What fun outdoor things can I do with may Lab?

Labs love the out of doors in fact they are the ultimate outdoor companion. They will love boating, hiking, camping, hunting, swimming and anything active outdoors.

My Swimming Lab
Labs are built for out door life, they have a short dense weather-resistant coat and an "otter" type tail. This makes perfect for swimming and steering in the water. Still, introduce your pup carefully to the water for the first time so it is a good experience. Wait till the water is warmer, let him splash around and become accustomed to the feel. Throw a stick or let him follow another dog into the deeper water. He will love it!

My Boating Lab
It is best to introduce your lab to the boat or canoe while it is on the land. You will want to be sure he will follow the sit stay command before venturing into rougher waters. Your lab can jump in and out of the canoe or boat while it is on land to get the feel. Later when he is comfortable, take the canoe into shallow water and paddle for a short time. Inevitably he will jump out of the boat a some time to swim after a duck or to cool off. You should practice getting him back into the boat safely.

My Hiking Lab
Labs love to hike and there are many good hiking trails. Start with short hikes for about 1/2 mile with your puppy and work up to longer hikes as she gets stronger. Lab's skeletal development isn't complete until they are about 18 to 24 months old and heavy exercise prior to that can cause orthopedic problems in the future.

Take plenty of water for you and your Lab and a small supply of food. Labs can become overheated quickly in weather over 65 degrees. If possible walk on a trail near water where they can jump in to cool off. A wet bandanna around their neck can help cool them also.

Whether or not to use a leash when you hike depends on the rules of the trail and on the obedience of your dog. Always be considerate of others on the trail

7 Practical Safety Tips from Training Secrets of the Labrador Retriever

1. Boating safety - have a safety harness or life vest in case he jumps off the boat.
2. Communication - teach your dog to come to a whistle. The sound carries farther.
3. Identification Collar - with your name, address and phone number in case you are separated.
4. First Aid Kit - plan for emergencies and take a dog first aid course.
5. Insect and Sunburn protection - dogs can get sunburned and also need insect protection.
6. Good Training - you dog needs to come, sit, stay, down, heel, quiet and wait.
7. Carry Water - active dogs need to stay well hydrated, you can carry a fabric water dish or teach your lab to drink from a sports bottle.

You will find playing outdoors with your lab will add to your enjoyment many times over, increase your activity and better your health. So get out and enjoy!

Teaching confidence and fearlessness

Labrador puppies are curious, active and extremely playful, they love new discoveries and are open to new experiences. They are also very impressionable their first 6 months of life.

Their first place to explore is their own back yard. It is full of stuff to check out and sniff. Gunner loves his back yard and is eager to get back to it when we go for walks. As he safely begins to experience an ever enlarging world and discovers it is usually a friendly place he gains confidence and trust in me as his master.

Socializing is so important to nurturing a fearless puppy; new experiences, meeting other puppies and lots of people are the key.

I was amazed as I began to socialize Gunner at how many dogs are not friendly. He is an eager friendly pup and loves to meet other dogs but many dogs bark and growl in unfriendly manners which made things more difficult.


Fearfulness in puppies
If your pup appears frightened by something do not push them into it. Try to stay in the pups comfort zone. They will show their fear by:

• hiding behind you
• eyes showing lots of white
• droopy or folded back ears
• tail tucked under the belly

Any of the above are clues you pup is scared. To encourage your pup let him approach what is scaring him at his own pace. If he appears to scared to continue, calmly move him back to a safer distance or head back to his safe home to try again later.

Do not drag your pup towards what he is afraid of or scold him for showing fear. Also don't pick up your puppy every time he is afraid. Stay calm and reassuring so as not to worsen his fear by your nervousness.

Meeting new people
Have treats on hand when you take your pup visiting. As a new person approaches have your pup sit for a treat as they approach, or if they are willing have the new person give the treat. Your pup then associates meeting people with good things. It is important for Labs to meet children, however many children are not experienced with puppies and may scare easily or play roughly. So monitor the meeting closely.

Take your pup for lots of rides in the car, go through drive ups, meet people on bicycles, skate boards or just running down the street. Walk over bridges, grates, splash in water and go up and down stairs. And of course visit the vet, pet food stores, playgrounds and when old enough dog parks. All these are areas of socialization that will help your pup to be confident and at ease with the world.

