how much does french bulldog puppy cost

We expect they will be lbs when fully grown. Applications and deposits are accepted on a first come, first served basis. See below for photos of this litter - and the 4 available male puppies! They can go home Sept 23! We reserve the right to cancel any sale and refund money paid at any time for any reason. This combination makes a very healthy hybrid. These are crossbred together and the resulting puppies tend to be healthier than either purebred parent. This is because purebred dogs tend to have more genetically transferred disorders the most common being hip dysplasia, eye and thyroid issues , because in breeding dogs of the same breed, more recessive genes are passed along. Both our dogs have been DNA tested and are free of any genetic abnormality that can be seen in Golden Retrievers or Poodles. Additionally, our puppies have been bred and raised with a special curriculum for having the temperament for training as service dogs. They get along well with children and crave human attention. They are quick to learn new things as they are eager to please their human friends. Goldendoodles should be exercised daily in some manner as they love to be active and can find mischief if bored or left alone for too long. Consistent grooming is also something to consider as their hair needs to be brushed and cut regularly to prevent matting and keep it soft. Grooming can be expensive! Fully grown, our medium sized Goldendoodles range in weight between 30 to 40 pounds, averaging around inches in height. Proudly created with Wix. Vandenbark Doodles Finding a Responsible Goldendoodle Breeder With the Doodle star on the rise, these pups often sell for quite a bit of money. You need to keep an eye out for fake advertisements. These people will direct you to send them a hefty deposit for a pup and then quickly disappear. Fraudsters, on the other hand, breed poor-quality dogs in puppy mills. GANA offers breeder accreditation at different levels dependent on the facility in question, demonstrating specific breeding criteria, including reliability in coat, type, health, and temperament. A GANA membership demonstrates quality in a breeding facility but do make sure you double-check that they really are registered before purchasing a pup from them. Ensure Appropriate Health Checks Genetic testing and wellness check-ups are a crucial part of breeding. Then they need to make sure that any puppies born are in the best possible health. It can be pretty tricky for a novice owner to know exactly what to be on the lookout for when determining whether Goldendoodle puppies are healthy or not. However, the breeder should be very open with this information, happy to discuss their dogs with you and provide evidence of their suitability for breeding. For a quick overview of conditions common to Doodles, check out our dedicated article Doodle Health Issues and Diseases. Look For a Health Guarantee One of the best indicators that a breeder has true faith in the quality and health of their puppies is if they provide a health guarantee. This generally says something along the lines that they will issue a full refund if certain genetic health conditions become apparent in one of their puppies within a specific amount of time usually 24 months. The breeder will usually ask you to take your pup for an initial health check with your vet as soon as you bring them home on top of the check they do before the puppy leaves their facility to make sure everything is okay from the get-go. Seek Recommendations from A Trusted Source These days there are plenty of expert sites such as this one offering advice and recommendations based on research and user reviews. This is a good place to start your search for a breeder, but make sure to do some research on top of this, too. Breeder status can change quickly — especially when under new management. Read Online Reviews Online reviews are probably the best place to get up-to-date info on breeders in your local area. Social media is an excellent place for this. Generally, the more reviews a breeder has, the more confident you can be that the reviews are genuine. For more top tips on picking the perfect pup from the very best facility, check out How To Choose A Responsible Breeder. They specialize in all sizes of the Goldendoodle — from the largest Standard Goldendoodles to the tiniest Toy Goldendoodle variety. Selah Mountain Dogs is an in-home breeding program, where the whole family takes part in raising the pups. Their breeding mamas and papas are all very much loved family pets, either living with the breeder or in carefully chosen guardian families. They oppose keeping their dogs in kennels or outdoor enclosures, and each of their breeding dogs is a pet first and foremost. Their puppies grow up in a safe and loving home environment around playful children, friendly neighbors, adult dogs, and other pets like cats, horses, and chickens. This breeding facility focuses on creating sound and mellow-tempered Goldendoodles, with health being the most crucial consideration. To get their puppies started on the right foot, they follow the Puppy Culture program along with many other enrichment techniques. What Makes This Breeder Unique? This demonstrates their commitment to breeding the best dogs around. They follow the strictest health testing requirements as necessary for this level. Moreover, they conduct temperament testing on all of their puppies at 7 weeks of age to match each of them to the most suitable forever home. They also come with a microchip and a free day pet insurance plan. Waitlist: Yes. Goldendoodle via imgoldenyoona How To Find A Reputable Goldendoodle Breeder Selecting a breeder is a major decision that everyone who wants to bring a Goldendoodle into their home has to face. You want to choose one carefully as their breeding practices will have an impact on the temperament and health of your Goldendoodle puppy. Start by looking at online sources such as Google reviews, online forums, discussion groups and social media platforms to see what other people are saying about the breeder. Did they have a good experience buying from them? To take your research a bit further, you can ask Goldendoodle organizations and clubs based in your area about their opinion of the breeder you are considering to purchase from. Many Goldendoodle clubs also have their own lists of responsible breeders so they can give you additional recommendations for good Goldendoodle breeders. You may also consider visiting some dog shows and events as they are a good opportunity to meet breeders in person and see their Goldendoodles. You can also ask other dog owners that are showing their Goldendoodles for breeder recommendations. Finally, ask potential breeders for references and consider contacting these people to ask about their experience with the breeder. Reputable breeders always prioritize the well-being of their dogs and strive for positive reviews. You should inquire about temperament and health of the Goldendoodle these people purchased. Use this information to make an informed decision. All reputable Goldendoodle breeders conduct them on their breeding dogs — whether they are breeding from purebred Golden Retrievers for F1 Goldendoodles and Poodles or from Goldendoodles for later generations like F2 Goldendoodles. A stipulates the health testing requirements for Goldendoodles and if the breeder is registered with G. A, you know that the breeding dogs have undergone full health testing. A heart clearance O. Ask to see documentation of these clearances before purchasing from a Goldendoodle breeder. All responsible breeders should be willing to provide any health documentation. They should also be happy to answer any questions you have about their breeding program. However, if you have the opportunity to check out the facilities you should do it. Check that the kennels are clean, that they dogs and puppies have access to fresh water and also that there is not a build up of feces or urine. Comfortable living conditions: The breeder should keep their Goldendoodles, Golden Retrievers and Poodles in comfortable living conditions. They should have large, comfortable kennels or dog beds and also have a decent amount of space to exercise and socialize with other dogs. Healthy breeding dogs and puppies: If you get the opportunity to meet the parents of the Goldendoodle litter you are interested in, make sure they are well-tempered and also healthy. Sometimes the mother will be quite protective of her puppies so she may show signs of aggression. If you are purchasing a puppy online and getting it delivered, ask if the breeder would be happy to video call you or send videos of their Goldendoodle puppies and breeding dogs to you. Ask About Socialization Goldendoodle breeders should begin the socialization process before their puppies are sold. The puppies should be exposed to a wide variety of sounds, experiences, people and places so they can adjust to their new homes and adult life. Nevertheless, they should start exposing them to sounds like household appliances, provide mental stimulation with toys and games and also encourage playtime and interactions with their littermates and family. The most common ones are: Lack of registration: If a Goldendoodle breeder cannot provide registration papers or other relevant documentation, it may be a sign that they are not operating a reputable breeding program. Overbreeding: Think twice about purchasing from a Goldendoodle breeder who always has puppies available or offers an excessive amount of dog breeds. This may suggest that the breeder is overly focused on profit instead of the health and wellbeing of their puppies. Lack of health checks: A reputable Goldendoodle breeder will conduct health clearances on their breeding dogs to ensure they are free of genetic health issues that could be passed on. If a breeder cannot provide documentation of these health checks, it may be a sign that they are not prioritizing health. Further Reading.

Tru-Fit Harness with Seatbelt from Kurgo Yes, you should prefer a harness as it is better than a collar for your Lab puppy. This is because they are safer and offer much more control. A harness can also reduce strains compared to the collar which can cause tension around the delicate neck of your Lab puppy. The following are some of the biggest advantages of using a harness on your Lab puppy. Injuries Can be Prevented Harness always takes pressure away from the neck of your Labrador puppy. So you can pull the leash without hurting the dog. More importantly, this will help Labs to pull the lead without getting any injuries by themselves. Despite this, you should still teach your dog to not pull on the leash. But with harnesses, there is enhanced space for your dog to grow and it will not put any pressure on the neck of your Lab puppy. Provide Control without Cruelty This is the reverse of the final disadvantage of dog collars. It can be used if you are losing control of your pup. In this situation, you can use sheer force to hold back your Lab without causing undue pain and discomfort. In the case of collar, when you try to stop a fleeing Labrador by applying force, it can cause serious pain. Although Labs may respond quicker when you use collar, it is a very unkind act for pups. When can a Labrador Puppy Climb Stairs? Click here to find out. First thing first, it is important to purchase a proper size harness for your Lab puppy. You should start with a small-sized harness, depending upon the age and size of your puppy. The best way to find out whether the dog harness is too small for your Lab puppy is to put the harness properly on your dog. Start with fairly loose so that your dog can easily slip into the harness. Then, tighten it and check whether the harness fits properly by fitting two fingers between your dog and the harness at any point. Harnesses are a great choice for Lab puppies. However, owners need to choose the one in which their dog remains comfortable. You should start with the small one and move to the bigger sizes depending upon the size of your puppy. A harness should be tight enough so that your dog will stop slipping from it, especially if he suddenly reverses on you. However, if there is still gap after the fitting of two fingers, then the harness is too loose or big for your Labrador puppy. Want to make a good homemade meal for your Labrador Puppy? The Lab puppies can wear a harness when they are 8 weeks old. Owners should make sure that the harness is not too heavy or uncomfortable for their dogs. The following table shows the size of Labrador puppies in comparison to their age so that the owners can choose the best size. Similar in style to the Rabbitgoo — the Winsee is both a walking and a front range harness. The harness itself is made from a D oxford fabric with high density that prevents your Lab from easily chewing or tearing it. Collar or a Harness for a Labrador Labradors have a lot of energy and require much exercise as a result. Many Labrador owners at first default to giving their Lab a dog collar and walking them that way. After a few weeks of frustration from being dragged around on the street with constant pulling, some consider an alternative to their collars and decide on a dog harness. Pulling in Labradors is not uncommon and something seasoned Lab owners will be familiar with. For first time owners, however, it can be not only frustrating but challenging. It can not only cause discomfort for you, particularly your hands but can lead to discomfort and stress for your dog. Regardless, if your dog is a puller or not — we suggest using a collar solely for ID tags to help identify them should they get lost. Types of Lab Harnesses There are several types of harness out there, which can be a little daunting at first. Labrador Vest Harness Simple, inexpensive and used as a basic walking harness. Often made from plastic, mesh or nylon — they are designed for lightweight general wear and for dogs who are already well behaved on their leash. Back clip dog harnesses have a lead attachment point at the back. A standard leash can be clipped on for normal walking. Front clip harnesses, such as the SENSE-ation, have an attachment point solely at the front of the chest area. These are very different than your traditional harnesses in that the lead only attaches to the front — which may seem odd at first — however, they can often be recommended by trainers as an easier way to reduce pulling. Front and Back clip harnesses have points at both the top back and include a secondary attachment point at the front chest of the harness. One point attaches to the back, the other to the front. This offers increased control of your dog, similar to the reins used on a horse. A no-pull harness is made to reduce the impact of the dog pulling on their lead, as well as aid in the training of your dog. Tightening and Control Harness There are more aggressive than standard anti-pulling harnesses, and tighten when your dog starts pulling. These can be uncomfortable as they can squeeze the dogs chest as they tighten. These harness types are best reserved for experienced dog handlers and trainers. Although often associated with Military and Service dogs, they are also to be found as training harnesses, hunting harnesses or general trekking. Labrador Harness Size and Measurements Standard adult labrador sizes vary, but according to the American Kennel Club , an average male labrador height is between .This places Labs in the category of a medium-large breed, with harness sizes reflecting that. Normally this will be a large-sized harness, though it will vary depending on the manufacturer. To get an accurate measurement for your Labrador and Lab puppy, follow the steps below. Measure The Chest The most crucial part of your measurement is the chest. Take a tape measure and wrap it around the widest part of the chest. This is found a few inches behind the front legs. Add a Few Inches You should all a couple of inches to the total to allow for movement and growth. Take the tape measure and measure around the circumference of the neck. What Makes a Good Labrador Dog Harness Finding the right dog harness can take not only time and effort but patience from you, the owner. Be careful not to select a harness that is likely to fall apart, snap or break when put under strain. Check that the harness fits well and allows for movement. Summary We hope you found our article on the best harnesses for Labradors helpful in making your choice. Dog harnesses are a good alternative to walking your dog on a collar and lead. Harnesses are also great if your dog is a puller. They can also be used for training your dog to stop them from tugging on their leash when walking them. You should also find a harness that fits the size of your breed, as too loose opens them up to escape and too tight can leave them uncomfortable. There's little he doesn't know about dogs. TopDog loves agility but is far too unfit to keep up. Offers advice and articles on dog harnesses, collars, travel, food and temperament. Is woeful at speaking foreign languages. These include flat-faced breeds who suffer with respiratory problems, so if you