I worry I'm doing everything wrong with my puppy?

Congratulations on being a responsible dog owner! Most people don't give a flying f&** about these questions! What kind of dog do you have. that is crucial to the kind of food you're feeding.

Wow what a facinating combo! I would let her run and swim etc, but try to control the amount of jumping, ie agility stuff that she does as it can stress the joints. I had two dogs that grew too quickly for their joints causing probs later (rottie and boxer). They grew quickly and became very thin as all their nutrition was going to growth. They were both huge, rottie 120 lb girl, boxer 75 lb girl. Regular vet checks will chart her growth. Maybe a mix of food, not all protein will serve her well too. Mutts are usually more healthy than purebreds anyway. Good luck! btw I would be very diligent about socialization. Both these breeds are known for their "guardiness".

"I've taken her for long walks because she has so much energy (after she had all her injections obviously) but I've now read that that isn't a good thing due to joint problems"

- You're right, it's usually advisable to limit that sort of exercise when you're dealing with a large or giant breed puppy. Although the Staff isn't considered a large breed, the Rhodesian Ridgeback is, so you may as well treat your puppy as a growing large breed. The Ridgeback is prone to hip dysplasia and even the Staffordshire Bull Terrier sometimes experiences it, so you do want to do your best to prevent joint problems.. You should try to avoid taking her on long walks. Walking is great, exercise is important, but try spreading the exercise out into small bursts instead. Take her for a lot of relatively short walks instead of one or two long ones. You should also try to drain her of energy in other ways, such as through regular play (running around, playing tug, playing fetch, whatever) and through short, fun training sessions (five to ten minutes, and make it enjoyable like a game).

"I've also been feeding her puppy food but apperantly that can cause joint problems due to all the extra protein"

- Protein isn't what you have to worry about, actually. It's the calcium and phosphorus that directly impacts joint development. As long as the puppy food you've been feeding her is high quality (e.g., NOT Eukanuba, Iams, Purina, Pedigree, Science Diet, etc.) and is designed for large breed puppies, then don't worry about it. Such formulas offer the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus for a growing large breed.

If you're unsure about the food you're using, try looking it up here:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

The reviews are unbiased and factual. Notice that the foods of greatest quality (i.e., grain-free kibbles) are not recommended for puppies, particularly large and/or giant breed puppies, due to high calcium and phosphorus content -- not protein content.

"I just feel like everything I've done since I've gotten her has been wrong and I just want the best for her."

- By expressing these concerns and trying to ensure that you're doing everything right, well, you're already doing things much more correctly than the clueless morons who get a puppy with no clue of how to raise it..

It doesn't seem like you're doing anything wrong! Puppies need lots of protein and food because they're growing, so make sure its three meals a day for a puppy, about one full cup in each bowl. If it makes you feel better, go ahead and take her for only 10-15 minute walks. But I think what you were reading wasn't all true because I'm pretty sure that a puppy won't get joint pains just from walking and eating unless they're very old or have arthritis =]

Just try not to worry too much and try not to focus on what the internet says, maybe talk to a vet instead and get weekly/monthly check ups.

As, I posted earlier, if you limit the walks down now, it will prevent possible joint issues. As for diet, if you feed a processed diet then puppy food until 6 months, then if she is obviuosly going to be towards the large side, large breed puppy food until 18 months.

Try to use up her energy with training in regular but short bursts throughout the day and you can (if on dry food it should be soaked) stuff a Puppy Kong with her food and freeze it, this will give her something to teeth on through her first year (you can do that daily), keep her busy, entertain her and prevent inappropriate chewing whilst using up her energy without interfering with her joints.

Its really good that you are trying your best for her and I will add links that may be helpful to you.

ADDED; I noticed your other question on lead training but it had already gone to a vote. With a pup like this and that age. I would mainly start indoors and off lead, teaching her what 'heel' actually means. Its important to keep sessions short, sporadic and positive. The link I provided with the clicker training for pups starter kit would be a good investment. If you can't afford that then get a clicker, some boiled chicken breast meat and follow the wikihow fact sheet link. Once you have that down, (watching the youtube links on clicker- stage one to three will also be helpful) you can start to click and reward for her being at heel, even if you go there and she is at your 'heel' or she just randomly walks to your heel, click/reward, then eventually say the word heel and when she comes to heel click reward. Then next time take a step and say heel, when she does, click reward. If at any stage she does not do it, you need to go back a step and work on that stage for a while longer. DO NOT use the command outdoors until she clearly knows what it means. Then start doing it with the lead on in the yard (focus her on the bit chicken as you put it on to prevent her thinking of chew/tugging the lead) and encourage the same behaviour clickling and rewarding, then the street...and so on. Be patient, positive and consistent and you will get there, and dont expect too much too soon, she has only been on the planet for 12 weeks!

