[Bob Pr.]

On the JL forum that just preceded this one, dweck started a thread, "Our Best Advice", in which he gave his suggestions and invited others to add theirs. He asked Daniel, the founder of JL forums, to "sticky" the thread so it'd stay at the top of the "Training Tips & Puppy Advice" subforum. Daniel did.

When the forum migrated to the present forum system from the previous one, "Our Best Advice" was left behind but we could keep reminding people to go back and read it.

Nate & Ari, present owners, have moved "Our Best Advice" to our current forum and stickied it so it's more easily available. Due to technical reasons I don't understand, some of the authors' names have been lost and some of the various posts combined into one. But it's still readable.

I've revised a few threads that I started and arranged other posts that migrated into mine so that they (IMO) are more readable.

But even those posts that haven't had redoing will still be readable and offer helpful information.

I hope new members will make the effort to scan through this thread to find the information helpful to their Labs and themselves. It contains a lot of advice from many people, some of it offers different ways of accomplishing the same ends so you can take your choice.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NOTE: I have edited and revised some of the contributions to this really valuable thread started by our very valued contributor, dweck.

IF I deleted ANYthing you wish to be presented, please e-mail or PM me and I'll restore it. (I have no mandate or desire to be a censor.)

And/or, IF you'd prefer a different version of what you posted, please send to me exactly what you wish presented and I'll replace it.

 

[Nate]

As per Bob Pr.’s post – below is the information from the previous thread Due to the length, I had to split it up into a few posts. Enjoy!

Pinch Collar Tutorial:

W/guidance, the Pinch collar can be your salvation (it sure was ours!).

1) It must fit correctly. Meaning it must be snug so's not to fall down around the dog's chest, but not too snug that it pinches 100% of the time.

2) It must be worn UP around the ears. Also, be careful putting it on and taking it off. Use the same ring every time (mark it w/a piece of electical tape) so that it becomes easier. And I would not use the breakaway pinch collars, as they tend to, well, breakaway, even when you don't want them to.

3) Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever use a Pinch collar w/out you or someone responsible on the other end of the leash.

4) THE LEASH/LIVE RING MUST BE KEPT LOOSE INBETWEEN CORRECTIONS.

5) Pincher collar is a goodcop/badcop training tool, meaning the collar is badcop, You MUST be goodcop. When teaching, be sure to PRAISE the good stuff while the collar corrects the bad stuff!

6) Unlike a G/L or Halti, Pinch can be used to teach more than heel. In fact, it's pretty good at helping you teach the auto-sit, down, etc. etc.

BUT!!!!!!

7) A Pinch collar isn't a way of life. When your dog has learned what you wanted him to learn, graduate back to a buckle collar (maybe a choke chain first, THEN to a buckle) and retire the pinch to the bottom of your training bag.

Alhough it may look like a midevil torture device, it is not. And although your dog may yelp when it corrects, he's not being hurt. It gains their attention 100%. It's then up to you what you do w/that attention...

Good luck!





Recall Tutorial (courtesy of Lydia)


The cardinal rule is that you never call your dog to you unless you know they will come to you. That means most of the time you will have to go get him until he has a reliable recall.

You can still play with him off leash but take him some place he will be safe (like fenced backyard, fenced tennis courts or fenced school grounds). Do not try calling him to you when he is off leash in this scenario. You will need to build up to that point gradually but that doesn't mean he shouldn't get exercise in the meantime. When you are ready to go, tell him "last time" When he brings back the ball, praise him, give him a treat, then clip the leash on him. He will understand what "last time" means eventually. Murray will put his ball back in the training bag when I tell him "last time". Last time can be the 2nd or 3rd time I throw the ball or 25 or 30 times.

If you do not have a fenced area, then you really need to keep him on a long line for safety.

When you want to work on recalls, have a long line on him so you can reinforce it.

Recalls take lots of time to teach. My first instructor gave me some advice that stuck. She told me to practice 1000 times in each of the following scenarios (in order):

1) on lead in the house, no distractions
2) on lead in the park, with distractions
3) off lead in the house, no distractions
4) off lead in the park, with distractions

You should also use high value treats for the recall. This needs to be a treat that he doesn't get a any other time. Left over steak or chicken works really well. The only time he gets this treat is when you call him to you.

Also, no matter how trying it may be, never call your dog to you then scold him. Coming to you has to be the best thing in the world. If he comes to you and you scold him, you've taught him that coming to you is not safe.

Once I start teaching off leash recalls, I'll call the dog to me numerous times even during play and give him praise and his special treat then let him go back to playing. I don't want him to associate coming to me with "play time is over"


Kaytris' Puppy Credo


-start as you want to finish. If you don't want your adult dog to jump on people, don't allow your baby to do it. Teach him/her to sit politely to say hello.

-training should be 95% positive. If you are correcting more than you are rewarding, step back and go to an easier point. Remember, dogs do not generalize well unless we teach them to, so 'sit' may mean one thing in the living room and nothing at all at the dog park.

-try not to focus entirely on what you DON'T want the dog to do. It is much easier to teach a positive than a negative. Don't want a dog to jump on people? Teach them to sit to say hello. Don't want them to chew on your furniture? Teach them to retrieve their own toys. Don't want them to chase cars? Teach them a solid down stay.

-be patient, be consistent, be positive and HAVE FUN!


I Am Your Puppy (courtest of Dani)


I am your Puppy, and I will love you until the end of the Earth, but please know a few things about me.

I am a Puppy, this means that my intelligence and capacity for learning are the same as an 8-month-old child. I am a Puppy; I will chew EVERYTHING I can get my teeth on. This is how I explore and learn about the world. Even HUMAN children put things in their mouths. It's up to you to guide me to what is mine to chew and what is not.

I am a Puppy; I cannot hold my bladder for longer than 1 - 2 hours. I can not "feel" that I need to poop until it is actually beginning to come out. I cannot vocalize nor tell you that I need to go, and I can not have "bladder and bowel control" until 6 - 9 months. Do not punish me if you have not let me out for 3 hours and I tinkle. It is your fault. As a Puppy, it is wise to remember that I NEED to go potty after: Eating, sleeping, playing, drinking and around every 2 - 3 hours in addition. If you want me to sleep through the night, then do not give me water after 7 or 8 p.m. A crate will help me learn to housebreak easier, and will avoid you being mad at me.

I am a Puppy, accidents WILL happen, please be patient with me! In time I will learn.

I am a Puppy, I like to play. I will run around, and chase imaginary monsters, and chase your feet and your toes and 'attack' you, and chase fuzz balls, other pets, and small kids. It is play; it's what I do. Do not be mad at me or expect me to be sedate, mellow and sleep all day. If my high energy level is too much for you, maybe you could consider an older rescue from a shelter or Rescue group. My play is beneficial, use your wisdom to guide me in my play with appropriate toys, and activities like chasing a rolling ball, or gentle tug games, or plenty of chew toys for me. If I nip you too hard, talk to me in "dog talk", by giving a loud YELP, I will usually get the message, as this is how dogs communicate with one another. If I get too rough, simply ignore me for a few moments, or put me in my crate with an appropriate chew toy.

I am a Puppy; hopefully you would not yell, hit, strike, kick or beat a 6-month-old human infant, so please do not do the same to me. I am delicate, and also very impressionable. If you treat me harshly now, I will grow up learning to fear being hit, spanked, kicked or beat. Instead, please guide me with encouragement and wisdom. For instance, if I am chewing something wrong, say, "No chew!" and hand me a toy I CAN chew. Better yet, pick up ANYTHING that you do not want me to get into. I can't tell the difference between your old sock and your new sock, or an old sneaker and your $200 Nikes.

I am a Puppy, and I am a creature with feelings and drives much like your own, but yet also very different. Although I am NOT a human in a dog suit, neither am I an unfeeling robot who can instantly obey your every whim. I truly DO want to please you, and be a part of your family, and your life. You got me (I hope) because you want a loving partner and companion, so do not relegate me to the backyard when I get bigger, do not judge me harshly but instead mold me with gentleness and guidelines and training into the kind of family member you want me to be.