have a French Bulldog or Pug definitely consider using a harness. If you have a serious puller, a dog harness can certainly help to stop pulling on the lead. We offer some great options for specifically designed no-pull harness in our top .There are methods of attaching a double lead to a harness which can provide further control. Many dog lovers swear by double leads and if you have a constant puller they can revolutionise your dog walks overnight. What's more, a puppy harness will prevent them from getting tangled up in the lead and possibly hurt in the process. It's not all positive when it comes to harnesses. It's really important that you remember to remove the harness immediately after a walk, especially if your dog's wet, as the harness can become uncomfortable and cause rubbing. Sleeping in a harness is also potentially risky for puppies sleeping in crates. Their harness may get caught on their dog crate and become a choking hazard. At the end of this article we provide a step-by-step guide on how to measure your dog for a harness. Over the Head Some dogs, particularly puppies with their first harness, don't always appreciate the sensation of the harness slipping over their head and ears. If you think that this may be the case with your four-legged friend, consider a harness which is designed to wrap around your dog. We feature a wrap around harness by Doodlebone. No-Pull Some harnesses are designed with a front mounted 'D' ring in addition to an attachment point mounted on the back. These types of harnesses are designed with 'pullers' in mind. They can offer you more control with the option of using a double-ended lead. We explore double-ended leads later in the article. Design There are a massive range of harness options available to you. From the number and positioning of fastenings to colours and patterns. In some cases coordinating leads and collar sets are available so you can walk the streets in style. Our Picks of the Best Dog Harnesses for 1. Puppia's original and best selling harness in the UK, the Puppia Soft is recommended by vets and we think it's the best puppy harness you can buy. The first thing to say is that it's extremely lightweight and comfortable for young puppies and smaller breed dogs. The harness fits over the head and incorporates two adjustable points - one at the neck and the second on the chest. Ultimately the Puppia soft harness design aims to avoid unnecessary tension on your puppy's delicate neck area. The harness sits slightly lower on your dog than a collar so that it sits more around the shoulders. Available in 6 sizes and lots of colours to suit your gorgeous pup. Made using a plaid fabric with a soft lining for comfort and a mesh finish, it really helps keep your puppy cool especially during those warmer summer months. Of course you can coordinate Puppia harnesses with their collection of colourful leads for the ultimate chic look at the park. Just be aware that this harness hasn't been designed with major pullers in mind. If your puppy is a strong puller, another harness, such as the Rabbitgoo featured later, maybe more suitable. The critical difference is the degree of dressing up required. This is a moment of personal reflection: do you have a tough time getting out of the house to take your Labrador for a walk? Minimizing the effort required to take your dog walking will ensure that you actually take him out. If your Labrador pulls on his lead, the pressure can quickly start producing irreversible damage. Can Trouble Dogs Even the most humane collars can bother some Labradors. Most new puppies might have trouble accepting a heavy collar. Starting with a light collar at an early age can offset this disadvantage. Some dog trainers can lead-train dogs with collars by building on a foundation of familiarity set by owners who get their dogs to accept light collars early on. This means both products need to be able to cater to different sizes. Most harnesses can house a range of body sizes. But when it comes to collars, your Labrador might start choking on the collar without you realizing it. Adjustable collars can offset this problem. In my opinion, even if you have compassionately trained your Labrador to accept his collar and even go on long walks with the lead attached to the said collar, what happens when your dog gets over-excited? It is quite literally impossible to hold him in position without choking him. Verdict on Dog Collars Dog collars are great to indicate ownership and protect your Labrador from being assumed and treated as a stray. Apart from that, I see no advantage in collars, especially when walking on a lead. So a nuanced approach would be to use a light collar and use a harness whenever you use a lead so that you can sidestep the dangers of lead walking a puppy with a collar. More importantly, your Labrador can pull the lead without hurting himself. More Room for Error If your Labrador puppy wears a collar, you need to follow his growth closely lest the collar begins choking him. Above all, it is more noticeable when your puppy outgrows his harness compared to when he outgrows his collar. In the worst-case scenario, you get to hold back your Lab with sheer force without hurting him as much. Tugging on a collar when your Labrador is trying his best to get away is heartless. That said, you should note that dogs give in more easily when their collar is tugged compared to holding back a harness. The ease, however, is mutually exclusive with kindness in this instance as a submission comes through the pain with a collar. In other words, a harness is something you would want on your pup only on walks. Most well-trained Labradors can go without a harness for short walks, and the harness is left for lead walks. Your Dog Will Take Time to Get Used to It This is a size-driven disadvantage that seems like a logical tradeoff when compared to the burden it offsets. I believe removing cruelty from the equation is well worth the relatively long waiting period. Starting with a light harness with a young Lab puppy is a perfect way to normalize it. Both collars and harnesses are uncomfortable initially, and in the long run, your dog can get used to both. While some trainers make arguments for collars, they are almost exclusively positioned as okay for larger dogs with stronger necks. This makes a harness your only option when out walking. Should a Labrador Wear a Harness? We have already established that harnesses are gentler than collars on Labradors. So, this may have you wondering, should Labradors wear a harness? A Labrador should wear a harness so that you can control him when he gets over-excited on a walk. A harness also allows your dog to keeps his neck safe when you have him on a tight leash. Doing the same with a collar could cause choking, damage to the trachea, or nerve damage. Harness vs. Collar For a Labrador Puppy Harness Advantages Prevents injuries to the neck Allows a lost dog to be identified from a tag Allows more control Easier to wear for tracking Allows room for growth. There is therefore no risk of the harness rubbing behind the legs. There are no martingale attachments anywhere on this harness, so there is nothing to tighten anywhere when the dog pulls. The Balance harness has both front-and-back attachment points. Just like all front-and-back attachment harnesses, this gives you great flexibility. The harness is really good quality and the metalware is likewise. This means that dogs that dislike having something placed over their heads, can have the Balance put around their neck in a similar way to a snap-up collar. Any gaping really is very minimal when both attachment-points are used, even less than on the Freedom. It is essentially always a black harness, but the vertical strap on the back comes in different colors. If you have multiple dogs, the colored back strap is sufficient for telling you which harness belongs to which dog. But if you are someone who loves different colored harnesses, the Balance may not suit — check out the Freedom. According to the manufacturer, you can attach just to the front-attachment point. But the Balance works best when used in conjunction with a double-fastening leash. So you will need to purchase one separately. The Balance harness does tend to rotate slightly when in use. The neck and girth straps slightly pull the colored back strap off vertical. If this troubles you, check out the Perfect Fit below. Similarly, it would be really hard for even a seasoned escapologist to back out of a Perfect Fit harness. For a growing Labrador puppy, it is possible just to purchase and replace one piece of the three needed for a harness. Should the chewing-machine that is your Labrador puppy, succeed in chewing through the front of the harness, again, just that part would need to be replaced. The Perfect Fit also has a 40mm thick option. This is a very comfortable and stylish-looking harness for large or strong Labradors. The Perfect Fit harness has both front-and-back attachment points, just like the Freedom and Balance, giving the same flexibility. It is safe to be left on the dog when running off-leash. The harness is webbing, backed by soft fleece. This makes for a really comfortable and soft harness, for your Labrador. This means that dogs which dislike having something placed over their heads, can have the Perfect Fit put around their neck. The front-attachment is a large metal D-ring. My plan is to wrap the metal D-ring in duck tape, to silence it. You will need to purchase one of those separately. I anticipate this getting worse with the next few washes. This does not affect the comfort or function of the harness, obviously. Labs love to swim, and have been known to roll in stinky things! Ordering Issues? Lastly, I should say that I had heard about the Perfect Fit harness for about a year before I finally bought one to trial. Selecting three different-sized component parts for a harness and choosing a width of strap is a much more involved process than choosing one size. The Dog-Games website has become a lot easier now, with breed recommendations, but some buyers might still find it confusing. And my top three picks of front-and-back fastening harnesses for Labrador Retrievers are:.

I am familiar with common and uncommon health problems they may face so when my boyfriend and I decided we were ready to adopt our own english puppy finding a reputable breeder that prioritizes health was most important to us. Erica and Mitch of Bruiser Bulldogs are just that. They are experienced, ethical and quality breeders. I was referred to them by my friend that I trust after I saw their gorgeous healthy puppy. Our Puppy Primrose is the light of our lives! Bruisers was there to assist us every step of the way. We would highly recommend Bruisers Bulldogs to anyone looking for their own happy, healthy pup! Leah H. We were lucky to have come across Bruiser Bulldogs and even more so the fact that they were near our family and hometown made it even better. We have had Clementine Callie for four months now, and she is a wonderful dog. Her personality is amazing, and I think part of it is breeding and the other part is Erika and her family lovingly raising the puppies in their home with plenty of attention and snuggles. I also was impressed that, rather than send the puppies out right at 8 weeks, Erika kept ours for a few extra weeks because she was tiny and not read to leave her mom yet. It's that care that differentiates Bruisers from other breeders. Emily R. Erica was easy to work with thru the entire process from application to adopting and now beyond as we host our new family member, Chief. Her on-call support and willingness to provide open, honest advice to all of our questions and concerns continues to be appreciated. We would highly recommend Bruiser Bulldogs to anyone looking for an English Bulldog to join their family. Elizabeth W. Lady L. They are experienced, responsive and knowledgeable about all things bulldog related. They went above and beyond for us and are truly dedicated to all of their pups! We love our little girl so much and would recommend Bruiser to anyone looking for a healthy beautiful bully. Jonathan E. Erica and Mitch are trustworthy, excellent communicators, fair, passionate, and produce the best bulldogs. We were at the top of the waiting list for months and Erica reached out every litter to see if we were finally ready for a bulldog. When we were, she was very easy to work with. Her knowledge on bulldogs is outstanding. We had many questions on the process and she always knew what was best for the puppy. We've had Penny formerly Blair for two months and she is very healthy, energetic, playful, and sweet. She is great with other people and dogs. We are so happy with our pup. When we are ready for bulldog 2, we will only consider Bruiser Bulldogs. Mitch C. Bowser was born April and is an integral part of our family. When we were first exploring English Bulldog breeders our biggest concern was the overall health of the dogs. We decided to work with Erica at Bruiser Bulldogs because we liked their focus on improving the breeds breathing abilities and the fact that the puppies are raised within her family environment before coming home with their new owners. Bowser also breaths clearly and our vet was impressed with his overall health from the moment we brought him home. All that said we know English Bulldogs have a predisposition to many health issues and that his current health can not predict the future. With that In mind its important to start with a breeder that open to answer any of your questions as Erica has ours, and that strongly believes in improving the breeds overall health profile. Adam B. My sister ended up finding Bruiser Bulldogs and we knew right away that they were the breeder for us. In September we ended up driving 9 hours to pick up two Bruiser bulldog puppies- one for my husband and I and one for my mom. Jackson and Penelope have been nothing but a joy. They are both very athletic and healthy. They are also HUGE snugglers and always want to be with you. It is an absolute pleasure having these two bullies in our lives! Erica is very knowledgeable about the breed. She is very hands on throughout the process and is just overall a kind and honest person to work with. With all that being said I cannot recommend Bruiser Bulldogs enough! Collyn C. One of the reasons we chose Bruiser Bulldogs was due to the claims about breeding for health. During our first visit at our vet's office, he told us that our pup was one of the healthiest English bulldogs he had ever seen. He is healthy, happy and social. Would recommend to anyone. Christina S. We seen our dog on their website and sent them an Email. Mitch called us and personally walked us through the process and made sure we had the right dog for our family. We couldn't be happier when we picked up our dog Ramsey, Erica made sure we had everything we needed and then some. They are truly amazing people who breed truly amazing dogs! Jim T. Questions about Bulldog puppies for sale in Chicago IL? We have answers. How much are Bulldog puppies for sale in Chicago IL? Keep in mind that in order to breed Bulldogs Chicago, artificial inseminations and C-sections must occur. This raises their prices against other breeds. However, every breeder and business sells them at a different price! What if there are no Bulldog breeders in Chicago? What is the screening process for Bulldog breeders? We constantly have Bulldog breeders Chicago, businesses and companies selling Bulldog puppies in Chicago applying to be part of our network, however less than a tenth of them make it on board. Why is Uptown Puppies such a great Bulldog puppy-finder website? Start today! What is a Chicago puppy mill like? There are too many puppy mills in existence selling Bulldog puppies for sale Chicago today unfortunately. Chicago Bulldogs for sale growing up in puppy mills experience terrible treatment and conditions which, unfortunately, have a long-term effect on their behavior and health as they grow older in life. Are there any Bulldog puppies currently that I can buy? Just take a look on our site, find the Bulldog that catches your eye, and connect with its breeder, business or company. Get ready to meet your new best friend! Bulldogs for sale in Chicago have their origins in England where they were bred to drive cattle, and take part in a terrible, bloody sport involving bulls. Today their ferocity has been bred out of them, creating very friendly, social animals that are really sweet to be around - and a bit lazy! Their wrinkled up faces make them extra cute! What size is a Bulldog? Are they friendly? Bulldogs in Chicago were bred to have low bodies with broad shoulders and legs that are thick. This mix makes the Chicago Bulldog for sale medium-sized dogs. They have great temperaments , are very friendly, and love being part of families. What makes a Bulldog, a Bulldog? The Bulldog for sale Chicago is a well-loved dog by most dog-lovers in the world. They can be lazy, although some are famous for riding skateboards this is true! Which celebrities own Bulldogs? Celebrities have joined the bandwagon and also love the Bulldog for sale in Chicago.