What discoveries have I made raising Gunner?

Gunner, my cute adorable horse/puppy is now 5-1/2 months old and an established member of our family. On Wednesday he goes to his vet for his 3rd set of shots including rabies. This is a milestone, as soon as he gets his rabies shot we will purchase his dog license from the Blooming Grove Town Hall. Time to buy a shiny new collar to display his shiny new tags.

With the rabies tags he will be allowed to go for walks in the local dog parks, I am sure he will love this.

What successes have I had raising Gunner?
Gunner is a healthy happy pup. He loves to go for walks, chase tennis balls, chew on bones and rawhide.
He rides well in the truck and slobbers all over the seats and windows.
He hasn't had an accident in the house for over a month except for a bout of the diarrhea that he couldn't help.
He settles down in his crate and sleeps quietly all night.
He is friendly with everyone, always tail waging and ready to greet. He likes other dogs as long as they are friendly he gives them a chance.
He stays in the yard beautifully, but we never leave him outside alone.
He knows come, sit, stay, down, off, fetch it here, drop, heel, halt, ok but does not necessarily obey every time.

What do I need to work on?
We still need to remind him several times a day to get off the counters, rescue clothes, and papers from his quick jaws.
He is pulling more when we go for walks.
He still nibbles on me when he wants attention and uses his mouth inappropriately at times. This is something we really are working on.
Gunner occasionally jumps on people out of pure excitement and ignores commands when he gets excited.
He will fetch his ball to me but doesn't like to drop it, he would rather play keep away.
And he barks sometimes for attention.

What have I discovered?
Raising a puppy is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. They demand time, patience, forgiveness and lots of love. They will disrupt your life and create chaos in your household. And they cost money for food, vet appointments, shots, toys and boarding when you leave for the weekend.
However they will give you unconditional love always and pay you back in so many good ways. The most important thing is to be prepared for those puppy months and have a training plan in mind. Then remind yourself over and over they are just puppies, clean slates that must be trained to be the companion you want them to be.

Heartworms and Hookworms and Fleas, Oh My!

There is no way, my cute adorable, horse/puppy with the shiny coat and slobbery mouth could have anything as gross as a parasite, is there?

Unfortunately your pup can pick up a parasite all to easily but if caught early it can be quickly fixed.

Parasites, which live on or in a host living thing can be transmitted to puppies from their mothers. So it is important to check for them early and often.

Internal Parasites live in the puppy's digestive system and can be detected by examining their stool. Treatment for these can begin at 2 weeks of age and can be repeated every 2 or 3 weeks. Many puppies are infested with roundworms and hookworms from their mother.

• Roundworms can be transmitted from the dam before birth and when she is nursing. These are thin spaghetti-like worms about 5 inches long. They will stunt growth, and cause vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration giving your pup a pot-bellied appearance.
• Hookworms are also transmitted to the pup by the mother at birth or by nursing. These are very dangerous worms that attach to the small intestine and cause lethargy, anemia, poor appetite and tarry stools containing blood.
• Whipworms cause chronic bowel inflammation, mucus in the stool, weight loss and diarrhea. They live in the lower end of the digestive track.
• Tapeworms tend to enter the pups body when he swallows a flea. The pup will appear extremely hungry but will not gain weight.
• Heartworms are transmitted by the bite of a mosquito. These often fatal parasites live in a dog's heart or near it in major blood vessels causing heart and lung damage. These are difficult to cure but easy to prevent by administering a heartworm preventative perscribed by your vet.

External Parasites
These parasites live on your pups body and can be diagnosed by examination and skin tests.

• Fleas may be aquired from the mother, another dog or from the environment. Your pup will scratch or bite himself frequently and small red spots may show up on his skin. Generally both your pup and the environment will have to be treated.
• Ticks are often picked up in wooded areas during the spring and summer. Ticks can transmit Lymes disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
• Lice smaller than fleas can be controlled with most flea products.
• Mange Mites a nasty tiny bug that cannot be seen by the naked eye, live under the skin causing hair to fall out. They are very difficult to cure and spread quickly.
• Ear Mites cause your pup to scratch at her ear and can lead to ear infections. They leave dark earwax or dried blood in the ear.
• Ringworm is a very contagious fungus that can be transmitted to humans. It leaves bare oval patches but can be treated with medication.

