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If you click on a link and choose to make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. Chances are, regardless of where you live apartment, condo, or house , you have stairs. And, if you are a Golden Retriever owner, then it is inevitable that your dog will need to climb those stairs. So, that begs the question: can Golden Retrievers climb stairs? Adult Golden Retrievers can climb stairs with no issues if they are in good health. However, stairs may pose a problem if the dog is older or suffering from health issues that affect mobility. Climbing stairs may also be difficult and risky for young puppies, so they should be monitored to prevent falls. Stairs are fine for healthy adult Golden Retrievers Climbing stairs at some point is almost a given for a Golden Retriever. However, there are a few instances when care must be taken, which will be discussed. Additionally, we will also explore some benefits of stairs and if there is an age restriction on when a dog should climb stairs. For pet owners with Golden Retriever puppies, stairs are an understandable concern. Often their little bodies have difficulty navigating and climbing stairs. So, understandably pet owners may wonder when at what age can a Golden Retriever puppy climb stairs. Healthy Golden Retrievers puppies can safely climb stairs at 12 weeks of age. However, Golden Retrievers can be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. Therefore, preventing or limiting access to stairs until they are eight months of age or older can help decrease abnormal development of the joints. So, it depends. If you believe your Golden Retriever puppy will have no hip or elbow issues, then 12 weeks is the minimum safe age. However, consider that Golden Retrievers are often highly prone to hip dysplasia and have a medium risk for elbow dysplasia. Both dysplasias are inherited. The concern is that before eight months of age, the stress from stairs on the hip joints may interfere with the normal development of the sockets. Stairs can be dangerous for young puppies. If you purchased your dog from a high-level breeder, they might have assessed their breeding stock to ensure no hip and elbow issues. These dogs are often examined between four to 24 months of age and then certified as having no problems. Alternatively, if no certification is done and you trust the breeder, you can take their word that there are no issues. While hip and elbow certifications are no guarantee of an issue-free dog, it does add some degree of confidence. Our Golden Retriever did not come from parents with hip and elbow certifications. However, the breeder noted the parents had no joint issues, and we were comfortable letting Bailey on small flights of stairs two to three stairs only. However, we blocked access to any large flight of stairs, including the upstairs and basement. As a result, Bailey was almost a year old before he had access to the upstairs. I discuss some tips in the next section on how to make stairs safe, and the last tip outlines how to prevent access to stairs. Golden Retrievers are highly active and high-energy dogs. Therefore, stairs for most Golden Retrievers are of no issue and instead can be a great source of exercise. But is there any situation where climbing stairs is bad for Golden Retrievers? Stairs can be bad for Golden Retrievers if they have mobility issues or are prone to dysplasia. Golden Retrievers puppies under 12 weeks old should not be allowed on stairs due to the increased risk of falls and serious injury. However, stairs are not bad for healthy adult Golden Retrievers. So, stairs are typically acceptable for healthy Golden Retrievers at the appropriate age. Stairs become problematic when there are mobility issues such as bad knees, hips, or back. In those instances, care must be taken to prevent falls and not aggravate existing mobility issues. Due to their increased risk for hip and elbow dysplasia, it is recommended to prevent access to large flights of stairs until eight months of age or older. The other potential risk for stairs is to very young puppies less than 12 weeks old. Very young puppies do not have the size or coordination to navigate stairs. The risk of injury to their still fragile bodies is a concern. Senior Golden Retrievers with no severe mobility or health issues are okay with climbing stairs. In fact, as we will discuss in the next section, stairs can benefit Golden Retrievers, including older dogs or even ones with arthritis. Typically older dogs take the stairs slower, which is fine. Stairs are not bad for healthy adult or senior Golden Retrievers Safety Tips for Stairs However, stairs can still pose falling issues even to healthy Golden Retrievers. To ensure stairs are as safe as possible for your Golden Retriever, consider the following tips: Clean up any dirt or spills, as they have the potential for the dog to slip. Water can be incredibly slippery on hardwood floors for your dog, so make sure its paws are dry, and any water on the stairs is cleaned up. Add stair runners or carpet to hardwood stairs for extra traction. Ensure the stairs are well-lit. Dark stairs or poorly lighted stairs increase the chance of a misstep. Remove items off the stairs to prevent tripping hazards. If your dog is old or has severe mobility issues consider installing a dog ramp. If stair railings have wide openings, be careful of small puppies falling through or getting their heads stuck choking hazard. Block them off until the puppy is large enough and can no longer fit through railings. Consider installing baby gates or any blockade to prevent access to stairs for puppies when you are not around or able to supervise them. Watch for Wet Paws and Spills Hardwood can be slippery and especially when it is wet. If your dog has wet paws, hardwood becomes slippery to them. Moreover, wet feet can transfer water to stairs increasing the likelihood of a fall for all household members not just the dog. Add Traction Carpeting stairs add traction, but if that is not feasible, consider adding light-colored stair runners. They are relatively inexpensive, but they add traction and increase visibility. You could also consider adding toe grips. Well-lit stairs are safer for your Golden Retriever and you as well. Some dogs have poor eyesight, and their vision can worsen with age. So, having good visibility on stairs helps reduce missteps and potential falls. Often you can find inexpensive lighting options that are battery-operated and attach to walls, negating the need for extensive electrical wiring or hiring an electrician. Dog ramps work well for small flights of stairs such as two to three stairs only, and make it much easier for senior dogs or dogs with mobility issues to go up. Just make sure you select a dog ramp with good traction. Do not overlook stair railings. Small puppies can and have fallen through the space between stair railings. At the top of high stairs, such falls can cause severe injuries and even death. Even if the puppy is too big to fall through, it may try to stick its head through the railings. If its head gets stuck, this could become a choking hazard. Puppies can fall through or get stuck and choke in stair railings. Be careful. A temporary solution that works well is cutting strips of cardboard and attaching them across the bottom of the railing so the puppy cannot fall through. Once your dog is big enough to no longer fit, remove the cardboard. Old Amazon boxes, cereal boxes, or pretty much any old cardboard will do, and it is inexpensive. We had an issue with the railings when my curious Golden Retriever Bailey was a puppy. As the above picture shows, Bailey could squeeze through the railings, so we ran pieces of cardboard along the bottom to prevent access and falls. Block Stairs Additionally, consider gates to block stairs if there is a potential for falls when you are not home or the puppy is out of sight. The images below illustrate a gate we placed on the stairs to the basement, just off the TV room. It was too easy of an opportunity for Bailey to get to the stairs, and it was dark, so we blocked it off plus the cat sleeps down there. Our homemade gate to prevent Bailey from accessing the stairs For the staircase going upstairs, we just rolled his feeder container and a chair in front. It was enough to block him, and it cost us nothing. As a precaution, Golden Retrievers should wait to climb stairs until they are eight months of age or older. Doing so helps mitigate any potential for stairs to aggravate the normal growth of joints. Once the Golden Retriever is of an appropriate age, stairs are fine and present little issues. In fact, climbing stairs can actually provide some benefits. Some benefits of stairs include: Stairs can build strength in the legs, back muscles, shoulders, and hips. Climbing stairs can increase the range of motion, including in those dogs with arthritis. Obviously, access to hills is much better than stairs for the benefits listed. Hills provide the same resistance with less stress on joints. As well, the gradual grade of hills makes falls less likely. However, for a healthy Golden Retriever taking the stairs at home provides minor issues for an appropriate aged Golden Retriever. Additionally, stairs also help strengthen muscles and improve coordination. In turn, increasing muscle strength helps build coordination and keeps tendons strong, which helps preserve healthy joint movement. In fact, walking UP stairs can be a great way to help improve active range of motion, muscle strength, and proprioception the awareness of the position and movement of the body. Source However, CARE cautions that walking downwards on stairs is problematic due to the increased force on the front legs and the need for more control to go down slowly. If your Golden Retriever is arthritic, consider hills with gentle inclines and declines hills are less stress-inducing than stairs. At home, consider using dog ramps. CARE also suggests adding carpeting or runners on stairs and using a harness to support an arthritic dog to help it feel more secure when navigating stairs. So, while stairs can be an excellent supplement for Golden Retrievers, they should not be the primary source of exercise. Instead, take your dog for a long walk, and if there are some soft hills included, all the better. Adequate amounts of walking, even on flat surfaces, will benefit your Golden Retriever more — both for developing muscle and tendons and its heart. Swimming is also a great activity for dogs with arthritis or joint issues. Final Thoughts Generally speaking, most healthy Golden Retriever adults will have no issue with stairs. However, stairs should be avoided for ALL puppies under 12 weeks. If you have concerns about hip or elbow dysplasia or other joint problems, keep your Golden Retriever off the stairs until eight months old, at a minimum. After eight months of age, your Golden Retriever should have no issues running up and downstairs. However, make sure stairs are not overly slippery and are well-lighted and clear of obstructions. Lastly, start your puppy off on smaller staircases so they can learn in a safer and less intimidating environment. Avoid large staircases where your puppy might fear looking down such a long distance. In addition, consider that a puppy is more likely to be injured if it falls down 12 stairs versus two or three, so start them slowly. As such, we kept Bailey off these until he was a year old. Most Golden Retrievers learn to climb stairs very quickly as puppies. The key is to not allow them on large staircases that pose a greater risk of them becoming fearful or injured. Instead, start them on small staircases, and when they are old enough, you can let them climb stairs as their heart desires. And Is It Safe? Using the stairs will only worsen the conditions, leading to further pain and even more problems. Arthritis, hip dysplasia, and other hip and joint problems can cause severe pain and limit their mobility, and you will likely see your older dog or senior golden retriever begin to avoid the stairs on their own. Below are some tips to help your golden retriever use the stairs safely without developing hip and joint problems. Supervise Your Golden on The Stairs Supervising your golden retriever on the stairs is a great way to see if your dog struggles with stairs or is not using the stairs safely. Dogs are infamous for hiding their health problems. Therefore, you may not know right away if your dog is struggling with any joint or hip conditions. When your golden retriever is near stairs, pay attention to any signs of fear or reluctance to use them. Furthermore, if they are using the stairs slowly or awkwardly, then they may be in pain. If you see these signs, you should have your dog checked out at a vet for any hip and joint issues. Supervision is also a great way to ensure your golden retriever puppy is using the stairs safely. Make sure your puppy is not running up or down the stairs, skipping steps, or doing anything that will injure themselves or hurt the development of their hips. As mentioned before, golden retriever puppies should be carried up and down the stairs for the first twelve months of their life or until they become too heavy. This option may seem like a hassle, but it is the best way to avoid any injuries or hip problems while your puppy is still growing. Note: While good in theory, a month old golden retriever is going to be too heavy to carry for many people, so just carry them on the stairs as long as you reasonably can. Injuring yourself to try to protect your golden retriever is not a good trade-off. If your adult or senior golden retriever is having trouble on the stairs, you may need to carry them if possible on occasion. Do not force your dog to use the stairs in these cases, as that will only worsen their pain and condition. If this is happening, you will need to find a way to keep them off the stairs or reduce their pain. Gates are very effective for this and not too expensive. Baby gates can be installed at the foot or head of any set of steps you need to keep your dog away from and should help to reduce their time spent struggling up and down the stairs. Also, if your golden is used to sleeping, eating, etc. This option is best for adult golden retrievers that have developed arthritis, hip dysplasia, or other conditions. Furthermore, a dog ramp makes navigating the stairs easier and safer. You can install a dog ramp even if your dog is not experiencing any medical problems. Training your dog to use a dog ramp early on in life will help prevent hip and joint conditions from developing in the first place. The PetSafe Happy Ride Folding Pet Ramp from Amazon will provide a safe and secure surface to walk up without any climbing, saving your goldens hip joints. Use Stair Treads To Help Your Golden Navigate The Stairs If you have bare wood stairs in your home, your golden retriever may have problems with slipping and sliding while climbing or descending the steps. This can cause falls and injuries, in addition to fostering a lack of confidence regarding stairs on your dogs part. In this case, adding some non-slip stair treads can make a world of difference. These pre-cut Delxo Carpet Stair Treads Amazon have an adhesive backing and can be easily stuck to each step to provide traction for your golden retriever. Give Your Golden a Joint Supplement Many dog owners begin giving their golden retrievers joint supplements when they start displaying hip and joint discomfort, but a much better idea is to start giving your pup these supplements long before they experience pain. Giving your golden retriever a good joint supplement, such as Cosequin Max Strength Plus MSM from Amazon, containing Glucosamine and Chondroitin early on will be a much greater help than waiting until your golden is older and experiencing pain. Golden retriever puppies can begin using these hip and joint supplements as early as 8 weeks of age, although you will want to consult with your vet regarding your specific puppy before starting any supplements. Final Thoughts In most cases, a healthy golden retriever can use the stairs without any problems. Puppies and golden retrievers with hip and joint problems should either use a dog ramp or avoid the stairs altogether. You most likely guard him against bolting out the front door and running toward traffic in the street. But you may not have thought about the stairs in your house and how soon your puppy can safely begin to climb those stairs. Depending upon who you talk to, a puppy should not go up and down stairs from the age of 3 months to a full year. For small dogs, carrying a puppy up and down the stairs may work for several months. So, this can present a dilemma for owners of larger dogs. Fortunately, most veterinarians agree that the majority of puppies can begin climbing stairs when they are 3 months old. However, puppies should be supervised for several weeks to ensure their safety. And some dogs who are prone to hip dysplasia should use the stairs as little as possible. They should not be allowed to jump or bound up and down stairs in a way that could be hard on their joints. Climbing stairs for a young pup can be very hazardous due to injury or physical developmental risks. Most young pups are usually a little frightened of stairs and rightly so! Just think about how daunting it would be for us to run down a flight of stairs head first! Young pups are still developing muscles, bones, and cartilage until they are about a year old. However, this depends on size and breed. Larger dogs mature faster than smaller dogs. Additionally, puppies are still learning how to balance and coordinate their growing body and legs and can be a little clumsy in the beginning. So, stairs present a special challenge. Falling The most obvious danger when puppies try to navigate stairs for the first time is that they may fall. Hardwood stairs with no carpet or any type of traction can be very slippery and challenging for your pup to get a foothold. Even more dangerous are outside stairs that may be wider apart and made of stone, cement, or metal. Therefore, the risk of injury can be higher on outdoor stairs. Inclement weather such as rain, ice, or snow produces even greater challenges. If your puppy or young dog does try the stairs on his own and falls, be sure to take him to a vet immediately if you think he has been injured. Joint Damage Puppies are still developing their muscles and bones and undue stress at an early age can cause some joint damage. This can turn into osteoarthritis as they age, which can lead to an unsteady gait, pain, weakness, and limping. Be sure to see my post about how chiropractic care can help prevent some of this damage. This is why trainers discourage agility training for dogs under a year old, to give them time to fully develop strong muscle tone and bones. Any activity that includes intensive jumping or rigorous running or stair climbing is usually discouraged for puppies until they reach full maturation. When this happens it wears away the cartilage and eventually causes bone-on-bone rubbing and friction. This leads to pain, weakness, gait problems, and lameness. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. During growth, both the ball the head of the femur, or thighbone and the socket in the pelvis acetabulum must grow at equal rates. In hip dysplasia, this uniform growth during puppyhood does not occur. Additionally, it can be caused by too little exercise that does not allow for muscle development, being overweight, and sometimes hormonal changes and neutering are thought to be possible causes. Dogs who are raised in cages at puppy mills with little to no exercise can be just as susceptible to hip dysplasia. This is true for dogs who are allowed or trained to jump and run too much before they are 3 or 4 months old. Breeds that are most susceptible to hip dysplasia include: Golden and Labrador Retrievers. Some dog breeds are too small or have hip issues which make climbing stairs difficult. But what is almost guaranteed is that puppies will struggle to climb stairs, whether in an upwards or down direction. Their size combined with a fear and unsteady balance will make stairs a potential hazard for them. When can puppies climb stairs? Puppies can usually climb stairs safely at the ages of 12 to 16 weeks. However, this is very much breed and size dependent, as some puppies will still not be big enough at the point to successfully navigate a staircase. Keep reading so you can let your puppy do stairs safely at the right age. Are puppies allowed to go up and downstairs? Puppies are allowed to go up and down stairs, but when they are too small, you should supervise behind them. I would suggest also carrying them downstairs if they cannot go down one step without jumping — that means they are too small and run the risk of tumbling. But in most cases, the age that puppies can do stairs is around 3 to 4 months. Is it bad for puppies to climb stairs? It can also be bad for certain breeds of dog to climb stairs. For example, stairs can be bad for puppies from the French Bulldog breed where the risk of hip dysplasia is higher. Young puppies will be naturally cautious of stairs during their formative months. More about puppies and stairs By and far the biggest challenge that puppies are faced in your home is how to overcome stairs. For young puppies, stairs can almost resemble mountains, continuing upwards for what seems like forever. Just one step at a time can prove a massive undertaking for a puppy, regardless of its age, and it can take many months until they begin to finally master the art of scaling them successfully. Unfortunately, it is not that unusual for older canines to never quite get the hang of climbing stairs, with many choosing to avoid traversing them later in life. For this reason, you must teach your puppy how to do this while they are still young. Without this skill, older dogs can quickly develop extreme anxiety towards climbing stairs, refusing to follow their owner upstairs, or enter properties where steps are abundant. However, there is one question that many dog owners fail to ask themselves before attempting this task, a question that when left unanswered can commonly result in many younger dogs developing long-lasting injuries. At what age can puppies climb stairs? In general, it is not advisable to introduce a puppy to stairs until they are at least 12 to 16 weeks old and fully confident on their legs meaning no clumsiness or wobbliness. That being said, it is not uncommon for younger pups to take on smaller steps from time to time, especially if they are very confident or boisterous. If you find your puppy can climb areas with small sets of steps in the home, do not immediately panic as this is completely normal behavior. Likewise, you should not chastise your pup as this could cause them to develop a negative association with the activity. If your pup is regularly climbing one or two steps, such as those found on a porch or patio, allow them to do so as this is unlikely to have any negative impacts on their health and will, instead, help them build confidence in tackling stairs for the first time. However, that being said, always deter your pooch from climbing larger sets of stairs such as those leading to a higher floor in the house , until they are of an appropriate age to minimize the chance of injury. Furthermore, this advice is especially relevant when it comes to larger breeds such as Labradors and Golden Retrievers, which we will explore in further depth later in the article. If you own one of these breeds or a similar-sized dog, make sure to keep them well away from stairs until they are at least 16 weeks old. In fact, failure to do this could be disastrous in the long run. Additionally, you should also realize that it takes time for smaller breeds, such as Yorkshire Terriers, West Highland Terriers, Chihuahuas, Mini Poodles, and Jack Russel Terriers, to grow to a size in which they can easily manage steps without any trouble. This is due to their diminutive size and overall shorter legs compared to medium and larger breeds. Furthermore, owners of small dogs should be careful not to force their pups into climbing stairs when they are very young, as doing so could lead to nasty injuries as a result of a fall or tumble. Although we may not realize it, stairs can be extremely high for small breeds. Unfortunately, many large breeds of dogs are prone to hip conditions, namely Hip Dysplasia, which can plague them throughout both their puppyhood and adult lives. Dogs suffering from this mainly inherited genetic condition develop issues with the ball and socket mechanism that allows their hip joint to