Welcome to LTFrenchies. We breed quality French bulldogs and designer Frenchtons with a couple litters of rare frenchton colors a year. All of our puppies are pet home ONLY. We have been breeding healthy, loving Frenchies and Frenchtons for 10 years. Our main goal is to breed healthy puppies with wonderful personalities. Our FURbabies are raised around children so they are ready to be perfect family pets. French Bulldogs are your typical lazy but fun type of dog. They need very minimal exercise so they are perfect for a laid-back family. The average life span of Frenchies is years old They have a wonderful sense of humor and will make you laugh every day. They are perfect for even a small apartment. French bulldogs cannot live outside, for they have brachycephalic, also known as being "flat-faced" which makes it difficult to regulate their body temperature so they will need to live in a climate-controlled environment. Frenchtons on the other hand are more active and can withstand the climate a little more, which makes them perfect for an active family that wants a frenchie look but not the laziness. Frenchtons average life span is years. They are a mix between a French bulldog and a Boston Terrier and sometimes other breeds to get a certain color. Check our puppies available tab and feel free to ask any questions you have. We look for to hearing from you and hopefully connecting you with your new FURmily member! Subscribe Get notified with LTFrenchie news! We were also just named one of the top 50 breeders in the US. We pride ourselves in the quality, health and temperament that our puppies have. We are located just approximately 2 hrs from Nashville and Knoxville on our acre mountain property where we raise high quality, AKC french bulldogs. Our puppies are raised right with our family and are extremely well socialized. The quality, health and temperament of the dog always takes precedence over everything here, so we strive for structurally sound dogs, where their beautiful colors are just the icing on the cake! If you are looking for a high quality frenchie puppy to take a special place in your heart, you've come to the right place. We specialize in blue and lilac frenchies and the even more exclusive Isabella and rojo colors. Nationwide shipping is available, where we hand deliver your puppy with us in cabin, for an additional fee or we have a trusted flight nanny available. Check out the article here See our article in Nashville Voyager Magazine! Featured in Bold Journey Magazine! We were recently contacted about what sets us apart as a breeder and things we do to stay healthy and remain focused. What We Offer. Play Video On Hold Nashville, are you ready to meet your perfect pet companion? At Shady Grove French Bulldogs, we raise adorable, healthy, and sociable French Bulldog puppies who are eager to bring joy and companionship to your home. What You Can Expect We adhere strictly to best breeding practices for the health, temperament, and breed standard of our French Bulldogs. Each Shady Grove French Bulldog puppy comes with a one-year health guarantee and their first round of vaccinations, providing a healthy and confident start to your journey together. We offer ground delivery options and can also discuss further arrangements to ensure your new companion arrives safely in Nashville. Why Choose Us? Choosing Shady Grove French Bulldogs means choosing a breeder with a proven track record of prioritizing health, quality, and socialization. Since , we have been uniting loving families in Nashville with our well-socialized French Bulldog puppies. Our puppies are accustomed to children and other pets, easing their transition into their new homes. They come with AKC limited registration and a one-year health guarantee for your added peace of mind. We also offer financing options to make your dream of French Bulldog ownership a reality. Are you in Nashville and longing to welcome a French Bulldog puppy into your family? Reach out to us today! We have answers. We want to make finding your dream puppy memorable for all the right reasons. First, just take a look at all the adorable Nashville French Bulldogs for sale. What kind of dogs are French Bulldogs? The gorgeous French Bulldog puppies for sale Nashville have patient and affectionate natures that make them impossible not to adore. They might be descended from English Bulldogs but Nashville French Bulldogs for sale are by far the more popular breed these days. Their adorable wrinkly face and huge ears are unmistakable. Why are French Bulldogs so expensive? The higher price that French Bulldog breeders in Nashville charge for their puppies takes into account that the French Bulldog is much more labor intensive to breed successfully than many other purebred dogs. French Bulldog breeders Nashville must artificially inseminate breeding females, before the pups being born by C-section. This is because Frenchies have very narrow hips. The extra vet care is shown in the high price of Frenchie pups. Can I collect my puppy in person? For sure. If the breeder of your dream Frenchie happens to be further away, they can help you make five-star travel arrangements for your new pup, including air travel to major airports. How do you deal with transparency of breeders with French Bulldogs for sale in Nashville? Our mission is to connect you with trustworthy and reputable businesses who have French Bulldogs for sale Nashville. Our rigorous screening process means that only the best make the cut. The French Bulldog for sale in Nashville on Uptown have been conscientiously bred and you can always request to see their records at any time. How can I know that my puppy will be healthy? Our commitment to your satisfaction means that every business with Nashville French Bulldog puppies for sale on our site also shares our passion for puppy welfare. You can request a copy of these records, and take them to your own veterinarian when you take ownership of your sweet new puppy. Do French Bulldogs need a certain type of food? Any French Bulldog Nashville will have their own preferences when it comes to their food! Some love kibble while others prefer wet food. With that said, all Frenchies do love to eat! So portion control and avoiding fatty treats are important to prevent them becoming obese. Do you sell cheap puppies? Every Nashville French Bulldog for sale has been ethically bred, with a priority placed on their health and welfare. No company within our network goes into business with the intention of selling cheap puppies. How many walks should a Frenchie have per day? In cool weather, a short walk of up to 30 minutes will be plenty. Are French Bulldogs good family dogs? These pups love to be showered in affection from all family members both young and old! A French Bulldog for sale Nashville will also get on great with other pets. Wherever your family adventures take you, your pup will want to come along for the ride.

This boy would not give up. Apparently he had been struggling for quite some time as he had to be physically carried out and could no longer move once brought to ground. Severe swelling to the right front leg with an oozing, puss-filled wound. One ear was very hard, swollen and crusty. Emaciated and lethargic. All of his nails on all paws were ground completely down from trying to get out of the canal. He looked at me, barely able to move more than just his eyes. No excitement, no acknowledgement and when I put a lead around his neck he just laid there- couldn't move. Border Patrol notes said he could not stand or walk and contacted the Humane Society. They wanted to know if rescue could help him or he would be euthanized --Ahem.Cyndi took Heart to her vet. .He weighs 65 lbs- all bones and probably 20 to 25 pounds under the weight for his structure.Once in the room he basically collapsed onto his side and didn't move throughout the entire exam. No fever, heart sounded good, no congestion. Well, given his condition they're keeping him overnight. Any living creature this committed to surviving deserves the chance to live. We have requested that he stay at the hospital, on IV fluids and antibiotics and advised that we would cover the medical expenses, with which we'll need help. Click on the image at left to give Heart a helping hand via PayPal. We need to find a temporary home wherein he can recover. .We will also do the blood work and X-rays that he will need once we get him to Phoenix. This beautiful boy is one tough cookie and is going to get the shot at life he's earned. Can you Please help us help him? In fact he tried lifting his leg but fell over. .Poor guy; he must feel like he's walked across the country. Heart is now at Cyndi's home. We know his wounds will heal and he will regain his strength but he is so thin.We're concerned about malnutrition and any underlying disease. He easily could have fallen in the canal because he was so weak, or, might have been "discarded" and thrown in. .We're eager to get him to our vet, however, he's got some healing to do and medication to take before he can travel. We had originally planned on moving him to our "nursing station" in Tucson from the hospital, however, since he's in good hands for now we might just try finding a recovery home in Phoenix so that we can get his diagnostic work done. Heart still has a quite a way to go. Notice there are no nails left at all.There could be other issues in the form of parasites as the water in the canals isn't usually disease free :- His paw is badly infected and requires soaking and hot packs three times a day. He's also on pain and anti inflammatory medication; this boy is hurtin. In addition, we've found some puncture wounds throughout his body, particularly on his crusty ear. He might have been attacked, if not by another dog, by coyotes. He is scheduled to revisit the hospital on Wednesday. He has briefly met a male German Shepherd and a female Standard Poodle and was friendly and benign with both. Heart seems like a very sweet kid. When he's feeling better, he'll meet some cats, but not for a while. His bills are mounting.Your help is so very much appreciated and enables us to do whatever is necessary to get him back on his feet. Obviously restless due to pain, he merely moved from spot to spot and stayed plopped down all day. He let's her do the hot pack treatments without protest but wants no part of soaking his paw; it's gotta be very painful. He will willingly allow some stuff and a stubborn "no" thanks" to others, but he IS taking all of his meds. He seems to be especially fond of men and thumps his tail when Dad gets home from work. He has also discovered the benefits of being indoors and will mournfully howl and whimper now if left outside for while. Heart can come to Phoenix as soon as a stay-at-home caretaker materializes. Any GSD lovin retired nurse types out there? Several of Heart's wounds were initially overlooked until we bathed and cleaned him up, at which point several unattended flesh wounds became apparent. We really want to get him to our vet as soon as possible but we must have a safe haven for him first.This wound will take quite a while to granulate over; trying to ward off infection is the primary task right now. He only gained 1 lb which surprised me because he is eating at least 3 meals a day along with nutritous treats. I leave dry food out for him. I ordered the Granulex. He had a good day today--spent lots of time outside relaxing without stressing because he was outside away from me , caught him PLAYING! The wounds on his paws are much like treating burns; there's no skin to protect them, so every time he tries to use his paws, they bleed. He's also losing most of what was left of his nails as well as the necrotic skin on his pads on his "good" paw. His leg above the hock is still swollen but his overall appearance and coat is much improved as his his disposition. We'll find out just how improved as he's about to meet the cats! As you can see, his live quick is totally exposed and he's about to shed his dead nail. This has to be extremely painful and sensitive. On the upside, his wound has started to granulate; a slow yet steady process of producing new skin cells where there are none. We returned to the vet today, his nail was removed and his foot is now bandaged and he's on yet another antibiotic. He even does OK with the cats, although has not been given a wide berth with them. The bad news is that his soft hearted foster Mom took in a foster kitten that managed to "share" a case of ringworm with everybody! Poor Heart and his friends will not be going anywhere for at least three weeks while they are being treated for this nasty condition! He's been described as "goofy" and uncoordinated when excited. We guess when you're front feet are on fire, it's hard to balance! We're anxious to resolve this latest development so that we can get him close to us; once all of his medical issues are addressed, he still must be neutered and vaccinated. All in good time. Meanwhile, he's a happy-go-lucky kinda guy.The future of his "quick" --the live tissue running through the nails--is still in question. That said, it looks like some pretty hefty dental work is in his future as well. He has one broken canine, one lower dead canine and another upper canine is chipped. He apparently used the right side of his mouth pretty forcefully at some point. Not unlike with humans, the cost of dental work makes his other medical needs pale by comparison .The one with his hip bones protruding from his rear end and ribs you could wrap your fingers around? The guy with the scarred up face and a nearly fatal case of Tick Fever? Here he is with his foster Mom. .He's actually a bit plump so we might have to put him on a diet!! Now that Heart is stable, Cyndi's job should be done. We need to move him to Phoenix, have a specialist see what we can do about his paw and teeth and run some new blood work. We know the holidays are around the corner and would sure love to see our boy settled in for Christmas. Any of Santa's helpers out there with time for Heart? His medical evaluation and training will begin the week he arrives. .Adoption fee to be determined. You can find your new best friend at our shelter, N. Are you looking for a winter getaway in sunny Arizona? Green Valley is the perfect destination for snowbirds looking to escape the cold and enjoy the warm desert climate. Rehoming my 2 male dogs. With so many options available, it can be difficult to know where to start. All puppies found here are from AKC-Registered parents. Silverbell Rd, Tucson, AZ .Here are some tips on how to c. One year old German Shepherd male house. Please dog owners never came. For starters, they are typically mu. Tucson, Arizona is a great place to visit for a weekend getaway or an extended stay. Renting a casita provides many advantages over staying at a traditional hotel or resort. Pets near Casa Grande, AZ .Pets near Bullhead City, AZ. Adopt Po a Black American Staffordshire. This beautiful desert oasis offers a variety of activities and attractions for snowbirds to enjoy. Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 12pm-7pm. Pets near Cottonwood, AZ .FREE Beautiful male half lab half husky puppy. Yuma is home to some of the most beautiful outdoor scenery in A. When you choose to adopt from the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, you get much more than just a pet. Minimum of 4 dogs earning titles Breeders of Merit are denoted by level in ascending order of: Standard, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. You get a new best friend, unconditional love, and peace of mind knowing you saved a life. Our friendly and knowledgeable adoption counselors are here to help you find the perfect pet for your home. Are you looking for a winter escape from the cold? A snowbird rental in Green Valley AZ could be the perfect solution. Are you looking for a winter getaway that will provide you with the perfect combination of relaxation and adventure? If so, a snowbird rental in Yuma, AZ is just what you need. With its close proximity to Tucson, Green Valley offers plenty of act. Arizona Republic Classifieds. Are you looking for the perfect winter getaway? This small town in Arizona offers a variety of activities and attractions that make it an ideal destination for snowbirds. Tucson, Arizona is a great place to get away and explore the beauty of the desert. The small town of Green Valley, Arizona is a popular destination for snowbirds from across the country. Tucson, Arizona is a beautiful and vibrant city with plenty of exciting attractions to explore. Are you looking for a winter getaway in Green Valley, Arizona? Are you looking for a unique and exciting vacation rental in Tucson, Arizona? Look no further than a casita rental. As our community's only open-admission shelter, we have the largest selection of adoptable dogs, cats, puppies and kittens waiting to meet you. Love For Life Program Our Love 4 Life program offers dogs with terminal illness or other conditions that makes adoption not a likely with a forever home in a loving foster or our rescue center. We provide the medical care, food, medicines and vaccinations - you provide a safe and loving home! How you can help There are numerous ways you can help our rescue - from volunteering to becoming a foster! But did you know you can also help us out by simply shopping on Amazon or grocery shopping at Fry's Food Store? Check out all the ways you can help us save more lives! Learn more on helping Help us build a new safe haven After saving over 1, lives, we are happy to announce having a premier safe haven is near! In , our rescue received an amazing gift from a previous adopter: 5 acres of land. We plan to build a grand facility which will include a home that exudes a feeling of safety and warmth. Every dog that comes through the doors will know he or she is safe, loved and, most importantly, home. Right now is a crucial step, though. Your support will go even further this year as we have a very generous matching challenge. Read more about our future location and plans! We are endlessly thankful for your continued support! She has endless amounts of energy and genius level intelligence. She will need someone who can give her a LOT of physical and mental exercise. She loves attention and will need loads of it. Carmen will need: hours of exercise a day Daily training for mental stimulation No small children in the household No other dogs unless the handler is experienced with Malinois dogs living with other dogs No cats or small pets in the household A strong, active handler Someone who has experience with Malinois dogs If you can meet these requirements for Carmen then she will be one of the sweetest, most loyal, and loving companions you can find! If interested in meeting Carmen and learning more about her, please submit an adoption application. Note: We will only schedule meet and greets with an approved application. We are an all-volunteer organization. It may take a couple of days to process an application and complete reference checks. Become a volunteer Have you given thought to becoming a foster or volunteering time at our Dog House or Sanctuary? Visit our Volunteer page to learn more details along with a link to our volunteer application. We also have a great need for fosters! Our rescue only has so much capacity to intake dogs which is at max most of the time, so having fosters allow us to continue helping increase the amount of lives we can save together! You provide a safe and loving landing space until their forever family comes along. You can help make a difference! Our mission will always be to help rescue a homeless or suffering German Shepherd or other dog out of a dire situation. We rely on donations and fundraisers to enable us to help needy dogs. It is the generous individual and group donations that empower Saving Paws Rescue Arizona to be able to help. We thank you for your support! Seniors for Seniors We are looking for fosters for our program, Seniors for Seniors, to provide comfortable homes to older German Shepherds. All expenses will be paid by the rescue, including food, medications and vet visits. You just provide the loving home! Open up your heart and your home to become part of our Seniors for Seniors! Contact us at sprseniorsforseniors gmail. By volunteering and fostering, it lead to his creation of Max and Neo. Right now, they are holding a fundraiser for us by donating gifts to supporters in helping build our new safe haven. Depending on the size of donation made by a supporter, Max and Neo will be sending either collars, treats, beds, blankets, or even paddleboards. A recurring monthly gift will be more gifts from Max and Neo, such as the monthly collar club.

