This article is about the juvenile dog. For other uses, see Puppy (disambiguation).
A Keeshond-Sibirian Husky puppy
A Great Pyrenees pup.
A puppy is a juvenile dog, generally less than one year of age that has not reached sexual maturity. The term is sometimes abbreviated to pup, a term also used for the offspring of wolves.
Puppy size varies among breeds, smaller puppies may weigh 1-3 lbs, while others are 15-20 lbs. All healthy puppies grow rapidly after birth.
Coats can change color as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier.
Contents
1 Breeding
2 Training
3 Physical alteration
4 References
5 See also
Breeding
Newborn Golden Retriever puppies
Reputable dog breeders raise their animals in humane conditions, provide good socialization and often formal training, and adhere to the breed standard. They are knowledgeable about major health problems associated with their breed, and with the principles of genetics, frequently undertaking specific matings to produce or refine particular desirable characteristics in their dogs. Less than scrupulous breeding operations, known as Puppy mills, may provide less attention to genetics, prenatal care, and nutrition, and often produce puppies which are improperly socialized and in poor health.
Training
Puppies need to be trained and properly socialized to ensure good manners and safety throughout their lives.
Training puppies is not always easy: it requires a lot of work, as they do not know right from wrong and must rely on the owner for guidance. Often, aggressive or skittish adult dogs can be blamed on the owner's lack of discipline and training.[citation needed] It is critical for puppy socialization that they interact often with humans and be exposed to a variety of objects and situations.
Training of basic obedience can begin at the same time, although recommendations for how intense and how soon vary. Training for young puppies is generally recommended to be light, gentle, and fun; more like a game than an exercise. Most formal puppy classes accept puppies starting at three months of age, although some provide socialization classes for younger pups. Local dog trainers may also offer some in home training for younger puppies.
Housebreaking can begin by the time the puppy is two to three months old, although they usually do not have enough control of their bladder to be completely housebroken until they are six months to a year old.[citation needed] Some find that using training pads is an effective method of housebreaking. Others prefer to use a crate training method.
Physical alteration
Some
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The Escambia County Sheriff's Office is searching for four men who robbed a dog owner of his 12 pit bull puppies. The Sheriff's Office said Patrick McBride Jr., 30, of Danbury Circle and the men were looking at the puppies Monday night when one of ...
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A trash bag containing what appears to be two litters of puppies - 15 in all - was dumped on the Old Bangs Highway sometime early Friday. And though all of the puppies were alive when someone found the bag and brought the dogs to the Corinne T. Smith ...
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HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania's attorney general has asked a court to shut down one of the state's largest dog sellers for allegedly violating a consumer-fraud settlement over the sale of sick puppies. Attorney General Tom Corbett, in a contempt ...
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One good way to display your photography skills is to join a contest. And when animals are the category you joined in, you can use your puppies as subjects for the competition. You'd find this a very stimulating activity as you are able to practice ...
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