What Age Should You Begin Training Your 8 Week Old Golden Retriever Puppy
Golden Retriever training is best done early. But how young should they be? 8 week Golden Retriever puppies should begin training as soon as they are brought home, usually around two months. This doesnt mean that adult dogs or older dogs cant train. It just means that dogs are easier to train when they are young because they are more open to learning and more eager to learn.
Recent research has shown that 8 week old Golden puppies can learn faster. They quickly opened a box filled with food and could remember the skills for up to an hour. These puppies were able to understand the task much faster than their mothers.
Research has shown that socialization and teaching dogs new skills can help improve their behavior. A study revealed that puppies attending a one-hour command and socialization class received better responses to strangers than adult dogs in the same class.
Crate And Or Containment Gate
Puppies are curious creatures that often need boundaries. You can accomplish this with a crate and containment gates.
Crate training can be a lifesaver, and most dogs fall in love with having their own space.
I recommend a crate with an adjustable divider so you can give your puppy more room as they grow. Another option is to use a Cumbor containment gate to limit access to certain areas of your home.
Week 8 Saying Bye To Riley
We kept Riley and Charlie together so both would have the advantage of socializing with each other for a full 8 weeks.
Rileys journey continued with her new family on week 8. We said our goodbyes and we were down to one puppy. ð
And thats the story of our litter of English Cream Golden Retriever puppies.
Of course, if you read this blog then you know Charlies journey to becoming a service dog continues with the wonderful organization Cascade Service Dogs.
If you missed that then check out our recent article: Will my dog remember me?
So what about you guys? Tell us about your experiences with puppies and litters.
Are you on the waitlist to bring home a new puppy? If so, you might want to check out our article about a puppys first night home.
Did you choose your last puppy from a litter? Have you raised a litter? Have you experienced the POOP WARS?
If youre prepping for a litter then you might want to check out our whelping supplies checklist blog post to make sure you have everything you need before your puppies arrive.
Leave us a comment below.
I knowEnglish Cream Golden Retrievers are the cutest. I wanted to mention two final thoughts. If youre planning on raising a litter check out Puppy Culture DVD and Workbook. The DVD and Workbook have information on how to raise a litter of puppies.
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What Is The Ideal Weight For A 8 Week Old Golden Retriever Puppy
There is no standard size for a 8 week Golden Retriever. They are usually between 8 and 15 pounds but can be heavier or lighter. Their genes primarily determine their size, so it doesnt always indicate how large or small they will be as adults. Sometimes, the puppy who was the smallest in the litter may grow quickly to become the largest. The largest puppy in the litter might not always be the largest.
Golden Retrievers are a variety of breeds in terms of size and weight. However, knowing the parents height and weight will give you an idea of how big your pup will be.If you are concerned about your puppys weight, your veterinarian will be able to determine if he is healthy for his age.
Remember that while your Golden Retriever at 8 weeks, it will be easy for you to carry them around. However, they will quickly grow. Its essential to take time to cuddle your puppy and enjoy the moment before they become too large.
Learn More : Golden retriever weight chart
Buying A Golden Retriever Puppy From Us
At My Golden Retriever Puppies, all of our dogs come with a 2-year genetic health guarantee, a certified vet check, dewormings, and AKC paperwork. And because our puppies find their new homes by 8 10 weeks old, theyve already had their first round of important vaccines done.
We even go as far as protecting our golden retrievers with a two-year genetic health guarantee! Not only do we take every step to provide the best care for your golden retriever puppy, but we also socialize with each one daily so they grow up happy and well socialized. You can come by anytime to see and play with our puppies, meet their parents, and talk to our breeders!
To read what our happy customers have to say check out our testimonial gallery.
Ready to find your next family member? You can browse all of our available puppies here!
Real Golden Retriever Prices Buy Today
Now that you have the scoop about golden retriever prices, you have a great idea of what you need to consider before you buy a golden retriever. At My Golden Retriever Puppies, we make it easy for you to find your PERFECT dog. Check out some of the adorable golden retriever puppies for sale that you can bring home today!
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Golden Retriever Puppy Growth And Development
In this article, well take an in-depth look at Golden Retriever puppy growth from 8 weeks to adulthood.
If youre a proud new Golden Retriever owner, this is an exciting time.
Your new furry friend has a lot of growing to do, and you probably have a lot of questions.
Well look at how much a Golden Retriever puppy should weigh and the impact of nutrition on puppy growth.
Well also cover how you can determine if your Golden is too fat or too thin to ensure your puppy is as healthy as possible.
When Do Golden Retrievers Stop Growing?