move smoothly. Instead, the ball and socket will constantly rub and grind, causing canines significant amounts of pain. Over time, this abnormal motion will result in deterioration in the joint, with some dogs completely losing maneuverability after a few years have passed. Although not conclusive, there is some evidence that puppies can increase their risk of developing Hip Dysplasia by climbing stairs before their limbs have properly developed and strengthened. Despite being primarily hereditary in origin, some dogs can develop this condition solely through experiencing excessive stress on their joints or by suffering injuries. Once they reach a certain age, puppies will be bounding up stairs at will. Therefore, before introducing your pup to stairs, try and ascertain whether they are at risk of developing Hip Dysplasia. If they fall into this category, then prevent them from climbing stairs until they are at least 12 months old. However, it is worth mentioning that Hip Dysplasia can appear in medium or smaller-sized canines from time to time, although this is rare. If you find yourself worried about Hip Dysplasia occurring in your puppy, discuss this with your local veterinarian. Often, they will be able to inform you whether your breed of dog is at a higher risk of developing this issue in the future. With proper care and early treatment, dogs can easily live a relatively healthy and pain-free life. Is it safe to allow your puppy to climb stairs on its own? Alongside the risk of Hip Dysplasia, young puppies who regularly climb the stairs unsupervised are naturally at a greater risk of injury. Therefore, you should make sure to keep a close eye on your pup when they are attempting to navigate stairs, even if they have successfully done so before. Despite many dog owners feeling this is excessive or unnecessary, all it takes is one nasty tumble for a puppy to seriously injure itself. To minimize the chance of this happening you should always block the stairs when leaving the home, even if you are only gone for a short time. Alternatively, if you are unable to block access you can ask a friend or family member to keep an eye on your pup. In the case of older puppies 9 months plus , it is normally okay to allow them to climb stairs on their own. At this stage, they will have developed all the functions and skills to climb stairs without any problem. That being said, be careful not to leave any objects on the steps to limit the chance of your pup tripping and falling. Likewise, you should discourage your pup from playing or running up the stairs, as this can also increase the risk of an accident. Furthermore, this behavior is not only dangerous for dogs but can also result in owners being seriously hurt as well. How do you teach a puppy to use stairs? Teaching a puppy how to climb stairs is a relatively straightforward task. For example, one popular method used by dog owners is placing treats on the stairs. To start, grab some treats and place them on the first 2 or 3 steps, slowly encouraging your pup to climb each one. After they have done this successfully, place a few more treats higher up and repeat the process, continuing this until they have completely climbed to the top of the stairs. Make sure that you reward your puppy for any steps they have cleared successfully as this will reinforce their belief that they have nothing to fear. Additionally, you should remember to remain patient as it could take multiple tries before they feel comfortable. All puppies are different, and some may take weeks before they can climb the stairs without getting stuck or feeling frightened. Similarly, try to project confidence towards your puppy, regardless of whether you are nervous on the inside. They will quickly pick up on your positive attitude and feel less fearful when attempting to climb stairs for the first time. Conclusion Although home environments are mostly a safe and comfortable place for puppies to grow up, there are often several areas that can provide a challenge for even the most adventurous of pups — along with balconies , stairs are up there with the worst of them. With puppies and stairs you need to keep a close eye on them until they are older, more agile, and big enough to climb up or down. You might also like…. Got something to ask a vet? Thank you. The rest of the article continues below. Introducing your pet to stairs is all about taking it slow and having a blast! Start by making those stairs enticing. Grab some tasty treats or their favorite toy to lure them in. Begin with just a few steps at a time, allowing their little bodies to get stronger and more confident. If your pup seems unsure or refuses to go up or down, encourage them with yummy treats to get those paws moving. Patience and positivity are crucial. Cheer them on, shower them with praise, belly rubs, and high-fives for each step conquered. Safety Tips for Golden Retrievers Puppies Using the Stairs To ensure the safety of your furry pal while climbing stairs, you need to take a few precautions. First and foremost, make the space safe. If the railings of your stairs have wide gaps, install blocks or barriers to prevent small puppies from falling through or getting their heads stuck. Additionally, consider adding carpet runners or traction pads to make the stairs less slippery. This will provide your puppy with better grip and stability while climbing up or down. Next, you gotta remove any clutter that could cause your pup to trip. When training your pet to climb stairs, try using a harness or leash to maintain control. This will prevent your pup from excitedly lunging or jumping which may lead to accidents. You should also not leave your pet unsupervised during the training process. Stay close so you can quickly intervene if the need arises. A short rest allows your puppy to get their energy back, preventing fatigue-related mishaps. Climbing up or down a flight of stairs in your home can be dangerous for your puppies. One major concern is the risk of falling and getting injured. Puppies are still learning to control their limbs and may misjudge their steps or lose their balance, leading to falls that can result in sprains, strains, or even fractures. Another important consideration is the impact on their growing joints. Excessive or premature stress on the joints, such as from climbing stairs too early or too frequently, can potentially worsen these conditions or contribute to the development of joint problems later in life. Signs and Symptoms of Joint Pain or Discomfort in Golden Retrievers One common indication that your pup is suffering from joint pain is when they fall or stumble frequently while navigating stairs or jumping onto elevated surfaces. Difficulty getting up, walking, or engaging in physical activities they used to enjoy is another possible indicator of joint pain. And last but not least, if you notice any kind of limping, stiffness, reduced activity level, and excessive licking or biting of the affected joints, these are all warning signs that a vet visit might be in order. Doggy says, you might be keen to read this too: Is Bengay safe for dogs? If your furry pal is experiencing joint pain, undergoing post-operative recovery, or has a known medical problem, it is advisable to restrict their access to stairs. Additionally, during the puppy stage when their joints are still developing and growing, it is generally recommended to limit stair usage. Pregnant or elderly pets may also benefit from avoiding stairs to minimize the strain on their bodies. Alternative Exercises and Activities for Golden Retrievers Who Cannot Use Stairs When stairs are not an option for your four-legged companion, there are several other activities that can get them moving. Leash walking is a great activity to provide low-impact exercise and mental stimulation for your furry friend. Exploring different routes and environments during walks is always fun and engaging. Going for a quick dip in the water is another good idea since this breed is a natural swimmer. Look for dog-friendly pools, lakes, or beaches where they can safely enjoy the water. Puzzle toys and games are a wonderful way to engage their minds and challenge them to solve problems while obtaining treats or rewards. Additionally, playing a game of fetch in a safe area can provide physical exercise and mental stimulation. Your pet also needs to exercise their brain, not just their body. These activities help keep them active and happy, even without the use of stairs. Installing a Dog Ramp for Your Golden Retriever Installing a dog ramp can be a helpful solution, especially if stairs pose a challenge for your pet. A dog ramp is basically a sloped surface that allows dogs to walk up or down at a more gradual incline. In my opinion, it offers several benefits, including being gentler on the joints, making it a suitable option for elderly dogs or those with medical conditions. Dog ramps will work great for shorter steps stairs, and up and down sofas or cars. Collapsible Dog Ramp. Excessive ball throwing and catching. Fast-paced walks. Walking on hot days. Running a puppy alongside a bike. Dogs and puppies should not be exercised immediately before or after eating, as this can cause problems such as bloating. How to Exercise A Golden Retriever Puppy Providing puppies with the opportunity to exercise is a very important aspect of their healthy life. Not only does exercise have multiple health benefits, but it also gives them a good opportunity to socialize and bond with their owner. Check the temperature outside to avoid overheating. Make sure they wear a proper collar and tag. Make sure they are comfortable with their collar and leash. During Eeercise One way to help your puppy get exercise is by having them on a leash with you and following these tips: Walk at a normal pace. Stop to rest if your puppy keeps sitting down and continue when they get back up. Avoid over-exercising. You can also allow your puppy to exercise without a leash. Allow your pet to run freely in a safe environment, such as a backyard or designated dog park. Having them off the leash is a good way for them to regulate their own pace and exercise they want but do watch for: Watch out for signs of fatigue, including panting, slowing their pace, and lagging behind you. Watch for overheating signs such as excessive panting, drooling, vomiting or agitation. Keep your puppy hydrated. Signs that your dog is overheating and what you can do to help After exercise After your puppy has finished his exercise, make sure to offer them plenty of fresh, clean water and allow them to rest. After they have calmed down and rested, you can offer them a healthy treat or feed them. Exercise For Your Puppy In addition to giving your puppy short, daily walks, here are some other options of exercise that your pup will enjoy. Swimming Swimming is a great exercise for all dogs as it helps strengthen and tone muscles. Get your puppy familiar with water first after they are 3 months old. Fetch Golden Retrievers are meant for retrieving, so a good game of fetch will come naturally to them. Just make sure to watch for any signs of tiring. Dog toys that move There is a wide variety of interactive toys for puppies that are highly stimulating and can help with exercise. Play with other dogs Having your puppy be around other dogs is a good way to give them an exercise buddy while they work on important social skills. Whist Golden Retrievers instinctively know how to retrieve, they need to be trained from a very young age to catch. Signs Your Puppy is Getting Too Much Exercise Exercise keeps joints limber, promotes good range of motion, maintains muscle mass, and can help prevent injury. But too much of it can actually cause injury. Watch out for signs of over-exercise like sore muscles, behavioral changes, and joint injury. Sore Muscles Sore muscles are a sign that your pup is getting too much exercise. Refusing or struggling to go up and down the stairs. Refusing to eat because it hurts to lower down. If you notice signs of soreness, give them time to rest and lower the amount of exercise they are getting. Continuing to exercise, at this point, can lead to injury. Behavioral changes If your puppy usually enjoys going for walks with you but starts to shy away from walking or whimpers when you begin the walk, this is showing you that something is not right. Inconsistent conditioning can lead to changes in behavior as well as injury. If there is a joint injury, your puppy will begin to limp or favor one leg over the other. Another sign that is said to be a sign of joint injury is if you notice your dog putting its head down while walking on the good leg but lifting its head when walking on the bad leg. Heat sickness Heat exhaustion is a concern during the warmer months. Younger dogs have difficulty regulating body temperatures, so too much exercise can cause them to overheat. Signs of heat exhaustion are excessive panting, disinterest in eating, and drooling. Stopping suddenly can also scrape the bottom of the paws, causing the outer layer of the pad to wear off. It is good not to drag your dog while they are leashed, instead, be patient with them and listen to their cues. Golden Retrievers are popular dogs for outdoor activities. That is why we feature them here at Outdoor Dog Fun with these articles:. Golden retrievers range in weight when fully grown but are considered to be in the medium to large class of dog. A common thing that many golden retriever owners will know is that large dog breeds are more likely to suffer from joint issues. In order to avoid hip dysplasia or at least lessen its effects, you can begin by feeding your golden retriever a healthy and balanced diet, as well as ensuring they get plenty of exercise including swimming, which golden retrievers love! Furthermore, making sure that your golden retriever undergoes proper physical development when it is a puppy is key to ensuring that you can help maintain the joint health of your beloved dog. Stairs can be bad for puppies joints if they attempt to climb them while they are still too young. It goes without saying, but stairs are designed with humans in mind ask a shih tzu about this. As such, a staircase is really only meant to climbed by a human, though many four-legged species manage the mechanics of it well enough. In order for a dog to climb stairs, they must exert energy into their muscles and joints that is very different from the pressure they would put on them if they were just walking or running normally. As such, a golden retriever puppy should be carried up stairs until they reach a certain age. Important Note: Most medium sized breeds can start using staircases when they are about twelve weeks old, while larger breeds should really be waiting until they are at least sixteen weeks old. Thus, for golden retrievers, it is a good idea to wait between twelve and sixteen weeks before training them to climb stairs. In order to further avoid the risk of developing or worsening hip dysplasia, ensuring that your aging golden retriever does not need to climb stairs past a certain age is essential! If your golden retriever is getting older and still climbing stairs like in apartments, you should take precautions to make certain that they will not need to do so for much longer. For example, if your house is composed of more than one floor, make sure that everything your golden retriever could need is on the first floor, including their food, water, bed, and toys. If your dog prefers to sleep with a family member on an upper floor, trying to gradually discourage this behavior to avoid them climbing the stairs as they continue to age. Using a pet gate could also be an ideal solution to discourage your golden from taking stairs that are harmful to them in their senior years. As mentioned previously, stairs were designed for humans to use, not puppies. Because of this, puppies will look on the contraption with confusion and might even develop anxiety about them. You might find yourself at a loss when it comes time to teach them how to climb the stairs, but rest assured that there are many methods that are tried and true. Once your golden retriever has reached at least twelve weeks of age, the first step in training them to climb the stairs is to ensure that they are already reasonably comfortable and obedient on a leash. When you feel that your golden retriever puppy is ready to take its first steps on a staircase, leash them and have them sit on the bottom of the staircase. Using the leash as a gentle guide, coax your puppy up the stairs alongside you. If they are well-trained on a leash, they will understand that they are meant to follow you. Positive encouragement like kind words, gentle pets, and healthy treats are really helpful throughout this process, especially if your golden retriever is particularly nervous. When your golden retriever puppy has successfully climbed their first set of stairs, make sure they know how proud you are of them. Following this, you can then begin the process of teaching them how to climb down the stairs. Sometimes, climbing down a staircase can be even more daunting for a puppy than climbing up. Keep in mind that their perception of the world around them is much different than yours, so what is just a set of stairs to your mind could appear to be a treacherous cliff to theirs. Never use harsh tones or exhibit frustration when training them to climb stairs, as this will discourage your golden retriever and might even cause anxiety. An anxious puppy could lose focus and trip over their feet, resulting in a possible stumble down the stairs and a potential joint injury.

Specs BarkBox has been delivering dog treats and one-of-a-kind toys to dogs and their owners since .With more than 2. As someone who thrives on spoiling my little rescue pup, Peanut, I wanted to try BarkBox out for her. To review BarkBox, I considered its price point, the quality of the products it provided, and its customization options, especially its assortment of available add-ons. BarkBox is a monthly subscription box packed with goodies for your pup. Every box contains two plush toys and two bags of treats and chews and comes with a percent happiness guarantee. Besides its regular box, BarkBox also offers a Super Chewer subscription , which supplies you with extra-tough toys developed for dogs who chew longer and play harder. Peanut is really gentle with her toys, but when I originally ordered a BarkBox for her, I accidentally ordered the Super Chewer version. I was beyond impressed with this level of care. How Much Is BarkBox? Shipping is extra on all plans. The Super Chewer subscription is a bit pricier than the standard BarkBox since its toys are made of different materials and are built to withstand even the toughest chewers. Again, shipping is extra. Overall, I definitely think a BarkBox subscription is worth the cost. Purchasing individual dog toys and bags of treats can be expensive. Even better, the quality of the products is amazing. BarkBox creates products I trust, so I have peace of mind feeding Peanut the treats and letting her run wild with her new toys every month. Delivery and Packaging While testing BarkBox over the last several months, my order almost always arrived on time. It was delayed only once. I could go into my account and add extra toys or treats to my box at any point before it shipped, and the cost of any additional items I chose was applied only to that box and not to subsequent boxes, too. I appreciate how much attention to detail BarkBox puts into the tags, bags, and directions for every item. Past activities have included lick mat recipes, new ways to play fetch, and more. What Comes in a BarkBox? Peanut constantly reaches for her BarkBox toys over the others in her toy bin , especially the ham and cheese from a Lunchables-inspired toy , and the fish from a fish-and-pelican set. All of the toys typically include a tag with instructions and details, which are especially helpful for the toys you can hide treats inside. Some toys, like a freezable one that Peanut received, also come with guides on how you can make the toy more engaging. The box is a true delight each month, and I always look forward to seeing what the team will come up with next. One box included a pumpkin and honey chew, soft-baked bacon and oatmeal treats, and lamb jerky bars. If you like to always have a selection of new toys and treats on hand, BarkBox gives your pet quality products without a steep price tag. And for anyone whose dog tends to quickly destroy their toys, the Super Chewer box is a phenomenal option that thousands of reviewers agree lives up to the hype. Dog toys and treats are often more affordable with a subscription. The company has a percent happiness guarantee and wants your dog to enjoy every item they receive. BarkBox offers healthy treats produced in the United States and Canada, all made without wheat, corn, soy, or fillers. To get started with BarkBox , I selected a monthly plan and then filled out a brief questionnaire about Pickles, which included providing her weight, sex, and applicable food allergies. Once I filled out the questionnaire, I was able to choose between picking that month's predetermined box theme March was SpongeBob SquarePants or leaving the theme up to the BarkBox gods. I went for the latter, which gave me a thrill, if I do say so myself. According to the BarkBox website, most boxes are shipped out and delivered within five business days, so after I paid, I anxiously waited to see what BarkBox had in store for me and Pickles. BarkBox also offers a Super Chewers box for dogs who require their toys to be a little more indestructible. I was pretty disappointed to discover there was no promotion or discount for first-time customers unless I signed up for a six-month or annual plan—a lot of other pet subscription services at least incentivize new customers with a little perk for customers to subscribe longer. Delivery and Packaging I will say that at first glance, the box was a lot smaller than I anticipated—a lot of the company's promotional photos show overflowing boxes with oodles of toys and treats to gawk at. I could hold the little box in one hand, and I have tiny hands. As someone who has treated herself to multiple human subscription boxes before, I was a little surprised. Maddie Topliff However, the delivery was great. My first BarkBox arrived right on time; I placed my order on March 22 and received it on March 27, right in line with BarkBox's five-business-day estimate that's featured on the company's website. The package was also in good shape upon arrival, and I appreciated the folded top design, which helped set up an exciting reveal more on that later. BarkBox ships deliveries in a standard cardboard box, so no problems with recycling it on my end. And if I had to cash in on BarkBox's percent satisfaction guarantee, I could easily relabel the box and send it back as is. Now to the fun part. Immediately after opening the box, I was greeted with a colorful insert that had the box's theme clearly spelled out, which really set the tone for the rest of the box. You can tell that the BarkBox staff works hard on graphic design, which was a treat to discover. Product Quality As hinted at before, I was a little underwhelmed with the number of products included in my BarkBox, especially for the price that I paid. I'm not a mathematician, but based on products I've bought Pickles in the past, I would estimate I spend less on the same amount of items during a normal shopping trip. When it comes to toy quality, both of the toys that we received—one Statue of Liberty bouncy ball and one soft Chinese takeout box—are tied into the cityscape theme well. In fact, they are two of the cutest dog toys I've ever seen. The Chinese takeout box had little dumplings inside, which almost made it function like a puzzle toy, and the Statue of Liberty bouncy ball had a little crown. But Pickles and I were both a little disappointed that each toy was covered in fabric. I wouldn't consider Pickles to be a Super Chewer, but she still likes to play tug-of-war and tear up toys from time to time. I've been hesitant about giving her the Chinese takeout box to play with, due to its soft exterior and squishy dumplings, and I'm not sure if it would last very long. I was pleased, however, to receive a variety of flavors in the edible items that came in my BarkBox. One bag of treats was savory lamb and cheddar cheese , while the other bag was on the sweeter side oatmeal and berries. The chew was right in the middle pumpkin and honey-flavored. But it should be noted that the treats didn't necessarily tie into the city theme, if that's important to you—no New York pizza slice treats in this box.