I am a Puppy and I am not perfect, and I know you are not perfect either. I love you anyway. So please, learn all you can about training, and puppy behaviors and caring for me from your veterinarian, books on dog care and even researching on the computer! Learn about my particular breed and it's "characteristics", it will give you understanding and insight into WHY I do all the things I do. Please teach me with love, patience, the right way to behave and socialize me with training in a puppy class or obedience class, we will BOTH have a lot of fun together.

I am a Puppy and I want more than anything to love you, to be with you, and to please you. Won't you please take time to understand how I work? We are the same you and I, in that we both feel hunger, pain, thirst, discomfort, fear, but yet we are also very different and must work to understand one anther's language, body signals, wants and needs. Some day I will be a handsome dog, hopefully one you can be proud of and one that you will love as much as I love you.

Love,
Your Puppy

 

[Nate]

TIPS FOR HOUSEBREAKING YOUR PUPPY (Courtesy of Dani)


Always bear in mind that a dog evacuates his bowels on waking in the morning, after a meal, and about 3 hours after a meal, especially as a puppy.

As soon as he wakes in the morning, and after every nap, take him directly outdoors on a leash and collar to empty his bladder and/or bowel.

Take him to the same place each time, stay with him and give him 10-15 minutes to "perform".

I find that an expression associated with the action is very helpful in the teaching process.

You choose your own words go potty¹ or "time for business" etc.

When the same phrase is repeated over a few days, the pup learns what it is you want of him very quickly. Your puppy is a very intelligent dog and eager to please you.

When he does what you've requested of him, heap praise on him (good potty!) and bring him back into the house immediately and give him a little reward treat.

There should be no outdoor play until he has it firmly in his mind that the outdoors is the place to go to relieve himself, and is giving you signals that he needs to go out (and RIGHT NOW).

This may be whining, circling, sniffing at various places or going towards the door. IT'S UP TO YOU TO LEARN TO READ HIS MESSAGES!!!

Remember that you are dealing with a baby with a small bladder, and you should expect to have accidents to clean up until he is about 6 months old.

When accidents do happen, DO NOT RUB HIS NOSE IN IT, OR HIT HIM. A rolled up newspaper has no value in teaching a dog.

You wouldn't do that to a child or want it done to you.

YOUR PUP DOES HAVE DIGNITY TOO!!!

You can clean up the accident using Hydrogen Peroxide (it´s the best for cleaning up any doggie mess).

The dog crate will be your most valuable asset in the house-training effort. Dogs are den animals and he will not want to soil his sleeping area if he can help it. Therefore, the crate should be divided or partitioned off to where it is only big enough to lay down or turn around in.

He will whine or bark from the crate when he needs to go out, but he will do that too if he just wants to be with you. This is what we call the "Puppy Con" and you'll have to learn to differentiate between them. Ignore the message and you might be cleaning up a mess!


Let's talk about commands. (Dani)


One thing that many puppy owners do it "allow" a pup to get away with an unfavorable behavior "because they are a pup". Problem is, what happens when they are 5 times the size and still doing it? Then you have a "bad dog" which isn't the dogs fault, it's the owners fault for allowing lapses in judgement.

There must be consistency. If you live with other folks, you must train them how to handle your pup...they must abide by the rules just like your pup does. Don't allow them to say "oh it's okay if Rex jumps on me..." No, it's not okay for Rex to jump on anyone. Don't allow friends, family or guests undo what you have tried to so hard to do!

If you want your dog to react, there must be a tone of voice to coincide with what is going on. If you are being silly and stuff, it's okay to speak to your dog in a fun, high pictched tone...it usually brings on tail wags, body wags and kisses. If you are talking to your dog in a serious tone, generally speaking that is a good "we are working" tone. If they have acted in a way that you do not care for them to, I am sure you can find the voice that gets their attention. Why are we talking about tone? Because you can't correct a dog in a happy high pitched tone and you certainly can't get a dog to work if it feels like you are hollering at him.

Now, reguarding commands. Once you have learned the basics and you are continually testing your dog to correctly follow them, make sure you are in a position to enforce a command that you issue. Meaning if you are working on a sit and you are across the room, it's going to be hard for you to correct for a refusal to obey the command. Never issue a command that you can't enforce. Never repeat a command. Example: You are walking with a dog on a leash. You stop. You command the dog to sit. Dog doesn't sit. You wait a maximum 5 seconds and then you say, "NO, (dogs' name) SIT!" and pull up on the leash with your right hand and you push the dog's butt to the floor with your left.

Dog's don't reason like humans do. They don't do things to "spite" you. They don't respond because you haven't made it clear to them what is expected of them. You don't have to do it alone. Get to obedience classes even if your dog knows how to sit and lay down. The classes are benificial to you and the dog. Socialization opportunities and a chance to train with distractions.

Bottom line is this. If you allow your dog to get away with a little thing here, and a little thing there, pretty soon several little things will add up to one big thing: a dog that does not behave the way that you would like it to.


Leave it!


Teach the command "leave it". It's essential. You do need to be careful about rocks and other items like that ~ not only could they cause damage to the intestinal track, but it could also cause an obstruction.

There are a couple of different ways to teach "leave it". Our trainer uses her shoe over the item to block the dog from getting it. In other words, put a treat on the floor and when the dog goes for it, cover it with your shoe and say "leave it". I trained Sami using a leash and I would drop an item (toy, food, etc) and when she went for it I would hold her back and say "leave it". And then I would reward her with a treat and say "good leave it". She picked this up pretty fast.


Teaching the DOWN


Teach DOWN on the 6', not the longline. You need the control and the ability to correct.

There are a couple of ways to teach Down -

1 - Bait the dog w/a treat at nose level. Lower the treat in your fingers to the floor, saying DOGSNAME, DOWN. And praise w/the treat. I have never used this method, as I don't treat-train, but the idea is that over time, the dog associates the word with the action with a good thing happening. Eventually, you wean off the treats.

2. - Passive down - Sit the dog in heel. Kneel next to them calmly. Put your left hand on the withers (shoulders) and take the right hand behind the dogs front legs, which are supporting his/her weight. Gently sweep them out/lift them, and GUIDE the dog to the floor, DOGSNAME, DOWN! Praise-praise-praise. Eventually, you want to couple this w/a stay command (right hand palm to nose: STAY) and stand up. But don't rush this!!!

3. - Active down - If your dog is dominant and has 'issues' with the down (in other words, the passive down has failed miserably), he/she needs to know you mean business. Sit the dog in heel, give the command DOGSNAME DOWN, and take your foot and step on the leash, right behind the snap. Remain standing and praise! GOOD DOWN. The dog may flop like a flounder on a boat deck, but hold your ground. Eventually, they'll figure out that life is good when they lie there and settle. If they thrash, hack, choke, cry, etc, STAND YOUR GROUND! They are doing it to themselves and will either tire of the activity or figure out that the collar stops correcting once they lie quietly. THEN praise - GOOD DOWN. BE careful doing this DOWN (I was thrown by a Golden Ret 2 wks ago in class doing this). It's easy to get hurt if you're not paying attention. And make sure it ends on a good note. GOOD DOG! NICE DOWN!!! Even if you had to withstand WWIII to get there!

 

[Nate]

==========================================================
TWO BOOKS EVERY DOG WISHES ITS OWNERS HAVE (& USE) -- by Bob Pr.
==========================================================

Asking for health advice on the internet is NOT a great substitute for having a good reference guide.

Hence:

Giffin & Carlson, "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook," 3rd edition, 2000, 570+ pp, $30 list, $25 Amazon (US$). It has a useful 44 page chapter on emergencies and first aid. This book saves worry, money from vet bills, and your dog's health; it repays its price many times over. Every dog should come with one; every dog owner should refer to it whenever needed. [NOTE: An updated 4th edition without about 100 more pages and slightly less expensive has recently been published; that's the one to buy.]

