Recommendations for the selection and content of the retriever puppy
First of all, you must weigh all the pros and cons of these breeds, because Labrador and Golden Retriever – the dogs are quite massive, and there are plenty of wool from them. If someone in the family is allergic, you need to make a test in advance. Of course, the wool flies less from Labrador in the house and it is easier to remove it, but during the molting period it can also cause inconvenience. The conversations that, supposedly, Labrador’s wool has “antigenic properties” are unlawful and not confirmed. Nowhere in foreign literature there are no links to this “unique” property.
So, you opted for the breed Labrador or Golden Retriever and are going to purchase a puppy. Do not rush to take from the first litter, first you need to decide for what purposes a dog is purchased (a pet, show or breeding animal), get acquainted with the type of dogs in the country, may be a bitter disappointment, because Labradors and Goldenes fromAdditions and avenues are not always similar to what they can offer you. To familiarize yourself with the breed, it is best to visit the exhibition and not one, in order to better know the labradors, look at the future parents of your pet. The main attention should be paid to the bitch, since the constitutional type is transmitted along the maternal line and, in addition, a good bitch, a normal breeder will never be knitted with mediocre males. You should never rush with the choice of a puppy, confine the purchase for vacation, holidays or birthdays, because “it does not happen well” and a very good dog, maybe you will have to wait more than one month.
On whom – a male or a bitch, to opt for it is also not an easy task. With a male you will have to go to rather long walks, since, due to his physiology, he is not able to simultaneously empty his bladder. This is necessary, at least 45 minutes. And on the street, its main task is to sniff, licking the marks left by bitches, while the likelihood of infectious diseases increases. The owners of the male should remember that the competition among them is very great, both at exhibitions and in tribal affairs. Only a few are allowed to knit, and the need for them will feel the need to feel until old age.
There are much less problems with bitches in this regard. Tychka is (the smallest) once every half a year or (the largest) once a year, and on average after 8-10 months. If you do not want to start puppies, then there are ways to sterilize dogs. In addition, the bitches are softer in circulation, more sensitive and attached to the owner.
Choosing a good puppy is quite difficult and it is better to ask the breeder to help in choosing. First of all, the puppies should be healthy, cheerful, well-groomed, in a certain condition (not fat and not thin). A healthy puppy is cheerful, sociable, with clean eyes, ears, there is no discharge from the nasal passages, you need to look at the puppy in motion and how correctly it is anatomically complicated. For retriever, temperament and psyche are very important. If the puppy shies when a stranger approaches or vice versa begins to bark, then retrievers with atypical behavior, or too cowardly dogs, with an eternally tidy tail, or too aggressive, which is not permissible, can grow from such puppiesch dogs abroad are not allowed into breeding and removed from the ring, and in our country, unfortunately, this does not happen so far, and the psyche is not carried out. And if you are proved that Labrador or Golden is a wonderful watchman and a defender – do not believe it, a purebred retriever will never raise a “paw” to a person, will not bark along the trifles, but it will only devotely look into your eyes and wagged with his tail.
Puppy in the house
In order to grow a retriever’s puppy correctly and well, it is necessary to provide it with a convenient, dry room, without drafts and dampness, provide it with the sun, fresh air, sufficient walks and rest, a properly balanced diet and a feeding mode.
For the appearance of a puppy in the house you need to prepare in advance. It is necessary to remove all electric wires, sockets, extension cords. Hide all stitching and cutting objects, threads, needles, medicines, chemicals, etc. You will need to purchase bowls: one for water, the other for feed. It is best to buy stainless steel bowls with a rubber rim at the bottom so that the puppy does not drive this bowl throughout the kitchen, or in the place where you will feed it. Plastic bowls are less durable and crack very quickly, break or gnaw on the puppy itself. But you still need to purchase one such bowl – it is light and convenient for use at exhibitions or on the road. Should I build a stand for bowls? This is at your discretion. There used to be an opinion that if the puppy is from a stand, the height of which was determined by the height of the dog’s elbow, then he will have an ideal back, neck, etc. Today you will not hear unambiguous tips on this subject, the exterior of the dog is laid at the genetic level and what is supposed to grow, although, of course, the conditions of the external environment also play a huge role. Think for yourself and watch the puppy or an adult dog – time to absorb food is a matter of seconds, so when does it manage to spoil her back? And then take a closer look – what does she (especially the male) do on the street? The whole walk, lowering his nose into the ground, is sniffing something. And, believe me, not yet a single dog has spoiled the posture from this!
