Labs, Labs, and more Labs! [Archive] - Page 2

flygirl

02-15-2006, 12:58 PM

I haven't read through the thread, but I had to share... I just got a black lab puppy! Maddy is so absolutely adorable...but aren't they all? No good pics yet, but I'll post as soon as I get them. She's 11 weeks now and not too hyper ;). She loves playing with my other dog, Annie, & the dogs on our street, though if one gets a little hyper she'll run between my legs for a second. She also loves to sit & watch activity around her.

It's been 8 years since I had a puppy & though I didn't forget how hard it was, she's definitely exhausting me. One question for you experienced puppy-parents: When we're inside I usually keep her confined to the kitchen. She whines A LOT (as in non-stop until she decides to nap in her crate) and it's not just annoying to me, but also to Annie & my two cats. I know I'm not supposed to give her attention when she does this, but it just goes on for so long. She has her toys, so I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do to make her stop.

mkvh

02-15-2006, 02:57 PM

FLYGIRL!!!! Welcome to the Labbie Lovers Support Group! We need pics of Maddy, of course...

I don't know if I can be of much help with the whining because we rarely left Rudy alone unless he was crated. Keep in mind that labs are TERRIBLY social, and there may be no worse torture for them than keeping them separated from everyone else. ;) It requires more work on your part, but she probably just wants to be with you and Annie and the cats.

Kyrsten--I TOTALLY agree. Andy was BEAUTIFUL. What a face!

Smittenk

02-15-2006, 03:07 PM

Welcome Flygirl!!!!!

Ugh, the whining...yep I hear ya! Barley will still do it from time to time and it still annoys me. He was terrible when we first got him though. He would whine and then start to make this oohing sound that I swear people thought we were killing him:rolleyes: The only thing that worked was to leave him and then leave the house. I would put him in his crate of course but that was the only thing that worked. I tried to do what the trainers suggested...leave him and go back to praise when he stopped whining but my problem was that he never stopped whining, crying, howling. sooo when do I go back to praise him...that was always my issue too. I think that if you just leave her for periods of time...even in her crate, she will begin to understand that you will come back. I did it for an hour at first..then two..then 30 minutes etc etc. After about 2 weeks he was fine.
Good Luck!! I know it does take alot of patience. Mine is still being tested..Barley is coming upon 6 months old.

QueenDillyDally

02-15-2006, 03:19 PM

Flygirl - don't have much advice about the whining. Just sympathizing with you... Our 7 month old lab is barking in his crate at night for no reason. We have ruled everything out... except... separation anxiety. He is very attached to us I suppose. We haven't had a full night's sleep in a really long time. We are at a loss as to what to do ourselves. Sorry I can't help.

P.S. We want to see pictures - LOVE puppy pictures!!!! :)

flygirl

02-15-2006, 03:37 PM

Thanks for the welcome :). And thanks for the suggestions. m, she actually only whines when I'm in view. :rolleyes: The kitchen opens wide into the living room where she can see me working. If I go into another room, she usually quiets down in her crate or with a toy.

Unfortunately, all I have are phone-camera pics (Jeff took the camera on his last trip, and yes, I brought home the puppy without him here :o).
http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/i/108497647621_290.jpg?ext=.jpg&rand=922011742583727190&border=2,255,255,255,1,0,0,0,0&outquality=90
http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/i/108497625989_290.jpg?ext=.jpg&rand=5664759824093004177&border=2,255,255,255,1,0,0,0,0&outquality=90
http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/i/108323219589_290.jpg?ext=.jpg&rand=6629527487819821436&border=2,255,255,255,1,0,0,0,0&outquality=90

Heidi

02-16-2006, 08:27 AM

flygirl,
We had the whining issue with Matty as well. I posted here about it and it seemed like it is a puppy thing. Matty was doing it mainly in the morning whether she needed anything or not (going outside, eating breakfast) It was mainly because she sleeps downstairs, and us upstairs so she was letting us know to get out of bed and come play! It sounds like maybe she just wants to be with you. I think that definitely is a puppy thing.

It does get better. Matty's whining slowed down at around 7-8 months. She still whines some, but definitely not as much. And she even lets us sleep late some days!

mkvh

02-16-2006, 09:29 AM

Wow, I guess I should count my blessings! Rudy was never much of a whiner. Now at 10 months, he will whine a bit specifically to tell you that he wants something. Usually while he's staring you in the face. I swear he thinks he can talk!

Chimichanga

02-17-2006, 09:21 AM

Welcome flygirl! Zeppelin is STILL a whiner. He will whine if he can see one of us outside while the other one is inside. Yesterday DH was out shoveling and I stayed in with Zepp. He was crying for DH the entire.freakin.time - two hours!

We did, however, take him outside to play in the snow and he love it! He was jumping in and out of snow piles. We did have him outside when we were shoveling (took a total of 5 hours) so he was outside with both DH and I for quite some time.

guinevere

02-23-2006, 01:44 PM

Welcome flygirl! Zeppelin is STILL a whiner. He will whine if he can see one of us outside while the other one is inside. Yesterday DH was out shoveling and I stayed in with Zepp. He was crying for DH the entire.freakin.time - two hours!

Mine does this too while DH is shoveling snow!
I think she thinks he's out there having fun playing in the snow without her or something.

Chimichanga

03-03-2006, 09:53 AM

Let's revive this thread! :)

Yesterday DH and I experimented with different fruit treats for Zeppelin. The vet recommended we don't give him too many milkbones/treats because they have so many calories (as many as he needs in a day) in one treat.

She recommended giving him carrots (we do and he loves them), apples, pears, celery and bananas.

I was eating a pear last night so I bit off a piece and gave it to him. At first he didn't want it - thought I had something "better" in my hand. Then he took it and ate it. He ate about 6 pieces (maybe the size of a 50 cent piece) and wanted more! I let him "bite" on the leftover pear (core). I held onto it so he wouldn't go nuts. He was loving it!!!

kemaji

03-03-2006, 09:58 AM

flygirl -- have you tried covering the crate? We have friends that have done that with their dog with some success, even when the dog could hear them.

Chimichanga -- our lab Dakota loves all sorts of fruit and veggies. We have turned him into the biggest begger while we're cooking because we'll feed him bits of most anything we're chopping.

Chimichanga

03-03-2006, 11:26 AM

I definitely feel better having him beg for fruit that other stuff that (while good) would just get him fat. :)

We'll have to try this philosophy on our children.;)

mkvh

03-03-2006, 12:14 PM

Good thought, Chimichanga...I hope I can get my little one to beg for fruits and veggies!

The only people food that Rudy is allowed: carrots, apple, and peanut butter. He BEGS for pieces of apple when I am eating one. It drives my DH crazy.

Here's one for you...this is the latest of our soon-to-be new addition. He's not the most cooperative subject. :rolleyes:

http://images.snapfish.com/3464648%3A%3B%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWS NRCG%3D32335532728%3B4nu0mrj

He was 5 weeks old yesterday, but the pic is a week old. He's growing like mad, and we got to visit him last weekend. He's such a great snuggler!

Any advice on stopping "alarm" barking? Rudy just started barking at anything that moves outside (and some things that don't). :rolleyes:

Chimichanga

03-03-2006, 12:32 PM

When Zeppelin sees peanut butter, he will seriously start licking the air like he would be licking the PB. Not just licking his lips, but licking the air. It is SOO funny to watch. :D We haven't given him PB in a long time - DH did the other day and it was a hoot!

He does't get scraps from the table, but we will give him left over chicken/steak in his bowl well after we have finished our meal. MIL, on the other hand, will feed him from her plate and we've yelled at her several times for this.

FutureSA

03-03-2006, 12:38 PM

I am new but I thought I would post a pic of my 2 year old, His name is Kona

http://images.snapfish.com/346464%3A57%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3273%3E938%3E494%3EWSNR CG%3D32334%3B7257673nu0mrj

I'm looking for another one too. Kona needs a buddy!

MMHinCA

03-03-2006, 12:42 PM

Here is a picture of our almost 2 year old lab, Bella with her "baby".

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dd22b3127cce97965b59f51b00000015108AaOHDdi3ZtB

ManteoChik

03-03-2006, 12:56 PM

Duchess LOVES her fruits and veggies....some of her favs are: Carrots, apples, pineapple, bananas, broccoli

She also loves Cheese, Goldfish, bread, ham, steak, chicken, frosty paws (doggie ice cream)....pretty much, Duchess doesn't discriminate..lol.

guinevere

03-03-2006, 03:34 PM

mkvh, the soon-to-be new addition is so sweet! Look at that face!
Do you have a name for him yet?

QueenDillyDally

03-04-2006, 07:17 PM

Some new pictures of Papi - 7 1/2 months old...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC00975.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC00967.jpg

QUESTION:
At what age did you change over from puppy formula to adult formula food? and Why?

We are still using puppy formula right now. But, I was curious what others have/are done/doing.

ETA....
We have almost "solved" our sleepless night problem. We started leaving his crate unlocked at night. At first, he wouldn't come out unless we came down and coaxed him out. Then, he would occasionally come out on his own in the night. After a week of this, I left his crate door open. He immediately would follow me out of the crate. For the first time, last night, I let him stay in the living room and did not put him in his crate first. He slept through the night. Guess he's not too crazy about his crate at night anymore. He still is locked in it during the day while we are at work. I don't want him out & about yet during the daylight hours as I am afraid he will get into something he shouldn't out of boredom.

mkvh

03-06-2006, 07:27 AM

mkvh, the soon-to-be new addition is so sweet! Look at that face!
Do you have a name for him yet?

THANKS! His name is Rocky. We named each of our two after the mascots for the universities where DH and I got our masters degrees. The names (Rudy and Rocky) go well together but aren't all that interesting...but at least they have meaning!

shicks--Papi is a doll! I love his expression in the 2nd pic!

RE: puppy food--We are continuing on puppy food till his 1st birthday. We did cut WAAAY back on quantity around 6-7 months (he only gets 1 1/2 cups 2x daily).

Marely & Me--I know we discussed this a while back, but I broke down and read the book this weekend. It is AWESOME. Warning: YOU WILL CRY. Okay, I sobbed through the last 50 pages. But it is worth it. Anyone who owns a Lab should read it because he really brings to life what it is like to live with our crazy creatures!

