Dog Profile: Ms. Cheyenne

Well, you can't do something for Dakota without doing it for Cheyenne. Little Ms. Cheyenne would have a fit if she knew that her sister got something that she didn't. In order to make her Her Highness is not stressed, we give you Cheyenne's Dog Profile.

• Name:
  Cheyenne
• Home:
  Wisconsin
• Gender:
  Female
• Weight:
  74 lbs
• Birthday:
  November 3, 2005
• Age:
  2 Years Old
• Nicknames:
  Wee One, Chey-Chey
  
• Quick Bio:
  Purebred Chocolate Labrador Retriever and little sister to Dakota
  
• Likes:
  Cheetos, Bully Sticks, Watermelon
  
• Pet-Peeves:
  Gentle leaders, not being able to play when she wants to, and people thinking she is a boy just because of her size
  
• Favorite Toy:
  Retrieving Balls and Squeaky Footballs
  
• Favorite Food:
  Lamb treats
  
• Favorite Walk:
  Anywhere as long as her mommy, daddy, and sister are there
  
• Best Tricks:
  Picking on her big sister
  
• Arrival Story:
  Cheyenne is our second chocolate labbie to keep her big sister company and play with her. Picked her up from a breeder 4 hours south of us.
  
• Motto:
  Sharp teeth are made to be used on my big sister!

Dog Profile: Ms. Dakota

After all this time blogging about the Lab Brats, I have yet to profile either one. No one truly knows the personality and mindset of our wonderful dogs, so I thought it fine time to profile them. So, without further hesitation, I give you Ms. Dakota - Lab Brat Extraordinaire!

• Name:
  Dakota
• Home:
  Wisconsin
• Gender:
  Female
• Weight:
  84 lbs
• Birthday:
  February 18, 2005
• Age:
  2 Years Old
• Nicknames:
  Miss Wiggle Bottom, Brat
• Quick Bio:
  Purebred Chocolate Labrador Retriever and big sister to Cheyenne
  
• Likes:
  Cheetos, Bully Sticks, Watermelon
  
• Pet-Peeves:
  Gentle leaders, not being able to play when she wants to, and people thinking she is a boy just because of her size
  
• Favorite Toy:
  Music Footballs and Cuz
  
• Favorite Food:
  Watermelon, Apples
  
• Favorite Walk:
  Around the neighborhood or the dog park
  
• Best Tricks:
  Begging on command and drooling like a waterfall
  
• Arrival Story:
  Present for my husband after he overcame a major medical illness.
  
• Motto:
  If I can get to it - I can eat it!

Not So Innocent Pup

I try and try but nothing seems to work. Dakota thinks she is just too cute for words. So much so, that she has to come into the bedroom while I am changing in the morning and place her head on the edge of the bed. She just rests her head on the opposite side of the bed and looks at me with those sad and drooping eyes. Who could resist such a face?

It wouldn't be so bad except Dakota wants to make herself look exceptionally cute and irresistible. How? Well, when mommy isn't paying attention, Dakota will head into the kitchen and get herself a bit of water. Alright, she is Dakota so there is no "small amount" of anything. If you haven't read a small fact about Dakota in our blog thus far, let me share a little secret with you - Dakota dips all over her chin in the water while drinking and when she lifts her head, it is like Niagara Falls! Hence, we have indoor/outdoor floor mats under both her and Cheyenne's elevated bowls. (Cheyenne doesn't really need them as she is more of a delicate drinker but sometimes Dakota will use her water bowl when no one is looking so we have to be prepared.)

So, back to what I was saying. Dakota decides that since daddy is busy and won't be there to wipe her mouth after she is done getting a "small" drink, she will go and visit mommy in the bedroom right away. (You can see where this is heading, can't you?) She then walks into the room in a way where I can't see her face on the other side of the bed until she sweetly lays here head on the bed and stares over at me.

At first my heart melts and then my brain kicks in. Wait a minute! Why is she leaving her head on my good comforter so long? Holy chocolate Batman! She just drank water!!! She's done it again!

With one leg in my pants, I hobble over to Dakota as she dashes out of the room laughing. (Yes, I truly think she is laughing at me at this point) What do my eyes behold but a huge wet spot the size of my husband's shoe on the edge of my beautiful dark blue comforter!

I wonder if it is Dakota's way of saying that she would rather high quality fabric dog towels then our old beat up hand-me-down bath towels we currently use. Figures nothing is good enough for the "Queen". Well, except for my high end bedding!

Dog First Aid Kit

We were picking up a new bag of dog food for the Lab Brats this weekend when we noticed a woman from a local rescue group had set up a table at the front of the pet store. Of course, being the curious dog owner that I am, I went directly for the table (since my dogs weren't with me, I didn't have to worry about them getting into trouble).