For a walk, you will need to buy a collar and leashes. The collar should be in size of the neck, made of soft leather and preferably with a sign on which the phone number is written. There will be several leashes: 1. 5 meter for ordinary walks; 3-5 meter for special occasions, for example, during estrus, the bitch must only be kept on a leash and for this you will need a leash of this length; The exhibition leash is a thin lace, at one end of which the ring is attached, and on the other – a loop for the hand and dressed on a dog in the form of a noose. The exhibition leash is usually selected in the tone of the color of your retriever – black, brown, white or yellow. This leash does not carry a holding function – it is intended only to demonstrate a perfectly obedient dog in the ring.
Golden retriever caught stealing food from the counter
If the puppy stubbornly tries to gnaw on furniture, walls, carpets, in short – to spoil property, then you can purchase a special spray at pet stores – anti-gnawing. Spray them on the places that the puppy has chosen several times, if this does not help, then you can buy a cage where you will close the puppy during your absence.
Puppy container
But first of all, it is necessary to determine where the puppy will rest, gnaw on his favorite bone and toy, that is, find a “place” for him. It is best to purchase a ready-made sunbed, and even better to put a container – a ready-made booth for your Labrador, which you can take with you on an air trip, and you can close the puppy’s house for cleaning so that it doesn’t get in the way under your feet or for the duration of your absence, so as not to mess uptroublesFor the Retriever, you can purchase a “vari-kennel” container in “extra-large” or “large” sizes. In it, at the bottom, you need to lay a mattress or rug made of a material that can be easily washed or vacuumed. The “place” of the puppy must always be kept clean and tidy, regularly shaken out and vacuumed.
Puppy bed
To accustom a puppy to a “place” is not so difficult, the main thing is to be patient. This should be done gradually, covering the puppy with a bone or a delicacy in the form of dried pig’s ear, for a short time. When a puppy is in a cage, in no case should you scold and punish him. You must remember that a puppy’s “place” is its sanctuary. And the cell should be associated only with positive emotions. The advantage of keeping puppies in a cage is obvious: they include whole wallpapers and corners, unspoiled shoes, and safety for your pet’s life, because in your absence it can gnaw through an electric cable or tear a pack of washing powder, medicinal substances, etc. Andget poisoned.
Feeding THE PUPPY
When feeding a puppy, first of all, it should be remembered that the dog is a carnivore and the length of its intestines is much shorter than that of other animals, and therefore, for the complete digestion of feed, puppies need protein food of animal origin.
However, there is the specifics of the physiology of digestion in dogs. They do not chew, but break food and swallow it with large pieces. Digging of nutrients differs from a person, and this is important to consider when compiling a diet and cooking. In contrast to the opinion of the owners, dogs should be fed monotonously concentrated feeds, the change of diet is undesirable. Another essential point is that when compiling a full-fledged diet, not only the amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals, how much their ratio is important. It is very difficult to choose and make the desired diet for a puppy yourself, because at each certain stage of life a puppy needs to either add certain ingredients, or vice versa to lower the content of any best storage containers. Now there is a large range of professional concentrated dry feed, in which the diet is completely balanced and food can be selected both for a certain breed and for each specific case.
For a retriever puppy, feed of such companies as: Eukanuba, Hill’s, Purina Pro Plan with these stamps of food can be fed from 1. 5 months of age, that is, from the moment you purchased a puppy and brought it to the house. The composition of these feeds provides all the needs of the puppy during its active growth. Thanks to the excellent mineral balance, dry food contributes to the harmonious and optimal development of the backbone, muscles and the whole organism of the puppy, which when feeding natural best storage containers is very difficult to achieve.