Chimichanga

03-06-2006, 11:25 AM

We moved Zeppelin from puppy food to adult food around 6 months. The vet said he had gained enough weight and we could start leveling him off.

With the puppy food we fed him 3-4 times a day - one scoop each time. If he ate it all right away, we might give him another but that was it.

With the adult food we give him one scoop in the morning and two scoops at night - plus plenty of treats.

He's actually maintained his weight pretty well. We switched him over at about 60 pounds and he's just under 70 now (and he's 11 months)

FutureSA

03-27-2006, 12:11 PM

This is Maya!

http://tinyurl.com/r3kg2

mkvh

03-27-2006, 12:16 PM

Maya is SWEET, FutureSA!!!

I can't wait to bring my baby home next Thursday. Rocky is 14 lbs already! :eek:

As for Rudy, he went for his almost-1 year check up Thursday. He's 78lbs, and the vet said that he's a good looking boy. No weight issues. Yay! She also said he's one of her best behaved patients. I was a proud momma. He's also scheduled for his neuter on 4/11. Part of me is worried/scared, but most of me is looking forward to it! Maybe he'll forget about marking...

BrownEyedGirl

03-27-2006, 12:17 PM

She's absolutely adorable!! Look at that tiny little nose...I just want to eat her up!

Smittenk

03-27-2006, 02:48 PM

Aw Maya is sooo pretty!!

Smittenk

03-27-2006, 11:55 PM

Barley's famous! Well kind of :p

The very front page of clipshack is showing the video of Barley wading at the lake.

I actually didn't know they could use our private clips that we upload for their own use. I guess it is in the small print that I never read :rolleyes:

Chimichanga

03-28-2006, 08:27 AM

Hmm - well that's very cool about Barley being famous. Although, kind of odd they use your personal stuff without consent....

Smittenk

03-28-2006, 09:00 AM

I know Chimichanga...I would think they would email you first. I never read the terms and conditions when I first signed up so I betcha it is in there that they can use them without consent. I should check.

Chimichanga

03-28-2006, 09:26 AM

I would definitely check. I mean, if you had a clip of your child walking or something (meant for family) that they decided to broadcast...some parents could get very upset by that. Dogs are a bit different, but still.

Smittenk

03-28-2006, 10:12 AM

Chimichanga...I checked the T&C and here's what it says

D. Ownership
As between Reality Digital and you, you retain all rights in whatever digital media files ("Personal Content") you upload to the Site and archive through the Services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you grant to Reality Digital a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to all Personal Content to use, copy, display, perform, modify, and distribute such Personal Content solely as necessary to provide the Services and to perform our obligations under these Terms.

I wonder if they wouldn't use images of kids though

Chimichanga

03-28-2006, 07:37 PM

Gosh - that kind of stinks. I mean, what if something what *ahem* personal...you know?

Smittenk

03-28-2006, 11:35 PM

I know..I was wondering about that too!

Chimichanga

04-05-2006, 11:42 AM

Zeppelin did the funniest thing last night and I wish I had a picture!

We've been kicking him off the bed lately because I can't get comfortable with him on the bed. Last night he jumped up in the middle of the night after I fell asleep. Around 2 or so, I get up to go to the bathroom. I'm looking around on the floor for him so I don't step on him (didn't know he was on the bed).

I come back to bed and I see him... lying on his back with all four legs sticking straight up in the air! I was worried at first thinking something happened to him, but then I heard him snoring and I knew he was okay.

I nearly busted a gut laughing at that position. Wish I had the camera handy :D

climberchic

04-05-2006, 12:18 PM

Hello ladies... Coolio just checking in.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b303/Canuckchickadee/me.jpg

I'm a 4 year old purebread chocolate GIRL. Everyone thinks I'm a boy because of the name. :rolleyes: You're all so cute in here!

mkvh

04-10-2006, 08:37 AM

Hi Coolio! *waves*

Two big news flashes from this labbie momma:

1) Baby Rocky is HOME! I need to take some pictures, but he's doing well and getting along well with Rudy. Yay!

2) Rudy is getting neutered tomorrow. I am so apprehensive. My poor baby! Tell me some good stories to put me at ease!

Smittenk

04-10-2006, 09:26 AM

mkvh...Yey Rocky is home!!! Can't wait to see pics missy!!

Don't worry...Rudy is totally going to be ok! Barley was just groggy and tired afterwards. He whined a little. The next day he was a bit whiny...I think he was sore and uncomfortable. By the next day he was honestly back to his old self!! He didn't lick at all and wasn't too bothered by it. Your baby will be just fine..I promise!!

Welcome Climberchic!! Coolio is so sweet!! I remember you from the WC. Are you going to start a journal here?

QueenDillyDally

04-11-2006, 07:12 AM

Coolio is very cute!

And, of course we can't wait to see pictures of Rocky!!! ;)

QOTD:

Does anyone else's Lab DIG their yards up????

Now that Papi (~9 months old) is on his own outside, he has dug up 4 of my tulip/iris bulbs that I just planted last year as well as there are 4 significant holes in our yard now. UGH... so annoyed!

Any advice on how to get him to stop this behavior??? Aside from sprinkling hot pepper all over the yard! :p

mkvh

04-11-2006, 07:32 AM

Steph--Rudy has dug in a few select place. Fortunately (?) we don't have much to lose with our yard :rolleyes: so it hasn't been a big issue. However, I really think Rocky is going to be a digger...so while I have no advice, I look forward to hearing what others have to say!

Rudy is at the vet right now. Oh how awful it was to have to be the one to drop him off!

On the bright side, Rocky went to the door to be let outside this morning!! Smart boy!

TaterBaby

04-11-2006, 08:28 AM

shicks, I think some are just diggers and some aren't. Tater doesn't do it at all, but Butter has put at least 10 neck-breaking holes in our back yard already. Plus, we have a problem with moles and I *think* she is trying to get to them. I don't have any answers. I just try to keep a few toys out there so she can chew on them instead of dig more holes!

Chimichanga

04-11-2006, 10:31 AM

Funny you bring this up - Zeppelin just dug his first hole yesterday.

DH was amused by it because he had never seen a life dog dig a hole. I looked at him like he was nuts, but he had a smaller dog growing up.

I think Zepp might be a digger, which will probably drive me nuts. I have a tendancy to find *every* stinking hole and twisting my ankle. Yeah, it's fun.

ManteoChik

04-11-2006, 03:04 PM

So I just thought I'd drop off some new doggie pictures. These are of my Duchess (black lab - 1 1/2) and Allie (friends chocolate lab - 8 yrs). I was doggie sitting a few weekends ago while my friend and her hubby went out of town, so I took these pictures of our "babies" together. They had *so* much fun.

http://images.snapfish.com/34679%3C4%3B2%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B%3A 6%3EWSNRCG%3D32336394%3B%3A874nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34679%3C4%3B2%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B% 3A6%3EWSNRCG%3D32336394%3C48%3B7nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34679%3C4%3B2%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B%3A 6%3EWSNRCG%3D32336394%3B2%3C48nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34679%3C4%3B2%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B% 3A6%3EWSNRCG%3D32336394%3B774%3Bnu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34679%3C4%3B2%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B%3A 6%3EWSNRCG%3D32336394%3B7%3C6%3Anu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34679%3C4%3B2%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B%3A 6%3EWSNRCG%3D32336394%3C5%3B44nu0mrj

QueenDillyDally

04-11-2006, 04:34 PM

OMG! Courtney, your Duchess looks exactly like our Papi!!!

I love looking at pictures of everyone's labbies!

Mackenzie - let us know how Rudy is fairing, okay! We still haven't had Papi fixed yet.... I'm going to cry when we do. :o His "manhood" will be forever be gone!

Emily - I think Papi might be trying to get to moles too. We had a few mole holes before the fence was installed and you can feel the ground has air pockets under the surface. My masseuse today said that her dogs dig for moles and EAT them too! I will freak if Papi starts eating the moles... although, I don't want to have mole holes either. 'Course Papi is digging a hole right in front of our doorstep now.

Jen - I am like you, I'm sure I will twist my ankle in the hole when I am not paying attention. I'm a clutz! That's so funny that your DH has never seen a dog digging before!

I wonder if I am able to get rid of the moles, then Papi will stop digging? But, that would mean finding something pet-safe that would get rid of the moles. I have seen animal "deterents" for gardens, etc... in a catalogue before, but can't remember where. They were these things that you just stake into the ground. Not sure how they worked. At least it would keep him out of the garden area.

climberchic

04-11-2006, 05:15 PM

Hey all, thanks for the compliments. You doggles are all so cute (and I can't wait to see Rocky!). I'm glad that I'm in good company!

As for digging, I've never really had this problem. The Cools has an oral fixation though and I usually make sure there are sticks and things to gnaw on.

Ali, I guess I had better start a journal now with the invite and encouragement. I have a major exam coming up and want to make sure that when I start one, I can keep up with it. I will definitely start one though. :)

mkvh

04-12-2006, 06:58 AM

Hey gals! Thanks for all the well wishes for Rudy. The surgery went extremely well. However, his tummy issues prevented him from getting any pain meds, so he's really still not feeling very well. He is getting a bit back to his old self, though, as he is again stealing Rocky's toys!

It really is sad in a way, shicks! I kinda feel the same way you do about taking something away from him. Although I know it's better for his long term health.

Manteo Chick--How cute Duchess is with the other dog! Looks like you need to join the two labbie club with the rest of us!

I'm getting batteries for my digital hopefully tonight, so I hope to have pics tomorrow!

Smittenk

04-16-2006, 04:42 AM

Barley just wanted to pop in to say

Happy Easter to my labbie friends!
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/easter06007.jpg

He got a "chocolate" egg from the bunny today!

