Oh No! Elbow Growth!

Prayers seem to be the topic of the day. A couple of days ago, I was giving Dakota a rub down when I noticed a pea-sized bump on her left elbow. At first, I thought it was part of her bony elbow but it moved every time I rubbed the area. Dakota was neither phased nor feeling pain from it.

Having had dogs my entire life, I know that tumors, cysts, and other types of growth can occur. Needless to say, I immediately called my husband to see what his reaction was to the situation. Since Dakota has her daddy wrapped around her big paw, I could use his emotion on the topic to decide if a vet visit was warranted.

Even though Dakota is only 2.5 years old, we decided to bring her to the vet because growths under the skin can lead to complications. Depending on what the growth is, it could easily grow to be larger and in doing so wrap itself around nerves and blood vessels. Hence, Dakota's limb and life could be at stake.

We headed to the vet yesterday and although he thinks it is nothing more then a cyst, he agrees that it could get out of hand and cause her pain, discomfort, or complications down the road. So, on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, I will be dropping Dakota off bright and early so that she can have surgery to remove the growth. They will need to put her out for this because a local anesthetic in the elbow will not help her to keep that limb still while they try to work. They will not need to keep her overnight or anything so I will be picking her up later that afternoon with just a couple of stitches in her elbow. The growth will be sent out for pathology and they will then determine if it is just a cyst or something we need to be more concerned about. That, of course, will take a week of waiting!

Oh! Since she will be under the anesthetic for the growth removal, we figure that would be a great time to get her pearly whites pearly white again! Heck, it costs around $200 to put her under. We may as well get her engine checked, coolant flushed, and tires rotated while she is in there! (laugh)

I will be sure to update the Lab Brats blog with her progress during next Tuesday's operation and her recovery. Please say a doggy prayer for our beloved Dakota; that she deals with not being able to eat that morning while her sister can, that the surgery goes smoothly, that Cheyenne doesn't go insane being without her sister all day, that Dakota's recovery will be speedy, and that pathology comes back negative on the growth. Thank you and doggy blessings!

Mushy Mutt

I love to start mornings like this!

My husband was walking by Dakota when she rolled over to show her belly. She wanted love and a nice big belly rub. Dakota was in, what we like to call, a "mushy" mood. All she wanted was love and attention. Without hesitation, her daddy succumbed to those eyes and began to give her a belly rub.

At that moment, I came into the room and she looked up at me with those same eyes. Sure, she was getting a belly rub but she could use more attention. So, I caved in as well and started to massage her ears while her daddy continued to give her big belly rubs.

Cheyenne heard everything going on and walked calmly into the room to see what was happening. She knows better then to push our arms out of the way or act in any manner to get our attention off her sister and onto her. Normally, she will just sit patiently next to us and wait until we are done with Dakota in order to receive her own love and attention.

Not this time! Instead of sitting nicely and waiting, she walked over to her Dakota's face and started to give her kisses all over the mouth and head. So, there were were. One big loving family; showering Dakota with all the love she can handle at one time and she enjoyed every second of it!

Dakota enjoying the morning sun.

Doggy Birthday Surprise

A week from tomorrow (Nov. 3), our sweet little Cheyenne will be turning 2 years old. Some still think she is a puppy. Sure, she is around 74lbs but her face and personality lead everyone to believe she is just shy of a 1-year old. Nope, I promise you that she is going on her 2nd birthday and this Lab mommy is sad because her baby is growing up way too fast.

In light of Cheyenne's birthday, I thought it would be fun to solicit some help from our wonderful blog readers. Every doggy birthday in our house is celebrated with a once a year treat. We have done a doggy birthday cake, doggy brownies, raw cow bones from the butcher, and bully sticks. Due to health concerns, the bully sticks are no longer on our birthday treat list (as the Lab Brats like to swallow whole chunks of them) but we would love to see what you think we should give Cheyenne for her birthday. What do you think?




Not to worry about Dakota; she won't miss out on the birthday treat. The Lab Brats are treated equally in this house and both get birthday treats when it is either dog's birthday. So, both Dakota and Cheyenne are very excited to see what you will pick for Cheyenne's birthday treat. Vote now because if Dakota drools any more, thinking about all the good stuff coming their way, we will have an indoor pool!

