Labrador Puppies
Lab puppies grow up fast! They bring a lot of joy, but quite a few challenges too. This page is your doorway to a vast library of information dedicated to helping you care for your Labrador puppy. You can use the links here to go quickly to the help you need, when you need it most.
Caring For Your New Labrador Puppy
Let’s start with some basic guides to puppy care. And help you with managing your puppy’s behavior.
getting started
It all starts here
your puppy guides
Puppy care basics
puppy behavior
Common problems
puppy GEAR
Things you might need
You can also search this site for the answers to your puppy questions
find more information about your puppy problem
Search For Puppy Answers
One of the great things about Labradors is their good nature. But did you know that even Labs need a little help in this direction?
Puppy Development And Growth
Puppy development is another area that can cause some worries. You may wonder if your puppy weighs enough, or too much. Or worry that they are not growing fast enough, or that they are much smaller than other puppies the same age. You’ll find information to help you in the articles below.
It’s fun to peek at what’s in store for you as your puppy grows and develops. But if you haven’t chosen your puppy yet, then you’ll need some information about planning, choosing and preparing for your new pup.
We’ll look at puppy planning before moving on to the puppy training and resources sections.
Need help planning your puppy?
Let’s get you started!
Not every Labrador puppy for sale is a great potential pet. Some will grow up to have health or temperament issues. And you need to know how to avoid these. Labrador puppies can be found in a huge range of prices, from $500 – $2500 and cheaper puppies aren’t necessarily a bargain. Check out How To Find A Good Breeder for more information
Preparing For Your Puppy
Good preparation creates a smoother transition into dog ownership. Make sure you have a plan in mind for who is going to care for your pup during the day if you work full time.
Doing things like puppy proofing your house before your dog arrives, will make the transition easier. Adding baby gates to the doorways, buying a puppy playpen, and removing any access to small objects or cables will all help.
Resources For Labrador Puppy Parents
You’ll find a fantastic community of Labrador puppy parents on our Labrador Facebook page. We also have a Facebook support group for dog parents with many Labrador members and other breeds and breed mixes too. It’s called Dogsnet Training & Support. You are very welcome to join.
Introducing
The Happy Puppy Handbook
a guide to the first few months
Puppy parents often ask me which book they need to help them raise a new puppy. I’m biased of course because I wrote The Happy Puppy Handbook. It’s a complete guide to a puppy’s first few months. And there are plenty of reviews to read before you make up your mind
VIEW ON AMAZON…(paid link)
(paid link)Once you puppy has settled in, you’ll want to start thinking about training.
Training Your Puppy
Modern puppy training is a lot of fun. We train puppies using games and lots of great rewards. Here are some key resources.
You’ll find information on obedience training in our main training section. And you can check out my online puppy courses over on the Dogsnet website.
Solving Puppy Problems
No-one gets through puppyhood without a few challenges! Here are some articles to help when you get stuck!
My lab is shedding his hairs from the leg how to stop
There can be many causes for hair loss. When you see your vet about his ‘bug’ he will be able to look at the hair loss problems too.
Pippa
I hav a black lab of 2 yr 6 mnth he hav bugs and when we take out so much blood is coming please help me how to take out the bugs
Hi Priti, your dog needs to see a vet. I hope he is ok.
Pippa
We hav a beautiful 10 week old chocolate lab, we have just noticed that his adult coat is comming through already!! Just wondered if this has happened with any one else and is it normal? The vet says he’s happy and healthy although this doesn’t explain why it’s happened. Also he weighs 9kg at 10 week what size is he likely to grow to?
Thanks
Hi, I have a golden Labrador itz 1 month so how many times I need 2 give meal 2 him per day.
Hello Pippa, I have a 12 week old lab and she has only been with us 2 days she has had her first jab and due for her second in the next few days..
