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Les Hutchinson

“How big will my puppy get?”

The majority of all new puppy owners ask the question “How big will my puppy get?” To determine puppy growth rate, one has to consider a lot of variables to ever be able to get an accurate answer for any individual dog breed. And even then, you will only be able to get an average “puppy growth rate” range…or a “ballpark figure”.

But how does a person estimate how big their puppy is going to get? What you need to know is that puppies at different ages grow at different rates. The same way that puppies of different breeds grow at different rates. This makes it very difficult to pin point exactly to the pound, how big your puppy is going to be at one year. And, if it will continue to grow larger in it’s second year.

Determine Puppy Growth Rate

Generally speaking, here is one way to determine puppy growth rate. An adult dog will weigh about twice as much as it did when it reached 4 months of age. And the rule of thumb for the giant breeds, your dog will double what they weigh at 5 months.

So, before buying a puppy, a person really needs to do their research on the different breeds of dogs. You need to know if your new canine is going to reach 9 pounds or 109 pounds. You have to understand the puppy growth rate on the different dog breeds.

An average small breed dog, like a toy poodle will reach full weight by year one, at 8 pounds. A bulldog will reach 20 pounds at one year, and 35 by their second year. A larger breed dog, such as a German Shepherd will reach 70 pounds by year one, and 75 pounds by year two. And the largest breeds, like a Great Dane will reach 110 pounds by year one, and 130 pounds by year two.

What About Genetics?

But also understand that two male puppies from the same liter can also vary in size, the same way your two brothers can be very different in size. (I’m three inches taller, and fifty pounds lighter than either of my brothers)

This then tells me, that genetics can also play a big part in puppy growth rate. I have a slender, long legged toy poodle that was not suppose to get any bigger than her 6 pound mother. Instead, she had the genes of her mothers sister, and she topped out at eleven pounds. Just understand that puppy growth rate is an average estimate of what your dog will grow up to be. (And I wouldn’t trade my eleven pound poodle for any six pound poodle in the world.)

Raising Your Puppy

By: Larry Buhrandt

About the Author:

If you have a puppy, you’ll know just how much care they require. If you don’t have one, you may not fully appreciate the challenges of looking after a puppy - just like a human baby, they require careful nurturing, lots of affection and a certain amount of discipline if they are to grow up happy, healthy and well-balanced.

In this article we’ve compiled some advice on caring for your puppy in the early months of its life - from about 6-8 weeks through to around 6 months, when puppies start to enter adolescence. During this time, a puppy does a huge amount of growing-up, and habits instilled during this period will remain for the rest of their life.

Feeding Your Puppy

Puppies grow extremely fast, and consequently have fairly high calorie requirements. At first, they should be fed regularly three times a day. Once they are around twelve weeks old, consider reducing your puppy’s meals to two per day.

At mealtimes, leave the food dish in its position for about fifteen minutes, then take it away - whether your puppy has finished eating or not. Allowing dogs to eat whenever they want (”free feeding”) prevents them from ever becoming truly hungry at mealtimes, and can lead to them overeating or becoming overly fussy eaters.

Training Your Puppy

Puppies learn a lot of their lifelong habits during the first few months of their lives. It’s particularly important to instill good toilet habits in your puppy from a young age - start training once your puppy is around five or six weeks old.

Toilet Troubles

Over the first year of their lives, puppies gradually learn to control their bladder, and should develop reliable and consistent toilet habits. However, this won’t happen without your help.

Understanding that puppies will naturally avoid soiling their own sleeping areas is important - try to leave your puppy in such an area overnight and for short periods during the day to encourage it to learn bladder control.

Decide where you would like your puppy to go to the toilet, and take them there at every opportunity - in the morning, whenever they eat or get overexcited, when you go to bed, and no less frequently than once per hour during the day. Stay with them, and if they go, praise and pet them.

Don’t punish your puppy for going in the wrong place, and don’t let them see you clean up - this can encourage them to go again in the same place! Ensure when cleaning up that no odours are left to attract your puppy back to the wrong spot again.
Praise, Not Punish

There is a lot more to know about caring for a puppy, but feeding and house training are perhaps the most important areas to concentrate on early on in a dog’s life.

Remember to reward and praise successes in a clear and consistent way - this will encourage good behaviour, and help gain your puppy’s respect and trust.

