Labrador Retrievers - Training, Care and Information

How To Choose A Puppy

Jessica Kelly — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:11:55 +0000

Getting a little puppy is an exciting time in your or your family’s life. Knowing ahead of time how to choose a puppy is a good idea. You may not realize it, but choosing a puppy in a litter can be tricky if you don’t know what to look for. Most new owners just look at how cute a puppy is and uses this only criteria in choosing their dog. This may not turn out to be the best indicator of a good dog in the long run. Here are some tips to help you choose a puppy in a litter.

Tips to choosing a puppy

Avoid picking the runt of the litter – Runt dogs often are shy, fearful and anxious. They will grow up to be fearful of other dogs, may react negatively to high anxiety situations and could bark uncontrollably when you leave.
Find a puppy that comes to you and has a good temperament. A good pick is a puppy that comes when you call them and has moderate energy. Hyper puppies will become hyper dogs and similarily mellow puppies will be mellow dogs. You may want a mellow dog so look for dogs that aren’t phased by loud noises or other dogs.
Make sure you puppy isn’t food aggressive or toy aggressive – Have your dog eat in front of other dogs in their litter. Pet the puppy and remove him from his food. If the puppy has no problems with you doing this, it’s a good sign that they aren’t food aggressive.
Meet the puppies parents – It’s a very good idea to see the mom and dad in action. This way you can get a pretty good indication how your puppy will act.

Celebrate Valentine's Day With Your Labrador

Jessica Kelly — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:39:17 +0000

Valentine’s day is just around the corner and now is the time to start thinking about what to get your dog or pet. You don’t have to wait until Christmas or their birthday to give your little lab a treat. Valentine’s day is perfect because you can give a lot of different things for your dog.

The big thing for Valentine’s Day is dog treats. There are many different dog treats in the shape of a heart. Many dog treats will be pink or red to celebrate the festive day. What’s so neat is that many dog stores will have dog treats in a cute little box which looks like a box of chocolates. Another popular treat are large X’s and O’s dog treats. Dogs, and especially labs, love dog treats and will surely appreciate what you give them.

If you are leaning towards a toy, you will surely find little heart shape squeak toys, heart shape beds, and heart shaped tug toys. Dogs love a good squeaking toy on any day!

Whatever you end up getting your little pooch for Valentine’s Day, know that he or she will surely appreciate it.

Teach Your Puppy Not To Bite You

Jessica Kelly — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:18:59 +0000

Puppies love to bite! They will bite toys, furniture and even you! So what can you do to curb his biting behavior? Well, first know that puppies need to chew on toys to help them during teething. Puppies, though, don’t know what to chew on and what not to chew on and will bite your arm when you are playing with them. The best way to teach your puppy not to bite you is to teach Bite Inhibition.

Bite Inhibition

What is bite inhibition? It’s a method you can use to inhibit biting behavior. You do this by allowing your dog to bite you and you immediately yelp or scream. This will frighten your dog. Remove your arm and stop playing with the dog. Do this every time he bites your arm, hand, leg or feet. Over time your dog will learn not to bite you. So when you are playing and he puts his mouth around your arm he won’t bite you. Give it a try!

Keep Your Labrador Busy!

Jessica Kelly — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:25:33 +0000

If you own a Labrador puppy or dog you know how important it is to keep them busy. If you don’t watch out! Eaten up shoes, digging in the trash or excessive barking are a few of the outlets these precious dogs do. So what if you don’t have a lot of time? Don’t worry, there are some things to do that will keep your dog busy, happy and tired.

Tips To Keep Your Labrador Busy

Take a Jog In The Morning – To help your dog relax while you are at work, it’s best to give your dog a jog, walk or bike ride before you head off to work. If you find you cant do that then invest in a treadmill and teach your dog to take a walk on the treadmill.
Teach Your Dog Tricks – After work and on the weekends work to challenge your dog. Labradors are highly intelligent creatures and need the stimulation to keep them entertained and not bored enough to eat your shoes or dig massive holes in your garden.
Put Our Kong Toys – If all else fails, fill up some Kong Toys with food bits and lay them around the house to keep your dog busy while you are at work.

Teach Your Puppy To Walk On A Leash

Jessica Kelly — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:51:02 +0000

One of the things you have to teach your puppy is to walk on a leash. This doesn’t come naturally to puppies or even older dogs. If you don’t train your dog from an early age to walk on a leash without pulling, you will end up with a dog practically ripping off your arm. Teaching your puppy to walk on a leash is simple but takes a lot of patience and dedications as well as commitment.

Tips To Teach Your Puppy To Walk On A Leash

Start Early – As soon as you get your dog, put a leash on him for a 1/2 hour a day, supervised. Let him walk around with the leash trailing him so he can get a feel for the sensation. Your puppy may think it’s a toy so you may start off with a few minutes at a time and work your way up to 1/2 hour a day.
Encourage Your Puppy To Follow You – When you are outside encourage your puppy to follow you from behind. Use treat and rewards to get your dog to comply. If you can naturally get your dog to follow you, you earn respect and teaching your dog to walk on a leash will be easy.
When first beginning to walk on a leash, go for a short time. Five minutes top. Your puppy won’t know what to do and will most likely pull and walk in all directions. Simply stop every time your dog pulls and when the leash relaxes, continue walking. This will take some time for your dog to understand so that’s where patience comes in.
Take An Early Learning Class – It’s a great idea to get your puppy in an early learning class or even a puppy socialization class. This will teach your puppy to listen to you.