Chimichanga

04-16-2006, 05:37 PM

I wanted to drop off Zeppelin's first birthday pictures! Easter is our booger's birthday.
http://images.snapfish.com/346846645%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E336%3E9%3A8%3EWS NRCG%3D323365%3B683648nu0mrj
With Daddy
http://images.snapfish.com/346846645%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E336%3E9%3A8%3EWS NRCG%3D323365%3B68366%3Anu0mrj
waiting for his birthday dinner
http://images.snapfish.com/346846645%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E336%3E9%3A8%3E WSNRCG%3D323365%3B683678nu0mrj
"You're killing me mamma!"
http://images.snapfish.com/346846645%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E336%3E9%3A8%3E WSNRCG%3D323365%3B683685nu0mrj
Mmmm...birthday steak!

mkvh

04-17-2006, 06:40 AM

smitten--Barley has the patience of a SAINT! Although I bet I could get Rudy to wear the ears. Rudy, but no way Rocky!

Chimi--Zepp looks so TALL! Glad he had a happy birthday. Rudy's 1st birthday is the 24th of April.

We took our boys for a hike/swim yesterday. Rocky was HILARIOUS. He wanted to swim so badly but was afraid. Wimp! I did get my digi fixed, so I have pics waiting to be downloaded. Hopefully I'll get some posted tomorrow.

mkvh

04-18-2006, 06:38 AM

Proud mama FINALLY got her camera working! Here are some pics of my boys from the weekend...

Rudy & Rocky Ready for a Ride
http://images.snapfish.com/346859876%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWSNR CG%3D3233665267779nu0mrj

Rudy Hogging the TWO New Toys (Rudy will be 1 on 4/24)
http://images.snapfish.com/346859876%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWSNRCG %3D323366526645%3Cnu0mrj

Rocky Mugging for the Camera @ 11 Weeks
http://images.snapfish.com/346859876%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWSNRCG %3D3233665267777nu0mrj

Smittenk

04-18-2006, 06:41 AM

AWWWWW!!!! Love the new pics!! They are both so cute...Rocky's little face makes me melt

GeekGirl

04-22-2006, 09:57 PM

This is Savannah, a recent addition to a friend's family. She may not be mine, but I do get to be an eccentric aunt! :D

http://static.flickr.com/50/132971781_603e7d4b01.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/50/132971765_667095d9f2.jpg?v=0

QueenDillyDally

05-01-2006, 04:00 AM

New pictures of Papi boy!
(Cross-posted in my journal)

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/DSC01296.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/DSC01286.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/DSC01282.jpg

mkvh

05-01-2006, 10:02 AM

Geek Girl--Proud aunts allowed for sure. How sweet!

shicks--Papi is so handsome!

Here's a new one of my two boys...

http://images1.snapfish.com/3469734%3B%3A%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3233%3E59%3A%3E%3A5%3 A%3E232459%3A%3B4%3B743ot1lsi

And them snuggling with momma...
http://images1.snapfish.com/3469734%3B%3A%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3E WSNRCG%3D323368%3B%3A75467nu0mrj

QueenDillyDally

05-01-2006, 02:11 PM

Mackenzie - Papi says thanks for the compliment! That second picture makes me want another puppy sooo bad! They are adorable! :p

Chimichanga

05-04-2006, 11:25 AM

QueenDillyDally

05-04-2006, 01:44 PM

Now that it's getting to be summer for everyone, is anyone taking their lab swimming?

Where do you take your lab? I have absolutely no clue where I could take Zeppelin. Lake Michigan is way too gross and I wouldn't want him swimming in a pool. I do want to let him get in the water since he loves it so much.

We are having the same issue too - trying figure out a safe place to take Papi that is not close to a major road. He's too young to trust him off leash around a road. Plus, a lot of our ponds/lakes that are open to public & dogs but they have broken glass & trash everywhere plus smelly water! :eek:
I need to do some research on our area...

Bloomwood

05-04-2006, 01:50 PM

It is more like wading, but we have one of those turtle sandboxes that are made for kids that we fill with water for our lab. She loves it! We tried the inflatable kids pools but she ate it! Typical lab!

Smittenk

05-04-2006, 04:08 PM

Now that it's getting to be summer for everyone, is anyone taking their lab swimming?

Yep! Barley goes almost every day...I can't keep him out of the water!!
Luckily we have an eco park right in our backyard with a bunch of lakes so he goes in there. I'm sure they aren't the cleanest but they are great for dogs. Getting a wading pool is a fantastic idea if you don't have access to a nice lake. Slow moving rivers are also great!!

ManteoChik

05-05-2006, 06:42 AM

Yep! Duchess goes pretty much everyday...lol. She goes a lot on our swimming pool (loves it) and we also take her to the beach frequently.

TaterBaby

05-05-2006, 08:10 AM

What about those plastic kiddie wading pools that are super cheap? Anyone tried that? I can't decide if it would work or get torn up in two seconds.

BrownEyedGirl

05-05-2006, 08:13 AM

We've gotten Emma the kiddie pools before. She loved it....she'd get in run around drink the water, dig at the bottom and finally lay down with a huge smile on her cute little face. The pools stood up just fine too.....especially since she's not the most graceful dog and would run full speed at the pool intending to jump in, but would inevitably trip and fall in face first over the side.

QueenDillyDally

05-05-2006, 08:28 AM

I'm going to have to go get me Papi a kiddie pool this weekend!!! He would LOVE it! :)

mkvh

05-05-2006, 12:53 PM

We're getting a kiddie pool this summer, too, since Rudy will wallow in just about any sort of GROSS, standing water!

As for actual swimming, there are a couple of local parks where we can get away with letting him off leash to swim. One has a very large pond and the other has a large, slow moving creek. Both are pretty clean for natural bodies of water, and we don't have much trouble with trash and the like.

jessied1025

05-05-2006, 01:33 PM

I have been lurking for a while...I posted when the thread first opened up and maybe once or twice thereafter. Here is a new pic of our yellow lab (almost 3) Sugar. She is a small lab and only weighs around 50 lbs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/jessied1025/Sugar/104_0475.jpg

Sugar doesn't go swimming very often. We like to go to state parks to hike and she loves to come with and after hiking take a dip in the lake.

QueenDillyDally

05-06-2006, 01:47 PM

jessie
Sugar is very pretty.... My Papi would LOVE to date her!!! ;)

KIDDIE POOL SUGGESTIONS...
For those of you who already have one, where did you get yours? And what kind is it?

I just went to Target and Home Depot and didn't find any hard plastic ones. I found inflatable ones at Target but his claws would put a hole right through it. Haven't checked Walmart yet though.

DH & I were looking at the black hard plastic pools at Home Depot that are used to make man-made ponds. But, we weren't sure if Papi could climb into it without having to bury it into the ground.

Any advice?

Boomer

05-06-2006, 03:27 PM

I have the hard plastic kind and it holds up great. I usually get mine at Walmart and it's usually $7-8. They are usually outside the Garden Center. The Target near me has never had them. I have gotten one at Toys-r-Us but they have closed our store.

My lab LOVES his pool.

mkvh

05-08-2006, 06:00 AM

Hi Sugar! *waves* Rudy's not much into girl dogs, but if he was.... ;)

Thanks for the update on the kiddie pools, Boomer! We looked at the home improvement stores this weekend and didn't find any. We'll have to try WalMart!

Chimichanga

05-08-2006, 11:20 AM

mkvh

05-08-2006, 12:00 PM

One thing we have done, Chimichanga, that seems to curb this is to keep treats in our pockets when outside. (DH is much better at this than I am) Then, when Zepp is within arm's reach, treat him. Also, recall him for no reason and treat him then. Zepp will learn that being near you = treats and will stray less. We can take Rudy hiking without a leash because of this.

That said, we do have an Invisible Fence, and it is one of the best purchases we EVER made. Peace of mind for you, quality of life for the dog. Doesn't get much better than that! If you decide to go that direction, let me know. I have some advice on purchasing....

lawphil

05-08-2006, 01:22 PM

Hi all,

I have loved reading through this thread and seeing the pics of all of your beautiful dogs!

We just got a nine week old lab. We love him to bits. His mouthiness is getting worse and worse (I guess as he gets more comfortable and forgets his mom's training).

Yesterday he ripped a t-shirt and the day before he got my sweatpants. Every time we try to play fetch in the yard it ends up with him attached to my leg (Ouch!!). Even in the house when we are playing with his many chew toys he somehow always ends up attached to some part of my body. I have tried re-directing with praise, standing still and ignoring him, telling him ‘no biting’, picking him up and holding him away from my body until he calms himself down. Yelling Ouch just seems to make him more riled up.

Nothing works! I know there is no quick fix, it is just that the biting is really painful and I am worried that I am creating a habit that is going to be really hard to break. The biting is so painful that I am worried about having my nieces and nephews over to visit because I am afraid that he will really hurt them with his sharp teeth. Anyway, other than the mouthiness he has been really easy to train he is very responsive to sit and stay, walks on the leash without a problem, potty trained, etc.

Any help would be so appreciated!!

PS. I am leaning toward the ignoring/time-out game but I am not sure what to do with him when I am ignoring him (If I leave him alone in the room he will eat something that is definitely not supposed to). By the time I get him inside it seems like the biting was too long ago for him to really understand why he is being put in his crate. Also, he is still getting used to his crate so I don’t want to make it a time-out. Has anyone used a puppy pack n play or gated area for time-outs? Apple bitter on pants/hand?

Smittenk

05-08-2006, 01:35 PM

Welcome lawphil! Congrats on your new pup...things will get better I promise!

With Barley, we sprayed apple bitter on almost everything. We kept having to drench things though...it seemed to wear off quickly.

When he would bite our hands we yelped loudly like a dog would and then we would stand up and walk away...ignoring him for a few minutes so basically he got the picture that if he bit the game ended. I would refrain from using the crate as a place you discipline him to...then you get stuck with a dog that doesn't like the crate because it has a negative association. Just be persistant..yelp, say no firmly and ignore...it does take time (I know it is frustrating!). DH and I had scratches, bite marks etc on our arms and hands for the first month! OOh also, whenever he is chewing one of his toys, treat him and praise him. He will eventually make the connection.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing! Also post a pic when you get a chance, we'd love to see him!

mkvh

05-08-2006, 01:41 PM

lawphil--Good advice from Smitten. One of the recommended ways of giving a puppy a time out is to keep him on a leash most of the time. When he bites/nips, yelp and then stand up with your foot on the leash and your back turned to him. Keep the leash short enough that he ONLY can sit/lie down and can't really reach you or anything else.

