some question about lab puppies ???

Question

Hello to all dog lovers….i have two lab puppies 7 and 5 weeks old. I m new dog owner ..so I need some suggestion from some expertise…..i m not sure about how much I need to feed them ..coz they are always hungry and this is their growing time ..they are growing really fast …so I m feeding them puppy chow right now ..do u have any suggestion about any other food which is good for them …
Sometimes male puppy starts eating mud from ground …how can I stop him doin that …
Sometimes female puppy eat from male puppy’s bowl too …she is big and eating too much …so If u have suggestion about this ..please share with me too ..
Thanks and please let me know if I can share some other things with you …

Answer 1

Hi

No worries.. Put the food down and let them eat what they want, when they want right now, they are growing at an unreal rate .

Dont worry they will get fat etc...

However dont feed them anything but puppy chow,,, NO table scraps and cool it on treat like dog trreats as well... they need the nutrition from the reg chow.

Dont worry if they are eating some dirt , worms bugs.... BUT
depending on where you live,, make sure you know about any bug, toads and other local things that could be poisonous to them.

You should not hav to worry about seperating themt o eat as long as you just keep food in dishes all the time they both will get what they want.

Finally.... make sure they have VET checks and they have been recently checked for Parasites in the intestines... Worms
Just because you dont see anything in the poo does not mean they are not there.... so get them checked if you have not..

They can pick up worms about anywhere... Tapeworm is especially well hidden and can cause excessive eating without weight gain.

Earthworms, grasshoppers, crickets, dirt all great places to pick up worms,,, yup earthworms themselves often carry parasites!

Hope it helps and good luck
Labs are great....
Also you may want to get training them ASAP they are easier to train young and look out they love to chew chew chew!

Will even chew wood,,

Good Luck

Wismom

Answer 2

You have chosen very well. Labrador Retrievers are the best dog on the planet. I have raised many Labs over the course of my life and they are a joy and a great companion. They should be eating puppy food as it has more protein and fat for their growing bodies. When you buy puppy food there are directions on the back. It should tell you exactly how much to feed them. I would recommend a premium dog food not the kind you get at the grocer. They have a tendency to be gluttons so keep any other food away from their reach. They also should not be fed a lot of non-nutritious table scraps. It may seem that they are always hungry but that is the way that puppies are. Make sure that they have a fresh bowl of water available at all times. As to the dirt I wouldn't wory about it too much. Good luck and enjoy because they will bring a lifetime of loyalty to you.

Girl from the Valley

Answer 3

I would definitely say ask their vet what food they recommend.

Puppies generally need puppy food because they are growing. Puppy Chow by Purina used to be looked down on as a substandard food, but that's not the case anymore. The Purina Beneful puppy formulas are good too. We had a dog that had a very sensitive stomach and Beneful was about the only thing that she WOULD eat that she COULD eat, so there is that too. Basically, no, you don't have to spend a fortune to give your furbabies good food.

If they both are scarfers (eat all their food when you put it down) then try feeding them separately. If they are both grazers, then I wouldn't worry too much about the girl eating the boy's food, especially if she's not overweight or getting sick from it. Another thing that sounds silly, but you'd be surprised, is to switch the bowls. Unless she's eating all of hers PLUS his, then that probably won't work :-)

Puppies do chew on and eat odd things. One thing that can help keep them 'out of trouble' is good toys. I have always had good luck with Nylabone and Kong toys, and both make puppy versions.

We have a lab mix 3 year old. She likes the softer puppy Kong still and doesn't destroy it, but had to have a regulation 'adult' Nylabone from the beginning. The puppy one was too soft. If you don't like them eating the mud, etc. offer them a toy instead. Since they're puppies and playful, you can probably redirect their attention toward something else pretty easily.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Where did you get these puppies? 5 weeks old is waay too young for a pup too be away from its mother, and even 7 is kind of pushing it. 8-9 weeks is ideal..

But that's pretty much besides the point now. Buy the a good quality puppy food. Wellness is good if you can find it around you, but more important than the brand is the ingredients. Look for a food that has a specific meat or specific meat meal as the first ingredients. Stay away from foods that have corn as one of the first ingredients. You can't avoid grains in kibble, so look for grains like brown rice. The bag of food will tell you how much to feed to start off with and you can go from there (ie, if their ribs are visible, increase their food and if you have to really push to feel their ribs then decrease their food). You may want to float their food (soak it in water until it puffs up) at first for the younger pup. If you do that make sure you provide hard biscuits and toys to chew on to keep their teeth clean (doesn't hurt to start getting them used to getting their teeth brushed either).