By: Denise Clement

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Smart Babiles

The most important element to remember when picking a puppy depends on your own lifestyle, schedule, and ability to care for a dog. The “puppy love” state of getting a dog, is the most captivating, and is an emotional decision. It reminds you of when you were a child, and held your first puppy. But it should also be a very fun, enjoyable part of dog ownership, if you make the right choice.

It should never be a spontaneous decision to get a dog; it requires some good soul searching questions, like what breed to chose, or type of dog. Also it should never be based on looks, but more in-depth research on what type of dog suits you as a person. Are you patient, with training an animal, such as dog, or what is your history in pet ownership, in your family when you were a child?

A friend of mine, decided to buy a pet from a pet store, which turned out to be a disaster. The dog was a poodle, and was purposefully left untrimmed around the mouth. Although my friend had asked the pet shop owner to trim the puppy’s mouth, before the date it was to be picked up, the owner never did the trimming. The puppy was taken to the vet, and it was found that the pup had an overbite, which was being hidden from the buyer in not trimming the fur. How devious and illegal, for hiding this defect was against the law. It also had other health issues that were discovered later.

Buying a pet from a pet store also perpetuates the puppy mills where they come from, that breed dogs in a very inhumane way for profits. Many dogs are usually sick, mistreated and their moms become puppy machines, which is unhealthy for any dog.

Hobby breeders are usually home based businesses, where they can provide you with a look at the parents of your future dog, which is a great asset, to determine any illness or behavioral problems. At this stage, if you ask a lot of questions, about the background of the dog, history of illnesses, vet records, and vaccine schedules, it can save heartache later.

Choosing a Puppy:

The problem is most people do not take into account how the dog will adapt to you but also, how you will adapt to the dog. Go to Kennels, Trainers, and Breeders as well as Dog Shows in your area. Find out the most you can about the breed you want to chose, for example are they easy dogs to train. Or, do they require a lot of outdoor exercise, running, and lots of walking. Do take your time and read up through magazines, books, and how to care for a dog books.

Its best not to get a puppy at Christmas, or other occasion for someone as a gift, because you feel they should own a dog. You must discuss this with the person at length, before making decisions for them, and their ability to care for a dog.

Breeds:

Firstly, you must decide on the breed of a dog, as each breed has its own benefits and downfalls. If you are an energetic person, you would normally pick a breed that is energetic as well to fit into your lifestyle. Certain breeds have inherent diseases or “congenital conditions”. This means that the certain breed can or will develop a particular susceptibility to a disease in its lifetime. It means there is a “genetic disposition” of that breed towards an illness:

Examples of these are: Hip dysphasia, heart defects, kidney disease, or liver disease. Here is where you should also consider and consult a pet insurance company that can give you a quote on that breed, to get an idea of what it can cost for dog care. Thus, we are outlining the need here for knowing what you are buying in a particular breed. You can look up the statistics of all breeds at the OFA site, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, where they list all the different types of illness and who ranks highest.

Puppy Testing:

There is such a thing as a Puppy Test; this is where you run through a serious of tests to determine the puppy’s personality, or temperament. Is this puppy the dominate one of the litter? The one basic test is to put the puppy on its back for 30 seconds, without talking to it An easy going puppy will lie still and start to relax, without struggling to get up. If it struggles to get free without stopping, or stiffens up, or freezes with a rapid heart rate, it is probably a willful dog, or if it bites you, it will be a dominant
dog, which translates to a life time of you being on a leash and it takes you for a walk.

One good site for puppy testing information is at: http://www.volhard.com invented by Wendy Volhard, which is an excellent source of dog information on puppy testing.

If your breeder is unfamiliar with puppy testing or tells you they have been tested, be wary. You should be allowed to test the puppy you chose at least for some of the tests, but also observe the puppy and how it plays with its litter mates.

Small Dog Breeds: Yorkies, Toy Poodles, Chihuahuas, are these types of dogs.

Most people pick smaller dogs, for their size, and cuteness factor, easier to pick up after, and transportable.

Medium Size Breeds: This is the in between size of dog, like a Spaniel, Collie, or a Chow.

Larger Breeds: Labs, Golden Retrievers, Setters and Sheepdogs are examples of the popular larger breed of dogs.

There should also be a test for people who decide to get a dog, in that many are in capable of the responsibility it takes to own a dog. That is why many dogs end up in shelters, and abandoned, which is heartless and inhumane.

