Labrador Retriever Dogs Blog

Vaccination is one of the most important and simple steps to make ensure the good health of your Labrador dog. However, some dog owners took it for granted maybe because they do not understand the importance of vaccination and how it affects their Labrador dog.

A new born puppy is not naturally immune to diseases, they only get their protection against diseases from their mother' milk. Newborn puppies need to suckle immediately after they are born to obtain immunity; however, this protection lasts for just a few weeks after they are weaned. Puppies five weeks of age could be immunized.

So how does vaccination work? Vaccination is simply stimulating the dog's immune system to protect itself against diseases. It is a process wherein an antigen or infectious agent is being introduced into the dog's body. Once a vaccine is administered, the antigens must be recognized, responded to and remembered by the immune system.

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Dog dummy training is an important part of field training a retriever or hunting dog. The dummy used for training are typically comprised of heavy duty canvas and usually float. Dog bumpers are one kind of dummy used. Dog bumpers resemble the boat bumpers that are used to prevent neighboring boats from bumping together when docked.

They include an attached rope to simplify throwing and retrieving. Many dog dummy or bumpers will have rubber water valves for water to be added. The added water will make the dummy or bumper heavier in weight and buoyancy but have no fear! They can still be thrown a good distance to test out the retrieving abilities of your dog. The dummy may have knobs that serve as treads or grips for the retrievers to easily pick them up. They can come in many sizes for both smaller and larger dogs. All construction materials are non-toxic. While the dummy may seem soft and elastic, rest assured that they are tough, durable and long-lasting.

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My dog was sick. She had bad skin and crusty sores all over. One eye was completely swollen from a sore on her eyelid. She scratched continually.

After visiting several local vets and spending $1500 on medicine, tests, experimental food and vet bills, they said she had an allergy. This seemed like a basic dog skin problem yet the vets were willing to give her steroids, take biopsies and incur huge bills without ever solving the problem. I finally decided I knew more about my dog than they did.

I spent some time researching dog health and dog allergies. I learned that dogs could get food allergies – especially allergies to grains. That made perfect sense since wild dogs aren't able to cook wheat or rice. I also found out that dogs can become suddenly allergic to food that they've been eating for years. Then, I discovered the BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods or Bones).

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Dogs are naturally primitive creatures. Thankfully, they adapt easily and can be trained with little effort, making it possible to share our homes with our favorite four-legged friends and still maintain our standards of order and cleanliness. Teaching your puppy to behave properly is a huge responsibility and may seem much more daunting than it should be. With a little patience and a few simple, proven training methods, you can put an end to most of your puppy's bad habits by redirecting his natural instincts to something more appropriate.

Nipping

Nipping is quite common and normal among puppies, especially when you and your puppy are playing and gets overly excited. This ordinary puppy instinct is seemingly harmless, but will soon become more dangerous and painful as your puppy grows. Teach your puppy early to never touch your skin, or anyone else's, with his teeth, and he will be much less likely to bite later in life.

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Carrying, and retrieving do not have to be associated entirely with a dog's adult life, or with Obedience Trials. Even a young puppy can be taught to hold and carry if you place something in her mouth and encourage her with "Take it to so-and-so!" Carrying from one person to another thus becomes a game, and with it, comes a chance to show off.

Make a game of retrieving objects, both in the house and out-of-doors. Concentrate on getting your dog excited so she will chase things, then just before she reaches the object, give the retrieve command ONCE. While she is picking up the object, say "Good Girl!" and say it as though you meant it.

Praise will encourage a dog to take things from the floor or the ground when she might otherwise refuse. These early attempts at carrying will teach your dog, with a minimum of effort, the basic steps of the RETRIEVE exercise, one of the most difficult in advanced training. If your dog is a natural retriever, take advantage!

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No dog owner wants to see ticks sticking on the fur of their Labrador dogs. Small as they are, they can cause problems to dogs and dog owners alike. These little creatures live on the body of your innocent Labrador dogs, sucking your pet's blood. Sucking your dog's blood is not the only problem ticks bring; they can also transmit diseases such as Lyme disease.

Naturally you wouldn't want your pet to house a number of ticks, isn't it? Your dog must be free of ticks to prevent diseases and other health problems and most of all, to promote your dog's health and lengthen his life. To examine your dog for any presence of ticks, check his fur and skin. Rub your hands all over his body and try to feel any abnormalities in the skin. If a tick is present, you will usually feel a small lump in the area. Investigate this area further to make sure if it is indeed a tick. Different kinds of ticks can infest different breeds of dogs. No breed of dog is exempted from being infested with ticks, especially if the owner doesn't maintain their dog's regular and proper care and grooming. There are two types of ticks commonly found on dogs- the brown dog ticks and the American dog ticks. Adult male brown dog ticks are about 1/8 of an inch long, flat, brown in color and have divots throughout the shell. Female brown dog ticks, especially when feeding, are larger than males. Deer ticks and western black-legged ticks may as well infest dogs.

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On January 16, 2008 the American Kennel Club released the list for the most popular dogs in 2007. You may be surprised (or not) which breeds made the 10 most popular list. Of course, the Lab made #1, but that certainly is no surprise, it has been #1 for the last 17 years. Having had several Labs as my best friend, I know that this is a deserved title.

The dog that had not made the list for the last 72 years, but broke that streak this past year is the Bulldog. It managed to make it's way into the 10th spot. Now this may irritate some Bulldog enthusiasts, but I always considered this strong and muscular dog with the peculiar gait, loose skin and wrinkled face as so ugly, it is adorable. Of course, I also think of Winston Churchill when I see a photo of a Bulldog.

In the last few years the Bulldog has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, in part, due to the fact that many celebrities have taken to these dignified, but kind, unaggressive dogs. With it's docile attitude, but strong and courageous demeanor, I believe it would make a great addition to most any home. But one of the negatives with this dog is the difficulty in successful breeding, making a Bulldog puppy expensive. They also have some breathing problems that need to be looked after by an experienced vet.

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