Labrador Retriever Essentials
Puppy Care: Essential Tips for Raising a Labrador Puppy
The first weeks set the next decade. Our hands-on guide to feeding, crate, sleep, the vet, and the habits that build a great adult Lab.
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From Tishauna Borosky, MBA, and Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, in our Sanford, FL home.
The short version
- The first weeks set the tone for the next decade. Calm, consistent, and a crate.
- Our pups go home with AKC papers, a vet checkup with shots listed, the food they are on, and care notes.
- Feed a large-breed puppy food, twice a day. Slow growth protects the joints.
- Crate training makes the puppy feel safe and gives you a break. Keep at it.
- The golden rule: never let a puppy do what you would not want from a 100 pound adult.
The day you bring a Labrador puppy home is the day the clock starts.
Everything you do in the first weeks, the routine, the crate, the feeding, the first manners, becomes the dog you live with for the next ten or twelve years. The good news is that none of it is complicated. Good Labrador puppy care is mostly about being calm, being consistent, and not letting a cute eight-week-old talk you out of the habits that matter. We raise our puppies in our home in Sanford, so this guide is the same playbook we run, and the same one we send home with every family. You can read more about our family and program any time.
Our puppies leave with AKC registration papers, a vet checkup with the shots they have had listed out, the food they are already eating, and a set of basic care notes to get you started. That is your launch pad. Here is how to build on it.
A young puppy is not a small adult dog. They run hard, then crash, napping every hour or so. That sleep is when they grow, so a quiet place to rest is as important as playtime.
Before the Puppy Comes Home
Do the prep before the puppy arrives, not after. Labs are little detectives, and anything on the floor is a chew toy or a snack until proven otherwise. Get down to puppy height and look: loose cords, shoes, socks, kids' toys, anything small enough to swallow, and any plant or cleaner within reach. Tuck it away.
Then gather the basics. We go deep on making the whole house and yard safe in our guide to a Labrador-friendly home and yard. Read that one before go-home day. Here is the short list to have ready before you pick your puppy up.
Ready before pickup
The First 48 Hours
Keep it low-key. The puppy just left mom, littermates, and the only home it has known, so a quiet arrival beats a houseful of excited visitors. Show them where the water is, where they sleep, and where they potty, and let them explore at their own pace.
The first night is the hard one. There will be some crying. That is normal, and it passes faster than you think if you stay consistent. Put the crate where the puppy can sense you are near, keep a calm voice, and resist the urge to scoop them up every time they fuss. A warm, safe crate and a predictable routine settle a new puppy quicker than anything.
Feeding a Growing Lab
Feeding is where a lot of new owners go wrong, usually by giving too much or switching foods too fast. Here is how our puppies come up.
They start on mom. Once the teeth come in, we move them to a formula mixed with ground-up kibble, which is easy on a young mouth and stomach. By week six or seven they are on regular kibble. We feed twice a day. We keep that twice-a-day schedule through the first year, then move to once a day as adults.
When you bring your puppy home, keep them on the same food at first. If you want to switch, do it slowly over a week or so to avoid an upset stomach. And choose the right type of food, because with a Lab that choice does real work.
Growing too quickly is linked to developmental orthopedic disease in big breeds, including the hip and elbow problems Labs are already prone to. Large-breed puppy foods are formulated lower in fat, calcium, and phosphorus on purpose, to slow the growth rate and protect the joints. More food and faster growth is not better for a Lab.
Source: American Kennel Club, "Best Dog Food for Large Breeds" and "What to Feed Your Puppy Based on Their Breed."
Always keep fresh water down, and go easy on the treats. A pudgy puppy is not a healthy puppy, and Labs put on weight easily their whole lives. For the full picture on amounts, ingredients, and feeding through every life stage, see our guide to what to feed your Labrador.
Crate, Sleep, and the Housetraining Clock
The crate is the single most useful tool you have, and it is the one new owners most often feel guilty about. Do not. A crate is not a cage, it is a den. It gives the puppy a safe place to settle, it keeps them out of trouble when you cannot watch, and it gives you a break, which matters more than people admit. A rested owner is a patient owner.
We start crate work at six weeks, in short stretches through the day, and we do not ask a puppy to be in the crate overnight until closer to eight weeks. When your puppy comes home, keep that going. Build it up slowly and keep it positive, with a treat and a calm voice, never as a punishment.
The crate and housetraining go hand in hand, because a puppy will avoid soiling where it sleeps. Take them out first thing in the morning, after every meal, after every nap, after play, and right before bed. When they go outside, praise them like they just won a prize.