If you are not sure about it, do not get a dog. A dog is not a cat, as you cannot leave them alone for hours on end, and expect them to be happy. So many people do not realize that is not a good idea to leave a dog at home, alone while they go to work. It is not a good life for a dog, and if the dog develops behavior problems, it would come as no surprise. Also you do not get a dog for a few years and then get rid of it, it is a long term commitment, to keep the dog for the rest of its life, and that should be the realization of owning a dog, it is for life.

By: Teri Salvador

About the Author:

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“When is a puppy fully grown?”

That question is probably not foremost in your thoughts when you bring a new puppy into your life. That adorable little face, those huge soulful eyes, and that cute wiggle when he walks are what come to mind when thinking about your new pup. But gradually, as your puppy gets older and perhaps a bit destructive, you may find yourself wishing that he would grow out of some of those youthful traits and begin acting more like an adult dog. By the time he’s chewed your third pair of shoes you will probably begin to wonder…

“When will this puppy be fully grown?”

Although there are some similarities between early development stages of puppies and human babies, the process is considerably quicker for canines.

Newborn puppies go through many changes during their first three weeks . They open their eyes, take their first steps, and begin to act like a tiny dog. During this early stage they are not really aware of the world beyond “mom” and siblings.

Somewhere between the third and fourth week your puppy’s senses of sight, smell, and hearing rapidly develop. All of a sudden he’ll discover that there is more to his world than just his canine family. His relationship with his new human family begins to take shape. This is a critical time for the development of your puppy’s personality and behavioral traits. Take care to avoid stressful or traumatic experiences as they may significantly influence how your dog will behave as an adult.

Your puppy will begin learning proper pack “etiquette” during the fifth through seventh weeks. If he begins to bite inappropriately or play too rough, his mother will correct him. These early lessons provide some of the social skills he will need as he interacts with humans and other dogs.

For the first three months of his life your puppy will experience many new things. Whenever possible, try to make these learning experiences positive. In doing so you are much more likely to avoid behavioral problems as he enters adulthood.

After three months or so your puppy enters a “toddler” stage of development. He gains more independence and tries to explore his world as he sees fit, not at the prompting of his mother or his human family. Shoes, furniture, books, and just about anything within reach will fascinate him. He will also learn what they taste like as he begins teething. This is a good time to begin very basic obedience training and establish your role as pack leader.

Your puppy will reach adolescence at around six to eight months, well on his way toward adulthood. Although the transition from adolescent to adult varies, depending upon the breed (or mix of breeds), you can be pretty sure that he has reached adulthood by the time his second birthday rolls around.

That’s when a puppy is fully grown.

By: Jim Navary

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Debt Consolidation

What is your puppy eating?

Have you ever taken the time to find out?

Many people think that the food available in stores these days are highly processed and full of a lot of preservatives. You should seek advice from your veterinarian on what is the best food for your pet and also do some research of your own. There are a lot of foods that are available for dogs, but try to find out what really is the best for your puppy. For you to approve a pet food for your puppy it must prove that it can provide sufficient nutrients. The ratio for a dog’s food should be 40 % meat, 50 % vegetables and about 10 % grains or other carbohydrates. You should always ensure that protein sources are high on the list such as chicken, lamb and beef. Grains can be a long term source of energy, fibre and minerals. Grains that can be used and considered good for puppies are rolled oats, barley, millet and brown rice.

Dogs are carnivores by nature but they can survive on a vegetarian diet, however, they would not thrive on it. When purchasing food for your puppies look out for the ones that display high protein and fillers in the ingredients. This is because there is usually a lot more in the fillers than can be seen. One way to ensure your puppy is getting the right ingredients is to prepare the food yourself; it’s quite simple and recipes are available in book stores and internet sources. Preparing food for your pet is much cheaper than purchasing from stores and other pet shops. However it is vital that you are careful and know exactly what you are doing, otherwise you could be doing more harm than good.

One way to know whether you are doing the right thing is to always check the outcome in your pet’s droppings. It should normally be firm and have no traces of mucus or blood. Choose foods that use vitamin E or C as preservatives and avoid those that use chemical preservatives, such as BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin. Cheap brands of foods are usually not healthy, so choose economy brands instead. Keep in mind that what is not good for you is also not good for your pet. Some people tend to throw sweets and all sorts of foods for the puppy to eat, but bear in mind that it is not good for them.

Just the same as with humans and what we eat, there is not any one brand of dog food that is healthy for all breeds of dogs of different ages and health conditions. Dogs also have food preferences and likes and dislikes, so try to find out which food is best suitable for your pet dog, but make sure it is a healthy one. Your puppy is what they eat, so if you provide them with a healthy and nutritious diet they will live longer with much less suffering, disease or illnesses. Always consider what you feed your pet and you will have a wonderful time with them.