What To Teach Your Puppy

Jessica Kelly — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:50:21 +0000

Getting a puppy is a fun time for you and your family. Once you decide on the breed and pick the puppy and take them home what do you do then? There are some crucial steps to take in order to have a happy, well-balanced pup. Here is a list of what to teach your puppy once you get them home.

What To Teach Your Puppy

Bite Inhibition – It is very important to teach your puppy not to bite you. You teach this by teaching bite inhibition. Whenever your puppy puts their mouth on your hand and puts pressure you yell “Ouch!” and become really exaggerated and turn away from the dog. If you consistently follow through with this, your dog will learn to just mouth your hand and not bite it or any other body part.
Leash Etiquette – Many puppies don’t like the feeling of being restrained so when they are on the leash they act out. The best way to bypass this is to hook the leash on the puppy and let the puppy run around with it. I’m sure they will have a ball chasing and chewing on it but every now and then the owner can pick up the leash and tug it to call the dog over. Over time they will learn to walk with the leash on next to you.
Kennel Training – Some owners don’t use kennels and think it’s a bad thing. I feel kennels are a great thing for your puppy. It teaches them a routine and provides them with a safe place to hide, sleep or play. Your puppy will cry at first when put in the kennel, but if you don’t mind a few nightless nights then in the long run it will be a good thing. You can have the kennel in your bedroom and if need be place your hand in the kennel to offer comfort. Remember, your puppy’s life changed dramatically from being in a litter to being by itself so sleeping will be hard in the beginning.
House Training – This can take up to a year to teach but it is highly important to teach your puppy to not pee or pooh in the house. Start on a schedule of taking your dog out every 45 to an hour and give the command “do your job.” Over time that command will elicit urination or defecation.

Is A Labrador Retriever The Right Fit For You?

Jessica Kelly — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:10:48 +0000

Many people who want a dog simply go by appearance. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending if you can accommodate any breed of dog. The Labrador retriever is a great dog to have as a pet but is it the right breed for you? Here are some characteristics of a lab that might help in your decision when choosing a dog.

Characteristics of A Lab

Energy Level – As a big dog, the lab is one of the breeds that are bred to be high strung and have lots of energy. Most working type dogs and hunting type dogs have a lot of energy so expect a Lab wanting lots of walks and running around.
Grooming – Even though Labs are short haired they shed a lot of hair. Be prepared to vacuum your place and brush your dog on a weekly basis.
Friendly Nature – Most Labs are friendly in nature and get a long well with all people and animals. They may or may not be a good guard dog. If what you want is a guard dog, consider a German Sheppard.
Vet Expenses – Most big dogs have more expenses at the vet than smaller dogs. Labs in particular fall ill to hip replacements. As a young puppy, make sure that your dog isn’t running up and down stairs as this could cause problems in the long run.

The Difference Between A Labrador And A Golden Retriever

Jessica Kelly — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:09:50 +0000

Most people love Labs and Golden Retrievers but don’t know the difference between them. You see both dogs get a long well with children and make good companion pets. So what is the difference between a Lab and a Golden? There are few differences and many similarities.

Differences Between A Lab And Golden Retriever

The Labrador

Strongly built, medium-sized and compact build that is suitable for hunting
It is soundless when gathering waterfowl and can hunt for long hours without exhaustion
Physically the Lab has a short, dense, water resistent coat and otter-like tail, kind friendly eyes.
It is bred as a working dog
Requires a lot of exercise on a daily basis
They are gentle around elderly and children
Not considered an aggressive dog but will bark to ward off strangers
They are eager to please, are intelligent dogs and are outgoing and sociable.
They come in three distinct colors – yellow, chocolate and black

The Golden Retriver

Make a great hunter dog, show dog or family dog
Built to be powerful and active and are not clumsy at all
Has an extremely reliable temperament
Require a lot of exercise daily
Trustworthy and friendly towards other dogs and people
Has a long coat that comes in different shades of gold/red.

Keep Your Dog Safe While You Are At Work

Jessica Kelly — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:35:27 +0000

Leaving to work every day for 8 or 9 hours a day and leaving your pooch all day can be a little nerve racking. Many owners are concerned about dog safety while they are away at work. Or, they are worried that their dog will get into something they shouldn’t, like the kitchen trash. There are some tips to help with these situations.

Setting Your House Up For Safety

It’s very important that before you leave for work everyday, that you safe-proof your house. Put baby gates in areas where you don’t want your dog in or leave your dog in one area of the house. Make sure there aren’t any items that can be ingested such as towels, bedding and shoes. It is also a good idea to place household plants high up or away from your dog if you find that your dog is curious.

Tips To Keep Your Dog Safe

Give your job a KONG toy or several KONG toys and stuff them with peanut butter and other treats. This will keep him occupied hopefully for a little bit.
Walk or run your dog before you go to work so that he will sleep most of the day while you are away.
Confine your dog in one room or one part of your place. This will keep your dog safe and keep him from getting into something that he or she shouldn’t.
Avoid keeping your dog outside all day. The heat could cause heat exhaustion and any water you may leave for your pet could be turned over.

Pet Costumes For Halloween

Jessica Kelly — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:09:21 +0000

Halloween is creeping up and now is the time to start scouting for some cute, funny or just plain scary pet costumes for your dog. Let your dog participate in this fun holiday! With a Halloween costume, you can take your dog trick-or-treating. There are many costumes to choose from.

Just take a look at these cute critters!