Lab on the Mend

Ironic as it may be, Dakota and Cheyenne are quite different when it comes to their love of climate. For Dakota, it can never be warm enough. For Cheyenne, it can never be cold enough. It kind of reminds me of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Even though Dakota would rather the warmth, she has no problem playing in the snow for short periods of time. Unfortunately, the playing in the snow recently has left Dakota's hip stiff and sore. So much so that we had to resort to giving her Metacam and crating her (and her sister to be fair) so that she would stay laying down and rest the hip.

For those that don't know, Dakota has a mild form of canine hip dysplasia and it usually will act up during the warmer and wetter months. However, it seems that the depth of the snow and the slippery ice underneath were far more than her hip could handle. Not to worry though - she doesn't need any surgery and some old fashion rest with heal her sore hip. It is just such a pain to have to confine her in order to get her to rest - or even worse, keep her from the recreation room stairs (her play room area is in the basement rec room).

If she were a kid, we can easily just tell her to stay in her bed and she may listen better. However, since we live on a busier street and she loves to bark at every passerby, we have no choice but to physically limit her activities.

Heck, it is only for a couple of days... but to a Labrador Retriever... that is a lifetime!

Long Lost Sibling?

My ventures online found me once again at something so funny that I had to share. If you remember an earlier post on "The Lab Brats vs. Bubble Wrap", then you will truly understand this. It seems, my good readers, that the Lab Brats have a long lost black Lab sibling. Watch the following clip and see if you can figure out who we are talking about.


The proof is unmistakable. Well, either that or bubble wrap is the arch nemesis of Labrador Retrievers everywhere. Ok, so we don't really know this Lab and we are pretty sure that this black Lab pup is not related to the Lab Brats. But, it makes you wonder; is it a Lab thing or a bubble wrap thing? Maybe it is just one of those life questions that we may never find an answer... (laugh)

Vacation Day

The Lab Brats are on vacation today; sprawled out in the sun and still recovering from a hectic Christmas Eve with a ton of family in their house.

However, the Lab Brats did want me to let everyone know they are doing quite well today and enjoyed the Christmas holiday greatly. Not only did they get new collars, 2ft long rawhide bones in the shape of a candy cane, and a new squeaky toy but their grandpa got them more rawhide chews, a giant Frisbee, and a pet ornament kit that we can make with their own paw prints. Two very spoiled Labrador Retrievers on one very special holiday.

So, as they continue to recover from full bellies and the tons of love and attention that was showered on them for the last couple of day, they feel it only right for their mommy to rest as well... and that I will...

A Lab Brats Merry Christmas!

Tonight will be a blessed but hectic night for the Lab Brats family. This evening we will be hosting a Christmas Party at our house with our closest 25 family members and friends in attendance.

Dakota and Cheyenne have no idea what is going on. What they do know is that mommy has been cooking up a storm and the Lab Brats are tasting the most wonderful things ever to come out of the kitchen. They don't know what they did to deserve all the wonderful smells and tastes; they just know that this is the best time of year.

On top of that, they seem to know already which presents are theirs. Cheyenne has taken a liking to barking at the large rawhide candy canes on the wall and sniffing her stocking full of presents from grandpa every so often. Dakota wants what is in the Christmas bag; for behold was a new Cuz and she knows it is all hers!

So as the Lab Brats now rest at my feet before the flood of beloved family and friends arrive, I thought it only fitting to wish our wonderful online readers...

May you and your Labs have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas... and too all good dogs a new squeaky toy!

Dakota's Christmas Depression

We are bad doggy parents!

How dare we set up the Christmas tree in front of the big window in the living room. Don't we know that this is Dakota's "perch" to watch the people passing by on the sidewalk, to use for alerting us that the mailman cometh, and to get the majority of her sunspots? Worse yet - this is where Dakota's sauna is!

What's Dakota's "sauna"? Well, it is a 8ft long heating vent that goes along our 8ft huge living room picture window. Dakota's favorite spot if you will. And our Christmas tree is dead center of the window and blocking a majority of her access to the heating vent "sauna". Oh sure, she made do for a few weeks by curling into a ball on either side of the tree and at least getting 1ft of the heating vent. But now we have gone and done the worse thing imaginable; we put Christmas presents around the tree and Dakota can't even get to the window nor get to an inch of her "sauna".

So, she keeps looking at her favorite spot (that is now occupied by a 7ft tree) and looking back at us with her Sad Sam eyes. It is doggy depression at its worse - Dakota depression. What bad doggy parents we are! How dare we interfere with the serene life of a Labrador Retriever! (laugh)

(Thank goodness we take the tree down January 6th - for Dakota's sake.)