By: Derek Rogers

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Debt Consolidation

Chihuahua puppy training is a challenge partly because the puppies are so small. Being very gentle with your puppy is a must because the puppies are frail and often easily frightened. But with patience and persistence, you can usually make quick progress toward your training goals. You do have training goals, right?

Socialization

Chihuahua puppy care includes proper socialization. Socialization best occurs before the puppy is 3 months old. Avoid frightening and painful experiences. Try some of the following.

Invite friends to meet your Chihuahua. Carry your puppy to places where there are groups of people. Take your pup for car rides. Introduce your puppy to being bathed, brushed and inspected. Let your puppy experience anything and everything you wish them to become comfortable around.

Behavior Training

Gentle training is a must for Chihuahua puppy training if you expect to have a well balanced adult dog. Discipline must be done with kindness and patience, never by slapping, hitting and kicking. Rough training is uncalled for with any dog, but especially for very small dogs. Reward the behavior you seek with high praise and limited treats.

Start early to guide your puppy’s behavior rather that waiting until you’re working with an adult. A dog’s behavior can be changed at any age. But it’s far easier to guide behavior in a small puppy than to correct adult behavior. And don’t even think about letting negative behavior go unaddressed. That’s a sure road to frustration for you and your pet.

What About Chihuahua Potty Training?

House training a Chihuahua dog is a must. Of course a dog that isn’t house trained makes a mess. But the mess isn’t the real problem. If you don’t quickly train your dog, your puppy will end up at another home. Hardly anyone can take the frustration of a constant mess. That’s why proper house training is so important.

A common method for house training a Chihuahua puppy is the crate method. Puppies won’t usually soil their sleeping area. You can confine the puppy is a crate and then very frequently remove the puppy to the area for waste elimination. I the puppy has an accident, quickly carry them to the proper place. A few days of this close supervision will probably teach the desired behavior. Remember though that accidents will happen so be patient and consistent.

Barking And Whining

First try to determine the reason for the barking and whining? Is the puppy uncomfortable? Why? Is there a good reason? Is the puppy too full of energy? How about more exercise? Or is the racket just blackmail? Part of Chihuahua care is teaching your puppy to handle isolation and separation. Dogs can’t get everything they want any more than people can.

Puppies need time with people to feel secure. But don’t accept uncontrolled barking that irritates all the humans within hearing distance of this dog.

Biting, Mouthing Chewing

Puppies bite and chew on body parts and clothes. That’s just part of being a puppy. But early on, this painful and destructive behavior must stop. Puppy biting and chewing that turns into adult dog biting and chewing is no laughing matter.

Much biting will be controlled if the dog has a chance to play with other puppies. Absent interaction with other dogs, you become the teacher. You can try pained expression of your displeasure with a loud “OUCH”. Express the pain but not in an angry manner. Maybe you can leave the room for a short time.

Chihuahua training should begin early and always remember to be gentle and patient with your little puppy. Consistent discipline over a period of time will train your Chihuahua puppy to be the well-balanced pet you want.

By: Al Bullington

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Children’s Murals

Anybody who has ever kept a Labrador retriever as a pet knows and understands how much the dog can weigh. Dog lovers who plan to have this breed as a pet are concerned about how big the dog is going to get.

Before we get into understanding more about the ideal Labrador puppy weight, let us try to understand breed first.

Labrador retriever one of the most affectionate breed among dogs are also considered highly intelligent and reliable. This wonderful breed loves to be around man. They want continuous attention. Being alone they tend to become lonesome and glum. They do not open easily to strangers and hence are especially suited as watch dogs for children and people with special needs. The Labrador retriever is very athletic and physically well balanced.

Their built is tall, lanky and athletic. All this activity further helps to strengthen their bone structure. It is important to remember that no two Labradors, even from the same litter, are the same.

From Labrador Puppy Weight to Adult Labrador Weight

In the first 5 to 7 weeks the Labrador puppy weight is anywhere between 8 to 10 lb. By the time it is one year old, its weight stands at 60 lb to 80 lb approximately. Somewhere around the second year the breed stops growing in size, and by that time they are already weighing anywhere above 60 lb.

The Labrador reaches its ideal weight when it looks slender, yet muscular.

Tip to Check for Ideal Labrador Weight

The best tip for finding out whether it is the ideal weight or not is by being able to see the ribs, but not being able to count them all.

