Golden Retriever Puppies 6 Weeks Old

Eight Week Old Baby Golden Retriever

After all those weeks of fast development, the puppies have transformed into independent little dogs that are ready to be homed!

An average weight for this breed at 8 weeks old is around 10-11 pounds.

They will be fully weaned, have basic potty and crate training, and have experienced a good amount of socialization.

The training process is far from over, though! The new owners will need to keep training and socializing them so that they mature into well-behaved adults.

Why Is Large Breed Puppy Food Important

Breed-appropriate chow is essential. Large breed formulas are made to offer enough sustenance, nutrients, and vitamins to a larger dog like a Golden. Smaller dogs have different needs than larger breeds. Smaller breeds tend to reach full growth sooner than larger dogs like the Golden. These bigger breeds need a diet formulated to support growth, boost bone health, build their immune systems, build coats, skin health, and build strong muscles.

What Does This Have To Do With How I Train My Golden Retriever Puppy

Its a fair question actually. But there is a logic as to why knowing the context might help you train your Golden Retriever better:

PRO TIP: Golden Retrievers can struggle with frustration sometimes, especially during training sessions, and may start to mouth at you when theyre feeling angsty. If your puppys silly switch goes off and they become mouthy or jumpy during a training session, this means its time for a break.

Shift to some play, and revisit training later we want training to be associated with fun, and not something they begin to dread.

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One Week Old Baby Golden Retriever

At one week of age, Golden Retriever puppies should have bulked up significantly. They will have doubled their birth weight. This can be a great sign that they are healthy and that their development is on track.

They should keep gaining weight every day.

Their eyes and ears wont have opened just yet, but it will be happening very shortly!

During this stage, the pups will continue prioritizing eating and sleeping over anything else.

What Is The Best Age To Bring A Golden Retriever Puppy Home

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The best age to get a puppy is a much discussed issue on the internet, with most answers ranging from between the 7 and 10 week mark, but with some outlandish answers going all the way up to many months!

So what is correct? What is the best age to bring a Golden Retriever puppy home?

Furthermore, what factors should you consider before taking a puppy away from its mother and litter-mates to start a new life with its soon to be new owners?

I think the most important things to consider are any long-lasting negative effects on the puppy by taking it away too early.

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How Much Should A Golden Retriever Puppy Eat

This is a crucial time for her development, and proper nutrition is pivotal in her health and growth.

Week 1 Through Week 3

Your pup will rely on her mothers milk only for the first few weeks of her life. Most importantly, puppies need the colostrum their mothers produce. Colostrum is produced in their mothers first milk right after birth. Colostrum is full of antibodies, hemoglobin, and growth factors pivotal to a puppys early development. While puppy formulas can be used if needed, there is no substitute for a mothers milk. Mother dog should nurse her pups as soon as possible after birth to give puppies this important boost. Colostrum cannot be recreated. It is custom-made for puppies by their mothers.

During these first few weeks, puppies will stick close to their mom. They are born blind and deaf, however, will be able to see and hear by three weeks old. Your pup will start to take small steps but will stick close to mom for now. Always encourage momma dogs to nurse. However, if she rejects the pups or has trouble making enough milk, reach out to your vet for guidance on a replacement formula. Puppies will nurse as needed right now. Do not try and wean a puppy too early. They are far too young for solid food right now.

4 Weeks

5 Weeks

6 Weeks

7 Weeks

8 Weeks

9 Weeks

10 Weeks

11 Weeks

Make sure the puppy chow you choose has a lot of natural protein. Protein is where she gets her energy, and it helps her grow big and strong.

12 Weeks

13 to 16 weeks

5 to 6 Months

What You Can Expect From Your Teenaged Pup

Between the ages of 6 and 18 months, your sweet little Golden Retriever puppy will go through their canine adolescence stage. Translation: theyll start acting like teenagers, and any parent can tell you that the teenage years are just as difficult as they are rewarding!

A teenaged Golden Retriever puppy can be just as moody as any human teenager.

Theyre going to be easily distracted. So, dont be surprised if it appears that they arent paying attention to your commands when youre outside or if theres a lot of noise going on in your house.Even if you give them a command that theyve obeyed thousands of times before, theyre likely to get caught up in everything else going on around them and do their own thing at times, rather than listen to you.