I also hate to say this, but it really is a phase. If he is only 9 weeks old, you've got another 2 months where he's going to be somewhat nippy. FWIW, my niece called Rudy "The Shark" for most of his first 3 months at our house! We're dealing with it a bit now with Rocky (he's 15 weeks), but poor Rudy bears the brunt of those little puppy teeth.

mkvh

05-09-2006, 11:26 AM

Rudy and Rocky (Rocky is 14 weeks):
http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3A3%3C%3B45%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3233%3E634%3E943%3E 2324634%3A34%3B62ot1lsi

Chimichanga

05-09-2006, 11:45 AM

Lawphil - some other suggestions you can try would be to hit the pups bottom jaw. I'm not condoning hitting, but it will 'rattle his cage' so to speak without really hurting him. Also - don't laugh - I bit Zeppelin once. He was biting so much, that I nipped his ear to show him that his play was hurting me. That's how they do it in their litter - they rough house, but there's that point where one goes too far. And they yelp out to show it's too far. If you can make him yelp a bit (again, not maming him or anything) that will help teach him boundaries.

mkvh - I'd love to heard your recommendations about the fence. We usually do have treats, but Zepp just wanders anyways. Yesterday he ran at a little girl on a bike. I yelled to her that he's friendly, but I can still imagine the horror in seeing a big black dog running at a child with his teeth barred (mouth open in a non-agressive way, but a kid won't see that).

mkvh

05-09-2006, 11:56 AM

Chimichanga--I'm giggling imagining the terror that poor little girl must have experienced! How was she to know that Zepp only wanted to lick her to death?!?!

We went with the Invisibile Fence company rather than one of the competitors who installs similar products. They sell in packages. Go for the 2nd package up which includes training. Just in case Zepp is difficult. I believe the training comes with a guarantee. Also, upgrade to the lifetime warranty collar (we wish we had). They will come to your house for the consultation. Ask abotu discounts but don't commit AT ALL. Let them sweat a bit. They will come down on price at the in-home but if you wait a couple of days, they will call back to follow up. I played not sure still, blamed the price, and overall ended up getting about 30% off the initial quote! Offering to pay cash helped, I'm sure. Anyway, two rules: 1) Get the training and 2) Negotiate!

We LOVE our fence and cannot imagine life without it!

lawphil

05-09-2006, 01:11 PM

Thank you for all the great advice!

Last night I traded out my sweats and flip flops for shorts and merrills (no pants or shoe laces to grab on to). I covered my legs, shoes, hands and fleece with apple bitter. Every time he started biting I quietly said no biting...if he kept going I left the room and counted to 10. When I got back to the gate I had a treat and made him sit while I opened the gate. If he stayed seated he got the treat and a whole lot of praise. Then we play, play, play with his toys until the biting starts and we do the whole routine again. I have to say even though it was a bit of a pain hopping in and out of the kitchen it really seemed to keep him calmer and more focused on his toys.

For now I am going to continue spending most of our time in the kitchen (I moved out all of the furniture and filled it with his toys) training. When we are outside he gets so revved up he can't help himself but run like a mad man and attach himself to me. Which is actually really cute until he sinks his teeth in!! Of course he does deserve some stick fetching outside as well!

Were any of your pups afraid to leave your yard? My vet said it was ok to walk him on our dead end street as long as he didn't go on other yards or face to face with other dogs. I have been taking him on short little walks but I can't get him all the way down the road and as soon as I say 'lets go home' he sets off on a dead sprint toward the house. And if he hears a dog barking he moves even faster! I am laughing thinking that some day he is going to be like Zeppelin and love to check out everything that is going on outside of the yard!

Thanks again for all of the advice. When we have some time to download our pictures I will definitely post one!!

Smittenk

05-09-2006, 01:49 PM

Just keep at it lawphil..it sounds like it is already starting to work which is great news! Being persistant is the best advice we can give you.

Were any of your pups afraid to leave your yard? My vet said it was ok to walk him on our dead end street as long as he didn't go on other yards or face to face with other dogs.

Our vet and trainer told us that the earlier you can introduce your puppy to the world the better so what we did was carry Barley in a small backpack everyday. we made sure to stop as cars or trucks went by...bikes, and every kind of person so he could look and smell. He saw little kids, other dogs, cats, smelled flowers, saw people of every age and race....it was the best thing we could do for him. He has no aversion to anybody or thing. We were lucky enough to get him a week before Halloween too so we made sure to stand outside during fireworks so he isn't scared of the loud bangs. He is a little unsure when he hears thunder though.

Here are a few pics of him in the "Barley Pouch"...he loved it!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/MoreBarley3009.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/MoreBarley3012.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/MoreBarley3016.jpg

lawphil

05-10-2006, 11:04 AM

Oh my gosh those pictures are so cute!

I am definitely going to get him out more. This morning I had him on a leash when the garbage truck came up the street. He was so scared, he started jumping around in circles trying to take cover. I felt so bad that I wasn't holding him as it approached. He probably thought I was going to let it attack him. Anyway, once I was able to pick him up we sat down and watched the truck as it picked up the trash and went on its way. He even let me put him down...and he ran straight home!

Thanks for all of the great advice everyone! I am sure I will be back for more.

lawphil

05-11-2006, 05:37 PM

questions, questions, and more questions!

How much exercise should a lab puppy get. Sometimes he is just content to hang out in the evening and chew on his bully thing (the bone in the shape of a curly cue). I feel bad like I should be running him in circles but at the same time if he is content I want to just let him hang out and do it.

Anyway, how much exercise (morning and eveninging) did you give your puppies?

THanks!!!

Smittenk

05-12-2006, 12:24 AM

Overexercising labs can actually be bad for their longterm health so don't feel like you should be doing more. They can get terrible hip displaysia in older age so they say not to start exercise them too much until they are about a year old. When Barley was 4.5 months old the trainer told us we should be limiting him to a couple of 10-15 minute walks a day. This fits the general rule of thumb - 5 minutes per month of age daily - included in this is walks, playing ball or something similar in the garden. You should allow rest breaks on walks which should be too hard with a new puppy. I remember a 15 minute walk took us over half an hour as everyone kept stopping us to admire him and Barley can stop and smell everything lol!

At this point your puppy so young, the smallest amount of exercise will tire him out...and when you start training him that will exhaust him! Sensory overload and mental stimulation (like training) poop them out more than physical exercise. Even now at 8 months old, Barley is way more tired after an hour long training session which is not very much exercise...but there are alot of smells, people and other dogs.

Hope that helps...sorry for being long winded!

mkvh

05-12-2006, 11:04 AM

Ditto what Smitten said. And to add on, read his cues. If he is exhibiting undesirable behavior (getting into things, barking, chewing, etc.), then he probably is bored and needs exercise. If he is content, ENJOY!

Fenway

05-13-2006, 09:01 PM

I thought I'd drop off my new favorite pic of Lily:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c178/mimgrrl/0421061405.jpg

Smittin- awwww.. I soooooo miss the puppy days. Your fur baby is so cute!!

jennylou

05-13-2006, 09:08 PM

Thanks for the recommendations about a kiddie pool. I'm sure Zeppelin would LOVE it!!

Now we're having a new issue with the booger. We take him outside when we garden and stuff because he goes absolutely nuts when we leave him inside. DH and I can't keep him on a leash because we're busy doing stuff. Zeppelin has now taken to just running off. It really ticks me off because DH doesn't discipline him when he does this - he just offers him treats. :mad: Anyone else's lab do this? Run off? I really want to get the invisible fence. I have demanded to DH that we get one.

One thing I've learned with our Otis is that he's curious! If we aren't actively petting him/playing with him, he gets interested in other things (birds, bushes to pee on, other animals, etc). What we've done is put him on a leash and then tie a very long nylon rope to the leash - it gets him about 25 - 30 feet of freedom for when we're working in the yard and we can pull him back if he strays to far. Now Otis knows about where he can go to and will actually stay within that limit, we don't even have to keep a hand or foot on the rope any more.

Smittenk

05-14-2006, 01:36 AM

Such a cute pic of Lily, Lilydawg! It is the exact pic I have been trying to take of Barley to frame. Did you just stand over Lily and zoom in a bit?

Fenway

05-14-2006, 09:27 AM

I took it with my phone, believe it or not.

To get that shot, you basicly have to have the camera looking straight down on him while he is sitting down, looking up. And to get that look of despiration, hold a cookie in front of him. :p

Chimichanga

05-14-2006, 05:40 PM

Jennylou - thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, Zeppelin has pulled things out of the ground/wall when he's tied up. So, we know it won't work. We thought about bringing his crate outside - hahaha. yeah, no - that doesn't work either because he barks like crazy outside.

lawphil - I agree to take your cues from your pup. Zeppelin was happy to just nap for about 6 months. He's play with us a bit, but nothing too extended. This was actually fine for DH and I. We were worried we had a lethargic dog since we heard Labs were so high energy. He's getting more energetic now, so DH walks him for about 30 minutes every day. In addition to Zepp and I playing in the yard/house. when he's "done" we don't push it. When he wants to play, we play. But we don't always give into his whims. We just can't - and he has to learn for when the baby comes.

lawphil

05-19-2006, 10:26 AM

Just wanted to check in with everyone!

The dog trainer came to visit us this week and really helped get us in the right direction and also put my mind at ease about a lot of questions I had.

Thankfully she said that he is very trainable - although that also ensures that she will be coming back so she may have been fluffing it up a bit! She did a little test where should would waive something very tempting in front of him (like a sock) and when he went for it she would give him a little pull and say leave it. By the end he walked through a mine field of socks, gloves, tissues, etc. right to her without even stopping. I was so proud!

Anyway, we are working on 'leave it' and 'off' and he is doing pretty well so far! She also made a really good point that as a pack dog he is looking for a leader of the pack and if I assert myself more (in a positive way of course), rather than sitting on the floor and letting him jump all over me and nip at me, he will look at me as the leader and that will help him feel more relaxed. So much psychology for one little puppy!

Have great weekends everyone!