Your Golden Retriever puppy will go through a number of developmental stages throughout their first twelve weeks.
When theyre 12 to 16 weeks old, theyll look less puppy-like and start to resemble how theyll appear as an adult.
From 3 to 6 months, your pup will grow so quickly, it may seem like hes changing every single day.
This period of rapid growth will slow down by the time theyre 6 months old.
Male Golden Retrievers generally weigh between 65 and 75 pounds and stand from 23 to 24 inches tall.
Females are generally smaller weighing between 55 to 65 pounds, and will grow to stand 21.5 to 22.5 inches tall on average.
When Will My Golden Retriever Stop Growing?
At 4 months, your Golden Retriever puppy will reach about half their adult height.
Golden Retrievers typically reach their full height by the time theyre one year old.
However, they may not fill out and reach their full weight until theyre roughly 18 months of age.
Small Parents
Our Golden Retriever B Litter One Year Update
Where are they now?
1. Berlin Our former first lady , Liberty first went to a puppy raiser home until she was 16 weeks old. Unfortunately, I did not have a puppy raiser to work with her for the full 18 months. As luck would have it the breeder we partnered with for this Golden litter was looking for a female puppy as a potential breeding dog. She already knew Berlins lineage and took her in as a future breeder.
2. Buster Our former little Trooper went to his puppy raiser until he was 18 weeks old and after a falling out with the puppy raisers we decided it was best to re-home him. Again, we did not have a puppy raiser to train him and we looked to a service dog organization we volunteered with in the past. We contacted Tender Loving Canine Assistance Dogs and set up a meeting to have Buster tested, and he passed with flying colors. They fell in love with Buster on the spot and adopted him into their POOCH program where he is being trained at a prison to be a service dog.
3. Koru Bear AKA Bear. AKA Tank. We kept our Lil Bear to train as a service dog. From the beginning, we knew he was a little softy, but he passed the retrieval test with flying colors so we had high hopes for him.
We started taking him on outings to the book store, grocery stores, and shopping malls.
He never showed the confidence we hoped and while he would eventually adapt to places after several visits he was always hesitant in new situations.
They said YES! And the rest is history.
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Praise Your Puppy For Pottying In The Right Place As Often As Possible
Achieving this goal is easy if you have the time. Simply take your puppy to the designated toilet spot extremely often.
When your puppy eliminates in the correct spot, you throw a party excited praise, treats, cuddles, whatever you can think of to show your puppy that they made the correct choice.
The more chances you give your puppy to eliminate in the correct spot, the more opportunities they have to receive praise, and because theyre empty, they wont feel the need to potty in the wrong spot.
Sound like a daunting task? Perhaps it is, but its also the first step youll take with your puppy toward mutual respect and understanding. Youre two species living side-by-side, but you are the one that makes the rules.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through all the important steps you need to take to house train your puppy.
Week 4 Training Your Golden Retriever Puppy
In Week 4 of training your Golden Retriever puppy, its time to build on the skills weve already been training. Well also teach some shiny new stuff like settling on a mat for all of those cafe and pub visits youll be doing. Bet youre looking forward to those.
Week 4 is also a good time to find a puppy class so you can learn from other puppies , and get some good insights from great teachers. You can also show off the training youve been doing for the last 3 weeks too, dont worry.
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| Meet another dog |
- Find a good puppy class for your puppy
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When Will My Puppy Become An Adult
Typically it will take approximately 18 months for your Golden Retriever to become an adult dog. Even though they can reach their full height at anywhere from 9 to 12 months, it will usually take them longer to fill out to their full weight. Remember that there are wide variations in size within the Golden Retriever breed.
Dont be too concerned about your puppys weight unless theyre way off the average. If this is the case, you should contact your veterinarian to seek advice. Its most important to know your puppy so that you can tell if theres a problem.
Do you have a Golden Retriever puppy? Please tell us about them in the comments!
Make sure you also take a look at our guide to puppy baths for a happy, clean puppy!
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Traveling With An 8 Week Old Golden Retriever
Youll want to take your dog out of the car frequently, especially when they are young. This helps them get used to being in the car and prevents motion sickness.
If you will be driving long distances, make sure your pup is comfortable before setting off. You may need to adjust the temperature or let some fresh air into the vehicle so your Golden Retriever feels at ease on their journey!
Take toys or treats along with you so that if they get bored while riding in an unfamiliar environment , theres something interesting for them to do besides just stare out the window. Bringing along a leash is also important because it allows you to keep track of where your pet is at all timesespecially if he or she has separation anxiety issues when left alone for long periods of time
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Why Does My Golden Retriever Have A Slow Growth Chart
The growth chart can alert you should there be significant differences. However, even good owners can have skinny dogs. The Golden Retriever growth charts can alert you to the common causes of slow growth. Occasionally it comes down to a change in the dog diet. Ensure your dog likes his food and that he eats frequently.
