Sunday, June 20, 2010

What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

hi i want to know some good pointers before i actually purchase the lab



id like to know anything and everything



what toys?



housing?



food? (he will be 6 weeks old just a pup)



shots?



hair brushes?



you get the picture just anything extra i should know!



What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

I love my lab so much. I had never had a dog before so I really didn't know what I was doing. He is now 4 and he turned out wonderful. GET LOTS OF CHEW TOYS!!! Toby chewed all the time when he was a puppy. He ate Nutro Puppy and he now eats Nutro Large Breed. The breeder and the vet told us to feed him nutro because it doesn't have any chicken bi-products. Labs are prone to hip displasia. Make sure the vet checks them out. They need a lot of time, attention, and exercise. Have fun!! Toby has made my my life great!



What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

First of all, get the puppy when he's 8 weeks old. Find a good breeder who won't let the pups go before that age.



Puppies love to chew - get a squeaky toy, some tennis balls, maybe a Frisbee, and things of various textures for the puppy to chew on. Enroll in puppy kindergarten.



Feed a high-quality food. Information can be found here: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/



Pick your breeder's brain for vet care, food, toys, brushes, and everything. Bring the puppy to a vet within 48 hours of purchasing him.



Please train your dog! He'll love it and you will too!



What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

labs r very hyper as puppies make sure it gets a lot of excercise and they love chewing so chew toys r much needed and my lab favors the plush squeeky toys



What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

I would NOT get this puppy at 6 weeks. Did you know dogs learn discipline from the mom between 6-8 weeks? Pulling them away WILL cause problems later in life and is NOT recommended. They will miss out on a lot. Hopefully you will reconsider and get a puppy from a reputable breeder and not someone who would do the disservice of selling a puppy that young!!



If not, please get a crate for your dog. You can buy a small one and rebuy as the dog grows or get a large one with a divider. Only give the dog room enough to stand up and turn around, any more and the dog will soil itself and make potty training very difficult.



Please get a high quality food. Avoid



Iams



Purina



Ol Roy



Pedigree



Alpo



ANYTHING at Walmart, grocery store, etc. These foods are filled with corn as a filler and are terrible for a dog, and you will pay more money on vet trips and have LOTS of poop if you feed them. Please try



Innova



Wellness



Canidae



Solid Gold



Blue Buffalo



Or any other premium food. You will feed less, and save a lot of money! No skin problems, preventable health problems, etc.



You can get him a pin brush, and I would make sure to get a DESHDDING tool, and the hair will get annoying!



He will need shots a 6 weeks 9 weeks and 12 weeks. SOme vets give 4 sets some do not start until 8 weeks. But since you are taking the puppy so young I would start now. He also need to be dewormed if it was not already done.



Get a few chew toys and see what he likes. Avoid rawhides and toys like that as they can hurt your dog. Avoid anything with pieces they can break off and swallow.



What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

If the Labbie will be inside, get a crate. Get the pup used to it and it will become his/her den.



Wait until 8 weeks before you bring the pup home. 6 weeks is the first major socialization phase the pups go through. They learn how to play, bite inhibition.



Get a Kong. It is a hard rubber cone shaped toy that is hollow. You can put treats, or peanut butter in it and it will keep the dog occupied for hours.



Find a good, all natural food, no colorings, chemical preservatives or additives.



Find a vet , check with your friends or neighbors and to find one. Then talk to them before you bring the pup home and get a schedule of the shots needed.



You won't really need a brush right off. A Labs' coat has natural oils in it. If they get a bit dirty, just brush it out. You don't want to bathe a Lab too often. It washes the oil out of their coat.



Go to Barnes and Noble and get a book on Labs. Read up on them.



Check your local area for a dog training club. Enroll your pup in puppy class. It is good socialization for the dogs. Go to akc.org or ukcdogs.com and search the club listings.



Good luck and have fun with the Lab. We have 3.



What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

Labs are energetic and require lots of exercise and supervision. Please crate your lab if you are not going to be around. They are mischievous and can get into trouble. Make sure you train and be a responsible pet owner. As far as toys are concerned, tennis balls are great for them to have, with your supervision. They tend to chew and can choke with plastic toys. Like children, they will require certain shots at certain stages. Brush regularly, but they will still shed. Look out for skin allergies, since this breed tends to inherit them. As puppies, I fed them soft food and gradually incorporated dry food in the mix until they are able to eat a dry food diet. If you have a female dog, you can give them a tablespoon of tomato juice or feed them tomatoes to avoid grass burns. You will have many fun years with a lab! Enjoy



What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

It's great that you want to be prepared beforehand.



You want to make sure you have plenty of toys for your Labrador . They are very heavy chewers especially when they are puppies. So get ones that are pretty indestructable but flexible so they are still able to chew. I like kong, planet dog (orbee) ,zogoflex, and tuffies. As they get older you will want to replace these with bigger ones and you can also add toys such as tennis balls and frisbees after the teething the stage. It's very important that your lab gets plenty of excercise. During puppy hood have 3 , 10 minute walking sessions a day and include playtime that is fun and mentally stimulating. When the dog gets older you will need to incease the ammount of time you walk and play with your Lab because they will become even more active.



Are you keeping the dog indoors? You will need a crate with soft, warm bedding like blankets or a doggie bed.



The puppy is only 6weeks old and this is very young. Any reputable breeder will keep the puppy with its mother until 12 weeks , 8 weeks at the very least. Its important that your puppy stays with it's mother and litter mates this long to recieve socialization which reduces serious behaviorial issues in the future. Talk to your breeder about this.



The puppy will need to be vaccinated at 6 weeks of age, booster at 9 weeks and at 12weeks. This is usually referred to as the DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus ) vaccination series. The puppy will have a complete checkup. Your puppy will also recieve dewormer medication. Follow the veternarians advice on these.



Also at the visit, the vet will probably ask you what you are feeding your dog but dont take any recommendations for products like Purina Pro Plan or Eukanuba. You will want to give your puppy an all natural foods : Canidae All Life Stages (Original), California Natural Puppy, Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul, Innova Puppy or Innova Large Breed Puppy, Wellness Puppy are some good ones .



The same principal with dog food applies with grooming products, You want a shampoo that is natural . You will only need to shampoo your Labrador if it is absolutely necessary and between bathings you can use a dry shampoo to counter odors.



Labradors are moderate shedders. They shed their entire undercoat (which is alot of hair!) twice a year. Regularly brush your lab with a bristle brush once or twice a week to remove loose hairs and during the shedding months you will have to brush everyday to help rid of the undercoat.



Finally, This is the one most important good pointer anyone can give you: Begin training as soon as the puppy enters your home.



Get books or whatever you may need to help you if you haven't already.



All the Best!



What are some good pointers for keeping a lab?

i don't know... way too many ppl have labs and they are so plain and boring looking.... get something exciting

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