Block head lab puppy

Question
Hi, i have a 7 month old male chocolate lab. But unlike other labs he does not have a blocky head. Why is it so? Will it take more time for him to grow a big head? Moreover he is 23 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs 64 lbs. Is he too small for a male lab? And when will he reach physical maturity?Please help!!

Answer
Why does the size of the head matter unless you are going to breed or show him? As long as he's healthy, enjoy the time you have with him. Dogs don't live forever, unfortunately. Male Labs reach physical maturity from 18 to 24 months of age. Your dog is not yet an adult, but adult males typically weigh 65 to 80 pounds, according to the AKC, however, I have seen many males that weigh up to 95 pounds and are perfectly healthy. The AKC recognizes dogs from 22 1/2 to 24 1/2 inches at the shoudlers. There are two different types of Labs: the English, and American. The American is tall and lanky, English shorter and stocky. The English usually weigh more.

Here are some tips for living a healthy, happy life with your dog:


Follow this plan in order: exercise, discipline, affection (with no verbal sound, preferably). You do not need to scream at your dog when disciplining. It makes him think you are unbalanced and he will try to take over. Think about it. In the wild, and in our homes, do dogs ever scream at each other? I recommend the book " Cesars Way" by Cesar Millan. You can get it @ Amazon.com. This is definitely the book for you, and I recommend it to all dog owners, if you want your dog to live a healthy, happy life.

Never let him walk ahead of you. He is permitted to walk beside you or behind you, but never in front, as this is a sign of dominance. If you let your dog walk in front of you, ever, not just on walks, you're telling him he is the leader. Never let him jump on you either (Another sign of dominance). If he ever does anything you don't approve of, lay out a flat hand, curl your fingers a little bit, and bump him firmly, but not too hard. Follow it with a firm "chtttt". This is like a dog nip, which does not hurt him in anyway, but just gets his attention and startles him. It tells the dog this behavior is not allowed. Neuter him. It makes a difference in so many ways. Feed him Kirkland Rice, Chicken, and Vegetables, the puppy version. Change it to the adult version after a year. Give him one cup in the morning, one at night. You can get it at Costco for $15. Take him on walks for thirty minutes in the evening, and thrity in the morning. Replace with a treadmill if needed, but do not leave on treadmill alone. Don't crate train. It doesn't normally work-they don't remember anything after about 30 seconds. Don't reward him until he is calm.