I would just like some advice on how much food we should be giving her and how often as she has just been trying to vomit but I dont think she is ill but I may of fed her a little too much food… thx Sue
Hi Sue, if you are feeding commercial puppy food (kibble) you need to be guided by the recommendations on the packet. Divide the daily ration into three or four small meals. If she keeps vomiting, do get the vet to check her over, as small pups can go downhill quite rapidly. You may need to adjust quantities to suit your puppy if she is getting too fat or too skinny. You might also enjoy the forums where you can get help and support from experienced Labrador owners.
Pippa
Hi….I just got a new pup about 38 days…got to know from your site its too young for them ..kindly guide what to do as I can’t return it.weare vegetarians and can give non veg….so far I have given him milk rice and idlis…and he liked it…pls suggest veggie diet…thanks anjali
Hi,
My 4 months old labrador puppy is losing his milk teeths. He is very irritated and refuses to sleep. He is having some problem like bleeding from gums. How can I help him to provide some relief? Please suggest some solutions.
Hi Priya,
Teething does not normally make puppies irritable or interfere with sleep. There may be a little trace of blood when a tooth comes out, but other than this, gums should not bleed. It is probably a good idea to get your puppy checked over by your vet. He will also want to chew so you will need to provide him with some indestructible chew toys.
Pippa
the food … i mean diet which we are providing is ok or excessive can you tell us that?
I have a 4 months 3 weeks labrador.
Weight = 25kg
Height = 19 Inch
He eats 150 gm pedigree dry food at morning
300 gm Rice & 300 chicken boiled together with pinch of turmeric and same repeatedly at night.
A month and a half back he got some tick and fleas so we use ek-tek teak powder but itching was still there and vet suggested to move to tick and fleas spray.
We used and then very next day huge hair fall started with lot of itching.
Now its been 3 weeks hair fall reduces but itching is still there. He is getting rashes everyday. Vet is giving anti itching tablet and injection as well but problem is still there.
We are from india.
What do you suggest? What should we do?
Hi, you need to go back to your vet and if necessary get a second opinion. No-one can diagnose a medical problem over the internet. Good luck with your puppy. Pippa
happy mornin..,
i hav 2months black retriver puppy..,can anyone Suggest the Best puppy food or receipes to prepare in home(VEG) and he’s loosing his hairs.., can i know the problem and solution for tat.., pls anyone suggest..,
My dog is crying and pouting and I feel sorry for her what should I do
Need a bit more information Rebekah, how old is your dog, and in what situations is she crying?
Hi, I have a 31/2 year old Labrador. She weighs 32 Kgs but doesn’t seem over weight to me. Firstly is she over weight?? Secondly how many times do I need to feed her. Right now i feed her twice daily but everyone suggest that I can reduce her meals to 1 a day. Is that right?? I cant let my baby starve. Please advise
hi 🙂 i have a white labra of 25 to 28 days female.. and i am just giving her a milk ?.. its her first night in my home andd she woke up every 30 to 40 min and she is to noisy and she love to sleep on my tummy or on my laps 😛 and i cant sleep whole night .. tell me please any solution? or what should i feed her ?? thanks 🙂
Hi Omer, please check out the note above on puppies under seven weeks old. Pippa
Hi Pippa
Can you help me …..so many people say chocolates are dopey compared to the golden /black , especially if both parents are chocolate. I know you have Racheal a chocolate Labrador, she looks adorable. i’ve been reading your blog about her training and how well she is doing but is it that she’s doing well because of your expertise in training or that chocolate really aren’t that daft ? Have you heard that they are more daft if both parents are chocolate ?
Set my heart on getting a choc Lab but getting lot’s of negative reports about them !
Please help with getting my head clearer on my decision making
Many thank’s
Kerry
Hi Kerry, what are your hopes for your dog? Are you wanting to train for a sport like gundog work or agility? Or are you simply looking for an obedient pet? Unless you are wanting to get involved with specialist training, any Labrador is sufficiently intelligent/able, to be trained as a well mannered pet.
