups using our Puppy-Mobile with direct transport to the pups new Forever Home! Our Mid-Western breeding home is co-owned by Sugarplum Bulldogs, and our partner. I realize that not having a chance to play with the Pups is disappointing to some, but please understand that our team are dedicated to the highest level of care for our little Pups. We truly feel that this new model is in the best interested of our Puppies and their new homes. Please feel free to ask me any questions…. Life Span Did You Know? Although these dogs are small, they are known to be full of love and affection, especially for their favorite humans. Although the American Kennel Club does not recognize them, they are recognized by other canine registries. They thrive on being with their favorite humans and enjoy nothing more than spending time with them. As long as they are properly socialized, their calm nature and sweet disposition mean they tend to get along with children, other dogs, and other pets. Although they are likely to bark to alert you of strangers, they also tend to be open to meeting new people and warm up quickly once introduced. The Mini Bulldog is a highly adaptable dog. They do well in apartments as well as larger homes with or without yards. They do best in moderate climates as they are very sensitive to heat and need some winter dog products to stay warm in the cold as well. Potential health concerns to be aware of in a Miniature Bulldog include cherry eye, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia , and luxating patella. You can also ask about any health tests or clearances that have been done. Since both parents are brachycephalic, you can expect a Mini Bulldog to be a flat-faced, snub-nosed breed as well. This can contribute to difficulties breathing and regulating temperature, so you need to be careful about heat and overexertion with these dogs. The Miniature Bulldog is eager to please and will strive to get attention and praise from their families. Although they can have a little bit of a stubborn streak at times, they still tend to be a good fit for owners of all experience levels. Not only do they help reinforce training and keep it consistent, but they are also great opportunities to continue to socialize your puppy. Mini Bulldogs have short, dense coats that shed a low to moderate amount year-round. Brushing their coat weekly and the occasional bath is usually enough to keep their coat healthy and looking great. In addition to standard dog grooming brushes for this coat type, a rubber mitt can be a good tool to have on hand for easily removing excess fur. Nail trims once or twice a month are usually enough to keep nails from growing too long and causing issues. Weekly ear checks and carefully cleaning ears as needed can help prevent ear infections. Although their big, round eyes are adorable, they are also prone to damage from debris and can be sensitive. As a small dog breed, the Miniature Bulldog is more prone to developing dental disease. Daily brushing plus cleanings at the vet when needed are a good start. Although they will be energetic when they play, the Miniature Bulldog can also be one of the laziest dog breeds if you let them. Generally, they are happy to relax and cuddle with you, especially if there is food involved. Daily walks plus some playtime are usually enough for this dog. If they are interested in more activity or you need to encourage them to move more, there are safe ways to exercise flat-faced dogs that will let you give them the activity they need without overheating them. A fully-grown Mini Bulldog usually stands inches tall and weighs pounds. Miniature Bulldogs generally live for years on average. Featured Miniature Bulldog Article. Upload Image.They were created during the s by reproducers who were hoping to make a canine like the English Bulldog, however in a more modest , better bundle. A scaled down Bulldog and a toy bulldog are frequently mistaken for the smaller than normal English Bulldog. For the wellbeing of correlation: Miniature English Bulldog Physical Characteristics The small scale English Bulldog has a typical load of 15 to 30 pounds and can contain some Pug or Boston Terrier in its genealogy, contingent upon the raiser. The English Bulldog can arrive at up to 16 inches tall at the shoulder. The smaller than expected Bulldog is a crossbreed of an English Bulldog blended in with a Pug, and they burden normal 30 to 40 pounds. Toy Bulldog The toy bulldog was reared in Britain and does not exist anymore. These canines were blends of French and English Bulldogs and weighed around 20 pounds. They are between 13 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder, with guys being bigger than females. They have a brachycephalic face- meaning they have a wide, short skull — and a low-thrown, solid body. It comes in mottle, brown, grovel, red, white, or fixed. They require week after week brushing to keep their skin solid and to eliminate hair from shedding. They additionally need the folds of their skin cleaned consistently to hold skin conditions back from creating. Alongside their jacket and skin needs, be ready to manage a great deal of slobber. They are friendly canines who really do well with kids and love to nestle. They can likewise show a few defensive propensities around their home and family, and are faithful to their families. They can likewise be troublesome for certain different canines because of their bulldog legacy. Because of the medical conditions and unscrupulous rearing practices that flourish with this variety, research your reproducer cautiously prior to getting one of their canines. On the off chance that you choose to safeguard a canine, you can attempt the Bulldog Club of America, which might have postings of these more modest renditions of their variety, as well as the Petfinder and Embrace a-Pet sites. Smaller than expected miniature english bulldogs are most certainly charming and well disposed, however they accompany a great deal of medical conditions. It might likewise be more enthusiastically to track down a very much reproduced canine. Know there are many worries in the canine extravagant about reproducing these canines with such poor actual wellbeing possibilities.

