how long is a goldendoodle a puppy

Best Dog Foods for Pugs Choosing the right dog food for a Pug is essential as this will ensure that it gets proper nutrition. However, this can be challenging and time-consuming, considering that there is a lot to choose from. Whether you choose to feed your Pug commercial, homemade food, or raw food, make sure that they are of good quality and recommended by a trusted veterinarian. Proper nutrition is one of the factors that affect their lifespan. Below is a list of the best dog food choices for your Pug: Dry Food: One of the best options for Pugs is dry dog food as it is widely available, cheap, and has a long shelf life. These are packed with all the nutrients essential for your Pug. Wet Food: Wet dog food is another good option for Pugs. Its flavor and texture make it more appealing to Pugs than dry food. Wet food contains fewer grains, making it healthier and easier to digest. However, wet canned food has a shorter shelf life and should be consumed immediately after opening. Wet foods are also more expensive than dry foods. Homemade Food: Your Pug may benefit from cooked food consisting of chicken, eggs, fish, rice, and vegetables. The process is time-consuming, but it is less expensive and more convenient in the long run, especially if you plan on giving them a grain-free diet. Raw Food: Raw food diet for most Pugs results in better digestion, healthy skin, and a stronger immune system in Pugs. Mixing any of the aforementioned food choices is also good. Hence, you may want to try dog food alternatives to fit your budget. With their sensitive little stomachs, some foods can be poisonous, cause allergic reactions, and can even be lethal. Below is a list of food that you should completely avoid feeding to your Pug: Alcohol: Any amount of alcohol is hazardous for Pugs. Pugs do not have the enzyme to metabolize alcohol. Ingestion can cause hypoglycemia , metabolic acidosis , breathing problems, and central nervous system CNS impairment. Avocado: Avocado contains persin , a fungicidal toxin that has been linked to the death of many animals, including Pugs. It can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and heart damage in large quantities. As a result, even small amounts of chocolate can cause poisoning. Grapes and raisins: Grapes and raisins contain tartaric acid , which causes vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and kidney failure among Pugs. Unfortunately, even one whole grape can cause irreversible damage and death in small breeds like Pugs. Macadamia nuts and walnuts: While the exact reason why they are poisonous is unknown, it is best to avoid giving them to your Pugs entirely. In Pugs, macadamia and walnuts can cause diarrhea, weakness, breathing problems, and pancreatitis. Onion, garlic, leeks, and chives: All these vegetables contain N-propyl disulfide , which damages the oxygen-carrying substances in red blood cells. Ingestion of these vegetables can eventually lead to hemolytic anemia. Xylitol: In Pugs, xylitol can cause a rapid release of insulin, resulting in hypoglycemia, lethargy, collapse, and seizures. It is frequently found in gums, candies, syrups, and toothpaste. Pugs should avoid the foods listed above at all costs. Food with high sugar content: If your Pug consumes too much sugar, it is more likely to develop health problems such as diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay. Food with high sugar content can also give Pugs an upset stomach. Salty food: Just like sugar, too much salt can cause health problems in Pugs. If left unchecked, it has the potential to poison your Pug. Excessive salt consumption can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and kidney failure. Milk and dairy products: Because the majority of Pugs are lactose intolerant , dairy products can make them sick. They will have digestive problems because they are unable to break down lactose. This causes gastrointestinal blockage and death if left unattended. If you think your Pug has accidentally ingested any of the aforementioned foods, bring your dog to the nearest veterinary clinic for appropriate treatment. Transitioning to a new brand or type of food may be beneficial to their well-being and development. For most dogs, transitioning to new dog food can be difficult. Fortunately, Pugs are not born picky eaters, so changing their diet will be easier. The ideal transition for Pugs should be gradual changes spread over three weeks. Do this until they are comfortable with the new food. Below is a more detailed breakdown of how to transition your Pug to a new food: Days. You may find yourself on the dog food isle trying to make sense of all the ingredients, types of foods and categories. And all you want to know is… How often and what should I feed my Pug? Every dog is different, every type of food has its specific quantities and it even varies between brands. Start simple and figure out all the details and methods. I have collected information about the different types, brands pros and cons of dog feeding to try and give an unbiased as much as I can look, so you can make a better-informed choice which will be right for you and your Pug. Remember, people care deeply about their dogs and will often get very emotional about the health and feeding they chose. Having been the owner of a pet store, I have learned that although I have my personal preferences and very good reasons for them, others may have different choices and they believe they are the right ones for them. There are a lot of issues to consider. How Many times a day should I feed My Pug? A mature Pug can easily live a healthy life with one meal which provides all his nutritional needs. In most cases, it is more convenient for both us and the pug to split this to two meals. If your Pug had a full meal in the morning, be sure he will nag you like crazy in the afternoon. Puppies have smaller stomachs and need, relative to their size, a larger quantity of food so it is better to break it up to three or even four meals a day. If you are around your Pug all day and prefer to give 4 meals a day to a mature dog, there is no harm in it, as long as the overall daily quantity stays the same. Free Buffet or Set meals? Pugs are notorious for becoming overweight and need to be limited to a set amount. If your Pug is not typical in that sense, you are welcome to put the full daily portion in the bowl and see how long it lasts. One more reason for set meals is monitoring. You want to know how much you Pug eats. If you want your Pug to lose weight, you need to know how much he is eating in order to cut down. On the flip side, if your Pug is not eating the usual amounts it may be an indication of a medical condition. What food do Pugs Eat? Pugs love food. They love treats, dry food, wet food, table scraps, raw meat, cooked meat, spicy meat and meat gone bad. In rural areas and farms, they may have also got more meaty scraps. Our Pugs who grew up with Emperors and Royalty were probably treated to high quality scraps. Today, dry bagged kibble or canned wet food are the standard for most homes, although there is a growing number of people and companies promoting more natural diets of either raw or cooked food for dogs. Every type of food claims to be the healthiest, more appropriate, tailored and nutritional. Kibble Kibble is the most common dog food available and has become the staple for the average dog. Pros of Kibble The makers of dry food claim it has the most balanced and scientifically based formulas to provide the best nutrition for a dog. They also tailor these formulas to dogs of different size, breed, age or other needs. Even the most discerning dog owners should be able a composition to satisfy them. The ingredient list is unclear and misleading. There are numerous food recalls yearly. There are websites dedicated just to keep up with the recalls. Teeth are going to need cleaning. Wet canned food Aside from the meatier texture and the higher water content, there is little difference between kibble and the canned, wet counterpart. The ingredients can be similar and so are the health benefits. Some dog owners report that wet food makes for softer stools when fed exclusively. Many dog owners will give a combination of wet and dry food. Home cooked As with human food there is a growing number of people fed up Pun intended with commercial and over engineered food. Raw food Also called the BARF Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods , the idea behind it is that the dogs digestive system has not evolved as their behavior, and much like wild dogs or wolves, they should eat the equivalent to small animals they would pray on in nature. Since dogs are also scavengers this diet will include some vegetables, berries etc. The pros As with the home-cooked diet, you have total control of ingredients and quality No preservatives, additives, fillers etc. You need to learn how to make, takes time Ingredients like bones and internal organs may not be available in your area. Can be pricy. Even More expensive if buying ready and frozen. Takes freezer space Raw Disclaimer I am a little bias towards raw food. I used to own a pet food store specializing in raw food for cats and dogs and I have been feeding my own Pugs raw food for over twelve years. Obviously, I am very happy with the raw diet and its outcomes as switching to dry food would have been easy and cheap. I believe it is the better choice for myself and my dogs. I believe I have presented the facts fairly objectively as far as the other feeding options go. There is no standard or way to measure what natural is and what the added value of it is other then the origin of it. Natural color could come from some secretion of an insect. Special Needs Puppies These little ones need the most nutritious and high-quality food you can find. If you want to find an economic way to feed your dog, please do it later in his life. Allergies Pugs are relatively sensitive to allergies. In some cases, this is due to an external source such as home detergents, but more often than not it has to do with their diet. There are a few brands that you can try with low, or no grain. If you are feeding your pug home cooked food or a raw diet, taking the carbs and grain out would be easy. Our Pugs were and are on a raw diet from day one and we never had any issues with allergies, except for one time. We started noticing that Preston had pinkish skin around his paws and around the nose fold. Since we owned a pet food store specializing in raw food, at the time convenient, I know we tried different types of meats, but nothing helped. It took us some time to realize the cause. We had our baby daughter at the time, and since she was very close and intimate with Preston, and he was eating raw, we made sure to wipe his mouth and feet with baby wipes after every meal. The baby wipes were the culprits. We switched them both to hypo-allergenic wipes and the skin went back to normal… Hip Dysplasia Pugs are ranked as one of the breeds with the highest chances of suffering from Hip Dysplasia. This can lead to trouble in walking and running and arthritis may follow as well. If your Pug is suffering from Hip Dysplasia to any extent you may want to either supplement their diet with Chondroitin and Glucosamine or to choose a brand that is made for joint support. Vets and nutrition. Having said that, if I needed nutritional advice, I would go to a nutritionist and not to my Doctor. The nutrition training vets get in many schools is provided by agents of the commercial food companies who are bias at best. Skipping meals Dogs will sometimes skip a meal. It is natural for them as food is not something that was always available on daily base. It is not typical for Pugs but it may happen. If it happens it will probably be a one meal deal. If your Pug misses a few meals in a row you may want to consult a vet. Treats and snacks I try and think of treats and snacks the same way I think of candy for my daughters. If the amount of treats your Pug is rivals the actual food, in quantity, you should reconsider or at least re calculate it. If you are using kibble both at meals and as treats for training, and your stubborn Pug ends up consuming a lot of treats, just take it off the next meal. The same goes for snacks. They should be a part of the total daily feeding and not extra. How long can a pug go without eating? An adult Pug can probably survive many days without food, but no Pug would stand for it. Unless your Pug has a medical condition, he will surely let you know he is hungry. Do make sure that your Pug is not deprived of fresh drinking water at all times. More so if the weather is hot and if he is on a dry food diet and has no other source of hydration. What if my Pug is overweight? Pugs love to eat and have a tendency to eat too much. A chubby Pug is very cute, but at some point, it becomes a health issue. Overweight Pugs may suffer from a wide range of conditions and or aggravate others. Conclusion Food is an important part of your Pugs life and will directly affect his health and well-being. Do make sure you know what your Pug is eating, the quality as well as the quantities. Actually, yes. This is an actual condition called Eye Displacement or Proptosis. It is not a common occurrence but with extreme trauma or circumstances it may happen. In most cases the condition is treatable. More on the condition here… Are Pugs Loving? Pugs have been bred as companion dogs for over two thousand years. Being with people is almost in their DNA. So yes, Pugs love to cuddle, snuggle and just be in contact or as close as they can to their human friends. More on Pug Love here. This food is made for Pugs ages 8 weeks to 10 months. On the other hand, the ingredients list for this food leaves something to be desired. It lists brewers rice as the main ingredient with the second ingredient being chicken by-product meal. For such an expensive Pug food, they sure skimped on the quality of the ingredients! Pros Supports healthy skin, digestive health, and natural defenses Specially shaped kibble is easier for brachycephalic dogs to pick up Cons Brewers rice is the main ingredient 4. It might be expensive, but if you can afford it, it could help keep your pug pup healthy and happy for the long haul. Pros Helps support healthy brain and eye development Contains omega fatty acids for improved skin and coat Lists deboned chicken as the main ingredient Cons 5. Their Wilderness Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog Food formula takes things even further with higher levels of protein than their original formula. The use of high-quality ingredients in high concentrations is what earns this food its rather expensive price tag. More than just healthy whole-food ingredients, this food is also fortified with healthful nutrients and supplements. Furthermore, it contains an optimal blend of essential vitamins including calcium, phosphorus, and more, to help support healthy bone growth. Pros Contains high levels of protein Uses high-quality ingredients Packed with healthful nutrients and supplements Cons More expensive than most puppy foods 6. We loved the large pound quantity you can buy it in and the relatively affordable price. Others ate the food but had difficulty digesting it. Still, dogs with sensitive stomachs, in particular, would do well to avoid this food. And the total number of dogs all breeds in the reports are .So while this is something that should be monitored and many more studies need to be done, it's important to keep in mind that this is a very small number compared to the estimated 77 million dogs in the U. The latest update is that there are no recalls at this moment that are linked to this issue. The Best Food for Pug Puppies and Adults What to Avoid: Quite a few ingredients that are found in a lot of dog food brands can be severely detrimental to a Pug and cause everything from allergic reactions itching, rashes, wheezing, running eyes, etc. Corn which includes as corn germ meal, corn gluten meal, and corn bran High grain counts which includes high levels of wheat, oats, barley, and other cereal grains which may be listed as hominy feed. Rice can be an exception; with rice, the hull, bran layer, and cereal germ is removed and for this reason, rice is often tolerated very well. By-products which are animal body parts deemed unfit for human consumption and can include brain, lungs, undeveloped eggs, and more. Generic