Chimichanga

05-24-2006, 11:53 AM

Lawphil - I hope things are still going well with the pup :)

I was seriously ready to give Zeppelin a big ol boot in the butt yesterday. Crazy dog - he just decided to stand outside. Not going to the bathroom, but just standing there smelling the air. He wouldn't move for like 5 minutes, then he'd walk a few steps, stop, and start smelling the air again. I kept calling him to get him to come inside (I needed to leave for work). I offered him treats and everything. He didn't listen to me. So, I finally had to get his leash and hook him up to bring him back inside. Oh, that crazy dog. ;)

QueenDillyDally

06-29-2006, 11:42 AM

*BUMPING* with my baby boy's 11 month old picture...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/DSC01622.jpg

QOTD:
Has anyone else's Lab been diagnosed with "FOLLICULITIS"? Our baby's chin has been erupting large folliculitis lesions which have worsened significantly this week. The vet just gave us antibiotics for him (2 pills twice a day) and has to take them until they resolve and even for 7 days after it resolves. Also, we had to remove all of his plastic & latex play toys which I guess breed bacteria that can worsen the problem. He is using stainless steel bowls already. I worry that our vinyl kitchen floor doesn't help the situation (isn't it made from plastic?). Of course, we don't have $ to replace our flooring. :rolleyes:

Also, has anyone else found that the antibiotics cause SEVERE GAS???? Ugh! We can hardly stand him today! He is stinking up the house! :eek:

mkvh

06-29-2006, 12:17 PM

Rudy in his pool...
http://images1.snapfish.com/347483%3A68%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWSNR CG%3D32338632%3A7827nu0mrj

Rocky at 4 1/2 months being CUTE....
http://images1.snapfish.com/347483%3A68%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWSNR CG%3D32338632%3A96%3B%3Anu0mrj

Rocky hiding beind the recliner...
http://images1.snapfish.com/347483%3A68%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWSNR CG%3D3233889758%3A76nu0mrj

Rudy being cranky..."No pictures, mom!"
http://images1.snapfish.com/347483%3A68%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWS NRCG%3D323388976%3A%3A39nu0mrj

Shicks--I think Rudy had one of those on his chin but never had to have antibiotics. IIRC, the vet just had us wipe it with rubbing alcohol? And I never made the antibiotic/gas connection, but hmmm....

Kellie

06-29-2006, 11:55 PM

shicks72 Dakota has had follicullits off and on since he was a pup. Our vet told us to just leave it alone and that it would resolve itself. So far it has worked itself out.

mkvh Rudy looks so cute in his pool! We have the same pool for Dakota, but he will only stand in it! :confused: I want him to lay down in the water. He loves the water (beach) so I don't get why he won't lay down. He just thinks it's a VERY big dog bowl. :rolleyes:

QueenDillyDally

06-30-2006, 03:45 AM

mkvh Rudy looks so cute in his pool! We have the same pool for Dakota, but he will only stand in it! :confused: I want him to lay down in the water. He loves the water (beach) so I don't get why he won't lay down. He just thinks it's a VERY big dog bowl. :rolleyes:

DITTO! Papi loves drinking out of his enormous water bowl too. He will stand in it and play but not lay down.

Thanks for the info Mackenzie & Kellie. Our vet says that the folliculitis is tough to get rid of. Probably because dogs get into a lot of things that can have bacteria on it, I'm guessing. I just hope it doesn't open up and start leaking. :eek:

Chimichanga

07-03-2006, 10:43 AM

I'm not sure how much traffic this thread gets anymore, but I'll post my question :)

Zeppelin is getting a small bump/growth over his one eye. He's had bumps in the past that have gone down. I'm not overly concerned as it does not appear to be bothering him.

My question is: do labs have a higher chance of getting skin tags/growths? The older labs I've seen (at least the black labs) have had growths that don't seem to bother them, but are still present.

Is this common?

mkvh

07-03-2006, 12:16 PM

Hey Chimichanga! You're right...way too quiet in the labby thread.

From what our old vet said, yes, labs are prone to skin growths. And fatty cysts. They just get 'lumpy' as they age! Rudy already has funny calluses on his 'elbows' from lying in his crate.

Smittenk

07-03-2006, 02:23 PM

Chimichanga...

Barley recently had a lump taken off of his front right leg. It came up overnight and looked like the eraser at the end of a pencil...apparently they are common but you don't know what they are until they remove them and test them. Luckily it was exactly what they thought it was...a benign Hysteocaetoma (sp). I would get it looked at by a vet.

Keep us posted!

Chimichanga

07-03-2006, 02:50 PM

Thanks guys :) I knew I could count on you ladies to help.

We have to take him into the vet in a few weeks/month or so to get his rabies shot. If it starts to bother him before then, we'll take him in sooner. Right now it seriously looks like a zit - it's about that size.

Esq.

07-03-2006, 06:07 PM

Jen- our lab has a lump over his left eye too, but it is under the skin (so it is uner his fur and we can't really see it). It is about the size of a pea and hard, and it comes and goes. The vet said that ther ewas no way to know what it was without removing it and testing it. At this point it is not bothering him at all, so we decided against having it tested.

Chimichanga

07-05-2006, 10:48 AM

How did everyone's babies do with the fireworks?

Zeppelin was such a good boy!! We were outside to watch the city's fireworks (we were at our house) and some neighbors were shooting some off. We did have him on the leash and were prepared to go inside. Zepp just sat there, watched them a bit, the lay down on the patio with us. He didn't freak out or bark or anything all night long. When we went inside to watch the city's display, he just stood at the window watching. So cute - I wish I could have gotten a picture.

Chimichanga

07-22-2006, 05:27 PM

Recently Zeppelin has been SOOOOO mellow. He still gets hyper - plenty hyper! But, I think he knows the baby is coming. He's definitely calmed down considering he's just over a year. He'll now get up with me in the middle of the night when I have to go to the bathroom, he'll wait until I'm done and then "walk" me back to bed. :)

Here are some of his "mellow" pictures:
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476845%3C2%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E336%3E9%3A8%3E WSNRCG%3D3233975795%3C5%3Bnu0mrj
relaxing with daddy
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476845%3C2%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E336%3E9%3A8%3E WSNRCG%3D323392%3A79%3A62%3Cnu0mrj
Just watching us
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476845%3C2%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E336%3E9%3A8%3E WSNRCG%3D3233975795%3C7%3Anu0mrj
keeping an eye on the 'hood while mommy finishes the nursery. He stayed outside the door the entire time. When I would move something out, he'd follow me, then lie right back down in his spot.

Bloomwood

07-24-2006, 03:04 PM

Thought my fellow lab mommies would appreciate this one - esp. those with or expecting babies!
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g132/bloomwood/IMG_0733.jpg

TaterBaby

07-24-2006, 03:07 PM

Bloomwood, I love it! Have any more you care to share? :D

Chimichanga

07-24-2006, 03:11 PM

Bloomwood - that is the most ADORABLE picture!!! How does your lab respond to your baby? Is he/she protective of her? Couldn't care less about her? Just trying to see what more DH and I should do - if anything - to prepare Zeppelin for the newbie.

ManteoChik

07-24-2006, 05:07 PM

Bloomwood That is such a cute picture. We don't have any kids, but our lab LOVES them. My best friend and her DH have a daughter that will be 1 soon, our dog *loved* Ella and won't leave her side whenever they are at our house. Its the cutest thing. When Ella was an infant whenever she would cry our lab would go lick her feet and she would start laughing. They also have a lab of their own so she's used to it.

Bloomwood

07-24-2006, 06:21 PM

Thanks for the compliments on the photo! It makes me laugh everytime I see it.

TaterBaby - not any others of the baby and the dog that are worth posting; I do have TONS of shots of the baby though! I can't take over the thread with my cutie pie though. ;)

Chimichanga - DH brought home the hospital baby blanket while I was still there and then when I came home, I entered first and gave Sadie her love, then DH brought the baby in. Sadie checked her out and then we gave her a bone we'd be saving. She immediately took it outside and was just sort of whatever about the baby. A few days later she realized the new "puppy" wasn't going anywhere and she had a bit of saddness and jealousy. I think it broke my heart more than hers. I had a few instances of pp hormone-induced tears at losing the relationship with my "first born." I still get super sad that I can't spend the time with her that I used to. The baby is starting to go to bed earlier now, so DH and I get to cuddle with Sadie in the evenings. I also try to play with her when the baby is napping - tough since there's so much other stuff I'd like to do too! Sadie has been protective of the baby; whenever someone new comes over and holds the (crying) baby, Sadie looks at them then looks at me as if asking if it was okay for this person to be holding the baby. Also, the nanny was in the kitchen one day (I was out) and Sadie heard the baby start fussing (so the nanny couldn't hear it yet) in the other room. She ran into the kitchen and looked up at the nanny anxiously. The nanny asked what she wanted and followed her into the other room where the baby was! Very cute.

Sadie has typically been skittish around little kids - not like she would do anything, she's a beta as they come. Doesn't even know what alpha is - and she hasn't been around many babies this small. Except for just recognizing how they react around other kids, I'm not sure how to prepare! We also left the baby's things out on the floor prior to her arrival so Sadie could get used to them. Maybe someone else has ideas?

On the otherhand, the baby LOVES Sadie already. She gets a big smile when Sadie comes over to check her out.

ManteoChick - your labbie sounds awesome!!

mkvh

07-25-2006, 10:05 AM

I don't have any pics of Clara and our boys yet, but we have been successful so far...

We set up the nursery and the pnp well in advance of her arrival and let the dogs explore both. I would go sit in the nursery with them so that they understood that they were welcome in there. Also, anything I unpacked, we let them sniff.

Upon coming home, we made sure to let them get used to her smell like Bloomwood suggested. And we spent time with them as soon as we go home, before bringing baby in the house. They weren't bothered by her at all.

Now, our older lab will lay his head next to her on the Boppy while I am nursing or lay at my feet and he runs to her when she cries. The puppy seems to think it would be good to nibble on her feet...but he's a puppy! We did find him trying to climb into the VACANT pnp, so we had to move it somewhere less accessible!:eek: No harm, no foul, though!!

Here's my current fav pic of the boys...
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3A7942%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3248%3E649%3E588%3EWS NRCG%3D323396%3C84333%3Cnu0mrj

Chimichanga

07-25-2006, 01:48 PM

What an adorable pictures!! What faces :D

We've set up everything for the baby and let Zeppelin sniff as much as he'd like. I've been sitting in the room now that we have it set up so he's getting used to us being in there. He knows it as "baby room" because he'll run up the stairs and look at DH and I as to where he should go. If we say "sleep" he runs to our room if we say "baby room" he runs to the nursery.