New "Nothin' Butt Dogs" Designs

Just too cute not to add to our DogWire Dog Gifts Store! We first fell in love with the "Nothin' Butt Labs" and had to include the other cute dog breed butts as well. *smile*

Searching for unique dog breed gifts? Look no further. You'll be the talk of the town with these humorous cartoon renderings of dog breed butts on T-Shirts, Mugs, Mousepads, Stickers and more. Choose from Nothin' Butt Afghans, Nothin' Butt Akitas, Nothin' Butt Pitts, Nothin' Butt Staffies, Nothin' Butt Basenjis, Nothin' Butt Beagles, Nothin' Butt Beardies, Nothin' Butt Boston Terriers, Nothin' Butt Bulldogs, Nothin' Butt Bull Terriers, Nothin' Butt Chihuahuas, Nothin' Butt Dalmatians, Nothin' Butt Dobermans, Dog Pack AKC Breeds, Nothin' Butt Goldens, Nothin' Butt Greyhounds, Nothin' Butt Labs, Nothin' Butt MinPins, Dog Mutts (Mixed Breeds), Nothin' Butt Tollers, Nothin' Butt Sheepdogs, Nothin' Butt Papillons, Nothin' Butt Rat Terriers, Dog Breed Rescues, Nothin' Butt Ridgebacks, Nothin' Butt Rotties, Nothin' Butt Schipperkes, Nothin' Butt Deerhounds, Nothin' Butt Shiba Inus, Nothin' Butt Huskies, Nothin' Butt Wheatens, Nothin' Butt Weimaraners, Nothin' Butt Whippets, and Nothin' Butt Yorkies!

What Dog Food?

Thousands of bags of dog food line the shelves and each one claims to be the best. So how does a dog owner know they are really getting the best dog food for the age and breed of their pup?

When we first brought home Dakota, we tried at least 4 different brands of dog food. We already knew to stay away from the supermarket brands because of their high content of fillers and animal by-products but the pet stores still had so many different brand names and types lining their shelves. My husband and I felt panic and confusion the first time we entered the store and now many dog owners are emailing me to help calm their confusion as well.

I cannot say that one specific brand of dog food is better then others but I can tell you what has worked for us. Now keep in mind that Dakota and Cheyenne have chicken allergies and both are large breed dogs. For this reason, we needed to find a food that would not contain chicken (or chicken by-products) and also provide extra nutrients for their large bones and potential health problems with the Labrador Retriever breed.

The best, by far, was Eagle Pack. Why? Well...

1. They had a money back guarantee.

2. They always have a $2 off coupon on their website.

3. The offered a Holistic Select® Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal Formula that has no junkie fillers nor chicken by-products.

4. They use American-made ingredients.

5. They inspect all their ingredients coming into the factory and test every batch of dog food going out.

Throughout the dog food scares, we never once had a problem with our dog food. Due to the high quality of the ingredients and processing, Dakota and Cheyenne made it through the dog food scare without any health problems. On top of that, they love their dog food dry (don't need to mix it with anything) and their skin, teeth, coat, eyes, and bones are all in beautiful condition!

Again, this may not be the right dog food for your pup but it may help you with understanding what to look for in a better quality food. The main goal is not to buy cheap and try to get by but rather buy a good quality food, that improves the overall health and well-being of your dog, so that vet visits are less and that means less money and time you spend in the veterinarian's office. Now that is a win-win situation!

Curbing Dog OCD

With some love and patience, you too can curb your Lab's obsessive compulsive disorder. Well, at least we think you can...

Dakota is very OCD when it comes to balls (and some stuffed toys). It isn't like she will give you a ball to throw for her all the time. For Dakota, it is more about squishing the ball until it pops and pulling off all the fuzz from any tennis ball she sees. This is such an obsession that trying to get her to drop a ball at times is like using the jaws of life on a train wreck.

Her obsession has led us to spend a fortune on tennis balls until we finally decided to only take them out so often. Well that was even worse because she knew that if we took it away, there would be a chance that she would not get it back. Hence, the jaws of Dakota would seal shut around the ball and you could probably even hang her from the Empire State building by the ball and she would never fall. (laugh)

Lucky for us, we found a great tennis ball (see post) that seems immune to Dakota's strength and determination. If the ball can withstand her destructive behavior with them, then maybe, just maybe, we could leave them out all the time.