meats or oils which can legally include roadkill and deceased zoo animals. What to Look For: All-natural preservatives; there are vitamin blends that work very well to preserve dog food and this often will show as mixed tocopherols. Natural flavoring Protein will come from wholesome animal sources including chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, bison, and beef. There will be no by-products or generic meats. If you offer grains, gluten-free grains are usually best. No other fillers or controversial additives. Helpful extras such as glucosamine and chondroitin beneficial for joint health , omega-3, 6 for healthy skin and coat , probiotics for immune health and antioxidants to help prevent disease. Some of the best food for Pugs includes: Best Formulas with Grains: 1. Wellness Complete Health for Small Breeds. The base of this kibble is turkey and oatmeal which is easy on the stomach for most Pugs. There is also salmon, brown rice, peas, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and apples. There are excellent levels of a wide-range of vitamins and minerals, good levels of omega-3 and 6, and glucosamine and chondroitin which are extremely beneficial joint supplements for Pugs. This is made in the US. Note that this offers puppy and adult formulas as well as 'healthy weight' for Pugs that need to lose a few pounds, and a senior formula. This line of Halo offers holistic recipes. This one has non-GMO produce and meats that are antibiotic-free and hormone-free with factory-free farming. The grains in this are oatmeal and pearled barley which are generally known for being well-tolerated. This is sized ideally for Pugs, and has no artificial additives, by-products, or corn. And, this is made in the US. Best Grain-free Formulas: 1. This is one of the best grain-free kibbles for Pugs; it's really top-of-the-line. The base is chicken and turkey. There is a wide selection of vegetables and fruits compared to some other brands spinach, broccoli, carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, apples and blueberries. Levels of omega fatty acids are ideal, via both salmon oil and flaxseed. And, there are good levels of glucosamine and chondroitin which as mentioned earlier are important for joint health. There is no corn, wheat, by-products, fillers, or artificial coloring, flavoring, or preservatives and this is made in the USA. This is another excellent choice that is formulated for dogs under 70 lbs. There are several great bases including lamb, beef, chicken, and salmon. There are zero chemical preservatives and no artificial ingredients. Added extras are healthy antioxidants, omega-3 and 6, and the very important glucosamine and chondroitin which are very beneficial for breeds like the Pug that are prone to joint and hip issues. This is a holistic kibble that offers non-GMO veggies and fruits and sustainably-sourced wild-caught fish and is ideal for Pugs that are carrying a few extra pounds. The base is salmon and whitefish, so most dogs love the taste. There are no chemical preservatives, corn, by-products, coloring, or fillers. Switching a Pug onto a Different Food If you just got a new Pug puppy, you may want to feed your little guy or gal something different than what was being given. And in many instances, this will be a good idea. The sooner you start your pup on a superior food that you've chosen yourself, the better. If you have an adult Pug, you may decide to switch foods due to an intolerance to certain ingredients some dogs do best with certain proteins like beef as opposed to chicken or vice-versa or maybe you realized that your Pug was not on the brand and you want to make a change. No matter the circumstances, if at all possible, it is best to change to a new brand of dog food in a gradual way because a quick switch can disrupt the digestive system. The goal should be a incremental change over the course of 3 weeks. Home Cooking Owners decide to home cook for their dogs for a variety of reasons: It can be less expensive; though, this depends quite a bit on what you buy and if you can purchase ingredients in bulk. It may be done to fully avoid preservatives, additives, by-products and other subpar ingredients; you know exactly what you are putting in. This can help avoid an intolerance or allergic reaction to an unknown ingredient. It is very flexible and adjustable. It can be a good choice for picky eaters. Other sources include beans such as lima beans, kidney beans, and butter beans must be cooked. Vegetables - This includes peas, carrots, spinach, zucchini, green beans, bell peppers, and butternut squash. You can also offer asparagus, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli in moderation since these foods can cause gas, Pumpkin in moderation is fine but typically reserved to help ease upset stomach issues. Fruits - This includes blueberries, raspberries both are low calorie, high in antioxidants, and water-packed , strawberries, huckleberries, banana, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, mango, kiwi, pear, peaches no pit , plums no pit , nectarines no pit , fresh pineapple, and apple no core, no seeds. Additional - This includes oatmeal plain , white or brown rice if no intolerance , quinoa, potato, sweet potato, cottage cheese, plain whole white yogurt, and eggs most dogs do best with scrambled eggs vs. Read more about home cooking for a Pug. Snacks and Treats We've covered the frequency of giving snacks and treats, but let's recap. Dry snacks, meant to satiate a dog in between meals should be given 3 to 4 times per day. And moist treats, meant to reward training and reinforce good behavior, should be given as needed. Now, the question remains on what to offer. All snacks and treats should be held to the same high standards that you have in place for your Pug's meals, meaning no synthetic preservatives, artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, soy, corn, by-products, high wheat levels, or generic meats. If your Pug's calorie intake needs to be carefully watched due to issues with weight gain, there will also be a need to opt for some low-calorie treats. And, to see more options, including moist treats for giving reward, continue on to the best snacks and treats for Pugs. After 2 to 3 days, if the problem has resolved, adding in additional ingredients can be done. Any diarrhea lasing longer than 3 days or moderate to severe vomiting lasting more than 12 hours should be brought to the attention of the veterinarian. Water Different elements will dictate just how much water a Pug dog requires , though a general rule of thumb is that each day, dogs need to drink about 1 ounce for each 1 pound. Offer bottled spring water or use a filter device like the. Related Articles: When a Pug is a Picky Eater - If you find yourself constantly scrambling to find foods that your Pug likes and their taste buds seem to change weekly, this will help you get things back on track. When a Pug is Always Hungry - If your Pug's appetite is ferocious and nothing seems to satisfy, these issues may be at the root of the problem. When a Pug Won't Eat - If your Pug puppy or dog refuses to eat or getting them to eat feels like a chore, these tips will help. How to Stop a Pug from Begging - If your Pug wants your food and is relentless about getting it, these guidelines will help stop this sort of behavior. Top 10 Pug Dog Eating Problems - A roundup of the most common eating-related issues seen with this breed and exact steps to resolve them. Do you have your book? All rights reserved. Privacy Policy We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon. Introduction Importance of choosing the right food for Pug puppies Feeding your Pug puppies the right food can significantly impact their health, growth, and overall well-being. A balanced diet provides the necessary nutrients and energy to support their growth and development and helps to prevent common health issues such as obesity, digestive problems, and food allergies. Factors to consider when selecting the best food for pug puppies When choosing the best food for your Pug puppy, there are several factors to consider, including their age, activity level, and specific nutritional needs. Reading the ingredient list and checking the nutritional content can help you to make an informed decision about the best food for your Pug puppy. Wet Food for Pug Puppies Benefits of wet food Wet food is an excellent option for Pug puppies as it is highly palatable and provides additional moisture, which is important for their growing bodies. Wet food also contains higher levels of protein and essential nutrients, making it a great option for supporting the growth and development of your Pug puppy. Best-reviewed wet food options Royal Canin Pug Puppy Wet Dog Food — This wet food is specifically formulated for Pug puppies, with a balanced ratio of protein, fats, and carbohydrates to meet their unique nutritional needs. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Puppy Wet Dog Food — This wet food is made with real meat as the first ingredient and contains wholesome brown rice, barley, and oats to provide the carbohydrates your Pug puppy needs to grow and develop. Dry Food for Pug Puppies Benefits of dry food Dry food is another great option for Pug puppies as it helps to clean their teeth and promote good oral health. Dry food is also a good source of essential nutrients and energy to support the growth and development of your Pug puppy. It contains a balanced protein, fats, and carbohydrates ratio to meet its unique nutritional needs. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Puppy Small Breed Dry Dog Food — This dry food is made with real meat as the first ingredient and contains wholesome brown rice, barley, and oats to provide the carbohydrates your Pug puppy needs to grow and develop. Homemade Meals and Snacks for Pug Puppies Benefits of homemade food Homemade meals and snacks are an excellent option for Pug puppies as they allow you to control the ingredients and ensure that your pup gets a healthy and balanced diet. Simple homemade meal and snack recipes for pug puppies Puppy-Friendly Meatloaf: Mix ground turkey or chicken, brown rice, carrots, and green beans for a tasty and nutritious homemade meal for your Pug puppy. Bake in the oven until fully cooked, and serve in small portions. Homemade Puppy Treats: Mix rolled oats, pumpkin puree, and a beaten egg for a simple and healthy snack for your Pug puppy. Roll out the dough, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and bake in the oven until crispy. Use high-quality, fresh ingredients, and avoid using spices and seasonings that can harm dogs. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer to maintain freshness. A: Wet food can provide a higher moisture content, which can benefit Pug puppies as they need to stay hydrated. Wet food also has a more appealing taste and smell, making it a great option for picky eaters. Q: What ingredients should I look for in dry food for Pug puppies? A: Look for dry food that contains high-quality proteins like chicken or fish, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Q: Can I feed my Pug puppy homemade meals and snacks? Q: How often should I feed my Pug puppy? A: Pug puppies should be fed 3 to 4 times a day until they reach six months of age. Then, they can be fed two times a day. The food they need will depend on their age, weight, and activity level. Q: What is the best food for Pug puppies with sensitive stomachs? A: Wet food with simple ingredients, like boiled chicken and rice, or dry food specifically formulated for sensitive stomachs can be helpful for Pug puppies with digestive issues. Q: Can I feed my Pug puppy adult dog food? A: No, adult dog food does not provide the appropriate nutrients for Pug puppies as they are still growing and developing. Puppy-specific food is formulated to meet their unique nutritional needs. Gradual changes over a few days to a week are recommended to avoid discomfort. Conclusion Recap of the best food options When choosing the best food for your Pug puppy, several options exist. Dry food is also a good option as it helps to clean teeth and is easy to store. Final thoughts The most important thing is to choose a food specifically formulated for Pug puppies with high-quality ingredients to meet their unique nutritional needs. Choosing the best food for your Pug puppy will give them the foundation for a happy and healthy life. From pet nutrition books to online articles, a wealth of information is available on this topic. These resources will give you a deeper understanding of the nutritional needs of your Pug puppy and help you make informed decisions about the best food options for their growth and development. Kibble, cans and specialty foods Proper Nutrition Since puppies need energy to grow big and strong, their food is higher in calories and packed with more nutrients. This includes more fat, protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. So always choose a food that is labelled for puppies. Since a Pug is a small toy breed , they will grow very quickly and reach adulthood much faster than larger breeds. Toy dog breeds actually need more calories per pound than larger breeds due to their higher metabolic rates. The structure of their flat muzzle and facial folds , while appealing to look at, unfortunately causes a number of serious health problems. This causes soft tissue to block the airways, making breathing very difficult. Their jaws and teeth can also cause them problems. Remember, slimmer is better. How Often To Feed Your Pug Puppy I always recommend feeding puppies small meals at scheduled times several hours apart, and then decreasing the frequency as they get older. For puppies under six months go with something like 7am, 12noon, 3pm then 6pm. As they grow you can reduce this routine to three or even two times a day, but there is no harm continuing with multiple feedings as long as you dividing their daily rations evenly. Kibble vs Canned Food Dried puppy kibble is affordable, easy to store and transport, and readily available. Serving is as simple as opening the package and pouring it into the bowl. Canned or wet food will sometimes offer more meat protein and fewer carbohydrates than kibble does, but you will usually pay more as well. Wet food is also associated with an increase in periodontal diseases , which is not ideal for a dog already prone to these issues. Specialty Pug Puppy Foods The introduction of breed-specific formulas to the market has made it even more confusing. However, there are some Pug puppy formulations that address some of their health issues that might be worth considering. Some kibble is designed in a shape and texture that makes it easier for short-nosed puppies to pick up and chew easily. But the sad part of the story is that just like any other dog, pugs get obese very quickly. As they say, you become what you eat. Since the pug is a tiny dog, even one extra pound will affect its appearance. For this reason, it becomes important to keep a check on what your pug is eating. The present article talks about the feeding guidelines of this adorable dog: How much is too much? It is very important to feed your dog the correct amount of food to ensure that the pug is getting enough calories for proper growth. Any deviation from the right amount will led to health problems in a pug. Age, activity, metabolism and build of a dog are the major factors on which the amount of food which should be given to a dog depends. Also, the type of food you are giving to a dog is another important factor. If you are feeding home cooked food to one pug and commercial dog food to another dog with same age, build and activity level, it is not necessary that both of them will consume the same amount. As a general rule of thumb, a puppy pug should be given 1 ounce of food per one pound of body weight. For adult pugs, the amount is halved. What about calories? A pug puppy which is in his growth phase requires more calories than adult and senior pugs. On an average, a puppy requires 50 calories per pound of their body weight while an adult pug requires 40 calories per pound of their body weight. Senior pugs need fewer calories because of slow metabolism and less activity level. Free feeding is not recommended to the pug. The following table illustrates the right feeding regime and meal frequency for pugs: Age Amount of food given at one time No.