In addition, Hill’s has a huge spectrum of formulas for both healthy dogs and puppies, and for dogs suffering from various metabolic diseases, kidney pathology and liver.
Today, several more brands of food deserved, this is Purina Pro Plan, Nutra, Diamond, Bevi Dog, Happy Dog. It is only necessary to remember that the dosage of dry food should strictly comply with the recommendations of the manufacturer, depending on the weight and age of the dog. Usually on each dog food storage container there is a corresponding table. And be sure to provide the puppy with free access to the water.
To ensure the normal development of Bones and joints, we recommend using the drug “Happy Dog Artrophit” or “Gelakan”. For puppies, this is Gelacan Baby, it is a therapeutic and preventive drug containing the natural components necessary for proper nutrition and the development of Bones and joints. Regular consumption of this drug has a favorable effect on cartilage, Bones and tendons, during the period of rapid growth of the puppy.
For adherents of natural feeding also have their own recommendations and rules
The puppies are best digested and damp meat are bestowed. The meat contains all essential amino acids. Some amino acids are synthesized by the dog’s body, but this is not covered by this. Lizin and methionine are contained in sufficient quantities only in dry yeast. The absence of them in the diet leads to certain pathological consequences, for example, with a lack of lysine, the growth and reproduction of offspring is violated; Metionine affects the function of the liver. Various sources of protein (protein) – meat, fish, cottage cheese – can mutually complement each other, and never too many proteins in a healthy puppy do not harm the metabolism. A chicken eggs can be an additional source of protein. It should only be remembered that protein of raw eggs is digested in the body by only 50-60%, boiled – 90%. Therefore, eggs should be given cooked hard and no more than 2 times a week. In addition, the protein of raw eggs also removes vitamins of group V. From the body
The protein of raw cottage cheese (casein) is absorbed by 90 %, and subjected to heat treatment from 67 to 28 % (the higher the temperature, the lower the digestibility of cottage cheese).
All used fats are well absorbed and absorbed (up to 90%) in the body of the dog. With prolonged feeding of dogs with foods containing only saturated fatty acids (hard fats), skin diseases occur, therefore, vegetable oils should include the puppy. Stark fats destroy vitamins A and E in the body. Therefore, the puppy should only be fed with benign best storage containers.
The need for carbohydrates is covered with cereals starch, and only buckwheat and rice cereals should be consumed, and then not in large quantities. Hercules and pearl barley porridge lead to digestion, fiber excites the peristalsis of the stomach and intestines. Nevertheless, the dog’s fiber is not absorbed by virtue of their physiology and it matters only as ballast. All carbohydrates – cereals and vegetables are better absorbed after cooking. Potatoes and legumes are very difficult to digest carnivorous animals. The feeding of these best storage containers should be avoided, because they reduce the absorption of vitamins of group B. The need for carbohydrates can be replenished due to the stale of black bread, crackers, especially since bread is rich in vitamins of group V.
Lactose of cow’s milk is not split and does not absorb in the intestinal tract of adult dogs due to the lack of lactose enzyme. In lactose puppies, it ceases to be produced by 2 months of age. Milk delays water in the intestines; This can cause diarrhea, which can lead to deszbacteriosis. Therefore, it is better not to give milk to puppies to food, but sour-milk best storage containers can be used.
Most minerals and trace elements are contained in ordinary food. An additional need for calcium, phosphorus and magnesium is covered with fed raw Bones (and should be mainly given flat Bones – shoulder blades, ribs, pelvic Bones, Bones of the spine), but not in early puppy. Since the delicate digestive system of the puppy is not adapted to digestion of gross protein structures and feeding Bones can lead to digestive disorders (constipation or diarrhea), blockage or perforations (if the Bones are split into acute fragments) of the intestine, vomiting.
