Labrador Retriever

How do I transport my Labrador? This is a challenge among different dog owners. Sometimes the vet already has the convenience of providing transportation for the clients with possible additional expenses. I personally find it more convenient for the vet to visit the house himself so that the environment will be more comfortable for my labrador.

In case that I have to be the on to bring my dog I will need to locate my dog in a comfortable position in the care where he won’t be so affected by the shaking of the car. (more…)

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And then comes the day for the first check up with the Vet.

We can consider two things here:

1. You have with you and adult dog.
2. You have with you a puppy

When you have a newly acquired dog it helps to have a check up with the Vet just to make sure it’s not carrying any form of sickness which may be contagious to your other dogs or also just to be sure that your dog is healthy.

When do I have my dog checked? (more…)

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How To make a house Doggy Proof

We all know that Labrador Retrievers are naturally curious. And when one pet is curious it doesn’t really have the common sense that is necessary to survive a human household.

So let’s classify the different hazards one can detect in the house.

1.Electrical

I have my share of electrical shocks when I was still young. Your Labrador is a fast learner but if it still has not yet received any shocks from the electrical outlets it is bound to continuously be curious with the small hole. It will sniff lick and you know what comes next. Seal all these outlets within the house with a plastic outlet cover.

Wires are also a problem since most dogs would see this as a toy. Secure all wires by not leaving them exposed for the dog to chew.

2.Chemical

Chemicals which we use for daily household purposes may be deadly for your dog. Keep all chemicals properly stored in a cabinet or anywhere beyond reach of the dog. Do not underestimate your dog by merely placing it on the table. Labradors are huge dogs capable of toppling down stuff. Secure your chemicals in a place where one needs dexterity to access these objects.

3.Sharps

This refers to any object deemed sharp and may pierce the skin. Scissors, knives, pins, needles, nails, and even pens. Anything that the dog may swallow. I’ve seen enough dogs swallowing sharp objects on TV to know it is possible for them to eat it. This can badly damage the internal organs of your best friend so be careful where you leave your stuff lying around.

4.Poisonous plant and food

I got this list from http://dogpack.com
Here are some plants dangerous for dogs:

Bulbs: Amaryllis, Autumn Crocus, Daffodil, Day Lily, Elephant Ears, Gladiolas, Hyacinth, Iris, Lily of the Valley, Narcissus, Orange Day Lily, Tulip
Ferns: Aparagus Fern, Australian Nut, Emerald Feather (aka Emerald Fern), Emerald Fern (aka Emerald Feather), Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern
Flowering Plants: Cyclamen, Hydrangea, Kalanchoe, Poinsettia
Garden Perennials: Charming Diffenbachia, Christmas Rose, Flamingo Plant, Foxglove, Marijuana, Morning Glory, Nightshade, Onion, Tomato Plant, Tropic Snow Dumbcane
House Plants: Ceriman (aka Cutleaf Philodendron), Chinese Evergreen, Cordatum, Corn Plant (aka Cornstalk Plant), Cutleaf Philodendron (aka Ceriman), Devil’s Ivy, Dumb Cane, Golden Pothos, Green Gold Nephthysis, Marble Queen, Mauna Loa Peace Lily, Nephthytis, Peace Lily, Red-Margined Dracaena, Striped Dracaena, Taro Vine, Warneckei Dracaena
Lillies: Asian Lily (liliaceae), Easter Lily, Glory Lily, Japanese Show Lily, Red Lily, Rubrum Lily, Stargazer Lily, Tiger Lily, Wood Lily
Shrubs: Cycads, Heavenly Bamboo, Holly, Jerusalem Cherry, Mistletoe “American”, Oleander, Precatory Bean, Rhododendron, Saddle Leaf Philodendron, Sago Palm, Tree Philodendron, Yucca
Succulents: Aloe (Aloe Vera)
Trees: Avocado, Buddist Pine, Chinaberry Tree, Japanese Yew (aka Yew), Lacy Tree, Macadamia Nut, Madagascar Dragon Tree, Queensland Nut, Schefflera, Yew (aka Japanese Yew)
Vines: Branching Ivy, English Ivy, European Bittersweet, Glacier Ivy, Hahn’s self branching English Ivy, Needlepoint Ivy
Misc/Uncategorized: American Bittersweet, Andromeda Japonica, Azalea, Bird of Paradise, Buckeye, Caladium hortulanum, Calla Lily, Castor Bean, Clematis, Fiddle-Leaf Philodendron, Florida Beauty, Fruit Salad Plant, Golden Dieffenbachia, Gold Dust Dracaena, Heartleaf Philodendron, Horsehead Philodendron, Hurricane Plant, Mexican Breadfruit, Mother-in-law, Panda, Philodendron Pertusum, Red Emerald, Red Princess, Ribbon Plant, Satin Pothos, Spotted Dumb Cane, Sweetheart Ivy, Swiss Cheese Plant, Variable Dieffenbachia, Variegated Philodendron, Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow

and then you have the food:
-garlic, onion, grapes, chocolate, avocado to name a few.

5.Other pets

Don’t assume immediately if a pet is okay to be around your Labrador. Labradors are friendly but have a strong prey drive. What you may assume as a friend for your dog, he may think of as prey.

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Once again, it all goes back to proper feeding, exercise, grooming and care of your labrador Retriever. But we must also be wary of Labrador Retriever Common Disorders and Diseases.

Allergies

Dogs are not very different from humans for they too have tendency to be allergic to a few things. This can be exhibited by excessive itching and hair loss but these will NOT ALWAYS indicate allergies. There are some tests which can indicate if your dog really has allergies and these tests are not neccesarily expensive. One may give antihistamines as prescribed (more…)

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A good number of Labradors are overweight and this due to overfeeding or lack of exercise. So how do I exercise my Labrador Retriever?

We can list up a few things which can be a “cure” for obesity in dogs.

1. Jogging
2. Swimming
3. Fetch
4. Walking

Jogging

The Labrador Retriever is a very energetic dog and if this energy isn’t used up somewhere then they will tend to be very destructive.  So how long can you jog your labrador Retriever? You can probably jog a good 1-3 kilometers, depends on how healthy your lab is and try to avoid the heat of the sun. Bring some water with you for your lab as they are built to resist the cold but will overheat in hight temperatures. You can jog for about 30 minutes. NEVER FORGET THE LEASH. Never be too confident with your dog. ANYTHING can go wrong.

Swimming (more…)

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When grooming your Labrador Retriever there are two aspects that you take into consideration:

1. BATHING
2. BRUSHING

(F.A.Q.’s in the bottom part of post, this will cover questions like Can I use human shampoo on my dog?)

So before we delve more in grooming your dog or grooming your labrador retriever, let us remember what the coat of your Labrador Retriever is supposed to look like. Coat type is very essential to Dog Grooming Basics. Here we have the list of what the Labrador Retriever’s Coat is like:

• Water resistant
• Coarse, dry
• Thick
• Shiny (for the black Lab)
• Short (more…)

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This also helps in answering the question: should I have a lab or not.

Here are the options for those who plan to go for the breed.

1. House with backyard -it helps if a person has a backyard so your dog can have a place to move around.
2. Apartment with decent space- the labrador retriever is a big dog, meaning it needs space, if your confident that your dog won’t chew away your furniture then by all means keep him inside, but don’t forget to let him out everyday (more…)

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One of the more important topics when it comes to caring for your Labrador Retriever is feeding. It is very common among households to have overfed Labradors thus resulting in obesity.

Some may think that obesity in dogs will make them look cuter and make them stop moving around. It may look cute to see a round dog slowly making its way while walking to towards you. But it won’t look cute when that dog completely stops moving.

Obesity can lead to a good number of complications in the body. Common amongst large breed dogs would poor nutrition, overeating, and lack of movement is the Osteoarthritis.

So here comes the question: what should I feed my Lab and how much?

(more…)

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