Her focus is on news and trending pet interest stories. When she's not writing about adorable animals, you can find her at concerts, art museums, and outdoor climbing spots all around the Midwest. Daily Paws' Editorial Guidelines Published on September 7, Puppies may be precious, but they can also be stone-cold rock stars. OK, there's a little less head-banging, but a new viral TikTok shows pups can keep a good rhythm. The video posted by Imperial Point Animal Hospital of Delray shows the sweetest black Labrador retriever pup you've ever seen perched over an upside-down dog bowl. As an eccentric drumming sound plays, a veterinarian staffer takes the puppy's absolutely enormous paws and makes them pat along to the beat. It's game over. We could just about die happy right then and there. Since posting on Aug. It has all the makings of a great viral video: an adorable puppy, a catchy beat, and a replicable trend. But if you record your own version, make sure to be gentle with your pup's paws. One family went the extra mile by employing five golden retriever puppies to drum on a table in unison. Talk about a cuteness overload. We're patiently waiting for all these dogs to form their very own band, but until then, giggling at these TikToks will do just fine. Was this page helpful? Anyone can rock air instruments, but this little puppy might just take the cake. Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" is great by itself, but add a puppy and it's ten times better! When you think about it, anything a puppy does makes it automatically the cutest thing ever, so when introduced to the craft of imaginary music you have to know this puppy's talent will melt your heart. This video is an instant classic that not even the grumpiest person could hold a smile back while watching. Personally, I see no shame in watching this video over and over. When it comes to puppies, once is never enough. And if you haven't met your cuteness fill watch these adorable kittens try and fight off their sleepiness or this little guy at bath time! You can never have too much adorable in your day! As the leading platform for native advertising and content recommendation, Revcontent uses interest based targeting to select content that we think will be of particular interest to you. We encourage you to view your opt out options in Revcontent's Privacy Policy.

These predictable, durable, steady breeds, like Labs and Goldens, are great with kids and offer the whole family more dog to love. At Twin Lakes Kennel, we have been breeding and training world class Labrador retrievers for almost forty years. Our industry setting Puppy Guarantee makes buying one of our pure-bred Labrador retrievers one of the wisest decisions you will ever make. Read the personal testimonials from prominent Labrador Retriever owners from around the country. Visit our Puppy Page or call Woody or Judi for up-to-the-minute puppy information at .Located near Laurel Hill, NC, we deliver our world class Labrador retriever puppies and adults to locations as far away as Alaska. We can easily deliver our guaranteed Labs to your location in or around San Jose. For details, call Woody or Judi at .Labrador Retriever Puppies and Children In a recent article, a licensed professional counselor for more than twenty-five years, explained how owning a Labrador retriever can help produce healthier, happier, more well adjusted children. Here is an excerpt from her article: Dogs are better than popping pills or drinking elixers. Children with dogs for pets have been found to have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and fewer overall physical complaints than those without dogs. In fact, there are several diseases where dogs have been used to help those who have the disease. Two of these are: rheumatoid arthritis and emotional disturbance stemming from cases of severe abuse. Samuel B. Be sure to read the rest of her article, Ten Reasons to Own a Dog. Our world class Labrador Retrievers puppies for sale! Our Latest Happy Clients! Become A Happy Client! We have answers. Labrador Retriever puppies vary in price, depending on many factors such as breeder experience, coat color, parent pedigree, and more. Puppies fly in the cabin and not down with the luggage , meaning your dream Labrador Retriever is just a quick flight away—even if there are no American Labrador Retriever in San Jose CA. How do you screen San Jose Labrador Retriever breeders? We get dozens of applications every day from businesses and San Jose Labrador Retriever breeders who wish to join our network. Have a look at our Breeder Pledge for more info! The internet makes it easy for anyone to sell their puppies online. What is a puppy mill? Puppy mills are like factories and prisons, where dishonest breeders churn out hundreds of sick, poorly raised puppies to sell for cheap. Puppy mill dogs develop crippling health and behavioral problems easily, can cost you thousands in added vet bills, and tend to die far too young compared with properly bred animals. Looking for Labrador Retriever puppies near me? Begin our MatchMaker process below! What is the MatchMaker process? MatchMaker is how we help match great families with great puppies. How do I know I can trust you? We help you screen out the dishonest breeders using our strict vetting process and Breeder Pledge, only allowing the truly elite to join our network. Will you help us end puppy mills and inhumane backyard breeders?

Like many small dog breeds, Pugs reach their full size faster than medium to large-sized dogs. Pugs reach their adult size around nine months of age but may continue to put on a small amount of muscle until they are a year old. Image Source: Pexels How big should a 6-month-old Pug be? A six-month-old Pug will weigh between 7 and 12 pounds on average and will be close to their full adult height, which is typically around 10 to 13 inches tall. Pugs are highly prone to putting on excess weight and their food intake needs to be monitored closely. Pro Tip: Check out this ultimate pet parent guide with 39 dog care tips on health, puppy-proofing practices, training, winter and summer safety, and more! How much bigger will my Pug get? Pugs reach their full size around nine months of age but may continue filling out until they are a year old. If your Pug is younger than nine months old, they are definitely still growing! If their paws look oversized next to their legs and body, they are likely still growing. This is a classic puppy feature that indicates that more growth is needed. A puppy will rarely grow to be larger than their bigger parent, so this will also give you an idea of their maximum size. What is the size of a full-grown Pug? According to the American Kennel Club Official Pug Standards , you can expect a full-grown Pug to weigh between 14 and 18 pounds and stand 10 to 13 inches tall. A full-grown Pug will appear compact and solid, rather than lean and leggy. If your Pug continues to put on weight past 18 pounds, reach out to your veterinarian to assess whether your Pug is putting on excessive weight. If your Pug weighs more than 18 pounds, consult with your veterinary professional to ensure that they are at their healthiest weight. Pugs are especially prone to heatstroke due to their compromised breathing. Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to lessening the side effects of brachycephalic syndrome. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to correct narrow nostrils or elongated soft palettes. Many veterinary treatments and procedures cost thousands of dollars. When surveyed, Only .This is a crucial factor in why pet insurance is so valuable to pet parents. Pet insurance reimburses you a percentage of your out of pocket expenditure for veterinary bills. Not only can pet insurance provide you peace of mind should surgery or treatments be needed, but available wellness plans can significantly reduce the cost of routine veterinary exams or maintenance, like dog teeth cleaning or x-rays. Your veterinarian is your greatest resource in keeping your pup happy and healthy. Continue making healthy lifestyle choices, like daily exercise and a nutritious diet, for your Pug to keep them active and living their best life! Unfortunately, Pugs are prone to a larger number of health issues due to their brachycephalic syndrome and other genetic predispositions. Do you want to find the best pet insurance? Let's analyze your pet's breed, age, and location to find the right coverage and the best savings. Analyze My Pet About Pawlicy Advisor The pet insurance marketplace endorsed by veterinarians, at Pawlicy Advisor we make buying the best pet insurance easier. Overview When you have a dog from the age of a young pup, this gives you a wonderful opportunity. It offers you a chance to bond with your dog from the very beginning. This also gives you an advantage because you will be able to train and teach your pup what they need to know before they learn any bad behavior from elsewhere. This section will discuss how to care for a Pug puppy, starting at 8 weeks old and up until he or she is an adult, at the age of 1 year. Transition to a New Home Things will run much smoother if you plan ahead and have most, if not all, of your puppy care items already in your home. Here are the most important items to have: A crate — One with an adjustable size is best to fit the needs of a growing Pug puppy. Crating is a good night time method to use until a pup is housebroken. Gates or a playpen — Choosing an area to gate off or using a canine playpen are good options for when you must leave your Pug puppy home alone or for when you cannot be right at his side. This keeps the pup in a controlled space which helps in regard to bathroom needs and keeping a puppy in one area when he or she has strong chewing urges. Puppy food — This should be obtained before the puppy is brought home. Owners will not always agree with the food that a puppy has been being fed, however any change should be done gradually. Have the food that the Pug has been used to eating on hand, as well as your new choice. Details regarding making this change can be found here: Feeding a Pug. You'll also want them to be sized appropriately and at floor level. Honey — Puppies are prone to the condition of hypoglycemia, which is a rapid and dangerous drop in blood sugar levels. Stress, among other things, can bring this on and while going to a new home is a happy event, it can also be stressful for a little pup that is leaving all that he knew and no longer has the companionship and friendship of his litter-mates. Treatment can be provided at home as plans are being made to bring the puppy to the closest animal hospital or veterinarian. A small dab of honey is rubbed onto the gums and then the puppy should receive professional treatment, sometimes an IV to restore sugar levels back to normal. Leash, collar and harness — Pugs are prone to conditions that involve breathing problems. The body structure of this breed confines breathing passages into a small space and Pugs can have smaller than normal nasal passages and openings stenotic nares. For this reason, using a harness can help a Pug breathe easier when on leash. A short 6 foot leash works best for both potty training and heeling. Read more : Choosing the Best Collar and Harness for a Pug Grooming supplies — The thick coat of a Pug sheds heavily and brushing it well and offering baths on a regular basis can help control shedding. Starting dental care at a young age can help a puppy become used to this grooming element and set up a foundation for a life time of good dental hygiene practices. Keeping the wrinkles, eyes and ears clean are important part of caring for a Pug puppy. Read more: Shedding - Expect your Pug to shed a lot and be prepared by having the right tools. Dental care - Taking care of your Pug's teeth should be high on your priority list. Ears - Expected shapes and proper care. Wrinkles - Keeping the wrinkles dry and clean. Sleeping supplies - Some owners prefer to have their puppy sleep in the bed with them and while this is not always a bad thing, an owner should think about how that will play out as the pup matures into a much larger adult dog. Having a pup get used to his own canine bed from the beginning, set up in a quiet corner of a room, may work out best. Do keep in mind that Pugs crave human companionship and do not like to feel isolated. Setting up the bed in a quiet corner of a well-used room allows a Pug to have a nice area to retreat to for rest and sleep while allowing him to be close to his human family. It will be normal for a little one to sleep anywhere from 16 to 18 hours a day.This included both night time sleep and naps that will be taken throughout the day. Chew Toys — Teething will begin around the age of 3 or 4 months old and can last up until a Pug puppy is 8 months old. Having a good supply of toys on hand for a puppy to chew on is important. Puppy Proofing Before bringing a puppy home and on a regular basis at least weekly owners are encouraged to go over all floors to remove any small objects that could be accidentally swallowed. All items that could be chewed on such as pocket books and shoes should be placed up high until the Pug has matured. Whining It is normal for very young puppies to cry when first brought to a new home, this usually only lasts for a week or so as the pup becomes used to his new family and environment. This can also be a sign of needing to go to the bathroom, so following house training guidelines, be sure to take your Pug puppy outside on a regular basis. Vaccinations for the Pug Puppy An important part of caring for your puppy will be to make sure he or she is up-to-date for all needed vaccinations. An 8-week-old should already have received his shots, as well as a de-worming. Veterinarians will have varying schedules, however this is a general guideline: 5 weeks Parvovirus: For puppies at high risk of exposure to parvo, some veterinarians recommend vaccinating at 5 weeks. Dogs at high risk are those that live in areas where wild life raccoon, skunk, deer, etc. The inclusion of either canine adenovirus-1 or adenovirus-2 in a vaccine will protect against both adenovirus cough and hepatitis; adenovirus-2 is highly preferred. You will want to talk to your veterinarian about this. Reactions to Vaccines Immunizations are intended to stimulate the immune system to then protect a dog against a specific infectious disease. It is very important to have your Pug receive all needed vaccinations. Your Pug may react to immunizations in ways that range from soreness at the site of injection to mild fever to allergic reactions. The allergic reactions can range from mild to severe. Mild- Mild reactions include fever, sluggishness, and loss of appetite. Mild reactions usually resolve without any treatment needed. This is called Urticaria. This happens when there is a reaction of the skin and shows as hives or bumps. It is usually extremely itchy. Urticaria may progress to anaphylaxis, which is considered life-threatening. However, Urticaria is the most common reaction in dogs if a reaction is to happen. Severe - The most severe reaction is anaphylaxis. This is a very fast, sudden, severe allergic response that causes breathing difficulties, collapse and possible death. This is very rare. Urticaria the moderate and most common reaction, if one is to occur happens soon after vaccination, often even before the puppy is brought home. It can happen in the car while you are driving back to your house. Your veterinarian will recommend immediate return to the hospital for treatment. Urticaria is usually treated successfully with injectable corticosteroids like dexamethasone or prednisone. Antihistamines do little to help with acute allergic reactions but may be given by injection to help prevent recurrence of symptoms after steroids wear off. Mild vaccination reactions usually require no treatment. However, if the symptoms persist for more than 24 hours, call your veterinarian. Growth Rate A Pug puppy grows quickly and this can happen gradually or with spurts and stops. Many Pug puppies have a growth spurt near the 3 to 5 month mark. As the pup nears the 1 year mark, growth will slow down. Once a Pug reaches his or her full height, there may still be some growth in the width of the Pug, as the chest widens and fills out. How a Pug ages and his growth is rapid, yet can be staggered during the first year. Getting Your Puppy Comfortable One of the most important parts of bringing a puppy home is allowing him or her to become used to their new surroundings. Allow your pup to roam around and check out his new environment. Be sure to keep a puppy's water in one designed spot so that the pup can know that it can always be found. The drinking and feeding area should be in a quite corner of a room, without much foot traffic or noise, since small puppies can feel vulnerable while eating. The absolute longest that a 2 month old pup can hold their needs is 2 hours. The bladder and bowel muscles are not yet fully developed. As they grow older, this time will increase as they have more control over their body. Usually it will increase by 1 hour for each month that goes by. Therefore, a 3 month old can hold on for about 3 hours, a 4 month old for about 4 hours and so on.With 8 hours being the maximum time for any age. Informational Note: When your 2 month old needs to go outside at least every 2 hours, be sure to not get stuck into that habit.It is important to slowly increase the time intervals. Your 3 month old can wait about 3 hours, but only if you allow the pup to use his bowel and bladder muscles to work and grow stronger. If an owner always brought their Pug outside every 2 hours, the dog would never learn to hold their needs for a longer period of time. Keep reading about the best way to house train a Pug puppy. All puppy vaccinations should be given before you take him or her out to the park, to pet supply stores or any other area in which there may have been or could be other animals. Many new owners already have another dog in the household. As your puppy grows older and is receiving the needed vaccinations, you can slowly begin introducing your new puppy to other dogs and allow normal socialization to begin. The Necessities of Care To have a healthy and happy puppy that will grow into a happy and healthy adult dog, make sure to always provide the essentials: A proper diet. You will need to decide if you want to offer manufacture food, home cooked food or a combination of both. Pugs are very sensitive to their human's emotions. A hug goes a long way! 