An eight-week-old (two months) can manage maybe two to three hours between potty breaks, tops, and overnight is its own challenge. Expecting more than that sets the puppy up to fail. Plan your schedule around their bladder, not yours.
Source: American Kennel Club, "Puppy Potty Training Schedule."
Accidents will happen. When they do, clean it up and move on. Scolding a puppy after the fact does nothing but teach them to hide from you. Catch them in the act, interrupt gently, and get them outside.
The Vet and the Vaccine Timeline
Your first job after bringing the puppy home is a vet visit, even though ours already come with a checkup and their early shots listed. Your vet confirms the puppy is healthy, sets up the rest of the vaccine series, and starts you on parasite prevention.
The core canine vaccines (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and rabies, with leptospirosis commonly added) are given as a series of boosters through the puppy's first months, with rabies given once the puppy is old enough. Your vet sets the exact timing for your dog and your area. Until the series is finished, be careful about where you take an unprotected puppy.
Source: American Animal Hospital Association, 2022 Canine Vaccination Guidelines.
This is health territory, so let your vet drive. Bring the paperwork we send home, ask about the booster schedule, deworming, flea and tick prevention, heartworm, and when to plan spay or neuter. Write the dates down so nothing slips.
Teething, Chewing, and the Golden Rule
Puppies chew. They are teething, they are bored, and they explore the world with their mouths. Give them an outlet: sturdy chew toys, and swap them out to keep it interesting. Keep the shoes and the remote out of reach, because to a puppy they are all the same thing.
Here is the rule that matters most, and the one we tell every family. Never let a puppy do something you would not want from a 100 pound adult Lab. It is cute to let a tiny puppy gnaw on a slipper, right up until a full-grown Lab destroys your favorite shoes, or jumps on a guest, or pulls you down the sidewalk. They do not grow out of habits, they grow into them. Decide now what the adult dog is allowed to do, and hold that line from day one. Your puppy will not mind. They just want to know the rules.
Manners and Making Friends
The early weeks are also when the foundation for training and socializing gets laid, and both are big enough to have their own guides. Keep first lessons short, fun, and full of praise, and start exposing your puppy to new sights, sounds, and gentle experiences while they are young and open to it. Do not overwhelm them, just widen their world a little at a time.
For the step-by-step on commands and house manners, start with our Labrador training basics. For how and when to introduce your puppy to people, dogs, and the wider world during the window that matters most, see our guide to socializing your Labrador puppy. And since Labs shed from the start, get them used to a brush early with our grooming routine.
A Week-by-Week First Months Plan
| Age | Focus | Feeding | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 to 10 weeks | Settle in, crate and potty routine | Large-breed puppy food, twice a day | Lots of sleep, some first-night crying |
| 10 to 16 weeks | Short training, gentle socialization | Same food, twice a day | Finish the vaccine series before big outings, teething starts |
| 4 to 6 months | Longer training, holding the rules | Twice a day, watch the waistline | Heavier chewing, testing limits, steady growth |
When to Call the Vet
Most of puppyhood is normal chaos, but a young puppy can go downhill fast, so know the red flags. Call your vet right away for repeated vomiting or diarrhea, especially with blood, refusing to eat or drink, lethargy or weakness, a swollen or painful belly, trouble breathing, or any seizure. Parvovirus is a real risk in unvaccinated puppies and it is an emergency. When in doubt with a puppy, do not wait it out. Call.
Common Questions About Labrador Puppy Care
How often should I feed my Labrador puppy?
When can my Labrador puppy sleep through the night in the crate?
Do Borosky puppies come with training done?
When should my puppy meet other dogs and people?
Ready for a Puppy of Your Own?
We raise AKC Labradors in our home, English and American lines, in white, champagne, chocolate, and yellow, and every one is raised with the care above. See what is coming next, meet the parents behind the program, or learn about our English white Labradors.
This guide is general breed information and is not veterinary advice. Vaccine timing, parasite prevention, and any health concern should be handled by your veterinarian. When in doubt with a young puppy, call your vet.
References
- American Kennel Club. "How Much Do Puppies Sleep?" akc.org
- American Kennel Club. "Best Dog Food for Large Breeds: What to Know." akc.org
- American Kennel Club. "Puppy Potty Training Schedule: A Timeline for Housebreaking Your Puppy." akc.org
- American Animal Hospital Association. "2022 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines." aaha.org