Its not uncommon for even the most friendly and outgoing Golden Retriever pups to become a bit introverted and shy during this time. Hey, when youre going through it, you dont want to socialize either, right?

Its also important to know that on top of their moodiness, adolescent canines will typically change their behavior, as well. Pups that were once angelic and well-behaved transform into unpredictable, destructive fur balls.

Youre going to find your pup chewing a bit more, tearing things up, digging holes in the yard, and generally being destructive. Youll also find that they start developing seemingly random and chaotic habits, like barking for hours on end for no discernible reason.

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Seven Week Old Baby Golden Retriever

At seven weeks of age, baby Golden Retrievers are almost ready to go into new homes. However, they still have a tiny bit more developing to do!

Around this time, the fear period will begin. This is another important phase in their social development.

The fear period is where the baby Golden Retrievers learn to be cautious. Its around this time that puppies would be leaving their den in the wild, where caution can make the difference between life and death.

The breeders will need to be careful to not scare or traumatize any of the puppies at this critical stage, as it may develop into a lifelong fear.

Talk To Your Veterinarian

If youve got a six-week-old puppy, no matter the circumstances that led you to obtain this young pup, you need to talk to your veterinarian immediately to learn more about how to ensure that your puppy is healthy.

Your vet can give you important information, like what to feed your puppy and when to feed them.

Of course, you may be advised about other ways you can keep your puppy healthy and avoid behavioral issues.

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Patience With Your Puppy

Patience is key when it comes to bringing home a new puppy.

Even if you want to immediately bring home a six-week-old ball of adorable fluff, you need to resist that urge so that the puppy can receive all the experiences it needs to develop properly. This will give you fewer chances that the puppy will develop behavioral disorders later down the road.

You should look for a breeder that wouldnt part with a puppy before it reached eight weeks old because they understand how important the last two weeks are to puppy development.

It may be difficult to wait, but youll be glad you did in the long run because it will mean that your puppy grows into an emotionally stable, healthy, and happy dog. You wont have a difficult time training your dog or adjusting to life with your new family member.

Check out our other posts about the development of Golden Retriever puppies:

Week 3 Training Your Golden Retriever Puppy

Already week 3time just flies. Soon youll be thinking about taking your Golden Retriever out for walks so well need to teach them to like wearing a harness this week.

Well also look at jumping up so that they can Sit to Greet. What good manners they will have.

• Teach your puppy to lie down So they dont block the telly of course.
• Alone training Yep, its quite unfortunate we dont get to be with them at all times isnt it?

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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.

• Find a good puppy class for your puppy

Overview Of The Training Programme And Topics Well Cover

Just to make sure were on the same page, you were looking for the ultimate guide on training your Golden Retriever puppy, right?

Good, then you wont be surprised by the long list of topics well be touching on:

• Coming when you call them
• Walking nicely on a lead
• Coping with being left alone
• Going to the toilet in the right place

Yep, youll most likely be using it all. But nothing to worry about weve made it nice and simple to follow!

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The Importance Of High

There are many varied factors that an owner weighs when picking chow for their pup. Steer clear of fillers, artificial ingredients, and dog chows that have low nutritional value. They also rarely satisfy the appetite, leaving dogs looking for more. The best food for your Golden will depend on age, gender, activity level, and overall health. Look for foods that contain meat or meat meal. Beef, lamb, fish, and turkey are good ingredients to look out for, as well as healthy whole grains.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials provides regulations and guidelines for dog food. Their standards are as follows:

• Protein 22% for puppies and 18% for adults
• Fat 8% for puppies and 5% for adult
• Calcium 1% for puppies and 0.6% for adults
• Phosphorus 0.8% for puppy and 0.5% for adult
• Sodium 0.3% for puppies and 0.06% for adult dogs

Note: Clicking the above links will take you to Amazon.com and TheFarmersDog.com, where you can get additional product information and customer reviews. If you make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Why Does My 6 Month Old Golden Retriever Bite

Golden Retrievers were bred to retrieve shot waterfowl , in their mouth by softly carrying them back to the owners. Accordingly, it is in their genes to use their mouths a little more compared to other breeds. If your puppy has a chewing or mouthing problem at this stage of his life, therefore, you should understand that it is something in his genes. Additionally, your puppy may be starting to understand and define his role within the pack at this age. As a result, he may start manifesting territorial behaviors.