Bruce Fogle, "First Aid for Dogs: What to Do When Emergencies Happen" 1995. 200+pp. $10 (US). Extremely useful -- many decision trees of symptoms to check and conditions that are ruled out or in, what to do temporarily, the urgency of vet care, very clear illustrations.

It's hard for me to to imagine a more useful guide for canine first aid.

While this book was out of print for a year, it's now published again. Also, you can pick up a used copy in good condition (maybe $1?) from Amazon's list of alternate suppliers and the S&H will be a few dollars more..

==========================================================================================================================================================================

Another thread, authors unknown:
==========================================================
ON DIFFERENT TRAINING COLLARS FOR PUPPIES (Original titles & authors lost, posts reconstructed)
==========================================================

Would I have to go some place to find a pinch collar like PetSmart, or would other places like WalMart have them?

I doubt whether the pet section of a WalMart would have a pinch collar, but PetSmart/PetCo should. You can also get them online (Google J&J dog supplies), but the in-store purchase should also get you some help on fitting it (in fact, I'd insist on it!).

How soon should you start a pup on the pinch collar ???

Dont want to start Bo to soon I wouldn't go any younger than 8 months..... And even then, only after milder methods (buckle/choke chain) have been tried and found to be ineffective. He's only 2 1/2 months so Ive got a while.

What should I start him with, I really dont want to use a choke chain What are my other options for his age?

I'll at least wait until he is about 4 months till I start him on any collar. My puppy credo:

-start as you want to finish. If you don't want your adult dog to jump on people, don't allow your baby to do it. Teach him/her to sit politely to say hello.

-training should be 95% positive. If you are correcting more than you are rewarding, step back and go to an easier point. Remember, dogs do not generalize well unless we teach them to, so 'sit' may mean one thing in the living room and nothing at all at the dog park.

-try not to focus entirely on what you DON'T want the dog to do. It is much easier to teach a positive than a negative. Don't want a dog to jump on people? Teach them to sit to say hello. Don't want them to chew on your furniture? Teach them to retrieve their own toys. Don't want them to chase cars? Teach them a solid down stay.

-be patient, be consistent, be positive and HAVE FUN! Don't know if you're interested, but I use and like a martingale collar.

I'd be interested in posting how you use a Martingale. I've never used one, and I'm not sure I 'get' it: A choke chain works not by choking but by the sound of the collar zinging shut and releasing behind the dog's ears. That alerts them to the notion that there's something wrong, and then the handler fixes the problem.

With a Martingale, isn't part of the collar nylon or cloth?? So how does it make a sound to correct?????

There are 2 types of martingales. One is all nylon (that's what I use). The other has a section that's chain. A martingale doesn't make a sound; it tightens and releases quickly. I'm no expert on things, believe me. Years ago, we had a black lab, and for a short time tried a choke collar. I couldn't get the hang of it (the sound for correction). The collar tightened, but didn't release at times. I've never used one since. There have been studies done (I'm sure you know of them), autopsies performed on dogs, with damage from choke collars. Not when someone gives the sound, but when they tighten. The choke just wasn't my cup of tea.

I used a nylon snap collar when Tucker was younger. He really doesn't pull much, and heels pretty well. Then I read about martingale's, tried one, and like it. I've used that for several months now. It fits over the head, and hangs loose on the neck. There's a smaller strap attached, with a D ring; (Premier's website explains it); the leash attaches to the D ring. If a dog pulls, it tightens on his neck for a correction, and as soon as he quits, it loosens. Plus they can't back out of a martingale. With mine, if he pulls at all, he feels it start to tighten and I can feel him correcting himself (if he's getting ahead, he slows back).

The collar tightened, but didn't release at times.

Sounds like it was on 'upside down.' There is a right-side-up and an upside-down to choke chains....

If a dog pulls, it tightens on his neck for a correction, and as soon as he quits, it loosens. Plus they can't back out of a martingale. With mine, if he pulls at all, he feels it start to tighten and I can feel him correcting himself (if he's getting ahead, he slows back).

You've clearly done a lot of training w/Tucker to get him to respond to that tightening. Wesley didn't care a fig when his choke chain tightened. If he wanted that squirrell/leaf/gumwrapper/skuzzy tissue/neighbor he was pulling after, HE PULLED! It wasn't until I went to the prong/pinch that he got the idea of what/where he was supposed to be! Heck, I probably DID have that darn thing upside down!

I forgot to mention....a martingale's a limited closure, so it won't close too tightly.

And yes, I've spent tons of time with him....and still do...and it's paying off. If you can sticky more advice for 'drop it', please do....that's his weakness! He doesn't wanna give things up easily. My bit of advice (that i can think of right now)....

Let your puppy be a puppy...This is one of my favorite diddies that I give to all of my puppy adoptors...I think Laura posted this first....

 

[Nate]

I AM YOUR PUPPY
I am your Puppy, and I will love you until the end of the Earth, but please know a few things about me.

I am a Puppy, this means that my intelligence and capacity for learning are the same as an 8-month-old child. I am a Puppy; I will chew EVERYTHING I can get my teeth on. This is how I explore and learn about the world. Even HUMAN children put things in their mouths. It's up to you to guide me to what is mine to chew and what is not.

I am a Puppy; I cannot hold my bladder for longer than 1 - 2 hours. I can not "feel" that I need to poop until it is actually beginning to come out. I cannot vocalize nor tell you that I need to go, and I can not have "bladder and bowel control" until 6 - 9 months. Do not punish me if you have not let me out for 3 hours and I tinkle. It is your fault. As a Puppy, it is wise to remember that I NEED to go potty after: Eating, sleeping, playing, drinking and around every 2 - 3 hours in addition. If you want me to sleep through the night, then do not give me water after 7 or 8 p.m. A crate will help me learn to housebreak easier, and will avoid you being mad at me.

I am a Puppy, accidents WILL happen, please be patient with me! In time I will learn.

I am a Puppy, I like to play. I will run around, and chase imaginary monsters, and chase your feet and your toes and 'attack' you, and chase fuzz balls, other pets, and small kids. It is play; it's what I do. Do not be mad at me or expect me to be sedate, mellow and sleep all day. If my high energy level is too much for you, maybe you could consider an older rescue from a shelter or Rescue group. My play is beneficial, use your wisdom to guide me in my play with appropriate toys, and activities like chasing a rolling ball, or gentle tug games, or plenty of chew toys for me. If I nip you too hard, talk to me in "dog talk", by giving a loud YELP, I will usually get the message, as this is how dogs communicate with one another. If I get too rough, simply ignore me for a few moments, or put me in my crate with an appropriate chew toy.

I am a Puppy; hopefully you would not yell, hit, strike, kick or beat a 6-month-old human infant, so please do not do the same to me. I am delicate, and also very impressionable. If you treat me harshly now, I will grow up learning to fear being hit, spanked, kicked or beat. Instead, please guide me with encouragement and wisdom. For instance, if I am chewing something wrong, say, "No chew!" and hand me a toy I CAN chew. Better yet, pick up ANYTHING that you do not want me to get into. I can't tell the difference between your old sock and your new sock, or an old sneaker and your $200 Nikes.

I am a Puppy, and I am a creature with feelings and drives much like your own, but yet also very different. Although I am NOT a human in a dog suit, neither am I an unfeeling robot who can instantly obey your every whim. I truly DO want to please you, and be a part of your family, and your life. You got me (I hope) because you want a loving partner and companion, so do not relegate me to the backyard when I get bigger, do not judge me harshly but instead mold me with gentleness and guidelines and training into the kind of family member you want me to be.

I am a Puppy and I am not perfect, and I know you are not perfect either. I love you anyway. So please, learn all you can about training, and puppy behaviors and caring for me from your veterinarian, books on dog care and even researching on the computer! Learn about my particular breed and it's "characteristics", it will give you understanding and insight into WHY I do all the things I do. Please teach me with love, patience, the right way to behave and socialize me with training in a puppy class or obedience class, we will BOTH have a lot of fun together.