ManteoChik

07-25-2006, 07:23 PM

I don't think I've posted any pics lately, but here are a few of Duchess with her daddy. She likes to pose pretty for the camera. :D

http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3A%3B277%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B%3A 6%3EWSNRCG%3D3233648889%3A3%3Bnu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3A%3B277%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B%3A 6%3EWSNRCG%3D3233648872977nu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3A%3B277%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D324%3B%3E997%3E%3B%3A 6%3EWSNRCG%3D3233648863%3B88nu0mrj

QueenDillyDally

07-26-2006, 03:28 AM

What great pictures Manteochik!!! Your Duchess is gorgeous!

mkvh

07-26-2006, 02:29 PM

Chimi--sounds like you guys are prepping Zepp well! I'm sure he'll be fine. And thanks...we think they have pretty great faces, too.

ManteoChick--What a ham! She certainly DOES like to pose. Silly pup. She's a beauty, though.

Anathea

07-26-2006, 09:33 PM

Well ladies I'm hoping to join your lab fanclub very shortly.

After two years of "suggesting" we should get a dog BF finally agreed that it was a good time. I've been pouring over adds and calling breeders about puppies all week. I'm finding that a lot of puppies are going very fast. I'm trying to be very smart about this purchase but at the same time remind myself that we are buying a dog that is going to be a family pet. I tend to jump very fast without thinking everything through and I don't want to make a mistake.

Let me ask this: What was the one question you wished you asked before you got your lab? Or what was one thing about your lab you wish you'd known?

I need some more advise: I spolke to a breeder this evening- it is her first litter, the mom is only 2 years old so when I asked about hips and eyes and general health problems she just told me that both the mother and father are very healthy and that there isn't a problem of that in their breeding. She just kept saying that the dogs are very healthy and well mannered and smaller (about 50 lbs mom and dad). For a family pet what should I really be looking for? When I started asking about CKC (Like the AMerican Kennel Club but in Canada) she said she wasn't involved) The puppies are about $600.00....that seems to be in the middle range where I live. What do you think? I would like a dog that is healthy but I know we can't afford a dog in the 1000.00+ range. I thought about getting a dog from the rescue shelter but after having an abused cat I'm not sure I could handle it and golden labs don't turn up very often. We had two dogs who never had hips and eyes checked as kids and they lived happy lives? Help!

QueenDillyDally

07-27-2006, 03:41 AM

Anathea -
I was a "novice" at the whole process as well before we bought our first lab puppy. It is good that you are researching and asking lots of questions first. Labs are so common that unfortunately there are many "backyard" breeders and puppy mills out there. I'm not saying that some aren't wonderful breeders, but you really need to do your homework first. It's amazing to see the lab puppies that the local pet store sells and compare them to the puppy we obtained from a reputable breeder.

IMO, it is really dependant upon what you desire & expect of you new lab puppy. DH & I started just like you, researching breeders on line and the like. We looked at what "type" of lab we liked the look of (i.e. English bred vs. American bred). We talked to tons of different breeders and some were very informative about the different types of labs. Some were like you have encountered (not forthcoming about health clearances, type of lab, etc...)

1. Have you figured out if you want a lab that has the blockier head and shorter structure (English bred) or a lab that is long/sleek and has the skinnier head (American bred)? The English bred has a calmer temperment where the American bred is more energetic. They use the English bred as the "standard" for showing. I assume you are looking for a lab that is just for a pet, so it may not matter to you if they are bred for obedience showing or agility.

2. But, are you interested in its bloodlines and/or health clearances? That is one thing that seperates the puppy mill/backyard breeders from the reputable ones. Just because the parents are AKC certified does not always mean they have all the health clearances, etc...

Fees for the lab puppies vary greatly. The breeders who charge $500 - 600 may or may not be breeding pups from good bloodlines. It is hard to tell. In my experience, all of the breeders that we looked at that had "show" labs as the dam/sire and good health clearances, charged at least $1000 for the puppies.

If I were you, I would look closely at the different breeders. Figure out what TYPE of lab you want. Of utmost importance, VISIT the breeder's kennel and ask to see the dam and/or sire. (we never got to meet the dad of our pup, but he was a national champion so we were comfortable looking at pictures)

If you are looking for something on the less expensive side, I would seriously think about the lab rescue program. www.lrr.org Obviously, you may not be getting a really young puppy through this program, but there is a lot to be said about adoption (and you don't have to go through the "puppy" phase which can be very tiresome)

Anyways, to answer your questions...

1. what is one thing we wish we asked before we got our lab puppy?
Hmmm... I guess I had asked more about the whole AKC process. The reputable breeders only give you a "limited AKC" registration. I never asked how this worked and if there was a way to upgrade it to a "full AKC" registration. Our breeder will do that for us only after getting health clearances at age 2.

2. one thing we wish we had known about our lab puppy?
That he was going to be the most needy living being in our lives! :p Truthfully, you never know what type of temperment your pup will have until you bring him/her home and start raising them. The first week was our "honeymoon" period, where we thought we had the most angelic puppy ever. But, they start to get comfortable in your home/family and start showing their "real" personality. We do have the most wonderful, sweet puppy, but not without its headaches of course. He is like a toddler who demands 99% of your attention at all times. That is not to say that every lab is like that, but from what I've heard they do crave attention & love. Luckily, we do not have kids, so we can invest all of our time & energy into our puppy. We have raised him to be the spoiled only child. :p

Oh, and lastly, the one thing I wish we had done when we got our puppy....
Get him into puppy obedience classes as soon as possible. Like most parents, we thought we had a puppy prodigy, and we could train him ourselves. Ha! He trained us! Well, we finally started obedience classes when he was about 7 months old and I wish we had started him from the very beginning.

HTH! :) Good Luck! And when/if you do get a pup... make sure you post it here!!!

Chimichanga

07-27-2006, 07:58 AM

We got our pup from a lady DH works with. It was an "accidental" pregnancy and the mom got fixed right away. Because of it, the woman was looking to sell the puppies quickly. She went from $200 to $50. She was not looking to make a profit nor was she a "backyard breeder" because the mom did get fixed.

We met both of the parents (dogs I mean ;) ) and they were both good tempered. Neither was very large, and Zepp is now about 80 pounds. He was the runt of the litter and is now one of the biggest. Both parents are purebreds and have not had history of medical problems.

He is a show dog; broader in the shoulders and head. Friends of ours have a hunting dog who is the same age as ours, but looks much younger because he's sleeker and smaller.

Overall we were comfortable with the seller and the litter. They were well cared for and we felt it was a good match.

mkvh

07-27-2006, 10:50 AM

Anathea--Almost welcome to the lab owners club!!

We went both routes with our labs. The yellow is our "designer dog"...and we paid $$ for him. He's English and both parents have all the clearances. He's very mellow and easily trained. And we love his face! Our chocolate is more of a backyard-bred dog. Although the owner of his mom worked closely with a kennel during breeding. He was about 1/2 as expensive but both parents still had clearances, and their pedigrees were researched to be sure there was no inbreeding. I think he was cheaper because it wasn't a money making venture like a kennel and because he's only 3/4 English. So not a show dog.

My best advice is to find out what the breeders' motivations are. I ALWAYS would go with clearances. I believe they are worth the $. Beyond that, I think your personal feelings about the breeder are really important. For me, I wanted a breeder who was breeding labs because (s)he cared about the breed and wanted to give people quality pets to bring them happiness. I think you're in trouble if they are breeding for the money.

What do I wish I'd known? Since DH and I both grew up with labs, we really knew what we were getting into. Like shicks, you have to be prepared for the fact that they are NEEDY. Labs love to be with their people and NEED your attention and approval. Makes them easily trainable when you put in the time and effort, but when they sit there staring at you when you're trying to relax after a long day, you have to understand that love and attention are part of their basic needs.

GOOD LUCK! And let us know if we can answer any more questions! Hope you can OFFICIALLY join soon.

lawphil

07-27-2006, 11:30 AM

Anathea - welcome! I am a relatively new lab owner and loving it. I was just like you...asking for years to get a pup and then when dh said yes I was terrified! This thread was extremely helpful when we brought home our pup so definitely read through it for training ideas and advice.

It is really important to meet both the mom & the dad as that will give you some good insight into the temperment of the pups. Also, knowing their lines will help you to confirm that there is no in-breeding.

I agree with shicks in determining if the puppy is American or English. You can usually tell by looking at the head of the mom & dad -- big/square/boxy is english and smaller/longer/sleaker is american. English are supposed to be a little bit more calm then the american labs. That being said we have an english lab and he has tons of energy and at times a bit of a crazy streak! Luckily his boxy head makes him incredibly cute and he is able to get by because of it!!

I think the most important thing to look at is to see if the vet has certified the mom & dad's hips and eyes. Hip dysplasia is very common and very costly to fix. Our breeder had both and certified his hips for a year. At this point we wouldn't give back our puppy that we love so much but would certainly want our money back to cover some of the medical expenses.

Two things I would highly recommend are to train right away and get pet insurance before picking the dog up.

We started training a couple of weeks after bringing the puppy home and it made a world of difference. Dogs are pack animals and they need a leader to their pack. If there is no leader they feel insecure and will act out as a result of it. After training our puppy is always so much more calm - it is really amazing. The good thing is that labs want to please and they love food - making them very receptive to training.

Also, labs are really mouthy so keep lots of chewy toys, bones, and also noisy toys to keep them and their mouths entertained. Some inexpensive toys are a poland spring bottle (w/o lable) crunched up with food in it, dead paper towel rolls, and a box with holes cut out. Also get a Kong! Stuff food in it, freeze chicken broth in it...or just let them gna on it.

Finally, I highly recommend crate training.

Anathea

08-01-2006, 06:16 PM

Hello Everybody...I have news...