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. Punk and Star Photo courtesy of The Kuney's If you have had your Pug for a while, it may be hard to believe that your 12 year old dog is the equivalent age of 59 human years; however this is a guideline that refers to the breakdown of the body's ability to fend off disease, level of exercise a dog is able to handle and so forth. An owner can have a Pug in this teens that still loves to run around the park! Let's look at the milestones that a Pug will enter from birth until the senior years. Birth to 8 Weeks - Many owners do not see this stage, however newborn Pug puppies double and triple their weight very quickly. Newborns will sleep up to 22 hours per day. Those at the 8 week mark will sleep up to .Growth is going to be rapid. It will last several months. Females will have their first heat if not spayed. Males will have viable sperm. Though technically a female can become pregnant at this young age, breeding is recommended at the age of 1 year old or older. Males should be at least 9 months old. Some Pug puppies will stop growing by the age of 9 months. For others, just a few pounds will be gained from now until the 12 month mark. By the time, full height is usually reached. The adult Pug will fill out in width, most noticeable in the chest area. The dog is muscular and will not grow any larger. Extra weight gain at this point may be deemed unhealthy. Pugs that gain a significant amount of weight after the age of 18 months should be checked out by the veterinarian. The Pug dog is muscular and in his or her prime. Most vets will classify a dog as a senior by age 7 or 8. Even if this is not officially done, 9 years would be the limit that one could hold off on dubbing the Pug a senior. Pug Weight and Growth Chart This chart will give you a guideline for what to expect in how fast your Pug grows and how quickly he will gain weight. An 8 week old Pug puppy will weight between 2 and 4 pounds. Though the AKC breed standard gives us a final full size of pounds 5. It's a funny thing because the changes happen gradually and owners usually do not notice.And then, one day it reaches a certain point and the owner will say, "When did my dog get old!? Your dog may show a bit of difficulty when rising from a down position. He or she may walk slower up a staircase. A quality canine mattress is recommended for any age, however during the senior years an orthopedic canine bed is more important than ever. Expect an older Pug dog to take more naps and retreat more often due to a lower tolerance for noise levels. When your dog reaches the age of 8 or 9, it will be time to give a bit more attention to certain grooming techniques. Skin looses its elasticity and cleaning wrinkles will be more important than ever. An older Pug will be more susceptible to infections. Take extra time to clean the folds and keep them dry. Your Pug's veterinarian should be performing more thorough tests, especially for sugar levels. Eye exams are very important, as well. Just as with humans, an older Pug may be more susceptible to developing diabetes, arthritis , have problems with joints and their bones may be more brittle. The pounds that they have been carrying around and the body structure that they have short legs especially have been taking its toll. At this age, excess weight be a problem. It is recommended to make a gradual change in the diet, to ensure that meals have a higher count of nutrients specifically for aging pets. If you previously gave no-so-healthy snacks, make an effort to change over to a solid, healthy meal and snack plan. It will be time to make a change in regard to a vitamin and mineral supplement, switching to a senior formula. Additional supplements can be helpful depending on a Pug's specific needs. Most often, this breed does best with supplements to aid in joint health. Omega 3 can help to keep the skin and coat healthy and combat drying issues. The intensity of exercise should be scaled back a bit for seniors ; though daily duration of activity should remain as normal if the older Pug can handle it. It is still important go for walks so that a dog's heart stays healthy; movement is very necessary. However, once your Pug dog is a senior, you do not want to overdo activities as an older heart will not be able to handle what a younger heart was able to. It is during this time that you want to make the household as quite and peaceful as possible. Unless you absolutely must, do not move your furniture or make any changes that could cause stress or confusion. Creatures of habit, dogs know where things are and it can be disturbing if the environment is changed. The ability to hold elimination may weaken as bladder and bowel muscle loose some strength. At this time, you may want to start using doggie diapers. As odd as they may look, this will help your Pug and your home stay sanitary. If your senior does have accidents, never scold or punish. This is a normal process of aging. A loving owner, will of course, want to spend every moment that is left by showing compassion and care. 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. As newborns they are deaf, bind, and largely immobile. They rely on their mom, or their breeder for food, warmth, and care. A Pug is Born! Unfortunately, the birthing process of Pugs is a difficult one. Flat-faced breeds, such as the Pug, are more likely to experience complications when giving birth. The Pug is also more likely to experience Dystocia, which is simply a term that means difficult or abnormal birth. Such situations put both the mother and her pups at risk. More often than not, the mother will require her pups to be delivered by a C-section. This is due to the fact that unborn Pugs have large and broad heads, whilst their mom has a very narrow pelvis. This awkward combination makes natural birth difficult. If the birth is successful, Pugs commonly have litters containing puppies, with 4 pups being the average. If your baby Pug is born naturally, their mother will next turn to chewing off the umbilical cord and cleaning them up. This is an important part of the bonding experience for mother dogs. The newborn Pugs will often nurse from their mother. When they are not nursing, they will spend the majority of their time sleeping. Newborn Pugs Pug pups begin their life fully reliant on their mother. They are born blind, deaf, and without teeth. A coat should be present, with the color being commonly either fawn or black. Fawn pups may experience their coat color lightening or darkening in shade as they mature. Their eyes and ears will be closed at birth and will remain this way for a while yet. Unable to support their own body weight, they will crawl on their stomach to get around. Baby Pugs are also not able to regulate their temperature, meaning that it is very important to stay warm. They will commonly clump together in piles, sharing body heat. Finally, the mother will also have to help her pups urinate and defecate as they are unable to do so by themselves. She does this by licking the anal and genital areas. One Week Old Baby Pug During the first week of life, baby Pug pups will either be nursing off their mother or sleeping. As they are still blind and deaf at this stage, they will not bother exploring or moving around more than necessary, spending most of their time lying close to their littermates and mother. Their weight should steadily increase every day. At the end of their first week of life, they should have doubled their birth weight, or at least come close. The owners of the pups will need to keep an eye on their breathing as brachycephalic breeds, such as the Pug, commonly have breathing issues. Two Week Old Baby Pug As we hit two weeks of age, we see a key development in the puppies growth; their eyes will open for the very first time! To begin with, their eye color will be blue, but will likely transition into a dark brown as they mature. Owners need to check over their eyes to ensure there are no issues, as this breed can be susceptible to ocular problems. At this stage, they may be a little more curious about their surroundings due to their newfound eyesight. However, they will still primarily be focused on sleeping and nursing. Their weight should continue to rise steadily over the coming weeks. By this time, the ears of the baby Pug pups will have opened. They will be able to hear for the first time and will begin reacting to more sounds. Their eyesight will also have developed significantly, with them being able to recognize their mother, littermates, and objects placed in their den. Along with their newfound perception of the world, they should now be able to support their own body weight and stand up. They may be able to walk, albeit with an unsteady gait. With all the interesting sights and sounds around them, they will likely be a lot more inquisitive of their surroundings. They may explore the den as much as their wobbly legs will carry them. The Pug puppies will also start teething, with their baby teeth coming through for the first time. This may start a passing interest in solid food. Gaining Independence On top of all this, they should now be able to urinate and defecate on their own, without any stimulation from their mother. We can also expect to see the start of the early socialization period. The puppies will begin developing behaviors and social skills for the first time, taking part in play with their littermates. Owners of the puppies should take advantage of this period to help them get used to human touch and presence. They will be establishing relationships with their mother, den mates, and people. Training can begin at this early stage. Despite the fact that their brains still have a lot of developing to do, a start can still be made on teaching them basic crate and potty training. They will also likely be much more mobile on their feet. Little adventures will be common and the puppies will play together often. Soft, easy to eat puppy food can be given. They will continue to rise in weight and keep learning social skills, with more complex behaviors being shown. While they seem a lot more independent at this stage, they will still require plenty of time with their mother and den mates before they are ready to be moved to a new home. Six Week Old Baby Pug At six weeks old, the Pug puppies are fast approaching the age where they reach full independence. By now, they should be fully weaned off their mother and placed onto solid food only. This is a big step. There is still much to learn. Up until now, the Pug puppies have been very curious and interested in completely new things. But they have always been safe under the watchful eye of their mom, too. Now, as they finally gain independence, the puppies learn to be cautious and careful; traits that keep them alive in the wild. Eight Week Old Baby Pug At eight weeks old, the Pug pups are developed enough to be able to leave their mother and littermates behind. They can be sold and moved into a new loving home. They should weigh around pounds. Training and Raising a Pug Resources Keep in mind that they still have a lot of developing to do; both physically and mentally! Remember, they are still within their fear period! Things learned here will make a big impact.

June 2, Samantha Johnson Newborn Puppy Care Week by Week If you're raising puppies, it doesn't get more exciting than the moments after delivery when you finally get a chance to meet the new litter. How many puppies are there? What colors are they? How many males or females? It's a heartwarming time as the mother dog forms a bond with her new puppies. Even if you have a healthy mother dog that loves her litter, you'll still be involved with newborn puppy care week by week. Here's a rundown of some things you want to keep in mind. Raising puppies is hard work, but thankfully you don't have to do it alone! The mother dog is your partner in this task, and your role this week will be an "overseer" and someone to contribute in areas the mother can't manage, like weighing the puppies and deworming them. Are the puppies nursing? Newborn puppies receive all of their nutrition from their mother's milk, so it's very important to make sure each puppy is nursing properly. Another key factor is the colostrum the puppies receive from the milk, which contains important antibodies to protect the puppies during these early stages of life. In this instance, the mother dog will take care of deciding when to feed the puppies. In the event of a serious problem, you'll need to take over bottle feeding the puppies with the aid of a newborn puppy feeding chart. Weigh the puppies. Keep an eye on your puppies' weight gain by weighing them every day. You should see a steady increase each day and you can expect each puppy to double its birth weight by the time they are seven to 10 days old. Keep the puppies warm! Newborn puppies are still developing and aren't able to regulate their body temperatures effectively. They receive some protection from their mother's body heat, but it's possible your new mother dog doesn't spend all her time with the puppies in the whelping box. After all, she's used to life with her family, and she may not want to have her daily routine entirely disrupted by her puppies. This is fine, except the puppies may need a heat source when she isn't around. Once the puppies are older after their eyes are open and they can move around easily you can fill that need by providing the puppies with a puppy-safe heated pad designed to provide warmth without getting too hot. Heat lamps are also sometimes used to heat the general puppy area, but talk to your veterinarian first. Keep the whelping box clean. You want to regularly change the bedding and absorbent pads and frequently clean the whelping box over the next several weeks. Get a vet check. You may wish to have your veterinarian evaluate your puppies and their mother shortly after birth to ensure everyone is doing well. Keep an eye on their eyes. Puppies generally start to open their eyes at about this time. If they don't, you probably should have a veterinarian take a look and possibly help assist the puppies by manually opening their eyes. At all times, be on the lookout for any kind of eye discharge or other signs of infection. Watch their weight. Continue to weigh the puppies each day during week two to ensure everyone is steadily gaining weight. Start deworming. Under your veterinarian's guidance, the puppies should receive their first deworming treatment at about two weeks of age. By about three weeks of age, you can—and should! Once the puppies have their eyes open, you can try carefully picking them up, holding them for a bit, and placing them back in the box. It's just a tiny, early step towards socializing them with people. Watch them grow strong. Always keep an eye on the puppies' health and physical growth progression. By three weeks, they might try to explore more of their environment. Continue to monitor their weight by weighing the puppies every three to seven days. Lower the heat again. The puppies' ability to regulate their body temperature is improving. Offer water. Your three-week-old puppies might begin to show an interest in a water dish. Place a shallow, puppy-safe bowl in the whelping box and see if they experiment with it. Some experts recommend trying a mixture of water and puppy formula in the water bowl. Always keep a close eye on your litter's physical growth and behavior. Are they advancing properly? Are they starting to walk? The puppies are growing up fast; you can lower the whelping box temperature down to a normal room temperature. Bring on the solid food. Well, not too solid at first, but more substantial than their mother's milk. Introduce soft foods slowly, then transition to solid foods. Pups are really starting to be on the move now. They might start to venture a little further away from their littermates and think they're pretty independent. Introduce more solid foods. The puppies will gradually eat more solid food as the mother dog naturally slows the frequency of nursing. When your puppies are six to eight weeks old, it's time for their first vaccinations. The specific vaccines given at each visit may vary slightly depending on your region and the specifics of your puppies' lifestyle. Additional vaccinations will be needed after ten weeks and in the coming months. Register the puppies. If your puppies are purebred, now's the time to register them. They'll be so impressed with their papers! Not those papers! Wean the puppies. By this time, the weaning process that began around week four will be completed. Have a heart! You can help ease the transition away from the mother and littermates by offering each puppy a pillow that mimics the sounds of their mother's heartbeat. It's a reassuring sound that will help them feel relaxed in their new home. You can also mimic the warmth of their mother's body heat with a heated heartbeat puppy bed or give them that same warm coziness with a heated heartbeat crate pad. Say goodbye. After eight weeks, members of the litter often leave home to join their new families. The week-by-week care of newborn puppies is a lot of work, but there is a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment in the process as well. Aaron, Marc. Williams, Krista. VCA Hospitals. Jamieson, Amy. Whelping means the process where a female dog gives birth to puppies. And a whelping box is a container or box designed to keep the puppies safe and warm. Having a whelping box makes it convenient for the mother to give birth comfortably. Female dogs are very protective of their puppies. Hence the nesting box offers a sense of security. Female dogs need assistance and a safe place to give birth. Hence, a whelping pen would be of great help. If your dog is about to give birth, it would be better to get a box or make it yourself. For a small dog like Pomeranian, you can convert a large card box into a whelping pen. You can put your creativity into the process and make a nesting box for your dog. If your dog is big, she might probably give birth to a large number of puppies. Hence, the size of the box should be large enough to fit the puppies and the mother. Furthermore, you can get the box from a pet store if creativity and DIY are not your forte. Here are some of the factors that you need to consider: The sides of the pen should be high enough that can keep the puppies safe for three weeks. Also, make sure that the