Need help and some answers about caring for a new 5-week old Lab puppy.?

Question

Monday night I took home a (female) 5-week old Black Lab puppy. She is a female and seems to be in good health from the vaccinations/vet book. I know that you shouldn't separate a pup this young from her mother, but she would have been given away elsewhere by her breeders moving to another country and they wouldn't keep her (only her male brother and the parents).

Her name is Rogue btw.

I've one some reading around the web but still have some questions:

1) Is it too young to bother trying to start training her now ? At what age (how many weeks) should I start crate-training and potty training ?

2) She whines a LOT and doesn't seem to take to any of her new toys yet, so also playfully bites a lot (mostly my hand). She is not biting hard and is wagging her tail so I am pretty sure it's just playful, but her teeth are sharp. Any advice?

3) She has no problems eating, I give her some premium Purina Puppy Chow the vet recommended, is this good? Her poop is mostly firm and solid.

Thanks for the answers so far. I wasn't sure if I should even take her outside yet, so have kept her in the house but did let her visit my girlfriend's 3-month old dog which it played a bit with.

My last problem is she doesn't let me sleep a lot. I try to play and tire her out but she has a LOT of energy even still...she sleeps beside me but wakes me up at least 5-10 times a night. Any ideas?

Answer 1

1. Yup you can start her training..but personally I think crate training is cruel. ( how you like to spends hours locked in a little cage? If you can't let a lab run you should not have one!!)
2. she whines coz she's a baby! Puppies do have sharp teeth they will fall out.
3. Purina is great...don't switch to the el-cheapo brands!

Answer 2

1) Yes. Puppies are given to their new homes USUALLY at 8 weeks but sometimes its 7 weeks. So start crate-training and potty training around that age, or 9 weeks. They should begin to understand a lot better.

2) Puppies are bound to bite. Just don't encourage it at all, like don't laugh or pet her after she bites you, because then she won't feel like its good to bite, which is what she will remember as she grows. Then when she reaches the trainable age, when she bites, close her mouth (not over your hand lol), and say "No bite" or something easy like that. Stop when she whines. And just keep on disciplining her like this, because she will learn that biting is not acceptable.

Act like her dam would!

3) If the vet recommended it, it's probably pretty good. I feed my dog Iams, it keeps her in excellent shape and condition, and she's still full of energy at 8 (Great Dane/Lab mix). I would definitely recommend Iams if you plan on switch feed.

There's no problem with taking her out and visiting people, she'd probably like that. I just hope it doesn't mess up her future being taken away from her mother and littermates so soon. =( All the best.

Hope that helps, if at all.

Answer 3

There is nothing wrong with crate training if done properly. You are actually using the dogs own instinct need for a den. I have a German Shepard that LOVES her crate, and was quite happy living in an apartment. Don't let anyone tell you other wise.

You have got some great advise. Large breed puppy formula is a must. The better the food quality is the less poop you end up with. That's worth just about anything to me.

Good Luck :-)

Answer 4

Five weeks is too young to start training. Keep in mind most puppies are not separated from their mothers until atleast 8 weeks old. At this stage puppies are still not yet developed mentally or physically and to begin any kind of serious training would really be a waste of time.

I first met my golden retriever when he was 5 weeks and visited him at the breeders a couple times a week until I brought him home 3 weeks later. At this point for you for the next couple weeks I would keep the puppy in a room with lots of newspaper and allow her to relieve herself inside. You can try housebreaking her around 7 weeks but it could take a little longer then again it might not. Crate training is wonderful to help housebreak your puppy but again, I would wait a couple weeks before beginning.

Chewing is very common for puppies. My dog never chewed anything that he wasn't suppose to but my house looked like a pet store I had so many toys for him. (Cow hooves and the puppy kongs are great!) To keep her interested in the toys without having to constantly buy something new, take a few away for a little while then reintroduce them to her. All I can suggest to stop her from chewing you is to keep showing her the toys. It might take a little while before she understands that it's the toys she can chew and not your hand.

My dogs breeder started him on adult food (Purina Pro Plan chicken and rice) right away. I had mixed feelings about this but their argument was that puppy food has too much fat in it and they gain too quickly. To make sure he was getting the protien that he needed without gaining too much all at once I did mix puppy and adult food for a little while as suggested by my vet. Some breeders can be very picky and ours wanted their puppies growing slim.

Answer 5

Yes, she`s still too young. Wait another 4 months. don`t worry if she whines a lot. It`s perfectly normal at that age (5-week old). Puppies` firsts teeth are always a little sharp. Don`t worry, when dogs do not bite hard it`s because they are playing. If her bites hurts a little, try to make her bite other things more soft, like plushy dolls and stuff. As for her food, I thing you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work. And don`t forget to take your dog to the vet for routine check.

Answer 6

I also got my black lab pup - female - at 5 weeks old. She is now 6 years old. My advice - start crate training & potty training asap. Also, as far as the bitting - well - if she was still with mom then mom would tell her in her own doggy way (bitting harder) that it hurts!!!! Since you don't want a realtionship of bitting your pup back, when you play with her & she bits, stop playing. Period. Let her now that her bitting is leading you to not playing with her. Also - give her plenty of chew toys to chose from & rotate them weekly (give her some & take others away) so she won't get bored.

Now - as far as sleep. I think that I slept for 3-4 hours a night for the first two weeks that I got her. I thought she was slowly going to kill me thru lack of sleep!!! I tried everything. Played with her until she was exhausted & then she'd wake up after a short nap & and be full of energy again. Then, finally, after 2 weeks, she slept the whole night thru. I woke myself up to go & make sure that she was alive. It was a tough 2 weeks but if you make it that long you'll be o.k. I really credit the crate training with her finally sleeping thru the night. We still have her crate & we never tell her that she has to go in it, but she goes in it on her own free will for quiet time & still will take naps in it.

Good luck with your new bundle of joy!!!!

Answer 7

I agree with you on the fact that Rogue is too young to be away from her mother. The mom would have taught her a lot that you simply cannot.

That aside -
1) Crate training can be started from day one as can potty training. A pup should have access to the crate at all times and be coaxed in with a treat/toy/praise reward - pups catch on very quickly and will be quite comfortable in their "home".

2) Consistency with the toys is key. If she mouths something inappropriately replace with a toy that she can mouth. If she gets you, yelp or say "ow" and generally a pup will stop (as this is what her littermates would have done as well).

3) I would suggest a higher grade food. Labs do have a tendency to have allergies - talk with your vet. We feed our lab pup Nutro Lamb & Rice LARGE Breed Formula (you want a large breed formulation as well).

Enjoy your lab pup!

Answer 8

you should take her outside to potty frequently, especially after she eats and when she wakes up. be consistant, be patient, and give her praise and rewards when she does the right things.

don't let her bite hands, it will hurt later as she becomes stronger wtih her baby teeth. use bitter apple spray on your hands. give her a toy instead to chew on. keep one handy.

she will whine for a few days because everything is new and she is uncertain.

food sounds good for her.

good luck.

PS-- i have a 5 year-old lab. he ate everything when is was younger...shoes, clothes, paper, couch, pillows, sticks, you name it...he ate it. it took him about 3 years to get out of that. he is such a good dog now...very loving and protective of his family.

good luck. remember.......PATIENCE!