Growth plates stay soft and pliable, some closing earlier than others, until our puppy reaches approximately 18 — 24 months old at which time calcium and minerals should have hardened the soft areas of the bone.
After the bones harden dogs typically stop growing and the growth plates close. What is vital for us to understand is that before the bones have completely matured, the area in and around the growth plate can be easily injured or fractured. Click here to go to Google images of growth plate injuries. The most critical period for the initiation of DOD occurs during early bone growth when the skeletal system is most susceptible to physical, nutritional and metabolic insults because of increased metabolic activity.
Large breeds like the Gordon Setter are susceptible because of their genetic potential for rapid growth and we should remember that a Familial history may be a predisposing factor for DOD. We can help prevent some skeletal diseases by appropriately feeding diets with optimized nutrients, however the biggest potential for harm comes from owners who over feed their puppy, or who improperly supplement.
That roly poly puppy is at a high risk of injury and disease so maintaining proper weight is paramount. Please feel free to jump in, write an additional article, add information by comments in the comment section or send me an email at gordonsetterexpert gmail. Thanks so much everyone, I do hope you found something of value here! Sally Gift, Mesa AZ. The ears will be opened completely, and it is during this week that puppies interact with each other - growling, socialization, and wagging tails are often developed at this age.
The puppy can now regulate his body temperature more efficiently and will begin to prepare his teeth for weaning. The front, canines, and incisors are cut first and he should be able to have his first taste of puppy food in tiny, introductory amounts! This is the week that puppies begin to become extremely active on their legs and play vigorously with one another. They also begin to roam away from the initial sleeping area when nature calls to empty their bladder and bowels.
They may also attempt to climb out of the whelping box and want to frequently explore their surroundings. She will slowly stop cleaning after the pups, and you will now have the joyful responsibility to take up after her. Your puppy will begin to naturally cut his back teeth and will get most of his nourishment from puppy food, as he begins to wean.
It is also completely normal and a natural process if the mother regurgitates her dinner for her puppies. By this time your puppy can now really enjoy running and playing. He will most likely be very noisy, developing his bark playing with other puppies and learning how to bite. The mother will usually teach him not to bite too hard. By the end of the 6th week, the puppy entirely weans and should be eating small meals of puppy food each day.
The puppy may still try to suckle milk from his mother but it isn't necessary at this age and the mother may be reluctant to continue feeding at this age. At about 7 weeks old the puppy may begin to exhibit signs of fearfulness such as jumping or becoming startled of unfamiliar sounds and sights. This is about a good time to begin considering protecting your puppy naturally from fleas. We recommend natural flea products because most flea products on the market contain harsh chemicals that may harm your pet, especially at a young age!
If your puppy will be rehomed, this is about the most ideal time to do so. He is now at the peak of his puppy life and ready to explore his new home and life. If your puppy will be staying with you, get ready for a super fun new member of the family as you watch your puppy pass through puppyhood and into doghood!
This month is the development period where puppies will learn to become fearful and will need to be thoroughly socialized. This is also the ideal time to begin house training, potty training , puppy training, bite training, and puppy socialization.
Pet owners should also begin preparing your puppy to get his first vaccinations during this month. An average puppy also typically can drop down to 3 meals a day at about the end of the third month. Starting from the 3rd month up until the 6th month, a puppy also begins to learn to rank regarding d ominance and submission, much like in elementary school for a human child who learns the difference between the principal, teacher, student, and playmate. At about four months old, a puppy begins to lose the typical puppy look and begins to resemble a similar, mini version of their adult selves.
This age is another excellent time to continue reinforcing the training you may have begun to teach when at the 3-month mark and is still an ideal time to continue teaching him new things.
Puppies at this age can go on short walks now, but even some everyday old puppy playtime such as fetch or socializing with other pups is sufficient enough. You can read more about How to Train your Dog here. Your pup may still be chewing a biting a lot during this month, too, due to his baby teeth.
You can give him some dog toys or a frozen Kong toy to keep him preoccupied. At this age, toy and small dogs will have almost completed their growth. Great Danes and other larger breeds should ideally have reached about half of their adult weight. Female dogs may experience their first heat during this month - be sure to observe a female pup closely during this time, as it is possible for a female pup to become sexually mature, however, can cause complications as she is still not considered a fully grown dog at this age.
By the 7th month, your puppy should have all 42 of his adult teeth and look very much like a miniature adult. He should also be able to maintain two full meals per day. By this time, a puppy will have a bountiful of sex hormones in his system, unless you have had your puppy neutered. Remember to keep practicing recall behavior to keep his obedience skills spot on.
Frequent walks also lessen the urge of curiosity in your dog for each walk taken. Every fur parent wants to assure that their little pup is growing and weighing just right. For the sides and top of the neck, start clippers directly behind the occiput and bring back in one continual sweep, in a slanting line down the neck and across the shoulder to the top of the shoulder blade.
If there are any clipper marks on the shoulder or neck after this, they should be removed with thinning shears. Avoid pushing in on the clippers where the neck joins the body.