Here at The Pug Palace, we pride ourselves on having healthy pugs, and responsibly breeding beautiful, adorable, healthy puppies. My name is Brentan, and I am a pug breeder. I am a micro-breeder, registered with a Source number, and have since regrettably rehomed some of our babies that you see on our facebook page. This is a community of like-minded pug lovers, and pug breeders, who would like a place to share pug things! This belief in responsible breeding causes us to have some enemies, who harass us online, as a lot not all, of course! I love my pugs to bits, and I love the joy that people get from adopting beautiful, genetically healthy, adorable pug puppies, and knowing that the puppies will be looked after and loved forever, as they grow and provide much love to their family. We do not see our dogs as breeding dogs, or even as dogs… They are part of our family, and we love them to bits. Pugs are wonderful dogs, and make great companions, for people of all ages. They are great with kids, and love other pets too. A lot of people have pugs and keep them also with a larger breed of dog, and they get along so well. They are so full of love — Love to play, exercise, and run around — And also love to be lazy, and relax! As well as being very smart dogs, they can also have a silly side, and keep you in stitches with their antics. We are very selective in the homes that our puppies go to, and will only let them be adopted by loving families whose interests are sincere — Our dealings with customers over time have seen us build an enviable reputation in providing outstanding customer service; we do not enjoy dealing with time wasters who detract from those who are genuinely seeking to introduce a pug furbaby into their family. We have a few litters throughout the year, so if you are looking to find a beautiful pug to be a part of your family, then please contact us to let us know of your interest, and we can add you to our mailing list, to inform you of when we have puppies ready to find their forever home. We love to keep in touch with people who adopt our pug puppies, and have The Pug Palace facebook page set up for people to stay in touch, and it creates a real community atmosphere for fellow pug lovers! If you are selected to adopt one of our pug puppies, we do require a deposit to be made prior to viewing, to secure your puppy. We are very selective of who is lucky enough to be able to adopt one of our babies. This can be vey annoying — we are busy with our careers outside of breeding pugs too, so please note that we use our discretion and only reply to people we perceive as having a genuine interest in adopting a pug puppy. These tiny and adorable creatures are full of charm. They are also well-mannered, energetic and very playful. Can we meet in person? Have they been socialised? Puppies will only go to good homes and those with an understanding of Pugs. Puppies are raised in a family environment with loads of love and attention. They are very affectionate, playful and their little tails have just started to curl. Puppies will come with 3 days food supply, a puppy pack and their favourite toy. You will also receive information as well as paw paw ointment and puppy wipes. Mum fawn and Dad black are both pedigree and papered pugs. Genuine enquiries only, I am happy to answer any questions and viewing is available by appointment. Anitta Egel Pug Puppies I have 3 female pug puppies avaliable. Pedegree parents Mother is Black platinum weight 5. I am also willing to deliver within a 1hr radius of .Interstate purchases at buyers organisation and expense. All puppies will be vet checked, vaccinated, microchipped and have regular preventative worm medication. Puppies are all healthy, purebred, no health issues at all from either parent or their grandparents. They have all been wormed , vaccinated, vet health checked and microchipped. Very playful , eating solid foods and almost fully toilet trained. Each puppy comes with a complimentary puppy pack. Sharon Fisher 3 x jug puppies Boy puppy 1 photo 1, photo 2, top middle Boy puppy 2 photo 2, front Girl puppy 1 photo 2, far left, photo 3 - READY to go to their new homes Are you already an active person? Sweet girl 1 has gorgeous long legs and long body, is playful and would love a family or individual to include her in everything and anything you can offer her … with bounding enthusiasm and great appreciation, lickies. She was the first of all the puppies to shower a human with lickies. Boy 2 was firstborn and is the star of the whole litter at the vets. Totally unfazed no squeals having his temp taken, other medical checks performed, vaccination, microchip, worming. Looking for a well behaved family or individual for this well behaved boy. Dad is a Jug jack russel x pug long legs, short ears, fawn coat. Pronounced by vet as having good jaw formation. Are you looking for a puppy to join your family or to be a companion for you personally? Do you have a specific puppy preference? How have you prepared for this new potential arrival? Will you require a meet and greet opportunity with existing animals that are members of your current family? Are you prepared-accepting of the asking-advertised price? Located Guildford Last 2 pictures are mum and dad not for sale. Microchip: Dang Baby Pugs Only 2 girls left now, 3 boys all gone. All vaccinated, microchipped, and pet health care record. Dad pure, mum two thirds pug, one third jack rustle. Fussy about getting good owners, pets at our house are top of the food chain. Phoebe Purebred Pug Puppies 2 left We have exceptional examples of purebred pug puppies for sale. We have been breeding for many years and you can rest assured our puppies come from good stock. Our Pugs are raised with love and care in a warm, family environment. From day one, they are surrounded by human interaction and socialization, providing them with the best start in life. We nurture each Pug, ensuring they grow up to be friendly, affectionate, and well-adjusted companions. All pups come vet checked, vaccinated, microchipped and wormed every 2 weeks from 4 weeks of age. The health and well-being of our Pugs are of utmost importance to us. They have been raised on their mother's milk and premium puppy food with vitamins for healthy development. We prioritize responsible breeding practices. When you bring home your Pug, you can have peace of mind knowing that you are getting a healthy and robust companion for life. Our puppies are in high demand, so act fast to reserve your bundle of joy. Contact us today to learn more about our available puppies! They thrive on human companionship and are known for their affectionate nature, making them an ideal addition to any loving home. Jordana Payne Purebred Pug puppies These beautiful puppies have been raised in a loving family home. They love kids and people in general and are confident, healthy, playful babies. Been fed premium food to ensure optimum growth. Both parents have amazing temperament and are beautiful family dogs. Neither parent has ever had any health issues and both cleared by vet as excellent examples of the breed to breed from. Puppies have been regularly wormed, will be vet checked, had first vax and microchipped prior to leaving. Their puppy pack will contain their vet certificate, microchip documentation, vaccination details, some premium food and a toy. We love to stay in touch with people who purchase a pup and always happy to answer questions and provide support once they leave. I have heaps more photos to share, was having trouble adding them to the add. Fawn, purebred, perfect health, microchipped and fully vaccinated. Inside and outside trained. Needs to go to a loving home as we are unable to keep him due to family circumstances. Danielle Jug x cavoodle These beautiful puppies are ready to find their new forever homes. Born on 22nd of March , they already have plenty of personality and grow more and more everyday. Pups are Jug x cavoodle. Our puppies are very affectionate and the perfect companion for your family. Both are very affectionate and loving dogs. If you are interested or want more information or even want to meet our babies please feel free to make contact. Julie Watson Purebred pug Puppies Beautiful purebred boys pup pugs. We have 3 beautiful healthy boys available to join their forever families at 8 weeks old. They will be vet checked, microchipped and vaccinated at 6 weeks. They will start being wormed at 2 weeks old. They will be fed Hill's puppy food, the same as their mum eat. Mum is fawn and father apricot. Both mum a dad are very healthy pugs. For more information please text me on Simone Humphrey.

Born: February 17, I am seeking my forever home! All household members and any dogs from the household need to be present at the time of your appointment. A photo ID will be required at the time of adoption. The shelter is currently open by appointment only with an approved application. Please note, all applications are considered general and stay on file for 6 months. Specific animals are NOT put on hold for adoption. When you visit, the adoption counselors will be able to make suggestions based on the type of pet you are looking for and help you find the best fit for your family. Animal House Shelter cannot guarantee the breeds of the adoptable animals. The animals are posted on the website as the breed or breed mix based on their physical characteristics they most resemble. We also cannot guarantee the ages of our adoptable animals or how large puppies will be when fully grown. We look forward to seeing you soon! Watch Us On YouTube! Follow Us On Twitter! Therefore, Walk-Through viewing of the dogs is NOT allowed at the shelter, due to the stress it creates. During your visit to the shelter, an adoption counselor will assist you through the adoption process and introduce you to as many dogs as you would like to meet, in order to make the best possible match for you, your family and your new pet. They are able to socialize all day with each other, staff, volunteers and potential adopter. Like people, animals have distinct personalities that make them unique. At Animal House we are proud to say that these animals are treated like our own. We care enough to be certain they go to the right loving, forever home. You must be at least 21 years old to adopt. All members of the household must be present, including any other dogs you may currently own, in order to do a final adoption cats do not have to come to the shelter. We will cat test here because we know how stressful it is on the cats to be transported. Fill out the Online Application and submit. At time of adoption an adoption counselor will take you through the process and answer any questions you may have, as well as ask you questions regarding the adoption. Tues adoption hours are 11am-4pm. Sat our adoption hours are from 9am-7pm. There is no appointment necessary. We are always open during the same hours on holidays. You are also offered pet insurance through ShelterCare. Please Remember, all other dogs and family members must be present at the shelter for any final adoption. Boxer puppies in Madison, WI. Feel free to browse hundreds of active classified puppy for sale. He is social and plays well with other dogs. There is 7 Males and 1 females. He is potty trained, loves to eat, and. This sweet, lovable guy is looking for a home to call his own! Once he's warmed up to you, he offers unlimited hugs, kisses, and cuddles. He's a friendly guy who loves other dogs. Find Boxer Puppies and Breeders in your area and helpful Boxer information. The Boxer Pitbull mix is a popular hybrid breed of dogs that can be an eager learner and have a lot of energy. Mom is half of boxer and half of Pit, and dad is Pitbull. Puppies for sale pitbull boxer mix. Boxers for Sale in Manchester, NH. On average, they reach heights between 16 and 20 inches and weigh between 50 and 80 pounds. Please text only to meet and reserve your puppy, deposit is , due at pick up. Find the best Dogs for sale in Saudi Arabia. Before you hand over your hard-earned money, better do your research about the breeder and the puppy's parents and living conditions. They understand some of basic. Fukuji's breeder is a certified European expert who breeds only Akita puppies. For Sale on FazWaz: 0 property. Bullboxer Pit Puppies for Sale. You can expect them to run around the vicinity or getting your attention to play fetch. Boxer Pitbull mix puppies for sale may. Post your classified ad for free in various categories like mobiles, tablets, cars, bikes, laptops, electronics, birds, houses, furniture, clothes, dresses for sale in Saudi Arabia. All of our puppies are seen by our veterinarian, dew claws remo… more. Bo Phlap, Mueang Nakhon Pathom. Two Bull Boxer Puppies for Sale. Mixed Breed Dogs for Sale. For more than 2 decades we have been the choice of over 12, happy families. Puppies for Sale in Arizona. Boxer pitbull mix puppies! I have 6 Boxer Pitbull mix puppies for sale. The Boxer Pitbull Mix dogs need little attention in the grooming department. Boxer puppies in Appleton, WI. But, they can adapt to apartments as long as they get exercise and mental stimulation throughout the day. Pitbull Mix Breeds With Photos. Health problems that the Pitbull Boxer Mix may get. We have 2 female Bull Boxer Puppies for Sale. Search for restaurants, hotels, museums and more. The Boxer Pitbull dog is a large dog with a high energy level. Boxer puppies in Kenosha, WI. They understand some of basic comands. Male Gardner is a 2 year old pittie mix who weighs about 55 pounds. Boxer mix !!! They will be current on all vet care. She knows some basic » Read