Enjoy your pup and I hope you find my answer helpful.

As the dog has recently recovered from parvo, it is best to observe in getting back your puppy into health. 1) The first thing is not to allow the puppy to mix with other dogs as other dogs can be carriers of other diseases. 2) Next is to observe the pooh, as it has diarrhea, there could be a few reasons, one the food fed to it is not suitable, 3) It could be food posioning. In the mean time give her canidae mixed with warm water (about 1/2 of the amount of dog food given) and stir it for about 1 to 3 minutes for it to soften before giving it to the puppy. Next observe the pooh, if it is bloody take the puppy directly to the vet. Normally vacinnation can only continue when the dog is healthy otherwise the immune system would not be able to work together with the vacinnation to produce the required antibodies to ward the disease it was vacinnated against.

first of all puppies must and I stress must have some exercises, I do not mean walking the puppy for 2 hrs Straight, but a short walk about 10 min and then again later.

your puppy is young and needs to have time to rest again so she can play again

As far as the food, a puppy needs puppy food for growth. do not take her off of the food or you can and will cause the joints to grow improperly.. If you give her adult food, her legs can grow crooked

Puppy food has alot of protien for growth of mussle and tissue. Talk to your vet and they can help you to understand this.

A puppy can and only will have joint problems if you feed the puppy any other kind of food not ment for a puppy. And I would suggest that you feed your puppy a high quality puppy food found in Pet Stores and not grocery stores..

You certainly shouldn't be taking her for long walks, however you don't tell us what breed the dog is.

The 5 min rule applies much more to big dogs than smaller ones as they have a lot of growth in their first year.

The 5 min rule is that you walk your dog for 5 mins per day per month of life, and therefore at 12 weeks she should only do about 15 mins per day. Plus free play at home where she is dictating the play and laying down when she wishes. Also enforce some sleep per day by putting her in her crate. Sleep time is body development time and growth.

As for the food - there is a lot of debate about that as you have found. This is why the food companies developed different puppy foods for different size pups and different breeds. ie you have "large breed puppy" in order to avoid quick growth. What you are looking to do is keep the growth rate as slow as possible for the breed.

What breed are we talking about here.

Add on -- ok so you have added the breed now. Keep the exercise to the 5 minute rule and keep on large breed puppy and not just puppy.

This is a hard mix of dogs for a first time owner and not one I would be too happy with a novice owning. Make sure you do lots of socialisation and go to dog clubs to learn how to train her.

Add again. Sorry but you have been advised on here by two posters that 1 - have never heard of long walks causing dog joint problems and another who says "who cares"

Sorry but you must care.

Google - pano, OCD, hip dysplacia and elbow dysplacia, and trust people who have had large breed dogs for years and years.

Sweetie, that puppy couldn't have a better owner. You are doing everything you should. Keep track of progress of your puppy. Don't be doubtful of your decisions with your puppy. You are everything she could ever want, to make it better you are giving her everything she could ever need. She sounds like a beautiful dog. Its great that you are taking her for long walks to get her energy out. You sound like you are feeding her the perfect amount.

If you are really paranoid, ask your vet at what moderation you should be feeding, walking, and leaving your puppy home.

I hope nothing but the best for you and your pup. Have some great times together for me. :)

long walks are awesome but only if they are comfortable with it when you force them to walk that is when the joint damage happens and i have never heard of too much protein it could be a bs dog food ad i think you love you puppy and as long as she is happy she should be fine

GOOD LUCK

Yes, keep a journal of her progress. Shake it off and get back in the game. None of us just woke up one day and were experts on dogs. We all learned what we know from other people, books, vets, mentors, and from mistakes we made with our own dogs. You are not going to be perfect, do the best you can. Don't get overwhelmed. You can ask 100 people about dog food and you will get 101 different answers. You are going to get overwhelmed. Just take what you know, keep a journal and do the best you can. If you make a mistake, shake it off and get back in the game. They usually stop having accidents at this age, but don't let your guard down this early. The bladder is not grown until 6-months-old and they are not fully potty trained until 1-year-old. Maybe your vet can recommend a breed mentor to help you with training. I trained a lot of puppies in my life and everyone of them brought me to tears at one point in the training or the other. Sometimes it is just overwhelming with puppies. Shake it off and get back in the game.