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!
i lve this site
How to buy a good labbourdor puppy
What want to look after before buying a lab puppy
It seems there is a lot of varying information about feeding your puppy bones. Whilst we would only feed raw bones, there are chicken necks that resemble the size of the osephagus and can be lodged in a puppies throat due to this. Bones that are not too little and not too big can be eaten whole by a labrador and I have heard stories about necks of meat being lodged in the throat of a lab also! While the bones would not be replacing the everyday diet but be given as a treat, what are the best bones to give that potentially would not cause any harm, fracture to the teeth or get stuck in a dogs throat for being too small? Look forward to hearing from you. Sharon
Hi Sharon, You can find lots of options for raw feeding here: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/raw-feeding-for-dogs/
HI
Iam looking to buy a Labrador puppy but each time I ask about hip and eye scores I am told the mother is not tested just the sire and I am then given his score. Is this usual I am struggling to find parents both scored in my area
Many Thanks for your help
i love Labradors loveing nature! I am looking for a miniature cho lab puppy and a small lab because I am over 60 and a smaller lab would be easier to handle.
Hello
We found a puppy in the garbage the day it was born…umbilical cord still attached. It was cold, wet and crying. I decided that I was going to take care of it and if it survived find it a good home. Odds, as you know, were against her but she did make it! She is 4 1/2 months old. We fell in love with her and decided that the only place for her is with us. My pup turned out to be a black Lab. I have never owned a dog & your site has been a lifesaver!! I need help with one major issue….biting! I’ve read your articles. Tried a few things but it continues. She bites us only! She bites when she is excited, wants to play and we don’t and when I take something away from her. I was hoping that playing with other dogs would curb the biting but she isn’t interested in playing with them. Any advice?
I have a female Chocolate Lab that is seven months old. She chews up everything she can get her paws on. How long will this stage last and is there anyway to put an end to it before I lose all my shoes and slippers.
I give her rawhide bones and dog toys to chew and she does use them but not constantly
Hi there, hope you find this helpful . https://www.thelabradorsite.com/how-to-stop-your-labrador-chewing-things/ . Do join the forum for advice and support.
Rawhide can be chewed up and eaten by your dog, then it swells up inside their intestines and causes a blockage. Rawhide is not recommended by breeders. Cured deer antlers
How do I stop excessive pulling on the leash with a 10wk old lab puppy.
Here is our article on leash pulling – do join the forum to get help with training your new puppy
Hi Pippa, I have a 4 and half months old Labrador puppy, she is very active and needs 3-4 walks in a day otherwise she starts barking if not taken out side. Steffie ( My puppies name) is on kibbles from the day first when she became part of my family. I am confused with her weight as some of my friends says Steffi looks overweight. May I know the correct weight chart for my puppy. Please help me out.
Hi Sagar, You might find these articles helpful:
https://www.thelabradorsite.com/feeding-your-labrador-puppy/
https://www.thelabradorsite.com/how-to-tell-if-your-labrador-is-overweightand-what-to-do-about-it/
I have a 5 month old Yellow (show) Lab. He is such a good puppy in always EXCEPT he wil NOT stop eating branches and wood chips, pine cones and nuts when he is outside. We live in the mountains, forest all around us. I’m at my wits end. And ideas?
Dogs do that because they need roughage, Get it some soft bones, not
man made rubbish.
hey I have a 2 month old lab have you got any advise to make her sleep better from Hamish
I think your site is wonderfully informative, useful and comprehensive and should be read by anyone considering making a labrador part of their family. I read it purely out of interest as I already have a wonderful 11 year old lab who is the most perfect, loyal, obedient, friendly and laid back companion anyone could wish for. I would add that, had I read your article before getting him, I would probably have decided that our situation wasn’t really suitable for a lab but, luckily, I didn’t read it before welcoming him into our home which was one of the best decisions I ever made because, despite all of the disadvantages of having an enormous, bounding, barging, overpoweringly friendly family member, he is absolutely perfect for us and none of us could bear to part with him. We just adjusted our whole lifestyle to suit. Overall, labs are worth every bit of inconvenience purely because they are such a joy.
