NY Times Article on Melamine

If you are like me, then this whole dog food recall scares has you sitting on pins and needles every day. Sure, we feed Eagle Pack and we believe heavily in their quality control but that doesn't mean that something cannot slip through their sensitive radars as well. It truly makes us contemplate putting the Lab Brats on a cooked raw food diet instead of trusting our beloved dogs to the manufacturing companies.

With that said, our research produced an article today written for the NY Times that we thought others may want to read about. It is on melamine, its uses, and the current investigation that prompted the dog food recalls of several brands.

Filler in Animal Feed Is Open Secret in China

We would love to hear feedback from other concerned dog owners on this news article. Have you switched your dog food? Has your dog been effected by tainted food and what course of action are you taking to make sure your dog is safe?

Harmony Farms, Diamond, & More Recalls

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- April 26, 2007 -- The Denver office of the FDA informed American Nutrition, Inc. today that certain samples of rice protein shipped to its production facility have been contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. The rice protein in question was obtained from San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis Company.

The FDA is investigating the use of rice protein, an ingredient found in a number of canned pet food products and baked pet food treats to fortify protein levels, after a portion of Wilbur-Ellis' rice protein supply was found to be contaminated with melamine. American Nutrition immediately discontinued the use of rice protein after learning of the melamine contamination.

The FDA has urged American Nutrition to issue a voluntary recall of pet foods manufactured using Wilbur-Ellis rice protein. None of these products is sold under an American Nutrition brand, but are sold through other independent companies. No American Nutrition brands or other products they manufacture for other businesses are affected by this recall.

The products subject to this recall are as follows:

CANNED CAT FOOD

Blue Buffalo Spa Select Hairball Control Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Kitten Recipe Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Kitten Formula 5.5oz 15 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Harmony Farms Country Chicken Entrée 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Ocean Fish Formula 3oz and 6 oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

CANNED DOG FOOD

Blue Buffalo Beef Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Hearty Venison Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Lamb Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Salmon Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Canine Caviar Gourmet Beaver 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Canine Caviar Gourmet Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Puppy Formula 13oz 21 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Diamond Lamb & Rice 13oz 21 AUG 09 15 APR 10
Harmony Farms Beef 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Chicken 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Lamb 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Salmon 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Kirkland Signature Premium Dog 2-Flavor Variety Pack 14oz (24-pack) AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Mulligan Stew Chicken 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Mulligan Stew Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Beef Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Chicken Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Lamb Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

BAKED DOG TREATS

Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice Formula Baked Dog Treats 14oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08
Blue Buffalo Health Bars Baked With Apples & Yogurt Dog Treats 20oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. This listserv covers mainly Class I (life-threatening) recalls. A complete listing of recalls can be found in the FDA Enforcement Report at: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html

Blue Buffalo Recalls Can and Biscuit Products Due To Tampering By American Nutrition Inc.

Contact:
Consumer Inquiries:
1-800-919-2833
Media Inquiries:
David Petrie
1-203-762-9751

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Wilton, Connecticut, April 26, 2007- We at the Blue Buffalo Company have just learned that American Nutrition Inc. (ANI), the manufacturer of all our cans and biscuits, has been adding rice protein concentrate to our can formulas without our knowledge and without our approval. This is product tampering, and it apparently has been going on for some time. The can formulas that we developed, and trusted them to produce, never contained any rice protein concentrate. It appears that only an FDA investigation of ANI's rice protein concentrate supplies forced them to reveal this product tampering to us.

While this activity by ANI is in itself unlawful, the situation is further clouded by the fact that ANI has been receiving rice protein concentrate from Wilber-Ellis, some of which the FDA has determined to be contaminated with melamine.

So while no BLUE or Spa Select canned product has tested positive for the presence of melamine, and there has been no reported illness due to any of our canned products, we simply cannot be sure of what ANI has been including in our formulas. For this reason, we have decided to remove all of our canned and biscuit products from retail distribution. While this may seem to many to be a major over-reaction, as other ANI customers will probably only recall the products that tested positive for melamine, we see this as a matter of integrity.