What a good surprise to hear from you. We were in Montreal from the moment we got her until September - when we moved to Mexico for my now husband's work. Nevertheless I have to say that the transition has been very smooth. All in all, she is a happy, very active and high energy, intelligent, healthy, loving girl. Hope you and your family is doing great. Gibson is doing really well, still looks like a teddy bear as you can see in the photos: he's full of energy and can jump pretty high!! He's definitely a big scaredy cat put is affectionate to the ones he does know. He loves car rides and going to grandmas. She has the most beautiful coat - it is straight and keeps growing - It can be a lot of work to keep smooth, but Bailey loves to be brushed so it usually looks pretty good. People stop us all the time when we are out as she is such a cute little thing. She likes people and loves other dogs. My neighbor says that she is a little dog with big dog confidence, which I think is a good description - she holds her head and her tail up high and right now weighs in at 5. RE the house training it has been a snap. I can honestly tell you that we have had less than 10 accidents in the house since the day we brought her home. We trained her in a crate, we have bells hanging off of the door handle which she learned very quickly to ring, and I think it helps that my kids are a bit older, so at first someone took her out every two hours whether she asked for it or not, and although it is less frequent she still goes out quite regularly. We just love her. Bailie had to have major surgery on her back leg last year. She totally tore the ligaments in her knee. We love her very much and have given her a loving home. Thank you again for entrusting us with one of your puppies. Yours truly, Alexandra p. November 3, 40 Minutes Once upon a time there was a girl who quite liked taking photographs of her dogs on her iPhone. The natural progression was to get a DSLR camera. After speaking to several photographer friends and getting recommendations , she decided to get her first, the Nikon D.Time went by and this was upgraded to the Nikon The D decided it wanted to leave home and take up residence with a new family, which it did. Before long, she also picked up a Fuji X.This was a quirky little fellow and a firm favourite. The last and most recent to join the household was the Fuji XT20, and here is where the story really begins. They then went on to chat more about photography in general and their deep love for this medium. Kate, being a Jedi master and teacher of said medium, then suggested the idea of a photography project. Or dogs and their owners! Now the girl was quite shy and not the type to stop people in the street and ask them if she could take their photographs. Hmm… This would be the first hurdle! You see, the joy of the camera is being in the moment. Nothing else exists; no past, no present, just the now. No worries or fears. Being safe behind the lens, a window to the world, her world. Interacting with animals is just observing and watching, and if you get a good shot then that is an added bonus. But approaching someone, a stranger, and asking them if you can take their photograph, well thats a whole other level. So one day 22nd June on her bicycle ride to work, along the canal between the Sutton Road Walsall and Brickyard Road Aldridge, she plucked up the courage to ask her first stranger if she could take their picture: 1 Jack The Man and George and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. And so the story began…. Thank you for joining me on this journey… 1 Jack and George, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, just fishing and sniffing. It was Friday 22nd June .I remember cycling down the canal tow path, silently talking to myself and desperately trying to summon up the courage to stop and ask someone with a dog if I could take their picture. I practised what I was going to say over and over in my head. Would it sound like I was a weirdo, or a creepy person trying to steal the souls of whomever I took the photo of?! Would they say no? Would they run off screaming? Or would they just push me into the canal after stealing my camera?! I approached the Longwood boat club and I saw a guy in the distance with a Golden Retriever. Right here goes … Nope! I ended up riding straight past him. Damn it! I was really disappointed with myself. I rounded the corner and carried on with my journey to work. In the distance I saw another guy and his dog. Jack and George, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, were my 1. I was so nervous. Further along I saw two more people, with two dogs this time. I approached them and they were lovely. They even gave me their contact number so I could send them copies of the photos. Simple for some, very tough for me. Off I went on my way and a little way along the canal, I approached a lady but this time my request was declined. A little later in the day, on my way home, I successfully photographed a family having a drink at a canal side pub, with their 7-week old French Bulldog. Once I had taken the shot, she thanked me for doing this project and keeping history alive. We walked and talked about the beauty and history of this historic breed. However, once again I forgot to get their names … I must get better at this! Whilst waiting I met these four lovelies. He was a very vocal fellow and was definitely leader of their pack. That was a first — cycling along with two snails in my hand! Two snails in the hand were soon in the safety of a cool and shady bush… Onwards! Buddy currently weighed in at 30kg but would grow to around 45kg! He was a beautiful bouncy boy! Not stumbling over my words or slipping off my pedals … result! I continued on my way, passing my old friends, the ducks and ducklings, herons, geese and goslings — one family has 12 babies, all still safe and sound! However, something suddenly felt odd with my bike. I stopped and checked the tyres. Another puncture! So, I walked the rest of the way, pushing my bike and cooking nicely in the afternoon sun. He loved his ball very much indeed but sat nicely for his photo. New tyres and inner tubes on the trusty steed, and away we go. Those eyes! I paused to feed the ducks some peas and seed; then I came upon Ross and his two lovely little Jack Russel dogs, Jacob and Rusty. They were very inquisitive. Perry and I chatted with an old friend, Chris, about all the birds that were around locally. Owls and Parakeets in abundance at the Lime Pits. Chris had some impressive photos! This used to take around 30 minutes, however it now takes over an hour! Confidence Status: Improving. Ahead in the distance I could see what appeared to be a Wolf … well, not a Wolf exactly, but close! Chloe was a German Shepherd cross Belgian Shepherd. She was with her human family Lucy and Hayden. She was only a pup so had a fair bit of growing to do. Absolutely stunning! Just a check up for his ears so nothing too serious. En route to the vets we met Steve and his beautiful little 18 month old Pomsky, Lady. Artificial insemination. Moving on, she had such a gorgeous soft coat and darted around like a darting around thing. He added that she was very gentle and hardly ever barks. Bill said that Arthur was 15 months old, and he had three other dogs at home — two Pugs and a Bassett Hound. It was too hot for them to come out for a trip in the car though so it was just a ride out for Arthur today — best underbite of the project so far! My cycle to work was filled with many different species of birds today, but was somewhat lacking in four legged friends; this was probably down the the intense heat. Chris was walking with Archie the Lancashire Heeler. Archie was a beautiful little chap of four and a half years old, and was the runt of his litter. Chris rescued him. Terry told me that Ben was a pedigree mongrel. Del said that Sheroo was a very strong dog, but very friendly and playful, he was stunning. I got off my bike and had to give him a cuddle. Bella was 5 years old and had the most soulful eyes, she was very gentle and calm. The ducks, geese, moor hens and coots had eaten all my bird seed supplies on my way to work, so all I had to offer them on my return journey was chopped up cucumber. They were not impressed! The next stranger I met was Vern and his girls Siggy and Jet. They were both rescue dogs. There were dogs-a-plenty today, and first up was Janine with her five month old Chihuahua, Mousse. Janine runs Paws and Claws Care for small dogs in Kenilworth. Mousse loves to run about. Norman was two and a half years old. All four of them were laid back and friendly, maybe it was the weather… or the location! They too were enjoying the stalls and sunshine. She was once a street dog. She had one blue eye, and one brown, she was so gorgeous. Her family were April, Jayden, and Wayne. A cooling breeze from the water was much needed as it was roasting hot! Tucker was three and a half months old and had quite possibly the biggest paws of this project so far! Six months old and beautiful. His human was called Cassie, and both their hair colours matched perfectly. My friend called me over to where the narrow boats were moored. Meet Captain Paddy, with his humans, Jo and Keith. Jo said that they had had him from the Border Collie rescue when he was 11 months old. His previous owner had died of emphysema and Paddy was taken to the rescue on a Saturday morning, Jo and Keith took him home on the Saturday afternoon, a lucky boy. Jo went on to say that they would never have another dog after Paddy because he was so perfect, and no pup could ever fill his paws. Paddy has a facebook page called Boatdog Paddy. Jo was a keen photographer. They were eager to go for a walk so I stopped them only briefly to grab a quick photo. Ruskin was born in Swansea, much like my Beagle Dexter, and was huge for only eight months old! Sharyn was a lovely lady, and we had a good chat. Today was a physiotherapy session for me with Jedi Nat. No dogs were seen en route to work as it was so hot, but I met a couple on the way home. Roxy was sporting a new hair cut and was very friendly, super soft, and well… just lovely! She was 10 years old, but looked like a puppy. Tony and Alison said that they rescued her many years ago from Rosedene. Cuteness overload! Ruby was off leash and very well behaved. Galit fished her out and she proceeded to roll in the undergrowth to dry off. He was a great big bundle of joy and greeted me with the biggest Staffie smile. Nine years young! We chatted for a little while and I mentioned that I was a guitar teacher. Teddy was off to the vets today for his first booster injection. Margaret was waiting to have a cataract operation on her eye. Chelsea was big, beautiful, and full of beans! The early morning cycle ride is truly a wonderful one at this time of year. Ducklings and their mothers still snoozing on the canal side, the 12 goslings and their parents, coots and moor hens with their babies, just blissful. I always take a bag of bird seed and distribute it to the best of my abilities between them all. They were both out for an early morning run, and Murray was very vocal about having his photo taken. Cy was six years old, and rescued from Cyprus. He was shy of strangers, but could pose for a portrait pawfectly! It was poo, thankfully not mine! A gift from the geese had been thrown up from my wheel and distributed about my person! Thankfully I had bottle of water to wash it off with and continue on, damp, but clean. My final encounter of the day was quite a special one. Dave the human, Amy the 20 year old pup, and her sister Alex, who was a mere 18 years old!!! An old lady she may have been, but she looked very happy. Dave told me that they were both rescue dogs that he had adopted at just six weeks old. He told me that he had another dog, but sadly it crossed to Rainbow Bridge just before Christmas, it was also .Found a lump on his back and so went to get it checked out. Fine needle aspirates were taken, and am awaiting the results. Today I travelled to work armed with a box of bran flakes, a big bag of bird seed and a bag of frozen peas, all for the various species of birds and their babies en route. Alfie was six years old, and Molly was five. He was a solid happy bundle of joy. Fiona and I chatted for a while, then I mounted my bike and headed off, leaving Marley wrestling with a stick, or should I say more of a tree! They were on their way to meet friends for a walk, but not before helping me out with my photography project. Three boxes of cereal later, and nearly home, I spotted two beautiful Basset Hounds and their dog sitter, Alison. Lily was the tri-coloured girl and Daisy, the lemon and white. They were so cute and very laid back. Also as I flicked through my camera photos, Alison recognised my previous stranger, Amanda and her pup Dora, who she also walks. The grass is a lovely shade of dried up yellow but it is excellent weather for cycling. A striking dog she was. John said that the breed were were used as service dogs in Belgium by the police force. If distance could be measured by how many boxes of bran flakes you would get through by doing this, then I was nearly two boxes in when I met Isabelle, Michelle, Archie ,the sprocker spaniel, and Freddie, the springerdor. Both of the pups were full of beans, Archie had been for a dip. Standing still for a photograph was not on their agenda for the day, but it was lovely to meet them. Samewas eight years old but he looked like he was still a pup. I still managed to get a photo of his face, and plenty of his butt! Half way to the ! His operation is booked for Friday this week. Whilst walking his dog I met Angela and her Yorkiepoo, Betsie. Betsie was adorable, friendly, and so puppy like, even though she was eight years old. Dex hates water, but mistook the lily pads for solid ground and plopped straight in. It was the shock of his life! He got out again very quickly. Just after Dexter had his mishap, we met our first Beagle of the project, Benji and his human, Mitchell. Benji was eight years old, and was off leash, unlike Dex. Most definitely the loudest and deepest bark so far, as well as the biggest dog, Quinn, the Great Dane and his human, Lee. Quinn had one blue eye and one brown eye, he was beautiful. The landscape has turned from green to brown, and the canal waters, on my route anyway, are the greenest of green. Pippa was seven years old, and very affectionate and friendly. I chatted with Helena who relayed that Pippa loved people, this was quite apparent with the kisses that she shared. Their humans were, Terry and Lorraine. Hans was very vocal. The family were soon to be moving to the Shropshire countryside, as it would be nicer for the dogs. Her human was Lydia. Myrtle was just a year old and had the softest coat. The lab results came back and two of his lumps were just fatty masses, the two mast cell tumours came back as low grade and fortunately the vet was able to take clear margins. This was a massive relief, now to nurse him back to full health. Pablo was a three year old brindle boy who was very laid back. On my return journey from work I crossed paths with Anne and Digby. Anne said that she was a little fearful of dogs at the time, and when they went to look around most of the pups were barking at their cages as they passed. Anne said that Digby was so intuitive of her mood, if she was relaxed, then he was too, if she was fearful, then he was the protector. A beautiful boy he with amazing amber coloured eyes and the whitest teeth I had ever seen! A stunning and very happy pack of dogs they were, and Karen said that Diesel was totally head over paws in love with Sacha. The photo tells all. A trip into Sutton Coldfield today resulted in me meeting my 60th stranger and their dog. Jax was rescued by Dave, when he was just seven months old. Now aged 18 months, and, although kept in a crate for long periods of time by his previous owners, and receiving no training at all, he was now a model citizen. My first strangers of the day were Andra and David with their girls Minnie, the three year old Scottish terrier and Storm, the one year old American Bulldog. Minnie seemed quiet and inquisitive, Storm was very happy and bouncy. Both beautiful dogs. She would have been 21 tomorrow. What a long lovely life and a beautiful smile she had. Lenny was five years old. Lenny had a sister but she was resting up as she had hurt her leg. Terry had recently adopted Bear after losing his old dog before Christmas. Bear was originally from Southern Ireland and was settling in well. He was so gentle and relaxed. You could see these boys had a deep connection. These guys were from London and down here helping out a relative who had recently moved to Brixham. Layla was a rescue dog from Romania and very sweet. Onward for more pottering and I spied them both again, this time with their Mamma Sue. Polly looked amazing for her age, with a lovely smile, but both were gorgeous pups. Rosie said she had three other rescue pups at home. The day began with a lovely early morning birthday ramble with the dogs up to Berry Head. I dropped the dogs off for a well earned rest at the caravan and then headed off on foot to Brixham harbour. Today though, I took the coastal path. My first stranger of the day was a lovely lady called Kay and her beautiful little Dachshund pups, 15 year old Spike and six year old Wilma. Spike had recently won first place in a golden oldie contest. Kay explained that he was in a buggy today because he was slow on his legs and at 15 gets tired out. Wilma came along six years ago to keep Spike company after losing his beloved friend, a chocolate Labrador. Kay explained that every time he spied a chocolate labrador he got excited until he realised it was not his long lost friend. The bluest eyes and the cutest little face. Andy and Benji were fellow Midlanders, and Wolves fans. On my return journey along the canal I spied a beautiful little black dog. Poppy was a rescue pup from a puppy farm in Ireland. She was about two and a half years old, but had already had a couple of litters. She loved chasing Squirrels and Ducks, but not catching them. Also she liked the occasional dip in the canal. She was a little beauty and so gentle. The reason for this lateness was because every single duck that I passed today demanded some food and who was I to argue with their hungry tums? Note to self, must take more food for them and not use it all on the outward journey. Rosie was nearly two years old, and quite lovely. At just a year old Loki was the fourth Norwegian Elk Hound that Andy had owned, and was strikingly beautiful. Rosie was a Lurcher crossed with a Spaniel and was six years old. Jason was man and was .He had known Rosie since she was a puppy and decided to adopt her. The thing that drew me to Rosie, besides her being gorgeous, was that she really reminded me of my dog Obi — not how she looked, but her energy and enthusiasm whilst chasing her ball. Blue was a French bulldog cross and was nearly two years old. So cute! I have seen Russ and Marley locally on the streets for sometime, and the incredible connection and friendship between the two of them is really something quite magical. Marley is a beautiful well behaved fellow and Russ is a true gentleman. The cycle ride to work today resulted in me meeting Sue and her beautiful little Plummer Terrier, Cassie. Cassie was a rescue dog that was somewhere between five and ten years old. She was the last dog to be rescued from a local shelter that was due to be closed down. She used to be aggressive towards other dogs, but with tender loving care from Sue this issue soon disappeared. Casey was a rescue dog of around eight years old. He had been found neglected and cooped up with female German Shepherds, only fed on scraps and bones once a week! He also added that he always had rescue dogs. A chilly and damp cycle ride to work, and feeding the ducks en route, I had the pleasure of meeting Steve a fellow duck feeder, and his five year old female Staffie cross Marley. Marley was rescued by Steve when she was only six months old. She was adorable, so well behaved and loved her ball. She was super well behaved and was settling in perfectly as the newest member of the family. It was Stacey and his dog Boris, the Weimaraner. Boris was nine years old and had been diagnosed with epilepsy earlier in the year. He was a beautiful boy with gorgeous big paws. I took a couple of shots of the boys and popped my camera away in my bag. The day may have been cold and wet, but meeting this beautiful fellow and his human Mom on the canal brightened my day immensely — Mulder, the three-ish year old Spanish Griffon, and Max, his Veterinary Nurse Mom. Max said that Mulder was a rescue dog and a scent hound spot the bell around his neck. We hope you are all doing well. If I could I would have a dozen of your cute pups. It's Kneesaa's first birthday today and I just had to say thank you for this wonderful, loving dog. She's hard to get a picture of because she is always at my feet or on my lap! We constantly get comments on her color. We couldn't love her more! So thanks for breeding such wonderful dogs. Carl and Kay Hi Jamie! Just wanted to update you on Copper a. I have attached a few pictures. He is five months old already and growing up on us. He just got groomed up yesterday at Pet Smart and looks great. Eventually I'm hoping I can do this, but they are getting him ready for me. He is doing wonderful! He has found his place in our family and is an awesome dog! He had some aggressiveness issues when he was younger but has either been trained out of it or grown out of it. It's like it stopped over night, awesome! He is very loving and completes this family in many ways. Our kids are still ecstatic that we were finally able to get a dog. But if would have got one any earlier we would never have our Copper. It's one of the best decisions we have made. Timing is really everything. He is totally house broke and has been for months now but just recently finally started to ding the bell for us when he needs to go out. It's pretty cute. Speaking of cute, he is adorable, and very social! He loves everybody and all dogs. Everyone loves him and can't believe how cute he his. He goes to doggy daycare once in a while and absolutely loves it there. He follows the Cockapoo traits, loves being with us and needs to know where someone is all the time. He will move around the house to sleep just to be near someone. We used the crate at night for the first month or so, maybe a little more. But when he started sleeping through the night we moved him to his pet pen and he has spent his nights there ever since without any trouble at all. He knows his sit, down, stay for a while, still working on longer stays , come when called is good in the house and the backyard, needs work when elsewhere , he shakes hands, and gives a high five and sometimes a high ten and his getting the wave down. I just started to work on the roll over a few days ago and sit pretty. He loves his training time, it challenges him. Pretty good for only five months old! He went through puppy kindergarten and will do obedience class in December. He has his little operation coming up in a couple of weeks. We scheduled it so he would be healed up for the holidays. He was weighed yesterday when I stopped by the vet's office for some stuff and he was a whopping .A good size, healthy boy. He is doing great Jamie. You would be proud of him. Will update you again down the road as he continues to grow up. Jan and Arnie Hi Jamie - Just wanted to send a quick update on our babies. Our youngest, Brantley, turned one today! Both of our boys are the best dogs we could ever ask for. They both have such great personalities. There's never a dull moment when they're around. This picture is of Ollie left, 14 months and Brantley right, 12 months. Hope you're doing well! Every time I see you post new puppies, it makes me want another one. We purchased two red male pups from you last summer,"Cooper" and "Jackson", and we absolutely love them. My parents kept Cooper, who is now named Rory, and we kept the bigger one, Jackson, who is now named Jost photos attached. Jost is very mellow and snuggly, and everyone who meets him loves him. Walking him is like walking around with a celebrity! We have been blessed to have him in our family since mid-July. He is the sweetest dog with the softest fur. I best compare him to Owen Wilson. I never had a dog before, now I cannot ever imagine not having Riley. Between my wife and two sons, he has become my dog. I love the little guy. I also find myself doing the previously unimaginable. I am the official tooth brusher in the house. Nothing gets that tail wagging like the sight of a long-handled toothbrush and poultry flavored toothpaste. How horribly cruel. It is so much his personality that way he carries it. The first time I taught him to shake my hand, I nearly wept. I was so proud of him. On walks he gets excited whenever the prospect of meeting people arises. Landscapers, roofers, deliverymen all end up smiling at him. Even meeting up with his vet gets him excited. They all know Riley there. I think your business is aptly named. He also never turns down an opportunity to be brushed - I think it relaxes him. My oldest son will go away to college in the fall and is already talking about missing Riley. This was the boy who was afraid of and would run from dogs when he was growing up. Now they are both so gentle to one another. I tell everyone about you hoping to send business your way and a loving dog into their lives. Best of success to you in the coming year. To me, your greatest success was when you brought Riley into our family and my life. Thanks again Jamie. Enjoy the photos! Sincerely, Tom- Chicago, IL Hi to all I wanted to let you know that one of your pups has been certified as a therapy dog. KC and I have completed a variety of preparatory courses including Canine Good Citizen en route to certification. To your credit our therapy dog instructor has often commented on his loving demeanor, intelligence, and the quality of his breeding. KC loves to visit at the local adult daycare center, the library Read to a Dog program, and the residential center for folks with severe disabilities. It takes her one time to learn something, we can't believe it. She is such a show stopper too! Every time we take her outside, at the very least 3 people always stop to comment on how adorable she is, they want to take a picture or they want to pet her! We feel like we're with a movie star! We love this baby so much it's unreal. She is so spoiled already, every one is getting her toys, my Grandma even made Ruby her very own quilt! Lol she loves it. Thank you for giving us the greatest joy!!! Our hearts are so full!! Almost 3 mo. Potty trained. Sleeping 8 hrs. We are really enjoying him. Thanks for a great puppy. When we got her 5 years ago she was mostly all white and all the white part turned to black spots! We were just back at Cute Cockapoos to pick up our daughter's new puppy! She fell in love with Stella and had to get her own Cockapoo! Stella has been the best dog! She really loves her time at our cabin looking for the elusive chipmunk! We love the fact that she is so cuddly yet so athletic! After seeing the new puppy, we are very tempted to add another Cockapoo to our family! Michelle Hi Jamie- Gunner is growing! He is such a pleasure! I take him to daycare when I can tell he needs company. He sleeps for days. His favorite is Sadie a little bigger than him. He just runs for the teachers there and when I pick him up he runs into my arms. He plays in the morning all around the house and when tired puts his paws up on John's recliner by the feet. Into his arms with a hoof to chew on. Sleeps over an hour. Doesn't like to go for walks or fetch balls. My daughter takes him in the pool. He loves it! Then he sleeps. Next week the booster shot and other shots. I would recommend daycare because he learned how to play with puppies. A week ago he fell asleep and all the dogs were playing around him in the circle. He sleeps a lot but brief naps and is eating more now. So glad I have my baby. He sleeps in his crate next to my head thru the night! We named her Madison. She is so sweet and adorable. She is pretty much potty trained. She socializes well with other dogs my 3 kids all have dogs. I am so happy that I found you on-line. I'm so pleased. Couldn't ask for a better puppy! He's our gentle little boy who loves to be snuggled and know his family is