Life with Labs!

So now what shall I write? Shall I tell you about Dakota's obsessive-compulsive disorder with the stuffed duck toy or the fact that she threw up this morning after being given her supplements and medication at the same time. How about how Cheyenne steals Dakota's bed or that she will throw you down on the ground if you refuse to give her your face for just one small kiss.

And, to top it all off, I think Dakota has learned to spell because we cannot even spell things around her without her reacting. If I spell E-A-R-S, she runs and hides; knowing we are thinking about cleaning her ears. Spelling I-C-E-C-R-E-A-M finds her running towards the freezer for some doggy ice cream. We don't even look at her and we can be in an entirely different room from the dogs. It never fails!

Cheyenne, on the other hand, can care less. She doesn't have time to try and spell. She figures that you will say the word when you are good and ready. If you don't say it, it isn't worth her time even getting up. All she does to watch what mommy says and where mommy walks to in order to decide if it is worth getting up.

Ah, such is the life of Labrador Retrievers. It is a never-ending energetic learning process. Even after three years and two dogs, you would think that we have seen it all. Not as far as that Lab Brats are concerned. We (my husband and I) think it is a plot to drive us insane. One minute they are our big mushy girls and the next minute they are running around like someone gave them Jolt soda! And you know what - we wouldn't trade it for the world!

Cheyenne's Shining Moment

I can't help but be a proud Lab mommy today.

Sunday we get up bright and early to meet our dog training club and get the Lab Brats some much needed training. I was a bit concerned when we woke up to find both Dakota and Cheyenne full of energy and obsessed with playing. Normally that is a bad sign for training, when Labs are concerned, because they are more easily distracted during the training lesson. However, we decided to combat the Lab energy with some good old fashioned run through the tall field grasses.

Labrador Retrievers seem to naturally gravitate towards the really tall grasses of the open fields and thank goodness our dog training is right on the other side of one of these fields. So, we left early and headed to the training course. As soon as we got near the field, we removed the leashes and had the girls sit and stay until we gave them the release. They were given the release command and off they went.

However, that is not what I am truly proud of. This day was to be our 2nd full day of training on a Sunday and our girls were a little behind because of the new commands and hand signals. Normally Cheyenne loves to just bark at her sister while learning the moves and although she did bark from time to time, she shocked the living daylights out of me.

Cheyenne was in standing in front of me while we listened to the trainer. Without a word, she walked slowly around the back of me, headed to my left side, and then sat down in a perfect heel position. I never gave a command or even looked at her. She knew, from training earlier that day, that when I am standing still, she is supposed to sit on my left and face the same direction I am facing. I was so amazed that I gave her tons of praise and then walked her over to the other end of the line to see her sister (and tell my husband what happened). Letting her interact with Dakota throughout training is a mega-praise for her and she deserved every second of it.

Good girl, Cheyenne! Mommy's proud of you!

Cheyenne playing in the snow
(2006)

New Lab Website Design!

We are proud to announce that our Labrador Retriever Information & Dog Gifts Store, 8PawsUp.com, now has a new look. We have been busy with our partner designing the perfect website design to allow visitors to find their way around quickly while keeping it true to the Lab lover's spirit. It has a beautiful chocolate Lab pup greeting visitors and displays our official website logo; a cute yellow Lab. We carry unique original purebred, rescue, or mix Chocolate, Yellow, or Black Labrador Retriever dog designs, art, and photography on t-shirts and dog lover gifts.


So, please stop by our Lab store today and let us know what you think! Constructive feedback is always welcome. Heck, we want to make sure we are doing our justice to our inspiration behind the site, Dakota & Cheyenne. (wink)

Dog Beds for Labs

Every once in a while, I get a question from one of our blog readers that just speaks to my heart. It is kind of like "been there, done that" and because of my experience with the Lab Brats, I would like to think I have become a little wiser in my not-so-old age. It was a comment from yesterday's blog with a question thrown onto the end that I knew I had to answer.