I am a Puppy and I want more than anything to love you, to be with you, and to please you. Won't you please take time to understand how I work? We are the same you and I, in that we both feel hunger, pain, thirst, discomfort, fear, but yet we are also very different and must work to understand one anther's language, body signals, wants and needs. Some day I will be a handsome dog, hopefully one you can be proud of and one that you will love as much as I love you.

Love,
Your Puppy
Okay another one that I also give my puppy adoptors....

 

[Nate]

TIPS FOR HOUSEBREAKING YOUR PUPPY

Always bear in mind that a dog evacuates his bowels on waking in the morning, after a meal, and about 3 hours after a meal, especially as a puppy.

As soon as he wakes in the morning, and after every nap, take him directly outdoors on a leash and collar to empty his bladder and/or bowel.

Take him to the same place each time, stay with him and give him 10-15 minutes to "perform".

I find that an expression associated with the action is very helpful in the teaching process.

You choose your own words potty„¹ or "time for business" etc.

When the same phrase is repeated over a few days, the pup learns what it is you want of him very quickly. Your puppy is a very intelligent dog and eager to please you.

When he does what you've requested of him, heap praise on him (good potty!) and bring him back into the house immediately and give him a little reward treat.

There should be no outdoor play until he has it firmly in his mind that the outdoors is the place to go to relieve himself, and is giving you signals that he needs to go out (and RIGHT NOW).

This may be whining, circling, sniffing at various places or going towards the door. IT'S UP TO YOU TO LEARN TO READ HIS MESSAGES!!!

Remember that you are dealing with a baby with a small bladder, and you should expect to have accidents to clean up until he is about 6 months old.

When accidents do happen, DO NOT RUB HIS NOSE IN IT, OR HIT HIM. A rolled up newspaper has no value in teaching a dog.

You wouldn't do that to a child or want it done to you.

YOUR PUP DOES HAVE DIGNITY TOO!!!

You can clean up the accident using Hydrogen Peroxide (it„´s the best for cleaning up any doggie mess).

The dog crate will be your most valuable asset in the house-training effort. Dogs are den animals and he will not want to soil his sleeping area if he can help it. Therefore, the crate should be divided or partitioned off to where it is only big enough to lay down or turn around in.

He will whine or bark from the crate when he needs to go out, but he will do that too if he just wants to be with you. This is what we call the "Puppy Con" and you'll have to learn to differentiate between them. Ignore the message and you might be cleaning up a mess!
Let's talk about commands.

One thing that many puppy owners do it "allow" a pup to get away with an unfavorable behavior "because they are a pup". Problem is, what happens when they are 5 times the size and still doing it? Then you have a "bad dog" which isn't the dogs fault, it's the owners fault for allowing lapses in judgement.

There must be consistency. If you live with other folks, you must train them how to handle your pup...they must abide by the rules just like your pup does. Don't allow them to say "oh it's okay if Rex jumps on me..." No, it's not okay for Rex to jump on anyone. Don't allow friends, family or guests undo what you have tried to so hard to do!

If you want your dog to react, there must be a tone of voice to coincide with what is going on. If you are being silly and stuff, it's okay to speak to your dog in a fun, high pictched tone...it usually brings on tail wags, body wags and kisses. If you are talking to your dog in a serious tone, generally speaking that is a good "we are working" tone. If they have acted in a way that you do not care for them to, I am sure you can find the voice that gets their attention. Why are we talking about tone? Because you can't correct a dog in a happy high pitched tone and you certainly can't get a dog to work if it feels like you are hollering at him.

Now, reguarding commands. Once you have learned the basics and you are continually testing your dog to correctly follow them, make sure you are in a position to enforce a command that you issue. Meaning if you are working on a sit and you are across the room, it's going to be hard for you to correct for a refusal to obey the command. Never issue a command that you can't enforce. Never repeat a command. Example: You are walking with a dog on a leash. You stop. You command the dog to sit. Dog doesn't sit. You wait a maximum 5 seconds and then you say, "NO, (dogs' name) SIT!" and pull up on the leash with your right hand and you push the dog's butt to the floor with your left.

Dog's don't reason like humans do. They don't do things to "spite" you. They don't respond because you haven't made it clear to them what is expected of them. You don't have to do it alone. Get to obedience classes even if your dog knows how to sit and lay down. The classes are benificial to you and the dog. Socialization opportunities and a chance to train with distractions.

Bottom line is this. If you allow your dog to get away with a little thing here, and a little thing there, pretty soon several little things will add up to one big thing: a dog that does not behave the way that you would like it to. Be consistent..

Come means come...ONCE if your puppy doesn't come go get him/her every time..

Accidents are just that...clean them up and move on, show no emotion....if don't catch your puppy in the act it's too late.

Great idea! This post was a great idea

 

[Nate]

==========================================================
RECOMMENDED DIETS FOR LAB PUPPIES -- by Bob Pr.
==========================================================

If you become aware of any scientifically based evidence that disputes the following, please let me know.

Some people dispute Labs being considered a "large breed dog" since the standard in the LRCA calls them "medium sized." However, the standard goes on to describe adult Lab weights (in working condition) as being: 65-80 lbs, ♂; 55-70 lbs., ♀. The definition of large breed dogs used in the canine nutritional studies posted below was that adult dogs would have a weight of over 25 kg/55 lbs. Since the publication of these studies, many dog food manufacturers have formulated "Large Breed Puppy" foods for feeding Large and Giant breed puppies; the bags of these foods are usually marked as being appropriate foods for puppies that will have mature weights greater than 50, 51 or 55 lbs. depending on manufacturer.

Labs are among the "larger breeds" that have a lot of joint problems -- about one of every 3 dogs among Labs.

Joint problems are caused primarily by 3 mutually interacting factors:

-- stress, injury, such as caused by jumping, leaping especially before adulthood

-- genetics such as caused by breeders not having their breeding dogs certified for hips & joints AND not checking for that in the pedigree line -- in short, puppy mills, backyard breeders, scam breeders

-- diet such as caused by feeding a large breed puppy a food that is not specially formulated for large breed puppies; a LBP food controls the amount of calcium & phosphorus delivered and slows their rate of growth.

Once you have your Lab, you CAN fairly much control the activities that could cause stress or injury AND you can absolutely control the diet your Lab gets. Doing both of those lessens the probability that your Lab will develop joint problems.

Below are a few references on the importance of feeding a Large Breed Puppy food for the first year. (There are NO scientific articles claiming the opposite.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My very strong preference -- for all Lab puppies under a year old -- is to feed a Large Breed (formulation) Puppy Food, such as found in Diamond Naturals, Eukanuba, Nutro Natural Choice, ProPlan, Science Diet, etc., for the reasons given in the articles below:

http://consumer.vetmedcenter.com/consumer/display.asp?id=9808&dt=p

http://www.mediarelations.ksu.edu/WEB/News/NewsReleases/listpuppies62403.html

http://www.petevents.com.au/news_articles/28.shtml

http://www.diamondpetfood.com/Jul03.html

http://www.newmanveterinary.com/large.html

--------------------------------------------------------------
This (just below) is a technical article (but readable) that summarizes many of the canine nutritional and growth studies:

http://www.ilovemypet.com/jackart.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See also:

http://p075.ezboard.com/fjustlabradors41940frm0.showMessage?topicID=3973.topic

Within it, it contains this statement and references:

"The scientific literature is very clear on nutritional changes to "help manage" the potential orthopedic problems in growing large and giant breed dogs. Here are a few citations for you. As you can see from the dates on these citations, it is „old news to vets but pet owners and breeders are still making dangerous recommendations."

1. Nap, et al. Growth and skeletal development in Great Dane pups fed different levels of protein intake. J Nutr 1991; 121:S107-S113.

2. Hedhammer, et al. Over nutrition and skeletal disease: an experimental study in growing Great Dane dogs. Cornell Vet 1974; 64:1-159.

3. Lavelle. The effect of overfeeding of a balanced complete commercial diet to a group of growing Great Danes. In: Nutrition of the dog and cat. Burger and Rivers (eds). Cambridge Univ Press, 1989:303-316.