We founded Blue Buffalo on the principle of providing dogs and cats with the highest quality and most nutritious food, and we will not sell any product that doesn't meet this standard. And under these circumstances, we cannot say that any products manufactured by ANI measure up.

The obvious question is "how could Blue Buffalo not know that ANI was putting rice protein concentrate into our canned food?" The answer is we trusted them. In business and in life, we all trust our partners to deal with us honestly. When we buy produce from our local grocery store, we are trusting growers, shippers and a series of handlers to have delivered a product that is safe and nutritious for our family. If any one of these parties betrays our trust, contaminated products can make their way to our dinner table.

And while we test for known toxins and contaminants, we don't test for protein sources, like rice protein concentrate, especially when we did not formulate our products to contain them.

In the end, this all comes down to an issue of integrity, and ANI has not been honest with us and with the pet parents who buy our products. We will not put any product made by ANI on the shelf, and are temporarily withdrawing an important part of our business in order to be true to our pet parents.

We have already started the process of identifying a can and biscuit manufacturer with whom we can build a partnership based on trust. Once we have accomplished this, BLUE and Spa Select cans and BLUE Health Bars will be reintroduced with the high quality and superior nutrition that our brand stands for and that dogs and cats deserve.

We have informed our retail partners and the FDA about this action and will be cooperating with them to complete this recall quickly. The specific product involved includes all "BLUE" brand can dog foods, all "Spa Select" brand can cat foods and all "BLUE Health Bar" treats.

Consumers who have unused or partially used packages of any of these products should return them to their place of purchase for a complete refund.

All "BLUE" dry natural food for dogs and "Spa Select" dry natural foods for cats are not affected by this recall and are safe for consumption. Should consumers have a specific question, they can call the Company at 1-800-919-2833, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, to receive more information.

Another Dog Food Recall

Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. This listserv covers mainly Class I (life-threatening) recalls. A complete listing of recalls can be found in the FDA Enforcement Report at: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html

Chenango Valley Pet Foods Issues Voluntarily Nationwide Recall of Certain Pet Foods

Contact:
Dennis J. Bobita
(610) 821-0608

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- April 26, 2007 -- Chenango Valley Pet Foods is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and voluntarily recalling pet foods manufactured with a certain shipment of rice protein concentrate. The company was informed by Wilbur-Ellis that the rice protein concentrate shipped to Chenango Valley Pet Foods may be contaminated with melamine, and instructed Chenango Valley Pet Foods to recall any pet foods manufactured with the rice protein concentrate. Melamine is an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may lead to illness or fatalities in animals if consumed.

The pet foods were sold to customers in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, who further sold the products to their customers through catalog mail-orders or retail outlets.

Only the following dry pet foods are involved in the recall:

DOCTORS FOSTER & SMITH CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE DOG FOOD, NET WT. 5 LBS., 12.5 LBS, and 25 LBS; Code dates: Best Used By Jan 24, 09; Best Used By Feb 8, 09; Best Used By Feb 26, 09; Best Used By April 10, 09; Best Used By April 17, 09;

DOCTORS FOSTER & SMITH CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE CAT FOOD, NET WT. 3 LBS. and 7 LBS.; Code date: Best Used By March 13, 09;

LICK YOUR CHOPS LAMB MEAL, RICE & EGG CAT FOOD, 4 LBS. packages, Code date: Best Used By April 29, 08;

Bulk CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE DOG FOOD sold to one consignee (SmartPak) in a 2000 lbs. tote, Ship date: Feb 9, 2007.

No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date.

Pet owners who purchased the pet foods should immediately discontinue using the products and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they have any health concerns with their pet. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-610-821-0608.

Adoption Day!

JOIN US!