The whole table was filled with information on evacuating your animals and animal first aid kits. Living in the Midwest doesn't make me too nervous about evacuations but it occurred to me that we don't have a first aid kit put together for our beloved canines. So, I picked up a list and will begin shopping this week!

Small Animal (dog and cat) First Aid Kits should include:

• Activated charcoal (liquids)
• Anti-diarrhea liquid or tablets
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antibiotic eye ointment
• Bandage scissors
• Bandage tape
• Betadine or Nolvasan
• Cotton bandage rolls
• Cotton-tipped swabs
• Elastic bandage rolls
• Eye rinse (sterile)
• Flea and tick prevention and treatment
• Gauze pads and rolls
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Ice cream sticks (may be used as splints)
• Isopropyl alcohol/alcohol prep pads
• Latex gloves or non-allergenic gloves
• Liquid dish detergent (mild wound cleaner)
• Measuring spoons
• Medications and preventatives such as heartworm prevention
• Non-adherent bandage pads
• Saline solution
• Sterile lubricant (water-based)
• Styptic powder (clotting agent)
• Syringe or eyedropper
• Thermometer (digital)
• Tourniquet
• Towel and washcloth
• Tweezers

You can get an old backpack to put everything in which makes it easy to throw into the trunk of your car or have around the house.

Dakota taught us a couple of weeks ago how important a first aid kit is after she had her nails clipped at the vet and ended up bleeding all over our car's backseat 15 minutes later. We had to drive back to the vet because we didn't have any styptic powder on hand. If we did, it would have saved Dakota great deal of anguish as well as her mommy and daddy.

The Labrador Breed

So many people post questions online about the Labrador Retriever breed and what to expect when bringing one into their homes. I applaud those people that do research on the breed before attempting to include one in their family. Often though, people bring home a Lab puppy because they are cute and cuddly or they see a 5-year old well trained Lab and think that is the way their puppy is going to come. Yes, the Lab breed is the perfect breed for a good number of home (I know I am bias) but you should really know what you are getting into before bringing one home.

When I watched this video, I knew I had to share it. Sure, it is from a specific dog food company, that we don't use, but everything else stated in the video is dead on. Even down to the pup that won't come to greet its owner home until I runs to retrieve something to bring to its human. That has Cheyenne written all over it!

So, sit back and watch this great video. You may already know everything they cover but just watching all the beautiful Labs is well worth it! Enjoy!

Time for a Change

It's time for a change in schedule. You see, the Lab Brats think that just because mommy works from home all day that they can request play time (continuously), demand that they be let outside when they want to (in and out and in and out and... so on) and that mommy is here just to entertain them. Well, things are changing in this Lab house and the humans are coming back in control; starting with a new schedule for the Lab Brats.

No more in and out all day. They now get out for a walk in the morning, then get fed, and then let outside some more before daddy heads to work. Then they are indoors for the rest of the day until 5pm. Trust me, it isn't an easy schedule to do so I have to slowly wean them to the new schedule - starting with slowly making their afternoon "outside time" later and later. It is a slow progression because they have to get used to going to the bathroom at set times and being a little less demanding.

Why am I doing this? First, because Dakota and Cheyenne are trying out for the alpha role in the house and that position is already taken by yours truly. They will bug me while I am on the computer by pushing their toys into my lap or performing this high pitched barking/opera behind me to get my attention. When that doesn't work, Dakota will start pawing at the water bottle change jar on the floor to get my attention.

Worse, they do this at night as well. Daddy will come home, play with them for an hour and it will still not be enough. Yes, I know they need more activity and right now I am waiting for information on getting Cheyenne into Flyball and Dakota into Tracking. But, while we wait, it is time for the humans to get their house back and let the Lab Brats know who is in charge! Even if it sends them howling!

Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde-Lab

I have come up with a new nickname for our beloved Dakota; Dr. Jekyll, Ms. Hyde-Lab! (laugh)

One minute she is a normal Labrador Retriever; giving you those Sad Sam type of eyes and giving you kisses. Once you break out the tennis balls or squeaky toy (usually a Cuz), Dakota is gone and replaced by Ms. Hyde-Lab! She becomes a savage and obsessive beast! It is like she has been replaced by the body snatchers and for that reason I would call her a Pod Dog but it goes beyond that.

You see, she feels the need to run around the house grabbing every tennis ball or squeaky that exists! It doesn't matter how her mouth is only equipped to carry a couple of toys at one time. Nope! Not Dakota! Her mouth is unnatural as she now able to extend it to fit not 1, 2, or 3 balls but 4 tennis balls in her mouth at once!! Now, don't get me wrong, she isn't a Mastiff and wasn't bred with a hamster or a snake so she has the normal English Labrador Retriever mouth. She is just able to shove all in her mouth.