I wouldn't trade Diesel in for anything! This weekend he had a bad case of gastroenteritis - he ate part of his bed. If you have any tips on how to get him to stop eating his bedding - please share! We spent $400 on him this weekend for medication, special food, a new bed,(which he chewed up again) etc. And nope - removing the bed and putting towels doesn't work either - he LOVES towels! ~Kate

I hear you loud and clear Kate! Dakota destroyed one bed when she was a pup and I was away on business and Cheyenne is not allowed to have a bed!

Dakota's incident was a simple way of telling me that she was not happy that I went away for a few days. My husband called to tell me that she was getting sick and my business trip was called short so that I could come home and take care of her; the only way a dog mommy can. It was a simple one-time thing and she now has no problems with dog beds.

Well, alright, she has one problem with dog beds - Cheyenne. We cannot even have a dog bed in the house because Cheyenne wants to always see what's inside. Remember, Labrador Retrievers are hunters by nature and although Dakota doesn't show this type of behavior, Cheyenne is all hunter. Cedar chips, foam, fluff; you name it and she wants to get her mouth on it. Needless to say, our house will continue to be without dog beds for some time because, quite frankly, it is too expensive to keep replacing them.

So what do we do? No, our precious dogs do not sleep on the hard cold floor nor do they sleep on any "people" furniture. I found a quick and cheap way to give them their beds and keep Cheyenne from temptation. Quilts! We hand our bedroom quilts down to our dogs when we are done with them and fold them twice over to make a nice large and comfy square for the Lab Brats to sleep on. Dakota has an old king size quilt and Cheyenne has an old queen size quilt. They were just hanging around and we decided to try and reuse what we already had instead of replacing their beds with expensive dog beds.

The best thing is that if you don't have an old quilt, you can buy one at the local thrift store for cheap. Whether you have a hand-me-down quilt or a new one, make sure it is one that you have slept on or with for a while and has your scent all over it. Do not wash it before giving it to the Lab so that your scent is still on it. This will help deter the dog from destroying it as well. Nothing gives them more pleasure then being close to you.

Since Labs generally like to "fluff" their beds (at least Cheyenne does), the quilt can withstand a lot of fluffing and even some chewing on the ends. Also, because it is relatively thin and Cheyenne can "fluff" it until it is the normal queen size, she thinks she is getting inside the bed and has no desire to tear it apart. In her own way, she is tearing it apart since we find it sprawled out all over their bedroom floor every morning. All we have to do is refold it to the square shape to "make the bed" and it is done. No mess, no expensive replacements, and no trips to the vet for a Lab being its curious self and ingesting some of the bedding accidentally (or intentionally).

And, when you travel, just slip the quilt into your car for your pup to lay on and it has a sense of home, with its scent on it, to keep your pup feeling safe and calm. *wink*

PS - We do not mean your grandmother's hand-sewn quilt. We mean a nice inexpensive comforter that you can get at any store. Sorry for the confusion - I am originally from the East Coast and we have a habit of calling things by different names then most people. (laugh)

Morning Inspection Routine

We all have our normal routines in the morning. Some routines are simply a matter of preference and others are simply a matter of Labrador Retrievers.

If you have Labs, you know that they have certain things they just have to do. This morning, we were going through our normal morning ritual of my getting dressed after a shower. I went into my closet to get my clothes for the day while the Lab Brats filed into the bedroom to keep me company. I sat down to put my pants on when Dakota did her normal morning routine. Dakota slowly walks over to me as I am putting on the first pant leg and continues to sniff up the pant leg to the crotch and keep sniffing the crotch of the pants for a good 30 seconds longer before allowing me to put on my pants. It doesn't matter if the pants are brand new or just laundered. Dakota has to inspect my pants every single day to ensure that they meet her specifications.

Nope! I have no idea what a Lab's specifications for pants crotch smells are and, quite frankly, I think I will leave that secret with the Labs. I just can't help but laugh because the crotch of the pants will only be up to my knee when Dakota starts her doggy investigating. I try to tell her they were just washed but she ignores me and continues her sniff. It is her routine and hers alone. Cheyenne could care less as she watches from a laying position on the other side of the room. If you watch Cheyenne closely enough, while Dakota is going through her "routine", I am sure you can catch her rolling her eyes at her sister in embarrassment.