How to accept discipline and more besides So taking a puppy any earlier is wrong and detrimental to their development. We follow many of the guidelines set forth by a program called Puppy Culture. Know that once you have your puppy, everything you do, everything they see, every good experience, bad experience, taste, smell, sight, reward and punishment trains them in some way. All of these experiences are granted to them by you and they will be looking to you for guidance through these experiences. Puppies are exactly like children. They take their cues from you to learn where they can go, where they should not, what they should be scared of, what they should not, what they can play with, what they can not…and on and on. You may as well take advantage of this innocence, when they have no idea of what life is with no preconceived ideas, no habits formed or needing to be broken, to start training them to fit into the life that they will lead with the skills that they will need. I believe you should start to train your Labrador puppy as soon as you get them home, from 8 weeks of age. But I stress this important point, to make it fun! You have to think of a puppy as a very young child. A puppy is just as impulsive, has just as little self-control and just as short an attention span. You need to think the same with a puppy. They are just like a child. A puppy will eat what they like, when they like. Go where they can, when they can. And they will not be able to listen to and act on your every word. They will have a very short attention span and no self-control. It would be totally unfair. While watching TV train your puppy during the commercial breaks. Commercial breaks are usually about minutes long perfect time for training your pup! This means going very slowly and not expecting too much. Having many small wins is very encouraging. Just do very gentle training exercises for short periods of time. Most people with a Labrador as a family pet will think of training as obedience commands and performing tricks. But you can train them basic things such as: Sit Stay for mere seconds…with no distractions! Keep it easy! Roll over. Commencing Marker Training your chocolate labrador pup Start Marker Training at 8 weeks of age When you take your 8 week old labrador pup to their new home, you should commence their obedience training immediately. Just repetitively say yes and give your pup a treat immediately. Then familiarise your labrador pup with a leash. Clip the leash to their collar and allow the pup to roam a little. This way they will adjust to its weight and the sensation around their neck. If you try to walk your pup straight away, they will simply resist. Don't pull and command, but rather cultivate a positive experience with a leash. Secondly, I recommend that you feed your new labrador pup with a leash attached until they learn to sit. This will establish you as the master and immediately teach the pup restraint. Do not give the food bowl to your dog without firstly bringing him under your control. Even with my mature dogs, I will not let them feed except on command. Feeding should never be random. Hold the leash close to the labrador pup's neck and push their rear end down to the seated position. When they are sitting, enthusiastically praise your pup and, only then, reward their obedience with food. Remember, food should always represent a reward for good behaviour. They hear tones and frequencies. When we train them, we are conditioning them to associate a particular sound with a response so that it means something to them. Labrador puppies like all dogs learn contextually and by consistent repetition. In this way, a labrador pup learns to associate sounds with responses and rewards. This is why you should reward your pup immediately when they have performed a command correctly, even if they did not intend to do so. In the early stages, I prefer to teach a dog to 'sit,' then move on to 'staying' before teaching them to 'come'. This is especially so while they are still a puppy. Remember that a 12 month old dog is still a pup. They are regularly hyperactive and overstimulated. The goal is to get your labrador puppy into a calm and submissive state as often as you can. Ensure you are demonstrating a calm and composed, yet assertive demeanor. When you are in charge, your labrador pup will willingly sit and look to you for direction. Exercise patience and be repetitive but don't overdo it. Remember that the time you put in now will help you bond with your young dog, even if they do not appear to be advancing quickly. It will be a very worthwhile investment in a long term relationship for years to come. Of these three basic commands, the 'stay' command will take more time to teach. When this is mastered and entrenched in your dog's obedience, it can save your dog from danger. You are teaching them associations, not English words. Sit Teaching your new labrador pup to sit should begin immediately when you take it home. Begin by feeding them on a leash. Hold the leash close to the pup's neck. Give the pup the 'sit' command, but don't reward them with food until they are sitting. In this way you have begun to condition the pup to the 'sit' command. This requires patience at meal time. Remember that a labrador pup requires 4 feeds a day for the first phase of their life. This gives you ample opportunity for repetition and reward. When the dog sits, reward them with a treat and a lot of enthusiastic praise. Each time they repeat the behaviour, reward them with a treat again. You can train your labrador pup for short intervals at any time. Carry a few small pieces of food. Call your pup, then reward them with lots of affirmation and a piece of food when they comply. Teach them to sit by offering a small treat. Say 'sit', then let them smell the food as you move your hand over their head. A labrador pup will