4. Hazewinkel, et al. Influences of chronic calcium excess on the skeletal development of growing Great Danes, J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 1985; 21:377-391.

5. Goedegebuure, Hazewinkel. Morphological findings in young dogs chronically fed a diet containing excess calcium. Vet Pathol 1986; 23:594-605.

6. Hazewinkel, et al. Calcium metabolism in Great Dane dogs fed diets with various calcium and phosphorus levels. J Nutr 1991; 121:S99-S106.

==========================================================
ON TRAINING LABS, PUPPIES, VARIOUS THINGS -- (original authors & titles lost)
==========================================================

Don't sweat the small stuff. When I taught Cinnamon to sit I didn't care if she wasn't straight. This dog now has the prettiest lab sit in the world. I saw her do a lazy lab sit yesterday and just about dropped my jaw. It has been months since I saw one.

Start training early. Cinnamon started sitting for her food and treats from day one at home. She never has been a problem to get to wait on meals.

Train them to one section of the yard and teach them the command for "doing it" with Cinnamon I have always told her go do your business. She knows this means to go out and squat even if she has to squeeze a few drops she will do it. She also only uses one small area of the yard as I took her to one spot only as a pup and praised the heck out of her. It is easier to clean up and you can walk bare foot to our pool without having to worry.

Make the crate a positive place. Cinnamon still goes in hers even though the door hasn't been closed in months.

I have 2 cents to add
If your lab is a fast eater, put a nylabone in the center of his bowl and pour the kibble on top of it. They are forced to eat around it and it slows them down ALOT! It is amazing, I tell ya!
This is great.

Can I add a piece of advice given to me by the breeder when we got Kassa.

Never go to your Puppy. Always make it come to you.

Soh Hoon didn't know this with Ernie and they chased him. I am not that fast.
It has taken a year to stop the running away and standing a foot away from me with the look "if you want this diamond ring I am about to swallow you better try catching me".

Mostly the puppy sees everyone as its littermates. What do littermates do? Bite each other, sometimes unmercifully.

If there are kids involved, its worse since kids squeal. That usually sends the puppy into a biting frenzy.

What I tell my puppy people to do is "bite" back. I've done the "OUCH" and all the other goodies and none of them work as well.

Its hard to describe, but I pinch the puppy's nose when it bites me. I grab hold of the nose between my index and middle finger and pinch hard enough that the puppy squeals a bit. As I am doing this, I say very low and growly "NO BITE". The pup is getting "bit" by the bigger/alpha dog. Usually they will attempt to bite one more time, within seconds of them getting "bit". They get bit again for their efforts.

It doesn't take many times of getting "bit" before they figure it out and stop.

I used this method today and it was the most effective method for stopping biting/nipping that I've used over the last 10 weeks. Lexie nipped me this morning and I pinched her nose and she immediately stopped and stared at me. For the majority of the day she was a saint. She got a little nippy again this evening so I used the quick pinch and she was calm again. Great method! If your dog rides in the car, please buy a suitable restraint.

This years stats indicate that auto accidents due to in-car pet distractions have caught up with the number of accidents caused by drivers talking on celll phones. It's safer for the dog and for you, since in a sudden stop, our 70+ pound pals can become forminable flying objects.

 

[Nate]

Dog Training Lessons The beauty of KONGS
Kongs and similar thick, solid rubber toys. These multifunctional, super-durable toys are ideal for chewing, games of catch, toss and retrieve, and other forms of play. They are appropriate for dogs of all breeds and sizes. These toys come in various sizes and weights, but all use a rubber that "gives" a little, minimizing the risk of tooth damage. The hollow varieties are extremely versatile and functional: they can be stuffed with soft foods, kibble and biscuit bits for a long-lasting distraction. They can even be used in place of a food bowl at mealtime. These are extremely durable, long-lasting toys even for strong, dedicated chewers.


Why Stuff a Kong?
Dogs are animals that are genetically programmed to hunt for their food. Part of
the reason there is such a prevalence of behavior problems in pet dogs is that they
have so little mental challenge or work to do: their food is given to them for free.
Zoos have had some success in decreasing behavior problems and improving the
quality of life of many of their predator and primate species by giving them
problems to solve in order to obtain their food. This same environmental
enrichment concept can be applied to domestic dogs, who thoroughly enjoy finding
hidden food and unpacking stuffed chew toys.


Stuffing Suggestions

Many people„´s Kong stuffing efforts consist of inserting a few dog cookies. This is
scratching the surface of the creative food acquisition challenges you can cook up
for your dog. Here are a few pointers and principles to bump your Kong stuffing
prowess up to the next level:
¬‘ The level of difficulty should be appropriate to the dog„´s level of experience
and temperament „¬ is he persevering or a „giver-upper. Any increases in level
of difficulty should be done gradually, so the dog succeeds while developing
perseverance. In other words, start easy and then make it tougher
¬‘ Easy stuffings are: loose and incorporate small, easy-to-fall-out pieces
¬‘ More difficult stuffings are: tighter, with some big pieces that take concerted
effort and hole-squishing to get in (and thus will be difficult to extract)
¬‘ You can employ a matrix (peanut butter, cream cheese, canned food, toddler
food) to hold the smaller bits in and give the dog side-polishing challenges
¬‘ You can wrap a stuffed Kong in an old cloth diaper or clean rag and/or enclose it
in an old margarine or other container (try Quaker oatmeal cardboard
containers!) to increase the level of difficulty through „nesting
¬‘ Hide regular stuffed or nested Kongs around the house so the dog has to hunt
around to find them before unpacking them
¬‘ Give him all of his food this way, especially if he is a particularly „busy dog
¬‘ Stuff meat, mashed potatoes etc. in it and freeze. Or, plug the small hole with
peanut butter and fill the cavity with broth, then freeze this to make a
„Kongsicle (note: this can be messy „¬ best to give it to your dog outside!)
¬‘ Stuff cheese cubes in and then microwave it briefly to nicely coat the insides
¬‘ Clean your Kongs regularly with a bottle brush and/or in the dishwasher

The Kong manufacturer makes an easy-to-use edible Stuffin'. Of course, you can make your own stuffings with healthy and tasty items you may already keep at home. For example: combine kibble with peanut butter...cottage cheese...low-fat plain yogurt...low-fat cream cheese...mashed white or sweet potatoes...steamed carrots cut in bits and mixed with one of the above, or even mashed...mushy brown rice...moist dog food...raw foods diet...whatever healthy foods your dog likes

Recipe Examples

Tight (more advanced) Stuffing
Layer 1 (deepest): roasted unsalted cashews, mild cheese chunks, freeze dried liver
bits
Layer 2: dog kibble, cookies or Liver Biscotti, Cheerios, sugar-free/salt-free peanut
butter, dried banana chips
Layer 3: baby carrot stick(s), turkey and/or leftover ravioli or tortellini, dried
apples, dried apricots
Pack as tightly as possible. The last item in should be a dried apricot or piece of
ravioli, presenting a smooth „finish under the main hole.
„Lite Version
For cashews, substitute crumbled rice cake; for freeze-dried liver, substitute
Caesar croutons; for peanut butter substitute fat-free cream cheese
Yogurt- fill and freeze for a great way to cool off, or if the dog needs to be kept quiet- ie after a surgery,
or for mouth injuries this is a great way to get cold on the area.
Ice chips
Excellent articles on appropriate dog toys

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Toys.php

http://dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Dog_Toys

http://www.mobilespca.org/Uploads/D...hewing.pdf#search="appropriate toys for dogs" One thing I have always taught my dogs...fosters or other...is to sit and stay at all curbs/crosswalks/intersections. I found this to be very useful.

My dog(s) know they have to sit until they receive a command that it is "ok" or "come" to "heal" to cross or enter the roadway.

Maggie (almost 12wks) knows to sit when I stop already.

Great thread. This was really a good idea, dweck. Thanks BobPR... many ortho vets will tell you never to feed puppy formulas, period. Not even the so called Large Breed Puppy. These surgeon's see far less joint problems in dogs that have grown up eating adult formulas.