Pippa
Thanks for getting back to me, I have bought both Total Recall and the Gundog club books and have decided against the gun dog training as I already have a cat that brings home unwanted presents for me 🙂 so it would be for an obedient pet type training, although saying that I would like like to do the agility classes too for fun !
So do you think I’m worrying too much ?
Kerry
Hi Kerry,
There are no guarantees with puppies, and they all have their little quirks, but yes, you are worrying too much. 🙂 If a chocolate appeals to you, then go for it. If you like the idea of agility, you might find a working bred Labrador a better bet, not because of the brain, but because they are faster and more agile.
Pippa
Hi, I am after some advice on our (large) 13 week old black lab, milo. he seems to be finding it hard to understand toilet training (mainly in the evenings) despite our best efforts. (He is in a crate size 107cm x 71cm x 76cm and i have also got a crate style pen around this where he can use the toilet, (without this area he would toilet in his crate) whilst sometimes I can go out in the day for up to 2-3 hours he may/may not dirty his pen, however we are currently trying everything we possibly can he is still weeing and dirtying during the night even though his last feed is at 5.30pm and we remove his water between 7.30pm and 9pm his bedtime is 9pm but we do wake him between 10 & 11 pm and take him outside, last night he did 2 massive poo’s at 10.30pm and we got up at 6.30am to 2 more massive poo’s (this is usual most mornings) 🙁 we are at our wits end as he has 3 feeds a day at 110g (110g was recommended by the breeder for his age) of wainwright food, his first been 7am second 12 noon and final feed 5.30pm we just can’t understand how or why he is pooing so much and so often, also we have noticed a dramatic change in his behaviour from around 5pm onwards whereby he becomes ridiculously hyperactive and is constantly sat by the door wanting to go out, so we take him out for up to 30-45 mins in the garden and he just plays we bring him in and within a minute he will squat and wee on the floor, 3 times yesterday evening he did this, (he is praised when he correctly goes outside!)although he won’t toilet when out on a walk. he doesn’t make a noise to go out so we have to constantly follow him to see if he is at the door waiting to go out aswell. We love our little milo but we are desperate to understand this behaviour and whilst I’d hate to ever have to rehome him it has crossed our mind as we have children in the house and a baby on the way the last thing we need is wee and poo in the house. I’d be so happy if you could give me some advice. He is large for his age and also he bites a lot which is something we are controlling by when he bites we ignore him for 5minutes. Please help as at the moment it feels we have been dealt a bad hand!
Hi Kerri,
From 10:30pm until 6:30am is too long for many 13 week old puppies to last between bathroom breaks. All puppies poo several times a day and it is quite normal for a puppy this age not to ask to go out. You need to start over as if he were a new puppy. Find a length of time that he can cope (start with four hours at night and 30 minutes during the day for example, then build on that. It is vital that you break the cycle of soiling now, whilst he is still young, or it may be difficult to cure. Here is an example of the sort of size crate you need. If it is any bigger, he will use one end as a toilet. You can buy a divider if your crate is too big.
You have not been dealt a bad hand, all puppies bite and many need very frequent toilet breaks. It is an intensive few weeks when your puppy arrives, but it soon passes and it will get easier 🙂 Meanwhile, why not drop into the forum for support and advice from other puppy owners.
Best wishes
Pippa
Thanks pippa I think I probably compare him too much to my mums 10 week old lab who is an absolute dream, I’m sure we will get there with milo. It scares me because I rescued a dog from the RSPCA a couple of years ago she too was a lab although not full pedigree like milo, and we believe she was roughly 3 years in age but she dirtied all the time in the house she was never trained obviously from a puppy and she had been mistreated it was easy to see sadly she had to be put to sleep last year as she had kidney disease that no one had picked up on from birth the vet seemed to think. Hence the sadness of me not wanting milo to go down the same road with the training!! Ill try all your tips and see if they work! Many thanks again x
Hey
I hv just bought a lab aged 1 month. After reading i am very sad to know that lab should be more than 2 month before i get him. But now suggest me wht all are the steps i have todo to take care of him and wht should i feed him to make him my super dog.
