overshot jaw in labrador puppies

overshot jaw in labrador puppies

It is a cross between the Pug and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The best way to determine the temperament of a mixed breed is to look up all breeds in the cross. It is possible you can get any combination of any of the characteristics found in either breed. It is very common for breeders to breed multi-generational crosses. Please review individual breeds for potential health issues. Pug Breed Description - Cross 1 The pug is a toy dog with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, although often black or fawn, and a compact square body with well-developed muscles. Pugs were brought from China to Europe in the seventeenth century and were popularized in Western Europe. Pugs remain popular into the twenty-first century, with some famous celebrity owners. Behavior Affectionate, intelligent, and gentle, this little lap dog is a good-natured pet but can be exclusive and touchy. He does not tolerate children well. The rambunctious Pug puppy becomes a calm, poised adult. He seldom barks and is not a watchdog, despite being reserved toward strangers. He needs firm, very early training. Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed Description - Cross 2 The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, stocky, and very muscular dog, with a similar appearance to the much larger American Staffordshire terrier and American pit bull terrier. It has a broad head male considerably more so than female , defined occipital muscles, a relatively short fore-face, dark round eyes and a wide mouth with a clean scissor-like bite the top incisors slightly overlap the bottom incisors. The ears are small. The cheek muscles are very pronounced. The lips show no looseness. From above, the head loosely resembles a triangle. The head tapers down to a strong well-muscled neck and shoulders placed on squarely spaced forelimbs. They are tucked up in their loins and the last ribs of the rib-cage are usually visible. The tail resembles an old fashioned pump handle. The hind quarters are well-muscled and are what give the Stafford drive when baiting. They are colored brindle, black, red, fawn, blue, white, or any blending of these colors with white. White with any other color broken up over the body is known as pied. Liver-colored, black and tan dogs can occur but are rare and it is advised not to breed from either as well as those with light eyes. The exception to the light eye rule are Blue staffies; all others should have dark brown eyes even if fawn coat. The coat is smooth and clings tightly to the body giving the dog a streamlined appearance. Behavior This vigorous, courageous, highly tenacious , bold, strong-willed dog is, in fact, calm and stable. If trained properly, he is gentle and affectionate with his owners, though is a formidable, aggressive guard dog as required. Adored and adoring within its family circle. It is usually good with other pets in the household if raised together. When well cared for and properly trained they can make brilliant companions. Don't forget these great sites.However, both dog breeds have short coats, so the odds are the puppies will have inherited that feature. Unless the breeder introduced a black Pug parent to the Staffy, the coat would almost certainly be black. Both breeds have small ears folded slightly, so expect something similar. The Staffy is renowned for its broad head, and the Pug is brachycephalic. What will tend to happen here is some puppies will inherit the very short muzzle of the Pug. Still, others will have a more elongated muzzle from the Staffy genes. Puppies will certainly be taller than a Pug but not as tall as a Staffy. Both dogs are incredibly human-oriented and like nothing better than cuddling with their humans. The Pug is a bit of a clown and a show-off, whereas the Staffy is bold and fearless. So the combination of personalities here should throw up some exciting puppies. A post shared by Ruckus ruckustherascal Neither parent breed is challenging to train, although they can be stubborn. Positive reinforcement training is the way forward for the Staffy X Pug. Brad Davenport Brad has spent his entire life surrounded by dogs and has owned all sorts of breeds, including Dachshunds, Great Danes, French Bulldogs and he currently has a little Hasanese called Biscuit. Brad is an experienced dog writer who is obsessed by canine health, care and psychology and has completed several courses on dog care and training. Updated November 29, What do you think when you see a dog like this? And more and more dog lovers are also seeing the rough diamond in these dogs. Despite their size they love nothing more than to be near or on their favourite person for as much of the day as possible. Most of them would rather walk through the gates of hell than knowingly disobey their owners. Maybe the Jack Russell Terrier owner in me just wants a rest. Not that I get to see them much. I reckon along with working dogs they must be among the healthiest and least prone to the common illnesses of purebred dogs. Most of them just seem to visit me once a year for their annual checkup. Of course these are terrible generalisations, and you can be unlucky. Some dogs get atopic dermatitis, and others have behaviour problems like any breed. Inter-dog aggression is probably higher than average for example. There are two problems with this: Breed of origin is a very poor predictor of aggression. The breeds we think they are probably wrong anyway. Just like life! Are They Pitbulls? Have a look at these dogs commonly confused with crossbreeds. Bull Terrier These are fine dogs, but nothing like Staffie crosses. Whenever they want to talk about Pit Bulls they seem to use a photo of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier or a Staffie cross. Which only adds to the prejudice. The photo shows what Pit Bulls generally look like, though you will see another picture of an American Pit Bull Terrier here. They resemble taller, long-legged and skinny Staffordshire Bull Terriers with a remarkably smooth coat. Of course this one has had something unspeakable done to the ears. The thick-headed dogs, mainly. Are we just giving in to a very human tendency to have to put a label on everything? The breed that exists under the radar, taken for granted, but always there being awesome. Just like moggies are in the cat world. Maybe trying to fit them to any breed is the problem. Since the only thing they all have in common is a boofhead, perhaps we should call them the Australian Boofhead. Why These Dogs Need Homes I think that a lot of the behavioural issues can be blamed on the terrible raw deal they often get. These are the dogs most likely to be surrendered to a shelter, the most likely to get parvovirus in our clinic, and generally the ones less likely to get what they need in terms of care and socialisation. Aggie And the ones most likely to be on the other side of the wire in dog rescues and shelters. This means many come away disappointed. But I suspect more people would take them if they knew what they were really like. Check with the shelter about the history and known problems with that dog. If you take that dog, a good dog training class is essential. These dogs are hard to walk if untrained, but then all dogs and owners benefit from training. Start with a checkup with your vet and follow their recommendations on where your dog would do best. Meet his team here.

Sparkles and her brother, Gotti, were surrendered to be put down at a high kill shelter in San Antonio, Texas when their mom and dad got a divorce and no longer had time for them. After living from puppyhood with their family, they found themselves in the euthanasia room. Sparkles and her brother have had no interest due to being senior bully breed dogs, but they deserve nothing less than forever homes to live their golden years in! Sparkles is about 9 years old and 62 pounds. Her short coat comes from her American Bulldog breed. She is the goofy sidekick who has the most adorable smiling face! Sparkles clearly does not realize that she is an older gal, she has such a young and playful spirit. Sparkles is so excited to have a family who will take her on lots of adventures, walks, runs, and hikes. Her dream would be to have a backyard of her own to romp around and play fetch in! Sparkles does great with her brother, but she has not been tested around many other dogs or cats. A proper meet and greet and foster trial would be necessary if there is another dog in her new home. Sparkles does great with all people and is such a happy-go-lucky lovable dog! Who can resist that smile?! Sparkles can be adopted with her brother or separately. She is completely vaccinated, spayed, and microchipped. American Bulldog Puppies for Sale Expected Budget in Learn what to expect when researching the price of American Bulldog puppies for sale near me. How much do American Bulldog puppies for sale cost? The cost for an American Bulldog puppy for sale varies greatly and depends on many factors such as the breeders' location, reputation, litter size, lineage of the puppy, breed popularity supply and demand , training, socialization efforts, breed lines and much more. Before searching "American Bulldog puppies for sale near me", review their average cost below. This is the price you can expect to budget for an American Bulldog with papers but without breeding rights nor show quality. Expect to pay less for a American Bulldog puppy for sale without papers, however, we do not recommend buying a puppy without papers. Looking for an American Bulldog puppy with a superior lineage? Are you trying to determine how much an American Bulldog with breeding rights and papers would cost? You should expect to pay a premium for an American Bulldog puppy with breeding rights or even American Bulldogs for sale advertised as show quality with papers. What can I expect to pay for a American Bulldog puppy near me? Annual cost of owning an American Bulldog puppy for sale When googling "American Bulldog puppy for sale near me" it is important to understand the associated costs of owning a dog. The annual cost or "upkeep" is often overlooked when determining an American Bulldogs true ownership cost.

Creative and Unique Bulldog Names For Your New Puppy Last Updated on April 20, Bulldogs are an adorably bashful dog breed characterized by their short legs, wide face, wrinkles, and broad shoulders. As a firm favorite amongst dog lovers, every Bulldog deserves a name that is just as unique as it is. But choosing the perfect name for your pup is often easier said than done. A Bulldog laying outside smiling What should I name my Bulldog? When choosing a name for your Bulldog, you want to pick something that matches the physical attributes and spirit of the breed. Names that start with S, T, and R are most comfortable for dogs to pick up on. Also, as dogs understand brief commands, names that are one or two syllables work best. You also want to avoid names that sound like or rhyme with common commands like sit or stay, which could confuse your pup. If you want the perfect name for your Bulldog puppy, try letting your dog choose. Another way to get your dog to choose his name is by scattering random cards with names around the room and let your dog decide which one he wants. Finally, you could also attach names to trees in your garden, and whichever one your dog pees on first determines his name! Famous Bulldog names A fun way to choose a name for your fido is to take inspiration from famous Bulldogs from TV shows, movies, books, or even history. Here are a few famous Bulldogs to get you going: Angus — the character from the movie Mr. This dog was played by four Bulldogs — three female and one male. Butch — a Bulldog that first appeared in the Pluto cartoon in the s Colossus — the loveable dog character in the movie Van Wilder Hector — the famous Bulldog in the Tweety and Sylvester comic Spike — the giant bulldog features in Tom and Jerry Max — the dog of the main character in the Jake and the Fatman TV series that ran from to Mr. Beefy — a talking Bulldog from the movie Little Nicky Curly — The name of the team mascot in the movie Leatherheads Several universities also have Bulldogs as their mascots. Love a particular celeb? By Emily Schroeder Emily Schroeder has been an animal-lover since…well, forever! She spent the early part of her career at Time Inc. And prior to landing her much-loved role as a staff writer for Daily Paws, she spent several years as a communications consultant. When Emily is not writing about our favorite four-legged friends, you can find her spending time with her husband and three adorable kiddos. Daily Paws' Editorial Guidelines Published on April 16, The days of naming your dog Sparky, Rover, and Fido have given way to more imaginative times—and pup parents thinking outside of the box. Nowadays, dog owners are letting their creative juices flow, taking cues from categories like pop culture, what's trending, popular baby names—even the Royal Family. For the instantly recognizable bulldog, some of the best names embody qualities of their tough breed. Despite their rugged exterior, bulldogs are sweet and great with kids when socialized early, and their low energy level and generally calm demeanor makes them great for pet parents who live in apartments or condos. If you've recently become a proud bulldog parent congrats! And one that you won't mind shouting at the dog park. Scouring the web for ideas can be time consuming, so leave it to us to help. Below is a list of our favorite English, French, and American bulldog names—from cute and classy to wildly waggish, you're sure to find one that fits! Girl Bulldog Names Female bulldogs may have faces only a dog mom could love, but we still think they're beautiful inside and out. English Bulldogs, as we know them today, are different from the original bulldogs used for bull-fighting. Today's Bulldogs are less aggressive, in fact, they make excellent family pets. Famous Bulldogs and Celebrity Bulldog Owners There are not as many famous bulldogs as other breeds, but here is a list of the ones that have starred in TV shows and movies, are known sports mascots or have become celebrities online! You will also find a list of celebrities that own bulldogs and their names to inspire you. He had a pup named Tike. Want to train your bulldog the right way? Use positive methods! It was a detective series and the main character, a prosecutor, had an English Bulldog named Max. Their names were: Lili, Cissy, Lazania and Billy. The role of Mr. Beefy is actually played by 3 Bulldogs named Roo, Harvey and Harley. The role is played by one dog named Taker. Curly is the team mascot and is played by a dog named Rocky. Hope my website is helping you better understand and train your dog. Do you want to help? Be a modern philanthropist through Patreon. It was adopted in and you can see how the breed characteristics have changed since then. Pet Keen is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. These well-muscled, stocky dogs are certainly one of the most unique dog breeds. While they have a somewhat imposing appearance, they are also gentle and kind and ideal for families. Read on for our comprehensive list of names for Bulldogs, including Bulldog names for girls, boys, and English Bulldogs too! There are a ton of good bulldog names out there, and some may resonate with you and your dog more than others. Naming your Bulldog after a popular figure in pop culture has become a popular practice nowadays and this is certainly a fun idea. That said, you also want a name that captures the spirit of the breed too, whether it be an American, Frenchie , or English Bulldog — all dogs with notably different characters! Female Bulldog Names Image Credit: thka, Shutterstock Female Bulldogs have all the size and muscle of male Bulldogs but with a more docile and affectionate temperament. The perfect name for your female should celebrate both her power and her femininity, with a nod toward her unique personality too!

Healthy Genetics — Bruiser Bulldogs Focus on healthy bloodlines All of our English Bulldog puppies for sale undergo a rigorous socialization program that ensures they are equipped for a plethora of new experiences. Parents are hand selected for trademark bruiser bulldog breathability and must complete a series of health exams to ensure their offspring maintain the high quality characteristics we are known for. As English Bulldog breeders located near Virginia, we find that many potential adopters located in the city are interested in our breeding program. If you are looking for a English Bulldog puppy, feel free to contact and start a conversation about our adoption process. If you do decide we are a good fit, we are only a short flight away! If you are interested in a English Bulldog Puppy and are located near Virginia, feel free to reach out to us! Check out our available puppies! Things to do with your English Bulldog Virginia is a great place to live with an English bulldog. With its beautiful scenery, endless activities, and friendly people, Virginia is the perfect place to create lasting memories with your furry friend. The park is home to a variety of hiking trails, waterfalls, and meadows. Your English bulldog will love exploring the park and meeting new friends. Hike the Trails The Shenandoah National Park has a number of beautiful hiking trails that are perfect for dogs. Your English bulldog will love exploring the woods and getting some exercise. Visit the Virginia Beach The Virginia Beach is a popular beach destination located in the southeastern part of Virginia. The beach is home to a variety of activities, including swimming, sunbathing, surfing, and fishing. Your English bulldog will love swimming in the ocean and meeting new friends. Your English bulldog will love getting some fresh air and seeing the sights from a different perspective. So come on down and explore all that this great state has to offer with your English bulldog. How do you breed for a healthier English Bulldog? Like all things in life, breeding for health is simply a matter of priority. We are blind to many of the breed priorities that distract other breeders from improving the health of the English Bulldog. We focus on health and personality and very little else. We are not interested in winning a blue ribbon in the show ring. Rather, we test for things like elongated soft palates, narrow tracheas, stenotic nares, luxation in the patellar tendons, heart defects, cherry eye, optic cilia, entropion, ect. We focus and prioritize creating healthy bloodlines, therefore our bulldogs are typically much healthier than the breed as a whole. After breeding for health, what other priorities are you focused on? Our true desire is to create the perfect family bulldog. We also believe a bulldog bred for the correct personality is essential to the family unit as well. A Bruiser Bulldog is bred for intelligence and playfulness. We want our bulldogs to be full of personality and some quirk. We believe a full personality along with a little stubbornness is the true North star of the bulldog breed and is what makes the unique among other breeds. We look for these personality traits in our adult bulldogs and continue to create bloodlines that reflect these qualities. What are the steps of your adoption process if I am located in Virginia? Check out our available English Bulldog Puppies page. At times, we have available puppies but almost always have a waiting list as well. A quick look at our available puppies is the starting point to begin the process. Send us an email or give us call .If approved to adopt one of our puppies you are welcome to place a deposit to hold until your puppy is ready to go home. Greetings from the Wysongs! Northern Indiana based, Bruiser Bulldogs offers purebred English Bulldog Puppies for sale to loving adopters seeking to find a higher quality English Bulldog. As English Bulldog breeders , Mitch and Erica Wysong have dedicated themselves to a lifelong journey of changing the culture and societal pressures of poor breeding practices within the English Bulldog Community. Mitch and Erica believe in producing a healthy English Bulldog puppy first and foremost. Through years of research and development, Bruiser Bulldogs is leading a new movement away from the overdone, wrinkled bulldog that has been long plagued by health problems. By embracing a healthier, more athletic look they are able to ensure that each and every English Bulldog Puppy for sale by Bruiser Bulldogs is supported by a platform of health tested, clean genetics. Upon adoption, each family that takes on the responsibility of a Bruiser Bulldog enters into an active and vibrant communal family of bulldog owners. Mitch and Erica believe it is their responsibility to provide emotional and mental support for the lifetime of each and every English Bulldog puppy they produce. To ensure the success of every adoption, Bruiser Bulldogs will always be committed to helping Bruiser Bulldog adopters care for their English Bulldogs to the best of their ability. 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. This cute nub tailed bulldog is so happy and full of life. She is so much fun and loves everyone. Indy is a 2 year old, female, Bulldog and pitbull type mix. She weighs 47 pounds and is full grown. She is already vaccinated, microchipped and spayed. She is thankfully Heartworm negative. Sadly she came to us with some wounds from her previous owners leaving a harness on her to tight that cut into her skin in several places. She is healing up but the vet said the hair may not regrown due to the damage. Most of it is under her arms and it is not extremely noticeable anymore. Indy is happy! She loves everyone! She has been fantastic with other dogs. She absolutely loves having another dog to run with. She can be a kind of in your face dog as bulldogs are so other dogs will need to be tolerant of her pushy play antics. We have not had her around cats yet. She loves everyone and has done great with kids so far. She would be best with kids that were a bit older as she does still get very excited and jump on people. She also does some play chewing on hands and arms that we are working on. Another thing to consider with kids. Her soccer ball is a favorite. She will entertain herself for hours with a ball. She prefers the game where you chase her while she keeps the ball. She is decent with training but has a few quirks. She will occasionally have a poo accident in her crate but does much better if you keep her in a plastic style kennel. Indy is very active and curious!! She needs a family that has time to exercise her properly. Loves balls, playing with other dogs or anything active. Having another active dog is best to help with all that energy. She will need a fenced yard to be happy. This little lady is a spitfire of playful joy. She will keep you laughing with her adorable funny antics. She does have a chill side also and is up for belly rubs anytime. We have not seen any issues with her sharing toys, treats or food with humans or other animals. As long as your household can provide her the proper outlet for her energy she is an absolutely wonderful dog! Vet and home checks required.

