The Labrador breed is one of the most sought after and loved ones. There is a simple explanation for this - the dog has all the necessary official and remarkable personal qualities, it is friendly, cheerful, agreeable, and gives in well to training. This is a cheerful and faithful helper of a person in all matters, but in order to raise and raise a puppy, you will need to learn all about the characteristics of the animal.
Appearance and characteristics of puppies
At 3 months, a Labrador puppy looks like a rather large animal, it is already a teenager with strong legs and molar teeth beginning to erupt, replacing the milk one. In healthy babies, the body is plump, but without signs of excess weight, covered with beautiful, shiny and smooth hair.
If the puppy is purebred and healthy, then he has:
- medium length dense limbs;
- hanging ears;
- moderately massive head;
- flat back with strong bones;
- picked up belly;
- uniform color throughout the body, without flaws, color and white spots;
- straight nose;
- average width of withers;
- sufficient distance between hind and fore legs;
- moderate tail length.
The Labrador Retriever, which is a similar breed of hunting dogs, can have a narrower, graceful face, a longer and brighter coat in color: from gold to gold.
A three-month-old Labrador is active, inquisitive, a reasonable balance prevailing in his character, with the exception of games, when, being carried away, he can growl and bark.
However, this is only temperament, not aggression.
Common parameters:
- height in the zone of withers - 40–42 cm;
- head circumference - 34–36 cm;
- chest girth - 50–56 cm;
- muzzle length - 6–7 cm;
- girth muzzle - 22-24 cm;
- girth of the mouth - from 11 to 11.5 cm.
At three months, the puppy should weigh about 12-14 kg, while the weight of girls is closer to the lower limit of the standard.
A puppy can say that there is no clean blood in the puppy: the belly is lowered to the ground, the limbs are too long or disproportionately short, clubfoot and strabismus, and the ears look flat. Also, healthy young animals practically do not have dental diseases.
Proper nutrition
A three-month-old puppy taken from a breeder needs to be fed at first, just as it was before his appearance in the house. And only a few weeks later to translate homemade food or ready-made food. But for this it is necessary to take into account such nuances as age, weight, degree of daily physical exertion, living conditions.
Feeding a puppy occurs 4–5 times a day, and the total amount per day should be about 400 grams.
You can choose two types of menus for your three-month-old pet.
Nutrition natural food, including meat, cereals, vegetables, fruits and fish. It should not be forgotten: to avoid a shortage of important elements and vitamins, the dog will have to give various necessary supplements, liquid vitamins, a calcined curd, calcium as complementary food. You also have to ensure that all products are of high quality and fresh. It is necessary to prepare for each reception separately, since food cannot be harvested for future use and kept in the refrigerator: this way it loses its valuable properties.
You can feed the puppy and dry food. Many prefer this method because it is less expensive: both in terms of budget and time.
But nutrition should be given to ready dry granules by a veterinarian doctor.Sometimes such a measure is necessary if the animal's stomach is hypersensitive to many natural products, or the dog has a tendency to show allergies.
Modern industrial feeds of famous brands can provide a pet with high-quality, perfectly balanced food, while the premium class food provides special holistics, antiallergenic products that are suitable for dogs with individual digestive characteristics.
Some owners choose a mixed type of food for their pet, according to the rules of which the dog gets dry food in the morning and eats natural food in the evening. However, this method of feeding is suitable only for temporary use: it is undesirable to mix home-made products and dry food a priori.
Homemade food
Already from the 40th day of puppies with liquid porridge and dry granules soaked in water, transferred to a full natural food.
A dog in 3 months requires the following foods in the diet:
- most useful meat for a young animal - raw low-fat beef, rich in animal proteins and a building material for the normal development of the body;
- marine fish rich in phosphorus, proteins and iodine, - is given to puppies at 3 months only in boiled form;
- cottage cheese, kefir, sour milk and milk needed for optimal digestion and intestinal health;
- in a small amount the dog requires the use of cereal - basically it buckwheat and rice
Also in the porridge with meat and meat broth must be added chopped greens, raw vegetables: pumpkin, cabbage, zucchini and carrots. Minimum salt is allowed when cooking. In addition, the animal needs clean water that is constantly available.
Such products should be avoided: bones, especially boiled, wheat bread, sausages and sausages, fatty meats, sweets.
Upbringing
Since childhood, a puppy should be taught to the right dog manners. At three months he should know such commands as “Place”, “Fu”, “Sit”, “Lie”.
First of all, the baby brought to the house should be introduced to the place where he will sleep and rest, with his dishes for eating and drinking. They choose a warm and cozy place for the beds, so that the puppy will get used to it faster, put toys by age and treats there, for example, a sugar stone.
An important point - training to the collar. As soon as the puppy gets comfortable in the house, you can put a dog accessory on him and immediately reward him with some treats.
To raise the boy correctly means to wean him to gnaw things, pick up food from the ground, bark at people and show aggression towards other animals, and also teach him to meet the owner without rushing at him with a joyful roar - for this the puppy must execute the command “Place” or "Sit."
Even if an animal has done something, you should never punish it if it lies on its back with an open stomach. In addition, as a rule, when punishing a dog should be on a short leash.
However, inexperienced owners during training often make mistakes that can negatively affect the physical health and psyche of a puppy:
- beatings are used during training;
- accompanied by dissatisfaction with the behavior of the dog foul language in a malicious tone;
- they give overwhelming errands and tasks to the animal, which do not correspond to its strength and age.
It is also not necessary to teach Labrador security activities, since this is not its purpose.
Maintenance and care
Caring for a young dog has its own characteristics, and you need to know about them, since the health of the pet depends on it.
- Once a week The puppy should be cleaned with a special veterinary lotion, but this should be done with a soft damp cloth.
- Once every 2-3 months the animal is washed with zoo shampoo, it is not recommended to bathe more often, as this can provoke skin diseases.
- At a puppy in 3 months as the molar grows, the milky can still remain in place. In this case, you need to contact your doctor to remove it.In order to prevent the dog should periodically treat raw potatoes and carrots to prevent the formation of plaque and tartar.
- Claws puppy cut 2 times a month, later, the animal will grind them during long walks.
If the puppy has not yet passed the course of vaccinations, it's time to do it. And do not forget that you need to walk a lot with the dog and play outdoors. So it grows faster, fully develops and builds muscle mass. Well, if a small Labrador makes friends with other dogs, - nothing has a positive effect on the mental health and socialization of the animal, as communication with their own kind. However, other animals can also become friends of a puppy, the main thing is to teach him to treat them not as enemies or prey.
A list of all the necessary things and items that are necessary for a Labrador for a normal life can be found in the video below.