automatically lift the nose in the air to follow the food. As the head moves up and back, the pup will tend to sit. Give lots of praise and gradually increase repetition as they associate the word 'sit' with the food. Stay Your Labrador pup will need to understand the 'sit' command before you advance to 'stay'. Before you give the 'stay' command, make sure that the dog is seated. To keep the dog in the sitting position, you will use your hand with the fingers pointing up and the palm in front of their face. To begin with, position yourself about half a metre away from your pup's face. Direct the 'stay' command calmly, with your hand up. Slowly take half a step back and remain there for 3 seconds to begin with. Then step back towards to the dog. Wait for another 3 sec and then reward your dog with a treat. Repeat this 5 times. Reward them at the end of each 'stay' routine by praising them enthusiastically and giving them a treat. Don't praise or reward the dog until they have remained seated in front of you for a minimum of 3 seconds when you return. Your puppy should not move a millimetre until you give the reward. If your dog breaks early, you have gone too far. Simply return to your dog, reset them in the seated position and begin the routine again. Come It is important to make sure your Labrador understands the 'stay' command before you begin the recall or 'come' command. Make sure you pup is seated before you give the 'come' command. As your walk away from your pup, maintain eye contact. Don't back away too far too soon. If the pup breaks early, give the 'come' command to establish association. When you call your dog to 'come', do not let them jump up on you. If the dog wants to stand on its back legs and reach up, place the palm of your hand on their head and hold it away from you. I suggest that you don't say 'no! The down command should be used as a more constructive training command. If your pup jumps up, make your disapproval known by using a 'dog' sound; 'Ahhh! If you find yourself becoming frustrated, then put the pup away and start again tomorrow. Don't take it personally and don't blame the dog. Corrections are necessary, but not out of frustration or anger. If it's not working, then look at your consistency and your communication. If the training is a positive experience then you will strengthen the bonding and learning process. Develop consistent communication and trust with your dog in the process of the training. Labrador pups love to please and they will be very proud of themselves when they accomplish the command and gain your approval. Pawling Chocolate and Black Labradors. You should take your puppy outdoors and let him exercise his socialization potential at a young age. Visiting friends and family is one way to go about it. You can also spot a dog park and carry him there. Remember that your pet is still learning to follow directions and walk with you. You cannot expect him to cover long distances. The best way to avoid this is to take them far enough from the house and ensure they have a positive outside experience. It is worth noting that you should do this as often as you can, preferably daily. Start Potty Training It would be best to start potty training your Lab puppy the first day you bring him home. Start by showing your pup where you want him to potty, such as a sectioned-off area of your yard or garden. A good idea is to cordon off a small area and add some bark chippings. Next, you need a potty training schedule such as first thing in the morning, after mealtimes and play, and hourly for young pups. Many owners use dog crates to help with house training. I have a step-by-step guide on Labrador puppy crate training where you can learn tons more. Discourage Biting If you follow my blog, you know I am against punishment-oriented training. If you train your dog young enough to avoid harsh bites, you will not need punishment-driven discipline strategies. In any case, using physical force or yelling at your pup will only instill fear and distrust and can cause aggression in your dog. You can also check out my article, How to Discipline a Labrador , for greater insight into this topic. Instead, you can wait until your Labrador bites during a positive activity and then discontinue it. It will anchor the consequence better. Follow up using positive reinforcement by rewarding the correct behavior with a treat. Your Labrador will quickly learn that displaying good behavior reaps nice things. Puppies need to learn their bite inhibition soft-mouth by continuing the excellent work their mother and siblings taught them. Learn Bite Inhibition Training! Instill Patience You must use your best judgment when training your dog to be patient. Generally speaking, your Labrador will be mature enough to learn self-control by the tenth week. You can use a clicker or a whistle to teach your puppy to assume the natural heel position. Chances are, at first, your Labrador will try to change his pace to be behind you because of the force of habit. Walking in areas familiar to your dog will eliminate this problem. While you previously trained him to assume a heel position, you can also teach him these techniques. You may notice that your puppy can tell your words apart by the thirteenth week. So by the time he is four months old, you can use the position cues and positive reinforcement to get your dog to follow. These included whistling, clapping, or saying a specific word to indicate that your Labrador is doing a good job, typically followed by a well-deserved treat. Now is the time to see whether the anchors work! Where you previously whistled when your Lab ran towards you, now you must whistle, so he begins his run. This is the start of his Labrador recall training. Teaching good recall is an ongoing process. My dog was around 12 months old before seeing a noticeable improvement in her recall. Please avoid forcing the dog, as that only introduces confusion. Build Comfort With Crowds — Work on Socialization You have trained your Labrador to acknowledge close friends and family