more ». Riyadh, pitbull puppy. Bulldog Mixed Puppies for Sale You'll love the docile, friendly and gregarious nature of bulldog mix puppies. Conway is in NH and available for adoption. The Boxer breed of dogs is a popular breed that is known for its loyalty and protective nature. But before you finalize the transaction and make payments, check with the breeder about the puppy's parents, living conditions, vaccines, health screening tests, and clearances. Boxers for Sale in Wisconsin Boxers in Wisconsin. Trust Euro Puppy to do all the work and bring you the very best puppy. I am looking for a free female. These loyal and intelligent dogs can be trained to do a variety of tricks and commands with patience and dedication. Boxer Mix Puppies For Sale. Boxers are moderately adaptable dogs. The Bullboxer Pit is often described as a medium-sized dog, although they are also stockier and sturdier than many other middle-sized canines. Find boxer puppies in wisconsin from local breeders near you or advertise your boxer puppies for free at DogsNow. Boxers are also known for being intelligent and playful, making them a popular choice for families with children. Puppies for Sale. Boxers for Sale in San Diego. Feel free to browse classifieds placed by German Shepherd dog breeders in Pa and the surrounding areas. Feel free to browse hundreds of active classified puppy for sale listings, from dog breeders in Pa and the surrounding areas. The word Pitbull evokes many different. Find your new German Shepherd puppy here! The mix of these three breeds results in a sociable family dog that is fearless and loyal. Boxer Mix Puppies for Sale. This breaks my heart to make this post but he needs far more then I can give him at this time! He is an amazing. Showing 10 of 10 ads for sale. Mixed Breed Dogs. Because of their energy, they tend to do better in homes with yards where they can run. The Boxer Pitbull mix is an intelligent and energetic dog that loves to play and enjoys being around people. He's a mild mannered pup who loves his foster brothers and sisters both human and canine. Ready to find their furever homes. She a huge cuddler, needs other dogs in. Adopt Boxer Dogs in Virginia. Parents on premises,Dew claws and tails docked. Currently, we do not have any Boxer Mix puppies available, but we can alert you when new Boxer Mix puppies are available! Just enter your email address and click submit! Pennsylvania Boxer Rescue. Find Puppies in your area and helpful tips and info. Gardner is in NH and available for adoption. Boxer puppies in Racine, WI. And we make certain your puppy comes from a wonderful, caring breeder, whose focus is on the quality and comfort of their bloodlines, not on the quantity of the pups. Currently, we do not have any Boxer Mix puppies available, but we can alert you when new Boxer Mix. German Shepherd Mix Puppies for Sale. Printable version Email this Page. Bullboxer Pit Puppies for Sale in Pennsylvania. History: English Bulldogs have a long history in the United Kingdom, as they were, unfortunately, bred and used for dog fighting since the 13th century. Ready to go to their new homes Nov. Boxers are a medium to large breed of dog, and typically have a lifespan of years. Bulldog Mixed Puppies for Sale. It is the combination of two medium to large and powerful dogs. Six bullboxer puppies available. AKC parents, 2 health guarantee He will have two sets of vaccines before he goes home at 8 weeks. Boxer puppies in Green Bay, WI. Before you hand over your hard-earned money, better do your research about the. For Rent on FazWaz: 0 property. They can be quite vocal and make good watchdogs, but can be quite protective of their homes and families. Although all dogs are sensitive to heat, the Boxer is even more so because of their short snout. Most weigh in at 50 to 80 pounds and range in height. Sam and his brother, Will, are stray rescues. Find Bullboxer Pit dogs and puppies from Arizona breeders. Find the best Dogs for sale in Riyadh. While they may have a rough-and-tumble reputation, Boxers are actually a gentle, loving family breed. Post your classified ad for free in various categories like mobiles, tablets, cars, bikes, laptops, electronics, birds, houses, furniture, clothes, dresses for sale in Riyadh. Boxer puppies for sale in Wisconsin from trusted breeders. Bullmastiff Puppies For Sale. They were born December 17 .Say hello to Leon! Looking for a new home for my 4 year old boxer mix named Bodhi! I am changing careers and will be gone a lot and as. Meet Boxer Puppies for Sale No puppies available at this time. They are so sweet and playful and very smart!! Great with kids and other dogs and cats. StoneBull Bullmastiffs Puppies coming soon. Boxer Dogs adopted on Rescue Me! This hybrid dog is also called the Bullboxer Pit. Boxer Puppies for Sale in Wisconsin. For you who are dreaming of having grey pitbull puppy, you can consider Boxer Pitbull mix. Join millions of people using Oodle to find puppies for adoption, dog and puppy listings, and other pets adoption. He does not do well with other dogs of children. Boxer Puppies for Sale in Iowa. Vet checked, dewormed , ready with first. The average lifespan of the Boxer Pitbull mix is around 10 to .Dogs for sale in Saudi Arabia. Golden Doodle Puppies for sale. They have a short and smooth coat which is often.

Welcoming a new puppy into your home is an exciting time filled with joy, cuddles, and a few inevitable challenges. One of the most common questions new puppy owners ask is, "When can puppies go outside? Table of Contents Easiest Dog to Take Care of: Top 10 Breeds for a Happy Home Do you ever dream about having a furry best friend who loves to play fetch, gives the warmest cuddles, and greets you with the happiest tail wags every time you come home? A friend who is not just any dog, but the easiest dog to take care of? We know, it sounds like a dream come true, right? But we also understand that bringing a new puppy home is a big step. It's like adding a new member to your family, a little brother or sister.All French Bulldog Insights French Bulldog Breed Info If you're seeking an adorable companion with a charmingly squashed face, an easygoing personality, and a distinct penchant for lounging on the couch, the French Bulldog could just be your perfect match. With their signature bat ears and expressive eyes, French Bulldogs, or "Frenchies" as they are lovingly known, have captured the hearts of many dog lovers around the globe, consistently ranking among the most popular breeds. Renowned for their easy maintenance and the ability to thrive in apartment living, French Bulldogs are a city dweller's delight. Their small size, typically weighing under 28 pounds, makes them perfectly suited to compact urban spaces. However, their charming personalities and heartwarming companionship are universally loved, irrespective of city or countryside living. This breed's laid-back nature does not mean they're devoid of fun and play. On the contrary, French Bulldogs can be quite playful and are known for their often comical and entertaining antics, which only further endears them to their owners. Their affectionate demeanor, combined with a remarkably low barking tendency, makes them a joy to have around the house. French Bulldogs are sturdy, compact, and stocky, with a powerful muscular build that contradicts their small size. They have a smooth coat that comes in a variety of colors, from fawn and brindle to white and grey. Their facial expressions are human-like, and they're known to "talk" using a complex system of yawns, yips, and gargles. However, owning a French Bulldog does come with responsibilities. Their brachycephalic short-nosed nature makes them prone to certain health issues and less tolerant of extreme temperatures. Despite their muscular appearance, they are not the best swimmers, and care should be taken around bodies of water. Check out our available puppies. Moose has made everyday an adventure!! He is the funniest, happiest and sweetest puppy I have ever seen. I did not think dogs could become such a big part of your heart, but we can not imagine life without him! Morgan: When we first got Lola we had no idea she was going to become so spoiled and run the house!! Our family loves her so much!! She loves to play, run and cuddle. Lola has the best temperament and we can take her anywhere!! She never meets a stranger and is really great with kids. She can definitely be a handful at times. Like when she is having too much fun outside. But, we would not trade her for anything!! They are so personable, and each one has her own personality. They are always glad to see us. They love snuggling when we sit on the couch. They love it when they get to travel with us whether it is a trip to the store or across the country. They are always excited to load up in the truck. They get along well with our cats and love to meet other people. They can have fun no matter where they are. They are so much fun to just hang our with. They are like sweet, funny, cuddly tanks. They can be zooming around the house one minute and snuggled up on my lap the next. For me, Frenchies are the perfect dog!! Rescued dogBiography Important Information Please read! The majority of the dogs we rescue, mostly breeder dogs, have lived their entire lives in less-than-ideal conditions so will need to be socialized, house and leash trained. Most have never lived in a house, walked on a leash, had a treat or sat in a lap. For many of them, their feet have never touched the ground after living for years on wire until they arrive at our main facility where they are evaluated, groomed and given vet care. Most of these dogs are not socialized and need to be cornered to be picked up, so are not suitable for people with physical disabilities or suffer from PTSD. They need folks who will make them the center of their world and help them learn to trust before even attempting to train. You must have an ample supply of all of these to reap the rewards of watching these very special dogs become your wonderful companion. We state any known health issues, all are altered unless there is a medical reason not to, which we will advise, any known medical issues addressed, are microchipped, are UTD on all vaccines and have been checked out by at least one veterinarian, usually two. We do not guarantee the health of any of our rescued dogs. The dogs we rescue have lived with other dogs all of their lives and most get along with other dogs. We state if they are dog aggressive. We require a permanent, full-time parent. That means you must be able to spend the majority of your time with your new companion to socialize and train. We do not, under any circumstances, place them in homes with young children as they have not been exposed to children and we do not know how they will react. Please do not waste your time or ours if you are not prepared to adopt within 2 weeks and you are not willing to pick the dog up at its location. My name is Jordie, and I am a sweet French bulldog girl who is 6 years old, and I weigh 26 pounds. I need someone who is experienced with my breed and will give me lots of attention. Children over 5 years old would be okay with me too. We have answers. Start off by searching for something like Colorado Springs French Bulldog puppies for sale, and find some litters. Then choose the perfect puppy and connect with the breeder. What are French Bulldogs really like? They are small and very cute looking, but they are also fun dogs that love to play. That means they love being with their owners as much as possible, and yours will love cuddling up with you on the couch. Is there a reason why French Bulldogs are more expensive than other dogs? Yes, French Bulldogs are difficult to breed because of their narrow hips. French Bulldog breeders in Colorado Springs usually have to use artificial insemination, and pups also need to be delivered by C-section. All of this means breeders need to be highly skilled, and this can add to the price when you are looking for a French Bulldog Colorado Springs. Can I search for the cheapest puppies here? What our customers want is to connect with top French Bulldog breeders Colorado Springs that use ethical breeding practices. We take transparency seriously. So when you look for French Bulldog puppies Colorado Springs, you know you are getting your new pup from a top breeder that will provide full details about your pup and its health history. Can I be sure my new puppy will arrive in good health? All the businesses and breeders in our network provide complete health checks for the pups. They check everything from teeth to ears to respiratory systems. So you can be sure when you search for Colorado Springs French Bulldogs for sale that you know what its health condition is like. Shelter dogs can make wonderful pets and we are not against shelters in any way. Can I pick up my new puppy directly from the breeder? Once you have found the perfect Colorado Springs French Bulldog for sale, you can make arrangements with the breeder to pick it up. If you find a dog nearby, your breeder will explain how best to pick it up. If not, the breeder can make travel arrangements so you can meet your new pup at your most convenient US airport. How much exercise will my French Bulldog actually need? French Bulldogs are usually happy as long as they get one walk a day and some extra playtime indoors. Do French Bulldogs shed much during the year? Just like most other dogs, French Bulldogs do shed during the year, but not much. When you find a French Bulldog for sale Colorado Springs, you will need to give it a regular brush to keep its coat in good condition.

