We are getting a Lab puppy towards the end of January, and I am reading through The Happy Puppy Handbook. Two questions (for now - I'm sure there will be more!) 1. At what age should I introduce steps to my new pup? Our dog will have to navigate 3-4 steps to get from the house to the spot in the yard where we want her to do her business. I am happy to carry her while she is little, but at what age is it safe for her to do that herself? 2. What is the ideal percentage of protein in puppy food? Our breeder will start her on a food that has about 26% (Nature's Domain Puppy from Costco), and we are planning on using Acana Large Breed Puppy food, which has 33%. Is the Acana going to be too rich? We fed our last dog Acana Grasslands, which has 35%, just for reference. I have read in various places that it is better to limit the protein content to prevent the pup from growing too fast, which can cause joint problems down the road, but with lower protein, doesn't that mean higher carbs and other things that may not be as good? Please advise. Thanks for this supportive and incredibly informative forum - such a wealth of knowledge and help here!
My pup uses steps now - but not a lot and not every day. I would carry her down for as long as your back can manage it. As they get older they have far fewer toilet breaks, but when little it's every half hour, which would be bad for her joints. No idea about puppy food - ours gets delivered with the pup! (Royal Canin Maxi Junior)
I carried my pups up and down steps when very small, but stopped before 4 months. What evidence for this that there is, points to it mattering most before 3 months. Allowing a puppy to crash up and down flights of stairs very often isn't sensible - it isn't sensible for an adult dog either. So carry when small, then put them on a lead so they get used to going up and down stairs in a controlled way and don't do it too often. Most appropriately formulated large breed puppy food will have the right balance of things like calcium (not too much) and phosphorus which is important. I don't worry about the percentage of protein too much at all, for the reasons you say (and that there are reports of more recent studies debunking the worries about protein). I'm happy to feed a puppy a food quite high in protein and think it's better than feeding one higher in carbs or fat. The food I use for my puppy is 38% protein.
I have never read about limiting protein to avoid fast growth though many sites say they think around 26% is good for their Lab. I have read concerns about too much calcium. Sorry, forget the level. What does your breeder say? Most breeders send a bag of food home with you and it's a good idea to stay on that food, to keep one thing at least the same when everything else is changing for your pup. After all, you researched your breeder to find the best one and the best pup, surely that breeder knows the best food for pup too. Hah, steps, I laugh (at myself) every time someone brings it up. Our breeder said no steps with Jet, in 1993, and being a stickler for instructions I carried her up and down the three, low steps to our deck. I even fenced it off so she couldn't do it on her own. Our Vet was horrified as another client was doing the same thing with a Neopolitan Mastiff and she was afraid that woman in particular might fall and hurt both pup and herself. Neos are BIG, BIG dogs. Anyway, second time around with the same breeder in 2007 I asked details about steps and the breeder laughed too. OUr three low steps were perfect for an 8 week old puppy to learn steps on. Breeder was thinking a full flight of stairs (we have a split level so only half flights) and no running up and down them at all at first, and with supervision and help till maybe a month older. And then supervision and still not up and down more than a few times a day. Puppies have to learn steps. Common sense on whether they can handle them without strain or hurt or fall will likely have you imposing some limits but I let Oban do the few we had, and I helped him.
This is really helpful - I won't worry about the Acana. It is made by the same manufacturer that makes Orijen, so I feel confident that it is really good food, but just had a moment of doubt. And it sounds like I'll be carrying her up and down the steps for the first month or so - good to know! Thanks everyone!
Hello y'all and welcome to the forum I am relatively new as well but what i can share with you is my experience...My Lab pup is now 15 wks and i have a 3 level backsplit which means alot of annoying little sets of steps throughout the house so i did carry my girl until she was roughly 12 wks and discussed it with our vet... As for the food i can share that i have done alot of research/discussions with our vet and the end result was watching out more for calcium and phosphorus levels being to high, as opposed to the protein levels which should be above 30%...Also as soon as my pup came home at 7wks i switched her to Acana Large Breed Puppy and she loves it and i am extremely happy with it) She has great and fewer bowel movements compared to the breeders food she was orginally on and a great balance of nutrients/levels...I was impressed with their guaranteed analysis...and the whole prey in it. I am looking forward to when she is a bit older to do rotation feeds with Acana as well!! Good Luck)
