Who knows anything about lab puppies?

Question

My mom is getting me 2 lab puppies. I hear they like water...alot. Can anybody give me the basics about how to take care of them and what to expect?

Answer 1

Labs are water lovers. Allergy prone and ear infection prone. Anytime they are bathed or go into the water, their ears must be cleaned with an ear cleaning solution that helps to dry the ear canal to prevent those infections. Premium dog food is ideal, not only because it is healthier for them, but also because they are allergy prone and premium may give you a better chance of eliminating vet bills because of these allergies.

being working dogs, they do love water, running and chasing the birds and other animals. They need plenty of exercise and plenty of toys. Very intelligent, but you need to keep them stimulated or they will become bored and destructive (especially two puppies!!). They are diggers, so be prepared.

Great family pets! Wonderful with children. I, myself, am not a lab lover unless they are properly trained. Obedience training is best, along with crate training (they will need their own crates). Spay and or neuter by 6 months.

Hip and elbow dysplasia can be a problem and also progressive retinal atrophy and retinal dysplasia are both problems in this breed.

Have fun, good luck and hide those shoes!!

Answer 2

the first thing i would advise is not to buy two puppies at the same time. regardless of the breed. when you bring two puppies who are from the same litter or around the same age, it will be very hard to get them to bond with you. They will more likely form their own little 'pack' between the two of them, and you will have a very difficult training them.

so, if you insist on having two at once, just be prepared and be sure to spend some time with each of them individually and make them do things without the other...otherwise they will grow too dependent on their brother/sister and will not grow up well-adjusted, confident dogs, particularly when not with the other.

In general labs are easy to train, but can have a stubborn streak. As sporting dogs, they have VERY high energy demands, and must be excersized every day for at least 45 minutes to an hour. They do love the water when it's a lake, swimming pool, river or ocian, but it's not likely your lab will love taking a bath. And, it may take them a few months or even longer to decide that they like swimming, it'll happen naturally and sometimes it will seem like overnight they decide to be water dogs.

This goes for all breeds---please spay/neuter your dog and use a crate to help train and also to provide the dog his own place!

The only other thing I will say is that be very careful with their diet..be sure to feed a premium food such as canidae or wellness. stay away from foods sold at the grocery store and even many foods sold at pet stores. Labs will get heavy very quickly. Do not free feed, meaning, don't just leave the food out all the time. You should feed your dog twice a day only. This will help ensure that they don't overeat.

good luck.

Answer 3

Start slow, I would work with clicker training with her, get her to associate a click from a clicker you can buy at any pet store with good behaviors... don't work her too much or she'll get bored. Start kennel training very slowly, put her in her kennel with a toy or a treat with the door closed, leave her in there for five or ten minutes, and then let her out.. gradually, day by day increase the amount of time she's left in there.. every day make sure she gets a treat, or toy for being good! Don't be in any hurry on potty training, a young dogs bladder is not strong enough to hold the urine for more than an hour or so at a time... it takes at least six months before the pups bladder matures enough to where she can hold it all day. Just clean it up and be patient with her... Good luck with her, black labs are GREAT dogs!

Answer 4

That question is way too complex to be answered here. If you don't know alot about labs, why is your mom getting you two? What if you don't like the breed once you are living with them?

Also, why two at once? I wouldn't recommend it.

Go look for books about labs on line and read up. Look at www.akc.org and find breeders/clubs in your area. Contact them and talk to people with labs.

Meet some adult labs and see what they are like---you may not find they suit you.

Labs are high-energy, high-drive dogs that can stay mentally "puppyish" for years. They have boundless energy and shed like crazy even though they have a "short" coat. I used to walk my mostly-lab dog three times a day for a total of more than 8 miles and he still had tons of energy.

They need to be with their humans as much as possible. Are you going to be home with them? They should not be outside dogs.

They are a "mouthy" breed developed to use their mouths to carry game and they love to chew. Left loose in your house a pup or a young adult dog can chew up more stuff than you can imagine.

They are smart---which is a plus unless you don't give them something to do because they will find things to do and you may not like that.

A lab---never mind two---can be a real handful when young. They need to be socialized to learn how to behave with other animals and people. They need to be trained or they won't listen to you.

Here's a link to what to look for in a breeder:
http://pleasantpinelabs.tripod.com/Puppy_checklist.htm

Here's a link to a summary about the breed:
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/labradorretrievers.html

Labs can be awesome dogs, but they can also be a great deal of work.

Answer 5

2 lab puppies at once?

I recommend one puppy. They are a lot of work and for an inexperienced owner, 2 can and will be to much to handle.

