Labrador Retriever Dogs Blog

Ask the Rules Guy: Dogs eating balls and out-of-bounds stances
Do you get a mulligan if your ball falls off the tee while you’re making your swing? Here’s the answer.

Read more on Golf Magazine

Vets, eye doctor team to save dogs’ sight
Two Labrador retriever puppies born blind are ready to play fetch, thanks to a unique collaboration between two local veterinarians and an eye surgeon.

Read more on The Cincinnati Enquirer

Two dogs getting excited about their walkies and staring out of the window in anticipation.

my dogs. eating a little snack.

It is normally believed that ringworms are caused by worm infestation. On the opposite they are caused by fungus (Dermatophytes) that can affect both humans and animals. There are various species of ringworms and the most common form of ringworms in dogs is Mircosporum Canis. What are the ways of ringworms transmission to dogs? Ringworms are contagious disease and the dogs are infected by these fungi through their environs such as kennel and burrows. It can also pass from rodents or other affected animals or humans and visa versa. The fungal spores can live in the environment for almost thirteen months and can be found in carpets, beddings and grooming equipments. If in contact with these environs, the dogs can be infected. Symptoms: A bruise on the skin is one of the symptons of ringworms. It does not necesarily have the shape of a ring, which is unlike ringworms in humans. The hairless wound will develop in size and form an irregular shape. They are usually found on the face, ears, tail and paw the dog. They may or may not be itchy, but the affected area is reddened and inflamed. Are all dogs vulnerable to ringworms? A healthy and adult dog is less prone to ringworms in comparison to young puppies as their immune system is yet to fully develop. Many dogs may be carriers of ringworms but may not show any sign of symptoms, but can still transfer the infection to humans and other animals. Diagnoses and treatment of ringworms in dogs: Infected dogs, or dogs with symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian for dignosis and treatment of ringworms. Diagnosis can be done by plucking hair from the infected area and studying it under the ultra violet light. If the diagnosis shows an infection, the vet will recommend anti fungal pills or topical medication like shampoos and creams. Precautions to avert re-infection in dogs and transferring infection to humans: *Get rid of used items by the infected pet, items like brushes, scratching posts, blankets, combs etc. If a number of the items are not destroyable, then they must be soaked in hot water and lodophor or betadine solution for about an hour. After that, they should be washed and rinsed using water and chlorine bleach combination. Preferably dry them in open sunlight. * Discard the vacuum bag after vacuuming the house exhaustively. * Steam-wash all carpets and upholstery and wash the walls with water and chlorine bleach mixture. Discard the air filter if any. * Wear gloves while grooming the dog and handling any grooming equipment and keep kids away from infected pets. Clip the dog nails and cut the hair to ensure hygienic conditions. Although dog ringworms are curable but they are highly infectious. convalescence takes time. Therefore it is best to take all precautionary steps and visit the vet in time for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Check out our black dogs at Retriever Rescue of Colorado

Obedience training dogs has much to do with understanding how they think.

Dog training mistakes are often owner mistakes rather than the dog’s . It’s not on purpose. Many owners make mistakes without realising – often because of bad advice, maybe reading or watching something somewhere, because that’s how they trained the dog when they were kids, or even through behavior perhaps they are not aware they’re doing. Frustration and annoyance can set in when puppies “make little mistakes” in the house, or adult dogs won’t come when called or are over-enthusiastic with people for attention, . Whichever specific dog training course you subscribe to, here are a number of easily made mistakes that, if avoided, will make the training process far more effective, enjoyable and fun for !

1. Let’s say your dog is well behaved enough to come to you when he is called, he then gets a an experience he doesn’t like.

Your dog has been having loads offun at the park you call and he comes to you and you reward his good behavior by putting him on a lead and taking him home. Is it surprising that your dog no longer comes when called?

A good way to to avoid this mistake is to occasionally call your dog to you while he is playing, reward him and give lots of praise to him and send him back to play again. By doing this a few times, your dog will learn to come to you when he hears his name and won’t automatically think there is a negative reason.