I went to a talk given by one of our local ortho vets. He had the data to prove this... but I don't have the data to show you

I don't think I could just feed a puppy adult food, but I know I switched both of my dogs to adult by three months of age after listening to his talk.

Then again, Magnum tore her ACL at five years old, and both of my dogs have less than perfect hips... go figure [quote author=raian link=topic=1694.msg262923#msg262923 date=1162355532]
BobPR... many ortho vets will tell you never to feed puppy formulas, period. Not even the so called Large Breed Puppy. These surgeon's see far less joint problems in dogs that have grown up eating adult formulas.

I went to a talk given by one of our local ortho vets. He had the data to prove this... but I don't have the data to show you

I don't think I could just feed a puppy adult food, but I know I switched both of my dogs to adult by three months of age after listening to his talk.

Then again, Magnum tore her ACL at five years old, and both of my dogs have less than perfect hips... go figure
[/quote]

The breeder I got my puppy from also had the same advice which he had gotten from his vet / some research done at Auburn University. He started the puppies on Pro Plan Performance mixed with a little bit of puppy food and then I believed moved completely to the adult Pro Plan Performance. Anyone think I should do any differently and move her back to a LBP food? Sorry I didn't see this earlier:

Raian said:

BobPR... many ortho vets will tell you never to feed puppy formulas, period. Not even the so called Large Breed Puppy. These surgeon's see far less joint problems in dogs that have grown up eating adult formulas.

and aschaef said:

The breeder I got my puppy from also had the same advice which he had gotten from his vet / some research done at Auburn University. He started the puppies on Pro Plan Performance mixed with a little bit of puppy food and then I believed moved completely to the adult Pro Plan Performance. Anyone think I should do any differently and move her back to a LBP food?

There are also a number of breeders who do NOT recommend feeding a LBP formula and who will tell you they see less joint problems feeding "Y" than "X". But no one breeder ever sees or quantitatively measures the outcome results on their puppies that these repeated scientific studies have done on hundreds of dogs.

The overwhelming consenus of scientific nutritional studies done on LB puppies have indicated that joint problems are less when kcals (energy), calcium, and often phosphorus are fed in certain amounts and ratios.

 

[Nate]

EXERCISE:

Daily exercise is important. VERY important. It keeps your dog fit, healthy, happy and stimulated. Underexercised dogs are unhappy dogs. Unhappy dogs show their frustrations in less than desirable ways -- through barking, chewing and generally being a pain in the backside. Well exercised dogs are content and (usually) do not get themselves into trouble. Why? because tired dogs sleep and a sleeping dog is always a good thing. Many, many common behavior problems are caused due to lack of exercise and stimulation. If your dog is having problems in a certain area, you might want to look closely at his exercise regime.

HOW MUCH EXERCISE:

A sensible rule of thumb to follow is the '5 minute rule' -- 5 minutes of exercise per month of age. The rule is designed to protect the soft growing joints. With Labs and other breeds prone to joint problems taking care not to over exercise in the first 18 months is essential. Games like Frisbee which involve leaping/jumping/sudden stopping are not a good idea. Equally, high intensity games of fetch should also be avoided with puppies. If you want to play fetch, make sure you roll the ball along the ground so the dog does not have to leap to catch it.

The amount of exercised required for an adult dog will vary from individual to individual. One key factor is your dogs personality. A laid back, easy going dog may be content with a small amount of daily exercise. On the flip side, a high energy, high drive dog might be impossible to exhaust. Regardless of your dogs personality, only you know what you are able to provide your dog with. One thing you should NOT do is take your dog for long hikes during the weekend and expect him to be happy with a 10 minute walk around the block during the week. Being a "weekend warrior" will also make him prone to injury when he IS physically active.

Be consistant with your exercise routine. Dogs are far more content when they know they will be exercised on a daily basis. Don't be a fair weather walker -- get out there!

If you have a high energy dog, don't fall into the trap of exercising him for hours in an attempt to calm him. Your good intentions might have the opposite effect -- you are shaping a dog with a very large amount of stamina and endurance, therefore boosting his energy levels even further. High energy dogs are easier to calm with mental stimulation -- training, teaching new tricks, playing mind games and fun time with interactive toys all work well. The best part is that most mental stimulation can be done in your own home.

There is often confusion about how much exercise to give a puppy under 6 months. My suggestion would be again to stick with the '5 minute rule'. For the first few months in particular, I am not concerned about giving the puppy lots of exercise -- what I AM concerned about is getting the puppy socialized. Therefore, walks are super important for getting the puppy exposed -- get your pup out there DAILY to meet new people/other dogs and experience the goings on of day to day life.

 

[Nate]

WALKS:

Walks, IMO, are essential. Whether you have the option of endless off leash trails or 'boring' city streets, a walk should be a central part of your dogs daily routine. An off leash walk is considered to be both mental AND physical stimulation whereas an on leash walk is more of a mental workout.

If you are able to let your dog off leash in a safe area, you don't have to 'do' much because your dog is free to sniff and explore to his heart is content. You might want to add some training commands and retrieves into the mix to stimulate him further.

On leash, your options are limited but you can still make it fun. Try using a flexi lead to allow your dog more freedom (make sure he is well trained before you use one -- also, make sure you are away from suburban streets/people/traffic). Power walk for 10 minutes with him at heel and then allow 10 minutes of free sniffing. Repeat for the duration of the walk. Also, add some obedience commands in there -- sit at the curb side, heelwork, etc.

OTHER TYPES OF EXERCISE:

Swimming: Swimming is a fantastic exercise. Most Labradors take like a fish to water. Swimming is good because it is low impact on the joints -- ideal for dogs of all ages including seniors and dogs with joint problems. Swimming also burns far more calories than most exercises meaning it tires your dog much quicker than, say, walking.

Retrieving: Much like swimming, retrieving comes naturally for most Labradors. Standard retrieving a ball is fun but try to stimulate your dogs natural hunting instincts by setting up more complicated retrieves. Using a training dummy (lacing it with a bottled animal scent is far more exciting to a Lab nose!) is best. Take your dog to an area with tall grass. Tie him up to something and ask him to 'sit'. Walk a fair distance away from him and toss the training dummy up high into the air. Walk back to him, wait an additional 30 seconds and release him. If he 'marked' the fall of the dummy with his eyes he should run straight to it. If not, let him use his nose to hunt for it. Try a number of different retrieving situations in different environments -- he will appreciate it!

Jogging: Jogging should NEVER be attempted with a dog under the age of 18 months (although waiting until the dog is 24 months would be better), however occasional jogging with a well conditioned adult can be a good exercise. Note the "occasional" part -- the reason behind this is because dogs are not natural sprinters. Running continually without stopping is not natural for a dog and, done too much, it stresses the joints even with an adult. Therefore if you want to jog with your dog, firstly make sure he is in good shape. Secondly, only jog with him a handful of times per week -- this will give his muscles time to recover. Finally, try to run him on a soft surface such as grass or a dirt track. You should also take sensible precautions in regards to weather -- NEVER run in the heat and bring plenty of water for your dog.

Biking: As above, biking should never be attempted with a young dog. You can purchase special attachments that clip to your bike and allow your dog to run alongside, however again I would be concerned with the forced running. A much better option is to do occasional off leash biking. Off leash, your dog is free to run at his own pace. Remember to never push your dog beond his limits -- always stop BEFORE he gets tired. If you go on a longish bike ride, give your dog the next day off to recover.

If you plan on being physically active with your dog, insure he is getting the correct amount of nutrition. Although the average pet does not require it, if your dog is truly active you might want to consider putting him on a performance food -- the higher levels of fat and protein are designed to support active dogs. I agree with Trickster's excellent post on exercise.

==============================================

Will you share your experiences with a Halti or Gentle Leader before I buy one? Which do you prefer? Why? Were you satisfied with it? They look like a wiggly, strong lab pup could wriggle right out of it. Does that happen? How can you prevent it?