As a breeder and trainer of Labradors, we have a particular training issue that irks us to no end, hopefully Pippa can weigh-in on this with us… many people believe in using shock collars as a method of training their pups which we vehemently disagree with. Labradors are high energy, highly intelligent dogs that are extremely willing to please and very eager to learn. We find shock collars to be a lazy mans forcible training by using the fear of pain. Like any human child, consistent regular attention to your pups training from an early age is all you need, often times people go through the “cute puppy” stage, which they should ask themselves if this behavior would be so “cute” when their pup is an adult dog…and nip that behavior in the bud, early. With consistency and regularity in the fundamental basics of obedience training, pups should never need a shock collar, especially a Labrador. Learned behavior begins at a very young age.
Hello, is there any advice about getting two puppies from the same litter at the same time? We’ve reserved 1 male and 1 female from the same litter but have now been told that this isn’t a good idea. Any help would be appreciated as we’ve already paid the deposit on them both! We’re willing to put in hard work but will it be too much for us?!
Here is the article you need Anthony – https://www.thelabradorsite.com/one-labrador-puppy-or-two/ you might also like to join the forum where you’ll be able to talk to others that have been through the same process. http://thelabradorforum.com
(Hucklebarry Hill English Labrador Retrievers, L.L.C., Professional breeder/trainers, Strong, Maine.)
….As long as your intent is NOT breeding, litter mates CANNOT be bred. As pets, there is no reason whatsoever that this is a bad idea. Consult your Veterinarian for spaying and Neutering… Labradors are high energy, highly intelligent animals that are eager to please and eager to learn. Most Labradors get along very well with each other. Be well aware that taking care of 2 Labrador pups is quite an undertaking for most people, since they are very high energy. Unless you are a professional trainer, it is probably best to separate them and train them individually for the basics.
I have 2 dogs. One year old Catahula leopard dog named Dixie, and a 4 month old Labrador named Chloe. Dixie tore open her bed one night. So we removed it. The next day, Chloe tore up her bed too. Is there a way to break this habit that she learned from Dixie? Or is there an article on Labradorsite.com I should read?
Hi Julia, Some dogs do rip up their bedding, especially when they are young. Have a look at these articles for some options:
https://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppy-beds-and-bedding-tips-and-advice-for-keeping-your-puppy-cosy/
https://www.thelabradorsite.com/best-dog-beds/
Best wishes, Lucy
My wife and I have had Labradors the past 25 years. I’ not sure how I came across this site, but I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful information. Learning lots of stuff. Old dogs can learn new tricks. Thanks
Thanks for your lovely comment Dave 🙂
Hi, We have two 7 month old labrador girls one black one golden they get between 3/4 walks a day they go to bed about 11 and they are waking up at 5.30 don’t mind 6.30 but 5.30 is to earlier making us tried they are in the kitchen with baby gate sleep ok but whinge and bark to let us know if pooed but don’t go back to sleep any help would be appreciated xx
Hi Margaret,
This article should hopefully give you a hand: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/night-waking-how-to-restore-the-peace/
Best wishes, Lucy
Hi Pippa
Years ago I had a black Lab…he was quite easy..a lovely companion…I will now be adopting an 8 week puppy from a top breeder…I have always thought of them as being calm, easy to train,quite obedient. …after reading books and articles I see many refering to bitting,running away,jumping, challenging to train.I never had those issues….also in terms of training there are so many different philosophies…way more then years ago…I read u books and also training u dog the step by step manual by Joachim Volhard and Gail Tamases Fisher…I will be training our new addition to the family and am now confused on which method i should use….how many times a day…for how long…thank you
I suggest you join the forum Caroline, where you can talk to many Labrador owners about their experiences and recommendations for training. Modern dog training is all done with positive reinforcement and that is the only method you will find on this website. I highly recommend it.
Hi Pippa,
I have 2 puppies arriving in a week and have just finished reading your book ‘The Happy Puppy’, excellent read. They will be 8 wks when they arrive and are Lab x Border Collie. I wondered if you had any training tips on dealing with 2? It’s not my first time with pups, we recently lost our 2 after 15yrs, but thinking has changed slightly and I’ve not used the crate technique which I’m keen to do this time. Thanks in advance for any guidance you have.