For starters thank-you for everyone's wonderful advice. We found a nice little pup with healthy beautiful parents and are very pleased with our new purchase. The only thing dissapointing was leaving him there because we can't pick him up for 3 weeks. I honestly thought we'd just go up and meet the parents and see what their temperment was and then look at a few other breeders before making a decision but the parents had such a beautiful temperment. The mom was soooo friendly. She was licking BF"s face in like 10 minutes and she was so good with her pups. Dad is such a regal beautiful classic looking (Square head) lab.

Anyway... introducing my puppy....my 4 week old baby with no name....

http://static.flickr.com/61/202449621_434de49a4b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/66/202449619_dea8205430.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/76/202449620_5068360975.jpg?v=0

Anathea

08-01-2006, 06:23 PM

double post

Smittenk

08-01-2006, 11:43 PM

Awwwwww!!!!!!!!! CUTE puppy!!!!!!!!!! She is adorable Anathea.

Dumb question...does she have something tied around her?
At first I was like why did they put wings on that puppy :o :rolleyes:

QueenDillyDally

08-02-2006, 06:30 AM

Adorable puppy Anathea! :)
I remember we went to visit our puppy when he was 3 weeks old. Those next 5 weeks were torture before we could finally get him! They are soooo much fun!

Chimichanga

08-02-2006, 07:02 AM

Cute puppy!! We also had to wait for Zeppelin - it was torture. But, we knew how big he was so we were able to stock up on puppy things (we weren't sure how big lab puppies were at that age)

Anathea

08-02-2006, 10:35 AM

He has a white ribbon tied around his neck so the breeder remembers which dog he is cause they all sort of look the same at this point. It does kind of look like angel wings but no ribbon ;p Im bubbling with anticipation. i think we're going to go next week and visit and bring an old towel so he'll have something that smells like mom when we take him home.

Bloomwood

08-02-2006, 11:32 AM

I love your new baby! Congrats!

EmilyZA

08-02-2006, 02:22 PM

Congrats on your new baby! He is a cutie!

Question for you ladies: Vinny has taken up a new interest in humping lately! Weird... he's 5, got neutered at 6 months or so, and has never been a humper! Does anyone know what could be causing this?

mkvh

08-02-2006, 03:28 PM

Congrats, Anathea!! He's a sweetie. We chose Rudy in utero, and we visited him for the first time when he was 4 weeks old. Those last 4 weeks were torture. Hang in there!

What names are you tossing around?

Sorry, Emily...I have NO idea what might be causing the humping. Eww!

Smittenk

08-03-2006, 01:15 AM

Emily,

Hmm strange that he has never done it before and has just now started. Barley has been doing it since day 1 and now only humps his pillow when he is super excited and energetic. It's annoying but we have gotten over it now.

I've heard it is a dominance thing so maybe he is feeling insecure or suddenly has a need to exert his authority. Is he doing it to other dogs?

QueenDillyDally

08-03-2006, 03:46 AM

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY PAPI!!!! :D :)

One day old:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/c13e7327.jpg

Three weeks:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC00331_00.jpg

Now:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC01604.jpg

(cross posted from my journal)

mkvh

08-03-2006, 12:40 PM

Happy birthday Papi!!!!

Bloomwood

08-03-2006, 01:09 PM

awwww! Happy First Birthday! Look at how much he's grown.

Is he getting a cake and gifts??

Anathea

08-03-2006, 01:20 PM

awww
what a beautiful dog :) Happy Birthday Papi!

Smittenk

08-03-2006, 03:40 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Party time!!

QueenDillyDally

08-03-2006, 04:23 PM

Thanks everyone!!!

Papi had an awesome day... was spoiled rotten!

Here are a few pictures to share from his day...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC01848.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC01850.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC01852.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC01857.jpg

This is the new toy he picked out...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC01861.jpg

EmilyZA

08-03-2006, 05:27 PM

Happy birthday Papi! He's a very handsome boy!

:)

As far as the humping goes, he is not doing it to dogs, my mom says he's tried it with her pillows, and he also tried to hump a young human guest we had at our house the other night!

Bloomwood

08-03-2006, 05:39 PM

omg! sadie has that toy and LOOOVES it! glad he had a good day!

QueenDillyDally

08-04-2006, 02:26 PM

omg! sadie has that toy and LOOOVES it! glad he had a good day!

Did your toy lose its squeeker within 5 minutes of playing with it? We were playing yesterday and I noticed its squeeker broke pretty quickly. Not sure if we bounced it down the hallway too much when we were throwing it for him.

QueenDillyDally

08-04-2006, 02:28 PM

QOTD...

Does your labbie sit like a frog??? Is it normal or abnormal?
Papi does this almost all the time when he sits. I just hope it is not an indication of any hip issues.

Example...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC01850.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC01801.jpg

QueenDillyDally

08-13-2006, 01:25 PM

QOTD....
Does your lab have "rough" areas on its elbows???
As you know, Papi just turned 1 and lately we have noticed areas on his elbows where the hair has rubbed off and the skin underneath is white/rough. He doesn't really like it when I touch those spots.
Is this normal? Or is it something that needs to be checked out?
TIA! :)

Chimichanga

08-13-2006, 01:56 PM

Happy belated birthday, Papi!! :D

Zeppelin used to sit like a frog, the vet said it was "lazy puppy" moreso than a hip problem. But, he also outgrew it when he was about six months old... Rough spots on his elbows - Yes. Zepp has those from where he lies down in his crate. I've seen other labs with them so I think it's indicative of the breed.

QueenDillyDally

08-13-2006, 02:06 PM

Thanks Jen! Glad to know he is normal! :p
Hope all is well with Zepp & new baby girl!!! :)

Esq.

08-13-2006, 02:34 PM

Bogey has rough elbows too.

BrownEyedGirl

08-13-2006, 08:26 PM

Emma found a new friend! http://images1.snapfish.com/3478757%3B3%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3255%3E9%3B%3A%3E%3A%3C 8%3EWSNRCG%3D3233%3A63683%3A27nu0mrj

She's just my little cutie pie!

EmilyZA

08-14-2006, 05:16 PM

UGH!

Vinny humped another kid visitor yesterday. Once was eh, but twice... I think we have a problem.

I'm going to do some Google searching over the next few days to see if I find anything. If I don't, I'm calling his vet.:confused:

Foley42

08-15-2006, 12:13 AM

Hi Ladies! I'm a lurker here because I'm obsessed with Labs! I grew up with a Lab and it's the only kind of dog I've *ever* wanted. When DH and I finally have a house with a yard, we will get a yellow lab. I want a female and DH has already named our future puppy Vanilla :) I get so excited looking at all your Lab babies...I can't wait to get one.

Question: Do you or your DH/SO take your Lab running? My DH is an avid runner and I know he'll want to try to do this. Do you have to train them or how does this work?

QueenDillyDally

08-15-2006, 03:25 AM

EmilyZA - I have no clue about a remedy for the humping issue... is Vinny fixed? How old is he? I know it is a sign of dominance so fixing him may not take care of the problem. Our dog only humps blankets/dog beds/and stuffed animals... he's not fixed yet and he's one. My friend's dog, who Papi plays with all the time, is fixed and always humps Papi.

Foley42 - I "try" to take Papi jogging.... I use a "Gentle Leader" which helps the pulling issue. Although, I say "try" because he loves to sniff & smell (might be his age and that he isn't fixed yet"), so he stops a lot and I have to tug him to keep going. He's not real fast, but neither am I. He is an English Bred Lab, so he's not as tall/sleek as the American bred. I think an American Bred may do the running thing better... they have longer leaner bodies that are more built for running.
P.S. I was told that running a "puppy" (especially a lab) isn't good for their bone growth & development... so you should start doing a lot of running with them until they are about 10 months old or so.

HTH!:)

Reebs

08-15-2006, 09:27 AM

Here's a horrible pic of my man..Shadow.

http://images1.snapfish.com/347888%3B54%7Ffp358%3Enu%3D3278%3E755%3E%3B33%3EWS NRCG%3D3233%3A6386%3A%3C29nu0mrj

Esq.

08-15-2006, 10:48 AM

Here are some recent pics of my Bubby Dog

http://static.flickr.com/68/216071083_2a86cafbd9_m.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/66/216071084_3d4c1d69f3_m.jpg

EmilyZA

08-15-2006, 02:15 PM

Anathea

08-15-2006, 06:41 PM

EmilyZa: My mom's dog always humps stuff and was nutered at like 6 months and didn't hump till he was 5. We have no idea we just shove him off.

....

I have updated pics of our puppy. We've decided to name him Tucker. We pick him up next Wedensday!!!!

Tucker and BF looking very dirty after a week long camping trip (breeder was on the way home)
http://static.flickr.com/94/214592686_d145a4c809.jpg?v=0
Puppy and Mom:
http://static.flickr.com/75/214589914_af80fa0de3.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/83/214589908_19d24d1a8e.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/70/214589901_b6a54f8286.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/68/214589896_59ababd765.jpg?v=0

Foley42

08-15-2006, 06:55 PM

Anathea, What a sweet little face! :)

I want one soooo bad and all these pictures are NOT helping at all :(

QueenDillyDally

08-16-2006, 03:26 AM

That is the most adorable puppy Anathea!!! Your one lucky puppy mommy!!! :)

EmilyZA

08-16-2006, 02:17 PM

OMG-- what a cutie!

Anathea

08-23-2006, 12:19 PM

OMG_ it's puppy pickup day finally. I thought this day would never come and now I'm so nervous about the whole thing. I know it's going to be fine as soon as I see him but OMG it's puppy day!

mkvh

08-23-2006, 01:04 PM

GOOD LUCK!

We can't wait for more pictures!

Chimichanga

09-04-2006, 06:10 PM

I think Zeppelin has allergies! :( Poor guy! He's been licking his paws since we brought home DD in early August. We figured he was just nursing his paws because my mom had exercised him really well.

Then he started biting his legs and paws and scratching like crazy. He's getting bald spots. I need to call the vet tomorrow to see if there is anything we can get him. I feel bad for the poor guy. We tried to get him to stop - we tell him no when we can, but if he's uncomfortable I can see why he wants to scratch so much.

anyone else's lab have allergies?

mkvh

09-05-2006, 06:48 AM

Yup! Rudy has had 'skin issues' since he was a tiny puppy. We went through a variety of treatments including a weeks-long treatment for mite infestation (which he didn't have). He'll occasionally get so bad that he has "hives". We have a prescription antihistamine that we can give him when it gets bad. At times, he scratches so much that he has scabs in his armpits and groin area.