Breeders VS. The sad truth is that many pet store purchased pups actually come from puppy mills. Basically, there is zero authenticity with pet stores. When it comes to adopting any animal from a pet store, there is an increased risk of unforeseen health or genetic problems. You also cultivate a life-long relationship with the breeder, meaning support is available to you anytime you may need it. With My Golden Retriever Puppies , you have the option to come and visit both the puppy and the breeder in person! Golden Retrievers are an adaptable breed, meaning they are better at adapting to seasonal changes and various types of climate than certain other breeds. Goldens sport a double-coat, which ensures that these sweet pups are able to tolerate slightly colder temperatures than their friends from other breeds. Your pup deserves better than that, which is why here at My Golden Retriever Puppies , we ensure high-quality care is taken of your pet at all times. For more about the true price of a golden retriever puppy, you can read our full price breakdown here. Location Information for California Customers Our home office is located in Ohio, but we understand that long-distance travel can be inconvenient. If you prefer to meet a breeder in person, they may be able to offer private visits at their home. Of course! Here at My Golden Retriever Puppies , we value family and authenticity, which is why we always guarantee our pups through our 2-year genetic health guarantee. Like adopting a Golden Retriever from a pet store, there is an increased risk when adopting a pup from a rescue center or shelter as well. For example, pups purchased through a shelter or rescue center are far less likely to come with the kinds of health guarantees and reassurances that a breeder can provide. What type of Golden Retrievers are sold in California? We have some good news! Ready to make your Golden Retriever dreams come true? Take a look at our convenient list of available puppies. How do I know which breeders to trust in California? Our independent network of trusted breeders have already been pre-screened and verified, so that you can focus on what really matters: choosing your dream puppy. Be the first to know when we have new puppies! All Rights Reserved. To ensure the safety of our readers and the right fit for a new pet, we work hard to make sure only the most trusted breeders are featured on the site. We have a dedicated team that works hard and has done extensive research that involves checking both the breeder and their dogs, to verify that the breeders featured on our site are highly reputable and trustworthy. Feedback on Google and Facebook is also taken into consideration before they are listed as a breeder to have the highest standards possible. We hope that this gives you a little more information about how we list breeders on our site. Golden Retriever Puppies for Sale in California: Golden Retrievers are a hugely popular breed worldwide, thanks to their reputation as loyal pets and good hunting dogs. However, with so many breeders to choose from, it can be hard to decide which one is the best fit for you and your family. California is a great state to get a Golden Retriever, and there are plenty of reputable and ethical breeders to choose from. I have compiled a list of the top 14 Golden Retriever breeders in California, based on their breeding history, customer reviews, and service quality. Most of these breeders are hobbyists who breed for love, not money. With this list, you should be able to find the perfect Golden Retriever for your family. They are located in Southern California and they pride themselves on being an ethical breeder of quality Golden Retriever dogs. They source their breeding stock from all over the USA and Europe. This allows them to get the best genetics possible and produce healthy offspring. They want all of their puppies to go to good homes where they will be loved as family members. Additionally, all puppies are sold with limited registration. This means that the new family will not be able to breed their dog. The breeder only wants their puppies to go to homes where they will be treated as family dogs and not used for breeding purposes. The pups come microchipped, vets checked, dewormed, and doggy door trained. They also come with a 1-year health guarantee. Golden Retriever Breeder Info:. This little bundle of joy is on the lookout for a forever family who will cherish them and provide a lifetime of.Read More Golden retriever puppies Riverside, California Golden retriever puppies looking for a new home. Family dogs and very good with children. Had a litter of 13 golden retriever puppies, we are left three great puppies. We have 2 females and 1 male lef.Read More AKC Golden Retriever Puppies Elk Grove, California We have 4 females available for their forever home now Our pups are whelped and socialized in homes with families so that theyre "pre-spoiled: already used to loving and playing with humans. Puppies will be registered and have a health guarantee, 1st vaccines, dewormed, microchipped and a new puppy starter pack filled with needed supplies for new pup.Read More Golden retriever puppies Madera, California We have 7 beautiful baby boys and 2 sweetheart females. Puppies Will be ready for their forever homes soon. No scam. Your welcome to FaceTime me or google duo. I am also available for you to come pick.Puppies are raised in a loving home. We have been raising Goldens for over 15 years. All pups come.Read More.

TikTok user patric. Not knowing what to do with their protesting pup, the pet parent in the clip patiently waits out the canine's antics. In the clip, the golden retriever's owner holds on to the dog's leash while they wait for the dog to get up, eventually pulling out a phone to scroll through while the pet's tantrum ticks on. Bystanders filming the video narrate the amusing scene. Another voice adds the dog's POV, "He does not wanna leave. Alright,'" the voice continues as the owner finally gets the dog to roll over, get back on its paws, and pull its body up from the ground. In the clip, the dog sits upright on its paws but still refuses to move from its place in the parking lot despite the owner's efforts. The dog's owner continues to try to get the golden retriever moving before giving up and picking up the canine. The pet parent carries the dog towards the cars in the parking lot as onlookers laugh in delight. The sassy golden retriever became an overnight sensation, with the TikTok video garnering over .One TikTok user commented, "It's always a golden retriever," while another noted, "Golden retrievers seem to do this often. Puppy Tantrums: How To Deal With Them February 5, Picture this: you are at the park with your dog, and there are countless people and dogs around. Everything is an apparent frenzy of activity, and even you are having some trouble keeping up. If this is your experience, just imagine how your puppy might be feeling. After all, they were only just born in the past few months. They have much less experience with processing outside stimuli and regulating their emotions. As a result of this constant activity, you notice that your puppy is beginning to act a little strange. They are not listening, and perhaps they begin to growl and bark even when there is nothing threatening around at all. You can sense and watch the frustration coming off of them in droves. Luckily, we have tips on how you can handle them while also making them less likely to occur in the future. How could something as incredibly cute as a puppy be so upset over basically nothing? And, possibly even more importantly, what can you do to stop this from happening? After viewing your puppy seemingly flying off the handle at nothing at all, it is perfectly natural to wonder why puppies even experience temper tantrums at all. Much like how human children will feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, or just be frustrated with a situation, puppies can do the exact same thing. What Causes a Puppy Temper Tantrum? This is certainly an annoyance, but it does not mean that you and your dog cannot still go about your day exactly as planned. Some other reasons that your puppy might feel especially frustrated include that they are overly tired, they are overstimulated, or they have previously learned that tantrums get them what they want. We will discuss all of these possibilities in more depth a bit later in this article. What Are the Signs of a Puppy Tantrum? In some cases, it might be completely crystal clear to a pet parent that their puppy is currently experiencing and throwing a temper tantrum. That being said, if you have never seen one before, you might be a bit confused at first regarding what you are seeing. Here are some of the most common signs that can help you identify when a puppy is throwing a tantrum. Refusal To Listen If your usually obedient and eager to please puppy is suddenly not listening to a word you say, it does not mean something is wrong with them. Well, other than the fact that they are in the midst of a tantrum. This is often one of the first indications that a dog is getting overstimulated and frustrated, but you might still be able to avoid a full meltdown at this stage. Barking or Growling A clearly identifiable sign of a puppy temper tantrum is when they begin to bark and growl. They do this to express some kind of displeasure over what they are currently experiencing. This behavior might strike you as especially strange considering that there is likely nothing in particular that you think they should be barking and growling at. Nipping or Biting When your dog is especially frustrated, they might show those unpleasant emotions by nipping or biting you and their surroundings. If this is an issue for your puppy, it is possible that this will go beyond just a nip, will actually become uncomfortable or destructive, and you may feel that you might need additional help. In that case, do not hesitate to reach out to a trained professional who regularly deals with this kind of misbehavior in dogs. The moment that you recognize the classic signs of a puppy temper tantrum, your immediate reaction is undoubtedly going to be to try and stop it. However, many people are surprised to find out that some of your first instincts might actually be harmful rather than helpful. It is important to do your research on how to react to a puppy tantrum ahead of time before they happen. This way, you can be completely prepared to deal with them appropriately rather than acting in a way that could make them worse going forward. Let Your Puppy Cry It Out This tip can be difficult to achieve for a number of reasons, but it is very important that you sometimes let the tantrum simply run its course. If you do not let your dog cry it out and instead try to cater to their needs in one way or another, you are showing them that this behavior gets them exactly what they want. If they interpret the situation that way, they will continue to throw temper tantrums often and freely in the future, because they know it works. It is never fun to see your puppy upset, even if you know full well that this overreaction is in no way justified. Although it is tempting to attempt to soothe your puppy in these times of stress, it is best to let them learn self-soothing mechanisms. Not only will this show them that throwing a tantrum gets them absolutely nowhere, but they will be much better at regulating their emotions in the future. If you are at the park or in another public place and your puppy starts to have a tantrum, this can be somewhat embarrassing. However, any other current or former puppy parents will know full well that this is just an unfortunate part of the process. It does not reflect poorly on the pet parent or the pet, this is just how puppies sometimes express their frustrations. Do Not Adjust Your Behavior While it might be tempting to change what you were doing and adjust your behavior, it is crucial that you do not do so. In most cases of a puppy temper tantrum, you were simply doing something or asking your dog to do something that they do not like. This could be going on a leash, going inside, or any number of other triggers. If this is something that your dog needs to do, they cannot learn that a tantrum will sufficiently stop it from happening. In this situation, make sure to remain completely calm, no matter how frustrated you may be. Even if you possibly feel like throwing a bit of a temper tantrum yourself, it is crucial that you resist that urge. Even when your dog is overwhelmed, they can still mimic and mirror your behavior. If they see and perceive you as being cool, calm, and collected, they are much more likely to do the same thing. Similarly, if they see you clearly uncomfortable or panicking, they will quite possibly do the same. Hold Them Steady It is possible that your puppy was experiencing a tantrum as a result of you holding them in the first place. However, this can still be a calming and distracting tactic to take while they are in the midst of an episode. Be sure to hold them firmly, but never harshly. They should be unable to move or wiggle too much, and certainly unable to escape your hold. However, this handling should never be painful or uncomfortable for your dog. After you have your puppy in an appropriate hold, it might take them a little while still to settle down. Let them whine and cry it out as you keep holding them. In a few seconds to a few minutes, they should reach a much more tranquil state. Give Your Puppy a Familiar Command To Distract Them When your puppy is deep in the throes of a temper tantrum, it is likely that they are so overwhelmed with feeling and stimulation that they are not thinking particularly rationally. Well, as much as a puppy will ever think rationally, that is. In order to snap them out of this spiral, giving them a well-known command is an excellent way to help them to focus. Simply clearly state the command and use any accompanying hand movements that your puppy has learned to go along with it. Once your dog registers this cue even through the fog of a tantrum currently in progress, they should still listen and perform the action. Once they have done what you asked, they will be in a clearer frame of mind, and more able to process incoming stimuli. As far as preventing puppy temper tantrums goes, it is possible to do to an extent. While it is never possible to eliminate the possibility of a tantrum occurring, there are some steps you can take to make this possibility much less likely. By following these tips, you will have to use the suggestions to stop a puppy tantrum much less often. Do Not Indulge Their Previous Tantrums As we mentioned previously, sometimes you just need to let your puppy cry it out. This is not an enjoyable process for either you or your puppy, but this teaches them that this behavior does not accomplish what they want. Once they learn this tough lesson, their incentive to act out in this way in the future will be greatly diminished. Eventually, once they learn better emotional regulation skills, they will likely stop having these kinds of episodes entirely. Make Sure That They Get Enough Sleep Similar to tantrums thrown by human children, being tired is a common cause of frustration in puppies. This reason might seem overly simple, but it is true. If your dog is feeling especially tired, they are going to be much more prone to bouts of frustration and being overwhelmed. The remedy for this particular issue is a fairly easy one: make sure that your dog is getting enough high-quality rest. Puppies often need between 18 and 20 hours of sleep per day, so they will need to be left undisturbed for prolonged periods of time. Resist the urge to cuddle, play with them, or generally bother them as they are sleeping. They are using that time to fuel their growth, which is a constant during puppyhood. Do not worry, there will absolutely be plenty of moments of boundless puppy energy soon after they wake up on their own. If your dog is having trouble getting this amount of sleep, or cannot find an area of the house that is quiet or where they feel comfortable enough to get some rest, you have options. It might be time to look into getting your puppy a cozy crate for them to call their own. You can make this space wonderfully comfortable for them by including a memory foam mattress pad where they can rest their weary head after a long day of playing. If that was not already enough to get your dog ready for bed, try tossing in some soft blankets and their favorite toys as well. If you do not think your puppy is getting enough sleep, then it might be time to call their veterinarian. Do Not Put Them in Unnecessary Over Stimulating Situations Many of the situations in which a puppy is experiencing a temper tantrum are necessary for you and them to go about the day. Some dogs have difficulty with leashes at first that could prompt a tantrum, or perhaps they do not like being held. This does not mean that their walk will suddenly stop, or you will no longer need to carry them from point A to point B. In those scenarios, it is best to let your dog just experience what they are feeling and eventually calm down. However, if you realize that your dog is regularly triggered into a tantrum in situations that they do not need to be in, it might be best to avoid those in the future. Make Sure That You Keep Calm As we referenced earlier, it is incredibly important that you keep calm around your dog whenever possible. In many ways, your puppy will determine how they should be acting based on your demeanor. If they regularly see you acting calmly, it is much more likely that they will do the same. All of this is to say that dogs are capable of picking up on so much more than we regularly realize. Rather than just acting calm, try your best to truly be calm. Keep Calm and Puppy On There are so many reasons that we all love our puppies. They are beyond adorable, their boundless energy is enviable, and they bring so much joy into our lives. While all of that is absolutely true, there are also some situations in which raising a puppy can be a bit less than perfect, to say the least. Yes, bathroom accidents are unpleasant to deal with, but puppy temper tantrums reign supreme when it comes to frustrations caused by our dogs.