Your veterinarian is the best source of help if you suspect your pup has any one of these nasty parasites however many flea products, dewormers and medications can be purchased online for a greater cost savings from Drs Foster and Smith or American Livestock and Pet Supply

What kind of things are toxic for my chewing puppy?

Lab puppies love to chew, and chew and chew! Everything is fair game as long as it sort of fits in the mouth. So it is vitally important you be vigilant about toxic substances

Never give acetaminophen to a cat or dog
This can cause severe stomach pain or even kill a small animal. Beware of aspirin, cigarettes and any kind of prescription drugs.

Watch out for garbage
Rotted food and toxins in the garbage can make your dog severely ill.

Never feed them chocolate or caffeine, these are Neurological Toxin

Many things such as chemicals are obviously poisonous but some plants can be unexpectedly toxic. The following is a list of toxic plants compiled by Karla S Rugh D.V.M. Ph. D. in Training Secrets for Labrador Retreivers.

• Amaryllis
• Anthurium
• Apricot
• Autumn crocus
• Avocado leaves, seeds, stem and skin
• Begonia
• Bleeding heart
• Caladium
• Calla lily
• Castor bean
• Cherry pits, leaves, twigs, seed
• Chinese sacred or heavenly bamboo
• Choke Cherrys
• Delphinium
• Dieffenbachia
• Elderberry
• Foxglove
• Garlic
• Hydrangea
• Jack in the pulpit
• Jimson weed
• Kalanchoe
• Lantana
• Lily of the valley
• Milkweed
• Mistletoe berries
• Morning glory
• Oak
• Oleander
• Pencil cactus
• Philodendron
• Rhubarb leave
• Rosary pea
• Scheffelera
• Shamrock
• Yew

For a complete list and more information visit Healthypet.com.

Important Puppy Milestones

There are 6 important developmental deadlines a puppy must meet in its first 3 months according to Dr. Ian Dunbar's Before and After Getting Your Puppy. If your puppy fails to meet any of these deadlines you will "probably be playing catch-up for the rest of your dog's life"

Your Doggy Education
Before you even choose your puppy you must decide what kind of dog you are looking for, research their temperament and have a training game plan in mind. Dr Dunbar has some good online videos to help you understand puppy training.

How to evaluate your puppy's progress
By 8 weeks of age your puppy should be happily accustomed to your home, scary noises, your puppy should have met and been handled by many persons especially many shapes and sizes of men and children, house training and chew toy training should progressing and have a beginning understanding of good manners.

House and chew toy training
It is important to understand the reasoning behind confining your puppy both for long term and short term. The first day your puppy arrives at your home he should begin his house training. Keeping him confined with chew toys teaches him to settle down and happily chew his toys. Letting him out every 20 minutes and taking him to his pee spot then rewarding him when he does his business will eventually lead to a house trained puppy.

Socialization, Socialization, Socialization
By 3 months of age the puppy must be fully socialized. The rule of thumb is a puppy should meet at least 100 different people during his first month at home. This is the period when puppies learn to enjoy the antics and actions of all kinds of people, they will be hugged and handled and will even give up favorite objects such as bones and food bowls.

The Importance of bite inhibition
This is the most important lesson a puppy must learn and the window if time for learning it begins to close at about 4.5 months of age. At this time the adult teeth are starting to show. It is important for puppies to learn to inhibit the force of their biting before they stop biting and mouthing altogether.

Introduce your puppy to the big wide world
Walk your puppy so he can meet unfamiliar dogs and people, take her for rides in the car, visit friends houses, introduce her to the big wide wonderful world so you both can eventually enjoy walks at the dog park, picnics at the beach, car trips and all sorts of companionable fun.

Keep these milestones in mind as you journey through the first few months of puppy ownership. What you do at this stage will determine how well you and your dog interact through out its life.

Visit Sirius Dog Training for more information on Dr Ian Dunbar

How do I really feel about my adorable puppy?

