Gordon Setter puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Gordon Setter puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire it out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
• Progressive retinal atrophy, rod cone dysplasia 4 (PRA-rcd4), detectable by DNA test
• Other inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Bloat and gastric torsion, a sudden and life threatening stomach emergency
• Cancer, the most common cause of death in older dogs of the breed

From Gordon Setter breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/gordon-setter/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Gordon Setter puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Gordon Setter.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 20.4 to 36.3 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other large breeds

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