Last Updated on January 25, 2022 by Marco C.
Raising a lab puppy can be challenging, especially if you don’t know what you’re getting into. So, how to raise a lab puppy – here are our 6 vital rules. Of course, we can’t cover every topic in detail in a single article but we’ve gone over most of these rules in individual separate articles before – we’ll add some links to them as well.
The Basics Of How To Raise A Lab Puppy
Raising a lab puppy is easier than other breeds in some regards and harder in others. Crate and potty training a lab, for example, is a breeze compared to certain other breeds. Obedience training is also a joy. Getting them under control when they are playing outside, on the other hand – that can be much more trouble. Before we get into the specifics, let’s first go over the main items you’ll need to acquire before you even bring your lab puppy home.
New Labrador Puppy Checklist Of What You Need To Get:
- A dog crate of the appropriate size
- A collar, harness, and leash
- Food and water dishes
- A dog bed
- Dog/baby gates and barriers
- Lots of dog toys
- A puppy-sized bumper for hunting dogs
- Lastly, make sure that you find a good vet near you
Once you’re armed with these, you’ll be ready to get your canine pet and start figuring out how to raise a lab puppy. So, let’s start with the first step.
Learn more about: How To Pick A Labrador Puppy?
First, Puppy-proof Your Home
Puppy-proofing is not the most important part but it’s hugely convenient and is one of the first things you’d want to do. This includes:
- Cover all electrical cords – not all pups like to chew on those but many do
- Put baby/puppy gates on the stairs to prevent falls and injuries
- Keep all human food out of reach – some of our food is toxic to dogs but even when something is edible, you still don’t want your pup to develop a scavenger mentality
- Lock all medications away – those are always bad news for your pup so don’t just put them in a cabinet but lock it as well
- Hide all cleaning detergents too – same as with medications, these are too dangerous to just leave out in the open
- Pet-proof your doors, windows, and yard – little pups can be great escape artists so make sure everything’s secure
Feeding A Lab Puppy
We’ve talked about feeding lab puppies before but the gist of it is that you should always follow the recommended dosage for your pup’s age and weight. Giving your pup too little will obviously lead to starvation and underdevelopment. What many don’t realize, however, is that overfeeding your pup can also be problematic. It tends to lead to your dog growing too fast and developing lower bone density and some subsequent skeletal abnormalities. Here’s a standard feeding chart to follow:
| Puppy age | Puppy weight | The daily amount of food | Number of meals per day | Amount per meal |
| 2 months | 15 to 18 lbs (7 to 8 kg) | 7 to 9 ounces (200 to 250 grams) | 4 | 2 ounces (50 to 55 grams) |
| 3 months | 24 to 26 lbs (11 to 12 kg) | 9 to 11 ounces (250 to 300 grams) | 3 | 3 to 3.5 ounces (80 to 100 grams) |
| 4 months | 25 to 35 lbs (11 to 16 kg) | 10 to 13 ounces (275 to 360 grams) | 3 | 4 to 5 ounces (112 to 140 grams) |
| 5 months | 35 to 45 lbs (16 to 21 kg) | 11 to 15 ounces (300 to 420 grams) | 3 | 5 to 6 ounces (140 to 175 grams) |
| 6 months | 50 to 60 lbs (23 to 27 kg) | 12 to 16 ounces (350 to 450 grams) | 2 | 6 to 8 ounces (175 to 225 grams) |
Potty Training and Crate Training
Crate and potty training labs are easier than it is for other breeds like the dachshund. Still, it requires some patience and persistence. Here’s a more detailed guide into crate training lab puppies for when you’re ready to start.
Obedience Training A Lab Puppy
Obedience training labs is also relatively easy because of their high intelligence and eagerness to please. Still, this doesn’t mean that you should slack with it – obedience training is an absolute must for any large dog and the lab is no exception.
How To Raise A Lab Puppy That Doesn’t Bite Or Bark?
Lab puppies love to nib and bite, and they can also grow into quite the active barkers. All this is ill-advised most of the time, however, so it’s smart to teach your dog not to display such tendencies. And the way to deal with both biting and barking is very simple – ignore your dog.
This can feel counterintuitive but young lab puppies do everything they do either for your attention or out of boredom. So, as long as you keep your pup well-exercised and with enough playtime throughout the day, all biting and barking should be just attention-seeking. So, all you need to do is ignore your dog when it does those things and reward the pup with attention when it isn’t biting or barking.
Last But Not Least – How To Raise A Social and Friendly Lab Puppy?
Labs are inherently social toward both people and dogs, and they can even get along with other non-canine pets. Still, they do need socialization if they are to develop their social nature. Even a lab can grow to be socially aloof if you haven’t socialized it enough as a puppy.
In short, getting to know how to raise a lab puppy can feel daunting at first but it’s actually a lot of fun as long as you do your research ahead of time and make sure you’re prepared.
How to take care of a puppy Labrador before its sixth week?
The 6th to 8th week period is usually the age at which most pet parents buy or adopt their pups. That’s just before pups start getting leaned off of their mothers’ milk and so you can switch them to pet food. At that age, they are also old enough to survive without their mom around or without constant supervision.
What if you’ve got a newborn pup that isn’t even 6 weeks old, however? Figuring out how to raise a lab puppy of such a young age is all about keeping the pup warm, well-fed, and healthy. We’ve covered the feeding chart here. The rest is a matter of carefully monitoring and maintaining a warm temperature in the pup’s enclosure, keeping everything clean and disinfected, and visiting your vet regularly to figure out what medications you need to give the puppy.