Regards
Sushant
India
My 2 months lap puppy is not eating anythng for past two days.. and has lost quite a bit of weight. is there any serous problem goin on with him???
Hi Sachin,
It is quite inappropriate for us to attempt to diagnose your little puppy’s problem online. Please take him to a vet without delay.
Best wishes
Pippa
we bought a new black labrador puppy and we feed him with cerelac……what should we feed it instead of cerelac??
Hi, this is the article you need Feeding your puppy
Pippa
Hi,
We are taking home our second lab in 1 week. We have a choice of 2 females. This is a problem because they are both amazingly cute and sweet but are very different personalities. The confident one is first to explore new areas and first to run after the kids and the balls. First out of the barn to see you. The shy girl would prefer to sit on my lap and softly whimper. When exposed to the same situation again the shy girl does warm up. She doesn’t seem to be startled by the kids at all just new situations. Both puppies have been raised in a very social home with many kids. I do not want a scared dog.. Do you feel that this nervous behaviour will carry on through adult hood or do you think with heavy socialization this personality will disappear and I will have just a cuddly sweetheart of a dog that will love all the adventurous things our family does and will be submissive. I must mention that our grandpa 8 year old lab, 3 kids and 3 acres can be overwhelming. This is tough as I know the commitment is a long time and I don’t know if a fearful dog would manage well with us, just as I don’t want a bossy girl trying to run my house. People say choose the more confident one but for some reason I feel sorry for the timid one with the sad eyes. Do you have any great advice in choosing a puppy?
Hi Karrie,
Choosing a puppy is a very personal decision, I might go for the more confident puppy, but it would depend on how I felt about the puppy when I met her and watched how she behaved. There is an article here that might help you.
Pippa
Hay this is my first pet in my house my lab is 3 month 14 days which calcium and multivitamins shell I give him for his hight and good grothe
Hi Mandeep,
You do not need to feed your puppy any supplements if you are feeding a complete commercial puppy food, or a balanced and varied diet of raw meaty bones.
Pippa
My Labrador puppy is 2 months lab it is too weak I feed it without biscuits and milk what ever it eats immediately it’s geeting motions what I do
Hi Rahul, you need to take your puppy to the vet. I hope he is ok.
Pippa
i have a golden labrador who is 2 months old and we were feeding him royal canin birth,now shall we swith over to drolls for puppies or could you please suggest.
Hi,
I brought a new Labrador female.. and she is 3 months old .. i DOUBT THAT whether she is lab or not as her tail is not as straight its long and curled one and she has got white patches on her feet and chest… and bites while playing.. can u guide?
i hav bought one month labrador puppy what food we should give t puppy . . . . ..
pls any1 tel me
Hi Prashanth
Your puppy is too young to leave his mother. You need to take him back and wait until he is eight weeks old before bringing him home
Pippa
Hey. I lost my 2.5 months old labrador puppy and found her about 3.5 weeks later. The thing is it was winters and rain season so due to that she was very weak. Her body has managed to grow to the size of a normal 4 months old labrador but the size of her head hasn’t grown probaby due to starvation over those 3 weeks. Can anyone hep with this? Thanks.
Hi Fatima,
The best person to help your dog is your vet. Hope she it ok
Pippa
I have Labrador 45 days it is weak and suggest me medicine or food for it and I am serving milk 4 times a day and I keeping pedigree also
hii i have a 4 month old labrador female, i am not getting it that y she is scared of peoples and other thing also..she is so shy also..
my 3 and a half month old black lab went into heat yesterday is that normal?
Hi Kylee, it is not normal for a dog to come on heat so young. Pop her along to the vet for a check up.
Pippa
mam, my 30 days white labra puppy has not started walking yet..he remains vry lethargic ..he doesnt evn sit properly ..though we had pupis from our female labra befor too bt all of thm wr quite active at this age…m worried for him ..are these signs of weakness or what is it….PLZ tel me
Hi Vina, your puppy needs to see a vet.