Mud Dog Training Survivor

We made it through the "mud training" unscathed on Wednesday night and learned a great deal. Although we were bumped up to this class (we didn't have to start at the basic level since the Lab Brats already had some training), we found out quickly that there are many different ways of training and that all of them has both positive and negative aspects.

Training on a dark, cold, and rainy night definitely redefines the alpha role in the pack. Cheyenne and Dakota really couldn't see each other that well from each side of the training line so there was very little dog talk during the class. At the end of the night, I felt so bad for Cheyenne though that I wanted to just wrap my arms around her and get her to forgive me.

Why? Well, it is difficult to appreciate the dark chocolate color of our Labrador Retrievers in the dark and it is even more difficult to see them. The class was moving at a very fast pace and, while trying to keep up, I stepped on my poor puppy's tail a few times. After jumping up in her spot, she would shoot a look up at me as to tell me "Hey mom! Watch it! I am doing what you tell me so why do you keep hurting me?" I felt so bad because it was so dark, rainy, and muddy that our "Reverse" (or Backup) training lesson kept resulting in Cheyenne and I colliding with each other; mainly me and her tail. I felt like a kid learning to do the waltz with partner that was just as clumsy as me.

Thankfully, Cheyenne did forgive me after loads of praise and kisses. How did Dakota do? Not a clue! My husband has been tight-lipped about his lesson with Dakota at the other end of the line. Her tail and paws don't seem to be broken so at least that is a good sign. (laugh)

Remember, this was our first time training in the elements and since we know we couldn't get much worse, it is only up from here. Thank goodness my training partner loves me unconditional. Such is life with loving and very forgiving Labs.

Mud Training Tonight

It's supposed to be in the 50's today and rainy later. Perfect weather for our first nighttime outdoors training session! (laugh) If you don't have a Labrador Retriever, then you don't understand what the cold wet weather means. Simply put, it means the dog is going to have tons of energy and want to get wet. It doesn't matter if it isn't raining, they will find the nearest mug swamp and roll around in it to test out their thick weather-proof winter jacket.

Dakota has perfect senses when it comes to finding the closest water/mud hole in the area. Sure, the Lab Brats will have their training collars on and a nice 6 ft leash but that doesn't mean that they will be deterred. It simply means that they will have to work that much harder; even if they have to drag mommy or daddy through the mud along with them. And once mommy and daddy are all full of mud, they will thank Dakota and Cheyenne for sharing the fun with them. Um, not really. However, that is perfectly logical in their minds.

They have already been told that dog training is tonight and yes, Dakota understands the difference between tonight and tomorrow. So, the Lab Brats are busy resting in their spots and trying to conserve all the energy for tonight. For tonight - the fun begins! (LOL)

Talking Lab Brats

Talk about interrupting the class! When kids are in class, they are supposed to remain quiet while the teacher talks and talking to other classmates is a big no-no. What about when your sibling is in the same class and you just can't stand the thought of not being next to them?

Welcome Dakota and Cheyenne to the Milwaukee Dog Training Club! Our first day was yesterday morning and lasted 1.5 hours outside in the humid and warm air. Sure, the Lab Brats have been to training before but it was always inside a classroom. Get outside and they get selective hearing. So, we decided to get them involved in more extensive obedience training where the distractions were plenty! The biggest distraction was the fact that we decided to keep the girls at opposite ends of the training line so that they paid attention to us rather than each other.

Training was a bit more difficult because of the outdoors distractions of birds, other training classes, and even the smallest of flies but everything was going fine. That was, of course, until they got our class in a semi-circle to give club announcements. At that point, Dakota and Cheyenne were directly across from each other and yet a couple of dozen feet apart. So, as one of the instructors was talking, here are the Lab Brats talking to each other across the class. A howling-like talk with some quick high-pitched barks thrown in just to let us know that they weren't happy and wanted each other. A quick tug of their leash would stop them but only for a few seconds until the other one started. Back and forth they went for a good 10 minutes and everyone kept snickering but didn't let the Lab Brats know how entertaining they were.