Overall these dogs look muscular. For this breed, maintaining such a big size with activity is very important and a good and balanced diet is, without a doubt, equally important.

Conclusion

Consequently, specifically saying that a Labrador retriever pet of any particular age should weigh x amount of lb is not possible. It depends on the litter where it originated from, how much activity the dog can indulge and how healthy the diet fed to him or her is.

By: Yves Juliaan

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Mesothelioma Asbestos

Organic foods in general are rapidly becoming more popular for both humans and our pets. They are no longer prohibitively expensive as the demand for better quality foods has increased and production risen to cope with this demand. We now understand the benefits of naturally grown foods and many people will only consider using organic dog food and also organic puppy food.

Much of the regular commercially available dog foods contain a variety of poor quality ingredients which, in some cases, can include ground animal carcasses. The waste products of animals after the meat has been stripped for human consumption is one of the usual ingredients in many dog foods. Sometimes even meat that is of such poor quality that it is unfit for human consumption is included. This can even mean diseased carcasses. Other large animals that have passed away from natural causes can find their way into pet foods, often without there being any testing done to establish the cause of death. The thought of letting your puppy eat something that he found dead on the side of the road is frightful and something which may lead you to consider using an organic puppy food.

A puppy is just the same as a small child. They are not yet equipped with the superb immune system that their parents have. It has to be admitted that their natural immunity to disease and infection far outweighs that of a human, but as a small puppy it cannot be taken for granted that they can fight all of the bugs that may be present in some of the lower quality foods available. An organic puppy food will allow their immune system and tolerance levels to grow healthily and without causing undue stress to their newly installed digestive systems. There have been reports of outdated supermarket produce being used in pet foods. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Much of the time the products are still very much fit for consumption and it is very wasteful to dispose of these into a landfill site. However, some of these reports claim that, occasionally, time is not spent in removing the packaging of the products and Styrofoam and other containers are ground up, along with the foods. This all finds it way into your pets body systems. You do not have to be an expert to know that Styrofoam is not a known contributor to a healthy coat and bright eyes!

Organic puppy food will also lessen the chances of your pet suffering with allergies. Many extensive farmers will use a variety of pesticides and chemicals in the growing of their crops. Usually this is only small amounts and causes no harm. However, if you bear in the mind the size of your pet, particularly if he is a puppy, and also the fact that they will be eating the same foods on a daily basis, this can add up to a potentially harmful amount. Many of these chemical can be responsible for allergies in your pet. Sometimes they can be only mild but may still result in a dull skin and coat.

Organic puppy food is now readily available at pet stores and even grocery stores and no longer has to be prepared at home. This means that it is a viable alternative to regular dog food and will ensure that you are doing the best you can to give your friend a great start in life.

By: Ian Pennington

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It is difficult for a dog owner to decide as to when to get their dog neutered. If the dog owner does not want the dog to breed and feels that it is best to neuter the pet for good health and well-being, they should proceed with the surgery.

Plan to neuter you male puppy as it begins growing up. Generally dogs enter puberty at six months of age. It would be better if the dog is neutered a little before this age.

It certainly isn’t advisable to carry out surgery on a newly born puppy. The best age to get a puppy neutered is before it attains sexual maturity. As a pup matures, its testicles descend fully which is essential for performing surgery. Professionals recommend neutering between the age of three and six months.

Many dog owner feel that neutering the puppy too soon could affect the physical development and personality negatively. In fact, it is the opposite. Early neutering prevents aggressive behavior which can become part of a dog’s nature.

There is another myth that surrounds neutering: that neutered dogs do not make playful companions. This is certainly not true. Being playful comes naturally to canines. So your dog will continue to remain playful whether it is neutered or not.

When you purchase a dog, check with the breeder its exact age. As this will be beneficial as you decide when to neuter the puppy. A breeder can supply you with the useful information and tips regarding caring of puppy according to its breed.

If you are not planning to breed your pup, take his opinion on when and where to get the pup neutered. Reputable breeders will have excellent information about the dogs’ personality and health conditions. So you are likely to get information if there are some breed-specific suggestions for your puppy.

Of course, not everyone purchases dogs from breeders. Some may adopt a dog from the street or a shelter. Here you will not have the advantage of knowing the dogs’ age. Fortunately, most shelters have the pets neutered before sending it out for adoption. Discuss this with them before you adopt. A veterinarian will help you make a guess about your pets’ age as well.

By: Katie Appleby

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Student Loan Consolidation