New puppy is a picky eater...

    • Silver

     This is all great advice.  I really do appreciate everyone's responses here. 

     Does anyone know where I can find training/puppy socialization classes in NYC?I'm heading back to the shelter next week for his booster vaccines, so maybe they'll have some local guidance, though they are located 30 minutes outside of NYC.  I plan on taking him to a vet once I finish with vaccines and getting him neutered at the shelter's medical facility.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I have a 13 week old irish setter puppy who just like yours, is in the mouthy stage.  All puppies go through this at varying degrees.  Labs are none for being that way.  Its normal and you have to live through it till about 6-7 months when the adult teeth come in.  I agree, we just stuff other things in his mouth and repeat a thousand times a day, No Bite.  My last puppy was way worse then this one, so we aren't suffering as bad! 

    As far as puppy kindergarten, your local Petco and Petsmart stores have them as well as countless others,  You live in a large city so you will find so many if you just check online or in your local phone book.  You can't start till about 10 weeks or until your vet has given at least the second distemper if I recall.  We had that at 10 weeks.  Mine started the next day.  Honestly it is for socializing more than learning much that is why where you have it should be where you can find a decent trainer but where there are lots of other pups in the class.  Your next level of puppy basic is where finding a good trainer is more important.  We go once a week to a free puppy play group at a local doggy daycare center.  There are usually at least 30 pups there, indoors to play with.  Its a godsend in the cold winter months.  Petco also has free puppy play on Saturdays at most stores here in Chicagoland anyway!  Hope I helped.

    • Silver
    Just an update: Helo is completely on dry food. So far I've been feeding him half a cup of Purina One three times a day, and eats everything most of the time. Mouthing is still going on, but I shove toys in his mouth and that seems to work for him.
    • Gold Top Dog

    Theatredork
    So far I've been feeding him half a cup of Purina One three times a day,

     

    What do you think hes mixed with? Is he going to be 60lb +? If so, I think for a large breed pup, this is not enough food. I know nothing about Purina One, so I could be wrong. Its been known to happen.Smile

    • Silver
    Well, that's the thing. I don't know exactly how big he's going to get. He's a labrador retriever/cocker spaniel mix. He's 8 pounds and he'll be 3 months old on Friday. Something tells me he's not going to be as big as a typical lab, if only because he doesn't have huge paws like my family's did.
    • Gold Top Dog

     If hes mixed with cocker, then i would guess he'll be 40 lbs. max. So, in that case, keep on keeping on.