Labrador Friends of the South, Inc.

www.labradorfriends.com

Adoption Day

Rain or Shine

Saturday, April 28th

10AM-2PM

at the

The Pet Basket
5155 Hwy 9 Suite 111
Alpharetta , GA 30040

Just a Dog

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," Or "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the Distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a Dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I Did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been spent with "just a dog," and in Those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me Comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably Understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise" or "just a Promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, Trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a Better person. Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long Walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and the folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an Embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond Memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts Away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog" But the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a Person."

~Author Unknown

10-Month Lab Old Won't Come

I am a new black lab owner. It seems like you have done a very good job of training yours. I was hoping to get some advice about getting my 10 month pup to come. She will sit and come when she is on the leash but when she's off her nose takes over and her brain shuts down. Do you have any tips for getting her to come. Thank you
~ Jordan B.

Yes, our Labs are very well trained and the most important thing when training is to remember that it is never too early to start. That doesn't mean that older Labs cannot do well with training; just that they may be a little more difficult and take a little more time because they have become set in their ways.

Training to "come" when off leash can be tricky because you are missing the control that a leash offers. Our Dakota does very well when off lead, however, Cheyenne had to be worked with. Here is what we did with Cheyenne that worked very well.

First, start working with the "come" command while on a 6ft leash. You will want to have someone or something distract your pup's attention from you and then you give them command. Say the command once and reinforce it by pulling the pup towards you if it doesn't listen. Once it gets to you, give it praise and a treat (if you treat). Keep doing this whenever you have the pup on a leash to reinforce the training. Once the pup does this well on a 6ft lead, then you can move to a longer lead. Try using a long rope and tie it to the end of the leash. When you call the pup, give it a second to heed your call. If it doesn't come, then reel it in very fast towards you until it is right in front of you. Then praise and treat. Remember, the praise must be like you are celebrating a birthday or something. Use a very excited and high pitch voice.

Secondly, you can make it into a game while using a leash, long rope, or even when the pup is off the lead. For example, if Cheyenne is in the backyard and does not listen when I tell her "inside", I will use a high pitch voice as though I am playing a game and say something like "Come on. Quick, quick, quick, quick..." She thinks it is a game and comes running towards me and inside the house. After a while, you can start to wean off of this type of excitement when the pup starts to understand how happy you are when it performs the "come" command. If you choose to treat, you can start weaning off of those as well. At first you can give them every time the command is performed and then every other time and so on. The last thing you want to do is have your Labrador Retriever perform only for treats because when you are all out of treats, you are all out of luck.

One final note - remember that you are in control and that your training must be persistent and consistent. If you allow your pup to get away with not listening to you some times when you use a command, it will begin to not listen to you when you really mean it. Even if you think the action is cute (as most puppies are), hold fast to the training and correct the pup immediately. There is always time to laugh later; but training and corrective action must be immediate.

Well rested puppy

I am excited to announce that Cheyenne has now eaten 2 full bland meals without throwing it up! Last night we split up her normal dinner into two smaller portions over an hour time and she was fine but still a little lethargic. She didn't make a sound at all last night and then this morning she did her normal play time in the recreation room (it is big, nice, and cool down in the basement) with Dakota and her daddy. He didn't get her as excited as he normally does but when she saw her squeaky football, it was all Labrador smiles and wagging dog tails.

Since she did so well, I decided to feed her a full bland breakfast of boiled ground meat and rice, which she ate very happily. Of course, being Cheyenne, she was looking for more when she was done and making sure Dakota wasn't hiding any in her bowl after Dakota was done eating. Now both dogs are resting comfortably in the living room in their favorite spot, where the sun beats early in the morning.

Since Cheyenne has not vomited since yesterday at 11am and her appetite and energy are back, we are not going to make an appointment to see the vet. Rest assured, if she vomits again within the next 24-48 hours, I am picking up that phone and making an appointment with the vet. For now, we are just going to count our blessings and keep our paws crossed.