If you click on a link and choose to make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. Due to their high food drive, many Golden Retrievers become overweight or obese. Keeping a Golden Retrieve at an ideal weight is critical to their health and well-being. Fortunately, there are signs that Golden Retrieve owners can use to know if their dogs are becoming overweight or too fat. In addition, it will be difficult to feel the ribs, and the waist will lack an obvious taper and may protrude. One of the best things you can do to keep your Golden Retriever healthy is to keep it at an ideal weight. A Golden Retriever that is overweight or obese is at much higher risk for joint issues and other health issues. If you believe your Golden Retriever is too fat, then work with your veterinarian to put your Golden on a healthy, calorie-reduced diet to get it back into the ideal range. Knowing precisely if your Golden Retriever is too fat is discussed in detail in the following section. To determine if your Golden Retriever is becoming overweight or, worst yet, obese, there are a few guidelines you can use. To know if your Golden Retriever is overweight, look at it from above and from the side, and feel the ribs. The waist taper will look barely visible or absent, and there may be abdominal distention and visible fat at the base of the tail. The heavier the fat deposits on the ribs, the more difficult they will be to feel. While the breed standard can be helpful to understand the range a typical Golden Retriever may fall within, it is far more critical to know the average for YOUR dog. Hold up. I wrote an article on how to know if your Golden Retriever is too skinny. While it is much more common for a Golden Retriever to be overweight than underweight, it does happen. Signs to Look For. Keep in mind that breed standards are used for registered and papered dogs and those used in dog shows or competitions. In addition, it provides a judging criterion. So, you might get a Golden Retriever that is heavier than the breed standard and still at a healthy weight. In a similar vein, be careful of the ideal weight ranges given for a dog breed found on various websites and searches. Again, those can be useful in a general sense to determine where a vast majority of a particular breed falls. Still, the ranges do not consider individual differences. Dogs are unique, just like us. He is purebred, not papered or registered, and at just over a year old, is almost 90 lbs. His father was within the breed standard, as was his mother. So, we assumed he would be too. He is not. If your Golden Retriever begins to add a few pounds over its ideal weight, it is most likely time to take action. However, weighing your dog is not the easiest of things. So, the following suggestions rely on sight and feel and can be reliable gauges to know when your Golden Retriever is becoming too fat. When looking at your Golden Retriever from above, it should have a noticeable waist and a nice taper from the ribs to the back legs. Almost like the shape of a wasp. From the side, the abdomen should NOT protrude. Suppose your Golden Retriever is too fat or becoming overweight. In that case, the waist from above will not be obvious with little to no taper, or the waist may look round or rotund. The abdomen will be distended or sagging down from the side, and there is NO abdominal tuck. Instead, the abdomen should curve upward from the end of the chest toward the hindquarters. As a guide, the graphic below is a handy downloadable reference guide. Now, I understand that it can be hard to visualize how to do these things. In North America, canine obesity is prevalent. Not only is obesity preventable, but the risk for health consequences for an overweight Golden Retriever rises substantially with its weight. In general, overweight or obese Golden Retrievers are at an increased risk for diabetes, joint issues, arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney and heart disease, heatstroke, and many types of cancer. The health consequences for overweight in Golden Retrievers are sobering. Moreover, obesity is preventable with daily exercise and watching how much your Golden Retriever eats. If the health consequences are not enough for pet owners to keep their Golden Retrievers at a healthy weight, then consider the cost. I wrote an article on the health consequences of Golden Retrievers and the associated cost. Spoiler alert: it can be expensive. The study looked at 50, dogs spanning 12 breeds, including the Golden Retriever. The study noted that a normal-weight male Golden Retriever lives for .In contrast, an overweight male Golden Retriever lives only .The corresponding data for female Golden Retrievers are similar at .The message is clear. Of course, in rare instances, obesity may result from some health issues. Your Golden Retriever may be too fat because it eats more calories than it expends. Calorie excess can be due to lack of exercise, eating too frequently or too much, or ingesting too many snacks. Weight gain can also result from underlying health issues, so check with your vet to rule out any medical cause. If medical problems are ruled out, then sadly, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the pet owner. Golden Retrievers, in particular, are a very active breed that requires a lot of daily activity. Upwards of 60 minutes or more. Limiting snacks and monitoring feeding amounts and frequency are the other pieces of the weight loss puzzle discussed in the next section. Before putting your Golden Retriever on a weight loss program, it is essential to have your vet perform a complete physical examination and provide guidance on how best to proceed. Work with your vet to develop a healthy weight loss plan for your dog that includes safe amounts of food and exercise. It is essential to ensure that your Golden Retriever receives dog food lower in calories while maintaining an optimum balance of nutrients. Unfortunately, calorie reduction often comes at the expense of fewer nutrients, so your veterinarian is the best source for recommending a good dog food for your Golden Retriever. Next, make sure your Golden Retriever receives the appropriate portions and is fed at designated feeding intervals throughout the day. Vegetables and fruits make healthy snacks that are typically calorie sparse and nutrient-dense. If you need to know which vegetables and fruits are best, check out these articles I wrote. I also list which ones to avoid since some can cause stomach issues or even be deadly. Can Golden Retrievers Eat Fruit? Good Fruit Options Versus Bad Exercise, the last piece of the weight loss puzzle, is a bit more tricky. Walking is one of the best exercises and has low impact. However, it is best to start any exercise program slowly and begin with shorter sessions. Swimming is also a great exercise, it is joint-friendly, and Golden Retrievers love to swim. Once your Golden Retriever has reached a healthy weight, running is an excellent activity for keeping the dog fit and lean. If you are curious if Golden Retrievers make good running companions, consider taking a few minutes to read this article next: Need a Running Partner? How About Your Golden Retriever Some precautions to be aware of when exercising your Golden Retriever are noted below, with recommended readings if you need more detail on those potential issues. If exercising your Golden Retriever in the heat, be very careful of heatstroke. To ensure you know what temperatures are safe and how to recognize signs of heatstroke and what to do if it occurs , then read my article on that very topic: Golden Retrievers In Hot Weather: Keeping Them Cool. Frigid cold temperatures are the other end of the spectrum. And frostbite and hyperthermia are the risks. Your new furry friend has a lot of growing to do, and you probably have a lot of questions. Your Golden Retriever puppy will go through a number of developmental stages throughout their first twelve weeks. Male Golden Retrievers generally weigh between 65 and 75 pounds and stand from 23 to 24 inches tall. Females are generally smaller weighing between 55 to 65 pounds, and will grow to stand .At 4 months, your Golden Retriever puppy will reach about half their adult height. When it comes to mental development, it can take even longer than that before the Golden Retriever is fully mature. However, every puppy is a unique individual, and these are merely milestone guidelines. Disparities exist between the working and show Goldens, as well as between males and females. Golden Retriever puppy growth can also be quite sporadic. As an overall average, many Golden Retriever puppies will weigh just approximately 1. Golden Retrievers are classified as a gundog breed, and these dogs are often divided into those bred for show and those meant for work. However, the body of the show Golden is typically larger, taller, heavy-boned, and fuller in the chest. Small Parents Like people, puppies inherit physical traits from their parents. And even puppies from the same litter can vary in size. Neither of these scenarios is healthy for a puppy. Larger breeds like the Golden Retriever are more at risk for growth disorders than small breed dogs. This article will give you a lot more information on how much to feed, what to feed, and how often to feed a Golden Retriever puppy. Illness and Puppy Growth If a puppy has been seriously ill for a prolonged period, it may affect their ability to grow normally. However, once the puppy is free of worms, they should continue to grow at a normal rate. The best way to determine if your puppy is too thin or too fat is by how he looks and feels. When looking at your puppy from above, he should have a noticeable waistline. Another way to tell is by putting your hands on either side of his ribcage. You should be able to feel his ribs using a gentle pressure. But if his ribs are visible, he could be underweight. Obesity is a huge problem for many dog breeds. Although there are ways to make your puppy grow bigger, this is not something you should attempt. It could also mean you end up with a fat puppy. One of the best ways to ensure your puppy has a long, healthy life is to ensure he stays at an optimal weight. Hip and elbow dysplasia and other musculoskeletal disorders are associated with excess weight in larger breeds. Having your dog neutered at a young age can also cause them to grow taller. The problem is, this can also cause abnormalities in joint formation. Neutering also makes Golden Retrievers more at risk for certain types of cancers. Typically it will take approximately 18 months for your Golden Retriever to become an adult dog. Even though they can reach their full height at anywhere from 9 to 12 months, it will usually take them longer to fill out to their full weight. Remember that there are wide variations in size within the Golden Retriever breed. If this is the case, you should contact your veterinarian to seek advice. Beginning the puppy development stages before birth Puppy development stages week by week Amazingly, in a way the puppy development stages begin before your dog is even born. Your puppy spends approximately 9 weeks developing inside his Mom. The mother dog has a womb or uterus, that has two long tubes, and the puppies grow in a row along each tube rather like peas in a pod. The puppies are joined to their mother by a placenta which provides all the nourishment they need for those few weeks. To begin with, the puppies have plenty of room to move but they grow fast and as the time for birth draws near they are packed in quite tightly. The one week old puppy Your puppy is born fully furred but with his eyes and ears closed so he cannot hear or see. His front feet are strong and he can pull himself towards his mother with them. He can cry if he is uncomfortable and his mother will respond to his cries by moving him towards her and licking him. Your puppy spends most of his time sleeping or suckling. He cannot regulate his own body temperature and needs his mother for heat, or an artificial heat source. In the first week to ten days of his life your puppy grows rapidly and will double his birth weight. His forelegs are getting much stronger. She licks the puppies bottoms to stimulate a bowel or bladder movement and eats the result. There is no cleaning up for the breeder to do yet. The breeder will begin to handle the puppies more though, and get them used to human contact. She will worm the puppies for the first time at the end of this week. Puppies begin to get their personalities. Your puppy can stand and sit up by the end of the week. Tails can be wagged, ears will be completely open and puppies start play growling and interacting with their littermates. Your puppy can regulate his body temperature more effectively and will start to cut his first teeth in preparation for weaning. The front teeth, canines and incisors are cut first. Toward the end of the week he may have his first tiny taste of puppy food. They also start to move away from the sleeping area to empty their bowels and bladder. They may try to climb out of the whelping box. If she lives indoors, she may rejoin the family for more of each day. Your puppy will cut his back teeth and the breeder will get weaning underway this week and by the end of it, your puppy will be getting quite a bit of his nourishment from puppy food. She will also worm the puppies a second time. If the mother is allowed near the puppies after she has been fed, she may regurgitate her dinner for them. This is completely natural and normal. He is a proper little dog. Rolling around with his brothers and sisters and playing with toys. Teething toys, puppy Kongs, balls and rope toys are big favorites with puppies. He can bark too and some puppies can be quite noisy at this age! He chases after his mother whenever she appears and suckles hungrily, but she is starting to get fed up with it, and may be reluctant to feed her brood for very long. His mother is teaching him not to bite too hard. If he lives in outdoor kennels he should spend part of each day indoors with the family. By the end of the sixth week, most are fully weaned, and eating five or six little meals of puppy food each day. Socialization must begin in earnest. He is now two months old and ready for his new life. It is the time during which they become fearful of anything unfamiliar and need to be thoroughly socialized. This is also the time during which most puppies get to grips with house-training, learning to wait before eliminating and start sleeping through the night without a potty break. It is a busy time for new puppy owners. Your puppy will have his vaccinations during this month. Biting can be a big problem during this stage and you need to be patient and consistent in order to teach the puppy not to hurt people when he plays. Provided you use force free methods, this is a great time to get puppy training under way, and especially to teach a puppy recall, and to get your puppy used to working with food. So, for a 2. You can do the same calculation for medium pups at sixteen weeks and large breed pups at 20 weeks — just divide his weight by his age in weeks before you multiply by .Medium to large pups will reach about half their adult height by the end of the month. If the weather is warm you can get your puppy swimming now. He should be able to come when he is called, in and around your home, provided there are not too many distractions. It all depends on what you have taught him. He may still be chewing a lot and biting too. Use frozen Kongs to help him and give your furniture and fingers a break. Puppies can go for short walks now. By the end of this month your puppy could have a twenty minute walk each day. He may also enjoy fetching a ball and playing with other dogs, but take care to stop before he gets very tired. Less dependence This is the month during which some puppies start to become less dependent on their humans for security. Keep your puppy close to you outdoors by changing direction frequently so that you puppy has to keep coming to find you. And engaging him in games. The foundations of a great recall are often build or spoilt during this month. If your puppy knows how to sit or lie down at home, start some simple proofing exercises with him in public places. A healthy puppy can usually manage on two meals a day from around six months. During this month a Retriever, Spaniel or GSD puppy will reach around two thirds of his adult weight. A Great Dane and other large breeds will have reached about half their final weight and little dogs will have almost completed their growth. Some female dogs will come on heat for the first time during this month, or the next, so keep an eye open now for swelling of her vulva and any discharge. Your dog will become increasingly confident over the next few months so practice, practice and practice that recall! Make it a habit he cannot break. And be generous with your rewards. Small breed pups may now be more or less mature. Your puppy will enjoy half hour off lead walks now, and should be able to walk on a loose lead for short periods with plenty of encouragement and rewards. Keep practicing that recall! These help to slow his growth further and to build his confidence. Make sure you practice good outdoor management on walks to maintain the good recall you have built and work hard on thoroughly proofing all his obedience skills. Read up on neutering before you take this important step, for dogs of either sex. Once your dog is a year old he can participate in more strenuous activities and sports. Now is the time to think about the kinds of activities you would like to do with him — go jogging together for example — and if necessary, to start to get him fit. Puppy development stages — Summary There is huge variation in the way in which dogs develop and mature. The puppy development stages and ages outlined above are a rough guide. We hope you enjoyed them and found the information interesting. When it comes to training, you get out what you put in. Your progress depends as much if not more on you rather than your puppy. If you train your puppy five times a day, six days a week he will learn many, many times faster than a puppy that is trained once a day at the weekend. Enjoy watching your puppy grow and develop. And have fun! Weight loss diet vs exercise? For the gorgeous Golden Retriever , the data is even more distressing. The friendly and devoted Golden is instantly recognizable for their kind eyes; floppy ears; and long, lustrous coat of golden fur that gives them their name. Bred as a Scottish gundog in the early s, the energetic breed was built to retrieve waterfowl. This muscular dog bears a wolflike physique and moves with a graceful, athletic bearing. Swimming, fetching, running and jumping come naturally for this active dog. So why is the Golden Retriever getting fat in such alarming numbers? It might seem as though your Golden Retriever is always hungry. Biologically, dogs are descended from wolves and have an innate drive to constantly scavenge for food. For domestic dogs, this means begging and mooching. Snacks can cause weight gain and make exercise more difficult, which leads to gaining even more weight. However, there may be other reasons why the Golden Retriever seems to have a problem with weight gain. A study done at the University of Cambridge found a deletion in the canine POMC gene is associated with weight and appetite in Labrador Retrievers and flat-coated Retrievers. Is My Golden Retriever Fat? A full-grown male Golden Retriever should weigh between 65 and 75 pounds. A female should weigh between 55 and 65 pounds. However, these are guidelines and there are ranges that fall within the parameters of normal weight based on genetics, shape and size. The best way to tell if your Golden Retriever is fat is by looking at him from different angles and feeling for his ribs. Look at your dog from the side. His tummy should tuck up from the chest between the ribs and hind legs. There should be an upward curve from the chest to the hind legs. Stand above your dog and look down at him. You should see an inward curve at the waist. Another way to tell is by feeling for his ribs. Put your hands on either side of his rib cage. Using gentle pressure, you should be able to feel each of his ribs. Start at the chest, and run your hands along his body. Are Fat Golden Retrievers Unhealthy? You may be wondering whether it matters if your Golden is packing some extra pounds. Increased Health Risks for Fat Golden Retrievers Carrying extra weight creates numerous health problems and can make existing ones even worse for the Golden Retriever. Being overweight can also be hard on joints and bones. Golden Retrievers are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, which is an abnormal formation of the hip socket. This serious condition can cause pain, lameness and arthritis of the joints. Being overweight can increase the negative effects of hip and elbow dysplasia. Studies show that obesity leads to the development of numerous other diseases in dogs, including diabetes, heart disease and osteoarthritis. Respiratory, renal function and health can also be adversely affected. Cancer is a big problem for the Golden Retriever. Obesity has not been linked to the development of cancer in dogs. This includes table scraps, bits of food your kids sneak him, nibbles he finds on the floor and anything else he eats between meals. For some dogs, eliminating treats might be enough to get him down to an acceptable weight. Natural foods are better snack choices than prepackaged treats. Raw vegetables and fruit are low in calories and have the benefit of adding nutrition to his diet. The first thing to do is to reduce each portion by around a third. After four days if they are not beginning to lose weight you can drop by another third, and continue in this manner until you start to see visible changes in your dog. Once their weight reaches a healthy level you can slightly up their ratio size to stabilise them. Exercising a Fat Golden Retriever Exercise will help with weight loss, but it is rarely a good solution by itself. If your dog is very overweight you will need to up their step count slowly so as not to cause further medical issues. A dog the size of a Golden Retriever carrying too much weight will often form sores and calluses on its hocks and elbows due to the extra pressure put on these areas when laying down. And an overweight Golden lays down a lot! Finally, and most importantly, the average lifespan of an overweight dog is decreased by up to 2 years, and they have a lower quality of life and maybe even unnecessary suffering during the years they do have. Scary stuff indeed! Additionally, there will always be outliers with some Goldens being short and particularly small, others particularly tall and large. A female Golden Retriever should weigh between 55 and 65 pounds. If you have a Golden whose ideal weight is 70 pounds and they actually weigh 85, this is .I weigh about 11 stone or pounds. If I was .This is the equivalent of me carrying a 3-year-old child around with me all day, every day. To me this is astonishing. But for many people seeing an pound Golden, they rarely give it a second thought or think it at all abnormal. In fact, most people when they see an ideal weight Golden Retriever actually comment that the dog looks thin and underweight! Is Your Golden Retriever Overweight? How Does your Golden Look? Not as pronounced as a whippet or greyhound, but visible nonetheless. Furthermore, if you stand over your Golden looking down from above you should see the classic hourglass figure. There should be curves where their body tucks in between the ribs and hind legs. How Do your Goldens Ribs Feel? Putting your hand on either side of your Goldens chest, with just very gentle pressure almost lightly touching you should be able to feel every rib. Also, if you start with your hands on your Goldens chest and run them down their body toward the back-end, you should be able to feel a definite waist. Obviously, if they start to look drastically overweight and quite visibly so, then you should take some action. But this is something you will very rarely see. They will reach full height at some point between 12 and 18 months old, but still be filling out and building muscle after this time. So a puppy should rarely be put on a diet, particularly because malnutrition may then become a problem. But make sure to ask your vet about their weight during each visit so you can have an informed second opinion. How To Help Your Overweight Golden Retriever Lose Weight The very first thing you have to do before tackling the problem of an overweight Golden, would be to take them to the vet for a check-up and to get some professional advice. Sometimes excess weight is caused by medical problems , for instance, due to low thyroid function or fluid retention, and this must be ruled out before any diet or exercise is given. Secondly, there are many problems that a diet or exercise might make worse. For instance, if your dog is arthritic or has dysplasia and you start an increased exercise regimen, you could make these problems worse and cause discomfort and pain. But once given the all clear medically, there are a few things you can do to help your Golden Retriever lose weight. Keep An Eye On Treats Treats when training, scraps from the table, a biscuit from your children, and snacks found and eaten when out and about, all add up and sometimes to a surprisingly high amount of calories. And if your children, spouse, other family members or visitors ever give your Golden little treats, these simply must be stopped. Inform everybody and tell them why. And table scraps should be stopped completely. And please note if you do feed human food snacks, always be mindful of what you feed because although many foods are safe, some are toxic and a good number fit only somewhere in the middle as explained very well in this article: Can dogs eat bananas? Exercise A simple fact is if the calories in are greater than the calories used, then a dog will gain weight. If calories in are less than the calories used then a dog will lose weight. So you should aim to increase the overall activity levels of your Golden. This will have a dramatic effect on their weight but not only this, it will also improve their overall health in many ways as well as enrich their lives. A word of caution though. You should introduce exercise slowly and gently before building up the intensity. You cannot ask an overweight dog to suddenly start chasing tennis balls and jumping logs and streams. This can cause many problems and particularly damage to their joints. Start slowly with 20 minutes of power walking on flat ground. Then over the course of days introduce slopes and hills. Once their fitness increases and the weight starts to drop off, introduce gentle jogging and playing fetch. And of course, swimming is always a great form of exercise for any Golden Retriever. If you have an overweight Golden and this is how you feed them, you need to make a change. Maintaining weight works best when fed on a fixed schedule. Secondly, you should feed your dog twice each day and not just once. Feed them first thing in the morning and once in the early evening. Food absorption becomes highly efficient, and the body tries to hang on to as much fat and energy as possible due to few opportunities to refuel. This promotes weight gain so we want to avoid this. Choice Of Food There are many, many different brands and types of dog food on the market. Some of these foods are high in fat, high in fillers, high in cheap low quality foodstuffs, and more besides. Find a high-quality and nutritious dog food that your Golden enjoys and stick with it. Just feed quality food in the correct amount and exercise your golden. Measure The Food You Give Your Golden Almost all dog foods come with guidance on the packet stating how much to feed your Golden Retriever but you have to remember that these are just guidelines. They simply cannot be right for all dogs whose size and exercise levels vary greatly. It also has to be said that many owners fail to measure the amount of food they give their dogs at all. The weight should start to fall off. And of course, going forward, all other things like treats and exercise remaining constant, you can control their weight by carefully measuring what they eat, adjusting up and down depending on their current look and feel. Conclusion Most dogs, and especially Golden Retrievers, will eat themselves to death if given the chance. Obesity and being overweight directly lead to many health problems and for those unfortunate dogs who have existing medical conditions, carrying excess weight can make things worse. Shaving off any extra pounds will give them more mobility and ease their pain and suffering, directly leading to a higher quality of life. If your dog is overweight, now is the time to act. A fit and healthy dog is a happy dog, with a higher quality of life to enjoy for a longer amount of time. Related articles:.