This is exactly why we decided to continue their obedience training. The Lab Brats are . . . well . . . brats! When it comes to each other, commands are thrown out the door and their mind is focused on getting to each other. So, my friends, it seems like this further dog training is going to be tiresome but well worth it in the end. Thank goodness it is twice a week because although we think it is great that they love each other so, they keep forgetting that we are the ones that feed them and therefore maybe they should start listening to us. Let's hope they understand by Wednesday's training that the class is supposed to be seen and not heard. (laugh)

Still Sick Pups

Waiting is always the hardest part.

Yesterday was my husband's turn to get a stool sample from Cheyenne as Dakota is now having a problem with loose stools. At 1am Thursday morning, I hear this tapping noise and couldn't figure out what it was. Unlike Cheyenne's barking, Dakota scratches at the back door when she wants to be let out. Well, it was her turn to go and go she did.

I took the stool sample to the vet first thing yesterday morning. After handing them $17 to check my pup's poop (laugh), they told me that they would call me Friday if they found anything. Well, today is Friday and now I get to sit here and wait like a patience doggy mommy. I hate to say it but I hope they find something easy like worms so they can give me some medicine for the Lab Brats and we can be done with it. If they don't find anything in the stool, then we will need to bring Cheyenne in for a full physical and we all know how expensive that can get.

I mean, her energy, appetite, and demeanor are great and you can't tell there is a problem until you see her bowel movements. Their daddy and I have refrained from giving them any human treats and they have been going insane; wondering what they did wrong that they aren't able to have some watermelon or even a bit of yogurt. I truly feel bad for them and pray this is over with soon. So, some doggy prayers are more than welcome and hopefully the Lab Brats will be on their way to recovery within a few short hours.

Dyson and the Lab Brats

Do your dog watch television? Well, our Cheyenne does and it is a hoot!

We have a 32" wide screen flat panel television and ever since we brought it home, Cheyenne has been mesmerized by the pretty pictures and moving objects. Dakota could care less at times but Cheyenne is sitting right at our feet and glued to the tube. Why? They are Labs and Labrador Retrievers love two things; moving objects and squeaky noises!

Their favorite commercial? The Dyson commercial of course! I wasn't able to get Cheyenne or Dakota on video reacting to this commercial so I went to YouTube to share the commercial with all our readers. What I found was amazing! There are more than a dozen other families that have caught their dogs insane reactions to the same Dyson commercial. While I continue to wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes, here is one I thought I would share with you.



Of course, this was not either of the Lab Brats but this is how they react every time that commercial comes on the tube. Want to know something even funnier? While checking out all the clips on YouTube for dogs reacting to this specific commercial, Cheyenne and Dakota both ran into my office and flipped out while they were watching the clip. They thought there was a toy party in my office and I forgot to invite them!

We hope you enjoy the clip as much as we did. Now, if you don't mind, I am going to find a box of Kleenex because I just can't stop laughing!

Upset Doggy Tummy

My restful night's sleep was cut short again last night. The second night in a row.

Early this morning, I was once again woken by the sound of a single high pitched bark. My body seems to run on autopilot these days and I knew instinctively what it was. Cheyenne had to go out to the bathroom and she had to go now. No waiting until the alarm clock woke us from our slumber. No waiting until the first rays of sunlight hit our block. Nope! It was an emergency and she needed someone now!

I walked a steady pace to see the back door where Cheyenne was waiting not so patiently. I just couldn't open the door fast enough so Cheyenne decided to use her big block head to head my sleeping arm with the weight of the door. Off she rushed to the green grass and what I thought would take a few seconds turned into a few minutes. For the second night in a row, my poor baby's tummy was upset and she was doing the "diarrhea poop walk" around our entire yard.

My mind automatically raced to all the things she has eaten in the last couple of days. Sure, we give her fruits and some tidbits of other stuff here and there but nothing out of the ordinary for her. Alas, the Lab Brats won't be happy as we now have to cut back on their "human" snacks and only allow them dog food and dog treats to rule out the culprit. If she does not get better in a few days, after just giving her the normal food, then we will need to bring a stool sample in to the vet to check for bugs or parasites.

For my husband's sake, I hope it doesn't come down to that. You see, it is his turn to collect a stool sample and given what I have seen from Cheyenne lately, I am glad it wouldn't be me!