Caring for your puppy...
Puppies should be fed a cup of food three times per day...
Until your puppy becomes adjusted to his new surroundings he should be fed in a quiet and rather secluded place
where he can be alone. After he has become adjusted to his new home and is eating all of his meals well, he can
be fed in the kitchen or outside. Give the puppy 20 minutes to eat his food and then pick up the dish. Food
should not be offered again until his next feeding time. Do not leave uneaten food in the dish after the 20
minutes are up. Fresh, clean water should, of course, be available at all times.
Labradors, as a breed, have hip problems as they are fast maturing, heavy bodied dogs. These hip problems can
be environmentally influenced a great deal. Earlier we cautioned against overfeeding your puppy. The more
weight they are forced to carry at a young age, the more stress is placed over the hind quarters and thus the hip
sockets are strained. Also, try not to let your pup run around on linoleum or slippery floors. If you watch your
pup on a slippery floor, you will see that his hind legs will slide out from under him and he ends up with all four
legs going in different direction. This again puts too much stress on those joints. Likewise, too much exercise
for a pup is bad. He can play in the back yard with you and the kids all he wants, but running after a bicycle or
following a jogger for miles, especially on pavement, should really be saved until he is close to 2 years old and
fully mature. A person matures at such a rate that all his bones and muscles take up to 20 years to form. A dog
has all his bones and muscles formed by the end of his first 14 months or so...he has to take it sort of slow.
Many a pup has been structurally damaged by owners who insist on jogging with their dog or working
strenuously in the field before the puppy is mature enough to handle this kind of orthopedic stress.
We do not bathe our Labs regularly. Bathe only when necessary and brushing is necessary only to remove burrs
and to hasten shedding (once or twice a year). A good Labrador coat will stay healthy and shiny with a balanced
diet including additional fat. The dog's nails should be kept trimmed. Purchase a pair of nail trimmers from the
pet supply store and cut the tips off each week. Your pup's ears should be checked for cleanliness about once a
week or so, more often if he has been in water. If cleaning is necessary use a Q-tip dipped in baby oil to clean
the ears. A small amount of ear powder puffed into each ear is a good preventative measure for ear problems.
If he has been swimming or playing in water, check to be sure the ears are dry...if needed, dab out extra moisture
with a cotton ball. Never let water remain in the ear canal as it will invariably set up ear infections just like in
human babies. The presence of a sweet/pungent odor accompanied by copious amounts of wax indicate a yeast
infection and must be attended to by your vet. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon in dogs with drooping ear flaps
who also love the water!
DO NOT PLAY ROUGH WITH YOUR PUPPY. Don't let the puppy develop bad habits such as jumping on
you or the children, biting clothing, etc. If you allow any dog--including ours--to "rule the roost" you are asking
for problems. You must ALWAYS remain the "pack leader". Remember that your little puppy will weigh 65-90
pounds when grown. Some of the bad habits that developed as a small pup will not be as cute or desirable when
he is fully grown. Fortunately, once corrected properly at an early age, Labradors generally learn their place in
society easily, because they really do want to please their owner. DON'T LET HIM DO ANYTHING AS A
PUPPY THAT YOU WON'T WANT HIM TO DO AS AN ADULT, WHEN HE IS LARGER....
As for discipline, we recommend the use of the word "NO" in a loud and stern voice. A good verbal reprimand
will usually be enough. If not a shake by the scruff of the neck should be used. You must remember, however,
that just as soon as your pup has stopped doing what he wasn't supposed to do, he should be petted and praised.
Tell him what a good dog he is. NEVER call your dog to you and then reprimand him, as he will associate
coming when called with a punishment. Go to him when he is doing something wrong, and don't forget the
praise when he does something right.
Most people want to know about housebreaking. A whole book could be written on the subject, but a few
suggestions that we might make are: Take the pup out first thing in the morning, after each meal, after each nap,
after each play session when he stops and starts to sniff around, and the last thing each night. Pick him up and
CARRY him to the door and put him on the spot where you would like him to go. This will eliminate the
possibility of an accident on the way. Praise him highly when he goes outside and scold him when he has an
accident in the house, putting him outside immediately. After he has gone outside let him have some freedom of
the areas of the house he will be allowed in.
We STRONGLY recommend a size 400 dog crate for confinement at night or when you are away. It will also be
very handy when you are too busy to watch him. The pup will usually be clean and will avoid soiling his "den"
at all costs. Bear in mind that it is the rare puppy that can hold it more than about 4-6 hours until he is about 3
months old. Be patient--it will come. If you can concentrate on housebreaking for the first two weeks or so you
will not encounter any problems thereafter. Your puppy has been trained to grass, pavement, and other outdoor
surfaces so getting him to go outside should not be a problem.
NEVER, EVER -- UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES-- PUT A PUPPY OR AN ADULT DOG IN HIS CRATE
WITH A COLLAR ON! We cannot emphasize this enough!!!!
Contact your veterinarian for vaccinations that your pup will need. To be fully protected your pup needs another
set of shots and wormings at about 9 and 12 weeks (we have already given the first set at six weeks) as well as a
booster about once a year. A rabies shot should be given at 6 months of age, following your vet's advice
thereafter. Vaccination protocols differ from one part of the country to another, so be sure to follow the advice
given by your vet.
Please feel free to call on us if we can be helpful in any way. We hope that you and your new puppy will have
many happy and healthy years together.