Again, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers... your love and support have helped us greatly during this time.

Cheyenne Update

About an hour and a half ago, we fed Dakota and Cheyenne in two separate feedings - half the quantity of food in each. Cheyenne was given a bland ground meat and rice mixture and, of course, we put a small spoon of it in Dakota's regular dog food so she wouldn't feel left out. I am happy to report that Cheyenne has kept all the food down and has since then had a bowel movement and urinated without problem. She has also tried to egg on Dakota to play fighting in the backyard and wanted to run, jump, and play.

Is she back to her old self? Not yet. Right now she is sleeping once again on the hard cool hardwood floor and seems very tired from time to time. It just goes without saying how had this all has been on her 75 lb puppy body. Although she is a year and a half, she is still very much a puppy in Lab years and has more growing (filling out) to do.

Upon researching, we realized that a Rhubarb plant started to sprout in our backyard and my husband ran over it with the lawn mower a couple of days ago. Rhubarb leaves are highly toxic - even to humans, and they may be the culprit behind this vicious attack on my wee pup. So, my wonderful husband just unearthed what we thought would be a tiny plant, but it turned out to have a bulb the size of a bowling ball... hopefully he got it all but just to make sure, he is putting up a temporary fence around the area to make sure any leftover parts don't end up in either of our dogs' stomachs.

Let's hope it is an uneventful night... thank you all for the prayers and please keep them coming.

Say a Prayer for Cheyenne

The last couple of days have been a bit on the edge for us at the Lab Brats house. While washing my car yesterday, the dogs hung out in the warm summer sun and watched me closely. Everything was find until I was finishing up and Cheyenne stood up and just vomited out of no where. It was a yellow bile and no food was present - although a few blades of grass were found. I immediately let her know it was okay, washed up the patio, and led her and Dakota inside to get out of the sun. Sure, there were places in the shade for them to lay outside, but these two siblings just have to melt in the sun!

Cheyenne ate dinner and everything was fine. Around midnight, I heard Cheyenne licking her lips. This is Cheyenne's sign that she is going to throw up. We jumped to her aid at the side of the bed; just in time for her to vomit twice. Again, no food - just yellow bile. As I led her to the backyard, she threw up once more right outside the door. Then she calmed down and walked around the backyard a little with Dakota scared and avoiding making any contact with her sister. (She often thinks she is doing something bad when Cheyenne gets sick and hides)

We thought maybe the heat got to her - we went from 50's to upper 70's overnight and maybe she was like me and didn't do well with the quick changes in temperature. So, before she went to sleep, we opened the windows and I pulled out some frozen ground meat to make her boiled meat and rice for breakfast when we woke.

No other incident happened. My husband took her and Dakota for their early morning walk and she threw up again during the walk. Same stuff. Although I usually don't feed after such an incident, my husband told me that there was something long and slender - half digested - in the vomit. So, we thought she got rid of the culprit and fed her a couple of small meals in the morning.

Everything was great! The food went down like a charm and she had loads of energy again. So, it was off to our Sunday ritual of the dog park - but we swore to keep it easy on her. Nope! She threw up twice at the park. This time it was her entire breakfast. So, we immediately headed home! That is where we stand at this moment. Although, we now have the girls quiet in the house with the air conditioning on and we will try to feed Cheyenne some small amounts of the meat and rice mixture again around dinner; if she doesn't vomit again.

Last year she had a worse vomiting spell (see our blog dated August 21, 2005)and had to be operated on due to microscopic glass like pieces found in her intestines. This almost killed her and I would be lying if I were to say that I am not extremely worried about her with this all happening.

Please say a doggy prayer for our baby labbie, Cheyenne.

Don't forget Mother's Day!

Don't worry - we have gifts for grandma too! No doggy mother or grandmother will be left out this Mother's Day! :)

If you are just looking for Labrador Retriever dog gift ideas, head on over to our other store: 8PawsUp.com. There are over a hundred designs and thousands of Lab dog breed lover gifts to choose from!