mother can move to and fro freely. The size of the pen should be spacious enough for your dog and puppies. It should have enough space where the mother can feed her pups comfortably. In addition, it should allow them to move freely. It will help to keep the pups warm when the mom is not around. These are the factors that you need to consider while getting a nesting box. It helps the mother and the pups in the long run. You would notice the growth within the first few weeks. They can move and stand up over the sides of the whelping pen. By three weeks, they become mobile and able to move towards the edge of the nesting box. However, before it reaches that stage, you should take care of it diligently. Some pups would go astray and get lost. Hence, getting a box with proper height is essential. Sometimes the mother has to go out of the box for a nature call or food. The box offers a sense of security both to the dog owner and the mother. When the puppies are born, they have no control over their body temperature. So, while the mom is out, the box will keep them warm. However, you have to make sure that the bottom of the box is covered with a soft blanket. By three weeks, they will start moving, and some puppies might even get out of the box. So, the real chaos begins when they reach three weeks. It would be best if you were more careful than ever. How to Keep the Nesting Box Clean? Taking care of puppies can be quite tiring. Once the puppies are born safely in the box, it would be better to change the sheet or the beddings. The mother will take care of it. However, from the second to the third week, the real work starts. It will help if you make sure that the box is clean. While cleaning the box, you can keep the pups temporarily in a warm blanket. You need to replace the sheet or newspaper at least twice or thrice per day. However, keeping the box clean prevents the puppies from possible bacterial infections. It also helps to keep the puppies clean. You should see that the nesting box is clean and dry. So, like a responsible dog owner , make sure that the box is clean and warm. Changing the Whelping Box to Other Areas Once the puppies have passed the first week, you place the box in other areas. It will help them to get used to the new smell and sounds. However, make sure that the place is quiet and warm. Some kids would like to hold the pups, which would be too early and maybe dangerous. During the first two weeks, puppies are pretty delicate. So, it would be best to keep far away from children. The first three weeks are a crucial moment for you and the pups. The puppies are in their developing stage, and they need a quiet and calm environment to grow. So, you should make sure that puppies are kept safe and warm. They would be too young to take the regular food and would cause indigestion. But you can keep water for the mother. They get very thirsty while taking care of the puppies. She requires good protein and energy to keep the pups fed through her milk. You can place the food in the water once they can move or walk. However, make sure that the food is easily digestible. Also, puppies tend to eat food without a limit. So, you should give the food moderately. Overeating can cause indigestion and vomiting. Hence, it would help if you were careful not to overfeed them. It offers a sense of security to the mother and the dog owners as well. Having a nesting box helps to keep the puppies from going astray. The first three weeks are crucial for the puppies to grow and develop healthily. Having the right size of the whelping box can help both the puppies and the mother move freely. It allows the mother to breastfeed the puppies comfortably. If your dog is about to give birth, it would be better to arrange a whelping box. It offers safety and assurance to both the mother and puppies. These links are affiliate links, so if you do end up using the links, I will earn a commission. Dog Food: Every dog needs to eat correctly, and finding the best food for your dog can be challenging, as the market is absolutely flooded with products. A whelping box is an important item to have when puppies are about to be born. You can construct something yourself or buy a specifically designed boxes from pet stores. When can puppies leave the whelping box? Puppies can often leave the whelping box at 3 weeks old. At this age, puppies can move out of the whelping box as they become more mobile. Puppies can stand up and even climb out of the whelping box nest. At this age, puppies start to explore outside of their nest, to find out more about the wide and exciting world around them. Well, I can tell you that a whelping box will help you and the mother cope better with a horde of tiny puppies in their first few weeks. What is a whelping box? Also known as a nest or whelping pen, the whelping box is a container designed to keep the newborn litter in one safe and cozy place. The mother also likes to have a place where she can give birth to her puppies in comfort while having a sense of security. Whelping means to give birth hence the name of the box. It should be placed in a quiet part of the house and set up a couple of weeks before your dog gives birth. This gives her time to get familiar with the box. Image via Pixabay. What can I use as a whelping box? If your dog is a little girl, you could convert a large, sturdy cardboard box into a nesting box. You can make your own if carpentry is your hobby or you could go to the local pet store and buy a whelping box. What to look out for when picking a whelping box You need to make sure you pick a whelping box that takes into consideration the following factors: The sides are high enough to keep the puppies safely contained in their first 3 weeks but low enough for the mother to move in and out freely. The size is big enough to accommodate all the puppies being born. The bottom of the box may come with whelping pads or you can simply line it with newspapers and a soft blanket. Some breeders will use wood shavings to cover the floor of the box. Some whelping boxes come with an extension which is great for more active puppies who are still too young to leave the pen but are moving around quite a bit. Picking the right whelping box goes a long way to keeping mum and pups comfortable and secure. When is the right age for puppies to leave the whelping box? Puppies develop and mature very quickly in their first few weeks. A whelping box is designed to keep the newborn puppies safe, warm, and comfortable. Keeping the puppies in one place and even using a heat lamp will help keep them warm. And, when the mother needs time out, she can leave the box and get some space knowing her pups are all safe in one spot. A whelping box gives you peace of mind your puppies are well-protected, staying warm, and not disappearing once they start crawling. But be ready for the exodus once they reach 3 weeks old and might start walking! How do I keep the whelping box clean? If your dog gave birth to the puppies in the whelping box, you would need to change the bedding once all the puppies are safely delivered. Keep them warm with a blanket. Use a non-chemical cleaning detergent and warm water to wash out the box. Remove any dirty bedding and replace with clean blankets, newspapers or wood shavings. Some breeders do put in a litter box for puppies once they start crawling. This could be the first step to house training your pups. Do regular inspections throughout the day to make sure the whelping box is always dry and clean. Can I move the whelping box to other areas? Once your puppies have passed their first week, you could consider moving them to different areas in the house. But remember, you need to keep them warm so make sure there are no draughts and the puppies are not too intimidated by the new environment. Be careful also with handling newborn puppies when moving them. For the first 3 weeks, the puppies are small, developing, and can be easily disturbed by too much activity around them. Do I need to put food and water in the whelping box? The puppies will be drinking milk from their mother for the first 3 to 4 weeks, before moving onto water. For the first 3 weeks, you could keep a bowl of water in the box for the mother. She will be very thirsty while nurturing her puppies. However, once the puppies start becoming mobile keep both the water and food outside the box. Conclusion Get ready for a whole lot of fun, but also stress. She will take them no doubt but being able to help just a little with whelping boxes, nesting, and more will make it so much easier for you. You might also like…. During that first three weeks we weigh the puppies daily, trim their toenails every days, and put new collars on them every days as their growth is so rapid. The standard puppies are weighed on a regular digital scale and should gain an ounce a day at first and then up to ounces daily, whereas miniature puppies gain in a tenth of an ounce to start with and then an ounce or two a day. Jenny with litter at birth in 4' x 4' whelping box with lots of absorbent padding. Tasy in her "birthing bed" with the first three pups of the TS5 litter "Tasy" moves into her "doll crib" after the puppies are born - shown here at 3 weeks of age. We find it essential that the dam have food and water inside her whelping box the first week, however once she is willing to leave the box for short periods of time it can be set just outside the box, otherwise she will not eat and drink enough to provide all the milk needed for the puppies well being, and if you are not supplementing with goats milk, your puppies can suffer from dehydration. The standard dam has to produce almost two gallons of milk a day by the time a litter of puppies is two weeks of age. That's twice the amount a good dairy goat gives, who is at least double the dam's body weight. We find that goat milk, canned or fresh, is a much better supplement than the commercial formulas, as we have better weight gains and hardly ever have diarrhea in our puppies. If you have more than 8 puppies it is also essential that the dam's tail area and vulva be washed each time she goes out to go, as since there are not enough teats to go around there will always be a puppy trying to latch onto the vulva. The puppies can pick up bacteria and worm eggs, and a one celled organism called coccidiosis in this way which can lead to diarrhea. Mandy with AM3 Litter x Sterling at 1 week old. We practice what we call "giving the puppies an opportunity to learn" as a puppy raising method. We whelp the puppies in one corner of the living room where we have easy access to the box. We have found that moving the whelping box or puppy pen set-up on a weekly basis exposes the puppies to new scents and air currents and increases their adaptability and development by about two weeks, especially compared to puppies who are raised in the same corner until they go to their new homes. This is the first stage of their house breaking. Within hours the smartest puppies of the litter, barely able to crawl, will crawl out to use the paper and then crawl back into the whelping box. Within a few days the entire litter will usually be using the paper. Supplementing the puppies these first weeks gives us a good chance to play with the puppies feet, and get them used to their faces being handled for grooming, however even when we don't supplement we take time daily to handle every puppy and get them used to different textures, smells, and having their feet, faces, ears and tails handled. At three weeks of age when the ears open we start their cereal feeding, and use a soft clap with a "come, babies" command each time they are fed. This leads to the next step in the transition of removing the second box and the addition of a paper lined exercise pen to the whelping box at four weeks of age. At this time we start walking the puppies outside about every two hours from AM to PM. During this time ,the 4th-5th week, we teach them some basic commands - "in", "out", "potty outside", "walk", "watch", and continuing with their "come" command. Once they have understanding of these basic commands we then take them out to an outside play yard, regardless of the weather. It's really important to have this set-up close to an outside door if possible, or to use sections of an exercise pen to make an aisleway directly outdoors. Puppies can be carried outdoors, however their "potty outside" is learned much faster if they walk out the door in tune to the "out" command and the "potty outside" command at the same time. Usually within two days my standard puppies have quit having messes on the paper and are actually asking to go "out" - often at AM at this stage, and I do get up to accommodate them as this speeds their training amazingly, and I have a lot less mess to deal with - and less dirty crates when that time comes along. You can see that I do sleep within hearing of the puppies - usually until those we are continuing training with for their new families are weeks old. TS5 Miniature Litter - 2nd day of cereal feeding and 1st trip outside to the "big" world. We also start the grooming training at 4 weeks of age - starting with a bath with a soft water spray in a utility tub, and using a soft flow warm air dryer and a slicker brush - brushing the coat up the body toward the head, and up the legs toward the back as it dries. We always groom on a table, or the washer or dryer, or a counter - this is essential in getting the puppies used to being groomed on a grooming table and getting over any tendency toward the fear of heights. We cuddle them in our arms on the table to help them feel loved and secure, and to build their confidence level. We try to take pictures at birth, day old individual pictures, then every week thereafter for their new families, and for our albums. We also try to take litter shots as well at the various stages. I find that special touches add a lot of enjoyment, both for us raising the puppies, and for our families who are kept in the "link" of their puppy growing from infancy to toddler weeks. A Tasy x Promise Puppy before his first grooming and after his first grooming. My, oh my, what a difference!! We also start the worming program at four weeks of age - and this is really essential if you occasionally have a puppy that coughs after feeding, or vomits back up milk or cereal. Round worms are the one type of worm that the puppies can get in utero, and they grow as fast as the puppies. A heavy case of worms can often mimic other serious conditions in young puppies. It is also essential to use a low dosage of wormer in cases of heavy infestation, and at times give the puppy a few drops of oil by mouth, and possibly even an enema with a few drops of oil to help pass the worms. We use pyrantel pamoate for our first series of wormings. It is essential to worm every days until no worms are seen - these worms look like spaghetti - and once you see a litter of puppies pass them you never forget them. The wormer works in about six hours and is very effective. We have a computer generated health record that we complete on each puppy, and note all the worming's on it and on the litter weight records as well. Once the worming has been done, and if the teeth are coming in on the entire litter we start adding softened and mashed with potato masher kibble to the puppies cereal mixture - gradually reducing the rice baby cereal. During the next two weeks we gradually start adding cooked rice, cooked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, ground apple and carrot, and a supplement Green Vibrance which has microbials in it to their soft feed. As soon as the puppies are able to eat dry kibble well and not just play with it we gradually reduce the soft feedings to AM and PM. The puppies often prefer dry kibble during times of heavy teething, however dry kibble no matter how well promoted does not meet all of their nutritional needs. Also the more organically chemical, steroid, and low grade antibiotic free a puppy can be fed, the better for its health and longevity. We keep our puppies on microbials their whole life as this keeps their intestinal system in optimal health - they absorb more nutrients, they produce less fecal material, they are less prone to other bacterial infections, they don't have smelly gas, they are less prone to bloat typical in a number of large breeds , they have better pigmentation as a result of absorbing more nutrients. We have also found that since taking this approach to diet that puppy and show coats on adults are more luxurious. As you can see their fourth week involves a lot of changes for the puppies. At six weeks of age we start the weaning process - although most "mothers" have already started it. A poodle "mom" is the most devoted creature ever the first week or two, but after that usually reclaims part of her own life to be with her human family. She will return to the whelping box every few hours to take care of her puppies needs, but other than that spends her time on a blanket or pad outside the box. Using a higher powered water spray, a higher powered table dryer, and if the coat is still thin enough a palm pro clipper again to clip the face, feet, tummy and tail. At this time Mishelle also adds standing the puppy properly on the table and does the first scissoring around the tail head and up the rump - as much to get the puppy used to the sound and feel of the scissors as because there is that much coat to scissor off. This is also when we try to take the first pictures of the puppies in a nice stance to send to everyone. This also helps to train the puppy for standing on the table which benefits when we do the conformation evaluations at 8 weeks of age. Puppies fearful on the table are very difficult to assess. This is also essential for miniature puppies that are going to be shown. It's very sad when a miniature is put on a table in the show ring for the judges inspection, and is fearful. Just minutes a day on a table, being encouraged to stand and be touched, can make a remarkable difference in just a week. A Maddy x Calvin puppy at 6 weeks of age after her 2nd grooming Six weeks is also when we remove the whelping box, as the mother now just gets in with the puppies about 4 times a day and either sits or stands to nurse them. She also starts to regurgitate her feedings for the puppies at this stage. The teeth are starting to come all the way in at this time, and the puppies will start sparring, and at times will really yelp. They learn at this stage not to bite each other too