close by. Despite his sweet and sensitive demeanor, he also lets us know he's a playful little puppy full of energy.Claudine- iola, WI Hi Jamie! Quick update on Koa, our female Red Merle! She is 5 months old and is a spunky little ball of energy! She loves giving kisses and loves attention from any human she meets which means snuggle time, all the time. We love her so much!! It will be interesting to watch her adult coat grow in. Her coloring is so unique and pretty! We got Tui Red female from you a little over two years ago and they are two peas in a pod! Getting a "sister" for Tui was the best decision ever. They keep each other busy and tire each other out! Thank you for our two wonderful dogs! They couldn't have gone to a more loving home. They are my world! I've attached a few photos of the two of them. Sara- Crystal, Minnesota Hi Jamie! I just wanted to send you an update on our Bailey as she is just about 6 months old now, I can't believe how fast that went! She's a great puppy, she loves her puppy day care and is just the sweetest dog. Her and Guinness are really starting to mesh, they play together a lot more and are slowly becoming best buds : we take her just about everywhere we can because she is just great with everyone, such a social little girl! She is graduating from advanced puppy training next week and just received her star puppy award from the AKC. Next we are going to go for the canine good citizen with her as her trainer says she's doing so well : I can't say enough about her she is such a beautiful well mannered dog with a great personality! I attached some updated pictures as well, I hope all is well with you! He has grown to a healthy 29 lbs. He is the sweetest, snuggliest, happiest and most laid back dog we have ever known. He is great with people, kids, all dogs, and a good car passenger too. And what a fetcher--a candidate for field training even! All of our family and friends agree he is one of the best dogs ever. He is a treasured companion and family member. Thank you for breeding quality companion Cockapoos. He brings so much joy to our lives. Your work is appreciated. Some pics of Tater with us at home in Wisconsin, and with us last winter in California. Thanks again, Chanta Hi Jamie, Here's the latest on Arlo's first doggy day out at Discovery Park to celebrate his final vaccine shots : He is doing wonderful and is house trained on the main floor. Such a smart puppy as he now knows how to sit, down, roll, shake paw, wait, stand and come. He's almost done with puppy kindergarten and we hope to join middle school after. Arlo keeps our son Mason on his toes as they both don't like to share. They are still learning and it's definitely like having 2 toddlers in the house but they just love each other. Mason kisses him goodnight anytime we head for bed or naps in the afternoon. When going to places I need to add on an extra 30 minutes just so I'm not late getting to my destination. It takes double to time to get anywhere when I have him with me because everyone just wants to say hi to him and tell me how cute he is!! He has quite a following of puppy friends on Instagram now.For more updated pictures check out: www. I can't wait to see new puppy pictures on your website just to window shop!! He's now 7 months, pictures were taken a little past 6 months. We never thought we could love an animal so much! He is sweet, friendly, playful, and everyone loves his colors! There are also about 4 other cockapoos in our neighborhood all from you! Thanks again, and we are still thinking of adding another one from you! She is 7 months already. I can't tell you how much we love her. She brings such joy into our lives. She is so friendly and smart and loves being around people and other dogs. I am so happy with her. I'm very thankful that I found your website. Merry Christmas to you and your family! I have attached a couple of pictures of Ollie Reggie from May liter. His parents are Maggie and Houdini. We absolutely love him. Nola was in the January liter and they share Houdini as a father. Tons of fun when we get them together! I can't thank you enough for all the joy and love Ollie has brought into our family! Dave- Wauwatosa, WI 5 year update! Has been 5 years since we adopted our furry baby from Cute Cockapoos and he is as amazing as ever! Thanks so much for the light of our lives! Kelsey- Stockton, Illinois Thought I'd share a picture we had taken of our puppy as part of a fundraiser for our local humane society. He's a wonderful dog and has been a great addition to the family. Can't imagine life without him. We love our Ginger! She is one today and full of spunk. She loves to play, go for walks, and cuddle. Ginger is fun, loving, great around kids and smart! Thank you for breeding such wonderful dogs! Diane Hi Jamie, It's been one year since adoption day for our sweet little Kevin. He definitely fits right into our little family completely and is the perfect little boy. We just love him to pieces. Thanks for everything! Lola here. Today is my 3rd birthday. I used to get a Happy Meal on my birthday, but Mom has gone all organic on me so we are celebrating with "healthy" treats. We just had to say hello and happy holidays! Lilly has been the best thing ever to happen to our family!! She has brought so much love and laughter, and she really is such a good puppy. We could not have picked a better fit for us or a cuter one! People often say "is she real?? One of the pics she's on her back, that's how she loves to sleep, it's so funny.And I always get the comment that her and I and my son have the same hair. .The pic of her in the jacket. .She just loves the snow! And the first pic is from Xmas morning, the surprise went perfect, definitely a Christmas of a lifetime for all of us!!! The boys had heart attacks and kept asking "is she ours??? Sorry to ramble on, but my heart is just over filled with love, and we can't thank you enough for giving us this most special, precious life and new member of the Schwartz clan.She was born on September 17, and we picked her up on November 7th. She is almost 9 months old and we absolutely love her! We live on Pike Lake in Hartford where she went for her first boat ride and loved it. We also live on a farm with black angus cows - she's very curious about them and is quickly becoming their friend. She is such a little love and is SO smart. She loves to snuggle and be near people at all times. We really couldn't have asked for a better dog. Thank you for raising such great puppies - hope you're doing well! I have also included a photo of him with his best friend Millie who our family also adopted from you! Ailie- New Jersey Hi Jamie. I can't give enough thanks for letting us have this bundle of joy, our Luna. She is such an amazing girl so sweet and obedient. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, thanks again. First of all, I just wanted to let you know that Ollie is doing well! He is the cutest little puppy and has the best personality. He gets so many compliments. Becky- Whitefish Bay, WI This is Chewbacca when he first arrived in our home on the left, and now at 9 months on the right. He has been a wonderful addition to our family and we can't imagine it without him. Thank you Jamie! She has been doing well. We have attached a few photos so you can see how she has grown - she is about 20 now. Her coat turned out to be wavy and very soft, and she has retained most of her white markings. Sadly, the one on her head is not very visible anymore, and we have been trying to save the white tip on her tail, but her red coat will probably win out there eventually, too. We wish we had a dollar for every time someone told us how cute Maya is, and how much they love her color. People seem to be drawn to her and want to pet her. We just returned from a 2-month stay on Hilton Head Island in SC, where we walked her and played ball with her on the beach almost every day. She is very playful and active, and she was in heaven there! She got to meet lots of dogs and their humans - great socialization for her. Also, on this trip, we had a chance to see how she would react to a 2-day hr journey each way by car. She rode quietly the entire way - we were amazed! We are thinking of enrolling her in an agility class for the next round. We are also still working toward training her to be a therapy pet. It will take time and development, but we think she is capable. Thank you for bringing this adorable puppy into the world one year ago, and for allowing us to adopt her into our family. She was born May 10, .She is beautiful, funny and so smart. We love her to pieces. I can't imagine life without her. She has lived in Wisconsin and various places in Florida, currently in Palm Coast Florida on the beach. She loves hunting for Lizards and chasing Sandpipers. Gerry Ann and Jim Hi Jamie! We haven't sent you pictures of our Harlee in a while. He brings laughter and joy to each day. Such a sweetheart, thank you again for our precious treasure! We love her to death and she has been very easy to train. We've even considered getting a 2nd Cockapoo from you but want to wait till Bella is a little older. She loves people and Loves car rides! She did so well the day we got her riding 11 hours back to northwestern MN. We're excited to see how she plays outside this summer as she already loves digging in the snow and dirt when we take her out. Might be a new challenge of training! Her coloring is so pretty and I love how she can look dark or light red depending on the lighting. I also admire your photo taking abilities as it's really hard to get a good photo of her! I'm excited for her to get a little older so I can take her with to my office during the day. Thanks for raising such cute puppies! Bella is the 1st pet I have ever owned and we love her so much! She has brought much happiness and love to me, my home and family. She trained very easily, and is very smart. She is loved by her big brother Golden Retriever, Baron, children and grandchildren. All my family and friends say she is just adorable. She makes my everyday very special! Cindy- Wautoma, WI Just wanted to show you how she is at 6months!! This way you can show others how beautiful the tri color is when grown!! We Love her!! Thank you Jamie for such a Beautiful Dog!! Kona has brought our family so much fun, joy, laughter! We have introduced her to every other dog possible and she wants to play with every one of them big and small. She is so well rounded. She is a swimming water dog too! Thank you so much for this beautiful gift. I definitely want another Cockapoo puppy from you! Many blessings, from the Dowell Sondelski family Sending you a quick note with some pictures our boy, Sully. He turned one today and is as much a joy now as the day we brought him home. He is so smart and sweet, not to mention cute! Again, thank you so much for providing us with such a wonderful dog! I would like to tell you that today is Ella Grace Johnson's first birthday. She has been with us 10 months now she is very well potty trained and loves long walk. She is a very intelligent and strong puppy. Her life is spoiled and she is surrounded by loving people. Everyday she gets lots of hugs and kisses but also lots of play time. Ella was the best addition to our family and we cannot imagine our lives without her. She loves to jump and will do anything for meat, peanut butter, and playing with the laser pointer. She can go on 4 mile jogs, which for her are 4 mile walks. She has many boyfriends and loves to go see them, one of them was also raised by you. Her love is endless and every morning she jumps on top of you for love and when you leave she grabs your leg to keep you home. She can now do many tricks, such as: shake, touch, dance, roll-over and high five. I thought I would let you know how she is doing and how loving her family is. They love, love each other! Mazzey is a great dog - we love her. Also, at puppy class we met her brother - paddle - parent is Maggy from Delafield so they were excited to see each other again. Take care, enjoy the photos. As an update, Sully and Einstein my cat are now best friends and are currently snuggling in the doggie bed together. We couldn't be happier. He's also added a new level of challenge to my hobby of photography - I completely feel your pain for trying to photograph puppies! I've gotten a few good ones - but it is a major challenge to get him to stay still for a second! I've attached one of my favorite recent pictures. She has grown so much and everyone at our Resort loves Sasha…she is a great pup! She potty trained in a week…I have taught her to ring a bell by the door when she goes out. She now plays with two yellow labs…they love her and she loves them! We walk together and Sasha walks between them…of course…just a bit ahead of them. She is jumping all over them and they just walk and sit and allow her to do this to them. They are so careful with her. They will leave, in March, to go back to Ontario for the summer. She won't see them until next November. Sasha is so darn cute. Everyone stops to see the "Sash"…she also knows where to stop on our walks for treats from people. She sleeps on my bed…I get HER out of bed in the mornings…she is in "retirement mode". Someone asked me if she was "trained"…I told them she was "trained" in one week…she rings the bell. Named after top tennis player Rafael Nadal. Rafa has been an absolute joy and has been a wonderful addition to our family!!! He undoubtedly is the smartest, handsomest, and most athletic dog in the world we're not biased.His favorite football player is Jordy Nelson former Kansas State all-american and current Packer standout. Here's a quick profile of his first year: He was Summa Cum Laude of his puppy obedience school. He has a "KING" persona. Rafa loves to chase leaves. Gets along well with others.Likes to be outdoors with his "sisters" and enjoys playing 'fetch'. Is a good guard dog, but as soon as someone anyone for that matter approaches him he rolls over and wants them to scratch his tummy. He's a lover not a fighter. Cheers from Kansas, Clark Good morning. Just thought I would share this picture with you: Ziggy crawled into a blanket on the couch this morning, he's pretty spoiled, but at least he knows how to stay warm on these cold mornings! We're crazy about him, even when the puppy naughtiness shines through. He's now just over one year old and is about 22 pounds--an absolutely perfect size. People are always surprised that he's a Cockapoo because most haven't seen a chocolate one. He gets many compliments. We think he's the cutest dog on earth. Pewaukee, WI Max has been a wonderful addition to our family. We picked him up a little over a year ago. He's kept us very busy and always entertained. He is absolutely wonderful.We can't even take a walk without everyone stopping to ask what kind of dog she is! We are really happy. Thanks again! Here is a picture of our Oscar. He just turned one on July .We LOVE this dog soooo much. We get sooooo many compliments on him its incredible. We can't imagine our lives without him. He really is like a person I know that sounds wierd but he's soo smart its crazy! We have truly fallen in love with our pup - named him Murphy. He's as loving, playful, smart, funny.Our vet fell in love too - he spent an hour with us just petting and playing with him. Here's my favorite picture of him - so far. And thank you so much for raising this wonderful puppy for us to adopt Janet- Middleton, WI Hi Jamie, Here is an update about our puppy we picked up from you last October. Maggie is hilarious and fun, sweet and adorable. She is 7 months old now and has grown so much. Maggie is smart and has learned a number of commands. She is always eager to learn something new, especially when treats are involved! She loves to go places and loves everyone she meets, whether people or animals! Maggie has become a much-loved member of the family. But, of course, you are from Cute Cockapoos! Thank you so much for such a wonderful puppy! He's our little gem, we just love him to death. He comes with us whenever we go out to eat. Dogs are very welcomed here. Thanks again for our little buddy. I must say when doing research on a breeder I found the philosophies and background behind Cute Cockapoos was exactly what we were looking for. Well, two years later…. .Winston truly is a part of our family. We are ALL in love with him! Just as your website states, he was easy to train, loving, affectionate, and has an incredibly sweet and polite disposition. Thank you for making our lives richer with the addition of Winston. You truly breed and raise amazing puppies!! We've renamed her "Tui" pronounced like chewy. She is the best thing that ever happened to us!! She is so sweet. Loves giving kisses and is very playful! She's 10 weeks old now, and is pretty much fully potty trained -- goes to the door and whines. She's also getting used to her kennel. She knows how to sit, lay down, and recognizes her name when we call. The last photo that I attached is when she got to visit me at work for the day! All of my coworkers are obsessed with her. Sara- St. She is the best and smartest puppy. She has even taught her buddy, Shiloh our bengal cat, to ring her bells when he wants to go outside. We are working on stay and doing some agility this winter. Hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving! She is from Mayas litter born October 27, .You shipped her to us in Dallas, TX December of .She has the best personality and she is great with my three boys. She loves to swim with us. She is the perfect size and weight and I could not be happier with her. She is my favorite child and I would definitely buy from you again. Thanks, Cherie- McKinney, Texas I just had to send these really cute photos of Lola - She is incredibly cute and smart and so much fun! I can not believe how well she has adapted to her new family! You gave her a wonderful start. Thank you! This is the stuffed animal that we brought to your place when we put down a deposit on him. We've nicknamed it Penny, and it has become his best friend, wrestling buddy, and snuggle friend at night. Wyatt is doing well, and has met a few new friends, and would make an awesome Walmart greeter, as he hasn't met a person he didn't want to give puppy kisses to. Thanks for giving Wyatt a great start in life! Humphrey found a nest of baby bunnies in the yard the other day and since then has been completely obsessed with them. He shows no interest in eating hour guarding the covered up babies because the neighbor dog was getting too close. He runs to the nest immediately every time we take him outside, and we are careful that he doesn't hurt them. So far he just sits and watches them, occasionally nudges them, and seems to want to"protect" them. Mom bunny is still taking good care of them. He is 10 months old and still the best puppy ever!!! What a little luv!! Thank you again!! Murphy LOVED it - he's learned the "come" command very well so I was able to give him the freedom to explore off-leash. Attached are pictures of Murphy learning to swim, riding in a canoe and just chilling - watching the eagles. He is truly a wonderful dog! He has been a wonderful part of our family since the day we brought him home! He's done so well with his two-legged little brother that we are looking forward to bringing home a four-legged little brother for him this fall from Cute Cockapoos. LeeAnn- Indianapolis, IN. I wish I knew some of the things I know now from the beginning so I am going to share them with you below. Knowledge is power and it makes for a happy healthy life for both you and your Dachshund. I did my research and chose a different breed of dog to be my first as an adult. But then my roomate brought a Dacshshund puppy home. I ended up helping her take care of him and when we eventually moved apart he went with me. I was clueless as to what I was getting myself into. It was supposed to be a temporary situation but, once I realized that I was in it for the long haul, I figured I better learn about the origin, characteristics, temperament, and health concerns of a Dachshund. I think my first Dachshund would have even had a better life had I been more knowledgeable from the beginning. Note: some of the links below are affiliate links , which means that we collect a small commission on qualifying purchases. I only work with companies and product I truly love though. They were bred to hunt , covering a lot of ground, sniffing out badgers, rabbits, and other small game. This means that they are they are controlled by 2 things: their nose and their belly! Killing anything that squeaks is part of their nature. Anything that is furry and runs fast, or resembles something like that, is seen as prey. While I have seen many Dachshunds learn to live peacefully with a kitty or other pet, they will almost always see critters outside of the house as something to be chased, hunted, and eaten. Hold onto that leash when near small animals and know that random wildlife in your back yard may meet an early demise. Great ways to do this are to join a nosework class, buy a snuffle mat like this one or this one for home, or let your Dachshund chase using a flirt pole. Also remember to work on recall training with your Dachshund so they will come back to you when called. Genetically, they are the same besides whatever gene determines whether they stay small or grow larger, color, pattern, etc. Miniature Dachshunds, and standard Dachshunds that are 22 lbs and under, are considered to be small sized dogs. Standard Dachshunds over 22 lbs are generally considered to be medium size dogs. Therefore, Dachshund is pronounced Daks-huunt. There are also over 15 Dachshund nicknames , and spelling variations, for this funny looking long and low dog. Be sure to know them so you understand that someone is talking about Dachshunds when they use them, not a different type or breed of dog. They were also developed to think for themselves because they were frequently down in the burrows without a human telling them what to do. A Dachshund will keep at any problem in front of them until they solve it. When I travel with my current Dachshunds, Gretel and Summit, in the car, I use a seat belt tether, or a dog car seat with a strap to hold them in, to keep them from wandering and distracting me. I also place my groceries, dog food, etc. The key to training a Dachshund is to find what motivates them — a favorite toy or food usually — and use that as a reward during training sessions. In the end, you will likely have to adjust your routine a little to set them up for success and make sure they, and you, are happy. My Dachshunds have all been very treat motivated. I use the larger venison jerky strips when I need something they can see and smell from a distance during photo shoots. I can easily break off a tiny pieces for a reward instead of giving them the whole thing at once — have to watch those waistlines you know! While your Dachshund will melt your heart and you will want to give them whatever they want, remember that they are dogs that still need structure and manners. Most live at least until they are 11 or 12 and I have seen many, many Dachshunds live to be between the ages of 17 — .If you own a Dachshund, be prepared to be in it for the long haul. I help keep my Dachshunds Summit and Gretel healthy by giving them these supplements and feeding them these foods. Also, the pizza delivery guy may think you have a Rottweiler behind that door because this deep-chested breed has a bigger bark than people expect. Earmuffs, perhaps, but no doorbell. They bark and bark and bark and then bark some more. This is largely hardwired since they were bred to trap prey underground and then bark until the hunters could find them and dig them out. Be prepared to meet some resistance if you try walking them in the rain and be prepared to shovel a path if there is snow in your back yard. That being said, I am a huge proponent of not letting them refuse to go out in inclement weather. Potty training is not always a one time deal. Your Dachshund may need refreshers throughout their entire life! This distaste also includes getting wet when you give your Dachshund a bath. Honestly though, a huge part of why it took so long is because I had to figure out that it was his separation anxiety that caused him to pee on the carpet when I left. Having accidents in the house might be the 1 reason Dachshunds get surrendered to shelters. There is hope though. I was able to potty train my Dachshund puppy Summit in about 6 weeks. Now she rarely has accidents in the house. Do keep in mind that their potty training might slip when they become a senior dog. You also might want to keep this natural, pet-safe urine and odor remover on hand. Harnesses Harnesses are safer for Dachshunds than collars when walking because they help to project their fragile necks and backs. The chest strap on my Dachshunds always slides off to the left or right. Because the fit is a little off, the harness may put too much pressure on their delicate windpipe. For long walks or hikes, especially wet and dirty ones, we use the Hurtta Padded Y harness or the Ruffwear Flagline harness. Finding a jacket or harness to fit your Dachshund may take some trial and error. Jackets long enough for them may drown them in fabric around the neck and chest. IVDD is a hereditary disease and your dog will either have or not. If they have it, no matter how careful you are, they could develop a spinal injury in their neck or back but not always as there are other factors at play too. Owning a Dachshund is kind of like roulette in that regard because 1 in 4 Dachshunds are affected by some kind of back issue at some point in their lives. Commit these back injury warning signs to memory and print out the checklist so you know what to keep an eye out for. Sports like hiking yes, it can be safe to hike with a Dachshund , agility, and Earth Dog can strengthen their backs and keep them supple. Note: You must do these this right away if your Dachshund suddenly becomes paralyzed or has trouble walking. Make sure your friends and relatives know how to properly pick up and carry your Dachshund too. You may also have to remind any pet care professionals you hire like groomers, dog walkers, and dog sitters that Dachshunds have special needs when handling. The first groomer I took my Dachshund to picked him up by his chest and left this back legs dangling. I about had a heart attack. They knew the dog was in "heat" estrum , but they underestimated the sex drive, which is a mistake. If so, stay tuned. Most female dogs have two estrous cycles yearly. They have two cycles that last about a month, about six months apart. Each cycle consists of three parts: the "coming-in", the "being-in", and the "going-out", also known as pro-estrus, estrus and metestrus. Each part lasts about seven to nine days on average. The female is fertile and receptive to the male only during the middle part or estrus, despite the fact that she is attractive to the male throughout the entire cycle. Boy, is she attractive. They can smell her pheromones hormone-like scent chemicals for miles — literally. You may see a motley crowd of mutts assembling, even if your nearest neighbor is in the next county. During pro-estrus, the vulva outside female parts begins to swell, and a bloody discharge develops. The males are surely getting interested at this point, but the female is far from ready. Unfortunately, many inexperienced owners equate this bloody discharge phase with the entire cycle. If day 1 is the first day of bloody discharge "showing color", as the breeders say , then day 9 is the day to get prospective parents together. Better yet, keep them separated for an additional two weeks. The whole business is going to take three or four weeks. Maintain constant vigilance. He went for his well check and 9 week shots today. He was an angel and everyone at the vets office loved him and wanted to know all about him and where he came from. She weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces and got her next set of vaccines. Everything checked out well. Right now she is actually right next to me and trying to help me type. She thinks she can do it better than I can. She says to tell you both she said woof woof hello in human. We are so excited about having her she is just the smartest, sweetest, most wonderful pup we could ever hope for. She had her first training session on Sunday and did great. Murray even joked about taking her home with him. She is doing well and getting on a schedule with her eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom. She has had minimal accidents in the house and is learning to heel very well. Lee and I were so pleased with our whole experience. Thank you for our perfect little angel, Kelli, Lee, and Fenway P. We appreciat it! I sent Ed an email to do some inquiry, and within about 20 min he called me on the phone. He proceeded to spend about 45 min of his time talking with me about their dogs and puppies. I learned more about the breed, about what to look for in a breeder, and he answered my 50, questions patiently and fully. We then moved into the next phase, and went to visit the current litter of pups. He was again, very gracious with his time, and really helped us feel comfortable and welcome. It sure seems less of a business to him and more of a passion. He loves the dogs, and pups and wanted to ensure we were all ready for adopting one of the pups. Since we adopted Molly, our lives have been enriched and she is an absolute joy. She is so smart, has a sweet disposition…and you have to love the no shedding feature! Her coat is currently very fleecy, soft and velvety. During our first few days at home, Ed called and checked in on how we were doing multiple times. We had to call as well as we have never had a pup before and were unsure about everything… again, Ed calmed our nerves, never telling us what to do — but always giving us great advice and sharing his practices with us. This whole experience has been fantastic, and we could not be happier with our puppy, or with Ed and Teresa. Happy Customer I received your voicemail tonight. Schuyler is doing great. With fingers crossed, we might venture to say she is house trained. If you have any suggestions we are more than open to ideas. What are your thoughts on puppy classes? We see dogs all the time and our neighbors have dogs so I am not worried about socialization. We will definitely enroll her in obedience when she is old enough. She is a joy. She loves to be brushed, loves playing with the kids and us , and learns very quickly. She is also incredibly adorable. He is a perfect fit. .He has already traveled with us from Winston Salem to Charleston, SC where he met plenty of dog friends. .We were very impressed with how well he traveled in the car lying in between our two children for hours. .He is the funniest dude too. .He tries his hardest to play with our older two female dogs, but they do not want to engage in the puppy play they are more like furniture in their old age. .I think he has found a playmate in our daylillies as he LOVES to hop from day lilly to day lilly like a bunny!! Oscar is an early riser and is getting used to his crate. He loves to ride with me to take my daughter to school each morning and loves smooth jazz music. .I am hoping to start some basic training with him soon- I have another vet visit on MOnday for him to receive his next round of vaccinations. .HOpe you all are well. .I wanted to include a picture of this handsome fellow. .He is truly a delight and we love him so much!! She is our greatest joy. She struggles a little with the toliet habits only because she has discovered how much fun it is to play with the leaves it seems to distract her and she just plays and plays and then after an hour or so she goes back in and oops!!!!!!! But, most of the time she gets it! She knew so much just from you and Teresa working with the litter! She is a companion and she expects to be treated like one. She has the crate down perfect- — she just wants it to be next to your bed at night. This dog has no idea whatsoever that she is not human and she expects to be raised as a child! We love her- — Thank you for all you did for us raising this wonderful doodle! Saw on the webcite you new puppies! What lucky little puppies and future parents of them! Have a wonderful holiday and God Bless you! Patti Patti Hi, Ed and Teresa. Hope you are all doing well and not too tired from taking care of your newest litter! She is such a sweet puppy! We could not be happier. She bonded with us so quickly — she was a member of our family by the time we were home from picking her up. We so enjoyed meeting both of you. You do a very good job with raising your pups! I have attached some pictures and will keep you updated on her — I could tell how much each of the puppies mean to you both. He is still very sweet and loving. He is extremely calm and good with the children. We would be happy to be a reference and talk to people about Jack. He is so eager to please and makes friends and fans everywhere he goes. We like to show him off! I hope you guys are doing well. I researched every breeder I could find from here to Australia and back. I narrowed down my requirements: The breeders had to love their dogs who would be the parents of my puppy. They would take good care of my puppy from birth until I got her home with me. Ideally, they would be within driving distance since I continue to have concerns about shipping a tiny puppy across the continent in an airplane cargo hold. This would be my first dog and I had no idea other than what I had read about how to raise a puppy. For this reason, I wanted breeders who would be able and willing to support and guide me from early on in the process. And, I really wanted to be able to visit the puppy before I brought her home, so I wanted breeders who would welcome me into their home. I found all this and more in Ed and Theresa Schwalbach. They were raising their first litter, and I knew immediately that they would make sure the puppies got all the love, attention and care that I wanted my puppy to have in her infancy. I met her parents, Bailey and Bromley as well, and both of them are just wonderful. Bailey was very focused on her pups, but she greeted me and hung around a few minutes before returning to the litter. Coco is now 13 weeks old, and she is delightful. She has an incredibly sweet personality, she is playful and cute and very bright. In terms of her looks, she has a beautiful, soft, curly coat of the most gorgeous chocolate color. She has bright, expressive, hazel-colored eyes and is well proportioned and growing like a weed. She is everything I hoped for and more. He is pretty well house broken, will come when called, will sit for treats, and is learning to fetch. He is over 20 lbs so I guess he is going to be a big boy. Thanks for a great pup. If, in fact, it did not, I want you to know how much we are enjoying Carrie! Anyway, Carrie is a delight!!! As I write, David has taken the girls and Carrie to his parents they love her, too for the evening. Carrie is just so adaptable. We cannot say enough nice things about Carrie and our dog adopting process. We will get some pictures to you eventually and thank you, again, for helping us bring Carrie into our family. We believe he is truly the best, cutest puppy ever to be born. He looks almost identical to the pictures you have on the Internet of Mr. At 4 months he was house-trained which was quite a relief. He continues to stay ahead of the average in size for labradoodles of his age. We have a big yard for him to run in when we are out. When we are inside he is contended just staying close to us. He does love to play tug of war and hide and seek with one of us. We had a dinner party, recently, for about 30 people. Many of the guests said he was the cutest dog they had ever seen and no one could believe he was just 4 months old. Brinkley stayed with Linda Nichols who got Fletcher from you, while we went to the beach last week. I was worried about leaving him. We were so pleased when we returned and went to pick him up. He was glad we were there but continued to follow Fletcher everywhere, after he greeted us. They get along wonderfully. He learned alot by being around Fletcher. He stopped getting car sick. I truly believe it was because he watched Fletcher and learned that riding in the car is fun. He, probably accidentally, followed Fletcher into the river at the park where Linda takes Fletcher to run and play. After 2 nights of trying, she gave up. Our bedroom door is closed at night, anyway. Once again, we just love Brinkley and think he is the best puppy God ever made. Please note that I answered everything at the highest possible score. You all do a great job with these beautiful dogs. She loves outdoors so she runs and plays daily in the water. I like the long and shaggy look, but we have to keep her coat trimmed a little closer now. We took a weeks vacation and when we returned her head was matted so they may have to cut her close. She is so adorable and smart. Harvey tells me on a daily basis what a great choice it was to get a labradoodle and I just love the no shedding part! She is pretty much a spoiled girl. Hope all is well with you and Teresa. Went out for a few hours and tried leaving Sadie out of the crate with Bentley in the same room — came home to a really big mess — they got into a decorative nick-nack on my coffee table and created havoc!! Nothing of any value destroyed but big mischief!! Wish I had had a camera on that one!! Seriously, they are doing great. We just love them. They are so affectionate and lovable. They would really brighten anyones day. Have been walking them early morning and late at night but they do get really hot. What do you think? Hope all is well with you. We were very impressed with your home and kennel facilities. Thanks again for opening your home to us. See ya in two weeks! I wanted to let you know that Jazz has been spayed and is back to to her old self again. I know you talked with Harvey when I was out of town last week. Please feel free to give us as a reference anytime. We adore her and she absolutely gets all the attention in the house. The ease of transitioning to a dog in the house is largely due to the love and attention you both give the pups. We strongly feel that Jazz had an advantage starting out. There is one thing I would like to ask you about. The vet said to remove the hair from inside her ears since she is a poodle. Jazz lets me do whatever I want to her ears, mouth etc. What method do you use. Also, should I send you a copy of the vet bill for her spay visit? Junah is an absolute joy. We searched various breeds and breeders, but were motivated to find a breed of dog that would have the potential to be a therapy dog: highly intelligent, affectionate, calm, vivacious and adaptable. Discovering labradoodles were bred to be non allergenic and non shedding was an amazing plus. Once we settled on the breed, the labyrinth of breeders was daunting, although most breeders of labradoodles appeared to be in love with the dogs. We were overjoyed to find Doo South who not only demonstrated their love of the dogs, but also their commitment to make the world a better place through their faith and generosity. Ed and Teresa, you answered every question promptly and to the best of your ability. Rarely did we have to wait for a response and no question appeared too small or insignificant. You provided references to owners from a previous litter and we had the pleasure of meeting them before making a decision about committing to Doo South. You advised us when it looked like the mother was about to give birth about 24 hours before she actually gave birth. We were informed every step of the way. You posted photos on the website with regularity and commentary and telephoned to update us as appropriate. We were welcomed to meet the puppies once the first month passed, and provided honest information about where we fit in the sequence of selecting a puppy. The personalities and attitudes were just starting to emerge, but they were all they had been bred to be. The parents, Bromley and Bailey were equally agreeable and accommodating in every visit. We brought Junah, a small chocolate fleece-haired female home on the 23rd of December. Three weeks later we remain astounded by her behavior, personality and adjustment. The first night we were prepared for a sad puppy after leaving her littermates, but she made the transition smoothly, quietly and without anxiety. The next day I became anxious by her quiet agreeableness was she mute? Junah rapidly housetrained herself, easily crate trained and eats beautifully. She is quick, funny, inquisitive and immediately responsive. She almost doubled her weight in two weeks and started puppy socialization class. Personalitywise she matures by leaps and bounds daily. She even sits calmly when strangers come to the front door. The vet is extremely impressed by Junah and the veterinary staff love her older sibling as well. Both dogs are almost identical in markings The staff point out the similarities between the two dogs when we are there for shots or classes. Thank you a million times over. We are happier with Junah than we ever thought possible. In the future, we would be happy to be references or speak with potential labradoodle owners at your request. He is so sweet most of the time , except for the five minute puppy crazy time he goes through once in awhile. His little teeth are so sharp. Steve and I both have bandaids on our hands and his little teeth got caught in three pairs of my pants. He will start training a week from Tuesday. Steve calls on a nurse, and her husband trains german shepards for the prisons and others. He will be coming to our house to train him and when he gets older, he has group classes Duncan can go to also. Duncan has slept in his crate next to our bed from the first night we brought him home. When I figure out how to send you pictures I will be sending some. Our daughter took one with the hamburger toy you gave him, that is so cute. You mentioned someone is interested in DooSouth and would like to see Duncan. That would be find with us. You may give them my email or phone number. We like to show him off. Hope everything is fine in the DooSouth house, I bet its a little quite right now. Has Teresa caught up on her sleep yet? Take care. I have to tell you, he is absolutely the BEST dog!! I take him running with me now and he had the ultimate test on Sunday. We went to the jogging trail where all the really cool dogs go with their owners. He was such a big hit!!! He is so well behaved, so smart, so affectionate, so playful and mellow all rolled into one. When are you having another litter? If we could get another one as great as Bentley, we would very much consider a playmate for him. Let me know please. He is just terrific and a wonderful addition to our family. They were polite, attentive, nondemanding and clearly evidenced their own unique personalities. There were no signs of stress or anxiety around new people, they were highly flexible, and social. Not only are you doing well, you, Teresa and Doo South are doing fabulously. Joe and I were also impressed with your attitude, knowledge and willingness to share it all with us. We look forward to the next phase of our life, Best wishes, Michelle Hey, Ed!!!! Got a new computer so my old addresses did not port; Hershey is great. .New name Charlie. He comes perfectly when I call him so he has not yet been shocked by the electric fence, I do not have the heart to do it. He is growing by leaps and bounds and I will make an appt this wk to neuter him…. Obedience is no problem as he will do anything I ask. He happily stays in the house all day with lily while I am at work, with access to the deck, but runs outdoors with her when I come home; no accidents while loose in the house all day. I could not ask for better personality. He adds thicker coat and more size daily. I love him dearly and so does lily; I am very grateful to have him. Will send a picture soon. We could not be more pleased. She is already in intermediate obedience classes she is perfect with the basics, sit ,stay,down,heel, walk, so we have moved on to the second stage. She loves learning new things. She is so smart. She has grown so much. I think she might be almost as tall as her mom. He coat has changed slightly, from jet black to black with a hint of brown. We are still brushing out the undercoat. Does this eventually all come out? It knots up in some areas and is very hard to brush out. Also I was curious about her ears. I see the hair growing deep in the ear, should I have this removed? None of the books on labradoodles mention the ear hair. Her curl is beautiful, just what we wanted. I will take some current pictures soon and send them to you. We also have an appointment in a couple of weeks to have her spayed. She will be about 7 months at the time. Do you think that is ok? She makes us laugh all the time. He personality is so funny, even her expressions make us laugh. Thank you so much and keep up the good breeding. I will send you guys a new picture as soon as i get home today! Good to hear from you!! Ziggy is doing great and is a very good dog!! I will send new pics this afternoon! Oh and yes i would be glad to be a contact person for you guys. Seriously, she has grown into a truly delightful creature. I will send pictures along. Yes, I learned to do this myself. She has a beautiful coat. Nice soft hair in lovely loose curls. But when she was changing from the puppy coat to her adult coat, she ended up with huge mats behind her ears and on her neck. And that was after I had had her groomed by a professional a couple of times and she still came home with mats behind her ears. She loves them — and they love her. She really is ideally suited to become a therapy dog, which is the next step for her once she gets her manners down pat. That was confirmed for me one day when I was downtown and a woman in a wheelchair wanted to pet her. She walked up quietly, sat down next to the woman and let her pet her head — no fussing at all. Coco has added an element to my life that I never knew was missing. Now I do. What a way to begin and end a day! Sometimes she sleeps at the foot of the bed, sometimes on the floor in the bedroom, sometimes in her crate. She has a ferocious bark which she uses liberally when someone walks by the house at night. She is a powerful, healthy dog — she hovers around 50 pounds, which is just what I hoped for. I worried about that at first. So, I guess that is the whole story. I hope you and your family are doing well. I know you had a couple of litters earlier this year, and I talked with Sophia Brooks who said you just had another one. Are your still getting mostly chocolates and blacks, or have you gotten other colors? Best regards. I wanted more to see the size of the dog. I must admit, they are larger than I expected, but in every other aspect perfect. If I decide to get a dog, I would feel so comfortable and priviledged in getting a dog from you. I loved your momma and the way the puppies are with a family. No cages!!!!! Your puppies are just darling. Everyone stole my heart, but Purple surely filled every nook and cranny. I just need to make sure that a larger than expected dog still fits into our life. Again, I am certain who will provide me with a labradoodle…. Thank you again. She seemed a little tired out when we got home but by last night she got her second wind. Ha Ha!! She slept in her crate in our bed with no problem. She also has not had an accident she follows the other two dogs out and goes as soon as she gets in the backyard. She is awesome- we have truly been blessed with a great new family member. I will send you pictures soon. We took oodles last night when she was playing. She is a delight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Took her to the vet today. Bonnie Brae, Dr. Angel Mitchell, who totally fell in love with her. She loved her temperment, conformation and health. I told her about you and your puppies. Marley was not stressed at all. In fact, after the temperature check, laid down and took a snooze. Although, sometimes, after playing in the house, will just walk over without warning and pee! Never poo. She plays hard, sleeps hard and loves hard. She is very brave and independent. Every time we expose her to another part of our property, she becomes confident and goes off on her own. We are about ready to put a leash on her since she does not know her name or any commands. On our property, she is very, very brave. We are just loving her. She is just a joy and very smart. Figured out the first day about where her feed and water bowls are. After just one time sitting on the sofa with us, she nows tries to jump up. Just too darn smart! So hard to say no to her except when she starts chewing on lamp cords and my plants outside. Thank goodness for all that good training! You are right, she is sooooooo sweet. Raegan and Avery are having a blast with her. She really is doing pretty good with potty training. Only one accident each day. And as we speak, she is sound to sleep. I took her for a walk a few minutes ago, but we endedup running most of the way…. .Our neighbors are crazy about her…. I hope you realize what a truly unselfish thing you have done for us. And we love you for it!!!!!!! I will let you know how the vet appt goes. Lula is now in training school the whole family goes to learn and is the star pupil. She is up to 24 pounds she was born August 3. She is the most loving and sweet dog and has exceeded all of our expectations. She has not had her operation yet, but will after Christmas. Roemer, today. Naturally, we fell head over heels in love with him. We are close neighbors — Hendersonville, NC. My wife and I own the Silver Fox Gallery. Three years ago we lost our companion a black and tan cocker, Maggie. We are over our grieving period and realize how much we miss our pet. So many of the characteristics that you have discussed are precisely in line with what we would be looking for in a new family member. We are in our middle — to late fifties and while we have 5 grandchildren only two of the five live near enough to visit with frequency. We would be interested in know if you have in the way of a really good Doodle looking to fill the void in our life? The potty training is coming along — she definitely knows what to do when we go outside — although she still is a peeing machine. I have taken more pics this week to celebrate 10 wks old! I have to download them on computer…will do this week and send updates! Stacy and I would like to thank you so much for our newest family member. He is fitting right in. He is very sweet — loves to cuddle. Thank you again…it has been a pleasure meeting you and your wife. Thanks again! He is adapting just wonderfully…loving his new siblings. I gave your contact info to one of my students parents. You may receive a call from the Cain family inquiring as to whether Fenways other little brother you emailed the photo to me of is still available. We will send you some photos for sure!!! Jessi goes to work with me eveyday, greets the clients, quietly lays under my desk, and then escorts the clients to the door to leave. She has become a staple to our business. We adore her. I will forward photos of her along with the vet records. Hershey is wonderful, absolutely great. The kids and I love her to death and the feeling is mutual certainly. She went crazy when we arrived and more crazy when we left! Thx again. BTW, she has not yet been spade as my vet told me to wait until she has been hot at least once. Thx again for checking up. And I think my brother, his wife and their two kids will end up at your place in next yr. She is such a joy. She has been so easy to train. We cannot thank you enough for providing these wonderful dogs. I have told everyone who has asked about the breed and have told them where we got her. We love her. Please let me know if you need further documentation. Brewster is doing fantastic. He is a very good boy and we get compliments on him all of the time. I have given several people your name when they have asked where we got him. I have attached a few pictures we took while on vacation at Hilton Head Island over the 4th. Please feel free to give any of your potential clients our name and phone number as a reference — we would be happy to tell anyone how pleased we are with our Doo South Labradoodle. We had her work with a trainer and he said she was the best labradoodle he had seen in terms of size, intelligence, and temperment. We had her spayed earlier this week and will get you the paperwork shortly. He is beautiful and well mannered and a good soul. He has also turned out to be a therapy dog minus the formal training. I was diagnosed with breast cancer about 15 months ago and Baci was there with me through all the treatments, surgery, and recovery. Thank you for Baci! I, therefore, have been thinking about a second dog. Baci loves other dogs and cats, squirrels, possums, whatever and I think he would love to have a pal to keep him company and to play with. I noticed your recent litters will be available around November and that might give me enough time to talk my husband into it. She was such a lovely, laid back, and well mannered dog. So, let me know what your new puppies are like and what might be available. She is absolutely beautiful, smart, and generous with her affections. We have a question that we know you can clarify for us. Are both her parents labradoodles? Lastly, I am thinking about getting a second dog in the next year , but not sure I want to do the puppy again. Do you know of any ideas on how we can get an older labradoodle? Thanks so much and we hope you all are doing well. They are truly a beautiful breed. You take such great care of them and they are healthy, happy and so playful. Bailey is wonderful and I so enjoyed Moose. Thanks for your recommendation of items to have for their care…. He is a love bug and a cuddler that sleeps through the night and is doing great with potty training. He is almost too good to be true. I have gotten nothing done. He looks at me and tilts his head, so I hold him constantly. Plus, we have had a ton of visitors. Jeff just got in town and loves him too. Aslan has already slept with Preston all night: Can you tell I am geedy???? My heart has been stolen again! Hope you guys are doing well. I will email the survey in a couple of days. She is doing well. Crosby green is doing great! He rings his bells, sits and shakes on command. He is playful and loving. We absolutely love him. Happy CustomerAnd Their Dog, Crosby Journey is fantastic, as a matter of fact, we have a face book page for him, you may want to check it out. He just graduated his advanced obedience and he was the youngest in the class. Journey loves his bath, any form of water, snow, and etc. He loves just being with us and has the funniest personality. He also loves grass, my husband put a grassy area in our yard for him, since we live in the mountains and there is not a lot of that, he likes to roll around in it. He sleeps in our room with us on the floor next to the bed, and sometimes at the foot of the bed in the entrance to the bathroom, he likes the cool floor. This is by far the best dog we have ever had! Here are my pictures for the contest. I never know when that might happen. I reserved a doodle puppy at Doo South and just happened to get the very last slot. As the pictures of the litter were updated on the website, I enjoyed looking through them and understood I would either be getting the last puppy from that litter or one from the next. God had saved the very best puppy of the whole litter for me! Ezra Hudson came home at 8 weeks old, and on the third day of him being with me, he began very intently smelling my mouth during my reactions. I was having reactions a day Five days after coming home, he alerted for the first time! He figured that one out on his own! Now Ezra alerts, and I can leave the area where there is a trigger in some instances or get the medication I need to prevent me from having a reaction. Ezra has given me so much more independence! He continues to faithfully and consistently alert before I have a reaction. He is now an official medical alert service dog and is in training to pick things up for me, carry things, is learning to flip the light switch, and to brace himself so he can help me get up if I fall. God reserved my special Ezra Hudson especially for me! I love him to bits and thank God for my special gift! She sleeps with us!!! And my husband said she is the cleanest dog ever! No smell and no shedding. I would send a picture but you already know what she looks like. When will you have more puppies? We know of someone what wants one. He has brought so much joy to our home but also to so many people in the Charlotte market. Everyone loves him. Attached are two of our favorite picks. I am sure we will have more Red Cross images as he deploys with me to disasters around the US.