To regulate the mineral balance in the puppy’s body, it is better to use special mineral additives. There are many different companies producing these best storage containers. Among the domestic are “Smolli”, “Calcephite”, “Phytocalcephite” and others. From imported drugs, you can recommend the mineral supplement of the English company “Phillips” – “Stress”. This is a calcified vitamin supplement, completely balanced in calcium with phosphorus and vitamins. “Sleeky” is a mineral-vitamin supplement and many others. “Calcidee” and “Excel” – drugs of the American series “8 in 1”, which have an excellent ability to absorb by the body. If you find it difficult to choose the drug, then it is best to consult in a store or a veterinarian.
Bone meal should be avoided, as it is made from the waste of meat production, fallen animals or those who were forced to die.
The dog’s body is able to synthesize vitamins C and K. Sources of other vitamins include liver, dry yeast, herbs, carrots, and apples. But if there are too many plant foods in the puppy’s diet, then the dose of minerals should be increased, since plant foods create a micronutrient deficiency, forming insoluble salts in the intestines.
In general, digestion is: crude protein – 90%; fat – 75-90%; carbohydrates – 70-80%; minerals – up to 50%.
The puppy’s diet (daily) should consist of: – meat food – 50-60 g/kg of the puppy’s weight;- fat – 3-6 g / kg of weight or 1/10 of the amount of meat;- carbohydrates – 15-18 g / kg of weight or 1/2 of the amount of meat.
For adult dogs, these figures are 2-3 times lower. And the ratio of protein to vegetable food for a puppy should be 3:1, and for an adult dog – 2:1.
The frequency of feeding is determined depending on the age of the animal:
So, the main sources of protein are meat, fish, cottage cheese, squid (boiled); fats – vegetable oils and animal fats contained in meat; carbohydrates – cereals – buckwheat and rice, black bread crackers; minerals – ready-made mineral supplements, and if they do not include vitamins, then you should add either oil vitamins “Tetravit” (A, D, E, K), “Trivit” (A, D, E) + dry yeast (gr. At). Or a special vitamin supplement for puppies, which you can buy at any pet store.
Vaccination
At the age of 7-8 weeks, your puppy needs to carry out the first vaccination. Before that, 10 days before vaccination, deworming needs to be carried out. To do this, you can purchase both veterinary drugs in specialized animal stores (Feettal, Drontal +, Drontal 8, Rintal), and in the usual pharmacy – Vermox, Valbazen, Decaris, Pirantel. The dosage should be indicated on the dog food storage container of the drug depends on the weight of the puppy, but if you doubt, it is better to consult a veterinarian. We do not recommend using domestic vaccines, especially irregularly, since their production leaves much to be desired. And the existing theory that the supposedly domestic vaccines are adapted to our virus is erroneous, since, for example, a carnivorous plate of carnivorous plague, our country purchases it abroad. Usually, when vaccinating puppies, we use the irrigation vaccines of the French company Ron Merier, which have proven themselves from the best side. These are trivirovax vaccines (carnivorous plague, hepatitis, parvovirus enteritis), tetradog (plague, hepatitis, enteritis, leptospirosis), hexadog (plague, hepatitis, enteritis, leptospirosis, rabies).
Us production vaccine – vangard (plague, hepatitis, enteritis, leptospirosis, adenovirosis, paragraph).
The Holland Vaccine – Nobi-Wak Polyvalent, several brands (plague, hepatitis, enteritis, leptospirosis) and the same + rabies. It is not recommended to independently engage in the puppy vaccination, since the veterinarian knows better the existing vaccination procedure, the regime and terms of revaccination, because each company is developing its own recommendations. For example, Ron Merier involves revaccination after 2 weeks, and Vangard – after 3-4. It must be remembered that persistent immunity in a puppy cannot develop until 12 weeks of age, that is, up to three months and repeated vaccination must be made after this age.
After a change of teeth (6 months), you can repeat vaccination, although these firms do not give such recommendations, but in our far from sterile conditions we recommend that you repeat all the same. Each next vaccination a year after the last, that is, at 1. 5 years, up to five years, and then the so-called “immune memory” develops. After 8 years of vaccination should be resumed.