hard, and this is the first step to them learning not to bite humans too hard. We often have families who want to get their poodle puppies at this age, especially if they are going to training in agility. We do not allow any puppies to go to their new homes until they are weeks of age, as we feel that they need the "sibling rivalry" stage to learn aggressive and defensive behavior - which is learned by their interplay with each other. Many of our poodles go to homes with runners, and I can't tell you how many times they have had to defend their owners from aggressive dogs of other breeds, and always successfully. You never know when your poodle may have to come to your defense, and the maneuvers they learn as puppies at this age are the foundation for their defensive techniques, increase their alertness, and the speed of their thinking and their reactivity time. I love watching the puppies develop their skills during playtime at this stage. It is their transition from infancy to toddlers. It is also at six weeks that we remove the whelping box replacing it with two small crates without the gates on. Our favorite crates are the Furrari's, as they just snap together, and the gates can be opened from either side and simply lifted off for this stage of training. The first night all the puppies will crowd into one small crate - then I will hear them in the middle of the night groaning and grumbling, and in the morning the puppies will be divided between the two crates. That day we add a third small crate, and go through the same process - which we repeat until there are two puppies per crate. We never put the gates on at this stage, just allow the puppies the freedom to sleep in or out of the crates, and to play with them. We estimate that a poodle puppy develops 21 years in it's first year. From infancy to toddler, to preschool, to kindergarten, to pre-adolescent, to adolescent, to pre-teen, to teenager, to post teen, and early twenties. Their intelligence is equivalent to that of many humans, and the learning of human vocabulary in a standard poodle is amazing. They are a joy to work with and to train, many almost training themselves. At this point we start giving the puppies rawhide chew bones to help with their teeth cutting, the cardboard rolls from toilet paper, paper towels, tape rolls, and small boxes that they can pack around, tear up and destroy. Much like a toddler builds a stack of bricks and then knocks it down destructive stage so also does a puppy need to go through this stage. So we give them things that don't cost anything, that are light weight, and the right size around for a puppy jaw to pick up. They love it. We also start giving the puppies soft and hard toys to play with, and also try to observe which puppies in the litter are water lovers - they play in the water and empty the container almost as fast as we can fill it. We often get asked for puppies that like water by families that boat, or live on rivers or lakes, or on house boats. We start watching closely for the different types of personalities that the puppies have, how they relate to each other, to new situations, to new people, to other animals they come in contact with. Those that are more adventuresome, more curious, more courageous, etc. We are also watching for activity levels and how they move. It is also at weeks that we take the puppies to the back yard to play - as they are then big enough to be taught to go up and down steps. We have closed back steps, and open backed steps like condos and the steps at the air cargo depots for them to learn on. This can be quite a challenge to some, and we usually have to delay this training with the miniatures for a couple of more weeks when they are a bit bigger. They are so proud of themselves when they achieve success in going up and down the steps, even though it is just three steps - and will run up and down just for the joy of it. In the back yard they also learn to drink from an automatic waterer, so that they don't fear the hissing sound as it refills. Having nice clean feet, faces, and tail head and rump helps us to evaluate the puppies much better, and they will score better when all can be seen and evaluated. We do not give the puppies any treats prior to testing, nor do we do any actual crate training in closed crates. At this age the puppies get their first bath in the grooming tub with a harder spray of water instead of in the utility tub. The Force dryer is used for the first time, and the Andis or Oster clippers. This is also the clipping that helps us to determine the color that the puppies might end up as - blues and silvers are born black, silver beige and cafe-au-lait can be born very dark brown, light apricots that are going to cream out - we study the nose, feet, heels, and under the tail and neck for signs of color change. Tasy x Promise Pup - Black - at 8 weeks! A Mandy x Sterling Pup - Silver - at 8 weeks. Silvers and blues are born black and change gradually - starting with the muzzle and feet We try to schedule temperament testing 16 tests and conformation evaluations a three page form using AKC breed requirements, International breed requirements, and Puppy Puzzle testing at 8 weeks minus or plus three days, as this is the most accurate time for assessing conformation before the puppy starts its rapid growth spurts. This is at times a little early for temperament testing, however as so many families want their puppies at 8 weeks of age, it is necessary to do this before the litter starts to go to new homes. Often our entire litters are reserved before they are even born, or at least by the time they are 6 weeks of age, and this helps us to match puppies and their capabilities and personalities and temperament to the homes they are going into, especially the puppies that are shipped across the United States. This also means asking our prospective families for lots of details about their home style, their activities, other pets or animals in or around their homes, and what they want to do with their puppy as an adult. We also help families at this point to decide the best age of puppy to suit their lifestyle, as many families in todays age have difficulty getting the time those first weeks to house train a young puppy. The weekly cost covers food, treats, training, vaccinations and wormings. Temperament testing is beneficial, although there are those that disagree. It is done in a strange place by a strange person. It's purpose is to note the natural instincts and adaptability of the young puppies, and our families have found our assessments to be pretty accurate as their puppies have developed. The disadvantage of testing at 8 weeks versus 12 weeks, is that puppies can be conceived over a ten day period. The gestation period is days, with all of the body development being in the first 50 days, and the weight gain being in the last days. If the bitch whelps according to the first puppy conceived, then the last puppy or puppies conceived may not have had much weight gain - however due to genetics it will not always be the smallest puppies. When we do temperament testing we also try to be aware of which puppies opened eyes first and last, which had teeth coming in first and last - as these can be indicative of which puppies in the litter are the oldest and the youngest - as the psychological development can also be different, with the thinking processes of the youngest not being quite as developed as the thinking processes of the gestationally oldest puppies. In temperament testing we are looking at social skills, inanimate object retrieving instincts, sensitivity testing, chase response, bird retrieving instincts, perseverance and motivation. These help to determine which puppies might be best suited as companions, service and therapy candidates, agility and obedience prospects, those with "bird" instincts, and very important today those with good search and rescue and tracking instincts. Conformation evaluations are where we literally take a puppies body structure apart and put it back together again - all on paper. We are looking for the few puppies in a litter that are the most correct by breed specifications in bone structure. As companions for runners, horse back riders, hikers, bikers, etc. Most of our standard puppies, after 10 years of breeding are quite structurally correct - however we try to match structural correctness, temperament and personality to the needs of a family. To be a pick of the litter puppy it must score high in all three areas. At times a structurally correct puppy may not have the best temperament for competitive events, and a senior family doesn't need a puppy with a high working drive. When we complete the testing we vaccinate each of the puppies and tattoo them with their individual identification number - that designates their dam, her litter number, and the number of puppy within the litter - in their left ear. This tattoo must be read and entered in the medical records of the puppy by the families veterinarian at the time of the "well puppy check" within 10 days of receiving the puppy for our 2 year from date of birth guarantee to go into effect. As soon as the testing is completed we start crate training the puppies. The first night two puppies are put into a crate with the gate on, and given 3 small treats. They are cuddled before being put into the crate, and we use the "in" command which they are used to. When they are taken out in the morning they are hugged and cuddled again, and given their "go potty outside" command as we take them "out" the front door. The second night they are crated individually, and are also crated during the day for short periods of time, to get them used to taking "naps" in their crates. They are always given three tiny biscuits when we want them in their crates, and usually within three days they compete to see who can get in the crates first and turn around for their treats. Usually at this age the puppies will crate from approximately PM to about AM without having accidents in their crates, however I do get up in the middle of the night and let them out if someone gets really fussy. In hot summer weather they at times need out during the night to get a drink just as much as they need out to go potty. We always make their last soft feeding of the day by PM, so that they have plenty of time to evacuate before bedtime. Remember poodle puppies are very smart, and if they get me up several nights in a row - I watch very carefully to see if they really needed to go - and if not they have just decided to get me out of bed for some extra attention and playtime - remember the pre-adolescent who wants another drink of water, etc. They will test their new families in the same way, and if they win they are ruling the family instead of the family ruling them. At this point the puppies are ready to go to their new homes to families living locally, or those driving from other states to get their puppies. If they are flying we keep them for two more weeks - and ship when they are approximately 10 - 12 weeks old. This allows us to start travel training and leash training of the puppies, and allow them to develop better holding capacity for daytime crating before shipping. Also it gives us time to receive family t-shirts worn until sweaty and placed in ziploc bags to give to the puppies in their crates three days before shipping. Having items of clothing which we tie into knots for a pillow or toy allows the puppy to get used to it's new families scents, and helps it to adapt and bond much more quickly. It also gives us time to ship their puppy pack to them, before the puppy is shipped. We follow up on our puppies for years, and encourage our families to keep in touch with us and contact us with any questions regarding nutrition, training problems or needs. We also board our own puppies back, which is wonderful as then we get to assess their development and personalities as adults. We have families now who purposefully plan their vacations for the Oregon Coast just so they can leave their much loved poodles with us - they come from as far away as Montana, Idaho, north eastern Washington, California, Utah, and of course the closer regions of Oregon and Washington. Unless we are expecting a litter imminently they get to come back and live in the house with us, and always enjoy playing with so many other poodles in our huge back yard, and side yard play areas. We also continue any training that is in progress on the younger puppies. A Mandy boy at 15 weeks! A Lucy daughter at 1 year - sent by her family in Idaho Many of our families also return with their puppies to take the one-on-one grooming classes with us - with Mishelle now being the primary instructor. Many of our families are now doing all of their own grooming, and even if they aren't have found the class very beneficial as they have learned what to expect from a good groomer. Many have returned for second and even third classes to learn advanced scissoring techniques, and several are now learning show grooming and handling from us as well. It's biblical that the older are to teach the younger - and we feel very strongly about this after not finding anyone willing to assist us when we first started out. We want those who have a true desire to become breeders of the poodles to start in the right way, learning to do the proper testing and research, taking part in genetic research projects, learn to groom their poodles properly, and to breed properly, caring for their whelping bitches and puppies correctly. Mishelle should have been in the picture with "Eve" but was in the Show Ring with her instead. She groomed 14 standards and 2 miniatures for this show. The poodle is a wonderful and unique breed - sharing life with it's family. Stages of Puppy Development Birth to 3 weeks The first 20 days of a pups life it is not capable of much learning. The mental capacity is about nil. The pup will react when it is in need of food, sleep, warmth and its mother. During the first 3 weeks it is VERY important to look after the dam as well. She will in turn, look after the puppies. Once or twice a day the puppies should be handled by a human and they should be weighed daily. During the first 3 weeks most dams like to be in a warm secluded area, not in the family living area. Pups remain contently in their whelping box for the first 20 days of their life. Newborn puppies sleep most of the day away. No matter what the breed, this is the time when the dormant senses wake up. From day 21 to 28 puppies are in need of their mom more than any other time as their brains and nervous systems begin to develop and they become aware of their surroundings. As mom jumps out of the box, they suddenly watch her wondering where she went. Pups may start climbing out of the whelping box at this age, so it is time to expand their home. At this stage we add a small potty area beside the whelp box. If a puppy were to loose his mom at this stage it would greatly affect his emotional wellbeing. Emotional growth is just blossoming as the puppy realizes it is alive. It is also at this age that characteristics can develop like shyness and fear. Any negative characteristics that develop at this stage in life are often permanent personality traits. The puppies sleep 20 or more hours a day. They will not go far, but they will begin to explore. At this time we expand their area to add a play and eating area in the daytime. This is the time to move them out to the kitchen and family room area, where life is happening in the home. This is not the age to be in the back bedroom, garage or barn. During this time, a puppy will learn to respond to voices, sounds and recognize different people. The puppies in their group will establish a 'pecking order', some will want to lead and some will want to follow. The dominant ones will eat first and the omega ones will wait. The dominant ones can become bullies and hog all the toys. This is an important stage to watch to learn the temperaments of each puppy and should be used for placing puppies into the proper homes. Some scientific studies prove that if there is a bully in a litter that is making others cower and be shy it can set in traits that are very hard to turn around, but it is also important to leave puppies in a social group long enough to be adventurous and for the puppy to acquire some social competitive skills. On the same note, a puppy should never be allowed to get too pushy. While shyer puppies have to learn to handle themselves in social groups, a dominant puppy needs to learn it is not acceptable to be a bully. Different breeds need to be separated at different ages. Often if the bully is adopted out first the remaining puppies will loose some of their shyness. Puppies at this age sleep 18 to 20 hours a day. By 7 weeks, a pup is considered emotionally developed and ready to learn, but the pup does not possess an adult brain yet. At 7 weeks old the breeder of the pups can start crate training for an hour or two a day with 2 pups in a crate. This helps with separation anxiety. By 8 weeks of age a puppy should be able to go in a crate alone for a nap, and it is almost ready for its new home. A puppy should never be taken away from it's mother before weeks of age. The mother dog teaches the puppies in the litter manners, respect, social skills, and proper etiquette, along with many other valuable lessons. When a puppy misses this stage it can cause the pup to have future behavior issues as most humans do not understand natural dog behavior enough to teach the pup these things. What a puppy learns now will be retained and become part of who the dog becomes and his personality. Most dams stop caring for their pups by 7 weeks, as they have teeth and she pushes them away. If a pup is left with the dam during this period it's emotional development can be altered, as it remains dependent on her. The same can happen if littermates are placed together. They rely on each other instead of the new owner and they often do not find adequate security in their mom or littermate. They need their new owner to take over the role and it is important that the humans understand natural dog behavior in order to fulfill the puppies instincts and needs. First shots should be done at 7. When a puppy stays with his litter after 8 to 9 weeks of age without adequate human contact it doesn't adjust as well to a human social life. The optimum time to take a new puppy is from 8 to 9 weeks of age. It is always best to have a pup do his learning from his new owner and in his new