The price of American Bulldogs up or down depending on quality. High quality of these aspects will always fetch a higher price. So always do your research to make your purchase worthwhile. When it comes to breeding dogs, professional breeders prioritize quality above anything else—even profit. Reputable breeders invest their resources in making sure that the litter is healthy. Training and Socialization Training and socialization are extremely crucial aspects of raising pups. So, premium breeders would go the extra mile to give the litter the necessary training. And when they do train the pups , it becomes a factor that drives the American Bulldog price up. Breeders would either hire a dog trainer , which they would pass this cost to the buyers. If they know how to train dogs themselves, they can train the dogs and charge the buyers for it. Alternatively, you may want to get the breeds at rescue centers and shelters. These facilities train their rescue dogs well to make sure that they are ready for rehoming. And the best thing about it? Training the dogs is free of charge! Location and Demand The demand and supply for the breed can thrust the American Bulldog price up or shove it down. American Bulldog puppies are well-sought-after breeds, not just in the US but worldwide. But if you live in a more rural area in the country, there might not be many breeders in your area. They can take advantage of the scarcity and charge you more for the breed that you requested. Medical History It only makes sense for the healthiness of the pup to be a factor that makes the American Bulldog price high. To do that, breeders match two suitable and healthy dogs to be the parents of the litter. When the pups are born, breeders take them to multiple vet visits to have their health condition checked. Reputable breeders also deworm and vaccinate their dogs to protect them from infections and infestations. American Bulldogs are a popular and beloved breed, known for their strength, loyalty, and friendly nature. Think an American Bulldog is right for you? These puppies would probably be very in-line with the American Bulldog Breed Standard. They usually will also invest more into the dogs with stuff such as genetic testing, high quality food , and only breeding the best dogs. Location and availability — Depending on where you live, there might not be enough American Bulldog breeders for the local demand. Areas like this tend to be rural and you might find yourself paying more when there are only a few breeders near you. Age of the dog — Puppies generally cost more than older dogs. Not only will the puppy itself cost more, but the cost of ownership is generally more when you first get the dog with all the vet bills, shots, new puppy stuff, etc. Some of these rare colors are: Blue, Lilac, and Merle. Lineage and Pedigree The lineage and pedigree of an American Bulldog can greatly impact the price. Dogs with champion bloodlines or those from well-regarded breeding lines may come with a higher price tag. Breeder Reputation Reputable breeders who consistently produce healthy and well-tempered dogs often charge more for their puppies. This is because they invest time, money, and resources into ensuring the health and well-being of their breeding dogs and puppies. Location and Availability The cost of an American Bulldog can vary depending on where you live and the availability of puppies. In areas with a higher demand for the breed, prices may be higher. Age of the Dog Puppies are typically more expensive than adult dogs. Older dogs may have lower prices due to decreased demand or because they are retired from breeding or showing. Coat Color and Markings Some coat colors and markings are rarer and more sought after, which may increase the price of a puppy or adult dog. Rare American Bulldog Colors Blue: This coat color is a diluted form of black, resulting in a bluish-gray hue. Black: Although not officially recognized by some breed standards, pure black American Bulldogs are quite rare. Lilac: A combination of blue and chocolate, lilac American Bulldogs have a unique, pale, silvery-gray coat color. Chocolate: A rich, dark brown coat color, which is less common in American Bulldogs. Black and Tan: A combination of black and tan markings, similar to the pattern seen in Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers. Merle: A unique pattern with patches of diluted color against a darker background. Merle is uncommon in American Bulldogs and is often associated with potential health issues, such as deafness and vision problems. These rare colors usually will cost more than your average American Bulldog color. But for most American Bulldogs, you should expect to pay somewhere in that price range. Some of these costs include: Initial Expenses Supplies crate, bed, leash, collar, toys, etc. Tips for Finding a Reputable Breeder To ensure you are purchasing a healthy, well-bred American Bulldog, it is important to find a reputable breeder. Consider the following tips when searching for the right breeder: Research and referrals: Ask for recommendations from friends, family, or veterinarians. You can also search online forums or social media groups dedicated to American Bulldogs for breeder suggestions. Online resources: The American Bulldog Club of America ABCA and other breed-specific organizations may have breeder directories or listings to help you find a reputable breeder in your area. Checking breeder credentials: Look for breeders who are members of reputable breed clubs or organizations, have a history of producing healthy dogs, and adhere to ethical breeding practices. Reputable breeders will welcome such visits and be transparent about their breeding practices. Ensuring health and temperament: A responsible breeder will provide health clearances for both the puppy and its parents, as well as information on any genetic health issues common to the breed. Adopting an American Bulldog Adopting an American Bulldog from a rescue organization or shelter is an alternative to purchasing one from a breeder. There are several benefits to adoption: Lower cost: Adoption fees are generally much lower than purchasing a dog from a breeder. Saving a life: By adopting a dog, you are providing a loving home to an animal in need and making room for other dogs in the shelter or rescue organization. Adult dog benefits: Adopting an adult dog can be advantageous for those who prefer a dog with an established temperament and personality or who want to avoid the challenges of puppyhood. Contact your local animal shelters or rescue organizations to inquire about any American Bulldogs in their care. Reach out to breed-specific rescue organizations, which often focus on rescuing and rehoming American Bulldogs. Before adopting, be prepared for the adoption process, which may involve filling out an application, providing references, and participating in a home visit. How many dogs are living at the kennel? If the dogs have an outside area, is there a fence around it? Where are the dogs kept during the day? Where do the dogs sleep? Conclusion The cost of an American Bulldog can vary significantly based on factors such as lineage, breeder reputation, location, and coat color. In addition to considering the purchase price, potential owners should also take into account the ongoing costs of caring for their pet. By researching reputable breeders or considering adoption, you can ensure that you are bringing a healthy, well-tempered American Bulldog into your home. Remember that responsible pet ownership involves not only financial commitment but also dedication to providing a loving and nurturing environment for your new companion. Posted on. Nonetheless, routine vet care should be prioritized as your dog ages and becomes more vulnerable to certain diseases. Aside from this, pet insurance should be on your list if you want to prevent unplanned expenses from unexpected medical problems. To prevent going bankrupt, you must equip yourself with knowledge of what these expenses might be. For owners of American Bulldogs, here are the other potential expenses you should also anticipate: Pet Daycare: If you plan to have a trip without your American Bulldog, you can take your dog to pet daycare. This facility will give plenty of attention to your American Bulldog and provide your pup with activities based on their specific needs and temperament. Pet Sitter Fee: A pet sitter will greatly help you if you want to leave your American Bulldog at home rather than sending it to a pet daycare. Your American Bulldog may acquire mild to severe health conditions that might require immediate medical attention. Grooming Services: Although you can groom your American Bulldog at home, hiring a professional pet groomer will spare you the hassle of bathing and grooming it yourself. Kennel Club Registration: If you intend to participate in dog shows and competitions, you should have your purebred American Bulldog puppy registered. Take note that these costs are only optional except for emergency medical costs. Since emergencies and accidents are unpredictable, you should prepare and plan for such situations. Therefore, it is wise to get pet insurance to avoid high medical costs. Sadly, not all breeders are credible and trustworthy. You should stay away from breeders and puppy mills that sell unhealthy puppies. As you look for your American Bulldog puppy, read through our comprehensive puppy buying guide to prevent being scammed online. This breeder focuses on Bulldog-type dogs, often known as Johnson American Bulldogs. Even so, they occasionally breed outstanding American Bulldogs of the standard and hybrid varieties. Venomline — Venomline is one of the well-known breeders of American Bulldog puppies and dogs in the world. For additional options, you can also scan our recommended American Bulldog breeders. Rest assured that they can offer you the best deal you deserve! This organization has given homes to over a thousand rescued Bulldogs, including American Bulldogs. Peaches Bulldog Rescue — Peaches Bulldog Rescue is a foster-based organization located in Ohio that helps abandoned and surrendered Bulldog breed dogs. Aside from rescuing and adopting, this organization also dedicates its efforts to community education, microchipping, spaying and neutering, and encouraging responsible ownership of Bulldog breeds. If you want to ace your application in any of these rescues, you should read our ultimate guide to dog adoption for tips. Also, you might also want to read our article on how to find free pups in your neighborhood. Money-Saving Tips for American Bulldog Owners American Bulldogs will cost you more than you imagine, especially if you plan to spoil them. To reduce your overall expenses, you can always make some changes. All you have to do is start looking for alternatives with more diligence and creativity. Here are some money-saving tips for American Bulldog owners: Invest in high-quality items. Although high-quality items are initially more expensive, their sturdiness will prove worthy in the long run. Hence, if you are purchasing items for your American Bulldog, such as collars and food bowls, it is best to buy the quality ones. Purchase dog food in bulk. Buying dog foods in bulk is generally wiser because businesses nowadays often offer discounts on items bought in bulk. Purchasing in bulk is also more practical for pet owners since you save a few bucks from your transportation expenses with fewer visits to stores. Make DIY dog toys. Dog toys are often expensive and sometimes not sturdy enough. Fortunately, there are easy DIY dog toys you can make with whatever items you have at home. Making DIY toys is a good alternative if you want to save money from buying new toys. American Bulldogs are easy to train. So instead of spending money on training fees, you can train them yourself. With this money-saving tip, you get to save money and bond with your dog. Keep your dog healthy. Keeping your American Bulldog in good shape is the key to avoiding these unexpected expenses. The bulleted items are just a few of the many ways you can save money as an owner of an American Bulldog. Final Thoughts The American Bulldog is such a fantastic dog. But before getting one, it is important that you should assess yourself first if you are capable of providing this dog with all its needs. You should also keep in mind that these are large dogs that demand more maintenance and care. Although you can train them not to become spoiled, you should always provide them with great love, care, and attention. After discussing the cost of an American Bulldog and its related expenses, we hope that you learn something from us. If so, share your expense-budgeting strategy for your American Bulldog in the comment section below. My passion for animals started at a very young age as I grow up on a farm with several horses, cows, cats, chickens, and dogs on our property. Leave a Comment. Farmers may have brought up American bulldogs in earlier times. As for now, it is not easy to maintain an American Bulldog protecting its uniqueness and health conditions. The truth is that American bulldogs are less expensive than those American Bullies. The above price range is for standard American bulldogs. Each difference makes variations in the price of the dog. Out of all the dogs, choosing an American Bulldog is a wise decision. It also depends on the requirements of the buyer. Health Guarantee The first thing you must confirm when buying an American Bulldog is its health. For a healthy American bulldog puppy, a genuine breeder gives a warranty regarding its fitness for at least two years. The health guarantee is one of the primary key factors that affect the price of an American Bulldog since it also includes the veterinarian bills while caring for the puppy from its birth. Well-Known Breeders In the current era, you can find many scammers, even the sellers of innocent pets. Knowing that an American Bulldog is expensive and in high demand among dog lovers, some people breed American Bulldogs without proper knowledge and without providing good care to the parent dogs. It is always wise to buy an American Bulldog from a well-reputed breeder. Having high demand for the puppies and earning a good name, a well-known breeder rates the puppy a little more. Anyways an American Bulldog is expensive, as you know. But approaching a well-known breeder to buy one reduces cruelty on pet dogs. Bloodline An American Bulldog with a superior bloodline costs more than a standard one. The American Bulldogs are descendants of English Dogs. Before being recognized as American Bulldogs, the breed had different names in different parts of the continent. A purebred American Bulldog has the exact qualities of its ancestors, acting as a guardian against invaders. An American Bulldog with pure bloodline costs more for its unique attributes. The price of each type of American Bulldog varies. So what are the types of American Bulldogs available? These are larger dogs with 23 to 27 inches in height. Their distinctive Bulldog appearance results from their traditional underbite and boxy skulls. As home pets, these are exceedingly generous and protective. Due to their strength, Scott American Bulldogs are recognized as the standard type of American Bulldogs. This type of breed is 22 to 27 inches taller. These dogs are bred for working purposes. This breed was developed in the s, mainly by a person called Joe Painter. This type of American Bulldog is bulkier but trainable. Old Southern White American Bulldog White English The genetics that gave rise to the modern breed of American bulldogs is thought to have originated from the original southern white American Bulldogs. Hybrid American Bulldog Genuinely, the many available American bulldogs are thought to be hybrid lines. For different purposes, the breeders try to cross-breed the American Bulldogs to get the resultant puppy satisfying the expectations. This method only guarantees a partial percent result. As a dog lover, I would never recommend this method to process. Breed Information Before buying an American bulldog, you better know the information on the breed. I have simplified the information for you. Continue reading! Appearance and Size An American bulldog has a unique stiff look. It has round or almond-shaped eyes, dark brown, medium-sized ears that can be cropped, a wider nose, an average-sized tail, and a short coat. The American bulldogs can be found in white, black, gray, brindle, fawn, and red. A male American bulldog is commonly 20 to 28 inches taller, whereas a female American bulldog is 20 to 26 inches taller. Regarding weight, Female American Bulldogs weigh around 50 to lbs, whereas Male American Bulldogs usually weigh within the 70 to lbs range. Life Span The average lifespan of an American bulldog is 10 to 16 years. Additionally, health concerns and genetic issues can affect the lifespan of an American Bulldog. The good news regarding American bulldogs is that the breed kind is recognized to have a high lifetime compared to other dog types. They challenge premature death by maintaining their body weight by doing physical workouts. Temper American Bulldogs are affectionate, smart, and protective. They are alert, active, and stiff. As mentioned earlier, different types of American Bulldogs show different levels of aggressiveness toward strangers. You heard me right! American Bulldogs are aggressive to strangers. That is why they are protective of their own family members. As the American Bulldogs are very active, they love to play. They are very loyal to the owners and tend to stand up for them no matter what. Known to be rough and stiff, they are really friendly and silly sometimes. You have to see an American Bulldog when it gets happy. American Bulldogs are great companions that act as clowns to make their owners happier. Commonly, American Bulldogs are family dogs lovable with a confident attitude. Health American Bulldogs are usually healthier and do not get sick that easily. The owners should follow a plan for check-ups and immunizations on a scheduled basis. As active players, American Bulldogs tend to have issues with their hips and joints. The owner of the dog should be informed of this issue and do the required check-ups regularly. An American bulldog with a good bloodline is fine. Hence they can show genetic health problems related to their parent dogs. This is why it is crucial to approach a reputed breeder when buying an American Bulldog. The elbow and hip joints may get misplaced during some physical activities. Dysplasia-related rubbing can eventually lead to problems, including pain, lameness, and secondary osteoarthritis. Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis NCL This genetic condition of the neurological system impairs how the body breaks down particular kinds of fats or proteins in the cells. Hence, getting a puppy from a good place is highly advisable. Back then, ancestors of American Bulldogs were brought up by farmers to help them with farming and protect the chickens and pigs from the wild. The genetic influence is still being printed in every American Bulldog. This makes American Bulldogs train excessively for their well-being. If you bring up an American Bulldog with a protection sense, you will have to approach a relative training method. There are people who bring up American Bulldogs just to let them fight and participate in such competitions for money and fame. For this, a different training method should be followed. Socializing training should be provided at the very young age of an American Bulldog. Training in Obedience is one of the essential training methods for an American Bulldog. Messing with this step can make the owner regret it a little later. Train the puppy with voice and hand commands. Use positive reinforcement training methods to get good results in training an American Bulldog. Consulting a professional trainer before training an American Bulldog is much advisable. Training tools dog owners must have for their dogs:. Their personalities are easy to love; they have a confident demeanor and are known for their almost clown-like antics when excited, making them an excellent family companion. This breed is quite family-oriented but may be distant with strangers at first. Their characteristic aloofness to outsiders helps make them great guard dogs. With consistent training and established rules and boundaries, this powerful pup can learn with the best of them. As a working breed, they were known for their wild pig and cattle catching abilities, making them indispensable on southern ranches in the US. Grooming Hurray for easy care! Make sure your vet gives your pup a professional cleaning every year, too. Be sure to put nail trimming every couple of weeks and ear cleaning monthly is usually enough on the grooming menu, too. And as for baths, plan on a bath about once a month or so. You may be able to just use your nose. If you detect an unpleasant odor eww! Training When it comes to training, an American Bulldog puppy needs a confident pup parent who uses positive reinforcement to teach various skills, such as how to walk nicely on a leash and come when called. Start training your American Bulldog puppy early to get them used to the ropes. Once you understand what works for them, training becomes easy. Remember: American Bulldogs are smart. These social interactions give your dog a chance to explore a variety of environments and social situations. Feed your puppy large-breed puppy kibble for their first 14 months to support slow but consistent growth. Skip food or supplements with calcium until your pooch is fully grown and eating an adult diet. The added calcium could disrupt healthy bone development. Treats are an essential part of training and a great way to show your pup you love them. However, too many treats can lead to a tubby pup, so check with your vet if you need help figuring out a proper treat-to-mealtime ratio. Exercise Even though they have a moderate energy level, an American Bulldog needs a lot of exercise. And exercise is important to keep your dog out of trouble. If they have unused energy, an American Bulldog will resort to destructive behaviors to release that energy, like chewing on your favorite pair of shoes. This athletic dog benefits greatly from structured walks and play to work the mind and their muscular build. As a puppy parent, strive to offer non-impact movement such as hiding balls in the yard or offering a puzzle toy, as these games lower the risk of joint and bone damage early on. Get out of the house twice a day or more if your young dog is up for it for playtime and walks that last between 20 and 30 minutes. Trainers often suggest skipping the dog park because structured play is more difficult in this setting. Instead, get creative with activities. Think: fetch, tug-of-war with a rope toy or a chewy option filled with something delicious. You may even try lower-impact dog sports like agility or nose work. Both are an excellent way to keep your pup mentally and physically engaged. Remember, a happy dog is a tired dog! Ideal Environment Both city and country homes will suit the American Bulldog as long as you can offer lots of exercise and playtime. Still, families with kids are a good match for this protective and intelligent breed. A structured day with regular walks and chances to play with a variety of toys is the best environment for the American Bulldog. Staving off boredom is paramount, and, of course, no animal likes to be home alone for a long time. When considering the American Bulldog as a pet, bear in mind that training is the key to their success, especially when adding this breed to a home with kids or other dogs. Pup parents need to be aware of some of these issues so they can help their dog live the healthiest life possible. Joint Dysplasia: This joint abnormality is seen in the hips and elbows, and a dog with dysplasia may run, jump and climb less than usual. Most often, the issue is a rupture or partial tear. Cherry Eye: Did you know dogs have a third eyelid? Bone Cancer: Often found in the long bones arms, legs , the cause for this condition is unknown, though vets feel it may have a genetic or environmental component. Deafness: Deafness, which can occur in one or both ears, may be acquired via drug exposure or infection. But deafness could also be hereditary and is linked to dogs with light coats and eyes. Acquired deafness is usually permanent but may improve over time without intervention. A special diet may be the treatment or medications, depending on the cause. Spinal Issues: Degenerative myelopathy DM is often genetic in nature and affects the spinal cord, leading to weakness and hind limb paralysis. Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis: NCL is an inherited, progressive and rare neurological disorder that starts showing up between 1 and 2 years of age. The most obvious symptom is behavioral changes in the dog, and the pup will usually lose coordination and eyesight. It can be discovered through a DNA test, and at this time, there are no treatments. This proud pup carries an imported pedigree, having been brought over from across the pond as a descendant of the English Bulldog, which was originally bred for bull baiting. Thankfully, this horrific sport was outlawed in England in .Back in the 17th century, early settlers packed these working dogs with them for service on farms and ranches. The American Bulldog became a utility player, stepping in to accomplish many tasks, such as guarding livestock and catching cattle and feral pigs. In fact, were it not for their success as an excellent catch dog in the southern states, we might not know the breed today. John D. Johnson and Alan Scott were able to breed the last few native American Bulldogs in the southern US, resulting in two types the Scott type and the Johnson type that thrive today. These breeds differ in appearance; the Johnson American Bulldog sports a bigger, stronger build, a larger head and short muzzle, and the Scott American Bulldog has more lithe features, such as an athletic, small-boned frame and a longer muzzle. Are you looking to add an American Bulldog as a family member? Check out the AKC puppy finder to find a reputable breeder. You can also seek out local American Bulldog rescues to find a worthy, loving dog to call your own, or keep an eye out for the breed at your local shelter. FAQs Do American bulldogs shed? Yes, American Bulldogs shed, albeit lightly and seasonally. Are American Bulldogs Pitbulls? Are American Bulldogs aggressive? American Bulldogs may be aggressive toward other dogs, particularly unfamiliar ones of the same sex, in part because of their protective and somewhat dominant nature. But with consistent training and early socialization, this breed is considered a loving family dog that does well with kids and other pets. How long do American Bulldogs live? American Bulldogs can have a generous life span, often living between 10 and 12 years. Providing your dog with the proper diet and exercise can help your pup live a full life. What are the most popular American Bulldog names? Get more dog names here. What are the most common American Bulldog mixes? Families of all kinds admire this agile, athletic breed and count themselves lucky to own such a loving, loyal pet. Female Names. Less - The American Bulldog is a powerful, athletic short-coated dog, strongly muscled, and well boned. The body is just slightly longer than tall. The head is large and broad, with a wide muzzle. Ears are small to medium in size, high set, and may be drop, semi-prick, rose, or cropped. The tail may be docked or natural. The American Bulldog comes in solid colors, white with colored patches, and brindle. Gender differences are well expressed in this breed, with males typically larger and more muscular than females. Honorable scars resulting from field work are not to be penalized. The essential characteristics of the American Bulldog are those which enable it to work as a hog and cattle catching dog, and a protector of personal property. These tasks require a powerful, agile, confident dog with a large head and powerful jaws. The American Bulldog is a gentle, loving family companion who is fearless enough to face an angry bull or a human intruder. Note: It is common for young American Bulldogs to be somewhat standoffish with strangers, and judges should not penalize this. All over the world, they are used variously as "hog dogs" catching escaped pigs or hunting razorbacks , as cattle drovers and as working or sport K-9s. American Bulldogs also successfully compete in several dog sports such as dog obedience, Schutzhund, French Ring, Mondio Ring, Iron Dog competition and weight pulling. This is primarily because of their large size. They are simply more expensive to breed because they require more room and eat quite a bit. The purpose of an American Bulldog will determine its pricing. Table of Contents How much is an American Bulldog? These dogs range widely in price. Where you decide to adopt your dog makes a significant difference in the price. However, these dogs are rarely health tested and are more prone to health problems. On the other hand, purchasing from an AKC-registered breeder helps ensure that the proper health tests were run. However, they are also the most expensive option. In the end, it is typically better to purchase from a professional breeder. Both of these factors help ensure that the puppy is healthy. Getting a puppy from Craigslist Purchasing a puppy from craigslist is often cheap. However, there is no way to ensure the health of puppies sold solely through this medium. Often, these puppies are from unprofessional breeders who breed their pet dogs in their backyard. Some puppies may have underlying health problems that have not yet been diagnosed due to the lack of vet care. Backyard breeders often do not produce purebred dogs, but cross their American Bulldogs with e. Dogo Argentinos. Some backyard breeders have done their proper research and take good care of their puppies. Others end up with accidental litters and have no idea how to take care of puppies. It is impossible to tell if the puppy has health problems since many are not seen by a vet. You may end up with a puppy with genetic problems since health testing was likely not performed on the parents. Getting a puppy from a rescue Most puppies in rescues were accidents. A professional breeder would never send their puppy to a rescue. After all, they breed their dogs partially for profit. Furthermore, professional breeders often have an adoption contract that states unwanted puppies should be returned to them — not taken to a shelter. Therefore, most puppies in rescues are not bred by professional breeders. For this reason, the parents do not undergo health testing before breeding. The puppies are already born when the rescue has them or the mother is already pregnant, at least. However, rescues do get their puppies properly health tested and vaccinated. This helps ensure that the puppy is healthy once you adopt it. Plus, adopting from a rescue is relatively cheap. These prices usually cover the veterinary care that your dog needs and any other care the puppy needs. Getting a puppy from a breeder This is the most expensive option. However, professional breeders know how to breed and care for puppies properly. They usually get the parents health-tested, take the puppies to multiple vet visits, and adequately socialize the puppies to be ready for their new home. Of course, not all breeders are made equal. Those registered with national breed organizations or the AKC usually have to follow strict guidelines for breeding, which means that no corners are cut when it comes to your new puppy. Cost of health tests The Bulldog Club of America recommends several health tests for dogs before they are bred. At the bare minimum, they require a genetic cardiac test, patellar luxation test, and tracheal hypoplasia test. This covers common genetic diseases in the breed and will help ensure that the resulting puppies are healthy. These dogs are prone to various hip and elbow problems, which do have a genetic component. By checking parents for these problems, you can prevent passing on problematic genes to the future population. Vet Expenses Most puppies will need significant care in their first year. They need more vaccinations and checkups because they are growing. After the first year, you will likely pay less unless your dog develops a serious health condition. Some health problems like hip dysplasia will require ongoing and considerable treatment. Food and Toy Costs The cost of the food depends mainly on what food you choose. We recommend high-quality food for your pup, as these can help prevent health problems. A varied diet is often best for your puppy, so you should switch between a few different foods. American Bulldogs grow rapidly in their first year of life and need a nutritious diet to support their growth! Puppies will usually eat less since they are smaller. You may spend less on their food. These dogs will need quite a few toys. Training Costs Training is essential for all dogs. Having professional work with your dog is likely less expensive than you would consider. Puppy classes are highly recommended. Factors influencing the price The most significant factor influencing the price of this breed is their bloodline. Show dogs are costly, but those that are pet-quality typically are not. Price considerations You should be very careful to budget for a dog before adopting them. Plan on having an emergency fund for the vet, just in case something serious happens. Often, affording the dog itself is the least of your worries. The best option is to adopt a puppy from a breeder after ensuring that it has undergone proper health testing. We recommend you avoid choosing the cheapest breeder out there, mainly if they do not perform the proper health testing on their breeding dogs and puppies. Starting out just training her own Border Collies, she gradually expanded to local classes and seminars, now she travels as far as Europe and teaches students all over the world on how to train their dogs in a positive, bonding, game-based way. She is known for her clear, step-by-step training that lets beginners and advanced dog trainers see lasting results very quickly.