English Cream Golden Retriever Puppies
Ravens first litter of puppies was a light golden color. If you want to take a peek at some of her first litter of Golden pups click here.
Her second litter of puppies was pretty much all white Golden Retriever pups A.K.A. English Cream Golden Retrievers.
Here are our week-by-week pics and short descriptions of Ravens second Golden litter:
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Golden Retriever Growth Chart And Guide
Golden Retrievers are a widely sought-after breed of dog. The reason for their popularity lies in their versatility. Goldens make great family pets because of their natural dispositions, but they are also good hunting and show dogs.
A Golden Retriever’s growth throughout different stages of its puppyhood can be so irregular that it’s easy to wonder if something is wrong. In general, the answer is no growth is not linear for any breed of dog but instead occurs in spurts throughout the first 24 months of life. Nevertheless, it is important to carefully monitor your puppy during this delicate stage of its life, so it is both fun and educational to know the growth sequence of your Golden Retriever.
Golden Retriever Growth Stages
While charts are helpful for tracking your dogs growth, pure numbers may not allow you to visualize what to expect from your dog at any given point in their development.
To that end, we put together a brief look at various stages of your dogs growth. This will prepare you for what to expect at that phase of development, so there wont be any surprises and youll know if something is wrong.
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Why Is A Harness Better Than A Collar
Both dog harnesses and collars have been used for hundreds of years.
Although the collar has been more common over the centuries, sledding dogs of the frozen North and drafting dogs like the Rottweiler and Bernese Mountain Dog have been harnessed to pull sleds and carts since the 18th century.
However, the medical data available to us now shows the full extent of damage a collar can cause your dog.
A collar may hurt a dogs neck through long-term pulling and jerking or through a sudden accident that creates a whiplash effect on the dogs neck. This may result in a severe trachea injury, hypothyroidism, ear, eye, and nerve damage.
On the other hand, a harness envelopes your dogs shoulders and upper body and alleviates pressure on the dogs throat. Therefore, a harness is far safer for your pup than a collar.
Impact Of Nutrition On Breed Puppy Growth
Puppies that dont get enough to eat or are fed a low-quality diet may not grow properly. However, in developed countries, its far more likely that a dog is being overfed. Neither of these scenarios is healthy for a puppy.
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Larger breeds like the Golden Retriever are more at risk for growth disorders than small breed dogs. Its important to remember that both the type and amount of food are key.
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Golden Puppies Week #8 Highlights
Day 53 Temperament Testing
Lets start with temperament testing.
We took each puppy individually and did a rigorous test to find out which puppies would be best suited to do service dog work.
We already had a general idea of each puppys temperament based on observation over the past 8 weeks.
Overall there wasnt a lot of variance between our Golden puppies on the ten temperament tests we performed.
However, there were two tests that stood out:
I mentioned we performed 10 tests, but the results of the above two ended up determining which puppies would be our next service dog puppies in training.
Day 54 Choosing Our Service Dog Puppies In Training
And the next service dog puppies in training are:
1. Liberty While she performed about the same as all the other pups on every other test, Liberty stood out during the Umbrella Stability Test. She was the only puppy to enthusiastically approach the Umbrella. We knew from day 1 that Liberty was a confident puppy and had a good feeling that she would have no problem with the Umbrella. She lived up to our expectations boldly and playfully engaging the umbrella.
Can You Predict Your Puppys Bathroom Habits
If you stick to a schedule with your puppy, you can count on them using the toilet on a pretty regular basis. They will usually have to poop three to six times a day, but their urination habits might be harder to figure out.
A new puppys pottying habits depend on several factors when they last ate and drank, plus their recent activities. You can count on a young pup having to go:
- Right when they wake up in the morning
- As soon as they wake from a nap
- Right before bed
- Within a few minutes of eating or drinking
- Immediately after a play session
- Whenever theyre excited
Above and beyond those instances, your puppy will also need to go out at regular intervals throughout the day. Plan on taking your puppy out to their designated bathroom spot on a consistent schedule based on their needs.
Heres a sample schedule that works well for most puppies, but remember its just a guideline. Every puppy will be different.
- At 8 weeks old every 30 minutes
- At 10 weeks old every 45 minutes
- At 12 weeks old every 1 to 1 1/4 hours
- At 16 weeks old every 2 hours
- At 20 weeks old every 3 hours
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