Hope he is ok
Pippa
hey thx fr repl..he has swimmers .i hv strtd dat vet jackt method .he has difficlty in breathng..gonna try evrythng for him
Hii ma lab pup s 4 mnths
she s losing alot of her hair
vet gave a tonic bt i dont thnk it s helping
plz help me
is it cuz of the hot summers ??
Hi, if the vet’s prescription isn’t working you need to go back and tell him so that he can look at other possibilities.
Pippa
sir i wanna know that my pup is of 2 months and he never barks a once a day.
Is there any problem in it
Hi Tarun, lots of puppies don’t bark, especially whilst they are very small.
Pippa
Hello Pippa
My labrador puppy is now Seven months old and a joy. I have noticed that her paws are slightly cracked. They do not seem to be worrying her and I can’t remember our other two labs having this problem. She is fed Betapuppy. I wonder if you feel that I should be concerned about this condition.
Many thanks
Hi Annie, it might be a good idea to pop in to your vet. Cracked pads can sometimes become infected, and occasionally can be a symptom of other troubles. In all probability he will tell you to worry or give you some moisturising ointment to rub in to them. But for peace of mind I would get it checked.
Pippa
Thank you so much Pippa for your advice. I will make am appointment with our vet.
No problem, hope she is ok 🙂
hii….i have 15 days old black female lab….i want to know what food should i give to her…although ..she is very small nd his parent mother is dead after giving birth to her ….plz advice me on this …
thanxs .
You need to contact your vet Shivam. Your puppy needs specialist care.
I have a 6 month and 2 weeks old female yellow lab. She is still biting my hands quite often especially when she is excited. . I thought she would be over this by now. She doesn’t do it to my husband only on occasion. I tell her no I give her a time out. I have done the toy thing. The yelling ouch. Its like shes so used to doing it. Will this ever stop??
Thank you for any info that you can give me.
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Yes it will stop, but when it persists this long it is usually because the dog is getting overexcited. Try to focus on keeping her calm. Have a look at this article
Pippa
Hai,
I have a 1 month black labrador puppy… it contain some pimples over it body what can i do? after how many days i can bath mu lab????
HI,
I have a Fawn color Labro, male, he is about 2 months and 15-20 days old i give him royal canine and drools in lukewarm water for food 4 times a day and the total amount of drools and royal canine are 1 cup exact even though the amount of water may differ, he is very playful and active and gets sufficient amount of sleep. But there is on problem! one of his front legs or hands shakes at some angle which is when he is sitting. So should i consult a vet for him or is it normal for a pup of this age to have a bit of weak or shaky front legs?!
Yes, you should check with your vet. What you are seeing is not normal.
Good luck,
Pippa
Hi,
I have a lab HUGO who is one year old. we are vegetarians and i would like to ask if it is necessary to feed him non vegetarian food. We give him a NON veg pedigree alternate days. He eats all kinds of veggies raw, cooked. He is always ready for food. He weighs 34 kg…is it a good weight for his age. Also if he finds food he does not want to come to us, even if we cal him. Other wise he is quite obidient. When ever we take him outside, he sits on the road if he finds another big dog than him…is this normal. Kindly answer to my queries.
Hi Lata,
My personal view is that a vegetarian diet is not at all suitable for dogs.
A dog’s correct weight is never just a number, it depends on the structure and build of the dog. You need to determine a healthy weight by the appearance and feel of the dog.
Your recall problem can be resolved by training. And yes, some young dogs will sit down, or lie down, if they feel intimidated by a bigger dog.
Pippa
Hi Pippa,
Thanks a lot for the immediate response. I have gone through the links given by you. It was very informative.