Hi Pippa,
Great website & book! I have a 13 week Labrador who is partially create trained! She’ll stay nice & quiet when we are out during the day & when we go to bed, but at about 5:30 she needs a toilet, we’ll take her out giving her no fuss and put her straight back in, that’s when the problem starts – she just wont settle when she’s on her own, we have been going back downstairs & staying in the room with her but not letting her out of the create, as soon as we leave she starts barking & crying. We’re worried about just letting her cry & bark because of the neighbours. Can you help?
Thanks Claire, have a look at this article: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/night-waking-how-to-restore-the-peace/ Most puppies won’t want to go back to bed after being crated all night. But as your puppy gets more bladder control, you’ll be able to make the ‘night’ last a little longer.
Comment:hi pippa. my male lab is about 9 months old. his average weight is about 20 kg. is its for his health?
Hi Sarath, have a look at this article https://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppy-growth-faq/
hi pippa,
I have a 6 month old yellow male lab. he weights 31.7kg so his a big boy. he is doing really well with obience training but when we are out walking and he finds a stick, he suddley changes behaviour and wont leave it or let me take it. he chews and eats them. if I try to take it he will either keep running away or he jumps up at me and nips. how can I change his behaviour. I have tried taking a ball and toy with us to play with but all he does is chase it then leaves it and goes on the hunt of a stick.
look forward to your ideas.
tammie
Tammie, this is exactly my issue as well! We live in the woods, so I can’t walk him outside without sticks being everywhere. Any ideas, Pippa?
Hi Kim, you’ll find some ideas here – “how to stop your lab eating everything” Do join the forum for help and support http://thelabradorforum.com Keeping him busy on walks (with games, retrieving, training ) will help, and at only five months he may well grow out of this.
Hi Pippa,
Is there any information on this site that wouldn’t apply to golden retrievers?
Thanks,
Tina
There is some, yes. Much of the training and care information will apply to most dogs though. 🙂
Hi my labrador is 7 weeks old and he has sloppy poo’s.He is on bakers dried food for puppies.Do i change it or just let him eat it
I would go to the vet and ask for recommendations.
Hi pipa,
I have a 7 month old black lab. Quiet intelligent. His weight is 62 lbs. I m feeding him with royal canine, but his face is not getting punch. Please let me know if he is a pure breed. Is long face a trait of pure breed or not.
Hii…
I have 3 months old lab of 3kg . I just wanna know whether I can give him cerelac or not as he used to have milk with chapatis and banana all the day long and sometime pedigree too.
3 Months old weighing 3Kgs sounds bit worrisome.. coz i just today had first vaccination for my 47 days old male lab.. he weighs 3.1Kgs.. not looks fatty at all….. i started giving him Cerelac (Stage 2 – Rice & Vegetables) since 30th day.. I tried train him ‘Focus’ or Pedigree 3:1 mixing with Cerelac but he gets diarrhea or vomiting after a hour or two…. However, Dr has advised me to train slowly for dog’s food with prescribing a digestive tonic..
heyy
i hav a lab cross she is 3.5 months old. what should be her ideal weight.
she sleeps or sits alot…is there any severe problem?
I m having lab he is 45 days old n when i m feeding him food drools mix with areion lac milk powder n. Digyton mix with it his.stomach looks out y so cn any one.pls.tel me m.in tension
Hi,
I have a 4 month old lab puppy. When we took him to the vet for a check up, the vet told that his legs were not straight and suggested that he should walk. So the question I have is that how long should my lab walk in order to be fit and healthy. Also we have a lot of problems potty training him. We tried several methods but none were successful. So I would be grateful if you suggest some…Thank you!
i have a lab puppy of 3.5 month but he’s size is still of 2 weeks old puppy.Please help me and one more thing he is without his mom.’
Hi – can anyone recommend a decent harness for walking a growing 17 week lab? We must be on our fourth. Thanks, K
i have a lab puppy of 3.5 month but he’s size is still of 2 weeks old puppy.Please help me and one more thing he is without his mom.’
Hi, Can a lab puppy be switched to vegan at his initial stage after having non veg? Where..can we assure that he would never have non veg at later stage??
I hav a 50 days old lab puppy, it is always sleeping, and dosent play please temme y
I have a 50 days old lab puppy
Hi we have a 12 week old black lab she’s so good but when take her on walks she sometimes just sits wont move or crys when walk but looks at me when she crys then jumps up any tips
Our 12 week old black lab does the same sometimes. He gets very distressed and cries/jumps/and pulls toward home. Would love some advice.