2. Rubbing your dog’s nose in his poop or pee while toilet training.

You don’t actually have an issue with your dog “spending a penny”. You just have a problem with the location. Rubbing his nose in his mistake or whacking him with a rolled up newspaper will only confuse your dog. This can result in your dog going to the toilet where you won’t find it; behind the furniture or in another hiding place. Your dog could even drink his pee or eat his poop (this is called coprophagia) because he fears your reaction.

Never correct a dog going to the toilet in an inappropriate place after the fact. Correction will only be taken on board by the dog if it is done when a dog is caught red handed. It will not accomplish anything by hitting the dog but firmly say NO! or OUTSIDE!, and straight away take the dog outside. When you get the dog outside, it is imperative to stay with the dog and then give lots of praise when he has finished.

3. Ignoring unacceptable behavior such as jumping or aggression.

Unfortunately, many owners either think their dog will out grow this bad behavior or, sometimes, do not see it as an issue but, rather, think that it is normal. jumping up, chewing and aggression are not normal phases in a dog’s development, but bad behavior which should not be ignored. Teach your dog that this is unacceptable behavior by reinforcing him the correct behavior in social situations.

4. Bringing your dog in as soon as he has finished his toilet.

Its raining and your dog needed to go out to use the toilet but he is just trotting round sniffing, doing doggy stuff and genrally taking an age to decide where he wants to go. In the meantime you are waiting and getting angrier by the second. Partly this is normal. He is reading the scents he is picking up these will help him decide where best to spend his penny as a territory marking excercise as well as something he bodily needs to do. He will also take his time, however, if he has learned that as soon as he has finished he is whisked inside again. Yes, dogs can be sneaky! the solution is; be more sneaky! Make sure that letting your dog out to use the toilet happens before you do somthing the dog enjoys – play or a ride in the car for example. That way you will get your dog to go out to the toilet almost on cue.

5. Letting your dog control you.

You need control. Establishing your authority is perhaps the most important thing you are advised to do when obedience training dogs. However it may bother people of a sensitive nature, an owner/dog relationship can never be an equal one. You need to establish yourself as boss and your dog has to accept this. In fact, a dog is always happier when his place in the pack is well defined. If you enforce this, you will end up, having a very fraught life with your dog and, at worst, a nasty, bad tempered animal with sharp teeth that you have no control over. A simple ritual to implement from the start is making your dog sit before you give his food. He then starts to see you as the alpha pack member. There are many other ways to ensure that you dog is below you in the pack pecking order. It is vital to implement this training sooner rather than later.

Allergies in dogs seem to have become more and more common over the years. Whether this is just because we are getting better at diagnosing them is debatable, but certainly the pet food manufacturers have had an important role to play in dealing with this phenomenon. Although a food allergy is thought to be non curable, the good news is that with proper diagnosis and management it can be well controlled in virtually 100% of cases.

What is a food allergy?

A more appropriate term for a food allergy is an adverse food reaction. It is where ingestion of a certain ingredient in the diet causes itchiness anywhere on the body and recurring skin or ear infections with Malassezia yeast and bacteria. Food allergies can also cause digestive tract signs too, such as fecal mucus, blood in the stools and increased frequency of defecation. They have also been associated with increased flatulence.

The root cause of these adverse food reactions is unknown, but research points towards an increase in permeability of the gut wall, or a failure of the gut associated immune system. Though it has never been proven that certain breeds are affected worse than others, some breeds do seem to be over represented. The age of onset can range from a few months to 12 years old.

What are the ingredients that dogs are most commonly allergic to?

There are 7 ingredients that are frequently responsible for adverse food reactions:

1. Beef

2. Milk

3. Eggs

4. Chicken

5. Soy

6. Wheat

7. Corn

Statistically, beef and soy are the biggest offenders. Many dogs will be allergic to more than one of these ingredients, and may also be allergic to things in their environment, such as pollen, certain grasses or fleas.