These dogs have a striped pattern in conjunction with a different colored base. Fawn dates back to when the first fawn bully was recorded in England! This coat shade ranges from pale tan to a deep deer red. A white or platinum bulldog is completely white, from head to toe. However, freckles of different colors are still possible. Lilac is a rare color variety. The lilac English bulldog has had his color diluted twice: from black to brown and from black to blue. The result of this dilution is a wonderful shade of purple-lilac. Some lilacs could have a brown undercoat or frosty blue eyes. But, almost as a rule, their nose, eyeliner, and pads are purple. Black is another rare coat variety. These bullies have a brown undercoat, while the topcoat is shiny black. The pads, nose, and eyeliner are also deep black. Another black bully variation is black tri a black and white coat with tan-colored points. The pads, nose, and eyeliner are slate grey, while the coat shines grey under the sunlight. A chocolate bulldog is another rare example. They got this color because of the bb genotype. Their coats have the most beautiful deep chocolate-brown color, while the pads, nose, and eyeliner could be a chocolate or liver hue. Seal colored bulldogs are probably the rarest of them all. The coat is red or brown cast, with light-colored eyes and a dark stripe down their backs. The legs and tail are usually darker than the rest of the body. The tri-colored bulldogs have three colors in a specific pattern. The points of a third color are usually displayed in a shade of fawn or golden brown, above their eyes, on the cheeks, chest, and inner front legs. These spots might be familiar under the name tan points. Lilac is the combo gene — full blue and full chocolate combined. The first dilution is by the chocolate gene and the second one by the blue gene. The bb dilutes black to brown, and then the dd dilutes black to blue. When you mix the brown and blue, you will get the specific lilac shade. The lilac coat resembles much the one a grey Weimerainer carries. It should be shiny with as many dark and light shades as possible. Some might even have an undercoat that shines pink or green, depending on the light. If you do, then fortune has smiled upon you. But, the rare colors are much more pricey! We want to make your dreams come true. Leelynn's wants you to feel like more than just a customer, we want you to feel like a part of our bulldogge family. Here at Leelynn's your puppy will be cradled like a baby and put on its back to learn trust. Your fur baby will also receive lovingly administered baths in the sink with a sprayer as well as the faucet. The early bathing experience will set the mode for future baths. We want it to be as comfortable and gentle as possible. We will be trimming your puppy's nails with a toenail clipper as I've found that works best. I personally give age appropriate wormings in liquid form through a small syringe while puppy is on my kitchen counter. I use Nemex 2 and Verbantel as wormers. Your new Olde English Bulldogge will have a vet check-up and will receive its first set of shots at that time. You will receive a copy of this check-up for your records. Puppy is not allowed outside until after its received the entire series of vaccinations - again for precaution. Your puppy is litter trained using pine chips and a plastic tote that is used for under the bed storage. Leelynn's Bulldogges prides itself in providing you a well socialized healthy puppy that will be your friend for life. Ohld ing-glish Bool-dawg Description The Olde English Bulldogge is a muscular, medium sized dog of great strength, stability and athleticism. He is well balanced and proportioned, with no features exaggerated or standing out. He has the appearance of a dog capable of doing his original job, bull baiting. The OEB head is prominent and dramatic. The cheeks are large, well developed and display powerful jaw muscles. A slightly wrinkled forehead is acceptable. There is a crease from the stop to the occiput. It has a narrow skull and domed forehead. The muzzle is square, wide and deep, with definite layback. Distance from the tip of the nose to the stop does not exceed one-third of the distance from the tip of the nose to the occiput. Height of the muzzle from the bottom of the chin to the top of the muzzle is equal to or greater than the length of the muzzle, thus producing the deep, square muzzle. There is slight to moderate wrinkle on the muzzle. Flews are semi-pendulous. The bite is undershot and horizontally straight. Lower jawbone is moderately curved from front to back. Eyes are round to almond-shape and medium sized. They are set wide apart, with the outside corner of the eye intersecting with the outside line of the skull and are set low, at the level of the muzzle, where the stop and muzzle intersect. Eye color is brown, with black pigmented eye rims. Canine teeth are large. Broken, chipped or extracted teeth are acceptable. There are 6 corn row teeth between canines. Nostrils are wide with a line running vertically between nostrils from the tip of nose down to the bottom of the upper lip. Nose is large and broad in relationship to the width of the muzzle. Nose color is black. Ears are rose, button or tulip, with rose preferred. They are set high and to the rear of the skull. The ears are positioned as wide as possible on the outside of the skull. They are small to medium in size. Neck is medium length, wide, and slightly arched. It is a little smaller than the head where the two meet, and gets wider from that point to the shoulders. It is slightly loose from jaw to chest, forming a double dewlap. They are broad, heavily muscled and have a separation between shoulder blades. The scapula shoulder blade should be at an approximate degree angle to vertical and form an angle approximately degrees to the humerus forearm. Scapula and humerus should be roughly equal in length. A vertical line drawn from the point of the scapula top to the ground will pass directly through the elbow. The elbows are not turned in or out. The legs are set wide apart, coming straight down from the shoulders. They are straight vertically on inside of legs and well-muscled, giving a bowed appearance of front quarters. The forelegs have medium bone and are in proportion to the body. The pasterns are medium in length. They are straight, strong, flexible and nearly perpendicular to the ground. Body is sturdy and powerful. The length from tip of breastbone to rear thigh is slightly longer than the height from ground to withers. The back is wide and muscular, showing power. Topline has a slight roach or wheel back. There is a fall in the back, to its low spot behind the shoulders. From this point the spine rises to the loin. The high point of the loin is a little bit higher than the shoulders then there is a gentle curve, forming an arch, down to the tail. Loin back of ribcage to hips is muscular, medium in length and slightly arched. The chest is wide and deep with a muscular brisket. Ribs are well sprung and rounded, being at their fullest directly behind the shoulders. Shoulders to forelegs are well muscled. Hips and thighs are strong and muscular. Hind legs are well muscled and slightly longer than the forelegs. In a natural stance they are straight, parallel and set apart when viewed from the rear. Distance between hind legs is less than distance between front legs. Angulation is moderate. Stifles have a gentle convex curve when viewed from the side. Stifle angle roughly matches the angle of the pelvis. Hocks are perpendicular to the ground when viewed from the side and back. They are parallel to each other when viewed from the back. A line drawn from the rear-most part of the buttocks, perpendicular to the ground, should fall to the front of the toes. They are straight when viewed from the front. Rear feet are smaller than front feet. Tail should be set low and tapering from base to end. It can be pump handle or straight, with pump handle being preferred. Tail should reach the hocks or be slightly shorter and carried down or horizontal. Some breeders choose to dock the tail. Coat is short, close and of medium density. It should be shiny, showing good health. Color can be brindle of red, gray, fawn or black; either solid or pied with white. Solid white, fawn, red or black; solid color or pied. Temperament Olde English Bulldogges are docile, but capable and protective, fearless and athletic, fierce-looking, determined and courageous, bold and friendly around their family and friends, but fearless adversaries to anyone who threatens their masters or property. This breed likes to chew and should be supplied with plenty of toys and bones. Nylabones and rubber Kong toys are highly recommended. Rawhides, soft rubber and stuffed toys are unsafe, for they are easily shredded or swallowed whole. Olde English Bulldogges are so eager to please that they may overexert themselves in an effort to do whatever is asked of them. An owner who displays a natural authority toward the dog, socialization and obedience training are important. It is best to channel high energy individuals to some type of work and exercise. The objective in training this dog is to achieve pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in its pack. When we humans live with dogs , we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined and rules are set. Because a dog communicates his displeasure with growling and eventually biting, all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. The humans must be the ones making the decisions, not the dogs. That is the only way your relationship with your dog can be a complete success. This breed tends to drool and slobber. Height, Weight Height: Males 17 - 20 inches 43 - 51 cm Females 16 - 19 inches 40 - 48 kg Weight: Males 60 - 80 pounds 27 - 36 kg Females 50 - 70 pounds 22 - 31 kg Health Problems May be susceptible to bloat —a painful and often fatal condition that can be brought on by too large a quantity of food consumed at one time. As with all large breeds, hip dysplasia sometimes occurs. Breeders are working hard to keep it out of the Olde English Bulldogge; therefore, no dog with bad hips is bred. Living Conditions Olde English Bulldogges will adapt to almost any lifestyle. They should be protected from the extreme cold and heat, although they are not as susceptible as the AKC Bulldog. Exercise This breed needs to be taken on a daily pack walk to satisfy its migration instinct. When properly conditioned they can be active dogs, however, they are equally happy with moderate exercise. They can stay in relatively good shape with good muscle tone with only light exercise. These dogs are naturally slow, and because of their unique structure, they should not be encouraged to jump or engage in strenuous exercise as young pups. This breed is an average shedder. In he became disenchanted with English Bulldogs due to their breeding and breathing problems. David's goal was to produce a dog with the looks of the 18th century bulldog, with the temperament of today's English Bulldogs, yet healthy, without breathing problems, or all the other aliments today's English Bulldogs are prone to. This new breed can now breathe. Cesarean section births are not necessary. Artificial insemination, due to male ineptness and lack of drive, has been replaced by natural ties. Lifespan is over eleven years. All breeding stock has had hip x-rays. No dog with bad hips is bred. David says he is now achieving his goal of producing a Bulldog with the health and temperament to be able to serve people, instead of forcing people to serve him. David Leavitt is breeding them to more of a working lines type dog, while OEBKC is breeding the dogs as more of a family oriented dog. Our website offers a comprehensive list of AKC registered English Bulldog Merle puppies, each waiting to become a cherished part of your family. Join us as we delve into the beauty and origin of Lilac Merle English Bulldogs and explore their delightful temperaments to find your ideal furry friend. What is a Lilac Merle English Bulldog? The Lilac Merle English Bulldog is a captivating variation of the classic English Bulldog breed, known for its unique coat coloration. This enchanting appearance sets them apart from the standard Bulldogs and makes them irresistible to dog enthusiasts. The emergence of Lilac Merle coat pattern in English Bulldogs is the result of a fascinating genetic interplay. It is not a separate breed but rather a unique trait that arises due to specific gene combinations. Responsible breeding practices are essential to ensuring the health and well-being of Lilac Merle English Bulldog puppies. At CheapPuppiesForSale. Temperament of English Bulldogs Proper socialization, training, and regular exercise are essential to nurturing a well-rounded and well-behaved Lilac Merle English Bulldog. About Misty If you are looking for the perfect puppy, then you can just stop looking because I am the one for you. If you want a puppy who will be by your side for years to come, pick up the phone and call about me now! Reviews There are no reviews yet.