in the past few weeks. While this enables the puppy to be more social when you have visitors, a grown dog must learn to walk outdoors without acting out. This transition must be gradual, and try to keep experiences positive. Whether it is a cuddle, a pat, attention, or something tasty, you must teach your pup target training , for example, to touch a target with a specific part of his body. Remember that your Lab may end up biting or clawing to communicate if you do not teach him more acceptable communication methods. Here, I recommend teaching your Labrador to touch your hand with his nose. Ultimately, this is an excellent replacement for bites! Hand targeting is fun to teach, helps your pup build trust, and gets him using his brain! You have laid a strong foundation of discipline and positive reinforcement, making it easier to train your dog to follow more complex commands. In these weeks, you will introduce him to assuming different positions, obeying your commands as he moves away from you, and reacting to more nuanced anchors. Remember, 4-month-old Labrador puppies have a short attention span, so avoid long training sessions. Teach the Sit and Stay Teaching your Lab to sit and stay is a useful command for him to learn. Train Your Dog to Fetch If you have taken your Labrador to public parks and he has seen other dogs play fetch, it will be easier to teach him to retrieve whatever you throw. Your Labrador may not bring the toy back to you for a second round, but he will soon get the idea of retrieving it. You can gradually turn it into a game of fetch over the next few weeks and reward your doggo with high-value training treats. Continue Potty Training In the fourth month of Labrador training, you will continue potty training with a degree of independence. Continue with a good schedule and sync your walks with his natural cycle to align with the times he needs to go. You can use it to control your Labrador and later to test his ability to execute a command off-leash. A harness is also a good idea and is used for outdoor training and walks. Many owners will opt for a rear-attaching harness. Related: Harness vs. Collar for Lab Puppy: Which is Best? How to Train a 5-Month-Old Lab Puppy A five-month-old Labrador puppy is ready to be tested for his general obedience and the ability to deal with distractions, whether other dogs, people, or other animals such as squirrels or birds. Earlier, I mentioned that you could not expect an eight-week-old puppy to delay gratification. Your puppy can deal with distractions at five months old if you introduce them slowly. You must be prepared for your dog to run ahead of you now! However, suppose you have developed a solid relationship with your pup and worked on his training. In that case, he will stay within a reasonable distance, remaining by your side and showing loyalty. Once your Lab puppy has reached his 6-month milestone, it also marks the point where you introduce him to advanced obedience training. The good news is that all the training you have previously given will make it easier for your dog to follow your lead. Conclude Potty Training Your dog has had months to learn how to communicate his need to go potty. He has also likely refined the patience to hold it instead of relieving himself on the floor. Therefore, you can communicate your disappointment with your body language if your dog makes a mess. Avoid physical punishment and even verbal chastising as it impacts your dog negatively. All dogs can still have the odd accident up to 12 months old. Moreover, you must be prepared for your dog to relieve himself indoors if he is excited or frightened, known as either excitement or submissive urination. Increase Exercise Now that your Lab puppy is six months old, you can increase his exercise to thirty minutes twice daily. Energy levels, especially for larger breed dogs, escalate during this time. While the average exercise for a pup before this is generally five minutes of exercise per month of age, twice a day, a six-month-old Labrador can be out for one hour if you split his walks into thirty minutes a day. To train your 6-month-old Lab puppy, start with two commands with the most practical use. From six months onwards, until your Labrador is a well-trained adult, you can teach the following commands or tricks in any order. How to Train a 7-Month-Old Labrador As your Lab progresses to seven months old, a lot of the previous training needs to be kept consistent as you gradually teach him to comprehend more commands. Maybe there is a trespasser, and you want your dog to scare them away. You will need to continue training your dog to hold things or release them on command, but you can also proceed to add distance and even more background distractions. Ironically, you need to teach him to bark on command before learning to be silent on cue. Over this month, he will learn to associate the respective commands with barking and silence. This is quite tricky, but your Lab will eventually get there if you practice and stay consistent. The eighth month is ideal for training your Lab to go to different places upon hearing the command word. Either way, do not overload him with place commands, and stick to no more than two per month. Or you can use the ninth month to teach a cool party trick! After a week, you can remove the treat and teach your Lab to follow your finger. Of course, you will still need to reward him after he follows the command. By the third week, you can cue your doggo to spin and see if he does so without your finger guiding him in a circular motion. It might take an extra week or two, but I recommend this as an addition in the ninth month because it allows you to continue training your pet to learn previous commands better. You can teach him to go to different places, hold or release objects, and fetch toys. You can now progress this further and teach him to roll over on command. Your 1-year-old Labrador only learns to comprehend more at the same pace as he has since the 6-month mark. You should also audit previously