Get them spayed/neutered as soon as possible. http://www.friendsofanimals.org for cheap spay/neuter certificates. You do not want to breed littermates, as this can create pups with behavior, emotional and physical health problems. I hope your intent is not to breed.

Crate train to house break. It will make life easier on everyone, including the dogs.

Get there shots as soon as possible.

Start teaching basic commands, as soon as you get them. Sit, down, stay, come. They need to be at least 8 weeks old and preferably a few weeks older before you bring them home. This will help them be more emotionally ready for the new human pack, as the pups learn a lot from littermates and mom.

http://www.libertydogtraining.com

Answer 6

They are very hyper and will chew everything in sight. Be sure to get a large crate to keep them in while you are away so you don't come home to any unpleasant surprises. Being labs they will take to the water naturally (not necessarily baths though). When it's warmer take them to the lake and they'll have a blast. Also a great toy is tennis balls, my lab would play fetch for hours from the day I got her.

Answer 7

(if they are like my dog they will eat anything) put everything that your afraid of breaking or getting eaten up at a higher place ...also make sure to give them enough exercise time they are high energy dogs...(if you haven't already picked your dog food iams is a good one ) also you should probably get some rawhides to start of with ( the mini kinds u can get at target for fairly cheap or rawhide sticks are good to)because puppies like to bite or "teethe"

Answer 8

Labs like water, so be ready when you walk in the woods after it's rained alot. You're dog might wanto jump inside and splash around, but if the water isent clean you better go home and wash her off.

~Sallie

Answer 9

How old are the puppies? First of all, puppies are high energy so be ready for a lot of playfulness! Buy some good chew toys like the ropes with the tennis balls on them, bones on them, etc. The puppy Kong is loved by them! Those loofa dog toys are a MAJOR favorite for their little puppy teeth. Keep shoes, clothes, etc from the floor because they will chew. You don't want to discourage chewing though because Labs need to chew in order to keep their teeth and jaws strong! Don't pull too hard on the ropes when playing because it can pull their teeth out being so young. Wait until at least 4-6 months old before rough play with the rope can begin.

LOVE ON THEM! Labs are very affectionate dogs and love attention. They tend to more think of themselves as part of the family rather than a pet. They won't have much fatty layers yet so please do not leave them in the cold but only for a few moments to go to the bathroom only. They will get cold easily. Crate training is best for potty training and putting a bell on the door handle and having them hit it with their nose or paw before taking them out everytime will train them to ring the bell when they want to go out rather than barking or whining. Be sure to use TONS of praise when they go outside and use the bathroom!!! (Treats go a long way as well)

Soft food mixed with hard food is always a good idea for young puppies then slowly moving to only hard, but of course puppy sized bites. Feed them 3-4 times daily but not large amounts. Their bellies will become swollen as they eat but be sure it doesn't get hard as this means they are over eating and could vomit. Don't leave food just sitting out, only feed enough that they finish it and if not, pick it back up. You don't want to over feed a Lab because they do have a tendancy to gain weight rapidly and it's not good for them. As puppies you want to use only puppy food because it will help them develop their brain, eyes, digestive tract, and fatty to grow properly because they do grow very fast! If they are under 12 weeks of age, getting a puppy formula and adding it to their food is a good idea for extra vitamins, they only require 2 tablespoons per day per puppy.

As far as bathing, you don't want to bathe them all that often because they do have dry skin. (once eevry other week is good)Being water dogs, they have natural oils on their hair and skin and bathing them washes that away and causes dandruff and dry skin which is very uncomfortable to them. Use only oatmeal bath or a shampoo from your vet specifically for retrievers. When you do bathe them, remember that a dog's body temp ranges from 102-104 degrees naturally so what is only warm to us is cold to them, have the water a bit warmer so pup doesn't get cold. Let the shampoo sit on them for 5-10 minutes so the moisturizers in oatmeal can penetrate the skin and keep from stripping the oils in their skin. Groom them at least 2-3 times weekly to keep loose hair under control and they won't shed much. (Pups usually don't shed anyway until the adult hair and second layer of hair comes in).

Labs are wonderful dogs and great companions! Very smart and will learn quickly. But have patience, rememeber, they are babies. Giving them a lot of attention and love will keep them happy for years to come. Your in for a real treat with owning a Lab! Here are a couple of great pages you could read more up on:

http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/pups.html

http://www.stargatekennels.com/pages/PuppyCare/CrateTraining.htm

Edited to add - to keep them from chewing on wood furniture that has a finish, put some tobasco sauce on a rag and wipe the wood. It won't stain the furntiure but it will keep the pup off of it.

Answer 10

treat them as you would any dog.
They are usually fast learners and require lots of love and attention.