Do not use the clippers at all on the very top of the neck. Clean entire face with the clipper. This is the best way to remove the whiskers which should be taken off to give a clean outline to the jaw. Ears are trimmed with the 10 blade, one-third of the way down and blended into the longer hair. Never stop a trim abruptly — always finish off using the coarser blade or thinning shears to blend into the longer hair. Thinning shears are always used in combination with a comb.
Holding thinning shears pointing in the direction of the hair, thin and comb out hair as you go along. It is better for beginner to use the longer-cutting blades and advance to the closer-cutting blades as they become more proficient. Excess neck and back coat can be trimmed using your thinning shears or removed with a Mars Coat King Stripper.
The Coat King works beautifully when the dog is still wet, in the tub — but be careful not to get too carried away! Feet should be trimmed with the dog standing up. Lift one foot at a time and trim hair on bottom of feet even with the pads. This hair can then be trimmed off with your straight or thinning shears being careful not to trim down between the toes. Working with shears pointed toward the ground at a slight angle, trim off excess rough hair around the foot.
Nails should be trimmed so the tips clear the floor at the very least. It may be necessary to trim a little off the nail at a time several time to get the desired length, if the nails have been allowed to grow too long. The back feet are done the same. The hair on the back of the hock is combed down, and holding your scissors perpendicular to the floor, make a nicely rounded shape to the hock.
Using the 7F or a 5F blade in your clipper trim the hair on the bottom of the tail about inches from the base.
This is best done in a half-circle motion moving from a point approximately 3 inches down the tail from the body back toward the body circling down into the rump area. While holding the tail with one hand slide your grip down to the end stopping about one-half inch past the end of the actual tail.
With a straight shears, trim off the excess feathering in a straight perpendicular cut. This gives a perfectly tapered appearance to the remaining tail hair.
Be careful not to trim too close to the actual tail as you do not want to cut into the tip. Regular teeth brushing between veterinary cleaning is also helpful in reducing tartar build-up and can prevent more serious health issues from developing.
Boys will be boys! To be competitive you do want to stay on top of little things. Jodi Hurd-Cavanagh had offered her suggestions in a comment on a previous article Thank you Jodi! Maintaining pee feather area is a daily routine. Type away folks, use the comment section to share your solutions or to ask more questions.
First make sure the dog is completely free of mats. You may need to pay particular attention to the feathering between the front legs and chest. With your clippers, going with the lay of the hair, clip the top of the skull to just behind and below the occiput. If the back skull drops away, try not to clip too closely near the back as that will accentuate the lack of level planes.
Clip down the throat to about 2 inches above the sternum. Clip from behind the occiput and the ear, about the width of your clipper blade around the ear, down the neck towards the sternum and slightly lower than the clipped area above the sternum. Clip the top third front and back of the ear, leaving coat on the front fold of the ear beginning where it joins the skull.
If you are trying this for the first time, or if a show is coming up in the next couple of days, you will clip with the lay of the hair.
However, you may find it more effective to do as I do, going against the grain on the upper ears. This will give a very smooth finish as the hair regrows but, for most dogs will take a full week to get to the most attractive stage. Using the thinning shears and cutting up into the lay of the hair, smooth the seam between the clipped and unclipped areas, the rough coat along the shoulders and elbows, over the back ribs, loin, hip and outside thigh.
The flatter the coat, the less it is needed. This is also the most difficult part to do well but the effort put in here will make a lot of difference in the final appearance. Some people advocate the use of stoning to remove excess back coat. It seems to me to be the equivalent to scraping sandpaper over the shiny cuticles of the remaining hair shafts. An alternative to thinning shears is the use of a Mars Coat King.
This gives a very nice appearance and is almost foolproof. With the thinning shears, trim the feathering on the hock to create a rounder, cleaner appearance. Shaving the hock makes it look strange and lacking in bone but not trimming the feathering makes the hock appear to lack in strength and stability.
Developing your eye to recognize what looks good may take some time. Trim about one inch at the tail root, creating a vent and delineating the body from the tail. This area is the underneath of the tail and around the anus.
Using thinning shears, trim the tail as close to the tip as possible, creating a smooth rounded look. To create the desirable tight, rounded, cat-foot, scissor around the outside to the foot, Scissor the hair growing on the underside, between the pads. Use your thinning shears to level off the hair between the toes with the outline of the foot. Thin the hair by the dewclaw or area it was removed and on the back of the pastern.
Clip the nails as closely as possible. Since Gordon Setters have black nails you may need to check the underside of the nail to ensure that you do not cut back into the quick. Using a Dremel can smooth the edges of the toenails and keep them looking even better. This is a very basic guideline. Only by constant practice and watching the effects other people achieve, will you find that the process becomes second nature.
In addition to this method of getting a coat show-ready, a tool called the Mars Coat King is a wonderful way to thin out back coat. You can use it on a weekly basis to keep the coat looking almost perfect and then just use the thinning shears for a touch up.
Prefer a more natural look? If your dog needs grooming simply to make him a pleasure for you to look at and for his own hygiene, regular brushing and clipping of the feet will get the look you are after.
You might also want to remove the hair around the base of the ear to ensure sufficient air circulates to the ear canal.
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