Puppies are wonderful and awful all at the same time. They are so full of love and eager to please and you fall totally in love with them. But then...everything in the house becomes fair game. You cannot leave them un-attended for a minute. The "tomes on puppy training" are so diverse, one will say their way is the only way and the next will say no that is all wrong! The puppy book I finally chose to follow advocates treats for every good action. Sunday I listened to a dog training show on TV that claimed never use treats, it creates fat dogs and encourages biting of young children. Yikes!

Meanwhile Gunner rules the household, his favorite object is the broom which he drags through the house at full speed, whips past the chairs and smacks everything in its path.

I am his favorite chew toy! My hand, feet, clothes and shoes are in constant danger! We are working hard to curtail this habit. The Dog Whisperer advocates putting him on a leash tied to a stationary object, playing with him and as soon as he mouths turn and walk away. Then come back when he as settled to try all over. This may take a while!

He does walk on leash quite well to begin with. This has been my worry since day one that he will grow into a huge horse/dog and drag me around the block instead of a nice walk. He does well until about 2 blocks from home. He recognizes the surroundings and feels he should pull me the rest of the way home. To train him not to pull, I stop every time he pulls and wait for him to relax. Then we start walking, he pulls, I stop, we start, he pulls, I stop. It has taken as long as 20 minutes to go that last block!

He appears to be a rather stubborn puppy.

I signed up for email puppy care information from Drs Foster and Smith and have found these newsletters to be very encouraging and good reminders that Gunner is a puppy! Even though you expect increasing good behavior because he is growing so fast, he still has a puppy brain and needs constant vigilance, care, and gobs and gobs of patience!

What, when, how much do I feed me hungry puppy!

Remember when you were told never to feed you puppy table scraps? Always stick to dog food.
Paul Owens Quotes Veterinarian Dr. R.L. Wysong, in his wonderful book The Dog Whisperer
"How many parents would take the advice of a pediatrician who placed a package food product on the exam table and told the parent that this is the only product they should feed the child day-in, day-out for the child's lifetime..."
A good diet for your puppy suggested by Paul Owens, should include:

• Grain - cooked brown rice, oats, corn, wheat barley, rye or millet.
• Protein - boiled or broiled lean hamburger, chicken, turkey or lamb
• Vegetable - grated raw zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, steamed broccoli
  
• Oil - High-quality vegetable oil, safflower, corn sesame, sunflower or extra virgin olive oil.
• Vitamin or mineral supplement - formulated from a natural pet food company
• Enzyme Supplement
• Antioxidant supplement 1.
  

However the idea of planning a diet for your dog when you don't even plan a good diet for yourself can be daunting. In that case choose a human grade dog food and supplement it with raw vegetables, raw fruit, raw organic egg once a week.
And always have plenty of fresh, clean water available.

There is speculation that many behavior problems can be traced back to the poor nutrition in dog food. 2.

Our Vet recommended Purina Pro Plan for Gunner and gave us a sample to try it out. Gunner loves it, seems to be growing well with it and has a really nice shiny healthy coat. We give him carrots, healthy treats and chews through out the day since he loves to chew, chew, chew!

1. 2. The Dog Whisperer, Paul Owen, 1999 Adams Media Corporation

When is puppy's first veterinarian appointment?

At 8 weeks of age your adorable puppy is ready to visit the vet and have his first shots. If you already have a veterinarian you know and trust, you are ready to go. If not you can ask friends, fellow dog owners for their recommendations. Local Vet website is a good resource for researching veterinarians in your area.
Your vet will

• weigh your puppy to start his growth record
• check her over carefully
• listen to her heart and lungs
• check her ears, mouth and teeth
  
• give her the first of a series of necessary puppy shots for distemper
  

Your vet may also give you important information on raising a healthy happy puppy, advice on feeding and contacts for local puppy training resources.

She will also introduce you to a number of health decisions you will need to make as puppy gets older. If puppy will be an outdoor companion he will need:

• Yearly heart worm check and pills
• Rabies vaccination
• Frontline or equivalent to protect against mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks that carry Lymes disease

You will need to decide whether to spay or neuter you puppy. If your puppy will be boarded you will need kennel cough vaccine.

Your vet is there to help you with your decisions and will be your important friend for the life of your canine companion.