Food Recipes for Your Dog

With all the hype about the dog and cat food recalls, someone dropped us a tip on a great site that lists a number of dog food and treats that any dog lover can make at home: Food Recipes for Your Dog.

We haven't had a chance for either of the Lab Brats to try them out but they seem to be very nutritious and safer for your pets then some of the alternatives. A number of the recipes call for all purpose flour but I would recommend changing that out for wheat flour as the latter has more nutritional value. Too bad neither of our Labradors have a birthday coming up because they would love the Birthday Cake for Pups!

Enjoy!

Got fur? Got Energy? Got...

Got fur? Got energy? Got drool? Then you Got Lab! Bold brown text in a humorous design with two concrete textured Labrador Retriever paws highlight this funny dog art. Perfect dog breed dog lover gift!

Brand new design to 8PawsUp.com Labrador Gifts on a variety of shirts and gifts! Check them out here: http://www.cafepress.com/dakotasden/2854335

Lab smiles,
Shannon

8PawsUp.com Lab Info & Gifts
Check out our online Lab contest today and WIN!

Natural Balance Dog & Cat Food Recall!

Per the Natural Balance Pet Foods website:

NOTICE:
We are receiving consumer complaints regarding the Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Foods. We do not know what is wrong with the food at this time, but we have heard that animals are vomiting and experiencing kidney problems. Although the problems seem to be focused on one particular lot, as a precautionary measure, we are pulling all dates of Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food from the shelves.

Please discontinue feeding all Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Food.

We are working closely with the FDA.
We will update this website today, as more information comes available.

NO OTHER NATURAL BALANCE PRODUCTS ARE AFFECTED.

New Camera - Same Labs

Being owned by dogs and not having any children, it is imperative that I have the right camera to take the most perfect pictures of my Lab Brats. My last digital camera was well over 5 years old and although it was not dying, it lacked in a lot of areas. So, now I have a brand new camera and am testing it out on... what? Well, the Lab Brats of course!

Dakota (4/16/07)

Cheyenne (4/16/07)

The picture of Dakota came out wonderfully! However, Cheyenne's too dark for my liking. Heck, what am I complaining about? They are Chocolate Labrador Retrievers and they dont take bad pictures! *smile* Not to worry, I will read through the pamphlet and figure this camera out for better pictures of Cheyenne next time! Can't leave my baby girl out of the beauty contest!

Feature: Black Lab Outline

Our featured Labrador Retriever product of this week: Black Lab Outline Oval Sticker

A simple but elegant black Labrador Retriever outline enclosed within double-lined oval circle. Perfect dog breed dog lover gift idea!

Our stickers are printed on 4mil vinyl using water and UV resistant inks – meaning no fading in the sun or bleeding in the rain. Wonderful addition to your car, truck, SUV or any type of vehicle you may drive!

Click here for more products with this design!

Reputable Dog Breeders

The weather is getting warmer and families are starting their hunt for their next canine companion. Some will opt to contact local dog rescues while other will want to purchase their pup from a reputable breeder. Although the Lab Brats would prefer you rescue a dog from a local rescue or shelter, they do want to make sure that if you do choose to buy your next dog from a breeder, that you pick a reputable one. Hence, they have asked that the following list of top questions to ask your breeder before purchasing be republished from their website.