On top of that, she will taunt her little sister, Cheyenne, with the toys. She will pile them all in front of her, with her paws around those that she cannot fit into her mouth and open the space between her paws only slightly to allow Cheyenne to *think* she has a chance to get even one to play with. When Cheyenne goes for the bait, Dakota will wrap her arms and paws around them tightly and lower her head on top of them. It reminds me of kids that spread their Halloween candy across the dining table to show their little sibling what a haul they made and then throw their bodies on top of it when the sibling goes to grab a piece.

It is like she is no longer our sweet girl. She doesn't bite, snarl, or get aggressive with them at all! Just hogs all the toys and then taunts you to try and grab one successfully. What a brat! (LOL)

Curious - Does this sound like your dog?

We have Halloween Labs!

It's not too early to shop for Halloween!

I have added a few new Labrador designs to my 8 Paws Up Lab Store to help celebrate the holiday season. These designs come on shirts, mugs, baby items, mousepads and more!

Just click on the image to see what products they come on!

Halloween Chocolate Lab


Halloween Yellow Lab


Halloween Black Lab


Yummy Halloween Chocolate

Aren't these adorable? I can't take credit for the art work on the cartoon Labs but I will tell you that the Yummy Halloween Chocolate is our very own Dakota when she was just 8 weeks old! Now you can see why I am partial to chocolate!

Article: Choosing the Right Dog Food: What to Ask

Once again, I am a published author! My latest work "Choosing the Right Dog Food: What to Ask" has now been published by my client online. For those that don't know, the Lab Brats mom is a published dog expert freelance writer. With all the concerns about dog food and contamination, this is one of the most important articles I have written.

• Choosing the Right Dog Food: What to Ask
  By Shannon K. Steffen
  Dog foods come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. Wet dog food is used primarily for those canines with particular taste palettes or as an intermittent treat. For the less discriminating, dog dry food varieties are available. It is not necessarily the delicate palette of a dog that determines what type of food it eats, but rather a combination of its dietary need, availability of the food brand in the area, owner preferences, and financial cost.

So, please take a moment to read the article, and of course, feel free to leave a comment on what you think about the article.

Labrador Proof Tennis Balls?

We may have found a tennis ball that outlasts Dakota! Normally, she will get a tennis ball in her mouth, only to pop the ball in half not even 10 minutes later. She just love to pull the fuzz off the balls and pop them in half! We thought it was only a fuzzy ball thing so we tried to get her handballs and those were popped right in half as well!
So, we went to our local sports store and found a bag of Wilson Tennis Balls that included 12 balls for $9.99. Heck, that is a lot less then the tennis balls at the pet store! We figured - why not! So, we brought them home and noticed they are a bit different then other tennis balls. These ones have a bit of "give" to them. Meaning, they are slightly squishy. Since they aren't as hard as regular tennis balls, Dakota can bring the Jaws of Lab down on them and they have enough give to not pop in half but still bounce like a regular tennis ball!

If you have a dog that breaks through tennis balls but is a ball fanatic, we recommend these highly. Just make sure they aren't the ones that are rock hard (like a normal tennis ball) and that you never leave your pup to play with them while unattended as they can become a choking hazard if your pup is able to break them into pieces.

The Lab Brats hope you have a ball! :)

The Lab Brats Swim!

Labor day in our city is not just about taking the day off work and having a BBQ with our family. In our family, it is a day of celebration for the local community pool is open to the dogs!



As we approached the park, we were in awe with the number of dog lovers that had come out to allow their pups some swim time. We stood on this amazingly long line while Dakota kept her eyes on the ball in her daddy's hand and Cheyenne pulled me to inspect every dog that approached the line. Yes, Dakota is a ball fanatic (heck, she is a Lab!) and Cheyenne is the greeting committee who must introduce herself to every single pup!



Once we were in, both girls fell immediately into the deep end of the pool and tried to hustle back onto dry land. Of course, they looked to us to pull them out of the pool and get drenched in the meantime! Needless to say, we could not ignore those Sad Sam eyes as they paddled their little (big) hearts out. Not to worry though, after a while they found a nice shallow area to play a little ball with daddy.



By this time, it started to get way too crowded for us and the Lab Brats. As we headed out, we lucked out on a small 3.5ft deep pool in the back corner that only had a couple of pups in it. The next 30 minutes were ball flying frenzy! They just couldn't get enough. Well, that was until Cheyenne decided she should inhale the pool water while diving head-first into the pool for the ball. Even though that didn't slow her down, it was time for a rest and the pups didn't mind as they fell fast asleep, nestled in the back seat of my car and sopping wet!

Until next year! :)

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