The handling of a puppy
A small puppy that appeared in your house already has a certain character and temperament. But the further formation of his character is completely dependent on you. If you handle the puppy too rudely and cruelly – it can grow up uncertain, shy and with an atypical behavior for retrievers. Another extreme is permissiveness. In this case, the dog can grow too “liberated” and “without complexes”, it is very difficult, and sometimes it is simply impossible to re-educate such dogs. Try to find a middle ground in your relationship with a dog, the dog should know what is possible and what is impossible. Do not think that when he grows up, he will understand that, for example, to take from the table is not good or that you can’t sleep in bed – all this needs to be explained by the puppy and teach him not to do what you do not like. A whole chapter is written below and I think that everyone will be interested in getting to know her.
The puppy can never be frightened, and even more so cruel, but sometimes punishment is necessary. This can be done in a pipe with a newspaper or in a strict voice to express your dissatisfaction. Usually this is quite enough to stop not to the extent of a shattered puppy. If in this way it is not possible to cope with the “bully”, you should show who is the owner in the house. To do this, you can take the puppy for the scruff and slightly, raising it, shake it.
- You can not raise the puppy up, holding it by the front paws – this weakens the ligaments;
- It is impossible to lift it, covering the chest under the elbows with both palms – if you take a dog so often, it will subsequently have “turned elbows”;
- You cannot allow a little puppy to jump from a chair, a sofa, armchairs, otherwise he can damage something for himself;
- You can not give the puppy to nibble Bones, wooden sticks, plastic toys. Because he can swallow pieces and damage the stomach and intestines. As toys, special toys can be recommended completely cast, so that there is a minimal opportunity to defeat them into parts. You can also give artificial Bones made of twisted bull Bones, dried pork ears, tails, hooves that can be bought in a pet store. You should not buy pressed Bones with dyes (usually red or green), as they often cause an allergic reaction.
It is better to train and educate a puppy as soon as you brought it home. This is the teaching of the puppy to the place, to cleanliness, to approach the call of the owner, prohibiting the team and much more. And if you purchased a puppy with a secret hope to grow a champion, then this is a teaching to an exhibition rack and an exhibition training.
Usually, in the process of educating the Labrador and Golden puppy, there are no problems. A retriever is a dog that tries to be as useful and pleasant as possible to the owner. Quite tough methods of education can lead to the fact that you will grow a dog with a depressed psyche, cowardly and unfriendly.
How to accustom the puppy to the “place” we examined above, and teaching the retriever puppy to go to the toilet on the newspaper is not difficult. First of all, you should limit the movement of the puppy around the apartment. For example, for a start, you can arrange a place in the kitchen, since here, as a rule, the floor is covered with linoleum, or tiles, and puppy puddles will not do almost any harm. The floor of the kitchen is covered with newspapers completely, and gradually removing the newspapers and reducing their area, you can accustom the puppy to go to one place. Sometimes difficulties arise if the puppies of the breeder were not contained on the newspapers, but on sheets, old blankets, etc. In this case, puppies often begin to dirty the mattress in their place. Then you should temporarily remove its litter, nothing terrible will happen if the puppy sleeps on the bare floor, the main thing is not to arrange drafts, and if you wash the puppy, you need to wipe it dry or dry with a hairdryer.
After you instilled your puppy against infectious diseases, after 12-14 days you can start walking in the fresh air. To begin with, you should not take him out into the street for a long time, if this is the cold season. In order for the puppy to immediately understand why walks exist, it is necessary to wait until after feeding and games his sleep is wet. Usually the owner knows how much his little friend sleeps. If you see that the puppy wakes up, you need to pick it up and go out into the street. Wait for the puppy to do your business, praise it, you can give a treat, and take it back to the house. At first, you will often have to go out with him. Usually the number of such walks is much larger than the number of feedings. At the same time, do not forget to remove newspapers from the floor, otherwise the puppy will not understand the difference between the house and the street for quite some time – after all, the place to send the need will be indicated. If the puppy after a walk makes a puddle at home – scold it for this oversight, you can even give a slap with a folded newspaper. Usually after 2 weeks, the puppy is completely taught to do all its affairs on the street and will be dry at home.