Potty Potty Potty Training

You have you perfect puppy comfortable in his cozy den. Plenty of toys available, the nice warm blanket for a bed and your neat potty area made up of newspaper on a large tray. After every nap you faithfully put puppy on the papers and hold him there until he does something and then praise praise praise and reward. This works like a charm at first, you know you have the smartest puppy in the world. But then puppy decides the potty papers are better playthings than his toys. He scatters them all over, rips them vigorously or decides they make a great bed. Then he pees on the bare floor.

You faithfully clean it all up, redistribute the paper and start all over.

The first few days of potty training require constant vigil. Young puppies bladders last about 20 minutes. So about every 20 minutes you need to take puppy to the paper and encourage him to use it. It is so important to keep puppy confined at this time so there are no accidents throughout your home. Even a few accidents throughout the house can cause lasting potty training problems.

Then comes the hideous diarrhea. You wake up in the morning to runny yuck all over the pen and all over your pup who appears to have rolled, flopped, skidded and played in it. Pups do occasionally get diarrhea that lasts for a short time. If it lasts longer than a day check with your vet.

So you faithfully clean it up and start fresh again.

About this time you decide newspaper just does not cut it. It doesn't soak up very well and is too easily scattered about. Pet stores have puppy training pads that absorb wonderfully. However they are expensive.

A good reference for house training is Drs Foster and Smith Pet Education.

There are several different methods for potty training puppy depending whether or not you have a lot of time to devote or are away from home for long periods of time. Doing this right, however is tremendously important for everyone's happiness!

Remember lots of praise and rewards when puppy does it right.

Bringing my new puppy home

Exciting! Bringing your new puppy home is a wonderful day! You have hopes and dreams of a great companion for years to come. A pup that will always be there for you, listen closely, obey immediately. You have a clean slate! An untrained ready and eager to learn adorable puppy!

You pick up your new friend, hold him and cuddle him all the way home, play for hours and then its time to go to bed. Your puppy cries, howls, whines and refuses to settle down. What to do...

Sadly many puppies at this immediate juncture will suffer from your lack of know how! I have read the majority of puppies fail to live long enough to enjoy their second birthday 1. because they will not lived up to your expectations . Its not their fault, they are clean slates in need of training and they are totally dependent on you, their new owner to train them. So it is imperative you do your homework ahead of time and have their home ready to receive them.

What do I need to have prepared for my puppy?
Have your puppies new home set up before you pick her up. She needs a long term and a short term confinement area which includes a:

• Comfortable bed
• A fresh supply of water
• The potty area
• A chew toy

Your puppy will spend many hours in this area to begin with, it is their safe haven.

Picking up Gunner
It was another snowy day, most people wisely stayed home, when we drove the 40 miles to pick up Gunner. We brought only a soft cushy blanket to wrap him up in and spent only 5 minutes at the breeders signing papers and wrapping him up in the blanket.

He was young, too young! Most experts agree pups should be with their mothers until 7 to 8 weeks of age so she can do much of their socialization. Gunner's breeder had to take the mom away at 5 weeks so rather than leave him with just his brothers and sisters we decided to pick him up early.

This gave us extra responsibility especially with the biting and chewing. Puppies need to learn how hard they can mouth. Moms train this well with a good nip back if the pup mouths too hard.
We had his home ready,

• A plastic Veri Kennel for his bed
• A plastic play pen surrounding it
• A tray with papers for his potty
• Water dish
• Kong chew toys

The blanket we picked him up in turned out to be the most important item. He slept soundly wrapped up in it every night and was never with out it. The one time I took it out to wash it he cried loudly until I put it back still unwashed.

Our adorable puppy was settling in.

1. Before and After Getting Your Puppy, Dr. Ian Dunbar, New World Library, CA 2004

Choose your puppy wisely! Ya right....

The experts agree. You can read any puppy or dog information book and they all agree you must choose your puppy wisely.

• Observe the litter for at least a half hour
• ask lots of questions
• view and interact with the canine parents
• interrogate the breeder

Then and only then decide on the perfect puppy.

So we met with the breeder on a cold snowy night, took one look at the little black wiggling bundle and paid the money.

Yes we did everything wrong but still ended up with the most delightful perfect little puppy. Maybe we were just lucky.

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/pikpup.html