However, these dogs that might easily be hurt for their tiny size and playfulness might get bored due to prolonged solitude. They are adaptable to all weather changes. Care Exercise Considering their little size and lots of indoor activities, the pomapoos do not really need much exercise, but just in moderate amounts. Only a playing partner and taking the puppy for a little walk regularly would help burning their calories and keeping away behavioral issues. Grooming With the pomapoos having three different coat-types viz. Other than the rest of the basic care like keeping an eye for long nails, dental problems and infections, cleaning their reddish eye stains carefully every day is also important. Training To get them accustomed to the family children and other pets, train them the moment they are brought home from the breeders, since then they can pick up tricks easily. The food should be divided into two equal meals. If you want to feed it with veggies, you can try rice, or sweet potato, and for non-veg, you can choose a food ingredient that includes meat. Plenty of meat based foods are available like Bil-jac, blue buffalo, etc. However, do not feed milk. Interesting Facts The teacup pomapoo is a variation of the dog, which is even more smaller than the regular pomapoo. Pomapoos love people and should never be kept outdoors or in kennels. Pomapoos get along equally well with people of all ages, from kids to the elderly. Your vet can help you develop a care routine that will keep your dog healthy. Pomapoos are prone to weight gain, and they have moderate energy levels. One walk per day should suffice. Check their ears for debris and pests daily and clean them as recommended by your vet. They should not be clicking against the floor. Your groomer can help with this. You should brush their teeth daily, as small breeds are prone to dental issues. Be sure to start training early and instill good habits. Use the positive reinforcement technique. Be stern but loving. It will pay off with a well mannered dog. Small dogs have small bladders and may require more frequent potty breaks. Pomapoo Feeding An ideal Pomapoo diet should be formulated for a small breed with moderate energy. They have a tendency to gain weight if they are overfed, so you should stick to a regular feeding schedule and not leave food out during the day. Two to three small meals per day is recommended. The main colors of Pomapoos are brown, black, white, red, fawn, and sable. Sometimes their coats are solid, and sometimes they have a mix of colors. They usually have short to medium length coats and are light shedders. A light brush every few days should be enough. Always have fresh water available for your pup if they travel with you. Pomapoo Children And Other Pets Because the Pomapoo is a small dog, they can be easily injured by overly excited children. Pomapoos are friendly and very loving with children who know how to interact gently. Always err on the side of caution and never leave young children unattended with any dog, under any circumstance. When it comes to other pets, Pomapoos can get along with other animals quite well if they are introduced slowly and calmly, and early socialization will help this go smoothly. Pompoos do not like isolation, so multiple dog homes just might be ideal. Remember to protect Pomapoos in public from larger dogs. Learn more about Pomapoos by learning about their Pomeranian and Poodle parents. Pomapoo Rescue Groups It may be hard to find a breed specific rescue for Pomapoos because they are a mixed breed. However, you may want to try Pomeranian or Poodle breed specific rescues, as they often care for mixes, as well. Here are some rescues you can try:. These pint-sized pooches vary in appearance and size depending on which parent's traits they take on the most. In general, a full-grown Pomapoo dog weighs 5—15 pounds. But if they have inherited more Pom, they could be teeny-tiny and look like a fluffy fox. If they've got oodles of poodle in their DNA, they could don a furry, curly coat, be a bit larger, and inherit an air of dignity. Either way, Pomapoos have moderate grooming needs to keep their coats from matting. These small dogs are good candidates for apartment living , and while they don't require a ton of exercise, they are bidding for a standing invitation to sit on your lap. While both Pomeranians and poodles are popular breeds and have both been favored by royalty for centuries , the Pomeranian-poodle mix is a relatively new mixed breed that's been around since the late s. Pomapoos tend to be a versatile match for a variety of pet owners, from families to retirees, and mesh well with most living situations. Appearance Because they're a mixed breed, Pomapoos can vary quite a bit in appearance depending on which combo of adorable traits their parents pass on. In general, these small dogs range between 5—15 pounds, with male Pomapoos on the larger side. Frills around their necks and chests make them look like proud little lions, and they have dark-but-bright almond-shaped eyes. Poodles, on the other hand, have a curly low-allergen coat , square build, dark oval eyes with an intelligent gaze, and, overall, an elegant demeanor. To put it another way, one Pomapoo could be defined more by the animated appearance of a Pomeranian, while another could take on the distinguished traits of a toy poodle. Or, you could get a flamboyant mix of both. Pomapoos' coats can also vary wildly in terms of color, texture, and patterns. These pups may come in shades of red, brown, black, cream, brindle, or a seemingly endless number of color combinations. Usually, though, their coats tend to be dense and wavy, Burch says. Because their hair can be prone to matting, a daily brushing routine can help keep their coats tangle-free in between trips to the groomer. And while no dog is technically hypoallergenic , Pomapoos may be a low-allergen dog if they inherit the toy poodle coat. Temperament Poodles are fast learners and whip smart. Poms are active, inquisitive, and extroverted. Combine the two breeds, and the result is often a Pomapoo that's clever and snuggly, who absolutely loves to be the center of attention and is eager to learn new tricks. Like their Pomeranian parents, these vivacious dogs have a knack for entertaining their beloved humans and crave play time. But because of their tiny stature and delicate frame, they may not be a good fit for families with young, rough-housing children who may mistakenly injure these little guys. Always supervise kiddos when playing with any pup. Pomapoos bond tightly with their families and tend to be very loving, Burch says. Gentle and eager-to-please, the Pomapoo tends to be a stellar student when it comes to training. Living Needs Pomapoos can do excellent in apartments or tiny homes. While they'll get playful streaks, their exercise needs are on the low end of the scale. These dogs aren't much for outdoor adventures they don't fare well in extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold. A daily walk or about 30 minutes of exercise a day should suit their needs, Burch says. Because they bond with their family, they'll do best in a home where they get plenty of attention and have some dedicated playtime with interactive toys and puzzle games. It's also a good idea to outfit your house with doggy stairs or a ramp to help them climb up on your couch. It'll keep these tiny puppers from injuring their joints from jumping on and off furniture. Care These darling dogs do need regular grooming and a good teeth brushing routine to keep them in tip-top shape, says Pam Nichols, DVM, president of the American Animal Hospital Association. Grooming will depend on what kind of coat your Pomapoo has, but generally speaking you'll want to plan on brushing your dog on a daily basis; Pomapoos have thick coats that can mat easily. On the plus side, Pomapoos with poodle-like coats tend to be allergy-friendly. But those curls do require a lot of TLC—and the daily brushing can stave off matting. Pomeranians, on the flip side, have soft, dense undercoats and long, straight outer coats. And while they look high-maintenance, brushing can be an easy task because the pups are so small. As with other poodle mixes, consistent trips to the groomer every 6—8 weeks for a Pomapoo haircut should keep your dog's coat looking and feeling good and make it easier to manage between grooming appointments. That's because they can have enamel defects, an irregular bite, and periodontal disease at a young age, Nichols says. It's best to brush your dog's teeth every day, using circular and up-and-down motions to remove plaque and tartar. Poultry-flavored toothpastes and positive reinforcement treats and head pats as rewards! When it comes to training, Pomapoos are quick learners and they'll enjoy training sessions because it's an opportunity to be the center of attention. Arm yourself with lots of treats to make short training sessions productive and fun. Some top training priorities for Pomapoos should be helping them stay calm and refrain from barking , Nichols says. As with all breeds, exercise patience and use positive reinforcement during training. These tiny dogs have short little legs and don't require a ton of exercise a nice walk around the neighborhood plus some playtime will suffice. Be mindful that Pomapoos can develop a cough during exercise or strenuous activity that is associated with tracheal collapse , which occurs when the cartilaginous rings of the trachea weaken, Nichols says. Health The Pomapoo lifespan is 12—15 years, and this mixed breed tends to be healthy. But like all breeds, they can be disproportionately affected by some health problems. Pomapoos are prone to luxating patellas , or dislocated kneecaps, which is something that's inherited from both the toy poodle and Pomeranian parents, Burch says. Epilepsy is also prevalent in Pomapoos, Burch says, and the disorder that causes seizures often requires long-term medication. Also, as Pomapoos age, they are prone to developing cataracts , which can eventually lead to vision loss , Burch says. It's important to make sure you're bringing home a healthy, ethically bred Pomapoo. Because she's a new "designer" hybrid dog, her high demand can mean some breeders operate without the dogs' health in mind. To ensure you're working with an ethical Pomapoo breeder, look out for these puppy mill red flags : A breeder offers to ship a puppy. It's difficult to find contact information on the breeder's website. The kennel produces multiple breeds of dogs. The breeder doesn't let you meet the puppy's parents or siblings. While it may be hard to believe, today's spunky and pint-sized Poms can be traced back to burly and strong Arctic sled dogs. Their name, Pomeranians, is a nod to where they originated—an area in northeastern Europe that's part of Poland and Germany today. In the late s, Queen Victoria of England became enamored with the breed on a trip to Florence, Italy, and she brought back several Poms to Britain. Over time, the dogs were downsized from about 20—30 pounds to their current toy size, something that the American Pomeranian Club credits to Queen Victoria. The Pomapoos' other parent, the people-pleasing poodle, is often associated with France. The breed was a favorite of Louis XVI. But poodles were originally bred as duck hunters in Germany. Fun Facts This teddy bear-like dog has some cute nicknames. You may also hear these pups referred to as Pompoo or poopom. The Pomapoo's parents have a long and fascinating history. For instance, at least a dozen dogs were on board when the Titanic sank in ; among the survivors were two Pomeranians. As far as poodles, King Louis XVI of France was quite a fan of the breed , and the dogs were given ornate haircuts and carried around like trophies. Because they're a mixed breed dog, Pomapoo puppies—even from the same litter—can look completely different with different coat colors, patterns, and textures. Was this page helpful? First, be prepared to train your puppy right from the start. The breed is highly intelligent and will take to training quickly, but as we said before, these dogs can carry some huge personalities. Training your Pomapoo early on and getting them used to your routine can go a long way. Pomapoo puppies also tend to resemble both parent breeds, Toy Poodles and Pomeranians. Regardless of the temperament you bring home, be ready to socialize your pup with friends and family to get them well acquainted with people of all ages. Your pup may more closely resemble Toy Poodles who are intelligent and generally social. This could lead to a Pomapoo who is great with kids and other dogs, and one that is outgoing and abundantly friendly. Alternatively, your Pomapoo could take on traits more commonly associated with Pomeranians. No matter what, early training and socialization will help your dog grow accustomed to your lifestyle and social habits. Pomapoos love their human counterparts, and while they might not always be eager to interact with strangers, they will usually desire your attention. Their intelligence mixed with their affection makes them perfect little furry family members that love interacting with their owners. This varying level of sociability makes this a difficult question to answer, but with early socialization and training Pomapoos can make great family dogs. Even if your pup is socialized properly and gets along with humans in general, small children sometimes have the tendency to play too rough with pets, and Pomapoos are small and delicate. Even Pomapoos from the same litter can be drastically different from one another, and this is really just a result of them being bred from two different breeds. You may get a Pomapoo who takes after their Toy Poodle parent and is generally sociable and happy to play and interact with other dogs and cats. Alternatively, your Pomapoo may get their personality more from their Pomeranian parent, in which case they may be a bit more uncomfortable or less social around other pets. Life Span Did You Know? These little dogs are smart and loving with playful, affectionate, and charming personalities. As a developing breed, the Pomapoo may not be recognized by the American Kennel Club, but they are recognized by other dog registries. A Pomapoo is a combination of two very cuddly and affectionate companion breeds, so it comes as no surprise that they are also cuddly, affectionate, and loving dogs that thrive on attention. As long as they have been properly socialized, they are social and friendly with children, other dogs, and other pets. They will even tend to warm up to strangers once introduced, especially if it means getting more attention and affection. They do tend to alert bark, which can become a nuisance behavior if you do not train your dog to stop barking early on. Pomapoos are highly adaptable dogs. They tend to do well in apartments as well as larger homes. Although they are fluffy, their small size means they may need to bundle up with some winter dog products to stay warm when out on walks when the temperatures drop. Because they bond so closely with their families, they do not like to spend long periods of time alone. Potential health concerns to be aware of in a Pomapoo include patellar luxation , epilepsy, cataracts, and tracheal collapse. Reputable breeders will screen their dogs to avoid passing preventable issues to puppies. So, make sure you are asking about the health and genetic history of both of the parents. You can also ask about any health tests or clearances that have been done. A Pomapoo is an intelligent dog that picks up on things quickly, is eager to please, and thrives on praise and positive reward. They can be a little bit stubborn at times, but as long as training is kept consistent and positive, they tend to do well with owners of all experience levels. Some of the benefits of puppy training classes include strengthening your bond, reinforcing training, socialization, and more. Either way, a Pomapoo will require a lot of grooming just like their parent breeds. Nail trims once or twice a month are usually enough to keep them from growing too long. Weekly ear checks with careful cleanings as needed can help prevent ear infections. As a small dog breed, the Pomapoo is more prone to developing dental diseases, which makes good dental care for dogs early and throughout their life even more important. Daily brushing with dog-friendly toothpaste or daily use of an enzyme toothpaste, in addition