Archive for the 'Puppies and Puppy Care' Category

Is Your Lab Just Being a Lab?

I see more people asking the same type of behavioral questions about their labrador retriever puppies. My lab puppy is stealing my shoes, chewing everything in sight, eating everyting is site and even once where their puppy was in the habit of stealing a disposable diaper when given the chance. Many times people think that their labrador retriever puppy has behavioral issues or is being a bad puppy.

For the most part they are just being normal labrador retriever puppies. They are highly energetic, aggressive chewers for the better part of their lives and from what I have found nosey or very into exploring their surroundings. Of course you want to correct any outrageous behavior with positive reinforcement but don’t get too worried when they are young. Sometimes it’s all part of just being a labrador retriever puppy.

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How to Housebreak a Dog

The first question every new pet owner asks is, "How can I housebreak my dog?" Getting your dog trained to go to the bathroom outside instead of in your home can be one of the most frustrating things to teach him. If you stay calm and collected, however, you will be able to train him within a much shorter time than you could imagine.

To begin with, do not expect your new puppy to be able to hold his bladder for any long amount of time. Take him out every forty-five minutes or so. Eventually this time will go longer and longer, but a puppy has a very small bladder and needs to be allowed out more frequently than an older dog. Dogs also have to go to the bathroom about fifteen minutes after they eat or drink, so make sure you accommodate their needs by taking them outside at that time. Every time you take your dog outside and he goes to the bathroom, give him praises. You want to make going to the bathroom outside a positive experience.

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Puppy Biting

The absolutely best way to lay down the foundation for preventing your puppy from biting is to let them remain with their Mom in the litter for the first three months. Mom will be a far better teacher about bite inhibition than you would be during this time.

That being said, it is a completely normal behavior for puppies to 'mouth' and bite. Humans have arms to grab onto things, dogs only have their mouths. So don't mistake 'mouthing' for biting. Ongoing aggressive behavior and biting from a puppy is generally rare, but if your normal training methods are not working and aggressiveness continues, you might want to reconsider whether you would want to keep such a puppy, especially if you have children around. An aggressive puppy will most likely grow up to become an overly aggressive dog. And please don't think that just showing the puppy love and affection will correct their behavior, or that it is something that they will just outgrow. Professional help will certainly be needed, sooner rather than later. You may love your dog but it is up to you to be responsible and not just sentimental.

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Questions to Ask When Buying a Puppy

Remember you are adding a new member to your family for the next 10-15 years. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BARGAIN HUNT!! Prepare to spend at least $700-$1000 or more for a well bred puppy.

You may have known someone who has or you may yourself have purchased a "backyard" bred dog or a pet store or puppy mill dog and had great success. However, the high number of serious problems seen in the breed today make this event unlikely to reoccur. Chief among these are temperament problems ranging from aggression to shyness to hyperactivity. Hip dysplasia, eye problems causing blindness, heart defects that can severely shorten life span and auto immune disorders and cancer are also becoming prevalent.

Responsible breeders will do all they can to avoid these problems by researching pedigrees and screening parents for certain inherited problems before breeding. Caution! Pennsylvania is now the leading puppy mill state due to the high number of backyard breeders and puppy farmers who have found it more profitable to raise puppies than poultry.

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Puppy Proofing Your House

One of the most frequent question that gets asked on the labrador retriever chat forums has to be about puppies and chewing. I started the chat board almost seven years ago because my chocolate labrador retriever puppy was chewing everything in site. We were losing shoes, shrubs, socks and toilet paper at an alarming rate.

 

You have to give into the fact that labrador retrievers are aggressive chewers. My chocolate lab is seven years old and he still loves chewing but we got through the puppy phase and he is now content with chewing his toys and not everything else in the house. It takes awhile to get there but there are some things you have to do.

I like to call it Puppy Proofing Your House. Think about it, labrador retriever puppies or any other puppy for that matter is just like a small child. You don’t leave things out in your house that you don’t want to them to get into. If you have ever been into a house where they have a new baby who is just beginning to walk or crawl you will see gates guarding the stairs, locks on cupboard doors and doors closed. Why not do this for your labrador retriever puppy. After losing my daughters third pair of shoes in less than a month I put up an interior door to close off the shoes and boots when you come in the house. It was then that I had a moment of clarity. I need to puppy proof my house like I would if I had small children.

 

Here are some tips:

  1. Make sure you keep all of your doors closed to bedrooms and bathrooms when you are not supervising your puppy. If he/she cannot get into that room then they can’t destroy anything.
  2. Consider adding an interior door or even a toddler gate to block off places such as the basement, kitchen or foyer where you leave your shoes.
  3. Clear things off of tables that your puppy can reach. Put the remote control or cordless phone on a table or wall unit where your puppy cannot jump up and get them.
  4. Put your newspapers and magazine away when you are not home. There is nothing worse than cleaning up dozens of shredded magazines.
  5. If you have to, take the toilet paper off of the plastic roll and leave it on the sink counter. We lived three years of our lives this way and you get used to it. The toilet paper is not back on the rack and he doesn’t touch it.
  6. Don’t leave food or snacks sitting out unattended, they won’t last long
  7. Probably the most important, give your puppy lots of toys to chew on and reward them for playing with them when they do.

 

I think you get the main idea; a puppy cannot chew what is not there. Puppy proof your house and trust me you will be living a higher quality of life.

 

Visit us at the Labrador Retriever Chat Board where other lab owners are asking answering some of the same questions you have. Share your photos and enter our monthly photo contest.

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How To Toilet Train Your Puppy

I expect you're reading this because you have just welcomed a new member of the family into your household. Yes, a puppy! Well congratulations! First on getting such a wonderful animal and friend, and secondly as it's a puppy it's going to be simple to get your new companion trained.

Puppies are relatively easy to train. They are like empty vessels waiting to be filled. And you are the person to do the filling. If you don't they could pick up bad habits from the environment and from other dogs. You are the best teacher for them.

Some ground rules first though.

Never punish your puppy if they make a mistake.

Always praise when things go well.

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How To Train Labrador Retriever Puppies

The best method of how to train Labrador retriever puppies is to apply positive reinforcement, that's combined with unrestricted praise and treats. In order to establish an immediate bond, play with your pup on a frequent basic and if possible get down on the floor with her - this bond will later be strengthen through training. Labrador retriever puppy training can start almost as soon as she arrives home. In a similar way to a small child, she will learn best through activities and games. (more…)

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