@rockyriverretrievers on Instagram   Check out more of our pups!       Although many dog owners feel bad about crate training their dogs, enclosed areas provide a haven for dogs to rest and relax. Dogs seek such areas to build a protective shelter for themselves. Crates are excellent training tools for pups, secure havens for older dogs, and lifesavers…

    @rockyriverretrievers on instagram       Veterinarians, breeders, and trainers all seem to agree that too much activity is as dangerous as not enough, yet there is no universal formula for evaluating your puppy’s exercise needs. While it would be ideal if there was a chart that broke down pups by breed and age and described how much…

      @rockyriverretrievers on Instagram Check out our pups!    Vaccination is vital to protect your puppy’s health. During the first year, a puppy should be visiting the veterinarian multiple times to get their vaccination shots and be safe from easily preventable infectious diseases. For example, Parvo is a disease that can be fatal but can easily be avoided…

  @rockyriverretrievers on Instagram        When you first get a puppy, they’re adorable, fluffy and endearing. As cute as they may be, if you don’t properly socialize a puppy, they can grow up to be absolute nightmares. It’s important to socialize your puppy early, so they can learn how to coexist with humans, and other animals. It’s common…

  @rockyriverretrievers on Instagram         One of the essential abilities your dog should have is to come to you when called. However, because dogs find so much of the environment fascinating, training for this may be difficult. We’re asking our dogs to stop what they’re doing every time we ask them to come to us.    …