The good news is that they have soft mouths , so when they bite you, it is usually soft and less painfulnothing more than simply putting their mouths on you. Besides, the adult teeth of most golden retriever puppies come in around 4 months old, so their mouthing tendencies will slow down by the time they are 6 months old. It could be still prevalent in some puppies though.

One of the best ways of dealing with mouthing issues in puppies is giving them lots of exercise and mental games to tire them out so that they dont have excess energy at their disposal to engage in the biting activity. Consider getting your 6-month-old golden retriever plenty of plush and chew toys so that he stops using your hands as chew toys.

Why Does My Dog Bite Me When Excited?

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Week 8 Training Your Golden Retriever Puppy

In Week 8 you can start working on some new skills like a hand target, generalising to different places, and teaching your Golden Retriever to use their talented nose and search skills.

Whats Next For Your Golden Retriever Puppy

Ah. You can breathe a sigh of relief. Remember how Golden Retrievers love to learn? Theyll be happy to collect the post for you one day.

Now that you know the big picture of training, why not have a look at some of the other training you can do with your Golden Retriever puppy in the Zigzag puppy training app?

Youll find a lot more in-depth training, games and socialisation advice tailored just for Golden Retrievers. If you run into some training hiccups, our team of experts will be happy to help you along every step of the way, theyd love to hear from you!

And remember: although the road might look long and wonky, like a zigzag, it is full of laughter, good memories and joy. Trust us, theres nothing like it. Looking for more great puppy training tips? Check out our overview of when to start teaching your puppy anything, next.

By Petrina Firth, Zigzag Puppy Expert

Fully Qualified COAPE Behaviourist and Registered Training Instructor with The Animal Behaviour and Training Council

In this article:

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How Much Should 6 Month Old Golden Retriever Cost

Golden retrievers are one of the most cherished dog breeds in the United States and globally, thanks to their impeccably gentle personalities, loyalty, and ease of care. Accordingly, their prices tend to vary greatlyperhaps more than most popular breeds.

Expect to pay between $500 and $2000 for a 6-month-old golden retriever. As you can guess, puppies that you will get at the lower end of the price spectrum are those from breeders without proper AKC documentations.

On the flip side, golden retrievers with special bloodlines tend to command higher price pointsaround $1000-$2000. But they are always worth the cost considering that they have fewer health issues, which often translates to fewer vet bills in the long term.

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Do Golden Retriever Types Have Different Growth Rates

The British, American, and Canadian Golden Retrievers do not have a significant difference in growth. Show dogs are often heavier than working dogs.

Dont be alarmed if your working dog is slightly smaller than the projected growth. As long as shes gaining weight steadily, theres no cause for concern.

Also, look at your pups parents, if they are smaller than average, your Golden will most likely be on the small side, and the opposite is true, as well.

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Socialisation Exercises To Do This Week

Golden Retrievers are like the dolphins of the earth. But once they do get in the water, they will actually seem like dolphinswater is just their biggest fascination. Go figure its what they were bred to do! That being said, none of them are actually aquatic animals, so teaching them some rules and safety around water might be something you want to do this week.

• Tick 3 more items off your socialisation checklist

How Much Should A 6 Month Old Golden Retriever Weigh

Like most dog breeds, golden retriever puppies are expected to hit varying weight goals as they age. So, how much should your 6 months old golden retriever puppy weigh? Well, if he is a girl, expect her to weigh between 29 and 72 lbs. Male Goldens tend to reach a higher overall weight, so expect your male puppy to weigh between 38 and 75 lbs.

However, the weight of your puppy will also depend on a few factors, including:

• Size of the Parents: The size of your puppys parents should be a good indicator of whether your puppy will be below or average size.

• Whether They Are Bred For Work or Show: Dogs bred for show tend to be heavier. So, if your puppy is a working breed, expect his weight to be near the lower end of the mentioned weight ranges.

• Health: If your puppy is suffering from an underlying medical issue, his weight and natural growth may be compromised.

Putting too much weight or growing too fast isnt healthy for your dog either. Besides obesity, too much weight can leave your puppy with a host of health issues, including hip dysplasia, skeletal abnormalities, and osteochondrosis among others.

At 6 months, your puppy may also manifest certain weird physical characteristics, including:

• Unusually long legs and tail

• Nose and ears may grow out

• Front legs may appear shorter than hind legs

But all these growth irregularities are normal and will normalize soon.

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