Walks with a retriever
In apartments, where there are no coatings on slippery floors, puppies often suffer from improper supplies of paws and the entire body. So at least up to a year it is necessary to create optimal walking conditions for your pet so that his backbone and the entire musculoskeletal system are formed correctly. An indispensable prevention of any deviations is full-fledged walks with a puppy. But you must remember that a retriever, especially a labrador – a dog with a fairly massive bone and, if you load the puppy excessively from early childhood, then such loads can affect the formation of the bone mosetal apparatus and lead to irreversible consequences. The fact is that the excessive mass of the puppy, thick, soft Bones and prolonged trips with a puppy are serious factors that provoke the vicious formation of the hip joints (mainly), indirectly – elbow and carpal, and which could not be in the absence of these factors before the end before the end before the end of it. Bone growth. You must remember that in no case should a puppy overfeed or unfold. The dog in normal condition should not be visible pelvic Bones, and the ribs should be felt.
You can not force an unformed puppy to run up the hill. Under such loads, the forelimbs and the topline are deformed, since an overdeveloped withers gives the impression of a bent back. The overdeveloped chest allows for a very wide set of forelegs, and to compensate for this wide chest, the dog tends to place the forelegs directly under him, with the elbows turned outward. Let your puppy move as much as he wants, walks should be done at a calm pace, in no case should a young puppy wear collars or harnesses with weights and, of course, no stress in the form of running behind a bicycle.
After a year and a half, when the formation of the skeleton is basically completed, you can start playing sports with your pet. Now small walks behind a bicycle at a trot will bring tangible results. When moving in such a gait, the dog loads almost all muscle groups to the maximum, such training can only be compared with swimming. It is especially useful to swim bitches after childbirth or false pregnancy. Swimming is necessary for a Labrador, it should be remembered that a Labrador “cannot exist” apart from water. The structure of his coat is such that even after a very long bath he remains “dry”. After the dog shakes off – look inside the coat; the skin remains dry, even the undercoat does not always get wet through.
Puppy CARE
To care for a puppy, you do not need to have a certain skill and ability. The main requirement is a dry, clean, ventilated room, quality food and walks.
The puppy must be examined daily, paying special attention to the eyes, ears, coat. The eyes should always be clear, without leakage, but sometimes there is a slight serous discharge. Ears should be clean, without discharge, of normal color. For prevention, it is necessary to carry out preventive cleaning once a week either with a special liquid for caring for the ears, or with hydrogen peroxide 3%. And inspection should be daily. It doesn’t take long to groom a Labrador’s coat. Get a special brush – “slicker” with curved teeth, you need to use it only during the period of active molting, in order to quickly get rid of the “dead” hair. Daily combing at this time will save you from excess dirt at home. The Golden Retriever is more demanding in terms of hair care, it is advisable to comb the dog periodically.
The first molt in puppies usually occurs at six months of age, and in order to avoid prolonged molting, it is necessary to introduce additional amounts of special vitamins for wool, including B vitamins and biotin, into the diet. Pet stores sell a special vacuum cleaner for dogs, it is equipped with a special brush and falling hair will be combed out and sucked up at the same time. By the way, females shed more often than males. This is due to the physiology of the body, after estrus, after two to three months, an intense molt usually occurs, at which time the dog practically sheds all the hair.
Retrievers should be washed as infrequently as possible using detergents. Soap degreases the skin and coat of the dog, leads to dandruff and brittle hair. You can bathe an unlimited number of times, but while the puppy is small, you need to make sure that he does not catch a cold. After bathing, it should be wiped dry or allowed to dry in a place protected from drafts.
Particular attention should be paid to the condition of your pet’s teeth. It is necessary to examine the teeth regularly, it is desirable to clean them regularly too, for this there are special pastes that can be purchased at pet stores. Tartar should be removed regularly, as its appearance can lead to an inflammatory process in the oral cavity, for this, contact a veterinarian who will provide qualified assistance to your dog.
With proper feeding and care, your pet will never smell bad and you won’t need to use special best storage containers. The dog will always shine, be cheerful and give you a lot of pleasure.
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