taught commands and see any weak associations you can reinforce. How to Train an Month-Old Labrador You will not have to alter your training regimen dramatically if you have trained your Labrador properly from eight weeks onward. If anything, this is the period where you customize his training to your convenience. Now is when your dog must learn to be compatible with your life. From the month mark onwards, you must train your dog to be harmonious with modern adult life within reason. It is sad to see dog owners having to give away their pets because of behavior issues. Such things are avoidable if you train your dog correctly and sufficiently exercise him. It would be best if you simply established authority by having a positive yet commanding presence. Once your dog acknowledges your authority and sees you as a guide, you can merely treat him as a six-month-old, albeit on an accelerated schedule, and train him accordingly. Your job becomes even easier once you have a workable training schedule and stick to your routine. This month-by-month Labrador puppy training schedule will help you successfully train your doggo and turn him into the beloved companion you always desired. Good luck with your training! Related Posts You May Like:. What is the best age to start training a Lab puppy to work? This guide will answer all of your questions regarding when to start training a Lab puppy. It will combine my personal experience with that of other experts in the field, along with information from behavioral research, to guide you with your decision of when to start training a Labrador puppy of your own. Congratulations on your fluffy new bundle of joy. Labs gained their well-deserved place among favorite breeds for so many reasons. Enthusiastic companions, fast learners, loyal and brave, Labrador Retrievers are fantastic pets. How Puppies Learn In the natural canine world, mother dogs teach their pups everything they need to know about their world, survival and living together happily in various stages of development. Most professional trainers try to mimic the natural canine learning process in their puppy training phases. In fact, we only recommend positive training techniques. Rewards can include food, special treats, praise and petting, playing with a favorite toy, etc. Basic Training Concepts Every Puppy Should Learn The first two components of your puppy training should be thorough socialization and potty training. Here are a few tips with each of those early behaviors. Socialization actually refers to exposure to a wide range of situations and individuals. This goes for being around lots of different people, including children. While your pup is still impressionable and inquisitive, introduce her to friends, neighbors and strangers. Introduce her to children with careful instructions to stay quiet, move slowly and pet gently. They could end up grabbing her tightly, and scaring or hurting her. Being handled by other people will be very key in socializing your puppy. Your dog should be properly socialized to gentle and careful handling, teeth brushing, touching ears and paws and tail. This will make trips to the vet and groomer easier. Make sure to also check out our guide to taking puppies outside for more help with socialization. Crate Training for Dogs Crate training is the process of teaching your dog to love spending time secure in their cosy den. Some puppies basically crate train themselves, loving their crate from day one. Others need a more gradual introduction to this safe space. The trick is to not turn crating into a punishment , but instead make it a wonderful place to have a short undisturbed rest. Most puppies will go through a play biting phase, so if you need help training your lab not to nip, you can follow this guide. It will be important for your dog to sit quietly in the field or duck stand. Self-control should be incorporated throughout daily routines and all training phases. Finally, learning how to walk politely on a leash in public is important. In addition to the behaviors listed above, there are a few extra considerations for training a gundog. As early as 8 weeks old, professional gundog trainers begin introducing lab puppies to various scenarios. The core behavioral requirements for a gundog that can be started in puppies this young are: Thorough socialization and desensitization to various environments and sounds. Be sure to start with quieter sounds and build to louder sounds, especially when introducing the sound of gunfire, to avoid creating a frantic dog. Calmness and steadiness amidst distraction. The earliest introduction to this is teaching your pup to sit for his meals, which can be captured as early as six weeks. There are, however, two important considerations to your Lab puppy training. Before their leg bones are fully developed, Labs can develop joint issues if they run too hard and long. Second, resist the urge to play fetch and retrieve every day with your Lab puppy. They overdo it with tossing a ball or dummy to try to encourage the pup to retrieve. The retrieving instinct typically kicks in quite strong around puberty between five to 10 months. Instead, we suggest focusing on sit, stay and waiting quietly with self control. Those are the more difficult behaviors for a lab to learn once adolescent hormones kick in. Start with socialization and household manners as early as 8 weeks old. Then move to sit, stay, steadiness training, and walking on a leash between 12 and 18 weeks. Training is an ongoing life skill, rather than something you do once and consider done. For a hunting Lab, adding various distractions and practicing perfect recall in different environments will be the two biggest training techniques to work on throughout life. Enjoy your training! If you are following my training of Bubba, you know that training a 3—4-month-old puppy is a big challenge. By the time your puppy reaches the 5-month age, they have generally started to mature some, not a lot and are usually a bit more receptive to training. Here is the training you can