With their pointy bat ears, Frenchies are adorable miniature bulldogs with extremely flat muzzles. They can benefit from the right growth formula to provide immune system support and skin health, and aid with digestion to help cut down on their not-so-adorable gas during puppyhood. Royal Canin French Bulldog dry puppy food is tailor-made nutrition created just for your pure breed French Bulldog puppy. This exclusive breed-specific diet is uniquely formulated for your French Bulldog puppy, with the specific nutrients to help them thrive. An exclusive mix of antioxidants and vitamin E supports their developing immune system to keep their bodies growing strong. Exclusive nutrients reinforce the skin barrier for healthy skin. And a combination of highly digestible proteins, precise fiber content, and high-quality carbohydrate sources supports healthy digestion to help decrease flatulence and unpleasant stool odors. Once your French Bulldog puppy is over 12 months old, transition them to Royal Canin French Bulldog Adult dry dog food for precise nutrition into their adult years. Not satisfied? Then neither are we. Just contact us for more details. Ingredients Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, wheat, wheat gluten, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, vegetable oil, fish oil, monocalcium phosphate, sodium silico aluminate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, fructooligosaccharides, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate source of vitamin E , niacin supplement, L-ascorbylpolyphosphate source of vitamin C , D-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride vitamin B6 , riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate vitamin B1 , vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], hydrolyzed yeast source of betaglucans , L-lysine, choline chloride, taurine, glucosamine hydrochloride, marigold extract Tagetes erecta L. Guaranteed Analysis. Or use express checkout methods: Checkout Order now, fast shipping and specialized vet support About this item Details If your best friend is a young and sturdy French Bulldog, you need the Royal Canin French Bulldog Puppy to give them the best nutrition their breed needs. Royal Canin French Bulldog Puppy is a dry dog food suitable for purebred French Bulldogs from 8 weeks to 12 months old. This dog food is formulated especially for these bat-eared dogs, and it aims to meet their nutritional needs. The addition of essential nutrients also reinforces the skin barrier, supporting healthy skin and the cutest wrinkles. And since French Bulldogs are known for their powerful flatulence, the Royal Canin French Bulldog food also helps to reduce gas and stool odor thanks to its highly digestible proteins and specific fiber content. Your dog can feel when something is tailor-made for them - and the best food for your royal purebred French Bulldog is definitely Royal Canin French Bulldog Puppy. Contains an exclusive complex of antioxidants, including Vitamin E, for immune system support. Essential nutrients reinforce skin barrier, promoting healthy skin and wrinkles. Aids in reducing gas and stool odor due to highly digestible proteins and specific fiber content. Features exclusive kibble shape for easy pick-up and chewing by French Bulldogs. With their pointy bat ears, Frenchies are adorable miniature bulldogs with extremely flat muzzles. They can benefit from the right growth formula to provide immune system support and skin health, and aid with digestion to help cut down on their not-so-adorable gas during puppyhood. Royal Canin French Bulldog dry puppy food is tailor-made nutrition created just for your pure breed French Bulldog puppy. This exclusive breed-specific diet is uniquely formulated for your French Bulldog puppy, with the specific nutrients to help them thrive. An exclusive mix of antioxidants and vitamin E supports their developing immune system to keep their bodies growing strong. Exclusive nutrients reinforce the skin barrier for healthy skin. And a combination of highly digestible proteins, precise fiber content, and high-quality carbohydrate sources supports healthy digestion to help decrease flatulence and unpleasant stool odors. Once your French Bulldog puppy is over 12 months old, transition them to Royal Canin French Bulldog Adult dry dog food for precise nutrition into their adult years. Read more Promoting pet health and wellbeing Creating value for our entire ecosystem Committed to become certified carbon neutral by Cookie Settings.

German Shepherds for sale in Iowa Regis Regal Specializes in providing world class German Shepherd puppies and trained adult dogs Serving Iowa with german shepherds since With over 30 years experience in the breeding and training of world-class German Shepherds from some of the top bloodlines out of Germany, here at Regis Regal German Shepherds we've been very proud to have sold our puppies and adult dogs to the residents of Iowa. We're a small family run operation with our main training and breeding facilities based in Spring Grove, Illinois, just next door to the state of Iowa. Because of the quality and pedigree of our German Shepherds there's been a demand for our dogs all over the world. The owner, Cynthia Kelly, has a lifetime of experience in creating the perfect family companion, service dog or therapy dog. Because of the lack of top quality German Shepherd breeders in some parts of the United States, we've carefully set ourselves up so that we can send our dogs direct to your home by use of a private courier service. German Shepherd Breeders in Iowa There are a number of great German Shepherd breeders in Iowa, from Des Moines to Waterloo, but have you considered looking further afield for the perfect puppy? At Regis Regal German Shepherds we produce a select number of puppies at any one time, and take the utmost care when raising and training them ready for ownership. You should not forget that when it comes to buying a puppy you also need to be mindful of other costs outside of the purchase or adoption fee. Send us a message or give us a ring on .Emotional support dogs are suited for both children and adults and have the ability to work with their owners in all types of locations. We have placed many dogs with children and teenagers in Iowa that suffer from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and manic disorders. Service dogs provide a physical service to their owners. We have been incredibly successful in providing service dogs to children afflicted with Autism and Asbergers, as our dogs can help to enhance the verbal skills of non-verbal Autistic children and support their overall way of communicating. Some of our previous placements our dog courier service - we ship to your door in IA! You might find this a bit hard to believe but we actually ship right to your door, wherever you are based in the US! Such is the demand for one of our dogs we decided it would make things a lot easier for our customers if we could hand-deliver them right to you. For those people in need of a top class GSD, and who can't get to our premises, this is a bit of a lifesaver. We make use of a private courier service whereby they come to us and pickup the dog in their vehicle before making the journey to your home. Our driver is well trained in the handling and care of your dog on the trip, and due to their temperament our dogs always enjoy the journey! On rare occasions our dogs have flown out to their destination, again accommpanied by one of the Regis Regal team to ensure for a very smooth and calm trip. We also go through a very thorough process to make sure our dogs are going to the right kind of owner - at the end of the day it's really important that we can rest easy at night knowing they'll be going to someone that's going to love them as much as we do. Because of COVID we've held plenty of online meetings where you can ask us any questions about our dogs, and you can even get to meet-and-greet them virtually! Reviews from Customers based in IA We like to think we've made a lot of people in Iowa happy over the years that we've been in business. Take a look below at some of the feedback we've received to date. You can find more reviews of ours here too. She teaches amazing and helps you understand how to take care of the dogs. As well as the dogs are cute and have a strong learning behavior. As you can imagine this can change quite regularly - so please send us a message below, or give us a call on .We look forward to hearing from you! Your name. Lady This sweet momma came to our rescue with her two babies as a part of a neglect case. Lady enjoys her foster siblings but doesnt need to be with them. She doesnt mind her foster cat siblings and has been around kids! She loves to be where her foster mom is at all times! Lady is still a little timid when doing new things or going to new places. We are still working on going up and down the inside stairs to bed and kennel. She is 4 years old and is potty trained! Does Lady sound like she could be a part of your family?! This girl is an angel! She seems to be potty trained and is very well behaved! She likes to have her people near her but also likes to be in her own space where she feels comfortable. Her favorite is butt scratches and she will ask for belly rubs!! She knows sit, shake, down. Before throwing the ball, she has to sit. She gets so excited. She loves playing in water and will jump up to catch any water splashed at her. This girl is amazing on a leash too, she gets a little excited to smell every once in a while but once you pull the leash, she takes the correction and is back to your side. She is cat friendly as she avoids them at all costs. Could this girl be the right fit for you? She is ready for her furever family at anytime! Adult, Female, Large Lola Name: Lola Occupation: Showgirl Likes: Food, everything, everyone, puppy toys Dislikes: Being lonely, computer printers, world hunger This gorgeous beauty queen hails from the mystical small town of Fairfield, Iowa, where she was temporarily loved by the good people of Noahs Ark Animal Foundation, and where she won her first beauty title of Best Ears. Thanks to that experience, Lola has gone on to win other good doggy titles such as Most Energetic and Employee of the Month, with her foster family in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Lola is an 8 month old all white German Shepherd that would do best in a home that has experience with the breed and is prepared for puppy energy, such as a home with older kids as she can be a bit rambunctious at playtime and might knock down smaller children. She is housetrained and knows a few basic commands and tricks but would do best in a home that will continue her training to become the best version of herself. An obedience class would do her wonders as she is a very quick learner! Lola would also do best in a home that has someone there most of the day. She will not be adopted to a family that plans to crate her all day, as she is still trying to grow hair back on parts of her legs from being kenneled for long periods of time. Lolas foster mom works from home and Lola is only crated when everyone in the house will be gone, however she will most likely grow be able to be trusted to roam free alone in a home eventually. At night she is not crated but prefers to sleep with or near her people for instance the hallway outside bedrooms. Some nights she will make the rounds and sleep with everyone, to make sure no one in the family misses out on her cuddles! Lola is a very loving and delightful puppy that would make any family a very good companion that gives her returned love and attention. She told us that she is already very excited to meet you! I am a petite girl who enjoys freedom in the house but dont let my good looks fool you - I am a very smart girl and love to steal food when youre not looking! I am a polite GSD who doesnt jump on humans but I do like to bark when the mail gets delivered. I am potty trained and I know sit, stay, and will usually wait for my food if you tell me! I love squeak balls and love a good hard chew. Im not sure how I feel about other dogs - I see them at the groomers but I usually start to squeal. Im kind of picky when it comes to other dogs and Ive never met a cat before. Ive never met a stranger I didnt like and Ive even been around kids, old and young! I have a fenced-in backyard but I usually stay on a leash because I still havent mastered coming back when called. Im looking for someone who has patience and knowledge of GSDs and would love someone who can take me for a nice, long walk. Senior, Female, Large Mia Mia is a sweetheart of a gal looking for a forever home that will love and cherish her. Mia is great with people, kids, and dogs. Mia is super playful. She has a genetic condition called MegaEsophagus. Her throat does not push food down to her stomach. To help her eat, Mia must sit in a "Bailey Chair" to eat softened food. She must then sit for 30 minutes while gravity works its magic. Mia knows her chair and her routine. Mia must also drink from an elevated water dish. If she eats in any different way, she will likely regurgitate and may aspirate. Due to her condition, she underwent a gastroplexy with her spay. This means you will never have to worry about bloat with Mia. With attention to detail, Mia can live a long happy life. She will reward you with a kind heart and dedication. Mia is whip smart. Mia has basic obedience down and would shine in good citizen and advanced obedience classes. Mia's chair and supplies will come with her. He has been with his foster since June .He is heartworm negative and up to date with his vetting, including neuter. Moe gets along great with dogs. Although Moe has not been tested with children. We have no reason to believe that he would be a problem with them. We are not sure about cats. She was an owner surrender because she was not very nice to the feral kitties in the neighborhood. We will not place her in a home with cats. Nova is great with dogs and children. She is a lovely girl in the home, content to lay at your feet as you work or relax. Adult, Female, Large Pepper Pepper cam into our rescue with her sister and mom, life has not be kind to her. Pepper and her family were part of a neglect case in Oklahoma. Pepper is a very sweet girl, but she will need lots of love to get her confidence back up! Pepper does not mind cats and has been around kids. Pepper is approximately 2 years old and is potty trained. Because she is so shy and timid, she is still working on leash training. We would like Goldy and Pepper to stay together! Do they sound like they could be a part of your family?! A friends daughter fostered her and found her to be sweet. However, it didnt work with her other pets, so she took her back. Princess had a hard time at the shelter with a few incidents. I agreed to take her, and my friends daughter pulled her on the day she was to be euthanized. I picked her up in early April. At the time, she had heartworm. Treatment was completed. Shes probably due for a check on it now. The Dallas shelter had her as 13, but everyone here thinks shes younger. Maybe .When she was surrendered, she was in heat. They spayed her at the shelter. Since Ive had her, shes been sweet to others other than the growls at repairmen. She likes to lick people. Now the special issues she has. Princess has separation anxiety. Shes gone from Prozac when I picked her up to trazadone. The trazadone helps a lot. Acepromazine was too strong, but the boarding place I use sometimes gives her half doses if needed. I can now leave her for several hours without anything happening to the house. She became smart to my tricks to get her into the crate at night, so I leave her out now. She really doesnt get along with other animals. I was told that when I got her, so Ive left my four cats in bedrooms since she arrived. Thats a huge reason why Id like to find her a forever home. Im not skilled with dogs though, so maybe someone could help her overcome that problem. I understand that she was surrendered with another dog. I also go out of town a lot, so I end up boarding her. She is kept away from direct contact with other dogs. Its been mentioned that she has made a lot of progress since she started there. Shes less reactive when other dogs go by her pen. I think the best scenario for her would be with someone who is home a lot and has no other pets. She definitely loves her humans. The sweetest most gorgeous GSD mix who cant wait to find her new home! Rachel has had a rough start to life but that doesnt stop her one bit! Rachel has love for everyone and everything she does. We think she is about 2 years old but in those 2 years she was likely never inside. So know if you would like Rachel as part of your family that she will need training. She doesnt understand how house life works, whats acceptable and whats not. As her fosters we have taught her a few basics but with just a few short weeks with her she will need lots of attention in her new home. Shes a master counter surfer. She does great with the 2 young kids in her foster home ages 4yrs and 18months and also with the other 2 German Shepherds in the home male and female. We do not know how she does with cats or small dogs. I believe Rachel would benefit from having another dog in the house who loves to play as much as she does! She is so playful and full of energy she could go for hours! She is very much a Velcro dog, she will follow you step for step everywhere you go. This gorgeous girl is ready to share her sweet, smart and sensitive self with her forever family! Adult, Female, Large. This breed is by far one of the most versatile breeds that are great companion dogs, loyal working dogs, or dedicated sports dogs. No doubt no matter what life your pup is destined for there will be no shortcomings in their mouthy and spirited personalities. Getting a German Shepherd Puppy is no quick choice but in this blog, you will find a list of reputable breeders in Iowa who might have that special pup waiting for your family. Here there are some German Shepherd Breeders in Iowa. This list is to help you determine the breeder you would like to go through but remember to always talk to them and make sure you know what you want from the breeder and the bloodline. Raising their puppies and taking the extra step, they handle their dogs from the start and introduce them to the busy farm life early so you have a solid and sound dog once they go to their new homes. Being dedicated to their German Shepherds the first step they take when sending them to any family is to get to know the people they are going to. When getting one of their German Shepherds does not stop with you receiving the pup as they are raised as family and the owners will share that and treat any current, prospective, and past puppy parents like family as well. And the care given to the pups is noticeable as they are raised underfoot and introduced to a variety of animals, dogs, and people to help develop early socialization. The care given to prepare the pups to go home is not lacking either as they will all go home with a health evaluation and current and up-to-date vaccines. Along with this, each puppy will have a two-year guarantee for any crimpling disease, such as DM, and they are also fully dewormed up to the time they leave for their new home.