Thanks again
Lata
HI There,
I have a 9 month old Lab puppy and he is shedding his hair a lot ,he also licks and scratches his body a lot.. Do u have any suggestion for me..
thanks in advance
Hi,
I bought a Labrador female puppy ..28 days old .. Could u please guide me how to maintain it .. It’s having warmed milk with water and cerelac mixed Trice In a day .. Feel like the pup is not active at all .. It wake up and bargs for the food as soon it complete .. Goes to sleep ..;(.. Please help me out ..;)
Regards,
Surya.
Hi Surya,
Your puppy is far too young to leave its mother. You need to take it back to the breeder. Here is an article you may wish to read: Too young to leave Mum
Pippa
Aww thanks for that …;)
what is the signs of pupy affected parasites problems.. how can prevent it..
thank u dear pippa….
RAJESH…
I have a new lab puppy 60days old… how many times in a week washing my puppy..???
Hi, you don’t need to bath your puppy unless he gets really dirty. Bathing takes the natural oils out of his coat.
Pippa
thank u very much…
hi,
I Have a 3 monthold lab her height is 11 inches . what i can do to increase her height.
Hi Max, you need to get your puppy checked over by a vet. Pippa
Hi Pippa
What is the best way to discipline a biting puppy? I have tried giving her a chew toy when she starts biting us,but that only stops her for a few minutes…and then she starts barking and bouncing and biting again!
Thank you
hello i have golden lab 2 months and 2 weeks. he eats properly but is lazy. when i play with the ball he runs after it but then after a while sits then i again throw the ball he brings it to me and then sits near me and bits the ball but he doesnt play properly with the ball……i have seen that he runs for few mins and then sit done. please help me what should i do
A ten week old puppy cannot be fairly described as lazy. Small puppies need a lot of rest and have a very short attention span. If you want to teach your puppy to retrieve you will need to harness and encourage his retrieving desire which can very easily be extinguished by too many retrieving games.
Pippa
hi frns..i have a sweet young and very active lab of2 months name tuffy.i want to train him from now onwards.what can i use as treat for hime while training…
Hi Amey,
You can use part of your puppy’s daily food ration, and any other suitable food that he really loves. Little tiny pieces of roast meat are really popular and tiny bits of cheese.
Pippa
hi pippa ths is teja i have lab of 3 months it was suffring frm jondies and it was tottaly week plz tell wht i have to do
Hi Teja, you need to take your lab to a vet. Hope he is ok. Pippa
Hi I have labrador who is 10 weeks old. His weight was only 3 kg. But his tummy is already quite big and he eat a lot and his poop is quite massive.
I believe he is still underweight for 10 weeks old puppy. Is that right?
Thanks
Hi Andrew, your puppy sounds underweight, have him checked over by your vet. Pippa
thanks pippa for that answer but the problem is when we tie him because we are cleaning the house .the domestic help is scared of dogs so we have to tie him for at least an hour everyday rest of the time he roams in the house or the garden .he only chews his lead when he is tied,but he get a lot of exercise then why does he get frustrated when we tie him,
Dhruv
Hi there, I don’t think your solution lies with trying to figure out why the dog doesn’t like being tied up.
Your objective is to keep the dog away from your cleaner and tying him up is not working. The best solution is probably to put the dog in a purpose built dog crate whilst your domestic help is working. Leave him with a kong to keep him happy whilst she is busy. Crates can be purchased online.
Pippa
i have a one and a half year old lab golden color . he is very energetic get 1 hour of exercise two times a day that is morning and evening .in the afternoon he get to play in the garden with me but after all that he still chews every lead we buy for him .please help me with this problem
Hi Dhruv, many young Labradors are quite destructive. You need to keep the leads where your dog can’t reach them, at least for a few months until the habit is broken.
Pippa
hi friends,
today a honey bee had bite my lab but its fine but has slight pain on his front rignt leage shall i go to a vat or its not necessary plz advice thx.
A single sting on a leg doesn’t usually cause a problem, but occasionally a dog can have an allergic reaction. If she seems unwell, get her checked over by the vet quickly.