home. Puppies are often adopted out at 8, 9, 10 or 11 weeks. Older puppies can do just fine if the breeder has spent a lot of time socializing them away from their littermates. Ideally 9 weeks seems to be the perfect age for most breeds to go to new homes. What the dog learns from 8 to 12 weeks will be with him forever. At this time the puppy must be introduced to other people and go for walks on the pavement street avoiding dirt or grass until it has had its 2nd shots. If the first shots are done at 8 weeks and second are done at 12 weeks it is a good idea to enroll in puppy kindergarten that starts right at 12 weeks. At this age on up to several months old, puppies will sleep 16 to 20 hours a day, give or take depending on the puppies energy level and the activity around them. Sleeping more during rapid growth sprurts. The sleep is broken up between night time sleep and naps during the day. It is common for a puppy to play hard, running around with bounds of energy, then suddenly crashing into a deep sleep. It is important to keep in mind that all puppies by this time have formed a general personality. Some are natural born leaders, some are middle of the road and could go either way and some are very submissive and really prefer not to lead anything. All puppies have an instinct to have a leader who can provide structure, because in their minds without it the pack cannot survive. Therefore even the most naturally born submissive dog may feel the need to take over as an alpha should they feel everyone else around them is too weak to care for the pack. These dogs are often very stressed out about their role because they really do not want it, but feel the need to lead just the same. After all, to them it's a matter of life or death. One of the biggest questions new owners call about is that the pup is an angel for the first couple weeks and then it starts to nip in an attempt to control things around it. This happens when a puppy does not see the humans as natural born leaders to which it can respect and it attempts to get the pack in order. If this happens it does not necessarily mean you got a bad puppy, but often means you are not being a good canine owner. Owners must be calm but firm and follow through. Set the rules of the home and stick to them. Teach basic obedience and how to heel on a leash. Do not let the puppy bolt out the door. Stay calm and confident and remember that dogs can feel your emotions. If you have emotional problems your dog knows and will see you as a weak being. Always remember to a dog anger is a weakness, so take a deep breath and control yourself. Should the puppy feel it is stronger minded than the humans it will not want to be at the bottom. Puppy owners should be prepared that the pup may attempt to establish itself as the dominant one in the family. This is where you need to understand a dog's natural instincts and learn their language so you can read them. It may see whether it can physically strike out at his owner like some teens and could nip or growl. Should this happen be prepared to stop the behavior immediately. It is kind of like kids wanting dessert before dinner or to stay up later. You just have to say NO. Each dog is different, just as kids are, therefore you need to figure out what works for you and your situation. If it is being aggressive one method is to pin it on its back and hold him there with a firm NO. If a pup is allowed to get away with bad behavior it will lose respect for the owner and learn that rebelling gets him his own way. The key is for the humans to be calm, confident and firm all at the same time. If you find yourself yelling or angry you as the human are out of control and need to learn how to portray yourself as someone your dog can look up to and respect. Dogs do not listen to unstable humans and anything but calm, confident and firm, to them is unstable. There should be zero tolerance for aggressiveness. Heaps of love and understanding will not stop bad behavior. A pup must be shown fast and firmly that you are the one in charge. If you have a good breeder who understands the dog even returning him for a few days can help as the breeder gets the dog back under control and you assess your own behavior and understanding of this animal you are trying to live with. Sending a dog away to be trained without training yourself never works, as the way your dog is acting often has more to do with the humans it is living with. This goes for any dog of any age. Learn how to groom your dog. Teach it to lie still for grooming and nail trimming. If you are having trouble call the breeder or a behaviorist for help. It is best to have earned a dog's respect and trust in regards to grooming by 16 weeks of age. A pups natural instinct will be to periodically try to test the order in the pack. Especially if there are children. If the owner is submissive, quiet and week, thus making the dog feel the need to lead the home, its respect for its owner will weaken and the owner will become inferior in the dogs eyes. In these cases the owner is destined to be owned by the dog and you will surely see behavior problems emerge. A puppy should have a good start on crate training when it leaves a breeder's home. Help your puppy feel secure by giving it its own bed and crate in a place where it can be alone when it needs some quiet time. It should be crated for one or two naps per day, especially when making and eating dinner and crated at night. It should not ever have the run of the house till after 6 months of age or housebreaking and training can become very difficult. A puppy should start formal obedience by 6 months of age, preferably sooner. Remember when you choose to adopt a dog you are choosing to take an animal into your home. The animal is not a human baby and humans are not born with canine instincts. Take some time to learn about the canine and be prepared to change your way of life to accommodate the new member of the family. The puppies have arrived. They have been weighed and identified; they have nursed and are now sleeping quietly except for the normal twitching. Now what? Your job is not over yet, in fact, it's really just beginning. Nutrition and Feeding The mother will be ready for some food and water. Bring the dishes to the whelping box, as she will not want to leave the newborn puppies. Do not leave the dishes on the floor in the whelping box, as the puppies could crawl into them. Hang the dishes from the side of the whelping box or offer her food and water at least every hours to start. She should be taken outside on a frequent and regular basis to relieve herself. Within days, the mother's appetite will dramatically increase to times her pre-pregnancy intake. She will need a near constant supply of a high quality puppy food do NOT use large breed puppy formulas, which are generally lower in protein, fat, and minerals and water to maintain her weight and health while feeding the puppies. She should not look gaunt or thin if her weight is maintained. Ideally, she should weigh the same at the time of weaning, as she did when she was bred. A healthy puppy is firm, plump, and vigorous. Puppies should nurse every 2 hours or so. If they nurse until their stomachs appear round and they sleep quietly, they are eating enough. If they are crying and moving a lot, they are not eating enough. They may be swallowing air, which makes the stomach appear larger. As they become weaker, they will lay still and not cry. Their weight should double in the first days. Before, during, and after nursing, the mother will lick the stomach and perineal area to stimulate urination and defecation. She will continue to do this for weeks. Weigh the puppy daily for the first 2 weeks, then weigh at least weekly. A food scale typically works well for weighing the puppies. Failure to gain weight is often the first sign of illness in puppies. At about 3 weeks of age, the puppies will begin to imitate the mother's eating and drinking. A secure shallow water dish should now be available at least part of the day. Prepare the puppy mush by placing 2 cups of high quality dry puppy food in a blender with .This should be blended until the consistency of human infant cereal. This feeds puppies of a medium-sized breed. The puppies should receive meals a day of this to start. Once the puppies have checked it out, walked in it, and have eaten some, the mother can be allowed to finish it and clean the puppies off. Each week, increase the amount of food, decrease the amount of the milk replacer and water that is added and the time of blending, so by 7 weeks of age, the puppies are eating dry food. Once they are on dry food, it may be left in with the puppies when the mother is out of the box or the meal times can continue. As the puppies eat more solid food, the mother may be let away from the puppies for an ever longer period of time. If the weaning is not rushed, she will naturally start decreasing milk production, as the puppies increase their intake of solid food. As the puppies begin eating the puppy mush at 4 weeks of age, start changing the mother's diet back to adult food to also help her decrease milk production. Keep increasing the adult food and decreasing the puppy food until by the 7th week postpartum she is eating only adult food. Hopefully she has been fed well during pregnancy and lactation so she weighs the same at weaning as she did before pregnancy. Want to learn how to save on your dog's veterinary care? Click here Sanitation and Housebreaking During and after whelping, the mother should be allowed to go outside to urinate and defecate. Take her out on a leash bring a flashlight if it is dark , and watch her closely, as she could have another puppy. The whelping box needs to be changed at least once a day at this stage, and times a day as the puppies begin eating solids and the mother is not cleaning up after them. A large heavy paper may be laid on the bottom, several layers of newspaper over that, and a tightly stretched blanket over the newspaper. The blanket should be large enough to fit under all 4 sides of the box. If the box was made so the sides set into the floor, the sides are picked up, the blanket stretched, and the sides set down to hold the blanket in place. Puppies can become lost under blankets or under wrinkles in blankets. When cleaning, check the consistency and color of the puppy stool. It should be brown and formed, but not overly firm. Any deviations and the veterinarian should be contacted. To facilitate housebreaking, the puppies should be given definite feeding, playing, sleeping, and elimination areas. Once the puppies are mobile, they will use one area for elimination. Cover this area with a layer of newspapers with cedar or pine shavings on top. The new owners then place a small amount of cedar or pine shavings in the preferred location of their yard to aid in housebreaking. Keep the elimination area clean and dry. Puppies head toward the heat source to nurse so do not have the heat source warmer than the mother. Hanging a household thermometer on the inside of the whelping box will help you know the temperature in the box. Puppies typically lay side by side or on top of each other to share warmth. If the puppies are scattered throughout the whelping box and away from the heat lamp, the temperature is too warm. If they are all piled on top of each other, it may be too cold. Puppies need the extra heat, as they are unable to regulate their body temperature until several weeks old. Health of the Mother Each mammary gland and nipple should be checked at least once a day for redness, hardness, discharge, or streaking color. If mastitis develops, the veterinarian should be notified immediately. If caught early, milking out the affected gland and applying hot compresses will help prevent a spread of the problem. Sometimes, antibiotics are necessary. If she gets multiple glands with mastitis, the puppies will need to be bottle fed. The puppies' nails should be trimmed weekly starting within days of birth. This will help prevent some of the scratches on the mother's mammary glands. The deciduous teeth start coming in around day .Check the mammary glands of the mother daily for bite marks. The mother will have a bloody discharge from her vulva which may be quite heavy for several days. It should decrease in amount and become darker and be almost gone within weeks. The mother's hair may have become very thick and luxurious during the pregnancy. Around the time of weaning, the mother starts to shed. This extreme loss of hair coat is natural and it should be back to normal in about another months. This shedding is more extreme than a normal shed cycle and some mothers become quite bald. This is often called 'blowing a coat. Click here Puppy Healthcare Puppies who are not thriving should be examined as soon as possible by a veterinarian to check for birth defects. Some defects, such as a cleft palate are not compatible with life. These puppies should be humanely euthanized. Dewclaws are removed and tails docked at days of age. Make an appointment with your veterinarian for these procedures to be done. Check your breed's standard, as some breeds need to have dewclaws left intact in order to show. Tail length changes, so again, the current breed standard should be consulted. When the puppies are at the clinic and having these procedures done, the mother should be taken for a walk around the block until the puppies are done. She should not be close enough to the clinic to hear the puppies crying. Once they are put back with the mother, the puppies normally nurse and then sleep. Vaccinations are started at weeks of age. Some breeders give a parvo virus vaccine at 5 weeks of age, if the puppies are at a high-risk. Ask your veterinarian if your puppies should be vaccinated early for parvo virus. They recommend puppy deworming for roundworms and hookworms start at 2 weeks of age and be repeated at 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Thereafter, use a heart worm preventive medication that is also effective against hookworms and roundworms. Foster and Smith suggest that owners of newly acquired puppies obtain the deworming history of their new pup and contact their veterinarian to determine if additional deworming is needed. The mother should be dewormed at the same time as the puppies. A health check done by a veterinarian at weeks of age before the puppies head for new homes should include checks for heart murmurs, hernias, cryptorchidism, demodectic mange, other parasites, eye disorders, etc. Normal puppy development The umbilical cord normally falls off within days of birth. Infections of the umbilicus are rare in clean, well-managed kennels. Puppies normally twitch and jerk while sleeping. This helps with the development of their nerves and muscles. The puppies crawl well by days, walk at 16 days, and have a normal gait at 21 days. They need to be on footing that offers traction. By 4 weeks of age, the puppies follow each other and carry toys in their mouths. They will play-fight with each other and learn how to inhibit their bites. If a puppy bites a littermate too hard, the littermate will yelp and stop playing with him. If the puppy is allowed to bite humans, he will not learn to inhibit his bite. It may be cute as a 7-week old, but it will not be as a 7-year old. Puppies are born without teeth. The deciduous baby teeth start to erupt at weeks of age. All of the deciduous teeth are usually present by 8 weeks of age. The puppies' eyes will open around days of age. The retina matures around 21 days of age. Puppies should see clearly by 4 weeks of age. Do not pry open the lids for any reason, as the immature eye is not yet ready to handle light. If the eyes appear swollen before they open, take the puppy to a veterinarian immediately as an eye infection may be present that needs to be treated to prevent loss of vision. Some puppies will take a day to open the eyes while others will take days. The eyes will have a bluish color to them at first and then change to their adult color over time. If the eyes appear white or solid blue, take the puppy to the veterinarian right away. The ears open at days of age. They should hear clearly by 4 weeks of age. Deafness may not be noticeable while the puppies are together and first noticed when the puppy is in her new home. Interactions Between the Mother and Puppies By the time the puppies are weeks old, the mother should have an area near the whelping box, but separate from the puppies to allow her time to rest. At about this time, the puppies will start trying to leave the box to explore. They should be well supervised and have safe toys available. The box at this point should be big enough to be divided between eating, sleeping, playing, and eliminating rooms. At this stage, a crate with the door removed and lined with sheepskin or a dog bed can be given to the puppies for sleeping quarters and to familiarize them with crates. Puppy Socialization Early socialization of the puppies will help them become confident and develop fewer behavior problems. The puppies should be exposed to everything possible from metal food dishes dropping, to vacuums, garage doors opening and closing, thunderstorms, sirens, garbage trucks going past, cats, and other pets, etc. Do not try to keep the area quiet during the day. The puppies need to get used to normal household noises. Children should be allowed to play outside the whelping box supervised so they do not enter the box or drop toys in , as children behave differently than adults. Everything the puppy is exposed to now, will help her become a well-socialized, unafraid adult. The puppies should be handled several times a day. They can be picked up, their teeth looked at, ears checked, toes played with nails will need a weekly trimming , and have anything that may be done as an adult started slowly now. Play helps to develop the puppy's mind, as he needs to find solutions to problems he encounters. If the puppies are not in new homes by 10 weeks of age, they should be separated from each other for a large part of the day and given one-on-one time with humans. They can have play times during the day, but they should eat, sleep, and be handled separately. Being in a kennel group situation beyond weeks of age decreases trainability. Ready to start saving money on pet wellness care? Then take a look at Mint Wellness, the pet wellness plan that provides fast reimbursement on routine pet care. Save on vaccinations, wellness exams, preventatives, dental, and more!