How can a food allergy be diagnosed?

If a dog has had general itchiness that does not lessen in the winter months, recurrent skin and ear infections or intermittent soft stools, it is worth investigating for a food allergy.

There are 3 recognised diagnostic methods:

1. A blood test to measure antibodies to various ingredients.

2. An intradermal skin test where allergens are injected at various points on the skin and the reaction is measured.

3. An elimination diet.

The intradermal skin test is thought to be very inaccurate, and the jury is still out on the blood test. The elimination diet is seen as the most reliable, and the cheapest of the three options. It does however require a motivated and disciplined owner in order to achieve meaningful results.

Elimination Diet

There are three basic elimination diet choices:

1. Home cooked food

This is not generally recommended as it is time consuming for the owner and can also provide an unnatural and nutritionally unbalanced diet. However, if the dog is incredibly fussy and the owner cannot bear to force it to eat a commercial diet, the best ingredients are one of either lamb, fish, duck or turkey, plus one of either rice or potatoes. The two ingredients selected (the former high in protein, the latter a carbohydrate source) should be ones that the dog has preferably never eaten before.

2. A commercial, limited antigen diet

If one of these diets is to be recommended, suitable ingredients would be venison, rabbit or oatmeal. Remember, we are looking for ingredients that your dog has never eaten before, so cannot possibly already be allergic to.

3. A commercial, hydrolysed protein hypoallergenic diet

These contain proteins that have been broken down to the extent that they are no longer capable of causing an allergic reaction. They are often referred to as prescription diets because they are usually purchased via a veterinarian, although they can be obtained over the counter without a prescription. They are significantly more expensive than limited antigen diets, so it is wiser to try a limited antigen diet first as if the elimination diet is successful, the dog will remain on that food for life.

The elimination diet must be given for a minimum of 6 weeks, and possibly up to 10, in order to observe the maximum response. Owners must not give their dog ANYTHING else during the trial period, meaning no titbits, treats or vitamin supplements. For example, many owners do not realize that rawhide chews are made from cow derivatives and that with beef being the most common culprit in allergies, these chews could be the root of the problem. During the trial period, nothing must enter the dogs mouth apart from the chosen diet and water.

If the symptoms in question are intense itchiness, many vets will prescribe antihistamines or steroids during the first few weeks of the trial in order to make the dog more comfortable. If the dog gets better as the trial goes on, and the initial drugs to provide temporary comfort have worn off, then it is suggestive of a food allergy. If this occurs, the dog is then challenged with its former diet to see if the symptoms return and therefore confirm the diagnosis. It usually takes between 3 and 7 days for the symptoms to return after initiating the challenge.

If there is a partial improvement in the dogs condition, it is likely that the dog indeed has a food allergy but also has other allergies at the same time. The dog will then be kept on the elimination diet while other potential allergies are investigated, such as flea bite sensitivity and atopy. These can be checked for via intradermal testing or blood tests.

If a food allergy is confirmed, the owner can either continue to feed the same food given during the elimination trial indefinitely, or can persevere with dietary trials by introducing the 7 most common allergic ingredients (see above) one by one until it is ascertained exactly what the dog is allergic to.

www.guidedogs.com – Baby Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever puppies play in Guide Dogs for the Blind’s play yard.

PAUL TOAL — PAUL DAVID TOAL — of ALTIQUIN DOGS reviews basic field commands for Labrador Retrievers who have been trained to hunt and trial. This 4-minute video covers the voice commands: (1) GET ON, (2) GET OVER, (3) BACK {pronounced ‘BECK’}, and the (4) HUNT WHISTLE. PAUL DAVID TOAL describes the sequence of events and the communication between dog and handler. This is one of his many introductory instructional video presentations. Go to: www.ALTIQUIN.LABRADORS.com/paultoal.html for more links.