Younger puppies need more frequent meals. Older puppies can eat less often. Feeding your new puppy is one of the most important things you can do to lay the foundation for adult doghood. So, how often should you feed a puppy? Once weaned, puppies should get three scheduled feedings a day. Make sure you know the total amount of food he needs per day based on his weight and divide that amount among the three feedings. Our puppy feeding chart offers a more in-depth look at feeding amounts. Puppies 6 Months to 1 Year Old Around six months of age, decrease the number of feedings to twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening. Some large breeds take 18 months to 2 years to fully mature. Once your puppy has reached full maturity based on his breed size, you can feed him once or twice a day. Choose the feeding schedule that works best for both you and your dog. Feeding a puppy food to adult dogs could cause him to become overweight because it has more calories. Remember, you can always refer to the feeding instructions on the food label or consult your veterinarian with any questions. Establishing a routine helps your puppy learn what to expect. Visit our Pet Expertise page for more expert tips on puppy nutrition, training and more. Related articles. The range of amounts is based on the activity of your Golden for the day, either low, moderate, or high level of activity. Golden Retrievers should have scheduled times to eat daily. The scheduled times will help them with their energy levels and keep them healthy. You can schedule their eating times as to what works best for your schedule. For example, feeding them before you leave for work and then when you get home. As a puppy, they will eat three times a day, so you will need to find times in those first few months to feed them more often. When they are an adult or senior, the scheduling of feeding times will be easier because they will only eat twice daily. For a Golden Retriever puppy, the best feeding schedule is once in the morning, noontime, and in the evening. For example, you could feed their first meal at am, lunch at noon, then dinner at pm. Planning their mealtimes around your mealtimes will often make it easier for you and the puppy. Make sure to give them plenty of time after eating to got to the bathroom a couple of times before heading to bed. Hopefully, this will help them sleep for a longer period. After about six months, your Golden Retriever can go down to two daily feedings. This usually occurs once in the morning and once in the evening. They can usually last about 12 hours between meals. If it goes past 12 hours, they could become nauseated. Golden Retrievers can experience food allergies often caused from proteins in dairy or meat products. If your dog experiences symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or itching they may have a food allergy. They warn that feeding dogs any raw animal-source protein could cause illness because it has not gone through a process to remove harmful pathogens. However, a raw diet can be healthy if you are willing to go through the extra cleaning processes of the meat. This is a lot of work and difficult to do correctly and safely. We do not recommend it without expert veterinary help. Before starting a raw diet with your Golden, be sure to consult a veterinarian. Find one that is familiar with raw foods and can help with the proper handling of the foods. If you work hard to make sure your homemade foods are rich in the vitamins and minerals that a dog needs, then it might work for your Golden Retriever. It takes a lot more time to find recipes and make sure it has all the nutritional value of a store-bought dog food. If you are willing to research expertly formulated recipes internet is making it easier to do this , and take the time to cook for your golden then go for it! Consulting your veterinarian is a must before starting any homemade diet. A veterinary nutritionist should also review your plan before starting. Feeding your Golden Retriever table food is not the best practice but a small amount of dog healthy table food is fine. Some example table foods that are healthy for them are carrots, blueberries and plain yogurt. Just be aware that feeding them too much table food can throw their entire diet out of whack. They may not be getting enough vitamins and minerals like they do from their dog food. Conclusion Making sure your Golden Retriever is getting the right foods at the right amounts will help them live their best life. There are many choices of foods with all the right ingredients. Be sure to choose one that works best for you and your Golden. Consult with your veterinarian on which food will bring the most nutritional value to the health of your Golden Retriever. If your Golden is experiencing any health issues related to changing foods, visit your veterinarian. If this article was helpful, please consider sharing this post on Facebook with the button below! She is board certified a specialist in canine reproduction. In her day job, she is a leader in a small biotech where she and a team of veterinarians and scientists work to develop new medications for pets. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of this wonderful breed of dogs. She and her husband have 2 children, 3 dogs and one cat. They love camping and hiking and she can often be found with her head in a good book. Recent Posts. Learn more » Congratulations on your new golden retriever puppy! You now have a beautiful, smart, and loyal dog who will love you for life. To make sure they grow into a healthy and happy companion, you need to feed them the right amount of food. At months old, which is usually when they are ready to leave their mother, a golden retriever puppy should be eating 3 cups of dog food divided into three meals per day. This is based on a typical large-breed puppy food. Different brands will give a feeding guide on their packaging. However, how much and how often to feed your golden retriever will keep changing during this time of rapid growth. Golden Retriever Puppy Feeding Timeline Image Credit: PxHere All puppies are different as are the foods, but some general guidelines for feeding your golden retriever during their first year are: 0—6 weeks: A golden retriever puppy can start eating solid food when they are 3—4 weeks old. Give them a total of 3 cups of dog food per day by their third month, 3 to 4 cups by the time they are 6 months old. The AKC recommends waiting until large breed puppies are at least 12 months old before switching them over to adult dog food and more likely 18 months. The amount will depend on their weight and activity level, but a rough guide is 1—2 cups per meal. Image Credit: Kinek00, Shutterstock Large breed puppies like golden retrievers should eat three to four small meals a day for the first 3—6 months of their lives. Smaller portions spread throughout the day are easier on their tummies and help prevent bloat, a serious condition that can be deadly for dogs. It also helps them maintain their energy level throughout the day. Puppy food has more calories and fat to support their growth, as well as extra vitamins and minerals for their developing immune and nervous systems and bones. The protein source matters, too. Puppies need animal-based proteins like chicken, beef, or lamb for their growing muscles. Choose a Large Breed Formula: Large breed puppies grow quickly, which means they need extra support for their bones and joints. Formulations for large breeds contain the correct calcium and phosphorus ratio for strong bones and glucosamine and chondroitin for healthy joints. They can help you choose the right food for your puppy based on their age, weight, and activity level. But puppies need to be fed on a schedule to prevent them from overeating and becoming overweight. How do you know if your puppy is getting enough to eat? After that, their growth will start to slow down. He Has a Healthy Appetite: A healthy puppy is interested in food and eager to eat. He Has Plenty of Energy: A well-fed puppy is full of energy and ready to play. Make the most of mealtime with these tips: 1. It also helps other aspects of puppy training, such as potty training and crate training. Image Credit: Alena Marchuk, Shutterstock This means leaving food out all day for them to graze on whenever they want. Leave food down for 10 minutes and then pick up what is not eaten. If they have not eaten anything, offer it again in an hour. Slow them down by scattering their kibble around the bowl, using a puzzle feeder or snuffle mat. This will help them learn to eat slowly and enjoy their food more. If your puppy is not drinking enough water for your liking, try adding a bit of broth to their bowl to make it more appealing and help them stay hydrated. Resist the Urge to Sneak Them Table Scraps Puppies are experts at giving those big, soulful eyes that make it hard to say no. But resist the temptation to give them table scraps or human food. Aside from teaching them bad manners, it can also lead to health problems, like obesity. A lot of human foods are not safe or healthy for dogs. For instance, garlic and onions are toxic to dogs. Oily food can upset their stomach, and carbs add a lot of calories. This helps them learn that mealtime is a specific time and place and not something that happens all over the house. Let Your Puppy Eat in Peace. This includes other pets in the house and small children who might want to bother them or try to steal their food. Otherwise, meals can become a stressful experience for your puppy instead of a happy one. Conclusion Feeding your golden retriever puppy the right amount of quality dog food will establish a strong foundation for their health and happiness. In addition, make mealtimes more meaningful by turning them into lessons and bonding moments between you and your dog. The puppy phase is over before you know it, so enjoy it while it lasts! Golden Retrievers are very food motivated. If your puppy seems to be getting fat, you may need to switch to the lower end of the above recommendations. Alternatively, if their ribs are becoming too prominent, you should work to the upper ends of the guidelines. Golden Retriever puppies have much smaller stomachs than adults. This means their daily food allowance should be split into smaller, more frequent meals. Rather than just feeding them once in the morning and once in the evening, as you might plan to do eventually, their food will need to be split into 3 or even 4 portions, like so: 8 — 12 weeks: 4 meals a day 3 — 6 months: 3 meals a day 6 — 12 months: 2 meals a day However, like the feeding charts, this should only be used as a guide. Feeding too much food at once can lead to cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, and discomfort for your puppy. How to Choose the Best Golden Retriever Puppy Food Puppies need a balance of certain nutrients and vitamins to support their growth — not just as much food as possible. In fact, simply giving as much food as possible is linked to certain joint-related health problems. So, when searching for a high quality puppy food, there are a few key ingredients you might want to search for. This includes a real meat source, and the correct amount of nutrients like calcium and iron. Commercial Food vs Homemade Food There are pros and cons to every type of puppy food available. Dry food is long-lasting and easy to use during training, but can contain filler ingredients. Wet food is palatable and easy to serve, but can be more expensive and harder to use during training. Homemade food is often very appealing in terms of taste for our dogs, but is the most likely type to contain nutritional imbalances that can lead to serious health problems. So, they will continue to grow and develop physically until somewhere between 12 and 18 months. You may want to transition your puppy to a new food when you bring them home, rather than whatever your breeder was giving them. Ideally, you want to make the change over the course of a week. Replace a very small amount of their old food with their new food at mealtimes. Over the week, you can change these amounts by decreasing their old food and increasing the new. By the end of the week, they will be eating only the new food. Changing abruptly can cause stomach upsets and symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. But, Golden Retrievers should generally look lanky rather than chubby. But, the most successful rewards in this type of training are often food, such as kibble or small chunks or meat and cheese. Doing all of your training in the morning can lead to stomach upsets if your puppy ends up eating a large amount of their daily allowance all at once. Instead, try and complete shorter training sessions before each mealtime, and give whatever allowance is left for each meal after training is done. This can also benefit your training, as a hungry dog will be more motivated to work for those treats! Read the full disclosure here. Being a large and energetic dog, your golden retriever has a ravenous appetite and can eat a lot. However, overfeeding is never good and could be avoided with the help of a golden retriever feeding chart. Knowing how much to feed your golden retriever is always tricky but essential for their well-being and health. Goldens are prone to obesity and joint problems, which can only be exacerbated with an inadequate feeding plan. So, stay with me to find the right feeding plan and meal schedule for your goldie. Most first-time owners think their puppies should be chubby. In truth, golden retriever puppies are supposed to look lanky and act like they are always hungry when fed the correct amount of food. To encourage proper growth and development without making your pup obese, you will have to know how much to feed a golden retriever puppy. For example, cheaper foods use fillers and have a smaller amount of calories, thus you will have to feed more than you would when using premium large breed puppy foods. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. We all want our golden retriever puppies to be healthy and happy. We envision them running through a verdant field chasing a ball. Full of energy with the beautiful, lustrous golden coat. But, just like us, eating the proper food in the proper amounts will help your golden properly grow and thrive. After all, what we eat impacts how healthy we are. How much you should feed your golden retriever puppy will vary depending on the quality of food you feed, his age, his weight, his general health, and his activity level. Your golden will be growing for up to two years. And the amount of food during that time will have to be adjusted depending on his needs. Because most people feed kibble to their pup, this article will focus on that. Kibble is convenient and cost effective. Instead, they should be lanky and full of energy. They should love to eat their food with gusto. Instead, you should be able to feel his ribs when you pet him there. There should just be a thin coating of fat under his skin. And he should have a defined waistline. Of course you should check with your veterinarian to make such adjustments. And remember a young puppy should get only so much exercise a day. Their joints and bones are developing and can be damaged if the exercise is too extreme. Assuming you have an eight-week-old puppy, he should receive three to four meals a day. From eight weeks old until about five or six months old, three meals per day are advisable. Of course, feed at the same intervals every day and split the total amount per day in half to be given at each feeding. After about six months of age through adulthood, two feedings per day are the norm. Always check with your vet regarding how much and how often to feed. These are just guidelines. Feed him at the same distraction-free location so that he focuses on eating. As much as goldens love to eat, a young golden puppy is also very easily distracted. This can lead to possible health problems, including joint and bone problems. Goldens can easily become overweight. Free feeding can also lead to a picky eater. Some puppies figure out that if their buffets are always there, and they can just go graze at will. Most foods you purchase will have guidelines on their bag or box. When you first get your puppy, feed him the same food that the breeder or rescue fed him for a few weeks. Then, if you want to change his food, do so over at least 10 days. Add more of the new food and subtract more of the old food each day. After about five days, you should be giving him approximately 50 percent of the new food and 50 percent of the old food. Switching food over such a period of time will help prevent stomach upsets and diarrhea. Overfeeding will result not only in him becoming overweight but it will also make him grow too fast. Periodically—even weekly— test whether you can still feel his ribs without them protruding. You can then increase the amount he eats. You should also feed his last meal of the day at least 90 minutes before his bed time so that he can digest his food and potty before bed. A well-balanced, high-quality food should provide all the nutrients he requires. Golden puppies require a formula made for large-breed dogs. Puppy formulas for large-breed dogs regulate their growth. Eating too quickly can lead to digestive upsets and even bloat, which can be deadly. I rescued my golden retriever Riley when he was about six months old. To say that he ate as if it were his last meal would be an understatement. He had a voracious appetite. I bought one of the maze bowls to slow him down. The kibble is placed between each section of the bowl, and he had to forage for his food. It worked! He ate at a more normal pace. Of course, dogs should be given free access to fresh water. Other Feeding Options Although I concentrated in this article on feeding kibble to your new puppy, there are other options. There are some drawbacks to them because they may not be nutritionally complete, may be cost prohibitive, or may be too time-consuming to make. Wet Food Canned food alone or mixed with kibble is an option. But wet food alone is very expensive. He may become a picky eater. Feeding raw is controversial. Dehydrated raw foods reduce some of the risks. The ratio of calcium to phosphorous is crucial to puppy development. Homemade Diet Cooking for your best friend can be very appealing. And many people do. You know what ingredients and their quality are. But it has its drawbacks. Of course, the amount you feed is important for his growth rate and general health and well-being. But there is no one-size-fits-all in determining how much to feed a golden retriever puppy. Any amounts you see are just guidelines. Adjust them as necessary regarding your own special puppy. Do you have a golden retriever puppy? How did you determine what and how much to feed him? Please leave your comments in the section below. 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. Debbie has been training dogs for over 24 years and has nationally ranked obedience and rally dogs, agility dogs, trick dogs, and therapy dogs. Post navigation. They are famously loving and playful family pets, always eager to jump in the pool or snuggle up with you on the lounge. They are patient and energetic dogs who are easy to train, making them excellent service animals as well as loyal companions. If you are bringing a Goldie into your family, you might also be aware of their reputation as food lovers. Your Goldie might want to eat anything and everything you put in their bowl — and maybe even anything left on an unattended plate. In this Golden Retriever feeding guide, Hypro Premium will take you through everything you need to know when it comes to food options for your pup. The best food for most young puppies is milk. If you are weaning a puppy, you can start to mix in a little dry kibble with their puppy milk to create a paste. You can feed this mix to your puppy up to four times a day, slowly reducing the amount of milk you mix in. Over time, your Goldie puppy will get more comfortable with solid foods, until you no longer need to include any milk in their diet. While chubby little puppies are cute, your Goldie should not build up too much excess fat once you start feeding them solids. Goldies go from a small 4kg puppy at 7 weeks old to an almost 30 kg adult dog in the space of only 10 months. At six months old your puppy will still be growing, but more slowly as they reach most of their body development milestones. This is why appropriate feeding in the first year of their life is vital to the overall health of your Goldie for years to come. Over time this can increase to up to 4 cups a day at 10 months old, though females should usually only need 3 cups a day. The amount you feed your puppy is often dependent on their size and sex. While they may have some growing left to do, it depends on your dog. Some Goldies will continue to experience growth spurts before their second birthday, while others will stay the same size. Large breeds can be at risk of growing too fast, which can make them more vulnerable to skeletal and weight problems when they get older. Golden retrievers are especially prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, which can be avoided through diet control. You should feed your Goldie between 3 — 4 cups of food per day over two meals. Adult dogs and puppies have different nutritional needs. This is important to take into consideration as you are establishing a feeding schedule for a Golden Retriever puppy. Puppies require more calories to support their rapid growth than adult dogs, but they also have much smaller stomachs, which means they get fuller faster. Because of this, puppies can easily overeat, especially Golden Retrievers. You can help your puppy avoid overeating by allowing them a short amount of time to eat, and then removing their bowl. All puppies grow a lot during their first year, but large breed puppies are more likely to suffer from negative health consequences as a result. In order to provide your Golden Retriever puppy with the most appropriate food to support their rapid growth, consider choosing a large breed puppy food. Goldie puppies need lots of protein, fibre, and fatty acids to support the development of their bodies and provide them with energy. These foods also take into account the difference in nutrient digestion between small and large breeds. Too much of these nutrients can cause your large breed puppy to develop skeletal abnormalities. So how much do you feed a Golden Retriever? Your adult Goldie could need anywhere between and 1, calories per day. The amount of food you feed your dog will be determined by a few important factors. The first thing to consider is the sex of your dog. On average, your male Golden Retriever will need slightly more food than a female dog. Senior dogs will usually be less active and so will need less food. Goldies in particular can have a lot of variation in the amount of food they need on a daily basis. No matter how much you feed your dog, it is ideal that you feed your adult Golden Retriever two meals a day at evenly spaced time intervals. Feeding your dog twice, once in the morning and again in the evening, can be useful for establishing a routine and avoiding overfeeding. This routine can also include exercise, and is useful for encouraging healthy behaviour around food and toilet training. Special Considerations Your Golden Retriever could be predisposed to several health conditions that are important to consider when you make decisions about their diet. Firstly, Golden Retrievers are known for their beautiful coats, but their skin can often become infected. Goldies love swimming, but this can cause problems if water irritates their skin. They can also be susceptible to atopic dermatitis, which causes extreme itchiness, resulting in licking and biting behaviours in dogs that can cause even more damage. For dogs prone to skin and coat issues, a fish-based diet can help alleviate symptoms. Fish contains plenty of fatty acids, which support coat and skin health, and rarely triggers any allergic reaction in dogs. Goldies often benefit from healthy grains in their diet, especially as avoiding them can actually leave your dog more vulnerable to nutritional dilated cardiomyopathy, or nutritional DCM. This heart disease is common in Golden Retrievers, and can be triggered by consuming too much grain-free pet food that contains legumes like lentils and peas. You should consider feeding your Golden Retriever foods that are full of grains and proteins like chicken or fish. These are the benefits and drawbacks of the three most popular options — wet food, a raw food diet, and dry food. Wet food can be a great option for dogs that need plenty of protein and fat, like working dogs or dogs with certain health conditions. It also hydrates your dog while they eat, which can be useful for dogs suffering from any illness. For dogs with highly restrictive diets, raw food prepared by you can be a great way to avoid allergens. You can have complete control over a raw diet, which does require a lot more work on your part, but can have great results. For instance, a Golden Retriever with heart issues should eat a low salt diet, which can be easier to achieve if you are preparing their meals from scratch. However, low quality kibbles tend to be made up of a lot of low quality fillers, which can be hard for your pup to digest. Whatever option you choose for your Goldie, make sure it is suitable for large breeds and contains high quality ingredients. This will help prevent degenerative health disorders in the long run. Your Golden Retriever will probably love food, and will probably try to eat anything you put in front of them, which means you need to help them avoid the negative consequences of overeating. Golden retrievers, like other large and active breeds, need plenty of exercise. Not only is this vital to their physical health, but it also ensures they grow up well socialised and mentally stimulated. As your Goldie grows from a puppy to an adult dog, the amount of meals they need a day will reduce as their digestive systems become more developed. Your dog will need two meals a day, once in the evening and once in the morning, from the age of 6 months.

Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Can chocolate Labradors have blue eyes? This is a very popular question here at Ruffwood Labs. The chocolate Labrador Retriever, initially known as the "ugly duckling" is now among one of the most in-demand dog breeds. With his endearing personality and willingness to please; the chocolate, along with yellow, fox red, and black Labrador, have won first place among the hearts of millions of dog lovers. History of the breed The chocolate Labrador Retriever was admitted to the breed long after the yellow and black Labrador. It was not until the twentieth century that these dogs were recognized in the United States. Until that time both chocolate and yellow were considered outcast. These colors, when compared to the black Labrador, were not considered to be "show quality," when it came to exhibitions. The chocolate color in Labs is not a simple recessive gene. It is even more difficult for breeders to determine a pattern to constantly produce chocolate colored Labs with the same dark shading and color intensity. Many geneticists think that this breed is produced through the action of partial dominant genes. The temperament of a chocolate Labrador Like all Labradors, the chocolate-colored ones have a soft and sweet behavior. The eyes are the passage to the soul of a Labrador. Friendly and loyal, the eyes of a Lab tell the story of this attractive breed. Raised to hunt, recover and rescue, this dog has resilience and energy to spare, which makes it a good hunting partner. Easy to train, these Labradors excel in field trials, agility and obedience. Stable and reliable, this breed is notable as rescue and search canines, assistance for the physically disabled and guide dogs for the blind. His intelligence, kindness, and ability to adapt, make him popular as a family pet. Labradors are among the most popular dog breed in the world. Eye Color Any dog breed can have almost any color eyes. It mostly depends on their genetics. However, for a Labrador to have blue eyes, the genetics has to be very poor. According to basic breed standard Friendly eyes means the dog will have a good temperament, alertness, and intelligence. Yellow or black eyes are undesirable as they give a harsh expression. An eye rim without pigmentation is considered a disqualification. It is hard to disagree, that the green, hazel or golden eyes of the Lab give it a truly outstanding presence. And the different shading in the coats from the light chocolate to the dark chocolate color attracts many owners to the Labrador breed. Ruffwood Labs would love to pair you with your next best four-legged friend, no matter what eye color or coat color you prefer. Post not marked as liked2 Featured Posts. Standard Labrador colors include black, chocolate, and yellow. In all three of these shades, Labradors tend to have dark brown eyes, though other colors like hazel have been observed. Silver Labradors are actually brown Labs whose fur pigment has been diluted. The genes that dilute their fur are recessive. So, a chocolate Lab will only be a silver Lab if they inherit two copies of this gene. As puppies, all chocolate Labs are born with blue eyes, and the same is true of silver Labs. As chocolate Labs grow older, their eyes will darken to a brown or hazel shade. Silver Lab blue eyes will also darken as they age. Though, the color of their eyes as adults will often still be lighter than that of an undiluted chocolate Labrador. For instance, a dilute Lab mixed with a blue eyed dog like a Husky, or a dog with merle coloring. Silver Lab puppies all have blue eyes. But, as they age, their eyes will darken and change color. But, they will darken to a yellow-brown shade, or a green. Sometimes, green Labrador eyes can be so pale that they look blue, but this is as close as purebred silver Labs will come to having blue eyes as an adult. By the time they are 8 months old, their eyes will most likely be a green or light brown shade. And, silver Labs in general are quite uncommon. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, silver Labs are actually chocolate Labs whose color has been diluted — as we know! But, Labs need two copies of the dilute gene to have silver coloring dd , since it is a recessive gene. If they only receive one copy, they will be chocolate. So, unless two silver Labradors are bred together, chocolate Labs are more likely. The second reason silver Labs are so rare is that this color is not officially accepted into the Labrador breed standard. So, many breeders will avoid producing dilute puppies when possible. In a lot of cases, silver Labs are a surprise in a litter, when the parent dogs have both unknowingly carried a copy of the dilute gene. So, silver Labs are quite rare, whether or not they have light, green eyes as an adult. In some dog breeds, blue eyes are associated with a higher risk of health issues like deafness and sight problems. However, since silver Lab blue eyes darken over their first year of life, this link is not relevant to them. The major additional health issue that silver Labs with blue eyes will experience is related to their coat, rather than their eyes. Color dilution alopecia is a common issue amongst Labradors and other breeds with diluted pigmentation. So, monitor their coat for any thinning, balding, or increased irritation. Other than this, silver Labs can experience the same hereditary health issues as other Labradors. The most common Lab health problems include hip and elbow dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, obesity, bloat, and more. You can reduce the risk of these problems by choosing a puppy from a reputable breeder and providing a high level of daily care. But, the color of their eyes will fade and darken over time. You should prioritise the need to find a reputable breeder in your search for a blue eyed silver Lab. Stay away from puppy mills, pet stores, and backyard breeders, as these puppies often grow up to experience more health and behavioral issues. Some breeders may specialize in this shade, but in other cases, silver puppies will be a surprise in the litter. Prices for silver Labs can be unpredictable. Some may charge the same as their other puppies, or even a little less, since silver is not an official color and these puppies are prone to more health issues. This means silver Labs cannot compete in shows, whilst other puppies from the same litter may be able to. Other breeders may inflate their prices for silver Labs, since they are less common than other colors. Alternatives When Searching for Puppies Since silver Lab puppies can be harder to find, you may want to expand your search boundaries. Some will have waiting lists that you can join, and some may be happy to contact you if a silver Lab puppy appears in their upcoming litters. Alternatively, you can also look in rescue centers. You may be able to find some near you specifically devoted to rehoming Labradors. Silver Labs will have the same high energy and social needs as any other Labrador color. So, make sure you are able to provide this before committing, whether you choose a puppy or a rescue dog. Silver Labs have the same care needs as other Labs, though the genes that dilute their fur are linked to alopecia. So, some silver Labradors may need extra care around their coats. Do you have a silver Lab with blue eyes at home? We would love to hear about your Labradors — make sure to leave your stories and experiences in the comments! Readers Also Liked. When bringing a new Labrador Retriever into your home, it is important to know if you are getting a purebred or if you are getting a mixed Labrador. Can Labradors have blue eyes? All brown Labradors have blue eyes when they are born. When they are about 4 months old, their blue eyes change to hazel or brown. Labradors, according to what kind of Labrador they are, will have different colored eyes. A chocolate lab will have hazel or brown eyes; a yellow lab will have brown eyes, and a black labrador will also have brown eyes. Even though it is very rare, some Labrador Retriever dogs will have green or yellow-green eyes. When a puppy is born, its eyes stay closed for usually up until 14 days. Their color will start to show up, even though it might not completely take over the whole eye at this point. To start with, Labrador puppies have blue eyes. Until they have pigment, puppy eyes are blue for a week or two after they open. About a month old, you can start to see the final eye color forming, and it will take another two months until the pigment is fully developed. If you are thinking about getting a Labrador but you do not know what color Lab to get, here are some tips of what is different between all of the different Labs. Each of these types of Labrador has been associated with different jobs. Yellow Labrador The Yellow Labrador is associated with being a guide dog for people that are blind. This type of Labrador usually has a very good personality and is known to be easy to train and to love everyone that they meet. Even though Yellow Labradors are often times made to be guide dogs, these types of dogs are also very good at just being a pet. These Labs are different only because they have an orange tint to their coats. Even though they do not have their own color category, they are considered to be part of the Yellow Lab group. Even though it is considered a Yellow Lab, many breeders will refer to it as a Fawn Labrador. Chocolate Labrador Chocolate Labradors are known for being either pet dogs or dogs that are show dogs. Chocolate Labrador dogs are known for being show dogs in circuses and in the ring for many years. Now though, Chocolate Labradors are known to be good hunters. Many of the owners have seen a difference in what their Chocolate Labradors can do and many of them have begun to win awards. Black Labradors Black Labradors are known for being good hunting dogs. The great thing about Black Labradors is that they have become very amazing companions and they are perfect pets. Even though we think they are very cute, they are one of the least picked Labrador colors out of all of the other Labradors. Beyond the three popular Labrador Retrievers, there are other Labs that are not as common. The Silver Labrador has come about because they have had their genes diluted which causes some people to not want to have this type of Lab. It is important that you talk to the breeder or our vet before you decide to purchase a Lab that has diluted genes. Even though choosing a certain color is a preference, the real question should be if you want to get a show or a working Labrador. A show Labrador will most likely be a little smaller because and will not be as muscular as working Labradors. They will be lighter, and they will not be as hard of workers as working dogs. A working Labrador is going to be larger and more muscular. If you are looking for a Labrador to be your partner in activities such as playing and long-distance running, then having a working dog will be a better choice for you. Should I Get a Rescue Labrador? Anytime that you are able to get a rescue dog, it is better than purchasing from a breeder. The first reason is that these dogs that are at rescue centers need a forever home. If you decide to take a rescue, you are giving the dog to have a happy life for the rest of its life. Another reason to get a rescue Labrador is if you are looking for a dog that is past its puppy stage and is in adulthood. Rescue dogs will love their new homes and they will work hard to make sure that you are pleased with them, making their life better and making them easier to train and get used to their new home. Rescue dogs are loveable and happy when they get in their new homes because they are desperately looking for a forever family to call their own. Labrador retrievers can be a variety of colors, but most of them have the same type of body. They are considered to be medium-to-large dogs, and they are known for the dual coat that they have. Labrador retrievers have large bodies, up to 24 inches long, and some of them are as heavy as 80 pounds. Labrador retrievers have long legs and webbed feet. Labrador retrievers have medium-sized ears that hang down and a thick tail. They are covered with short hair that sheds a lot in the winter and in the summer months to help them stay healthy and warm. Most Labrador Retriever dogs are very popular because of their amazing personalities. Most Labs are known for being loving, kind, patient, fun, happy, eager, energetic, caring, and loyal. Labrador Retrievers love to play and be energetic. They crave attention and being around their humans. Most Labrador retrievers are able to get along with other animals and pets because they love to be sociable and to get to know new people and other animals. Even though puppies and Labrador Retrievers can be a little bit destructive, if you learn to understand their personality and give them a lot of exercise, your Labrador puppy will learn to be calm and make an amazing pet. Since Labrador retrievers are so large, they are very active. It is important that you take time out of your day to make sure that your Labrador has plenty of exercise and fun. As a rule of thumb, most Labrador dogs that are adults, need to have at least an hour and a half of exercise on a daily basis. If you find that you are not able to give your Labrador the exercise that he or she needs, you will find that your dog will become bored, agitated, and will have a lot of extra energy. This can lead to your Labrador being aggressive and destructive. Choosing the right Labrador Retriever should not be based on what color Labrador you want or based on his or her eye color, but it is important to figure out if you want to have a show dog, a working dog, or just a pet. All of these things can determine what type of dog you are getting. Sometimes, people are looking to be helpful ,and purchasing a Labrador Retriever from a rescue home can be very beneficial both to the Lab and to their new home. Rescue dogs sometimes have the best personalities, and if you want a dog that will be forever grateful, then get a rescue dog. Black and yellow labradors will have brown eyes, and you will find that chocolate labradors can have a mix between Brown and Hazel. Of course, you will see some variations as this is only natural. Brown eyes can vary slightly between a dark brown and light brown color. There are different proportions of green, amber, and brown in hazel eyes. You may see a chocolate Labrador with green eyes toward the other end of the spectrum. This is when you might notice the chocolatey tones making their way through. The process, however, takes time and does not occur overnight. Blue Labs with blue eyes? In fact, there are very few ways for dogs to have blue eyes, and none of them occur naturally in the Labrador breed. But can you picture their eyes without looking at a photo? Chocolate Lab eye color Eye color in Labradors falls broadly into two categories: brown, and hazel. Of course, a little natural variation is allowed between individuals. So brown eyes can vary from dark espresso to warm sepia, and everything in between. And hazel eyes can have varying proportions of green, amber and brown in them. At the furthest possible end of the spectrum, you might even occasionally meet a chocolate lab with green eyes. This is true of the chocolate English Labrador belonging to show lines, and the American Chocolate brown Lab bred from working lines. When there is lots of melanin in the eye it absorbs light, and we see the color brown. When there is very little melanin, light scatters around the tissues of the iris instead, and we perceive that scattered light as being blue. Green, yellow, grey and amber eyes are caused by an intermediate amount of melanin, so that we see a mix of both phenomena. There are four ways dogs can have so little pigment in their eyes that they appear blue, but none of them are associated with Labradors. The blue eye gene Some dogs carry a specific gene for blue eyes called ALX4, which determines the amount of pigment in the eyes independently of the genes determining coat color. Huskies are a well-known example of a breed carrying this gene. Merle coloring Merle coat coloring is closely associated with blue eyes. Dogs with the merle gene have patches of diluted pigment in their coat, and often one or two blue eyes. Common examples include Australian Shepherds and Great Danes. Albinism Albinism is a genetic condition which inhibits pigment formation anywhere in the body. Albino dogs have white fur, and blue or pink eyes. Dogs with white patches covering one or both eyes are also less likely to make pigment in those irises. What about Lab with blue eyes? They are highly pigmented dogs, and that includes their eyes! However, some Labradors with the color dilution gene do make less pigment than others. Silver Labs are chocolate Labs with the color dilution gene. Their coat is lighter brown than a traditional chocolate Lab — think more chocolate milkshake than chocolate brownie. Their eyes are lighter too — usually somewhere between amber and pale green. Baby chocolate Lab with blue eyes All Labrador puppies are born with blue eyes to begin with. The earliest you might start to see their final eye color appearing is about a month old, and it can take a further two months for the pigment to finish developing. They could have inherited the blue eye gene from a Husky ancestor and combined it with the genes for a brown coat. Or, they could have inherited the merle gene from a merle ancestor. If they have the merle gene they will also have a merle pattern coat, so have a look for tell tale patches of dilute fur color. What about a blue Labrador with blue eyes? Blue Lab puppies are something our readers often ask about, meaning dogs with grey fur. Could this be an alternative route to a Labrador with blue eyes? Blue dogs are black dogs with color dilution. Black Labs with the dilution gene are known as charcoal rather than blue. They are not terribly common, and their pedigree status is often subject to heated debate.

It gives an estimate of the risk for painful osteoarthritis OA of canine hip dysplasia CHD later in life. With this information, preventive and palliative strategies can be recommended by the PennHIP-trained veterinarian. It has been extremely helpful to me as a breeder to OFA-certify my dogs. If the breeders have been breeding a long time you should see lots of names.You are supporting puppy mills if you buy a dog with these registries as they are mainly for puppy mill breeders, You know what you get with AKC because of record inspections and DNA. All Buyers should beware! Both are breeding females that are not German Shepherds they looked like husky crosses but are registering them as German Shepherds and the registry does not care. I have personally seen it and so have many others. Are you looking for size? Here are some pointers! Most breeders of large german shepherds exaggerate by 50 lbs and several inches or more! Vet certified weight means nothing if you can't call the vet! Size means little if temper , health and longevity are not there! Menards Legendary German Shepherds specializes in breeding large old fashioned healthy German Shepherd dogs. So as you can see I am starting off with some great bloodlines. A little about me I grew up raising German Shepherds and Shelties. It has been about 25 years since I have raised dogs I stopped raising them when I got out of high school. I then got married and had children therefore the raising of dogs got put on the backburner. I am now at a point where I can start raising German shepherds again. I grew up with German Shepherds and they were my best friend and also my protector. These dogs are great with kids. I currently have 4 children ranging from 19 down to .My dogs are exceptionally smart, loyal, loving and protective when needed. These dogs are big boned, straight backed and are above standard size for the AKC. They are great family pets and protectors. The puppies are worked with from birth until they go to their new homes. You get a chew toy, martingale collar and puppy food and I will always be there for you down the road if you have any questions or concerns. Sidebar Customer testimonials about my dogs and business. The collection this block was previously pointing to has been removed. Please select another. I have a great love and passion for German Shepherds, due to their intelligence and loyalty. I have a large, close family that are helping me raise, train, show and breed the dogs I love. Tiltonhaus kennel is attached to our home so that our German Shepherds can live primarily in our home enjoying family life with us. Rotating the dogs this way gives each dog lots of quality time with us. We strive to give our dogs the environment and attention that best enhances their well being and health. We live on 10 acres of land where our dogs can run and explore, along with several secure yards and runs for outdoor activity. Tiltonhaus German Shepherd dogs enjoy family outings, such as hikes, bike rides, picnics, camping, vacations, etc. All of our German Shepherds are purebred, AKC Registered, and come from top West German champion bloodlines known for producing dogs that are not only beautiful, but have balanced temperaments and strong work ethics. Degenerative Myelopathy. Our breeding dogs have had their hips and elbows certified with either the German SV a-stamp program or through OFA, which gives us the confidence to have all of our Tiltonhaus puppies guaranteed for hips and health in writing. Our puppies are handled and socialized from birth. So we become very attached to these little pups and care about their well being. Potential buyers should be prepared to answer questions about why they want to purchase a puppy and their plans for their puppy. We recommend that your new puppy get basic obedience training to be a happy, well-adjusted dog. Tiltonhaus is family owned and operated, fully licensed business located in Deer Park, Washington 15 minutes north of Spokane, WA. Our dogs are hand picked from top German breeders and are from world class West German bloodlines. We are conveniently located 40 miles from Ft. Worth and approximately one hour from Dallas TX. We are proud of our Kaiser facility and all of our outstanding dogs. Each of them is a special part of our family. It takes a great deal of experience, education, and knowledge about the breed to successfully produce world class German Shepherds. My husband Paul and I work together to ensure the highest breed standards are met. Our goal is to continue to not only meet those standards but to improve the breed. They are hand picked from top German breeders and are imported. They are from top West German bloodlines. Selective breeding program to produce superior offspring. We produce a limited number of litters each year in order to personally assure the very best care possible. Healthy puppies and adult dogs is a top priority to us. Our adult dogs have been DNA tested for degenerative myelopathy. Their hips and elbows have been certified as normal. We do a great amount of education with our new puppy owners regarding GSD growth and development, health maintenance, the importance of ongoing socialization and many other important topics about the GSD breed. We make it a practice to stay in touch with our puppy owners for ongoing education and support. We love to see our pups grow into amazing adult dogs as part of a loving family home! We also have a professional trainer available. She has worked with many of our puppies and their new families with outstanding results. She is warm, patient and loves what she does. She is careful and has a loving touch for her puppies; each one captures her heart. She has been extremely helpful to us when we have not been certain about next steps for our pup. Kaiser is not a puppy factory, but a caring, loving, thoughtful, and well read about the German Shepherd breed. So grateful for Terri and Kaiser pups! Time for Delivery! Thursday, 12 May It is my profound pleasure to add my very positive review for Jarry and Annette Mandrell. I am very particular who gets my dogs, and after getting to know the Mandrells, and listen to their long term plans, I was more than happy to let them have puppies. They wanted breeding rights, and again, very few get breeding rights from me, but they are over the top on the details and genetics and maintaining the integrity of my Straight back Giant German Shepherd lines that I have preserved for over 60 years. Ask them aboiut all of the DNA testing they have done on these dogs to rule out any genetic markers for all deseases.They want to make sure that your puppy is perfectly healthy and will stay that way. I have semi-retired, but I know that my dogs heritage is in sound hands with breeders, such as the Mandrells, who have far beyond my expectations and requirements as breeders. I can assure you ,that you can look worldwide, and will not find another breeder that has gone to such lengths to make sure these dogs are perfectly sound, genetically and physically before breeding. Their ethics and love for these animals is beyond comparison.You will never regret getting a puppy from them. Mandrell's go to great lengths to provide you sound, healthy puppies! It is my profound pleasure to add my very positive review for Jarry and Annette Mandrell. Male deposit 1- ES Female deposit 1-CM Male deposit 2- Female deposit 2-VP Male deposit 3- Female deposit 3- Male deposit 4- Female deposit 4- If you would like to know litters coming later than this please give us a call Before you place a deposit, Please download or print our guarantee and contract. Fill it out and return to us either by texting it, scanning and emailing or through regular mail. Remember that regular mail is slower and cause you to not get the spot you want if I get other deposits and contracts before yours. Once I receive your signed contract and your deposit, I will sign one and send one back. New-contract-June 15 We distribute the best dry food available for dogs and cats! Most people want to feed the best and LA is just that! Or if you will be taking home a puppy soon, make sure you buy a puppy start pack. The start up pack is on the same page as the food. Performance shows what the dog IS. If you wanted to ship your puppy, you would need to first come to our kennels and then ship the puppy out yourself. Or you can use a ground transportation company. By placing a deposit on a litter not yet born, please keep this in mind and be willing to move your deposit onto another litter at a later date. This allows us to offer puppies to pet homes at a more affordable price. You will still get AKC papers except they will say limited. If you bred a dog that was registered limited, then you would not be able to register the offspring. This limit however, can be lifted by the breeder. That said, while it can be done, I strongly urge anyone who lives in an apartment to think carefully about how much time and work it can be to keep a large, working dog in an apartment. I will not sell a puppy to anyone who lives in an apartment and leaves the dog home alone all day. At least one person needs to be home during the day. The dog needs to be taken outside to play at least once a day and taken for potty breaks many times EVERY day. Also, please check with your apartments rules on German Shepherds; some complexes do not allow them. New strains of the Parvo Virus are abundant and it is my job to keep puppies safe. I use a high titer Parvo Vaccine at 4 weeks but this may not protect all puppies. So please understand as much as you would like to visit with your puppies as they grow I can no longer allow this until they are 7 weeks. I will send out emails with pictures or videos weekly. No outside dogs are allowed at anytime. Thank you for understanding how important it is for me to keep the puppies safe. If you do visit other breeders, please do so on a different day that you visit. Von Ward Kennels will take back any puppy at any time in their lives if their owners can no longer care for them. Please never take a Von Wards dog to a shelter if you can no longer keep them. While most of our dogs are larger than the standard, we do have a couple of breeding females that are within standard.

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