If the female is stealing from the male, trying seperating them when they eat. Don't free feed them or they will get fat. Feed them three meals a day until they are about 6 months old.

About the mud thing, puppies will be puppies, just try to distract him with a toy, and keep him away from where he can get into things like mud.

Answer 5

Puppy chow is best until they're about 12 months old. Big dog puppies require a lot more chow than little dog pups. There should be a chart on the back of the bag that gives suggested feeding portions for your little guys. You may need to increase the amount of food you give them if they're still starving after they eat.

I hate to say it, but dogs eat all kinds of weird things, even mud. However, if you increase the amount of food you give them, they may stop eating weird stuff. You may need to feed them in separate rooms to make sure the male pup is getting enough to eat. I know it may be a hastle, but the extra step will help him out in the long run.

Answer 6

You need to have both of the dogs altered: the female spayed and the male neutered. Breeding dogs is a subject best left to peolpe with at least 10 years of experience with dogs.

The puppies need to be on a diet, of good-quality, dry food. Don't get something from the supermarket, try nutro or food for the puppy lover's soul. The good-quality food may be a little bit pricey, but it has more nutrition in it, therefore the puppies will eat less, also meaning that they will poop less. So in the end, the good-quality food is saving money.

As for the problem with them eating everything... try free feading them, meaning that they always have access to food. By keeping them on a feeding shceduele, you are teaching them that they don't always have food when they want it so when they do have it, they better eat as much and as fast as possible. Free feading them would stop this behavior.

As far as eating feces goes... all dogs eat feces.... dog feces, horse feces, any kind of feces. You must clean up after them as much as possible. When they eat the feces, let them know that it displeases you and tell them: "no! bad dog!" You can also buy food additives that discourages them from eating feces, try www.drsfostersmith.com or your local pet store.

Take the puppies to your veterinarian to get vaccinations, wormer, and heartworm preventative. The puppies may have been vaccinated by the breeder, but puppies need a series of vaccination boosters(about 4). Once the puppies are a year old, they will only need vaccinations once a year and rabies every three years. You will need to medicate them with wormer and heartworm every month. Once the puppies are one year, they will still need heartworm preventative every month but not the wormer.

Good luck

Answer 7

when my lab was a baby we used purina one puppy chow. they are growing alot and I would say give them a unlimited amount of food up until they are about 6 mo. then move to 2 certine times a day to get them on a schedule. with the mud thing he will grow out of it and it won't hurt him, everything is new and like any baby they want to try everything, be thankful that it is mud and not your shoes. try getting a variety of toys and chew bones and switch then up cuz they do get board with them and will go looking for something else.

Sounds like you are doing a good job so far don't worry about them eating to much you will see there aptites very as they go threw there growth sperts.

Answer 8

Make sure that you've had the puppy's dewormed and you may check with the vet about supplements that the 5 week old may need since it's very young. Keeping the pups free from parasites will also help prevent parvo.
Also, get some plain yogurt and add it to their food. It will provide extra nutrition and protect against diarrhea.

Answer 9

Sometimes it can be hard to decide because they are both so cute =) but i would say black becuase even though they may not be on television they are still adorable. If you are looking for a comercial dog or a televison dog, a yellow. But labs in general are just great dogs. There are also chocolate labs =)

Answer 10

in response to what other ppl have said, there are some dogs who will graze - if you put food out, they won't eat it right away, they'll keep coming back to it during the day. but there are other dogs who will eat their portion the minute you give it to them, and if you keep giving them more food, they will literally eat until they throw up (this is what my dog did).

the best thing is to ask your vet about the best kind of food for them and how much to give them. i would also suggest feeding them kibble (not canned food) b/c the kibble scrapes and cleans their teeth while they're eating it, decreasing your chances of having to get your dog's teeth professionally cleaned by the vet when they're older (an expensive procedure!).

separate your dogs' food when you give it to them - put them in separate rooms and only give them a certain amount of time to eat if they're "grazing" dogs (obviously if they're still eating when time's up don't take it away from them), but that way they will learn that if they want to eat, they will have to eat right when you give it to them.

and dogs (especially puppies) will eat the weirdest things, so i wouldn't be too worried about your dog eating mud....it's a phase that he should grow out of.