This ball was such a huge success that we now leave them out all the time. And guess what? Dakota is no longer obsessive compulsive with them anymore because she doesn't fear us taking them away. Sure, she has her moments but most of the time we tell her to drop and she will drop it at our feet and wait patiently for us to kick it down the hallway or throw it to her to catch. Curbing her OCD just came down to finding a tennis ball she couldn't destroy and allowing her to feel safe that it would not be taken away from her. Now we have a few balls that are spread throughout the house and Dakota will pick up one every so often to start a game of fetch.

Now if only we can get Cheyenne to stop barking her head off whenever Dakota has the ball. Sure, there are tons of balls around but she always wants (and must have) what Dakota has. How's that for an annoying little sister? (laugh)

Just 3 Days Left for Dog Gifts!

Only 3 days left to get your presents in time for Christmas! Check out our dog gifts at DogWire Dog Gifts or 8 Paws Up Lab Gifts today and while you are at it, use Coupon Code CAMPERBOUNTY to save $5 off your order of $50 or more!

Smelly Return Home

It is 12:45am and I cannot sleep.

After returning from a concert with my husband, shortly before 12am, we found there to be a distinct odor in the house. After we started our search for the smell, we noticed that our once happy Cheyenne was making her way to the back door with her head down. Now we knew that the smell was true and after 5 minutes, we found that one of the Lab Brats had an upset stomach in their bedroom and could not wait for mommy and daddy to get home.

Once I saw the sight, I did not get upset at my dog. Honestly, I hate it when dog owners complain that their dog pooped in the house because they left it so many hours without being able to go to the bathroom or it had a sick stomach and had no choice but to alleviate its pain. It is like you having diarrhea and someone telling you that the bathroom is closed for a few hours with no other bathroom available. Unfortunately, when you have to go, you have to go; be you man or beast!

For me, my heart ached for my Lab. By the look of Cheyenne's face, it was most likely her that had the accident and my heart sank because I instantly knew how much pain and discomfort she must have been in before having no choice but to find some way to alleviate her pain. How she must have dreaded doing such a thing in the house when she knew better.

It is times like these that I feel like a bad dog mommy. Had I been home, I could have let her out immediately and she would not have had to go through the mental and physical pain of this ordeal. Alas, how was I to know that she would have a sick stomach tonight of all nights. There was no way to know. So, I whipped out a roll of paper towels and the steam cleaner and went to work.

I am happy to report that there is no stain left and both Lab Brats now feel comfortable to enter the room, without shame, once again. They are both sleeping soundly in their crates - now if only their mommy can find comfort in her own bed... soon.

Unfortunately, it seems the adrenaline side effect of coming home and finding such a situation doesn't wear off as easily as one would wish. *wink*

Dogs vs. Bubble Wrap

The Lab Brats' daddy surprised them last night when he returned home from work. In his arms lay a number of doggy Christmas treat bags from their doggy daycare and you would think that was enough but 'lo and behold - there was also bubble wrap!

The minute I saw him lay down the bubble wrap on the counter, I knew that the Lab Brats would not stay quiet after they were done eating dinner. Instinct kicked in and I ran for my camera to show the world exactly what our own Labrador Retrievers think of bubble wrap. So, without further ado, I give you the Lab Brats vs Bubble Wrap!



Note: Neither dog actually ate the bubble wrap. They love to tear it apart and spit it out. Please do not attempt unless you are 100% positive your dogs will not ingest the bubble wrap.

See Labs are Pavlov's!

Every once in a while, you come across something that makes you laugh so hard you fall off your chair.

Some time ago, I wrote a blog entry about my hypothesis that the Lab Brats are actually Pavlov's dogs. This morning I came across indisputable proof that this hypothesis is, in fact, true!

This proof is almost too good to be true. The sign on the door distinctly says: "Pavlov Dog Labs". Now, read into it what you may but to this Labrador Retriever dog lover and bias dog mommy, this sign points out that Labs are indeed what Pavlov was talking about. Hence, all the drooling when the dog thinks about food was a Lab thinking about food. Doesn't it all make sense now?

With my hypothesis now squarely validated, I am off to lay out more kitchen mats around the dog bowls. If anyone needs me, I will be the woman on the kitchen floor mopping up the Lab drool! (LOL)

Yay! New Blog Design!

Due to the popularity of the Lab Brats Blog, we decided it was high time for the Lab Brats to get a face-lift. No, not Dakota and Cheyenne but alas their blog was old, tired, and lacked any of their energy. So, we thought it was time to give our Labrador Retrievers a place that they feel proud to call "home".