work on with your 5-month-old Lab puppy. Regarding this series of posts This is post nine of a step-by-step training and socialization program for Labrador puppies. If you read our first post , you know that this series follows our training of Bubba, a female chocolate lab puppy. Bubba is already sold as one of our Custom Trained Retrievers, so it is our responsibility to raise and train her until she has progressed to the level of training the owner has requested. In this case, Bubba will be with us for almost a year and a half. Bubba Bubba has turned the corner from puppy to adolescent. She now understands the training schedule and looks forward to being trained twice a day. I know this because when Bubba comes out of the dog trailer, she is watching me and bouncing in anticipation of being trained. She has learned that if she does her obedience work, she gets to retrieve. So, she is willing to do the work to get the reward. This simple shift has made working with Bubba so much more enjoyable. Now is when I get to really see her start to improve, and I find that so rewarding. Training and socialization for five-month-old Labrador puppy Here are the things we have been working on and will continue to work on with Bubba in month five. Increased self-control and restraint This goes hand-in-hand with obedience. I must continue to increase my expectations of Bubba and put her in more and more situations where she must make the decision to obey. At this age, I can see the conflict going on in her mind. I call her with a HERE command, but she wants to run after the cat. She looks at me, so I know she heard me and then she looks at the cat. At this point, she will more often than not choose to obey the HERE command and come to me. This is huge. It shows some maturity and an increase in knowledge and understanding of right and wrong behavior. Dog trainers live for times like these. It means the dog is growing and learning and making good choices. This drill is very simple. Why is this important? Well, most people have problems with their dog coming to them consistently. The reason is most often because each time the dog comes the dog gets put away in the house, or in a crate. Or they get something taken away from them like a toy or a stick. It allows your dog to learn that coming to you is a good thing and not a bad thing. Obedience training your 5-month-old puppy We continue to work on obedience daily with Bubba and will for at least the next months. After that, we will still do obedience training at least twice a week. You are never done obedience training. Your dog may get very good at obedience work, but if you do not work on it for a few weeks or longer, it will start to deteriorate. For now, we simply use a chain collar and heeling stick, but not too far down the line we will start collar conditioning her for corrections by the electronic collar. In fact, technically, we are already collar conditioning Bubba since each time we take her out to train we put an e-collar on her. It is a small puppy sized collar and it is not turned on, but she wears it each time she gets trained. So, when I pull out the e-collar, Bubba gets very excited because she knows she is going to get trained. This is the response we are looking for. Some dogs get very excited when the owner grabs the leash, because they know that they are going for a walk. This is the same reaction we are looking for from putting on an electronic collar. The dog should not act differently when the e-collar is on. If your dog cowers or fights you when you want to put the e-collar on, then you have introduced the collar incorrectly and your dog now thinks that the e-collar is a bad thing. This means that your dog is collar wise and will act completely different when the e-collar is on. This is a huge problem because it is very likely your dog will be obedient when the collar is on and disobedient when the collar is off. That is not what we want to achieve. We want your dog to be obedient with or without the e-collar on. Micro-obedience sessions At this young age, we often do what I call micro-obedience sessions. These are obedience training sessions, but they are only around minutes long. These are very effective for puppies because they have a very short attention span. You just must pick one obedience command to focus on for each micro-session, preferably only one drill. It is better to do micro-sessions a day than to try and pack too much into each session. She is not perfect, she is still a puppy and therefore makes a lot of mistakes, but she understands the HEEL command and I can walk in squares or a figure 8 and she is following my legs for the turns. I will continue to work on longer and longer walks with Bubba at heel throughout the month. Learn more about How to obedience train a Labrador puppy. Bubba is a chocolate Lab, and as I have said in the past, chocolates tend to mature slower than black or yellow Labs. Because of this, Bubba really struggled with a remote SIT for a long time. She could not seem to stop her little butt from moving! However, we have made progress and she is now sitting still, and I can walk away from her to a distance of around six feet while she remains seated. Again, she makes mistakes. She is a puppy, and we must give her some grace, but we still correct the mistakes and continue to work on improvement. The distance can be anywhere from 3 feet to 6 feet. Later, this will be very important since this is the position to which I expect all my dogs to deliver the birds. She will end facing the same direction I am facing, sitting next to me. This is a vital drill that we do with every dog that goes through one of our programs. It teaches the dog to deliver the bird to a HEEL position. By starting this with Bubba at this young age, she will learn quickly what the HEEL position is and soon I will be able to say HEEL and put my left hand out from my side slightly and she will come into that position. I did use treats for a short time, which again, I am not a fan of for many reasons. HERE is a