Top Questions to Determine if your Breeder is Reputable

Not sure if your breeder is reputable. Make sure to ask them the following questions before signing any contract or exchanging money:

• Can you see one or more of the parents?
• Will you be given a minimum 3 generation pedigree?
• If advertised as “champion-lines” are the champions within the first 3 generations?
• If there a return policy if the puppy doesn’t work out?
• Are you able to see the whole pedigree? (provided the litter isn’t over 8 weeks)
• Does the breeder acknowledge there are hereditary diseases within the breed?
• Does the breeder offer a guarantee against hereditary diseases?
• Do the parents of this litter have their health clearances and can you see their certificates?
• Are the puppies raised in a home environment?
• Are the surroundings clean?
• Are you able to take a “tour” of the facilities?
• Does the breeder provide you with a record of the inoculations, wormings, etc.?
• Are you satisfied with the temperaments of the puppies and/or parents?
• Is the breeder charging you extra for the registration papers?
• Are you able to talk to the breeder and obtain all of the information you need?
• Is the litter socialized and how?
• Are the puppies microchipped prior to going home?

Remember that if you don't feel comfortable around the breeder, do not purchase the pup. Use your gut instinct. And, whatever you do, please do not purchase a dog from the local pet store as those puppies come from puppy mills and very bad conditions.

Summer Snow

Cuddled next to the heating vent, Dakota just cannot understand what is going on. Her coat has begun to blow and now she is dreads going outside for the snow easily finds its way to her bare Labrador skin. Alas, it is snowing here in Milwaukee and we are under a winter weather warning through the next 24 hours. Believe it or not, it is April and although we are not quite in summer, it is definitely too far along for us to have snow. And, worse, the Lab Brats have no idea what is going on . . .

Cheyenne was so happy to see the snow this morning. That is, until she went out and noticed it was all melting as fast as it was dropping. Dakota walked out the door and shot a look over her shoulder at me as if to say "What did you do to make it snow?". As if it was my evil plan to make her uncomfortable; my natural sun-bathing chocolate Lab! She wants nothing more then to lay on the hot cement of our backyard patio and sun herself all day. Needless to say, she is not happy and the look in her eyes tells me that she thinks it is all my fault and I am just a cruel human that wishes to torture her.

Too bad there isn't a way to finally make Dakota realize she just isn't human . . . BOL

Bearded Collie Dog Gifts @ DogWire!

New to the DogWire store - the Bearded Collie!

7 product designs with over a hundred products!

Our Bearded Collie section can be found at:
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Lab Smiles,
Shannon

DogWire Dog Gifts
http://www.dogwiregifts.com

Labrador Retriever Adoption Day

JOIN US!

Labrador Friends of the South, Inc.

www.labradorfriends.com

Adoption Day

Rain/Shine/Cold

Saturday, April 14th

10AM-2PM

at the


The Pet Basket
5155 Hwy 9 Suite 111
Alpharetta , GA 30040

www.thepetbasket.com

*Free 5lb. bag of dog food and toys and treats for every dog adopted!*

Happy Easter!

The Lab Brats and family wish everyone a happy and blessed Easter!

On a side note: I looked at the clip this morning from the news and they didn't use the footage with Dakota & Cheyenne on it! They used the cute little yellow Lab puppy and some other dog. Heck, they didnt even use the footage of the sign in the front of the daycare that I saw him taking. The clip lasted all of 5 seconds...

But I am not going to give up! I will be contacting the station today to see if they can email me the video clip of the girls that they didnt use. Let's keep our paws crossed!

Lab Brats on TV Tonight!

The Lab Brats had a blast at the Doggy Easter Egg Hunt today! The frigid cold and snow couldn't stop them and they just had to show off enough to get the attention of one of the local news station camera guys. Yep! He did a close up of our girls eating their huge edible doggy Easter eggs they found during the event - and I mean CLOSE UP! He probably even got some drool on his camera during their chowing down on the eggs! As he walked away, he said "Thank you - they will be on CBS 58 News at Ten tonight." Woo hoo! The Lab Brats will be television stars on the news tonight. So, everyone in the Milwaukee area, watch the news at 10 o'clock tonight and you should see our precious chocolate Labs!

Not to worry for those that can't watch it, we will be recording it on the DVR tonight and see about getting it posted soon. We are just so excited - it was well worth braving the freezing cold!

Happy Easter!