Hi tis is Nina here..I have a chocolate labby of 55 years old..his hairs are falling out..is there any specific reasons? Am worrying abt it..I think he is lacking in his nutrient supplement..please help me hw to handle?
I have an 8 week old lab puppy and wanted some advice on nail clipping and bathing. How soon should both happen? I see a lot of mixed information on when/how often to bathe a puppy. The general information I saw for clipping his nails was whenever he needs it so he gets used to it.
Hello,
I have a new lab puppy (9 weeks) and I am having trouble house training him. The first week we had him he never messed in the house and now he can’t hold it. I get up 2 times a night with him midnight, 2 am and then 5am. Is this enough or should it be more?
Also, what I don’t understand is that he holds it for 8 hours while my wife and myself are at work.
Your puppy sounds normal Chris, here is the article you need https://www.thelabradorsite.com/house-training-your-labrador-puppy/
I have a 2months and 4days old labrador puppy. Hes fur was falling. Is that normal? Do I need to Change he’s shampoo?
Hi ..my Labrador female had just deliver the pupies n now they are 10 days old and I want to that can I feed them cerelec becoz mother female is not gaining much milk due to that puppies are not getting suficent feeding help me what to do..
Hi JUST BOUGHT A LAB RETRIVER PUPPY BORN 1/29/15 HOW OLD DOES IT MAKE HIM? WAS TOLD HE WAS GIVEN HIS PARVO SHOT WHAT ELSE DOES HE NEED BEFORE TAKING HIM ON WALKS/PARK HOW OLD DOES HE NEED TO BE?
hi sir i ve bought a 45 days male pup named pepper my question is my pups front leg looks like a slight bend not straight as i am new to growing dogs lot of qus in my mind and he is running and walking ok but some times he leaps on his back legs, he weighs 2.8 kg is it ok ?and i am giving him milk & drools premium brand food and some says the brand food which i am using is not good pls help me with proper food brands & guidance
thanks
ANother thing i wanted to add, was that pickles is chasing our son, he ripped his pants yesterday and my son is terrified of him! We have told him to stop, but he never does ! Please help!
Hi, Pippa!
We bought our 9 week old Labrador puppy (Pickles) 2 days ago. We live in Melbourne, Australia, so the climate is just right for him. He loves to play all sorts of games. I know we can’t take him out yet, but can we have other dogs come over to play with him? Also, most puppies cry at night, but surprisingly, Pickles doesn’t! Is this normal?i have also noticed simple like spots on his belly. I have ne ver heard of them before, should i take him to the vet
i am doing an assignment and these were some of the questions based on two 12 week old labs i was unsure on if you can answer please do 🙂
1. Mrs Smith has left her two twelve week old Labrador puppies with you for one week. Their names are Hudson and Cooper. She noticed that Hudson tends to scoff all the food and Cooper may miss out.
a) On admission what are their weights and body scores?
b) What premium dog food would you offer? Why?
f) Is there another way you can present the food to help reduce this scoffing behaviour? (You can include diagrams to support your answer).
g) What is the easiest way to monitor their water intake?
hey there, i have a puppy which is about 1 month 12 days old. She is not very active, She always wished to sleep or always try to rest at a certain places. Is this is a normal thing or it is common for all one month old puppies.
please help me
It is because one month old puppies should be with their mother Varun https://www.thelabradorsite.com/too-young-to-leave-mum/
Hi I have a 10 months old lab I give him a half a glass of milk with boiled vegetables and veg pedigree for taste is it good to feed him milk at this age????
Your lab need a raw meat and bones diet OR a complete commercial dog food, not vegetables and milk. Have a look at this https://www.thelabradorsite.com/feeding-your-labrador-puppy/
my yellow-lab is going to turn 6months on this feb 8 but it looks small its of 19 inches only,is it proper height or small.. weight is around 15 or + (expectation) so is it in its proper growth.. it eats much of food 2times pedigree and 1x meat rice or egg rice as veternary suggested (.approx 650+grams) per day more than it needs… if it is small how do i improve height
Hi Pippa,
My lab is 2+ months old actually i wanted to know can i change the food brand?
Hi, i have a female lab n its about 1 and half months old, i have this problem that she only sleeps on my lap….what should i do abt it?