I think skin sensitivities are pretty common in labs. We also have both of ours on a fatty acids supplement because of dry skin. It also could be a food allergy, but you probably would have seen it by now (if you haven't changed food recently).

Regardless, I hope you get some good answers from your vet and get something to give Zepp some relief!

QueenDillyDally

09-08-2006, 08:33 AM

OMG_ it's puppy pickup day finally. I thought this day would never come and now I'm so nervous about the whole thing. I know it's going to be fine as soon as I see him but OMG it's puppy day!

How is the puppy anathea????
We want to see pictures and hear how everything is going!!! ;)

kemaji

09-08-2006, 08:40 AM

anyone else's lab have allergies?

Ours gets red, itchy eyes a couple times a year and I think they are allergies. One time his whole face started swelling, poor baby. Ever since this last go-round I've noticed that he sneezed a lot and I can tell when an episode is coming on, because he loses the hair right around his eyes and his skin gets super flaky.

Here are a couple of Dakota playing with his puppy friend from next door (he is the one jumping in the bottom picture):

http://static.flickr.com/91/235606572_3d0da71098_m.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/235606619_38469bfcb9_m.jpg

Anathea

09-10-2006, 07:16 PM

Hey Everybody,

My apologies for my failure to update after getting Tucker but it has just been none stop. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to update as my wonderful BF forgot our camera at my parents and I wont have it till next week. I will upload them then.

Let me start at the beginning...We drove the long three hours up to pick him up budding with anticipation. "Are you ready for this? I don't know are you? What about the cat? Did we make a mistake? What if he's a handfull"
All of these insecurities were soon forgotten when we arrived at the Breeders to meet our 7 week puppy sitting in a 2 foot deep hole he had so kindly dug for himself. Tucker came to us instantly and jumped to be picked up. We finished up the paperwork with the breeder and headed home. Tucker and I cuddled in the backseat on a sleeping bag. He cried for about a half hour and then soon snuggled into my lap and went to sleep. By the time we got home it was dark but we ran Tucker around on the lawn. I laid down on the grass and started at the stars and he promptly sat on my chest and bit my nose. *OUCH*. Getting him to go to sleep that night was a heartache. We put him in his kennel for this first time and he would put himself at the back and literally barrel himself at the front of the door. The kennel moved 3 feet across the room- I'm not kidding you. At about 1:00 in the morning I was so fed up I went and got him and put him beside me. We all got some sleep but in the morning he rewarded me by peeing on the bed. Then it was off to summer camp (where I work) where Tucked hid out in my office and met (just a few ;p) of the staff that worked there. Overall he adjusted well and wormed his way into our hearts very quickly.

Now fast forward 3 weeks. OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG Puppies are hard work and Tucker is a Terror. Literally everything has to go in his mouth. The other day he snuck away and came back with a dead Bird which he promptly decided to play chase with. Last night he found the cats mouse stash and managed to devour at least half of a dead one before I got to him. Then today he found a dead crab the size of a dinner plate that he nicely brought to me as a present. I have to say as much as of a terror as he is he definitly keeps me on my toys and I'm enjoying every minute of it. Despite the fact that we live on the beach we're still scared of the water but everyone keeps telling me that will come. Here's hoping! I can't wait to si gn up for dock jumping.

Hope everyone else is well. We're off to Puppy Kindergarten sign up!

QueenDillyDally

09-11-2006, 03:20 AM

Nice to hear from you Anathea! Everything you wrote sounds so familiar! Just a year ago, we were going through the same thing with our puppy. Glad to hear you are enjoying it despite the hard work. Puppy classes will be worth it in the end! :)

Chimichanga

09-12-2006, 08:02 PM

quick post as it's almost dd's bath time...

Zeppelin *does* have allergies. The vet had us up his Benedryl to two pills twice a day and one antibiotic twice a day. He has figured out that we put the pills in cheese, and was spitting out the pill. I tried hot dogs - those worked for a day and now he's spitting htem out too. He's a smart pooch ;)

MrsAmy

10-04-2006, 05:47 PM

Here's my Brutus in his new big boy bed (beside momma!) :D

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n300/amynschroeder/Animals/newdogbed.jpg

Foley42

10-04-2006, 06:04 PM

Brutus is such a cutie :)

ManteoChik

10-04-2006, 06:26 PM

Ya ever have those days where you see other dogs and your so thankful to have your own??

We've doggie sat our friends 90 pound chocolate lab (in edition to our own 70 pound black lab) a couple of times. Well, our friends went out of town for a job interview and we had Allie over for about 4 days. Our backyard is fenced in and we have a dog door so Duchess (our lab) can go outside whenever she wants. Within 7 hours of Allie being at my house she had already dug up half my backyard. :eek: We *never* had a digging problem with Duchess and I had totally forgotten abou the fiasco the last time Allie came to stay - it took us MONTHS to get grass to grow back. Needless to day after 4 days with hurricane Allie at our house I was glad to see her go, but Duchess was really sad. She is such a sweet dog and totally fine the rest of the time, its just that darn digging.

Smittenk

10-05-2006, 01:07 AM

MrsAmy, Brutus looks soo cute on his new bed!

Ya ever have those days where you see other dogs and your so thankful to have your own??

TOTALLY!!!! We have come to realize how well behaved Barley really is.

Jess71903

10-07-2006, 09:32 AM

Hi all! I think I may have posted here a long time ago...anyway, I have a nearly 2 year old Dudley yellow lab named Katie (in my avatar). A friend of ours got her from a co-worker as a pup to breed with his black lab, Hunter. His situation at the time wasn't good to have 2 big dogs, so he gave her to us with the understanding that she could have one litter of Hunter's pups. She went to stay at his house while she was in heat, and he called it "the love shack":). Anyway, the pups were born this week. We have 9 total, 4 blacks, 3yellows, and 2 chocolates. What is confusing is that one of the blacks and one of the chocolates has tan feet....what's up with that? I guess it is possible that another dog got to her during that time, but I also found a reference to a book that said it was possible (although not 'desirable') to get tan marking or brindle in labs. Have any of you ever seen this? Just for fun, here are some pics.
http://static.flickr.com/108/261772405_f74c10af2c_m.jpg
You can clearly see the black one with brown feet, and I think that is the chocolate with tan feet in the bottom left.
http://static.flickr.com/119/261772398_b5f2f95a7c_m.jpg
I just thought this pic was sweet.:)

Chimichanga

10-07-2006, 09:47 AM

Cute puppies! Thanks for bringing this thread back; it's been slow around here.

Zeppelin is doing good; he's still adjusting to the baby, but doing so well. He's adjusting to a various schedule; we don't get up at a specific time anymore and he's learning that he has to wait if DD is crying.

QueenDillyDally

10-07-2006, 12:45 PM

MrsAmy - Awww... look at your cutie pie Brutus! Does he chew his bed at all? Ours can't have a bed because within an hour it is destroyed.

Ya ever have those days where you see other dogs and your so thankful to have your own??

Ha! Want mine? Just kidding! :p Although, Papi can be a terror sometimes!

Jess71903 -
Puppies are so cute! Are you caring for them or are they at your co-workers house?
I've never seen a purebred lab with multiple colorings, so it makes me wonder if maybe either the mom or dad had another breed in its geneology? No clue. But, it will be interesting to see what they grow up to look like though.

Just thought I would post a new picture or two of my Papi...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC02407.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC02404.jpg

The other day, he decided to carve our pumpkin! :rolleyes:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/shicks72/PUPPY/DSC02359.jpg

Foley42

10-07-2006, 03:30 PM

shicks Papi is so cute! The orange looks so good against his shiny black coat. And the pumpkin...haha soooo funny :)

QueenDillyDally

10-07-2006, 03:48 PM

Papi says thanks Foley42! :)

Chimichanga

10-09-2006, 11:11 AM

My goodness - Papi and Zeppelin should get together and they can go on a destruction tour! ;) He has a tendancy to rip things up like that too. This year the pumpkins stay outside until the very end. He's not a fan of the front yard, so they are safe for now.

Jess71903

10-10-2006, 09:40 PM

Thanks for the props on the pics, ladies. I am sitting here with a little booger in my lap right now, so they are at my house. We know both mom and dad are full-bloods, but they also staged a couple of escapes while they were together. We were out of town and I got 3 calls from our friend's neighbors saying that the dogs were out. We thought Hunter would be more protective, but:rolleyes: . The tan markings on the 2 are getting clearer, so I am pretty sure they are mutts. I know that there can be more than one daddy in a litter, so I am just assuming that's what happened! Oh well. This was just a fun litter anyway. We plan on giving them away (Hunter's owner already has 5 promised and is taking one himself.)

Esq.

10-11-2006, 04:07 AM

Were you planning on selling the litter originally Jess? I am sorry if the non pure breds have affected you plans :( I know that undertaking the breeding of a dog takes a lot of time and energy.

My lab is a product of my SIL's dogs first litter. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into when they decided to breed her! It is a lot of work!

lawphil

10-11-2006, 10:18 AM

Hi Everyone,

Shicks - what beautiful pictures. Papi is one beautiful dog!

Jess - I loved seeing the little pictures. I am dying for a second and that really fueled the fire. I even had a dream that my dh said 'sure, lets get a second'...he confirmed the next day that it was in fact just a dream! I didn't know there could be two dads in one litter...very interesting.

I have a question about dog sleeping arrangements. Our pup, who is seven months, sleeps in his crate at night. He has done this since birth and when I say nighty-night he bounds into his crate, waits for his treat, and then settles in no problem. My concern is that he only has two towels in there with him as bedding - and I am worried that it is not enough cushion and as it gets colder that it won't keep him warm.

I tried to put a bed in there but he spent all this time pawing at it so that it would fold up and I found him lying on the non-bed portion of the crate. He also spends a lot of time sleeping on the kitchen floor (I assume because it is cool) rather than the couch or carpet in family room.

So maybe he is fine?

I have been thinking that maybe I should get him a small bed that he can partially sleep on - he usually balls up the towels and uses them as a rest for his head.

So what does everyone think? I just want to make sure my pup is comfy!

Thanks!!