Posted on 01/15/2007 4:42:58 PM PST by ExpatCanuck
We just picked up a beautiful black Lab puppy (9 weeks old as I write this) last weekend. He is devilishly handsome and too smart for his own good right now - hopefully the brain power will serve him well when he has the capacity to use it responsiby (the same descriptoin and hopes apply to my 2 human kids :)). He has a hunting dog's pedigree and is a purebreed, and I am reluctantly considering the neutering option for him when the time comes. Any suggestions from experienced dog owners would be greatly appreciated.
Good luck to you.
And get him neutered. The world does not need any more dogs, and every puppy your dog would produce would not only go on to reproduce even more dogs, but would also displace any other dogs who might find homes.
Your dog will also have better health if you do neuter him, he will not be tempted to roam, will be less likely to be aggressive, and will not get you in trouble with neighbors who have female dogs. : )
My Lab does chase the deer off. Raccoons, too. She loves bunnies and squirrels, though, dang it.
Nothing like getting a new puppy, lots of fun!
Congratulations! Your little love will be a puppy for the next 2-3 years.
Not much I can add, just emphasize previously offered advice: crate train and close closet doors to protect shoes/clothes. They have a huge love of leather, wood, cardboard and electric cords. Hi-shock collar if you use invisible fencing. They are willful, lovable clowns.
Durable toys like kongs. Flashy balls in red and yellow - motion makes a light inside flash - have also withstood the teeth, though I do not enclose them in the crate, unsupervised. Let each toy take a 'vacation' so it seems like a new one every couple of weeks, instead of having them all out at once. Lots of play and cuddle time, but don't be tempted to allow him as a puppy where you don't want him as a 70-l.b. lap dog. Later, after he knows the rules, you can teach him when it's acceptable to break them.
At threshholds where flooring changes from hard to carpet, black and cayenne pepper sprinkled along the carpet edge helps. Do it now before he samples and makes it a habit. Heck, line the whole room!
And if you have persimmon trees around your property - yuk! LOL Clods of pits ejected in turd shapes...
They really are food driven. Mine are allowed to browse feed, meaning there's always food available, and she doesn't overfeed, but dropped people food hardly makes it to the floor. Be careful with food packaging. The merest scrap of food is excuse to eat anything bearing the scent, which caused a tragedy with one of my dogs. While I don't know if the plastic bag that killed her was trash from along the road or from home trash, I replaced every trashcan with one that has a pedal-operated lid.
Completely humane, it goes around their neck AND muzzle so that if you pull on the leash, their head turns sideways. Same way a mama dog trains/disciplines her puppies; by grabbing the muzzle an turning the head. It has NEVER failed. Dog can't walk straight if it's head is turned.
Earlier on FNC - They said Labs are up top of most popular dogs
Then they said and showed a Blue Yorkie (?) and said they are very popular too now
Hmmmmm
Looked just like Piper too!
Labs have always been popular, nice gentle dogs I believe. Piper is a 'gold and blue' Yorkie. The steel grey hair of the back is considered 'blue'.
Yorkies are becomming more popular now, I've read it too.
Here are Father & Son, Bart and Tide, our Black Labrador Retrievers.
Bart has a CDX and JH Title and is a happy dog and a pleasure to train.
Bart is an excellent hunter and knows pheasants. Tide is now 4 years old and doing fine.
If I had neutered Bart, this would not have been possible.
Happiness is a Black Lab Puppy.
Good Hunting... from Varmint Al
Yeah, I tried that. It didn't work on Bubba.
CONGRATS!
Yes, you will lose lots of posessions to chewing, but they are such awesome dogs! I hope you have lots of energy and space for him.
I crate trained my lab mixand I am damn glad I did.
Smart dogs. I managed to train mine to say hello and yawn on command.
Golden Retriever:
I have a Golden Retriever who is the nearest to thinking as a human as any dog I have ever owned.
The dog just totally amazes me. I use to think Collies were lovable until I got the Retriever, no comparison.
We now have a Black Lab, 7 years old given to us by a neighbor. They had spent $3.000 getting him trained by a pro.
trainer. He is a duck hunter among many other trained commands. The owners husband passed away, the widow was having to travel a lot and, couldn't care for him, she knew we would give him the love he deserved.
I honestly am amazed at the intellect of this Black Lab, it just does things that are not natural for a dog.
If the Black Lab puppy is treated well, he will act well.
Congratulations on getting your puppy!!!
I can only reiterate the crate training and exercise points. I have two Boxers who can never get enough play or exercise. Boxers are eternal puppies. My female is 75 pounds (and not fat, I assure you, she is a freak of nature) and my male (who is a rescue) is 70.
I, personally, am not a fan of prong collars or shock collars. I trained my dogs not to pull with harnesses, and it was quite effective.
Please spay or neuter your dog if you don't intend to show. I work with rescue and the Humane Society, and it is heartbreaking to see how many dogs already need homes. And trust me when I tell you that plenty of purebreds get dumped with the mutts.
If you want an truly enjoyable read about Labs, read Marley and Me. I found it a really fun story, and from what I know of friends with Labs, very accurate.
Suggested Reading : Marley & Me. Don't know if someone else has posted this but Lab's have bountiful love for their families. Enjoy him while he is small - pretty soon he will be 90 pounds.
"Dog of Mass Destruction."
I've owned two great danes and a mastiff. Ever see a round four by four post? Window sills were very popular as they were at the right height to chew on while standing.
LOL. I am dreading what my Golden is going to do to our new deck. We got her as a rescue a year ago (she was just over a year old at the time), and the two things I cannot break her of are chewing and jumping.
Got her to walk properly within a couple weeks, she has all the basic commands down, and is the best dog in the world -- except for the chewing. I have tried everything and connot break her of it. The only thing I have not done is break out the shock collar, as I am an old softy and the idea of inflicting pain (Even a harmless quick jolt) breaks my heart.
You'll probably have to learn to live with the chewing, they do grow out of it. You can stop the jumping by just saying No. Use the command voice. You might want to watch a couple of episodes of the Dog Whisperer. It's all about who is the boss dog.
Good luck on the deer. I've two rather large dogs. Good barkers too. I see deer all the time within 100 feet of my house.
I actually have gotten her to stop jumping up on me (Like you said - Command voice/lead dog), but for some reason she refuses to listen around others. Just have to find out the magic key to get her to behave around the rest of the family/friends. It is not agressive action at all, just the standard playful greeting type jumping.
Just annoyed that I cannot get her to stop. But, I have only had her 7 months, and we have made great great strides in that time, so I am sure the rest will come.
When she sits at my feet and lays that big ole strawberry blonde head in my lap all is forgiven.
Best advise I've heard .. EXERCISE, discipline, THEN affection .. LOL Then after he's 3, he'll only have to walk him 2 to 3 miles a day ...
Unless you are seriously thinking of advanced obedience training and then breeding for him, have him neutered. Labs are big, strong dogs who can be a handful to handle. An unneutered Lab will have "desires" that will take him over from time to time and lead to unsocial behavior. Better for you and for him to have this done.
Plan on plenty of exercise for him. They need it, and they thrive on it. We are fortunate enough to live on the water, and our guys retrieve (cloth frisbees, which float) and swim every day. But long walks work too. Without exercise, a Lab will pork up, and this significantly shortens his life expectancy. Beware of overfeeding. Our guys get "lean" kibble with just the occasional treat or table scrap mixed in. They think we are starving them, but the Vet says they are strong and healthy and weigh what they should for their ages.
Again, best of luck. You have the best dog and hopefully a friend for life.
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