to cleanings at the vet, is ideal. A Pomapoo may be energetic when they play and have bursts of higher energy, but they sit in a low to moderate range and will tire themselves out quickly. Daily walks plus some playtime are usually enough for this little dog. They will likely be up for more if you are because they love spending time with you. A fully-grown Pomapoo usually stands inches tall and weighs pounds. Pomapoos generally live for years on average. Although Pomapoo is the most common, this hybrid breed is also sometimes called a Pompoo, Pooranian, or Pomerdoodle. Featured Pomapoo Article. Pomapoo rescue and puppies Also known as the Pooranian, Pompoo and Pomeroodle, Pomeranian Poodle mix appearance and temperament can vary from dog to dog. They tend to be better suited to families with older kids due to their fragile bodies and defensive responses to accidental injury. Pomapoo History Mixed breeds have been around for as long as purebred dogs. And since designer dogs are essentially just first generation mixed breeds, they really are not anything new. However, the mixing of two distinct breeds to create a new dog type is something that has gained popularity within the last 20 years or so. The Toy Poodle is an offshoot of the basic Poodle breed that has been recognized since the s. The Poodle was developed as a canine to hunt waterfowl, like many of the oldest canines. They were selectively bred to create smaller versions of the larger Poodle, and this is where we get the Toy Poodle from. So it is not its own distinct breed, just a tiny version of the Standard Poodle. The Pomeranian is a toy dog breed that originated in the s from the German Spitz canine. The dogs were originally larger and closer in resemblance to the German Spitz, used to protect livestock and herd sheep. However, Queen Victoria owned a small Pomeranian and the toy version of the dog became quite popular. The much smaller Pomeranians are now the most common. Over the last 20 years, ownership of Poms has increased substantially, making the breed one of the most popular in the United States. Pomeranians have a narrow muzzle, small face, and small ears that sit high on the head and stand up straight. Toy Poodles have longer and more pointed muzzles with small faces, and the ears are long and flop along the side of the head. Pomapoos will often have floppy ears as well, but they are a bit smaller than those of a Poodle. Pomapoo adults, like other types of designer dogs, can have a mixed appearance. Attributes come from either the Toy Poodle or Pomeranian parent, which means they vary a fair bit. What we do know for sure, is they are small! Pomapoo Size When it comes to size, Pomeranians are only about 6 to 7 inches high and 3 to 7 pounds. They weigh about 6 to 9 pounds. So your Toy Pomapoo full grown will be anywhere from 6 to 10 inches high and 3 to 9 pounds. Basically, your pup will be a toy sized one, just like its parents. A Teacup Pomapoo is a small version of the Pomapoo. Bred from runts of the litter or by mixing another smaller breed. They are incredibly cute and portable, but we recommend you avoid these exceptionally tiny varieties. Both teacup Poodles and teacup Pomeranians come with a lot of health issues, not just potential temperament problems. Tiny dogs can act more aggressively than larger ones. But socialization will help to reduce the chances of this. So what does the Pomapoo coat look like? Well, it really can resemble that of the Pom or the Poodle, or you might see a mixture. The Pomeranian although usually tan, comes in a lot of colors. As does the Poodle. Your pup could potentially have any of these, or a cute mixture! The Pomeranian has a soft undercoat covered by more textured hair, and it has a remarkable fluff to it. The Toy Poodle has a thick, dense, and curly coat that is often kept trimmed close to the body. Poodles are famously low shedding. Unfortunately, the cute little Pomapoo is likely to also be a shedder. And they are not hypoallergenic. Grooming and Haircuts Regardless of which parent your Pomapoo dog takes after, you will need to invest in some grooming. Most of the dogs will have a hybrid coat that requires brushing with a slicker brush if the hair is more curly and a pin brush if it is straight. Brushing every day is wise. Additionally, you should think about a Pomapoo haircut every few months to reduce some of the grooming and shedding headaches. Puppy, lion, and teddy bear cuts are all common varieties to consider and will cut down on Pomapoo shedding. Keep in mind that the cuts do require the expertise of a groomer, and this can substantially raise your overall Pomapoo grooming costs. Pomapoo Temperament and Activity Level Pomapoos are smart, loyal and trainable. They do sometimes have a bit of a stubborn streak, and the dogs are known for their tight bond with family members. Since they are intelligent dogs, they need to take part in exercise and other activities that keep them engaged. An hour of exercise, at a minimum, is required, and games like fetch should be encouraged during exercise sessions. Your Pomapoo is likely to be active, like the Pomeranian and Toy Poodle with daily exercise needs of about an hour. You can expect to see some loyalty and intelligence as well. You should know that Toy Poodles are excellent family dogs. However, Pomeranians will often favor a single family member. Are They Good Family Pets? This cute little Pomeranian Poodle mix can fit well into some families. They are loyal, loving and intelligent. But they are also very small. This makes them not ideal with families with tiny children who accidentally be rough, or trip over them. Kids over the age of 12 should do fine with supervision. Just remember to give your pup space, and to not let them get over tired. Training your Pomeranian Poodle mix Small dogs can typically take a little longer to potty train. This is in part due to the small bladder size. But with perseverance and a good routine they will get there in the end. Like any other intelligent, confident dog they will benefit hugely from positive reinforcement training. Set them up to win, make training rewarding and it will be a fun and bonding experience for you both. You can even have fun teaching them tricks! Exercise These small dogs are still pretty lively, and need regular walks and plenty of play time. They can be taught to fetch and even to take part in dog sports like agility, just like their larger counterparts. You will however need to be careful, as with their small stature they can be vulnerable to accidents. Pomapoo Health To ensure your Pomapoo is as healthy as possible, make sure each parent is health tested for the conditions relevant to their breed. If they are a second generation mix from Pomapoo parents, then they need to both be checked for all of them. With older dogs you may or may not have a history to go on. They could have come from a marriage breakdown or the sad departure of an owner, or been rejected due to temperament issues. And reputable centers will help you to select a dog that is a good fit for you and your family. Pomapoo Puppies Finding a designer dog breeder is not difficult, but you do need to make sure that you find a reputable one. Before committing to a pup, make sure any Pomapoo breeders you consider can supply the full veterinary records for the mother and father. A lineage should be supplied as well, and ideally, the breeder should be more than happy to supply DNA test records. This type of testing will show whether or not the breeding dogs have genes for hereditary diseases. Eye, bone, dental, hair, or gastrointestinal concerns are particularly relevant with this mix. You will notice higher costs if the breeder supplies full medical records and DNA tests for the mother and father. It is well worth the cost knowing that your new furry pup is more likely to be healthy. You have your heart set on a Pomeranian whereas another family member wants a Poodle. How do you find a balance? By getting a Pomapoo! The Pomapoo — also known as a Pomdoodle — is a clever mixed breed dog obtained by crossing a Toy Pomeranian with a Toy or Miniature Poodle. The result is an affectionate hybrid little dog that is smart, sweet, and highly affectionate. Read on to find out more about the adorable Pomapoo! What is a Pomapoo? Pomapoo is a designer or hybrid dog that has captured the creative interests of breeders and dog lovers alike. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of the breed but it is believed that these cute designer dogs might have been around for almost 2 decades now. It is also believed that the breed might have originated in the United States. Pomeranian The development of the breed can be attributed to the Labradoodle — the first designer dog breed created by crossing a Poodle with a Labrador Retriever. The Labradoodle became immensely popular thanks to its high trainability and intelligence. Smaller cross-breed dogs became popular after the Labradoodle. This may have prompted breeders to cross small-sized dogs like the Toy Pomeranian with Toy or Miniature Poodle resulting in the adorable Pomapoo. Physical Attributes of Pomapoos How big is a full-grown Pomapoo? The Pomapoo is a small dog measuring between 8 and 12 inches .The way your Pomapoo puppy turns out depends on several factors including complicated canine genetics. For example, some Pomapoos might inherit the tight curly coats of the Poodle. Others may have a double coat like the Pomeranian which is thick, soft, and tightly packed with hair. Your pet might have a cute smile like the Poodle or a foxlike appearance like the Pomeranian. Likewise, your Pomapoo puppy could inherit different coat colours such as white, black, red, merle, blue, silver, tan, cream, orange, sable, apricot, brown, or grey. It could also be bi-coloured like the Poodle such as black and white. In any case, the Pomapoo is known for its enchanting teddy bear-like appearance. Their versatile and compact bodies also make them easy to transport anywhere with their humans. Pomapoo Temperament and Personality The Pomapoo may be a small dog but it has a big personality. It is known for unique traits which are a mixture of the Pomeranian and Poodle traits. One thing is for sure: these little dogs are unique and they do unique things! Some might spin around when excited, others might hide their food in different locations. All these traits go a long way in making the charming, hearty, and intelligent Pomapoos excellent companion animals. Most Pomapoos are affectionate dogs but they tend to only bond with one person. That special human is everything to the little dog. Of course, your pet will shower its love equally on all members but it will prefer doing things with that special individual. Being small, they do not need too much exercise — they can get most of the exercise they need indoors. Remember that any dog, without activity, is likely to get bored, depressed and, worse, destructive. You certainly do not want that with your small pet. So a daily walk or two around the block is necessary. Pomapoos are very playful dogs and they love doing things with their humans. They will always be ready to go out for car rides and are ever-ready for a game of fetch in the yard. Their small size makes Pomapoos ideal pets for apartment dwellers but they also do well in houses having fenced yards. Pomapoos are also easy to tote around and even make great little lapdogs for elderly people or those with limited mobility. An ideal owner for a Pomapoo is a family with slightly older kids who can be trusted to take care of the small dog. The relatively rare designer dog breed is energetic, intelligent, fiercely loyal, and eager to please. All these traits make Pomapoos easy to train. This is a confident and polite little dog that loves to entertain. Do not let its small size fool you: Pomapoos are capable of excelling in agility, obedience, and a wide range of other abilities. They can also be trained to perform tricks or become therapy dogs for those with mental disabilities such as depression and anxiety. Pomapoos can even become service dogs and comfort dogs and due to their yappy nature, make excellent watchdogs as well. How Much Does a Pomapoo Cost? The initial price of your pup is not the only expense you need to consider. You also need to think about the other lifelong costs of dog ownership mainly food and treats, medical care, grooming, pet boarding, travel, etc. Best Dog Food for Pomapoos Due to their small size, Pomapoos need more calories per pound than large-breed dogs due to their higher metabolic rates. They also need small-sized kibble which they can easily pick up with their small jaws. Also, like most small breeds, they are prone to dental issues, so you might want to choose kibble which is designed to eliminate plaque and tartar. Similarly, providing bones and non-lasting chews will also help reduce tartar and bad breath. You can choose to feed wet or canned food to your small pet since it has a higher moisture content than kibble. You also have the choice of feeding freeze-dried or frozen food and raw food. Always make dietary changes after consulting a vet nutritionist. In the first few days, when your puppy comes home from the breeder, feed it the same food that the breeder was feeding it. This is important to avoid digestive upsets. As your Pomapoo grows, you can opt to feed it the food that your vet recommends. Ideally, the best food for Pomapoos is one that is devoid of fillers and by-products. It should contain real meat as the first ingredient listed on the food label. Avoid foods with preservatives, colours, and artificial flavours. Some Pomapoos are sensitive to grains, dairy, and gluten. Some are even known to be allergic to certain proteins like poultry, fish, etc. In such a case, you might want to choose other protein sources. Health Issues in Pomapoos As a cross-breed, Pomapoos are generally healthy dogs. If you choose your puppy from a reputable breeder who uses sound knowledge of canine genetics and healthy breeding practices, then the chances of getting a healthy dog are quite high. Good breeders also conduct health checks on the parent dogs prior to breeding such as DNA testing and patellar checks. This further reduces the chances of genetic health issues in the puppies. Pomapoos are prone to the following health issues: Allergies — these range from food to contact allergies. If you notice your pet chewing or licking its paws or rubbing its face, then it could be allergic to something in the food or its environment. Entropion — in this condition, the eyelid rolls inward causing eye redness and watering. The condition can affect dogs of any age. Sometimes, infection or injury might trigger it. Cataracts — This is the common cause of blindness in Pomapoos. Most dogs adjust to vision loss although there is also an expensive surgery available for treating it. Dental issues — Like all small dogs, dental disease is common in Pomapoos. It starts with tartar buildup and slowly progresses to tooth decay. There can be tooth loss, pain, difficulty in eating, and foul breath. Legg-Perthes disease — Like all toy breeds, this joint condition can affect Pomapoos. The first sign of it is degeneration of muscle in the legs and limping. Obesity — is a common issue in small dogs. It can result in heart disease, certain cancers, back pain, and arthritis. With good nutrition, regular health checks, and daily exercise, Pomapoos can live up to 16 years. Pomeranians and poodles can be yappy; making the Pomapoo a potentially noisy little dog Some Pomapoos tend to be yappy which can be problematic for apartment dwellers. You can train your dog to bark on cue. Yapping should be controlled from the very beginning otherwise; it might become a hard-to-break habit in your Pomapoo. What are the characteristics of a Pomapoo? Pomapoos are intelligent, affectionate, loyal, energetic, and active dogs. They are unique dogs that are confident, polite, and generally not aggressive. Some Pomapoos tend to be yappy. Is a Pomapoo hypoallergenic? Not all Pomapoos are hypoallergenic. Only the dogs that inherit the tight, curly, non-shedding Poodle-like coat are somewhat hypoallergenic. So, a person with allergies might still develop allergy symptoms around so-called hypoallergenic dogs. Subscribe for free oodle information and exclusive offers on the best products for your pup! Leave this field empty if you're human: Share this.

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.