Puppies should be fed a cup of food three times per day...
Until your puppy becomes adjusted to his new surroundings he should be fed in a quiet and rather secluded place
where he can be alone. After he has become adjusted to his new home and is eating all of his meals well, he can
be fed in the kitchen or outside. Give the puppy 20 minutes to eat his food and then pick up the dish. Food
should not be offered again until his next feeding time. Do not leave uneaten food in the dish after the 20
minutes are up. Fresh, clean water should, of course, be available at all times.
Labradors, as a breed, have hip problems as they are fast maturing, heavy bodied dogs. These hip problems can
be environmentally influenced a great deal. Earlier we cautioned against overfeeding your puppy. The more
weight they are forced to carry at a young age, the more stress is placed over the hind quarters and thus the hip
sockets are strained. Also, try not to let your pup run around on linoleum or slippery floors. If you watch your
pup on a slippery floor, you will see that his hind legs will slide out from under him and he ends up with all four
legs going in different direction. This again puts too much stress on those joints. Likewise, too much exercise
for a pup is bad. He can play in the back yard with you and the kids all he wants, but running after a bicycle or
following a jogger for miles, especially on pavement, should really be saved until he is close to 2 years old and
fully mature. A person matures at such a rate that all his bones and muscles take up to 20 years to form. A dog
has all his bones and muscles formed by the end of his first 14 months or so...he has to take it sort of slow.
Many a pup has been structurally damaged by owners who insist on jogging with their dog or working
strenuously in the field before the puppy is mature enough to handle this kind of orthopedic stress.
We do not bathe our Labs regularly. Bathe only when necessary and brushing is necessary only to remove burrs
and to hasten shedding (once or twice a year). A good Labrador coat will stay healthy and shiny with a balanced
diet including additional fat. The dog's nails should be kept trimmed. Purchase a pair of nail trimmers from the
pet supply store and cut the tips off each week. Your pup's ears should be checked for cleanliness about once a
week or so, more often if he has been in water. If cleaning is necessary use a Q-tip dipped in baby oil to clean
the ears. A small amount of ear powder puffed into each ear is a good preventative measure for ear problems.
If he has been swimming or playing in water, check to be sure the ears are dry...if needed, dab out extra moisture
with a cotton ball. Never let water remain in the ear canal as it will invariably set up ear infections just like in
human babies. The presence of a sweet/pungent odor accompanied by copious amounts of wax indicate a yeast
infection and must be attended to by your vet. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon in dogs with drooping ear flaps
who also love the water!
DO NOT PLAY ROUGH WITH YOUR PUPPY. Don't let the puppy develop bad habits such as jumping on
you or the children, biting clothing, etc. If you allow any dog--including ours--to "rule the roost" you are asking
for problems. You must ALWAYS remain the "pack leader". Remember that your little puppy will weigh 65-90
pounds when grown. Some of the bad habits that developed as a small pup will not be as cute or desirable when
he is fully grown. Fortunately, once corrected properly at an early age, Labradors generally learn their place in
society easily, because they really do want to please their owner. DON'T LET HIM DO ANYTHING AS A
PUPPY THAT YOU WON'T WANT HIM TO DO AS AN ADULT, WHEN HE IS LARGER....
As for discipline, we recommend the use of the word "NO" in a loud and stern voice. A good verbal reprimand
will usually be enough. If not a shake by the scruff of the neck should be used. You must remember, however,
that just as soon as your pup has stopped doing what he wasn't supposed to do, he should be petted and praised.
Tell him what a good dog he is. NEVER call your dog to you and then reprimand him, as he will associate
coming when called with a punishment. Go to him when he is doing something wrong, and don't forget the
praise when he does something right.
Most people want to know about housebreaking. A whole book could be written on the subject, but a few
suggestions that we might make are: Take the pup out first thing in the morning, after each meal, after each nap,
after each play session when he stops and starts to sniff around, and the last thing each night. Pick him up and
CARRY him to the door and put him on the spot where you would like him to go. This will eliminate the
possibility of an accident on the way. Praise him highly when he goes outside and scold him when he has an
accident in the house, putting him outside immediately. After he has gone outside let him have some freedom of
the areas of the house he will be allowed in.
We STRONGLY recommend a size 400 dog crate for confinement at night or when you are away. It will also be
very handy when you are too busy to watch him. The pup will usually be clean and will avoid soiling his "den"
at all costs. Bear in mind that it is the rare puppy that can hold it more than about 4-6 hours until he is about 3
months old. Be patient--it will come. If you can concentrate on housebreaking for the first two weeks or so you
will not encounter any problems thereafter. Your puppy has been trained to grass, pavement, and other outdoor
surfaces so getting him to go outside should not be a problem.
NEVER, EVER -- UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES-- PUT A PUPPY OR AN ADULT DOG IN HIS CRATE
WITH A COLLAR ON! We cannot emphasize this enough!!!!
Contact your veterinarian for vaccinations that your pup will need. To be fully protected your pup needs another
set of shots and wormings at about 9 and 12 weeks (we have already given the first set at six weeks) as well as a
booster about once a year. A rabies shot should be given at 6 months of age, following your vet's advice
thereafter. Vaccination protocols differ from one part of the country to another, so be sure to follow the advice
given by your vet.
Please feel free to call on us if we can be helpful in any way. We hope that you and your new puppy will have
many happy and healthy years together.