vital command and so we will work on it daily. And for those of you who are wondering, yes, manually does mean chasing her puppy butt down, putting on a lead and pulling her towards me with the HERE command all the way back to where I was when I issued the command. It is so important that you never, and I mean NEVER, give a dog a command that you are not willing to enforce in one way or another. For your dog to learn that commands are meant to be obeyed, they must understand that any refusal of the command will be backed up with a correction. The correction may only be a sharp NO, or it may be more serious like a lead correction. Retrieving with your 5-month-old Lab puppy In my last post, I talked about how important it is for you to NOT retrieve with a teething-puppy. Bubba has most of her adult teeth in already, we are just waiting on a few, but she is showing us she is more than ready to retrieve again. So, we have begun hand thrown marks again and she is going out like gangbusters and delivering the bumpers right to my hand. If I notice any problems with her carrying the bumpers or if she starts dropping them a lot, I will stop again until the teeth are more solid. If Bubba seems to be in pain at all during retrieving, we will stop immediately. We never want her to associate retrieving with pain. Bubba already understands the retrieving game when it comes to assistant thrown marks too. She sits with me or Steve at the line and faces the gunners throwers in the field. She sits tall and proud; she knows what the gunners are out there for, and she is ready to do the work. It is so fun to watch these puppies figure out the game and what their job is. It is time to start a new retrieving drill with Bubba. The drill is designed to get a dog to mark throws that are further and further away. It gets them to run out a longer distance to a mark and not even notice the change in distance. It is done by starting with a 20—yard mark, generally on shorter grass where the bumper can be seen on the ground. Have the thrower throw the bumper and send the dog using their name. After the dog picks up the bumper and is running back to you, take a few large steps backward. Take delivery of the bumper and line your dog up for another mark. The mark will be in the same place, but that location is now several yards deeper since you have backed up. Have the thrower throw another bumper and again send your dog. After the dog picks up the bumper and is running back to you, again back up several yards. Repeat until your dog is retrieving at longer distances. This drill works well for dogs that have a very strong retrieving desire. For dogs with less desire, you will need to move much slower, only doing marks total in a session. Remember, you never want to burn out your dog with retrieves. Always leave them wanting more! Final thoughts on training for your 5-month-old Labrador puppy If you have been following these posts, you are getting very close to moving your dog into hunting training. We take dogs for our hunting programs right after their adult teeth are in, so generally at months of age. If you are struggling or need additional help with your new puppy, you can email me ottertailkennels gmail. I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs I offer. Until next time, happy retrieving. Training your 5-month-old Labrador puppy. And yet, many new owners get so caught up in the cuteness of these bundles of fur that they disregard any training until the dog is much older. Sometimes new owners are just overwhelmed with taking care of their new puppy. Others lack the information needed to make good decisions regarding training for their new family member. Unfortunately, though, some bad behaviors or missed socialization and exposure opportunities are difficult to address with an older dog. So, if your goal is for you new retriever to eventually grow into an excellent duck dog, here is a guide to raising your Lab puppy to be a duck or gun dog. Picking up the puppy The journey with your new retriever pup starts the day you pick him or her up from the breeder. Hopefully you have done your homework and selected a litter of puppies with parents who have proven trainability. If you have a pick from the litter, you will want to take some time to observe the puppies. Even so, most trainers will tell you that picking a puppy is a complete crapshoot, meaning there really is no way to know how good the dog will be while looking at them as a puppy. Genetics and a proven pedigree are the best way to stack the odds in your favor from the start. Beyond that, if you have a good breeder, they are the next best source for information regarding the pups. A good breeder will give you a recommendation based on what you plan to use the pup for and your family situation. Check out this post on searching for a great retriever puppy and what to look for in breeders. If possible, bring someone with you to pick up the puppy. While you can put a puppy in a crate to transport them home, leaving the litter is a traumatic time for most puppies. Being held on the way home is a good way to start bonding with the puppy. Learn what to buy for your new Lab puppy. The products I recommend I believe are a good value or good investment for anyone working to train or maintain training on their retriever. When possible, I include links to the product. Some of these links may be Amazon or other affiliate links in which I am paid a small commission at no cost to you. All opinions and recommendations are my own. The first week raising your Labrador Retriever puppy There is very little training needed the first week you have your puppy home. Use this time to hold, pet and play with your new puppy. Bonding with the puppy is important and this is a good time to do that. You will likely be exhausted this week from getting up multiple times each night to let your puppy outside. Learn more in What should I do the first week with my new Lab puppy? Socialization is key for retriever gun dog puppies While socialization is important for all dogs, it