The Halti and GL head collars are very similar but the GL has an extra adjustment that lets you fit it more closely to the Lab's neck and muzzle.

I used a GL head collar for several years and liked it. Most Labs HATE the over the muzzle strap and some hate it so much it becomes unusable. However, many learn to tolerate it since it means doing something they like -- going for a walk.

After using it a bit, I loosened up the strap over the muzzle all the way so I could just hook a finger under it and slip it either off or back on her muzzle. Puff and I reached an understanding that as long as she acted okay it was off but if she got too excited it went back on.

But I began seeing a white streak in her fur where that strap went over her muzzle as if the fur was growing old quicker.

==================================================================

We bought a GL body harness and I much prefer using that now when needed -- and Puff does, too. It's called Gentle Leader "Easy Walk".


i would just like to say i have read this thread at least 100 times since i first saw it and i would just like to say thank you to all who have taken the time to type this. i have been trying some of the methods said here and in just a week i am seeing small results. and as a first time lab owner i am impressed. ;D thank you all!

As well as doing all the important obedience, have fun with you dog. Enjoy and respect your dog. Lots of talking, praise,and laughter

Doing this has made a lot of difference to Ernie.

He was an untrained 3.5year old wild boy when I adopted him. His eyes had no life in them. As if he didn't have a soul. He didn't know any words. Not even walk.

Eighteen months later we have a special bond. His eyes light up when I talk to him. When I praise him his eyes and body become animated. If I laugh with him he relaxes. I beleive it has made training him easier and rewarding for both of us.

I just joined this forum, finding it very helpful. A good comand for "stop" when teaching the pup is woo. As the pup starts to get ahead of you and you see she is at the end of a short lead say WOO, the pup will soon stop and wait for you even if you don't want to stop. this will take time as calling the pup back. Just want to echo what others have said, "Thanks so much for this thread"! It is truly informative.

Jake and Molly thank you too. There are many "old wives tales," home remedies, OverThe Counter miracle products to feed to your dog so its urine doesn't burn the grass.

None work.

BUT -- if they did -- would you really want to risk goofing up the digestive/eliminative system of man's best friend for the sake of a spot of grass?

 

[Nate]

KIDS -n- DOGS

You're going to need to work on BOTH ends of this equation, with your children AND your dog.

We went thru this when we got Wesley -- our girls were 7, 3 and prenatal. It is one of the most rewarding and bonding experiences a kid can go thru, but it requires work-work-work, especially initially as things are being sorted out.

Before the puppy comes home: Make sure the kids understand that you're now sharing your home and lives with a living, breathing animal. This isn't a Barbie doll, nor a tricycle. The dog will bark, run, pee, poop, eat, sleep. He'll want to be left alone at times, and he'll want to be included at others. Your kids will need to know that his tail is not for pulling, his ears are not for biting, and his tummy is not for every stray Cheerio that they may want to get rid of.

ESSENTIAL TO ALL THIS is a crate and a leash. And then there's the equipment for the dog. J/K. But seriously, the crate will be a place that the pup can go to get away from it all; have the kids respect that, especially if he's sleeping.

TRAINING MANNERS will be vital. Dog will quickly need to learn OFF, LEAVE IT, DOWN, SIT, HEEL, QUIET, KENNEL-UP, and POTTY. The earlier you can train these, the better. Use short sessions that remain fun, especially early on. Your dog has a lot to learn and the attention span of a flea with which to learn it.

GET OVER FOOD AGGRESSION ISSUES EARLY!! Our breeder recommended this from day one, and it worked fantastic. At every feeding, put the bowl down. Then, after a few bites, pick it up. Wait a moment and put it down again. Have your kids play with the kibble while pup is eating. Get their hands in there and have them sift through it.

The idea from the very start is to teach the dog that there's nothing you can't give that you can't also take away. And the same goes for the kids. You'll want to be careful of the games you play, too. For instance, many dogs love tug, but they can get out of hand w/it. If you're playing tug, make sure you 'win' more than you lose.
Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Fetch?
http://www.4pawsu.com/fetch.htm

Debunking the Dominance Myth
http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2004/Debunking.pdf


http://www.4pawsu.com/pmdominance.htm

Animal Trainer's Introduction to Operant and Classical Conditioning
http://www.wagntrain.com/OC/

Confusing Consequences
http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/LA/DrP2.htm

The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog: A Longitudinal Study of Domestic Canine
http://www.nonlineardogs.com/files/SocOrgDomDog_Jay_.art.pdf

Alpha Status, Dominance and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/mammals/alstat/index.htm Here are two good links:
1)Free download book by Dr. Ian Dunbar- "Before You Get Your Puppy"
http://www.jamesandkenneth.com/new_puppy.html
2)Some free videos for puppy training (Scroll down for previews- these are just to get an idea of what Dr. Dunbar's videos contain)
http://www.dogstardaily.com/all/videos

Hope this helps any new perspective puppy owners. On waking early:

Is it starting to get light in the mornings where you are?? It may be the Internal Hunting Clock -- the one that says the dog must get up at sunrise and go-go-go all day long -- starting to ring. We face this every Spring, as Wesley is very in tune with his IHC and feels the need to tell me a couple times a morning that dawn is, indeed, breaking... "Dad? DAD!! DAWN!!!"

If that's the case, teach the SETTLE command. It has been our savior.

And know that next fall, when you're waking him, the shoe will be on the other foot.

W/guidance, the Pinch collar can be your salvation (it sure was ours!).

1) It must fit correctly. Meaning it must be snug so's not to fall down around the dog's chest, but not too snug that it pinches 100% of the time.

2) It must be worn UP around the ears. Also, be careful putting it on and taking it off. Use the same ring every time (mark it w/a piece of electical tape) so that it becomes easier. And I would not use the breakaway pinch collars, as they tend to, well, breakaway, even when you don't want them to.

3) Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever use a Pinch collar w/out you or someone responsible on the other end of the leash.

4) THE LEASH/LIVE RING MUST BE KEPT LOOSE INBETWEEN CORRECTIONS.

5) Pincher collar is a goodcop/badcop training tool, meaning the collar is badcop, You MUST be goodcop. When teaching, be sure to PRAISE the good stuff while the collar corrects the bad stuff!

6) Unlike a G/L or Halti, Pinch can be used to teach more than heel. In fact, it's pretty good at helping you teach the auto-sit, down, etc. etc.

BUT!!!!!!

7) A Pinch collar isn't a way of life. When your dog has learned what you wanted him to learn, graduate back to a buckle collar (maybe a choke chain first, THEN to a buckle) and retire the pinch to the bottom of your training bag.

Alhough it may look like a midevil torture device, it is not. And although your dog may yelp when it corrects, he's not being hurt. It gains their attention 100%. It's then up to you what you do w/that attention...

Good luck!

It is presented as it is a wonder-tool ... And it is presented that's it not a way of life .. Well, a lot of dogs do live their life with such horribel tools around their neck, so i wont suggest this 'thing' as a solution. There are many other positive ways, to teach a Labrador (who we all love!) to walk gently near you on the daily walk ...

With positive reinforcement, and a good training (realy some dogs have a lack of training!) you could achive more, then using such 'collars' ...

That's why there's a ban for those collars on almost evry european dogschool, because they are often and regular missused, and do more dammage then good ...

So, spent a few bucks on a proper training, and let these colars in the petstore's, and dont put the level on training in the begining to high, often people wants a quick result with using such colars as a endup ...

After being for several years a dogtrainer, i could say that i achived more in just one single day without such collar, and ending up with a dog who has leash manners as if he was a member of the royal family

 

[Bob Pr.]

WHATEVER THE WEATHER, PROPER CLOTHES, DOG GAMES

A further advantage of our giving daily exercise to a Lab is that it also gives us daily exercise. Several recent medical studies have shown that people who give their dogs daily exercise have fewer health problems and longer lives.

