They are still puppies at this age, after all. They should not be forced to face their fears in hopes they will get used to it. Appropriate exposure with lots of praise, attention, and treats will do the trick. Upon reaching the one-year mark, your Labrador should have already reached sexual maturity.
They will have grown into the dog they are meant to be and will have a consistent personality. Following a UK study , Labs grow into their adult weight by their 1-year-old birthday. Mentally, Labradors will stay a puppy till they are 2 or 3 years old, but some never really do grow up. A less strenuous and stressful way to weigh your dog would be to buy a weighing scale for dogs and weigh them regularly.
You can incorporate this into your dog training and reward them every time they stay still on a scale. There are reasonably priced pet scales on Amazon but if you do not have a budget for a dog weighing machine, you can get your dog weighed at the vet.
This is because muscle weighs more than fat. A chubby-looking Labrador might have the same weight as a lean and strong Lab. There is a system called BCS or Body Condition Scoring that allows owners and health providers to assess whether your dog is at a healthy weight from a glance. There are 9 levels, with the 1st level representing extreme emaciation, level 5 being optimally fit, and level 9 being life-threateningly obese.
To give you an idea of what each level entails:. Level 1 — Severely Underweight No discernible fat or mass, with rib and tail bones protruding and severe abdominal tuck. Level 2 — Very Thin Very minimal to non-existent fat or mass, with visible ribs and spine, sunken abdominal tuck.
Level 3 — Thin Little to non-existent fat and slight mass, with visible ribs and pelvic bones, sharp abdominal tuck. Level 4 — Underweight Little fat, with a noticeable waist and clear abdominal tuck, can feel the ribs easily. Level 5 — Ideal Weight Slight fat, with a clearly defined waist and visible abdominal tuck, can feel the ribs. Level 6 — Overweight A slight excess of fat, with an undefined waist and abdominal suck, cannot easily feel the ribs. Level 7 — Heavy Extra fat, with no waist and little to no abdominal tuck, ribs are difficult to feel.
Level 8 — Obese Extreme fat, with no waist or an abdominal tuck, cannot feel the ribs. Level 9 — Severely Obese Excessive fat on the neck, spine, tail, and abdomen, with an indiscernible waist. However, if they are outside of that spectrum, you might want to consider seeing a specialist as your dog might have some underlying health issues.
It can also cause lots of health problems such as joint problems, respiratory or heart diseases, and even cancer. The bad news is that Labradors are prone to obesity due to their genetics. A large portion of the Labrador population has a malfunctioning POMC gene that stops them from being full. Even without the condition, Labs are notoriously greedy! Look at Midnight eating in her dreams:.
If they are simply being fed too much, remove any excess calories from their diet by cutting down treats including table scraps! Being too thin is also unhealthy, especially if your puppy is still growing.
Weight loss or not being able to gain weight can be caused by worms, illness, or a lack of calories. Active dogs will need to be fed more than those that lead sedentary lifestyles. Growth cannot be considered just in terms of physical appearance alone. A full grown Labrador means a Lab which has completed its growth physically, mentally and emotionally.
By any means, a Labrador cannot be considered fully grown before 18 months of age. There is a certain classification of Labrador growth stages through which they go through while transforming themselves into an adult full grown Lab. This is a baby stage and it is important for the little puppy to stay with its mother during this stage. This stage lasts until the puppy reaches 8 weeks of age.
The puppy goes through various phases such as opening its eyes, responding to sounds and light, trying to stand and stumble, interacting with the owners and learn important things related to social development. This stage lasts until your puppy reaches 6 months of age.
It is during this stage your pup tries to explore everything around it. It uses its mouth to test and identify its surrounding environment. During this stage, you may observe your puppy chewing everything it finds. This chewing habit is developed out of curiosity to identify its surroundings and also due to its teething. Hence the puppy tries to find relief by this habit of chewing. It is good to provide your puppy with some Safe Chew toys to provide relief to your pup during this stage. During this stage consider your puppy as a high spirited teenager.
This stage starts when your Labrador puppy reaches 6 months of age. This is the stage during which your dog starts attaining its sexual maturity, even though they are emotionally and mentally immature. Some dogs might take more time, another 3 or 4 months to become sexually active. A female dog can have their first season during this period and you start observing sexual behaviour in male and female dogs during this stage.
According to the American Kennel Club , a fully grown Lab can range from A male Labrador grows up to a height of Whereas a female Labrador reaches a height of In terms of weight, a Lab should weigh between 55 to 80 pounds.
Any Labrador retriever which reaches these standards of height and weight is considered a full grown Labrador. Some other questions that i hear randomly from people are, when do black Labs stop growing? I have heard some black Lab owners who claim their dogs to grow bigger and quickly when compared with other colored Labradors. But factually there is no evidence to prove the greater growth of a black colored Labs in comparison with the other colored Labs.
Labrador retrievers whether yellow or black or chocolate, irrespective of their coat color grow at the same rate and stop growing when they reach 9 months of age. And they later start filling out till 2 years of age. This is a general growth period of every Labrador, and it is not affected by the differences in coat color.
They can quickly become overweight or obese if they are overfed or under-exercised, contributing to or exacerbating many joint diseases. Additionally, these dogs can be mischievous, especially as puppies, and may ingest foreign items such as clothing, toys, and other items around the house that can lead to the need for emergency veterinary care.
Routine veterinary care gives your veterinarian the chance to regularly screen your Lab for diseases, monitor their weight, assess their current health, and give you personalized recommendations to keep your pup happy and healthy.
When surveyed, only For example, your Labrador Retriever may need treatment for a cruciate ligament tears , which are common in Labs.
A healthy cruciate ligament supports the knee joint but can tear due to genetic predisposition, obesity, injury, or other causes. Without treatment, a dog can experience pain, limping, and develop significant arthritis. With treatment, the prognosis is favorable, and many dogs can return to their normal activities post-recovery. When your Lab has a pet insurance policy, they are covered for new injuries, illnesses, and emergencies that may arise.
Pet insurance offers you and your veterinarian the chance to focus on getting your pup the best treatment rather than worrying about the finances. Kate Boatright, VMD, works as a small animal general practitioner, freelance speaker, and author in western Pennsylvania. Since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with her veterinary degree in , she has worked throughout Pennsylvania as both a general practice and emergency veterinarian. Both in the clinic and outside of it, Dr. Boatright enjoys building relationships with her clients and educating pet owners on how they can keep their pets as healthy as possible.
She loves being a veterinarian and educating students and colleagues on wellness, communication, and the unique challenges facing recent graduates.
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