Then you have come to the right place. We work very hard to breed only the highest quality Labradors. Occasionally we have retired adults available to loving homes. We try to match up the right person or family with the right dog. A phone conversation and screening of anyone interested in one of our puppies or dogs will be mandatory prior to accepting a deposit. Please contact us for current litter prices. We will ship to select customers in the United States only. Shipping price is not included in the price of the puppy. Call us for current shipping prices and various other details about the shipping process and cost. The remaining amount is to be paid upon pick up or prior to shipping. A deposit of half the purchase price is due if buyer request us to keep the puppy past pickup day. If the puppy is not picked up by 10 weeks of age unless scheduled , the puppy will be re-sold and the buyer forfeits any and all monies and deposits. We strive to produce Top Quality Lab puppies, so to keep them healthy and free from communicable diseases please do not be offended if we require you to sanitize your hands before handling any of our babies. As of right now, Labradors and some other breeds are not included in this law as long as they are sold within the exemption this law allows. For whatever reason you are purchasing a puppy, I'm sure you feel as we do, that they are still part of your family and will be loved just the same. We have answers. The El Paso Labrador Retriever puppies for sale on our network are the descendants of the original Labrador Retrievers from Newfoundland. These hardworking and tough dogs were used on fishing boats to retrieve lost nets or fish. The Labrador El Paso puppies on Uptown have an easier life than that, thankfully! Can Uptown help? Of course! Our goal is to make it easy for you to find the best Labrador Retriever puppies El Paso, and to do this we only ever work with the elite El Paso Labrador Retriever breeders, who can match our incredibly high standards. Our priority is to bring you the best puppies from top-quality breeders, making it easier than ever for you to find your dream puppy. That means you can be sure the adorable Labrador pups on our site are ethically bred and in the very best of health. Are there any Labrador Retriever puppies for sale El Paso available now? As the most sought after breed in the USA, you should find plenty of choice when it comes to available puppies. Labradors are so popular that puppies can get reserved in a matter of hours. That means they will always be available to answer any questions you have, as well as provide all the information you need about your new puppy. So from a regular progress report, to your puppy's pre-travel health check, the records are all there to be shared! Do you sell puppies from the cheapest Labrador Retriever breeders El Paso? Breeding happy and healthy puppies takes a serious amount of time, not to mention plenty of dedication and money. We adore shelter dogs and are a pro-shelter organization. But we also recognize that some families would prefer a purebred Labrador Retriever for sale El Paso, with a proven health history. In that case, choosing your new puppy from a verified breeder within our network will likely be the right choice for you instead. Do you recommend specific food for a Labrador Retriever for sale in El Paso? Labradors are well-known for their love of food, but each Lab will still have their own personal likes and dislikes. One thing to watch out for is how much you feed your dog though, as they can easily overeat. Will a El Paso Labrador Retriever for sale make a good family dog? Labrador Retrievers are the quintessential family dog, loved by generations the world over. They are affectionate and patient, easy going and fun-loving, plus energetic and full of life. Whatever you and your family are doing, a Labrador will want to join in, and bring their own special brand of fun with them! What are Labradors for sale El Paso like to train? That tells us these dogs are both incredibly clever and extremely smart!

Cats, Shih Tzus, and similar breeds Medium - Intended for dogs between 20 - 55lbs, capable of holding 1 - 2. French Bulldogs and similar breeds Large - Intended for dogs between 55 - lbs, capable of holding 3 - 5 cups of kibble. There are measures you must take as a responsible pet owner to keep your dog healthy. Veterinarians claim these diseases have been linked to the way your dog consumes food, leading dog owners to see their beloved family member suffer during and beyond mealtimes. Imagine a bowl designed for pets that cause less bloating, less mess and most importantly, a healthier lifestyle! Our bowl not only allows them to enjoy their meals; it extends their lifespan by reducing these health problems. Enhanced Pet Bowl The Enhanced Pet Bowl helps all breeds, whether it is your cat, dog or rabbit they will all benefit from this amazing bowl. It helps elevate the bowl to allow more comfort and ease for your dog. It allows him to keep his nose out of his food and breath while also allowing him to easily grab his kibbles. Christina S. English Bulldog I'll be the first to say I was skeptical. Every boxer I have had always takes a mouth full of kibble and drops all over the floor. The price and cost of shipping are a bit much but well worth it. My boxer no longer drops kibble everywhere and eats her food much slower than before and is clean. Torie L. Boxer I love this bowl and wish I had this years ago! My pug eats so much better now without choking on his food. I also highly recommend getting the stand with it, especially for older dogs. Rammy is 12 and has developed some arthritis in his spine. It makes my heart happy to see him eat without having to curve his spine to reach his food on the floor. Collin J. Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl is coming back for its 19th year of canine competition. The famous furry sports event features rescue puppies playing their version of football on Super Bowl Sunday. Puppy Bowl will be the largest yet, with puppy players from 67 different shelters and rescues making up the event's Team Ruff and Team Fluff. Among the peppy pets competing in this year's big game are 11 rescue puppies with special needs, who are ready to show off their athletic prowess and help their team win the Puppy Bowl's "Lombarky" trophy. Read on to learn about these impressive pooch players ahead of Puppy Bowl .The rescue helped the pup learn how to eat and drink with her cleft palate, and now Mykonos is an active "play hard, sleep hard girl," according to Animal Planet. The puppy lost his injured leg, a trauma that hasn't stopped the playful and loving pooch from living life to the fullest. Rescue Dogs Rock stepped in to take over the canine's care because the facility knew "she could still have a wonderful life. According to his caretakers, Joey, who adores playing with other special needs pooches, makes everyone smile. Cheeky Tinker is succeeding non-stop today, charming everyone she meets and acing behavior training. The sibling pups have helped each other socialize and blossom into sweet pets. Related Articles. Print The cute chaos generated by the Puppy Bowl competitors makes for a compelling contest. But sometimes these pups can get a little too spirited on the gridiron. Look no further than this first look at the annual spectacle that raises awareness for pet adoption. Here, Moby the French bulldog spins out of control and starts barking at a fellow and larger Team Ruff player, prompting referee — er, rufferee — Dan Schachner to blow his whistle, administer a penalty to Moby for "talking smack" that he hasn't been able to back up, and gently instruct him to settle down. Schachner isn't just throwing flags, though. EW's montage of footage also features the man in black and white giving a pep talk pup talk? From there, it's a flurry of furry, as you'll see all sorts of adoptable dogs have a field day with their chew toys and each other. There's a lot on the line this season — Team Ruff is hoping to even the series against Team Fluff at four games apiece. To place your bets on who may cross the goalposts the most or at least reduce you to uncontrollable utterances of "awwwww! Related links:. Email Your pet wants you to read our newsletter. Then give them a treat. Sign up for product updates, offers, and learn more about The Wildest, and other Mars Petcare brands. Must be over 16 years to sign up. I'm In See our privacy statement to find out how we collect and use your data, to contact us with privacy questions or to exercise your personal data rights. No, not the Super Bowl, though that event is a good excuse to make some killer nachos. Rather, its cuter counterpart — the Puppy Bowl. For the past 18 years, the Puppy Bowl has been an adorable refuge from the often chaotic and intense nature of Super Bowl Sunday. Airing before its human counterpart, the game includes exclusively shelter puppies and is intended to raise awareness of the importance of adopting from rescues and the prevalence of pets abandoned in them. Organizations from across the U. This year, there are more dogs than ever competing — pups from 67 different shelters — and 11 of those dogs are rescues with special needs. EST on Animal Planet. Team Ruff. These pups have a unique body shape and size that can make it difficult for them to comfortably eat and drink from traditional dog bowls. Half of her food ends up on the floor. So, I wanted to look for something with a tray or something that catches or prevents the fall-out food. Her bowl would also get tipped over on its side after she finished eating. She is wild. My criteria for the bowls this time was mainly for Fira. Fira is the complicated one. Weston also has a bit of a longer snout than Fira, making it easier for him to reach his food. So, Fira needed a bowl that would be suitable for her non-existent snout and easy for clean-up. She needed something that would stay put on the floor, help prevent regurgitating and look good in the kitchen. Here are the 9 bowls I picked up for my French Bulldogs: Hint: Scroll down to the end of this post to find my 1 choice for dog food bowl. The bowls are really shallow and wide, so it helps small-snout and squishy-face dogs get into the bowl better. These are perfect for a neat eater aka: Weston! The tray around the bowl was littered with fallen food right away. Not sure how but it ended up ripping, so we had to throw it out, but I included it on this list as a good bowl for French bulldogs. Ceramics Raised Bowl : The design of this bowl is really nice, very modern and a cool shape. I could see this really as a nice accent piece in a contemporary kitchen. Wide Ceramic Dog Bowl : Super pretty dog bowl made of solid ceramic. This bowl is super wide and is taller at the back, which I thought would work for Fira. I think it was too large and the food got stuck at the back and top edges. So maybe not the best French Bulldog food bowl for Fira. But I think if your dog eats dry food or is bigger, this dog bowl is a decent choice! Slow Feeder Bowl : if your dog eats super fast, like Fira does, a dog bowl for fast eaters is a smart option. A slow bowl is great as it forces your French Bulldog to work around the bowl and gives them time to chew and digest — and not inhale their food. It makes eating meals a bit slower for Fira. Even though I found a solution for this bowl, I found it too cumbersome and a few too many added steps for her meal time. Love the slanted feature and Fira had a much better time eating without a huge mess. Elevated bowls are really beneficial for French Bulldogs, as it helps them swallow their food down better without regurgitating it up. This tilted dog bowl also came with silicone grips to stick onto the bottom of the wooden legs — nice! Sturdy grip on the bottom, large area for their face to move around and at an elevated angle. This is my 1 choice. Stainless steel dog bowls are not only durable and easy to clean, but they also have the added benefit of being bacteria-resistant. Unlike other materials such as plastic, which can develop scratches and grooves over time that can harbor bacteria, stainless steel is non-porous and smooth. There you have it — the best bowls for French Bulldogs so far. Hope you enjoyed it! If you have any recommendations, please add them in the comments! Related Posts.

More Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and Poodle Mixes Whoodle Overview No one really knows when the whoodle was first bred but given their rising popularity in the early s, we can assume it was sometime around then. However, we do know the history of the parent breeds: the Wheaten terrier and the poodle. Wheaten terriers were bred in the s in Ireland to hunt vermin on the farm. They even survived the Irish Potato Famine thanks to th e ir resilience , however their numbers declined severely. Since then their numbers were able to grow, and by the s the Irish Kennel Club recognized them as an official breed. Poodles were bred in Germany in the s as a waterfowl retriever. All attributes the poodle has today are thanks to the retriever qualities that were bred into their ancestors. The poodles charm and trainability quickly made them popular with French nobility, giving them the title of national dog of France today. Whoodles are hybrid dogs, meaning they are not recognized by the American Kennel club, however both parent breeds are. Whoodle Appearance A Poodle The Whoodle is a cross breed, meaning there is no way to know for sure what they will look like. They could look more like one parent than the other, or a complete mix of both. They tend to have the lean and muscular body of the Wheaten Terrier. Wheatens are square and sturdy terriers and tend to have a bold goatee- they are named after their color, which resembles ripening wheat. Poodles on the other hand are elegant athletes, with a smooth muscular body and a curly coat. Size and Weight The size of your Whoodle will vary depending on the size of their parents and what kind of Poodle it was bred with. The breeder will specify what Poodle they are breeding either a standard or a miniature. A standard size poodle is lb and stands over 15 inches. The miniature poodle weighs lb and stands between inches. Wheaten Terriers weighs lb and stands around inches. The size of a miniature Whoodle is roughly lb and inches. Whoodle Colors and Coat The Wheaten Terrier can pass down the classic wheaten color — depending on what line they come from, it can vary from champagne to honey, to red, brown or mahogany. Thanks to the variety of colors with Poodles, the Whoodle can come in a rainbow of colors. They can be cream, silver, red, brown or black. Their coat is the easiest part of their appearance to predict, they have medium length, dense coats. It can be either soft wavy hair or soft curly hair. The Poodle is known for its non-shedding characteristic — therefore there is a chance that the Whoodle can inherit this trait. Wheaten Terriers shed very little, but still have a shedding season. Whoodle Temperament The Whoodle is a cross breed, meaning their temperament is difficult to predict. The Poodle and the Wheaten Terrier have different personalities but there are some overlaps. Both Poodles and Wheatens are intelligent and, given their long history of working with people, they are also easy to train. Poodles The Poodle is friendly, athletic and a great companion. They are famous for their intelligence and eagerness to learn and to love. Your pooch will love to play and wants to have a good time with their family. This can make them more likely to jump and bound around. They also have a tendency to bark. Poodles are very bright and attentive, it is said they are skilled at reading body language and expressions. They can be emotionally sensitive to stress and tension within a household, and may develop separation anxiety. Wheaten Terriers These energetic extroverts have all the famous attributes a Terrier has. They are hardworking and resilient. Whilst they look adorable, do not be fooled. It is easy to become overwhelmed by their boisterous behavior. Wheaten Terriers are joyful and love to bounce about. They have a strong prey drive, just like any terrier, and will chase anything that moves. Apart from their occasional unruly behavior, they are very cheerful and love to socialize with others. When encountering strangers they can become guarded, but once reassured by their human, they quickly become friendly! Whoodles So what does this mean for your Whoodle? The Whoodle can be a good family dog it really depends on how they are trained and socialized. They may inherit the boisterous behavior of the Wheaten Terrier but can be socialized and trained to keep it to a minimum. They will love playtime with kids, as long as you supervise them. Wheaten Terriers have a strong prey drive and will instinctively chase and herd small children. This is not aggressive; however it can become a problem if left unchecked. How to Train a Whoodle Whoodles are highly intelligent, meaning they are fairly easy to train. However, the Wheaten Terrier can be stubborn and unwilling to listen at times. They are pack driven, so make sure you let them know who is in charge — be firm and consistent but never punish them. Keep your behavior consistent and they will start to pick it up. You should start dog training as soon as possible — their brain is developing rapidly at this time. Early socialization is crucial as it prevents aggression in later years and can stop their herding instincts on small children. Taking them to puppy classes will prevent fearful behavior around un-natural noises, such as traffic or unfamiliar situations. Positive reinforcement is best for training, whenever your dog follows your command or stops an unwanted behavior, give them a treat. They may however have a personal preference on what treat they like best, they may be food orientated or they may love some praise. Or a bit of both, you could mix it up a little! Every dog needs mental stimulation, including the Whoodle. The best time for playtime is after a training session. They will love playing games, you could play chase if you have the space. Or you could put that Poodle intelligence up to the test and give them a puzzle toy that dispenses food. Caring for a Whoodle This cross breed is suited for a range of people: families, couples or singles. They will love anyone and everything! As a dog with terrier genes, they will be very energetic, meaning they need a lot of activity throughout the day. However, they could also inherit a Wheaten coat where shedding season may cause an issue. There is no way of knowing in advance. Exercise Requirements As said before, they can be different sizes. Their size will determine how much exercise they need. If you are more active, a standard one will be more your style. They require at least 90 minutes of activity a day, including walks and playtime. Miniatures will need around 60 minutes a day. No matter their size, they will have the typical terrier behavior, meaning they will want to chase anything moving in eyesight. Keep them on a leash when out walking. Make sure your yard is securely fenced, as Whoodles consider themselves escape artists. Grooming and Shedding As said before, their coat is unpredictable thanks to their hybrid genes! They will also need professional haircuts; trim their bangs out of their eyes and to keep things neat and tidy. The Wheaten Terrier coat requires a lot more maintenance. Daily grooming will be needed — brush them to remove any dirt and loose hairs. As with all dogs, you should trim their nails regularly. Brush their teeth and clean their floppy ears of any wax buildup. A Poodle Cross Feeding and Diet Deciding what to feed your Whoodle is a personal choice between dry, wet, raw meat or home cooked meals, there are so many options. As long as you follow guidelines and watch out for ingredients in commercial foods, they will enjoy mealtime. They do well on high quality dry food, as long as it is made from natural ingredients and tailored to your unique Whoodle nutritional requirement based on their size. Foods must have a healthy balance of carbs, protein and fat, and should contain the right amount of vitamins and minerals. How much you feed your dog will depend on what size they are and their activity level. Keep an eye on their weight and use a body condition system to ensure they are an ideal weight. Standard size Whoodles should be fed roughly 2. Miniatures should be fed roughly 1. Spread out their meals over the day evenly, one in the morning and one in the evening. Known Health Problems Whoodles are cross-breeds, meaning genetic disorders are less prevalent than pedigrees as there is more variety in their genes. However, they still have health issues passed down from their parent breeds. Common health issues include: Epilepsy — abnormal activity in the brain causing seizures Progressive Retinal Atrophy — can lead to blindness Addisons disease — affecting the adrenal glands and hormone output Thyroid issues — can cause hypothyroidism and affect their metabolism Bloat — when the stomach twists on itself and traps air Renal dysplasia — kidneys develop abnormally leading to kidney failure With a little planning ahead you could get reimbursed for every vet bill from now on! Although a playful pup sounds endearing, consider how many games of fetch or tag you want to play each day, and whether you have kids or other dogs who can stand in as playmates for the dog. Click here for more information on this characteristic Whoodle Highlights The Whoodle is a mixed breed dog. Whoodles are enthusiastic, intelligent, and affectionate. They need exercise and attention from their humans to stay mentally and physically healthy. Whoodle coats are silky and medium length, and they require daily brushing. They can be black, brown, red, silver grey, and cream. The coat might be solid colors or could also be spotted. Whoodles are considered hypoallergenic and may be easier for allergy sufferers than other dogs. Whoodle History The Whoodle originally hit the dog scene in the mids, which makes it a relatively new breed. Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers were particularly popular in Ireland, where their natural resilience allowed them to successfully survive the potato famine. Even though the Whoodle looks like a very cute and super plush designer dog, many of them end up in shelters so consider adoption if you decide this is the breed for you! Whoodle Size As a relatively newer dog breed, the Whoodle may come in both small and medium sizes. Most weigh in at 20 to 45 pounds and range in height from twelve to 20 inches. That said, your Whoodle might wind up being smaller or larger than the average range. Whoodles definitely love to be surrounded by toys, and will nearly always be up for a fun-filled play session. This is one breed that always wants to be around people and craves company. Consider the Whoodle a dog who wants to be your friend. Proper and early socialization is key when living with a Whoodle. Whoodle Health Whoodles are generally considered to be healthy dogs, although they can suffer from some common health issues. Some of the more common health problems Whoodles suffer from include: Eye infections and diseases. Not only are these dogs as smart and loyal as Poodles, but they also inherit traits from the other mix. They can be as large as a fully grown Poodle or much smaller based on which side they take after more. As a designer dog breed , they are popular with owners who think they look like large teddy bears. Whoodles typically have a coat that is both curly and soft, which it gets from its Poodle parent. It has a smaller size thanks to the other parent and is sometimes called a Poodle Wheaten Terrier mix. If you want a dog you will love coming home to and one that loves you back, the Whoodle is a good choice. They are almost always cheerful and friendly and can greet you at the door after a long day with a dance and a smile. If you want to find out whether a Whoodle is a perfect dog for you, check out each section in our following guide. The dogs grew so popular there that people imported them to France, which is why many associate the breed with that country. Poodles were not always as pampered and snobby as they are today. Breeders initially worked with Poodles because they could handle a variety of jobs and were good hunters. As their coats are resistant to water, they could dive into murky lakes to flush out wild game and hunt when the weather was less than perfect. Those coats also help them in the water and might explain why Poodles love swimming so much. Poodles rank as one of the smartest dogs in the world too and are easy to train. Many farmers at the time had Irish Wolfhounds , which were large and sometimes hard to control. These dogs handled many jobs on the farm, including chasing off predators, attacking the rodents that ate the crops and other tasks associated with a watchdog. This breed also makes a good hunting dog because it listens to its master and responds to simple commands. They do well in herding activities and can quickly bring a group of animals to a safe spot. Some also used the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier as guard dogs. Though usually not used as farm dogs today, they do well in tracking and ability challenges. This type of dog is also a fast learner and affectionate towards its humans. Mysterious Beginnings No one is quite sure who the first Whoodle breeder was. We now that the first of this mixed breed appeared in the late s and early s. As they looked so similar to a traditional Poodle, some assumed that they were a different version of that breed. Though you might assume that all Whoodles act the same, their personality and temperament can vary. Some of the original breeders had a hard time figuring out how big the dogs would grow and how they would act as adults. They slowly picked the best dogs from previous litters and bred them to make dogs that shared some of the same qualities. Most of the hybrid dogs that are now available act in much the same way. Selective breeding also helped regulate the sizes and colors of these dogs and made sure that puppies would grow up to become loving adults. The American Kennel Club and similar organizations officially recognize both of the parent dogs. The AKC only recognizes purebred dogs and does not recognize any mixed or hybrid breed. This will keep you from entering your dog in any event sanctioned by that organization. You should ask the breeder how much experience they have with this breed and if the puppy belongs to a specific generation. Most breeders are so new to this area that they are on their first or second generation. Knowing the generation is important because it can help you determine how your puppy will act and look as an adult. Those from the first generation will typically take after one parent breed more than the other. This results in a dog that is larger in size or more stubborn. Breeders who have Whoodle parents can produce litters that are more regulated in terms of size, temperament and appearance. Litter Size Whoodle puppy litters typically have around five babies, but some mothers can have a total of seven or more puppies. If the mother experienced problems during her pregnancy or is small in size, she may have a smaller litter. Miniature Poodles can have as few as two to three puppies per litter. You may find Whoodle puppies and adults through Poodle rescue groups too. These rescue groups often accept mixed breed dogs as long as one of the parents was a Poodle. The group may have little information about your new dog though and have a hard time letting you know about its overall health or temperament. You may need to consent to a home visit or meet with the group too to show that you can handle the needs of the dog. Whoodle Personality Some of the terms that owners and breeders use to describe this dog include smart, loyal and playful. Known as a family dog due to how easily they take to training, they can love you as much as you love them. Whoodles are so smart that they learn to love the training sessions that you hold at home. Not only do they love learning new things, but they also like when you reward them and are affectionate. While the puppies are easy to train, you should keep in mind that they require quite a bit of attention. A new puppy might jump all over you at night because it prefers to sleep in your bed than a crate. Your Mini Whoodle puppy may also demand that you pet it as soon as you get home from work. As soon as you get home with a Whoodle puppy, you can start introducing it to new people as well as other animals. Whoodles are one of the only dogs that can adapt to any situation. If you have a big home with a fenced-in backyard, your dog will feel in heaven. It will love racing outside and chasing its tail around the yard at the same time that it tracks the birds and squirrels in the trees. Whoodles also do well with smaller spaces and can feel comfortable living in a tiny apartment. Family Dogs These family dogs love being around all types of people and appreciate family members of all ages. Your parents or grandparents might like that this dog enjoys long and slow days at home. Whoodles do just as well with kids because they like playing and chasing their human siblings around the house. With the right harness, your Whoodle will love long hikes and walks. You can also take this dog to the beach because it inherited a love of swimming from its Poodle side. Watch the Cat! A Whoodle might chase your old senior cat around the house and get bopped on the nose or want to pick a hamster up in its mouth. Taking the time to introduce your new dog to your old pets reduces the risk that the dog might hurt those animals. Separation Anxiety Poodles can suffer from fits of separation anxiety and passed this trait down to their Mini Whoodle offspring. If you spend six or more hours away from home daily, you should hire a dog walker or a pet sitter to take care of the dog. Daycare facilities can help too because they provide your pet with plenty of stimulation. You need to make sure that the dog has all the stimulation that it needs. How to Care for a Whoodle Mix As a companion dog, your Whoodle might want to spend more time curled up next to you and relaxing on the couch than playing outside. Based on its size, this dog needs a minimum of calories a day, which comes to one serving of dry dog food. You may need to give it more or less kibble based on its overall size. Dogs on the larger end of the spectrum need more food than those on the lower end do. If you want to know how much to feed your Whoodle, multiply its weight by 30 calories to see the total number of calories that it needs. Larger dogs may need up to 1, calories or more every day. The best Whoodle foods include those that have a nice balance of vitamins, minerals and protein. While you can split the food into two servings every day, some dogs do well on three meals a day. Stick to a puppy food until your Whoodle turns one and then switch to an adult version. Though Whoodles are playful dogs, they need less exercise and walks than you might guess. As long as you can commit to 30 minutes of exercise a day, you can care for one of these dogs. They can get by with fewer walks and more outdoor time, which is helpful for those who work full-time. You can let the dog play with its four-legged siblings during the week and take it for short walks on the weekends. Depending on their sizes, you might need to let the dog spend more or less time outside. Training a Whoodle Whoodles are so affectionate that any form of negative training will not work on them. Positive reinforcement training is much better, especially when you combine soothing words with treats and toys. They prefer treats that are different from the regular food that they eat such as jerky treats and fresh veggies. Training is also important when it comes to introducing the Whoodle to new people. Whether you have a child who brings home a friend from school or you want to introduce the dog to a family member, you need to take things slow. Let it tell you when it feels comfortable around that person. With early training from the puppy years, adult Whoodles will have an easy time adjusting to new people. This designer breed also needs daily stimulation to prevent it from acting in destructive ways. When taking trips with your pooch, try mixing up where you go instead of sticking to the same few places. They can develop hip dysplasia, which causes a change in the shape of one or more joints. It can cause the dog so much pain that it eventually becomes lame. Vets more commonly see this condition in older dogs and recommend that owners let their senior pets spend more time relaxing and less time walking. As Whoodles do not shed, they can suffer from ear infections caused by debris that becomes trapped in their ears. Debris can travel through the ear canal and cause some pain and inflammation. You might notice that the dog keeps tugging on or scratching its ears or that it winces when laying on that side. It takes just a few minutes to clean both ears once a week. Grooming a Whoodle Thanks to their hypoallergenic fur, the Whoodle is a dog that anyone can love. You only need to brush your Whoodle once a week to keep its fur soft and cuddly, but you should get the dog groomed at least once every other month. The groomer can remove or trim any excess fur inside its ears ad trim its nails too, and you can use chew toys to keep their teeth clean. Dog lovers appreciate the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier mix because it is a loving family pet that comes in different sizes. The Whoodle dog is suitable for first-time pet owners who have no experience with dogs and do well in both small and large homes. They have personality traits that make them love the people and animals around them but can have the same health problems as a Standard Poodle. If you love active dogs, try bringing home a Miniature Whoodle that loves playtime with you. Search Dog Breeds. Mini Whoodles are considered a designer mixed breed. They often take on any combination of characteristics common to the dog breeds in the cross. Their coat, for example, will often be soft and silky, but can be either wavy, curly, or corded. They also tend to come in a variety of colors. Miniature Whoodles are fun-loving, smart, and playful. They enjoy playing with children and spending time with people. If possible, you should bring your dog to work with you, so they will stay socially stimulated throughout the day. Mini Whoodles are best-suited for a family setting, but can thrive with individuals or couples. Then, it will be more likely that they will have someone to snuggle or play with. They like to play more complex games and to be challenged. This will also reduce their interest in your new shoes or the pizza on the dining room table. By exercising them regularly and keeping their mind stimulated, you will have a happy and healthy Miniature Whoodle puppy. This dog breed needs to have food formulated for small dogs, and it can either be dry or wet. Whichever your pooch prefers will be fine. Try not to feed them too much junk food to avoid weight gain. These dogs are prone to hip dysplasia, ear infections, allergies, and progressive retinal atrophy as time progresses. Offering your dog a nourishing diet and staying up-to-date on vet checks will help keep them happy and safe throughout their life. The Mini Whoodle is fairly easy to train and loves to be challenged. Make sure to play plenty of games with them while training to keep them interested. Though they respond well to training, and learn quickly, you will need to remain stern and steadfast. If not, they will begin to question you and forget their training. You should always have some sort of socialization during training as well. Otherwise, your Miniature Whoodle may become shy and fearful over time. Because of the Poodle presence in this mixed breed, Miniature Whoodles tend to have a low-shedding coat, but will require some grooming to maintain a healthy coat. Professional grooming should be done when needed throughout the year to help keep your Mini Whoodle comfortable throughout the seasons, particularly if your hybrid puppy ends up with a longer coat. Monthly nail trimming is usually sufficient to keep them from getting too long. Good doggie dental care , like using an enzyme toothpaste or brushing their teeth every day, can help prevent dental disease. Mini Whoodles are semi-active dogs. They need daily walks and trips to the dog park at least once a week. Every other walk, you should play a game of fetch to help them balance their energy levels. You will also want to take them swimming or hiking at least once a month. This will help your Miniature Whoodle maintain stamina and muscle tone. The Mini Whoodle usually stands between 11 and 14 inches tall and weighs 8 to 20 pounds. Miniature Whoodles generally live 12 to 15 years. Featured Mini Whoodle Article. Black, gold, red, white, cream Suitable for: Active families, experienced dog owners Temperament: Playful, Affectionate, cheerful Most breed specimens will take after the Poodle with their smarts, but their high energy threshold can make them easily distractible. They may require more patience and consistency with their training, but they can learn many impressive tricks with the proper focus and work! Dogs that are harder to train will require a bit more patience and practice. Proper exercise, nutrition, and hygiene also play an important role in the lifespan of your pet. More social dogs have a tendency to run up to strangers for pets and scratches, while less social dogs shy away and are more cautious, even potentially aggressive. Whoodle Puppies A post shared by Play Stay or Away, LLC playstayorawayllc Whoodles are a hybrid dog breed, so they are not recognized by the AKC, and there is very little oversight in the practices employed by breeders. Prospective pet parents looking to add a Whoodle to their families should ensure that their breeder is doing their due diligence of genetic and health screening. Because Whoodles are hybrid dogs, it will be challenging to find a breed-specific rescue for Whoodles. Strays can bring with them a lot of different lineages, and you might find be able to find a Whoodle if you look in shelters. Wheaten Terriers are widely considered pretty intelligent, but Poodles are the second most intelligent dog in the world! Whoodles are also very active and affectionate. The downside of having a brilliant dog is that they can be prone to becoming destructive when bored. Additionally, Whoodles are known to be somewhat anxious when left alone for long periods. Prospective Whoodle owners who work out of the house most of the day will want to invest in doggy daycare for their Whoodle to help keep them occupied. Are Whoodles Good with Other Dogs? Whoodles are generally friendly and have pleasant and playful dispositions. Whoodles can be hyper and might be an overwhelming presence for a more mellow dog. One of the upsides of having another dog with a Whoodle is the innate companionship the dogs provide to each other. Are Whoodles Good with Other Animals? Wheaten Terriers are skilled vermin hunters, and Poodles are waterfowl-hunting dogs. This lineage carries a strong prey drive that could be dangerous to other animals, especially small animals, and companion rodents. Wheaten Terriers will often chase and attack smaller animals. Before bringing a Whoodle into your family, consider whether or not the risk is worth it to you. Are Whoodles Good with Kids? Helping your child understand how to interact with dogs protects both your dog and your child by helping your child learn to interact with strange dogs and the family dog. What you feed your dog and how much you feed them will be based on their size. Smaller Whoodles will need less food to sustain their everyday activities. Since Whoodles are very active dogs, they can often get away with eating a little bit more than the average dog of their size. Both parent breeds are highly active working dogs that have high energy reserves to keep doing their jobs. Whoodles can even be described as hyper because of their high energy thresholds. A Whoodle will need vigorous exercise at least twice a day to be happy. They need to be active to be satisfied. Since Whoodles have such long coats, they can be prone to heat exhaustion in warmer months. When exercising in the heat, make sure they have plenty of water and shade to relax in, or they may suffer from heatstroke. However, this intelligence can come at a price. Whoodles can be strong-willed, independent, and stubborn. Their high energy can also make them easily distracted. Despite these challenges, Whoodles make fantastic working and service dogs. Figure out what motivates your Whoodle, be it food or praise, then use that to help your Whoodle stay on task. Once on task, Whoodles learn very quickly and can impress anyone with their skills. Their soft, plushy coats can be prone to matting if not cared for properly. Additionally, some Whoodles take after their Poodle parents and have hair that must be trimmed and groomed to prevent overgrowth and matting. They may need baths between their professional care if they enjoy outdoor activities like hiking that might leave their coats dirty. Any prospective Whoodle owner should be aware of the most common illnesses present in Wheaten Terriers and Poodles. Dogs with hip dysplasia will experience a gradual dislocation of the hips as they age and can be prone to hip injuries since their hips are not placed correctly. The most common signs of hip dysplasia are an odd gait, difficulty standing up, difficulty walking, and lameness of the rear end. The underproduction of hormones can lead to serious health problems. This disease is common in Wheaten Terriers and can cause weight loss, lethargy, and death. The most common signs of Protein-Losing Enteropathy are weight loss, lethargy, diarrhea, enlarged abdomen, and swollen feet. Minor Conditions: Eye Problems Poodles are known for having non-serious eye infections, dry eyes, and other eye problems. The most notable signs of eye problems are itchy eyes, puffy eyes, bumping into objects, refusal to go up or down stairs, and cloudy eyes. Minor Conditions. Their typical duties ranged from guarding livestock, to herding, to keeping rats at bay. They share a common ancestry with the Irish Terrier and the Kerry Blue Terrier, but this breed was typically owned by middle-to-lower class citizens. It took until for the breed to be recognized by the AKC, where they now compete in obedience, tracking, and agility competitions. Poodle Breed History: While commonly associated with the French, the Poodle actually originated as a duck hunter in Germany over years ago. Eventually, Poodles made their way from the lake to the life of luxury as they were the breed of choice by French nobles, and eventually royalty across all of Europe. To this day, the Poodle is still the national dog of France. The Toy Poodle started in the United States in the early 20th century to be a city-dwelling companion dog. They originated in the United States. On top of that, the gender of the puppy and the genetics of the parents play important factors as well. With that in mind, a toy Whoodle will typically weigh between pounds and have a height of inches. A miniature Whoodle will weigh in at around pounds and stand roughly inches tall. The largest of the three, the standard Whoodle, will weigh approximately pounds and stand about inches tall. Their fur can range anywhere from straight or slightly wavy, like the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier to curly like the Poodle and usually is of medium length. A minimum of brushing once per week is required for Whoodles, with the ideal frequency being every other day if not every day for more curly-haired dogs. Are Whoodles Hypoallergenic? Do Whoodles Shed? However, due to the genetic diversity from crossing these two breeds, the result may be a lower chance of developing these inherited health concerns. Due to the cost of treating these common health concerns, we highly encourage all dog owners invest in pet insurance. We recommend getting a free online quote from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance. Whoodles are sensitive and sometimes roughhousing from other pets and kids can be too much for them. However, with the right training these dogs can make dedicated and affectionate members of your family. However, this is a very energetic breed and as a rule of thumb should get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day. The intention was probably to get smaller varieties of the soft-coated wheaten terrier while maintaining its hypoallergenic coat and intelligence. Both of these are also characteristics of the poodle, but while the standard poodle is a little larger than a wheaten terrier, toy and miniature poodles offer the possibility of breeding a smaller dog. The wheaten terrier was bred in Ireland beginning in the s to be an all-purpose farm dog and they are good for herding, guarding, and hunting. Broad interest in the breed only began in the 20th century after the breed was recognized by the Irish Kennel Club in and the UK Kennel Club in .They were also exported to the United States in the s. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America was established in , and they have been popular show dogs since then. Poodles originate from Germany or France and were popular in both countries beginning in the 17th century initially as wildfowl hunters, then as circus performers, and eventually as lap dogs. They are considered to be among the most intelligent breeds , and they have thick, wiry coats that do not shed so they are sometimes referred to as hypoallergenic. Poodles come in a variety of sizes including standard, which can be as tall as 24 inches, and toy, which can measure less than 10 inches in height. Whoodle Size And Appearance Whoodles can range in size from 12 to 20 inches depending on their parent dogs. Wheaten terriers measure inches in height and weigh pounds. While standard poodles can be as large as 24 inches and weigh up to 70 pounds, toy poodles can be as small as 9. Whoodles are often bred to be at the smaller end and will weigh between 20 and 45 pounds. While poodles are known for their curly and wiry coat that is low-shedding, soft-coated wheaten terriers also have a low-shedding coat but it is soft and lightly curled. Breeders will try to promote the soft-coat feature in mixed-breed pups, but their hair will probably be curlier than a standard wheaten terrier. Wheaten terriers have distinctive coloring. While puppies are often born with dark coats in red, brown, or mahogany, this will grow out and become completely white before they grow into their adult wheaten color. At around the age of three, they will start to develop darker tips that are called guard hairs. Poodles are much more varied in color, and thanks to this, whoodles can also come in a range of colors including black, brown, red, silver, gray, and cream. Wheaten is still considered a desirable color among whoodles. Whoodles are likely to have a medium-length muzzle with long floppy ears and a black button nose. They have an athletic build, but this can sometimes be hard to make out under their luscious, curly fur. Intelligence And Temperament Both poodles and soft-coated wheaten terriers are considered highly intelligent dogs. They both like to please, which means they respond well to positive reinforcement training, but they are also good at figuring things out on their own which can result in a stubborn streak. These characteristics are passed down to whoodles, which are smart dogs that can learn tricks quickly but also like to get their own way. Whoodles are highly affectionate and will bond with their families quickly. They are good at reading social cues and so do well with children , but they do need to be socialized with animals such as cats from a young age since the wheaten adds a strong prey drive into the mix. It is also worth being aware that whoodles will probably jump up and lick when greeting people, which can be a problem with smaller children. They need plenty of love and affection to thrive. Energy Levels Whoodles are high energy pups that need lots of exercise to stay happy and healthy. Depending on their size, they need between 30 and 45 minutes of exercise each day. They tend to enjoy swimming and spending time in the water and this can form a great part of their exercise. Keep an eye on their temperature while exercising in the hotter months; excessive panting is often a sign that they are overheating. They also benefit from having quite a bit of space at home to move around in, but due to the relatively small size of whoodles, they do adapt well to apartment living. They also have a good understanding of their own size, so they are unlikely to accidentally break things. They should be brushed daily and have their coats cut every four to eight weeks. This can also help them to keep cool since they can have a tendency to overheat in hot weather. You should try to limit them to a bath once a month, but this can be hard if they like to play in the great outdoors. Brushing and wiping them down with a wet cloth can help prolong the time between washes since excessive washing can strip their coats of their natural oils. Their floppy ears need to be cleaned regularly, and their nails also tend to grow quickly! Should I Adopt A Whoodle? Is the whoodle the right dog for you? Whoodles adapt well to apartment living as long as they get enough exercise, and they are relatively easy to train and control, making them appropriate for first-time owners. In addition to these, there are a few other things to consider. Do you have time to spend with your whoodle? Do you have time to exercise your dog? They need at least minutes of exercise a day and will be happy with even more! Can you commit to regular grooming? Whoodles require minor daily grooming, plus regular visits to the doggy salon for an overall trim. This can be both time-consuming and expensive. Do you have cats or small children? While whoodles can do well with both, they need to be socialized from a young age and can have an unfortunate tendency to jump up in greeting, which can be a problem with smaller children. Consider your answer to these questions and then make your decision! How Much Is A Whoodle? They are highly desirable dogs, but the population is much smaller than that of other breeds such as labradoodles and goldendoodles, which accounts for the high cost. While some will show up in rescues, because they are relatively rare they are difficult to find. Want A Whoodle? Whoodles are wonderful mixed-breed dogs that are bred from mixing poodles with soft-coated wheaten terriers. The resulting breed is a relatively small dog with a silky and fluffy low-shedding coat. They are friendly and affectionate, intelligent and easy to train, and have lots of energy to burn. They make a great companion for first-time owners who have time to spend building a bond with their dog, and, of course, grooming them! Do you have a Whoodle? Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist. Colby Colby Morita has been raising and training guide and service dog puppies for over 13 years. Colby has been writing to the PuppyInTraining. While all dogs have unique personalities, a Whoodle is a great pick. Whoodles are playful, active, and friendly dogs, also known as Wheatendoodle, Wheatenpoo, Sweatenpoo, and Sweatendoodle. This way, you can determine if your family and home environment is a good fit for a Whoodle to thrive in. So, whether you love Whoodles or are a first-time dog parent, this expert guide will help you learn everything you need to know when buying a Whoodle. This super cute canine will be a perfect addition to your family because of its friendly and smart nature. However, you have to remember that a Whoodle can also be extremely active and headstrong at times. With that disclaimer out of the way, let us learn about Whoodle and what you can expect. History of Whoodles The Whoodle breed appeared around the mids, making it a relatively newer addition to the canine kingdom. The idea was to create a dog breed with the soft coat of a Wheaten Terrier and the natural intelligence of a Poodle. On the other hand, the Wheaten Terrier has been bred since the s in Ireland, with its primary purpose being that of a herding dog. This breed craves company and wants to be in a social environment to interact with people. This canine is a confident breed and has strong leadership qualities. Training a Whoodle requires a lot of patience as they can come across acting as if they know better. A Whoodle does not like being yelled at, so you should train them with encouragement and kindness. This is key to establishing a healthy friendship with your canine. Size of Standard and Mini Whoodles Despite being a small breed, you can find Whoodles in a variety of sizes. If the Poodle parent is bigger, then you get a bigger Whoodle as well. Therefore, you will find the various types of Whoodle, which include: The standard Whoodle — standing at approximately 21 inches tall and weighs between 45 and 55 pounds The mini Whoodle — is about 18 inches tall and weighs around 35 to 40 pounds Other breeds include Toy Whoodle, Teddy Bear Whoodle, etc. An average height of both male and female Whoodle can reach up to 21 inches tall, whereas the weight may range between 20 and 60 pounds. Health of Whoodles Although healthy in general, Whoodles may suffer from some health conditions during their life. The breed inherits some of the health issues from both parent breeds. This condition causes the dog to experience seizure episodes manifesting as loss of consciousness and convulsions. However, if your dog is epileptic, you can diagnose it between the age of 1 and 5. That said, there are medications that can control the seizures and give your dog a good quality of life. You just have to remember that, like any other breed, you must take really good care of your Whoodle and take them for veterinary checkups regularly. Care Required Speaking of health and preventing illnesses in your Whoodle, you must be proactive in taking care of your canine. Keeping up with the general grooming and regular checkups with a local vet will ensure that your dog stays in good health. This practice will also help detect any signs or symptoms of a health issue in an early stage. Registering your Whoodle with a local veterinary care service will allow a vet to develop a healthcare plan to ensure that your canine member of the family always stays in good health. You must take your Whoodle out for regular walks as the breed is quite energetic and needs a considerable amount of exercise to burn that energy off. You must try to aim for a minimum one-mile walk on a daily basis. The more you can fit in, the better, but 1 hour is the bare minimum. A Whoodle is a naturally playful breed, so you can help them stay active with indoor playtime. Another aspect of care required for Whoodle is regular grooming. This is important because both parent breeds, soft-coated wheaten terrier and poodle, are high maintenance dogs. Another thing to keep in check is regular nail trimming. It would be a wise investment to buy appropriate grooming accessories to carry out the basic grooming tasks at home. If you have any health or care concerns about your Whoodle, it is best to consult your vet. Feeding A Whoodle will eat normal dog food. However, you must formulate a diet suitable for a medium-sized dog breed. If you are a first-time breeder or a seasoned dog parent buying a Whoodle for the first time, it would be best to seek the advice of a veterinarian. An expert veterinarian facility will be able to recommend the right portion of food you must feed your Whoodle every day. Therefore, you will find the coat to be silky on the touch. Speaking of the color of the coat, you can find a Whoodle with black, brown, cream, red, and silver-grey coats. Rarely, but you may also come across a Whoodle with a spotted coat. While whoodles have a medium-length coat, their silky fur requires that you brush them daily. Do you or a family member suffer from allergies? Ideal Climate Ideally, a Whoodle would prefer to live in colder weather. If you live in a hotter climate, you must take precautionary steps when taking your Whoodle for a walk. This will reduce any risks of heat exhaustion. Whoodle with other Pets Whoodle is a social breed and usually lives in harmony with other pets. Nevertheless, you must train your Whoodle to undergo appropriate socializing training from a young age to create a habit of socializing with other pets. Whoodle with Children A Whoodle is an active and playful canine and makes a good companion for your young ones. However, it would be best if you taught your children how to interact with a Whoodle responsibly. This is important because Whoodle is a headstrong breed and will not like provocation or being mishandled. You must always supervise play sessions between a Whoodle and your kids, especially during the initial months of buying a Whoodle. Pros Buying a Whoodle ensures a clean household as the breed barely sheds. This makes grooming a walk in the park. Child-friendliness is a big positive if you have young ones at home If you own an apartment, then Whoodle is a perfect breed due to its size Cons Very high energy levels; therefore need at least a mile walk every day As this is an intelligent breed, you will have to make extra efforts when training because Whoodle will act as if the dog knows better than you do. Whoodle loves socializing and does not like being left alone. Leaving the dog alone for too long may cause separation anxiety and lead to further damage. A Whoodle is a high-maintenance breed and requires a lot of attention and time. You may need to splash the cash to get the right dog food, buy toys, and book emergency vet appointments. So before you decide to buy a Whoodle, ask yourself if your wallet is ready to own one. Regular vet visits are a part of it. Take your Whoodle for regular checkups at the registered veterinary center. Ideally, a trip to the vet once a year will do the trick. Know the temperament Whoodles have a strong sense of self-assured leadership and can be an ideal breed to use as a service or working dog. However, if you are a new dog owner, you will have to be patient during the training process. Learn about any known health issues in parents, any specific groom requirements or needs, etc. Always consult the breeder and your vet about the dietary plan and frequency of health checkups. Conclusion A dog needs love, care, patience, and kindness; therefore, buying your Whoodle from a well-reputed authentic breeder is always a wise decision. Avoid mass producer breeders at all costs. If you are looking to buy an authentic Whoodle, we at Feather and Fleece are white-glove Whoodle breeders. All the breeds at the Feather and Fleece are registered, health tested, and come with authentic paperwork. Other on-site facilities that you can visit include: A veterinary care facility Training facility Grooming facility There are five different walking paths, and Feather and Fleece also train the puppies, so you can take a trained pup home and enjoy being a parent to a Whoodle right away. The average wait time to get a Whoodle at Feather and Fleece is approximately 3 to 6 months. The Whoodles are a hypoallergenic, lovable, and good-smelling breed. You can visit the large farm facility yourself and choose a Whoodle in a color that you like. The on-site training facility help with crate training, pup socializing skills, and much more. So, are you ready to bring a Whoodle home? If yes, you can take a virtual tour of the Feather and Fleece farms or contact us by visiting our website. Already made up your mind about adopting a puppy? Then start your application today! Miniature Whoodles can weigh up to 20 pounds and they usually measure up to 14 inches tall. Do mini whoodles shed? Whoodles don't shed a lot, at least not as much as other breeds. Do whoodles need grooming? Yes, whoodles will require occasional trimming to ensure that their body remains in good condition. Feathers and Fleece Farm.

overshot jaw in labrador puppies - Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Commit to training your German Shepherd daily. Be prepared to train your German Shepherd for at least 10 to 15 minutes a day. You should practice basic obedience training, but also include fun training games to keep them interested in their training and engaged with you. Aim for five three-minute sessions daily in the beginning, as a minimum. But start with no more than a few minutes in a short session and gradually build onto each individual session longer times. During each session work on just one or two commands so that your dog learns the right way to perform the command. Ready to start using games during your German Shepherd training? How long it takes to train a German Shepherd depends on many factors, for example, if you have a puppy or adult. It takes anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks to train a German Shepherd to learn basic obedience commands. Crate training will take about a week to introduce slowly and have your dog or puppy go into the crate on their own to relax. But if your dog has had a bad experience with the crate it could take months. Keep in mind that if you have an adult Shepherd who has already lived with another owner or many dog owners then you may have to undo improper training or behavior problems. This means that you have many months ahead of you of training. Some GSDs are aggressive or reactive and it may take years before they learn to relax around other dogs in a calm manner. While other German Shepherds have excellent dog social experiences from the start and can mix in with other dogs on a whim and quickly pick up their training basics. German Shepherd puppies are ready for simple training as young as 7 weeks old. Your puppy is capable and ready to learn at 6 to 7 weeks old many simple obedience commands. A 1 minutes session is long enough for a young puppy. After a couple of weeks, your German Shepherd puppy should know to sit, stay, and down, as well as its name. Although a reliable off-leash come recall usually takes about 6 to 8 weeks of proper dog training. It took me only about a day to train my German Shepherd to sit using lure and reward training. This means, I use one of the best, tasty treats to move her into the position I want, and then reward her with the food. My GSD took about 7 days to sit and wait at doors before barging out, but… She only takes a day to unlearn this behavior if I relax on it and let her out without waiting! Something complicated like staying in place with tons of distractions think cats or squirrels running by might take you at least 6 months to work up to. Keep in mind that German Shepherd training requires you to work in very small steps and build upon their success. You started with basic math, then geometry, algebra, and so on. German Shepherd Training: The Right Way How long it takes to train a German Shepherd depends on how consistent you are and how well you support your dog to understand. You must also consider your GSDs: age — are they an energetic puppy or more confident adult previous training — are they fresh to obedience or do they have some basics under their belt whether you are using the right training methods that are simple for your dog to understand The most effective and easy-to-understand system for German Shepherds to learn is called positive reward training. Using positive rewards allows you to mark the specific behaviors your German Shepherd performs right at nearly the exact moment they do them. Use a scientifically-based program to learn positive, reward-based training, like this Brain Training for Dogs official program. The Brain Training Program gives you step-by-step dog training to help you speed up your success rate and the time it takes you to train your GSD. Have you seen the price of in-person German Shepherd training these days? Harsh punishments and the wrong types of corrections can cause your dog to become fearful of you. Stick with positive dog training, or reward-based training, for a better bond with your special breed. Remember, any lack of training on your part is still considered training! You are the dog trainer and must learn the right ways to train a German Shepherd. Remember… Your dog is a brilliant breed, but you must give them the time and attention they need in order to see the most success. Vary up your training environments When you start your training sessions at home, you probably use a quiet room, turn off the TV, and maybe even close the door to your practice area so that you can pay attention to your training. Then, train your German Shepherd to become slowly used to following your command in those places. Train consistently Training skills will go quickly downhill without regular practice. Skills you once thought your dog knew can be unlearned without consistent repetition. If time goes by and you or your family let the training routine slip, an enthusiastic German Shepherd who likes to jump to greet visitors will resort back to their natural instincts to jump on people. Set aside time each day for specific command training, but also remember that every interaction with your German Shepherd is a training opportunity! Look for training opportunities during your day to get the most training benefits. Use high-quality rewards for high-quality learning Find out what treats really motivate your dog. Some German Shepherds will work for lower quality rewards, like their regular kibble, while others may need more motivation. Ian Dunbar, a renowned dog behaviorist, says that freeze-dried liver treats are the Ferrari of high-quality food rewards. But you can also choose other healthy treats for a German Shepherd if your dog prefers a different flavor. This will only set you back in your own German Shepherd training! Instead, build up in small steps by starting in a distraction-free area with your basic German Shepherd training commands. Even in the most desirable situations, your dog may struggle with particular commands. When you see your German Shepherd forget a command, go back to square one — the beginning of the command — and work on the training… again. Try using your phone to record you training your dog. Online training is easy and simple to follow, and the step-by-step directions guide you through the correct ways to train your German Shepherd with the best results. I use the Brain Training for Dogs program for the step-by-step online training from the comfort of home that has a done-for-you schedule. Instead, set up a daily training schedule to help you train them quickly. You can speed up training by using the right methods to train a German Shepherd… Which is positive, reward-based training. If you get tired of training, take a short break with these fun ways to make a German Shepherd happy. She has a Bachelor of Science degree, with Honors, and has been training dogs for over a decade. Related Posts. Categories Dog Training German Shepherds are known for their high intelligence, strength, and bravery. And although they are the third smartest dog breed, owners may wonder if this helps with training. German Shepherds are incredibly easy to train. As a highly intelligent breed, GSDs will learn fast and retain their learning with ease. Our guide walks you through all you need to know about how easy German Shepherds are to train. With this knowledge and a little bit of effort, you can have a wonderful companion trained to perfection. Read on to learn more. The GSD has one of the highest marks when it comes to obedience and working intelligence. And how exactly do we measure it in dogs? The term was originally coined by famed canine psychologist and researcher, Stanley Coren. This term essentially measures how quickly a dog learns commands, in addition to how well a dog can retain their obedience training. The correlation of fast-learning and intelligence has some merit. In fact, Coren believed that German Shepherds are just very eager to work and please their handler. After all, German Shepherds are premier working dogs. And because of their excellent brains, these large dogs tend to respond quickly to organized and efficient training. As a result, this is the reason why they excel in so many jobs, from police dogs to therapy dogs. Their loyalty and intelligence combine to create a dog that not only loves to learn, but can do so quickly and most effectively. And of course, German Shepherds are no exception. And while most German Shepherds are generally easy to train, this can vary and will depend on you and the dog. Fortunately, many of these factors are within your control. Training a German Shepherd early on will make it easier In general, the sooner you start training a German Shepherd, the better and easier it will go. A young GSD puppy will likely be easier to train than an older one without any training. And this holds true for all dog breeds. Though puppies might have a shorter attention span , they can still pick up on training early on. Socialization Training While owners might be tempted to skip to potty training or teaching their German Shepherd the basic commands, socialization should come first. There is a reason why you should immediately look into socialization training. The crucial window for socializing your puppy arrives quickly around weeks. During this time, they are more curious and willing to explore or interact. Without this solid social foundation, training a German Shepherd in other areas can be a bit harder. A GSD that is not socialized will generally be more anxious, and they will have a hard time learning when other people or animals are present. Fortunately, socializing a German Shepherd puppy is far from a difficult task. Their naturally confident temperament helps them engage in social encounters from a young age. With some effort and a consistent plan, you should have no trouble with this part of training your German Shepherd. This is especially important if you have carpets or rugs. With their higher intelligence, they can make connections quicker. So you could have success in potty training your German Shepherd from about twelve weeks of age. Still, there will be a learning curve and it can take several weeks before you see results. During this time, accidents will be bound to happen. Simply clean up. They might just not have full control of their bladder. What is important is to show patience and be warm rather than getting frustrated. Yes, cleaning carpets can be a pain. But patience will pay off in the long run with a well-adjusted GSD who is well trained. However, many would argue that these are generally the least important part of training your German Shepherd. Even so, obedience training in general is still very important. And without it, they can develop aggressive tendencies. But it still demands some time. In fact, it might be best to enroll your German Shepherd in a puppy obedience class to lay a solid foundation. But German Shepherds are easy to train when it comes to commands. And you can incorporate this type of training at the same time as socializing or potty training your dog. With their sharp minds, German Shepherd puppies might even start picking up simple commands from as young as seven week. Like the other forms of training, patience and consistency will be key. And lots of treats! German Shepherds may be a brilliant dog, but a reward will always go a long way in helping them learn any command or trick. In some cases, your German Shepherd is adopted or a rescue dog. After all, they are still going to be wicked smart dogs. Instead, what it means is that their training should take into account their history. Just like humans, a GSD picks up most of their habits and develop their personality while younger. If any training is new for them, it may be more difficult. And despite popular belief, an older German Shepherd can certainly change, learn new habits, and alter its behavior. However, you will need to work with what came before. So if you are adopting or rescuing a German Shepherd, it will be crucial to learn as much about their previous experiences. This information might end up being thin, but every little bit will help when it comes to training your dog. For example, if you are adopting a German Shepherd from a friend, they might already be potty trained and all, but maybe they never experienced learning commands. Also, a rescue dog might have had some difficult times in its life. So it might naturally be a bit more anxious or wary, which can make training move a bit slower. In any case, training should not be impossible. It is just a matter of adapting and working with your German Shepherd to best suit their needs. Picking the right method and showing consistency With the right and proper methods, German Shepherds are undeniably easy to train. But consistency and technique will still be crucial factors. These will vary slightly depending on the type of training you want your German Shepherd to have. But consistency and routine will always be in your favor. The less you change factors while training your German Shepherd, the better things will go. Below we have put together a list of some of the most important aspects to include in any training regimen for your German Shepherd. Rewards Instead of Punishment: Dogs and any animals, including humans respond far better to reward than to punishment. Whether this is a treat, encouraging words or praise, or more playtime. Punishment tends only to have the opposite effect and works counter to training. Consistency and Calm: Try keeping all elements of your training as consistent as possible, and designed to put your dog at ease. A relaxed German Shepherd that knows it is training time will learn faster. Maintain Authority: Jumping, nipping, and biting need to be nipped themselves. By being authoritative from square one, your dog will act with more obedience and respond better to your efforts. Inconsistency in rules or expectations will only serve to confuse your German Shepherd. Choose a Good Name: Tempting as it may be to give your dog a rolling, lengthy name, they respond best to short names with strong endings. Your approach and attitude can make training easier In many ways, German Shepherds are easy to train. How an owner approaches training will play a large role. If you approach training your dog with some compassion and understanding, you are headed in the right direction. If you maintain a positive attitude and demonstrate patience, your German Shepherd will respond far better than if you do the opposite. That will only make them more stressed out. Equally important is to work with your German Shepherd, and not train at it. Training may take time and effort, but it will ultimately be rewarding for both you and your German Shepherd. Let us know how your experience was with training your German Shepherd. Share in the comments below if you picked up on any extra-helpful tips or tricks to train your German Shepherd. Here are all the things to consider when bringing these big dogs into a small home. Plus, extra training tips for the special situation. The good news is that German Shepherds are easy to train. However, you will need to train your dog with your kids. In this guide, we go over why the two furry companions can peacefully co-exist. But it does require plenty of work on your part! Post navigation. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Imagine you knew how to discipline a German Shepherd puppy the right way so that your bond with your dog grew instead of fell short! Learn how to communicate with your pup and get the behaviors you want using these simple and easy methods for training a German Shepherd puppy. They may become frightened of you or fear your presence, depending on how severe your discipline is. Anxiety may even develop with too much punishment or useless corrections. Training a German Shepherd puppy at 8 to 12 weeks old? Yes, you can! A GSD pup of 8 to 12 weeks of age or older still needs positive reinforcement for the best behavior changes. Disciplining your GSD should not involve hitting, kicking, slapping, intimidation, or yelling. Do you want your German Shepherd puppy to stop their unwanted, bad behavior and turn into the sweet angel you want them to be? You can easily learn how to train a German Shepherd puppy if you work smarter… Not harder! Start early and remain consistent with your expectations. Training a German Shepherd means knowing what to do when your puppy acts up. Shepherd pups are one of the smartest dogs on the plant and learn quickly what you expect of them. But the best way to learn how to train a German Shepherd puppy at home is to work on your own behavior first. You should show them what behavior is unacceptable in your house. This means that you must stay consistent when responding to their behavior. For example: If your pup jumps on you and you redirect their attention to a toy to chew on instead. But, then your pup jumps on your friend and your friend lets them and you say nothing. This makes it likely that your dog will jump on whoever they feel like in the future. Use reward-based training. Use reward-based German Shepherd training techniques to get the quickest results. Reward-based training helps your puppy recognize when something is a bad choice source. When your pup performs what you ask, offer a tasty treat and words of praise. For example: Have your pup sit when you are by the front door getting ready to go for a walk. This teaches them that when they behave, they are more likely to get what they want. The best way to train your German Shepherd is by following a fun, engaging program that teaches not only the basics but covers problem behaviors, too. Sound difficult? It teaches you how to get your pup to learn positive behaviors. You can also have fun right at home with these games for German Shepherd puppies. Offer your puppy another option when they begin jumping on you for attention. Think about what your puppy is trying to get when engaging in jumping and bad behavior to determine when to ignore them. When your pup jumps on you when you come home, they probably want your attention. Withholding your attention when they are acting out shows them they need to act differently to get your approval source. Instead, offer them pets and praise when they have all 4 paws on the floor. You can also place them behind a puppy gate until they learn not to jump in order to avoid them scratching or nipping house guests when they arrive. After you teach them their basic obedience, ask them for a competing behavior like a sit or down when they begin to jump. Always remember to reward the behavior you want to see again! Ultimately, your puppy learns that good behavior earns your affection and attention more quickly. Your dog soon understands that they get nothing from you when they act badly. Here are some great commands for a German Shepherd that you can work on training. Redirect bad German Shepherd puppy behavior. Does your puppy jump, nip, chew, bite, or dig and you want to know the right discipline? The noise and disapproving tone distract your dog from bad behavior source. Showing them a favorite toy. Offering them another option you would like that is more constructive. You want to remember to watch out for: If your dog chews inappropriately on a pair of expensive shoes, get their attention by making noises or calling them to you and immediately offer the correct approved chew item. If you know your dog tends to bite you during play, have a toy nearby you can show them that you want them to bite instead of your arms. If you know they get wild and crazy in the evenings, have a list of these easy German Shepherd brain games to distract them and funnel their energy. Use time-outs appropriately when training a German Shepherd puppy. When your dog engages in bad behavior, remove them from what is causing the unwanted behavior. Put them in a different environment that is more calming and quiet instead. Respond immediately to the bad behavior and use the same routine every time to maintain correct discipline. Time out should: Not be done with force or yelling. Not be in a closet or other dark, scary area. Work to calm your puppy down, not frighten or stress them. Give your puppy a break from over-excitement. Not be a long punishment. Timeouts are generally recommended for only 1 to 2 minutes for puppies. Also, remember that closed doors can cause anxiety in dogs, so use a reliable pet-safe baby gate so that your puppy knows that you are still nearby. Remember, when training a German Shepherd puppy: Time out should not last over minutes. Watch for when your puppy is calm and quiet for a very brief period seconds long of calm. Then let them out quietly, without scolding them. This can cause anxiety. Remember to use a pet gate to separate them from the excitement that caused the unwanted behavior, while still allowing them to see you and not feel trapped. Ignore the unnecessary barking. German Shepherd puppies bark, but there are positive ways to help train them to bark and whine less. When they finally quiet down, even if only for a few seconds, reward them with a treat or praise. To have success, wait until they are quiet and stop barking, even if only for a few seconds in the beginning source. For example: If your puppy barks at joggers out the window every morning pull the blinds or curtains. If the behavior continues, place your dog in another room for a couple of minutes and repeat the previous time-out procedure every time they bark at the joggers remember to use the pet safe baby gate and to not shut a puppy behind a solid door because it can give them anxiety. If they are whining and crying at night, this could be a warning they need to potty. Make sure you read this post to know how to potty train a German Shepherd before you ignore all whining, barking, and crying. If your puppy barks during play they might be too excited and you can offer them a chew toy instead or cut your playtime short to allow them to calm down. Puppies bark for a number of reasons. But it does get easier to train your GSD over time as they learn what you expect. Keeping your pup from nipping and chewing. Puppies have sharp teeth, especially German Shepherd puppies! Puppies are energetic and must learn their limits for playing too rough source. Puppies view you jerking your hand back quickly as part of a game and could also tear your skin. And physical punishment should never be given! Show them what they can chew, instead, such as their favorite chew toy. Have plenty of safe chew toys to grab nearby to give your pup when they get wild and decide to bite you. Always use toys that your puppy can chew and bite to play with — pick from this list of German Shepherd Chew Toys to Prevent Boredom so you have a safe puppy toy that can take their bites. When they stop biting or nipping reward them with verbal praise and pets. Return later to try playing with your pup again and repeat the procedure. Read this information for more helpful tips to stop your German Shepherd puppy from aggressively biting and nipping you. Catch your dog being good and reward them out of the blue. See your puppy acting the way you want? Reward them out of the blue! Keep small bits of treats in jars around the house out of reach of your pup or in your pocket or a treat bag on your waist and use any opportunity your catch your pup doing good to reward them. If they sit and wait at the door, instead of dashing out ahead of you, reward them! Aim for one of these healthy treats that are the best for German Shepherds and pick carefully to ensure your dog stays athletic and fit. Food-based rewards are very motivating when training and disciplining a puppy. Avoid physical punishment and harm. Your German Shepherd is your companion for life. Research shows that physically punishing your dog for example hitting, kicking, growling, or staring them down increases aggression in your dog study source. Never use physical punishment to correct undesirable behavior. Not only can this punishment injure your puppy, but it also ruins your relationship and causes anxiety. It means setting expectations that they understand and staying consistent. Physically hurting your German shepherd will ruin your relationship with them. They will lose their trust in you and begin to avoid you. In the worst case, your dog could develop anxiety disorders, health issues, or even more problem behaviors. You could even accidentally injure your dog and they need vet care! Use the right tone and body language to communicate. Different commands and body language conveys information for training to your German Shepherd. The different tones of your voice and body movements are better understood by your dog. The actual command words are of less importance to your puppy. Use a direct tone and body language that matches what you want to say to your dog. Even pointing to a missed treat on the ground is body language your dog learns to understand. Still not convinced? Try out your training with this extensive list of helpful German Shepherd commands and watch how much your dog is capable of understanding. Shepherd pups want to please and have order in their home. To do this, stick with your training. Begin with a plan in place and disciplining your GSD will go smoother from the start. Persevere with your training and discipline. Remember that your German Shepherd is highly intelligent and needs your help to get the best from them. If you feel like giving up, take a break from training for a day or two. In order to avoid training frustration, remember that just like you a German Shepherd needs time to learn the rules of the house and new commands. This is true especially of puppies or rescue dogs. If you want to take a break from training and have fun, then include a few days a week of puzzles. German Shepherds are one of the smartest dogs in the world, so training them generally takes a short time. Never discipline a German Shepherd puppy for having accidents during potty training. Whether your German Shepherd is potty trained or not, never push their faces into their potty accidents. Your dog is counting on your leadership to show them the rules in a positive manner. Work on setting a consistent schedule with feeding and walks to avoid potty accidents indoors. German Shepherds are easy to train given the right attention. And they need to understand their schedule by having you teach them using consistent patterns, rather than receiving punishment or discipline. Keep a potty schedule posted nearby so all your family can see it and help prevent your puppy from having an accident. Use your bond with your puppy to your advantage during recall training. Use your positive bond with your German Shepherd puppy to work on early recall training. Especially when there are so many natural pleasures to see and explore outside. When you call your German Shepherd, its obedience simply depends on whether the motivation to obey your commands outweighs what your dog is focused on at the moment. Use this to your advantage! Tips for great German Shepherd puppy recall training: Begin calling your puppy in as many locations inside as you can. Give them a tasty reward or play a game with their favorite toy when they come. Work your way up to a perfect recall by having others try to distract your puppy while indoors. Next, move to your back or front yard with your dog on a long leash like this so they stay safe nearby and do the same. You can disciple them by showing them your tasty treat and walking backward a few steps to encourage them to move toward you. Train the come command in all situations, including the home and outdoors, from the time your puppy is 6 to 8 weeks old to avoid discipline problems later on. Need to train your German Shepherd on their recall? Aug 11, Share German Shepherds are typically easy to train. They are brilliant, devoted dogs. Typically, these canines can quickly pick up the meaning of commands and are more than willing to listen to their owners. However, there are many misconceptions about what training a German Shepherd should look like. Many dog organizations and dog trainer organizations no longer recommend dominance training theory for this reason. Instead, German Shepherds need to be trained using positive reinforcement. The bond between a German Shepherd and their owners is essential. Therefore, training should revolve around that bond and seek to encourage it. When you train a German Shepherd correctly, the process should be fun and straightforward. These intelligent dogs want to follow commands and please their family, making training relatively easy. Each dog is different and will struggle and thrive in different areas of training. Some dogs may accomplish specific commands quickly and then have trouble with another one. You should feel free to slow down and speed up as necessary. If your dog masters a command, there is no reason to linger on it for longer than necessary. If your canine takes a bit longer to catch on to another command, feel free to take as long as they need to master it! German Shepherds need a strong foundation if training is going to work! That said, training a German Shepherd on all the basics usually takes about 8 weeks. Not every dog will meet this timeline, however. These intelligent dogs need constant training to stay happy and healthy. Otherwise, they may try to find their own mental stimulation, which usually involves destructive behavior. You should commit to training your dog throughout their whole lifespan. Otherwise, a German Shepperd is not the best breed for you. If you seek out the correct help, German Shepherds are often easy enough for nearly anyone to train. They are willing to take part in training and intelligent enough to learn most commands quickly. They are not an easy breed to care for, even though they can be trained efficiently. They have many requirements that can be hard for a new dog owner to meet. For instance, they are incredibly active. German Shepherds are working dogs, through and through. They need to be out and about for hours a day. Without the proper exercise, they can become destructive and reactive. Furthermore, their extreme intelligence means that you will need to provide plenty of mental stimulation. Training is an excellent way to accomplish this, but puzzle toys and canine sports can also be good options. These dogs need to be brushed at least every other day, although every day is best. Their coats shed frequently, and they need regular brushing to keep them clean. This breed is usually easy to potty train. German Shepherds are intelligent and take to just about any training. They are also large dogs, which means they have large bladders when puppies. Smaller dogs are notoriously difficult to potty train because they need to use the bathroom frequently. Their bladders are just so tiny! Luckily, German Shepherds do not fit into this category. That said, they are still puppies, and the easiest way to potty train them involves taking them outside on a regular basis. You should never delay training a German Shepherd. Most high-quality breeders will start training their puppies before they even adopt them out. German Shepherds like training, even as puppies. They will feel much more comfortable learning the rules of the house right away. Start with the basics and keep the sessions short. You only want to train your pup for a few minutes at a time, as puppies can get overwhelmed and bored. They have short attention spans, just like human children. Socialization and More Socialization! You need to introduce your German Shepherd to as many people, places, and pets as possible. Otherwise, they can be territorial and aggressive as adults. A well-socialized German Shepherd is a confident German Shepherd. We highly recommend puppy training classes for this reason. They are safe places to socialize your puppy with other people and dogs. They need more than an hour-long class once a week. You should plan on training your German Shepherd for about 10 minutes, twice a day, at least. Many dogs benefit more from three or four sessions a day, especially when younger and a bit more rambunctious. These training sessions help your dog master commands, as well as keep them entertained. Training sessions for your German Shepherd should continue for their entire life. You may be able to cut back to one session a day for older dogs, but you should never remove them altogether. German Shepherds love training and benefit from the mental challenge well into their senior years. These dogs were not made to lie around all day without a job. Giving them something to do, like training, is vital to their wellbeing. The journey means more for these dogs than the destination. Final Thoughts German Shepherds were bred to be trained. Due to their high intelligence, they can easily understand commands. They are responsive to their owners because they want to make you happy! Training should focus on building your relationship with your dog, as this is what makes the German Shepherd obedient. Training should begin as soon as you adopt your puppy. Training is a lifelong activity for German Shepherds. It keeps their brains active and prevents them from needing to find their own fun. Many destructive behaviors in this breed are linked to a lack of mental or physical exercise. Otherwise, they can become incredibly territorial. Training and socialization should go hand-in-hand. Featured Image Credit: marcin jucha, Shutterstock Contents. Calm older dogs are good for this one. Most importantly for German Shepherd puppies, it will give you a chance to work with them around other people, and different dogs from a young age. Settle on a mat German Shepherds are incredibly curious, which can make it difficult for them to relax while out and about. Leash walking — no one wants a large breed of dog pulling them down the street, so be sure you teach loose lead walking and how about some heelwork too? Recall games — Play a game of tennis with your pooch! Calling them from person to person with treats on either side. Get started with grooming and brushing sensitive areas — In long-haired German Shepherds, this is typically the case with the face, legs, and ears, which become tangled the most and may hurt when brushed. Remember to brush carefully, do a little bit of brushing on a sensitive area while feeding them treats or letting them have a lickimat, and then brush an easier to brush area. For socialisation, start working on items that are vital to your lifestyle this week, such as if you have a horse and want your puppy to be comfortable with horses, or if you enjoy sailing, having them near water will be important to you. Getting your puppy exposed to new experiences early on can help them accept them much more easily. Socialization exercises to do this week Training to do this week Husbandry Tasks to do this week — Go to the pub — you deserve it! Remember that settle training you did before, take your mat and get your German Shepherd puppy to settle on it with a nice stuffed kong. Alone training: increasing time alone is important for your puppy. It gives them essential coping skills. Recall — Practise this outside, using a lead, and lots of rewards. Lead walking — Take this outside. Make sure you keep a strong pace going, since German Shepherds enjoy walking quickly, and praise often to keep your puppy interested. Pretend Nail Clips — simply holding a claw, pretending to clip , and rewarding your puppy with a treat is enough. Following on walks — Bring special toys, like the Tug-E-Nuff Pocket tugger, with you on walks to ensure your German Shepherd puppy enjoys hanging out with you. Playing with them will make you irresistible! Week 7 — Training your German Shepherd puppy The 7-week itch! Nah not really. I bet your German Shepherd puppy is doing wonderfully and growing rapidly! Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist — How about taking your German Shepherd to a city farm, letting them watch from afar and rewarding them for being such a calm puppy? Teach your German Shepherd puppy to stay — this will be a great one to show off at the park, trust us. So, first, take a walk with a dog that your German Shepherd puppy has already met. At first, it may be difficult for your puppy not to get distracted, so keep the rewards coming and try to keep them interested in you, rather than the other dog! Recall — off the lead Make sure you do this in a secure and confined area and bring plenty of smelly treats, a fun toy to play with, and your silly high-pitched voice so you can call your German Shepherd puppy back regularly. Remember, German Shepherds enjoy learning! Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist — maybe take your German Shepherd for a swimming lesson? Practice exercises in different locations — how about a train station, or in a shopping centre or mall? Teach a hand target — This is a favourite among pups and their owners. Hand Targeting or touching is the foundation for additional trick behaviours like leg weaving and closing doors. Introducing nose work to your puppy — We mean it when we say your German Shepherd puppy has a better nose than you! Play a game of hide and seek with their favourite toy to bring out those excellent search skills. Looking for more great puppy training tips? Check out our overview of when to start teaching your puppy anything , next. It will be fun they said. We go the extra mile for you. If you want a stress free puppy experience, get this downloaded! Worth every single penny! This app is very helpful. It helps you to understand and gives you a path to follow. The coaching support is excellent and super speedy. Download the app now. Learn how to train a German shepherd properly with Pawp's top tips. German shepherds are one of the most intelligent breeds out there, which is why you spot so many of them working alongside policemen, helping out TSA at the airport, and much more. Their high intelligence paired with their keen sense of smell make these pups excellent crime-fighting sidekicks, to say the least. Hundreds of years ago, German shepherds were bred in Germany and originally used to herd sheep and protect them from potential predators. Just make sure you have a large backyard or frequent dog parks enough to keep this active breed satisfied. If you're wondering how to train a German shepherd and have no clue where to start, check out this easy guide. How to train a German shepherd: 5 tips 1. Otherwise, your German shepherd could have unforeseen health issues or other ailments due to cross breeding or a lack of care from an early age. Since German shepherds are bred to be protectors and guardians, socialization at a young age for them is crucial. Even a few weeks after birth, your German shepherd puppy will be able to follow simple cues and commands from you. Make sure to bring your puppy around lots of friends and family so they can get used to different people right away. This will set them up for success in their training. You can start by playing short and simple games with your puppy. Whether you pick up some smart toys that will keep your puppy entertained or take them to different environments to play fetch, keeping them occupied and learning is key. This will help instill a sense of confidence in your dog, which will set them up for more success in the future. At three to nine months of age, you can teach your puppy commands like sit and stay. Your dog will be eager to learn and impress you. Treating your dog with kindness will help them keep up with their confidence throughout their lives, which will make them a stronger dog in every way possible. Maybe even take a road trip with your pup where they can run free and stretch their legs as much as possible. Anything you can do to keep up the positive reinforcements will benefit your German shepherd for the rest of their life. Training your new dog? Continue impulse control, obedience, and more Before the age of two or three, your German shepherd should be completely out of puppy mode and operating as an adult canine. That means the skills and tricks you have instilled during puppyhood should continue to be sharpened as the dog matures. At this time, you can teach your dog scent work and training if you so desire. Make sure to keep your dog motivated by introducing new challenges, whether that comes in the form of new toys, new games, or anything you can think of. More Articles.