is essential for retriever puppies destined to hunt. Socialization is the act of putting your retriever puppy in new situations and allowing the puppy to figure it out. Your puppy may handle new situations well, or she might show timid or frightened behaviors. This is not the time to coddle your future gun dog. Dogs are very aware of their owners and if you act or acknowledge your puppies fear, they will likely think you are scared too. This is the opposite of what we are trying to achieve with socialization. We want puppies to learn to adjust quickly to new situations. We want them to learn how to figure out new conditions and handle them without fear or hesitation. Puppies need to be socialized to people also. Let your puppy interact with people of all ages, including children. In addition, it can be helpful if they are also socialized to other dogs and cats. And yet we see too many retrievers with little to no retrieving desire. Sometimes this is just the result of bad breeding, but it can also be the result of poor introduction to retrieving or using the wrong items for retrieving. Many people like to play fetch with their puppy using a ball or Frisbee. But if your puppy is destined to be a hunting partner, this is going to make some retrieving problems down the line. We may use a ball to encourage a very young week old puppy to retrieve, IF, and only IF, the puppy is struggling with retrieving desire. Otherwise, we strongly discourage ongoing use of these items. Gun dogs and duck dogs are working dogs and they need to retrieve birds that fall to the ground. The rolling action of the ball or frisbee will create an excitement and energy that will make retrieving birds seem boring. We have found that dogs that have only retrieved balls or Frisbee often struggle when they need to retrieve a bumper or bird. We have an entire post on this subject, see How can I teach my retriever puppy to fetch? Expose your Labrador puppy to common hunting elements A retriever that is going to be expected to hunt, should be introduced to hunting equipment and elements at an early age. Hills and mounds, flat areas and shallow divots are terrain that a hunting retriever should learn to traverse with ease. In addition to land, different water is also an important factor. Lakes are good, but you should also try to expose your puppy to dirty water. Water with lily pads, cat tails and algae are all things a duck dog will need to handle to work. Hunting equipment Labrador retriever puppies need to learn all about the equipment you use when hunting. Doing this when they are young and continuing the exposure as they grow, will make this second nature to them. Boats and blinds If you hunt out of a boat or blind, introduce your puppy to it. For boats, start on land. Get your puppy comfortable getting in and out of the boat. Throw retrieves from the boat. Similarly, introduce your dog to the blind as a good thing. If you are using a dog blind or hut, make sure your spend lots of time getting your pup comfortable going into and out of it. Make it a fun place to go to get retrieves. Duck or goose decoys If you will use decoys when hunting, take time to expose your puppy to them. Many times over the next few months, put some out on your lawn and let your puppy learn what they are. Eventually, move them to water and again allow your pup to explore them. Throw retrieves through them and teach the dog that he can ignore the decoys. Guns This is one of the most important things that you need to exposure your new puppy to. And it really needs to be done right. The last thing you want to do is create a gun-shy dog. That is very difficult to fix and the dog may never be able to hunt if the damage is too deep. Learn more about how to do this correctly in Introduction to gunfire. Basic obedience for your gun dog puppy Your puppy is ready to learn obedience early on, and you will find that if you start when they are only a couple months old, they will learn quicker and be more obedient as they age. This will make a huge difference as they get older. Teaching HERE to young pups will require a long lead. Squat down a few feet from your puppy and say HERE as you gently pull them to you. Praise is essential with young pups, but the praise should be given when the puppy does something right. For instance, you say SIT and push his bottom down. You can use treats to teach your puppy obedience and reward him or her for obeying commands. But treats should only be used for very young puppies under 4 months. Many Labs will soon learn to only obey when given a treat, that is not the lesson you want your dog to learn. It can be difficult to discipline a cute little puppy, but it is essential. Here at Otter Tail Kennels, we get more than our share of calls from people whose puppies are out of control and causing problems in the home. The pups are causing friction in the family relationships. Small issues often become much larger issues if they remain uncorrected. If you see your puppy doing something wrong, you need to take action to let him know that the behavior is not acceptable. Final thoughts on raising a lab puppy to be a duck or gun dog The time to start training your Labrador puppy to be a duck or gun dog is now. Right away. Even if you plan to send your retriever puppy to a professional trainer in the future, you still want to take the time to socialize, expose, teach and discipline your dog now. Each week your puppy is growing and learning, and those first five months are the perfect time to get him or her off on the right foot. The socialization, exposure, and obedience are all steppingstones they need to advance in their role as a hunting partner. Do not skimp or disregard this time. You can give your ultimate duck dog some essential skills — the ability to adjust to every and all situations with ease. Nothing could be more important. You can email me ottertailkennels gmail. I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs I offer. Until next time happy retrieving. Raising a lab puppy to be a duck or gun dog.