Labrador Retriever puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Labrador Retriever 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 high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. 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 dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)
• Exercise induced collapse (EIC)

From Labrador Retriever breed information at https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/gundog/retriever-labrador/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Labrador Retriever 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 Labrador Retriever.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 25 to 36 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other large breeds

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