For rainy weather get a rain suit and a golfer's umbrella. On rain suits, avoid cheap ones that say "waterproof" and look like they're made of plastic or have a rubberized/PVC coating (often $25 or less). Instead, at a minimum, buy one with a jacket that has lots of ways to vent moisture (perspiration) from within (not as important for pants) but preferrably is listed as "breathable." Among USA sources for rain suits are sometimes www.llbean.com , www.rei.com , www.campmor.com , Sam's Clubs & Costco. Goretex fabric is best but usually quite $$$$. Other fabrics are also breathable if not quite as good (see Frogg Togs). Adequate breathable suits comfortable on walks are available for about $40-$200. You might search for rain suits in http://froogle.google.com A golfer's umbrella has plastic (not metal) ribs and shaft which doesn't attract lightning. They're usually a little larger and I prefer those with double (overlapping) canopies that lets wind gusts vent out. Sam's Club & Costco are often good sources for all the above.

For cold weather clothing, LL Bean, REI and REI-Outlet have quality merchandise. Get some polar polypro long johns, insulating socks, insulated ski bibs (or any insulated bibs; e.g., KEY has some insulated bib work overalls that are quite reasonable in price), down parka, winter hat or muffs, scarf, and insulated mittens. Learn to not over insulate (so you sweat) or under insulate (so you shiver).

For snowy weather, consider getting some XC-skis, poles, and boots -- or snow shoes if it's that deep. LL Bean, REI & REI-Outlet have these and the cheapest time to buy is in the late winter/spring as the snow season is ending. For your Lab, buy and use "Musher's Secret" on his/her paws (www.kvvet.com has it cheapest). For finding Training Dummies that can bury in soft, fresh snow, I buy several bright colors of 1/4" ribbon (about 3 ft long) and tie the middle of them through the grommet hole of the TD so there are at least 2 tails for each ribbon tied. After they land, the ribbons stay on top of the snow's surface so your Lab (or you) can locate them. (I prefer the vinyl TDs by "Lucky Dog" brand, 2" x 12", as sold by http://www.gundogsupply.com and many others.)

For walking on icy surfaces, I prefer Yak-Trax. They're sold at many stores or you can Google to find online sources. http://www.yaktrax.com/productspro.aspx Also, using ski poles or hiking poles often helps when walking on slippery surfaces.

For indoor games and retrieving (e.g, when there are tornados or lightning in your area) you might get a duck or pheasant hunter to give you, say, a dozen wings. You can hide these throughout your home and then send your Lab to find them. (Start with easily found places and then, as s/he gets better, make them harder to find.)

 

[Bob Pr.]

AVOIDING YELLOW SPOTS IN GRASS CAUSED BY DOG URINE

Some people feed their dogs special supplements hoping to avoid the yellow spots in their grass caused by dog urine.

These do not work. Read the advice of an expert at Purdue University on how to handle this problem:

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/turf/dog_lawn_problems.html

What works very well for us is to keep a one gallon milk jug filled with water by the door as Puff goes out to pee. Pour half of that over any pee spot (ASAP) and your grass will flourish. The dog urine is actually a good fertilizer -- just not in the industrial strength concentration coming from the tap. Diluted, it helps; full strength it burns.

I also heard that if you can bottle up your dog's pee and mix it with water it works wonders as a fertilizer. I haven't tried it but I'm tempted. I'd just have to find a way to bottle it directly from the source.

 

[Nate]

Hiya all - we recently updated the justlabradors.com homepage

We thought that this thread would be an amazing addition to the articles on the page and would be extremely helpful to all new Lab owners! We included an article with all of this information and titled it "best advice from the Just Labradors community" and have left everyone that contributed on the post to give full credit.

We hope that everyone who contributed is ok with us sharing this information, we did so with good intentions in mind however, if anyone has an issue with having their tips or having their member id included, please let us know and we will remove your section.

Thanks so much in advance and we hope that this great advice is used and shared with many!

 

[Tanwen]

This is such a wonderful thread - I loved the 'I am a puppy' especially. If I ever needed to thank anything and everything for being allowed to make our truly exceptional puppy part of lives - that post said it all! I will certainly ask my vet tomorrow (when Dinozzo goes for a check up) about feeding a more specific food for his type (at present he's on 'Bakers Puppy' - but I don't suppose you'll have heard of it) and I will certainly try putting the nylbone in his food to (try) to slow him down...though the last one didn't survive after being chewed and eaten But 'Kong' toys...they're brilliant and stand up to his attentions with only teeth marks on them (so far)
We walk daily - he's pretty good on his harness except when he sees one of his 'friends' - a group of young mums (not that i'm a young mum, I'm an old granny) who let their dogs play in the park after dropping their children off at school...when he pulls quite a bit...but he is only 6 months old...and I think he's doing very well. I'm so proud of him.
The garden problem, well as one of the other dogwalkers said to me - "You can either have a beautiful garden or a dog...you can't have both. And I know which I'd rather have, doesn't matter how many flowers you have, they can never return love 1,000%". I have battled severe depression for most of my adult life - February was always the worst month. Since Dinozzo came into our family, I haven't needed single antidepressant and February...well I know we're through it as my birthday on the 27th but the usual intense SAD - didn't happen. I owe him so much.

 

[Bob Pr.]

I have battled severe depression for most of my adult life - February was always the worst month. Since Dinozzo came into our family, I haven't needed single antidepressant and February...well I know we're through it as my birthday on the 27th but the usual intense SAD - didn't happen. I owe him so much.

GREAT!!! I hope you've found your long-term solution!!!

 

[creatism]

my only advice is what ever you do WHAT EVER YOU DO. do not leave a long line attached to the prong collar and do recals. it will catch on something eventually and then you have to spend the next 6 months to a yr retraining your recall

 

[creatism]

i lied one more thing, it is better to skip training for a day or 2, then train when your heads not into it. basically if you had a crap day and your a stones throw from killing some, thats probly not the best time to train your dog. usually thats the day they wont listen, just feed them in their crate and take them for a walk and be done with it.

 

[kassabella]

When we got Kassy from the breeder she told us the best advice I had. Never go to your dog. Make the dog come to you.

Most of all enjoy your dog. The love, patience and training you put into the early years pays off double and more.

 

[dweck]

A piece of advice, if you will, from someone who's been there....

The loss of Clint -- atop Wesley and Taffy and Fudge and Emma and Joe M's heartdog and others that, to my shame, I can't even recall right now -- is compelling this post.

Those of you with seniors. Those of you with junior-seniors. Heck, even those of you with puppers.

Heed --

I'm telling you. From experience: HAVE NO REGRETS.

When it comes to your dogs and your relationship with him/her and your goals and activities and achievements and plans.... HAVE NO REGRETS.

In other words, If you've been planning ***something*** with/for/concerning your dog. Please. Do it now. Today. Don't let the weekend go by without acting on it.

Because you never know.

With Wesley, I had been saying for YEARS that I wanted to take him for a professional photo. Him and me. Outside if possible. Or in a studio. Didn't matter. Him and me.

And now........ well..... I can't.

BIG REGRET.

A thousand stupid things got in the way: The calendar. The constraints of the checkbook. Etc. etc. etc.

And the opportunity has passed.

So please:

If you've always wanted to take your dog for a professional photo -- DO IT NOW
If you've always wanted a CGC title -- EARN IT NOW
If you've always wanted to try conf/rally/obed/agility/flyball/therapy work -- ENROLL TODAY
If you've always wanted to take your dog swimming in the ocean, or climbing the Applachians, or skydiving, or whatever -- GET THEE TO IT
If you've put off buying that new collar, the new leash, the coolio dog tag, the frivolous toy -- BUY IT NOW
If you've always wanted to dress your dog in a santa hat/easter bunny ears/great punkin face/leprechaun whiskers -- HAUL OUT THE COSTUMES TODAY AND SNAP TO IT
If you regret not taking your dog for more walks -- GET OUTSIDE
If you put off treating your dog to ice cream -- GRAB A CONE

And most important:

Love them. Every day. With kisses and hugs. Love them so tightly that they'll never doubt -- even for a second -- that they're adored.

Because time is short.

So, so short.