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overshot jaw in labrador puppies - Will my dog get sick from eating poop? Poop eating can definitely be a concern to a pet owner since it can make your dog sick. If your dog is eating its own poop, itmay be OK, but there is still a chance of illness. Especially if your dog is eating the poop of another dog or animal, there is a large risk of infectious diseases or parasites. Some symptoms of poop eating include gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhea, decreased appetite, tiredness and intestinal parasites , according to Muenster Milling. Consult your veterinarian if your dog has eaten poop and is experiencing any behavioral changes or symptoms. How often should I take my dog to the vet? And how to know if your pet needs a checkup How can I keep my dog from eating poop? To curb your pup from eating poop, you may consider vitamin or enzyme supplements. These can help if your dog is eating poop due to a lack of certain nutrients, such as vitamin B, says the AKC. There are also various deterrents on the market, which make poop less appetizing to your dog. Other methods to stop your dog from eating poop include training, — using commands like "leave it,' — keeping a close eye during walks and cleaning up poop immediately. Harsh punishment during house training. And one important factor for this stinky act is the influence of other dogs. And who is the most influential to your pooch? His mother, of course. They lick the puppies as a way of encouraging them to pass their bowels. And when the little ones do, mommy dog will clean them up by eating their feces. Because of this, puppies develop the habit of eating poop. But it is not only mommy who is at fault. Having more than one German Shepherd, or several dog breeds, under one roof leads to imitation. It is not surprising if they begin to act alike or share the same habits, like snacking on poop. Your four-legged pal is snacking on poop! Stop him, of course! While veterinarians like Dr. Hart revealed that eating poop is natural for canines, it is still important to end the behavior. Well, for one, you would not want to kiss and cuddle with a pooch that reeks of stinking feces! But that is the least of your concerns. It can cause serious health issues, such as parasitic infections. Why is your German Shepherd buddy feasting on disgusting feces? Is he eating enough? And getting all the nutrients that his body needs? Are you giving him enough attention? Or maybe he is suffering from a medical condition? Prompt identification of what is causing the problem is crucial in solving it. But more than that, it will frighten you. What is wrong with my furbaby? A proper health check will reveal things that will help you understand why your dog is acting that way. More importantly, you will be able to find out whether your canine buddy is suffering from an illness or not. And you can help him before it gets too late. From there, you and the vet can develop a plan of action that can help your dog, like giving the necessary medications and administering proper treatments. If it is, then the solution is easy. All you have to do is provide a complete and balanced meal for your big buddy. Omega 3 fatty acids from vegetables. Healthy fat from sources that contain fish oil. Small amounts of digestible carbohydrates from barley, oats, and rice. High-quality protein from whole meat sources like beef and organ meats. The most common deficiency is that of Vitamin B. If this is the case, consider this: What is in the food you give your German Shepherd? Do you feed him enough? Does he need supplements? Consult your vet to find the answers. Then, you can give your pooch the proper supplements he needs to stay healthy and fit. This does not only refer to the inside of the house. The yard also needs to be kept clean, especially if this is where your dog takes his dump. As soon as your German Shepherd does his business, pick up his poop. This might sound like the simplest and most obvious thing to do. Because when he gets bored, he can start munching on anything he finds, poop included. But, attention alone is not enough to keep your pooch away from poop. Proper supervision is essential in stopping coprophagia. Distract the eager canine when he starts sniffing on something debatable. And keep him away from places where there is bound to be dirt and poop. Note: Put your German Shepherd on a leash when you go on walks. But also give him time to run freely in a safe environment, a dog park, for example. And the best way to avoid this feeling is not to punish them. If a German Shepherd is punished for pooping in the house, he may eat his poop in order to get rid of it. This is his attempt to remove the reason which he gets punished for. So, instead of punishing your dog, you can potty train him more effectively. Because if you are too hard on him, you can ruin your relationship. When you successfully do this, your big buddy will slowly ignore his waste after taking a dump. Reward him with a quick treat when he comes to you afterward. This will make him salivate, allowing him to naturally wash his own mouth. Let your dog chew on a dental stick or treat. Just be careful not to push your fingers too far in or your dog might gag. Conclusion It is uncomfortable, disgusting, and quite disappointing to know that your German Shepherd is eating poop. But remember, dogs are inclined to do it. Once you put the tips above into action, your dog will surely steer away from the unwanted behavior. Just make sure you couple your actions with patience, understanding, and love for your best buddy. They may act inappropriately or display unwanted aggression toward something harmless. Other times, canines follow instincts that have no basis with humans. Perhaps one of the most unpleasant aspects of pet ownership is coprophagy or eating stool. German Shepherds are just as likely to show this unwanted behavior as any other breed. Some may theorize that instinctive drives are stronger in these dogs because of their resemblance to their wild counterparts. However, there are also other reasons why it occurs that may have health or behavioral roots. Knowing the cause can help you find a way to stop it. New evidence suggests a different path where the two species share a common ancestor. That means some of the hardwiring that existed in the wild may still reside in your German Shepherd. Their canine ancestors lived a life of feast or famine. Coprophagy may be a remnant of those survival instincts. Image Credit: cvop, Pixabay 2. Other animals will also eat feces, such as rabbits, nonhuman primates, and rodents. Maternal Instinct Is at Work Dogs are born helpless at birth. They are utterly dependent upon their mothers. That even covers the most basic things, such as staying warm or eliminating. A female will lick the puppies to encourage them to urinate and defecate. To protect them and themselves, the pup will clean up after the offspring. Another health condition that occurs frequently is thyroid disease. That can manifest itself in stool-eating behavior. Some disorders cause an abnormal increase in appetite, which a pup tries to meet this way. The bacteria interfere with the absorption of nutrients, which a pup will try to meet with other inappropriate sources. A Parasitic Infection May Encourage This Undesirable Behavior An intestinal parasitic infestation can cause similar symptoms, such as an abnormal appetite. The parasites consume the nutrients that the German Shepherd should get from its diet. Dogs can get infected in various ways. One of the most common is eating the feces of other animals, such as rabbits. This breed is an affectionate and loyal dog that is prone to separation anxiety if left alone too often. Failure to provide a mentally stimulating environment can set up the perfect storm for the pet to pick up undesirable behaviors, such as coprophagy. Image Credit: Vach cameraman, Shutterstock Controlling the Problem The first step toward stopping this problem is getting your dog a thorough examination by a vet. As our list shows, several medical reasons may prompt this behavior. Nutrient deficiencies are another common cause. A supplement is also an appropriate way to treat this condition. Your vet will likely recommend follow-up testing if a medical cause is behind the problem. The next steps may focus on the behavioral side. Factors such as separation anxiety or long stretches in a crate can cause a dog to act in this manner. You should also take an active role in preventing it while on walks or at the doggy park. Some of the canine instincts may not make sense to us. Nevertheless, they are perfectly normal in the canine world. Fortunately, correcting unwanted habits like stool eating is possible. It involves finding out the cause behind it and taking the appropriate actions. German Shepherds may eat their own poop for any number of reasons. Dietary deficiency, diseases, copycat behavior, behavioral problems, and even ancient genetic instincts may be reasons why your GSD eats their own stool, as the American Kennel Club AKC points out. This term applies equally to dogs, cats, and other pets. In the rest of this article, we will talk about the many reasons why you might catch your German Shepherd eating their own stool. While it is unlikely your dog is physically feeling hunger pangs when they go to eat their stool, it is quite possible there is an underlying dietary deficiency driving the behavior. As VCA Animal Hospitals explains, dietary deficiency in dogs can arise from a number of different potential causes. As this iFeeder report indicates, analyzing pet foods is big business in and of itself, and there is a lot of money riding on manufacturer reputation. So often you have to look for other clues — such as poop eating — to detect when there may be a mismatch. When a dog is missing certain vital nutrients, they may go back to their own poop to try to absorb more nutrition from each portion of the food they eat. This is a practice that is so essential for some mammals such as guinea pigs that they die if not permitted to engage in coprophagy. Luckily, dogs do not have a genetic nutritional need to eat their poop. But they may do so if their diet is chronically lacking. Your dog has parasites When your dog has parasites, they are essentially eating for the parasites as well as for their own health and nutrient needs. Unfortunately, eating poop is one of the primary ways that a dog can pick up parasites like hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm in the first place, as Vetz Insight explains. But it is not the only potential trigger. Deficiencies in certain key digestive enzymes may also be a culprit. As PetMD explains, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI, is the best-known medical problem that can result in coprophagy in dogs. The pancreas is responsible for producing a number of important digestive enzymes along with insulin. The latter is caused by defective cells. The former can be genetic or induced and may also be triggered by canine diabetes. Ongoing issues with diarrhea. Increased stool output. Eating stool. Interestingly, some German Shepherds that only seem to want to eat the stool of a particular dog may actually be responding to disease in the other dog. This can include stool, although it can also extend to other non-food objects like rocks, grass, leaves, stones, sticks, fabrics, and more. While most cases of pica are considered to be linked to behavior rather than medical problems, with coprophagy there can be a clear medical component as well. If your German Shepherd has a tendency to eat poop and other items that are not on the menu of a typical canine or are not on any menu at all , your pet may be suffering from pica. Your German Shepherd Dog Eats Poop for Behavioral Reasons If your dog has been evaluated and tested and your canine veterinarian has ruled out a possible medical cause for coprophagia, the other main area to look at is behavioral. In other words, German Shepherds that are healthy otherwise may still choose to eat their own poop. But why, you are probably wondering? This is what we will look at in the next section. GSD puppies, like all puppies, rely on the mother dog to lick them and remind them to do their business. Learning how to poop on their own is a big part of early puppyhood. It is a big deal! When your GSD puppy came home with you, potty training became a big part of daily life. Your puppy probably got lots of attention and praise when it was potty time and things went well. In the same way, if your puppy pooped in the house, they likely got quite a bit of attention for this as well — you might not have been happy about it, but your puppy was because your attention was focused on them. As Canine Journal explains, a poorly trained and socialized or previously traumatized German Shepherd may resort to poop eating rather than seeking attention in more positive and acceptable ways. This outdated and ineffective form of training is now thought to actually encourage coprophagia in dogs that have been subjected to it. The dog may start to eat their poop to hide it and avoid further discipline. Along the same lines, German Shepherd dogs can be especially prone to developing separation anxiety, which is another behavioral issue that is linked to poop eating. Your German Shepherd is acting out of instinct While this explanation walks a fine line between genetics and behavior, wild canid females have often been observed eating the feces of their young to try to remove the scent and throw potential predators off the trail. But what about when male puppies or adult GSDs do this? In this case, canid behaviorists think it may have to do with puppies watching their mother eat poop and picking up the behavior from her. After all, canid pups in the wild have to learn everything from their mother and would be carefully watching and mimicking everything she does — including eating their own poop. According to a research study reported in Live Science , the majority of dog owners that have tried to discourage stool eating in their dogs have experienced low or no success. However, this is not to say it is impossible to train your dog not to eat their own poop. You will just need a lot of patience and persistence to find what works to discourage your German Shepherd from eating poop. This will require consistent, determined effort on your part. You will need to watch your GSD closely on potty breaks and quickly remove the feces and dispose of it in a secure location. If your dog goes out at night or early in the morning, you will need to bring a flashlight to make sure you see where the poop is and can pick it up right away. Then you will reinforce this with praise, pats, treats, and attention. This way, you always know where to look to pick up the stool and your GSD is not lingering near it long enough to potentially eat it. But to dogs, it is quite possible they just eat poop because they like it! This can have an unexpected benefit if you need to train your GSD not to eat their own poop. As PetCareRX highlights, there are soft chews and additives available that may change the taste of the poop to make it undesirable. Foods like zucchini and pineapple can also change the tastebuds and may make poop and everything else taste different from your dog. Use a head or muzzle restraint This is not an ideal choice for training your German Shepherd dog not to eat poop for two reasons. One, restraints can be difficult to manage and your dog may be very determined to get out of a neck cone or head collar. And two, if your dog decides to mash their muzzle or restraint down on the poop to try to eat it anyway, then you have to clean it and your dog. But if nothing else is working, it is certainly worth a try. For example, if your GSD has developed separation anxiety, this can require special and intense training to overcome. You may need to temporarily put your dog in a daycare program or hire a dog sitter to keep your anxious GSD from eating their own poop. Alternately, if your German Shepherd hates their crate or some other aspect of their living space, you may need to explore an alternate arrangement for when you need to confine your dog. German Shepherds are extremely intelligent working dogs that have been bred for more than a century to work hard at difficult, demanding, and sometimes dangerous jobs. Your dog may be bored and lonely and acts out because eating poop is something to do to fill the time. You may find that adding more canine athletics, taking your dog for more walks, adding some additional playtime, and using more puzzle toys and treat toys work to tire out your dog and keep poop eating behavior at bay. Remember, above all else, your German Shepherd dog wants your attention, time, and love. More of you often equals less eating poop. Coprophagia consumption of feces can be divided into 3 groups. These are: 1. Autocoprophagia: means a dog consuming its own feces 2. Intraspecific coprophagia: the consumption of feces of other dogs 3. Interspecific coprophagia: the consumption of feces of other animals and humans. Studies have shown that, historically, many dogs in developing countries developed a taste for feces while scavenging through trash including feces while trying to scavenge their next meal. While this behavior may seem rather indiscriminate, studies have also shown that the same dogs actually displayed a level of discernment, as they showed a disinclination to consume feces more than 2 days old. Wolves that are old or injured attempt to clean up their den areas that are shared with others by eating their feces. This is because they are intuitievely aware that the feces contains parasites. By consuming the feces within two days of defecating, it is ensured that the feces will be consumed before any parasite eggs hatch and infect any other wolves present. While there are many reasons why GSDs may eat poop, some of the most common reasons are as follows: Underfeeding Hungry dogs, dogs who do not eat regularly, or are starving are more likely to eat the feces of other dogs, animals, and humans. Dogs that eat only once a day and start eating poop may need more daily meals. Malabsorption Sometimes a GSD will eat feces if he is fed poor quality food long-term, especially if the food is high in fat content. Eating poop can also occur in dogs that are nervous, frightened, or under the influence of stress. Stress is a common cause of behavioral problems in dogs. If you feel that this may be the case with your GSD, it may be wise to consult with a dog trainer or behaviorist. A solution may be as simple as alleviating boredom. Other times, a GSD may see another dog eating feces, so he will want to try it too. It is also not uncommon for a young puppy to see his mother eating feces. It is common for a puppy to then simply imitate the behavior. Punishment If a GSD is being verbally scolded for pooping in the house, he may resort to eating his own feces in an attempt to make it disappear — no body, no crime! It is for this reason that it is very important to never scold your dog for pooping in the house. The true solution is proper potty training. For a detailed understanding of how to potty train your GSD puppy, I have written an excellent article for you right here. For example, when intestinal parasites are present, they exhaust the body and draw nutrients from it, causing your dog to feel increased hunger. A very common cause of this issue in German shepherds can be the Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency EPI. This is a condition characterized by a lack of digestive enzymes, which results in the inability to digest food properly, and thus leads to the inability to absorb nutrients. A dog suffering from this disease loses weight despite its good appetite and suffers from frequent and abundant diarrhea. Diabetes One of the causes of increased appetite and coprophagia as well can be diabetes. When cortisol levels are too high or too low, it can cause a host of problems. Attention-Seeking Behavior A German Shepherd may eat poop simply as a way provoke his owner into reacting. This is not too different than the behavior of a child when it wants attention. And, just like when dealing with a child, it is very important that you keep your cool if this is happening with your GSD. Reacting to it will only serve to reinforce the behavior. Forced and Restricting Confinement German Shepherds need space. This is why we highly recommend owning a GSD only if you have a large living space and preferably a yard. This is very common in GSDs that have been rescued after spending time in a crowded shelter. For more information on German Shepherd space requirements, check out this great article that we have for you right here. Living In Isolation German Shepherds are especially social dogs — much more so than other breeds. It is for this reason that they do not do well living in isolation. In fact, GSDs are highly susceptible to separation anxiety. As previously mentioned, anxiety can be a cause for poop eating behavior. For more information on GSD separation anxiety, take a look at this informative article. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet for this one. There are, however, a few actions that you can take to curb this behavior if you feel that it is problematic. Make sure that you guide him away from eating poop while the behavior is under your control Properly Socialize Your German Shepherd As a German shepherd owner, you have to be prepared for long walks and running, because your dog needs them, at least twice a day. If possible, allow your dog to socialize with other dogs, which, along with a quality relationship with his owner, will help help him to avoid boredom and anxiety — both common reasons for a dog eating poop. A happy and occupied GSD will be less likely to engage in poop eating behavior. For a through guide on how to socialize your German Shepherd, we have a great article for you right here. It contains all that you need to know in order to successfully socialize your GSD. Instead of one meal, divide the daily amount of food into several meals, so that your dog does not feel hungry during the day. In my experience, dogs that eat balanced raw or cooked foods are less likely to consume feces. Feed Your German Shepherd a Holistic Diet Feeding a holistic diet to your dog works to get to the root of a problem, rather than just addressing the symptoms as they arise. For example, using an anti-itch cream may lessen the desire to itch, but it will not address the underlying problem. A holistic diet works to resolve the issue of your dog itching in the first place. Think of resolving health or behavioral issue as a series of connecting the dots — this can be a complicated process. A holistic approach to feeding your dog can make it so that there are no dots to connect in the first place by erasing the cause of them. The fundamentals of a holistic diet include: Probiotics: great for digestive system support Prebiotics: great for digestive system support High-quality protein: based in fish, beef, pork, or chicken Herbs: great to prevent inflammation Vitamins: essential for overall organ and bone health Minerals: essential for overall organ and bone health Antioxidants: great for immune system support and disease prevention Fiber: great for digestive system support Whole grains: contain high-quality carbohydrates for energy If preparing a holistic diet for your GSD is too time consuming for you, a great alternative is Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food. This blend contains ingredients that include precise amounts of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that have been selected by animal nutritionists and, importantly, holistic veterinarians. In addition, if your GSD is suffering from diarrhea or related issues, beneficial bacterias in probiotics are a great way to boost them back to normal levels. These products usually come in different forms, such as yogurt, kefir, powders, capsules, chews, or dog foods. This probiotic contains a blend of 7 selected species of live beneficial bacteria with added Inulin. Your GSD is likely acting out of instinct, stress, or as an attempt to resolve a digestive or health issue. Just remember to be patient and understanding with your GSD, and have confidence that you will be able to curb this behavior.