Dog Easter Egg Hunt

We have a fun filled day planned for us tomorrow. The Lab Brats are taking us to the Central Bark Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow! Yep! That's right! It is an Easter Egg hunt for dogs! Read on:

• What: Easter Egg Hunt for dogs featuring edible dog Easter eggs. There will be prizes and activities. Currently planned will be face painting for kids, dog art area, demo by the Oak Creek Police K-9 unit, clicker demo with Pat Arnold-Mora. There will be a concession area with hotdogs and drinks available for purchase. And more. The event, in addition to being a fun filled day, is a fund raiser for MYPAW (Milwaukee Youth Promoting Animal Welfare). They are trying to raise money for a trip to Best Friends in Nevada, or is it Utah, in August.
• Price: $10 Per Dog, $5 for each additional dog from the same family
• When: April 7th, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Where: Central Bark Doggy Day Care, Oak Creek, Wisconsin

We will be sure to post some pictures when we get back! Hope to see some of you there!

Breeding Advice

I have a query with respect to not breeding your lab .
Incase u decide not to breed your lab, then do you think spaying is the best option.
Does spaying affect the behaviour of the lab
~krishh

Having your dog fixed can definitely alter the behavior of the animal. Some have seen their male dogs become more submissive and less aggressive. Some have seen their female pups become more laid back and easier to control. In truth, it varies due to the level of hormones within the body of the dog and when it is spayed or neutered. The general rule is to not alter your pup before 6 months of age as you do not want to hinder the growth hormone and the pup's growth development. However, when having your female dog spayed, you will want to find a veterinarian that does a complete removal of all the reproductive organs in the dog. Why? Well, the reproductive organs can sometimes cause illness or disease within the dog and cause it to have a short lifespan.

Both Dakota and Cheyenne were spayed shortly after they were 6 months old. Although Dakota had the perfect form and temperament to be a perfect breeding Lab, we did not want to risk her health just to breed her. In the end, we made a great choice because Dakota was diagnosed with hip dysplasia just short of 2 years old. Therefore, there was no question in our minds to have Cheyenne spayed as well since they are both from the same parents and therefore Cheyenne has a good chance of developing hip dysplasia as well, if not passing it onto her pups.

Owners should only breed their Labrador Retrievers in order to better the line of the breed. They should never breed just to get another pup like their own (that seldom happens) and they should never breed solely for profit as that is what is known as a "backyard breeder". Lastly, if an owner chooses to breed their Lab, they should become an expert on the subject before attempting it. We recommend contacting the AKC or CKC organizations for literature on the subject as well as contacting local reputable breeders to apprentice.

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Breeding Young Pup

Here's the deal...My mom wants to breed me once. She's never bred dogs before and she needs to know some things... How will she know when I'm ready? I have had my first heat before I came to live with her when I was 6 months old. I am 1 year and 4 months now. How does she go about finding a stud and how much does stud service usually cost? And if I need to have a c-section, how much does that usually run? Thanks in advance for the help!
~Chata

First, pups should not be bred until they are at least 2 years old. This gives them enough time to go through all their hormonal changes and have adequate checking for any health or genetic concerns they could pass down to their litter. So, your mommy should not breed you for a while longer.

Second, why does your mommy want to breed you? The reason I ask is because you mentioned that she wants to breed you just once. Usually breeding is done to better the quality of the dog breed line and not because you are cute or have a good personality. A good portion of the time, the pups dont turn out anything like there parents... we are perfect example of this. We are from the same parents but two separate litters. Night and day personalities, night and day health, night and day everything! There isn't one thing we have in common - heck, even the size of our paws are greatly different.

So, please do not breed if it is for these reasons. If you still plan to breed, please wait until your pup is over 2 years old and has had all of the health checks. Then talk to your vet about breeding because the longer you put off spaying, the greater the chance on your pup developing some nasty health problems like cancer.

Lab smiles,
Dakota & Cheyenne