There are still some bugs to work out of the system, such as text formatting and alignment of columns but the Lab Brats are very happy with the turn out. Of course, Dakota has one slight complaint. She thinks the picture at the top of the blog makes her look fat and she would just like to set the record straight that she is "big boned" and it is all muscle!

Dakota (at 81 lbs) would like me to point out that unlike her sister, Cheyenne, she took after their dad. He is around 90 lbs and built solid. Cheyenne takes after their mom, which is a lean 70 lbs goose hunter. So, to make Dakota feel better about her candid shot, I have included a picture of her in this post to illustrate her point and help mend her doggy feelings about being such a "big girl".

Now that Dakota's fears of being seen as the "fat dog" are put to rest, we would love to know what you think about the new blog design. Feel free to leave a comment and the Lab Brats will be sure to read them!

Lab Sleigh-less Ride

Training Labrador Retrievers can sometimes be hard work but the payoff is always well worth the effort. So what do you do when you are doing obedience training outdoors and there is nothing but other dogs and snow as far as the eye can see? Hold onto that leash tight and pray that your Lab doesn't take you for a sleigh ride without the sleigh!

Yesterday was outdoor obedience training for both Dakota and Cheyenne. Right now Cheyenne is in the beginners class with me and Dakota is in the beginner novice class with her daddy. With the snow being so deep here in Wisconsin, the instructors decided to move all training to the parking lot so that the tiniest of Chihuahuas wouldn't be able to see over the snow.

The problem wasn't the change of training space nor the frigid cold but rather the snow! The Lab Brats LOVE snow and Cheyenne would eat, sleep, and play out in the snow all day if I let her. Needless to say, training went alright but not as good as it could and when our training session ended, I brought Cheyenne up to the hill so she could run free in the snow while we waited for Dakota's training session to end.

What was I thinking?!? Cheyenne stayed on the hill with me for about 3 minutes before noticing that she could stand on top of the hill and see the last two training groups in the parking lot. She got sight of a large chocolate dog and took off down the hill and barrelled straight through the group. The funny thing was that the large chocolate Lab was not her sister but a friend of the Lab Brats; Moose!

Luckily for Cheyenne, Moose's owner let him go immediately and run back up the hill, towards me, with Cheyenne for some play time. From a distance, I watched the two dogs run towards me and up the hill as I laughed so hard I almost fell over. There, across the parking lot, was Dakota pulling her daddy towards the action and giving him the sleigh-less ride of his life! (laugh)

Know Thy Lab

I have been browsing a number of posts on one specific Labrador Retriever message board that I frequent when it became obvious that some people just don't know anything about the Lab breed. They will meet a Lab in passing, usually an older one, and will think what a handsome dog it is and how well behaved the breed must be. What really cooks my noodle is that they just don't understand how much training went into that dog and how wild and energetic Lab puppies are. So, they bring their 8-week old Lab puppy home and can't understand what is wrong with their puppy and end up usually bringing it to a shelter or leaving in the side of the road.

It is for this reason that I would like to remind everyone out there what a Labrador Retriever is really like. Here are the Top 5 Things about Labrador Retrievers that everyone should know.

1. Labrador Retrievers are chewers and even more so when they are puppies. They will bite or mouth anything they can get their teeth on. On top of it, their teeth are razor sharp until they are about 6 months old so human blood can be shed and scars will happen. (see article: Lab Behavior Problems: Biting & Mouthing)

2. Puppies have to go to the bathroom a lot. They don't care if it is cold outside or a snow blizzard, if it is in the middle of the night or while you are at work. They have to go every couple of hours at first. (see article: Housebreaking Your Labrador Retriever)

3. Labrador Retrievers shed! Yes, they even "blow their coats" after they leave their puppy stage and even if you think your Lab's color coat matches the furniture, you will find fur everywhere. We vacuum every other day just to try and keep up.

4. Energy dogs! Labs have tons of energy and need a lot of exercise. Some Labs will calm down (somewhat) after a couple of years old but most stay in puppy energy mode until well after 5 years old. Schedules and training are a must and it doesn't matter if you have kids to take places, chores to do, or even if you are too tired. Labs are not couch dogs and it is unfair to treat them as such. (see article: Labrador Retriever Stages)

5. Labs need training! They do not come from their moms knowing everything you see some great, well-behaved, 5 year-old Lab being able to do. Training starts from the moment you get the pup home and continues throughout its ENTIRE life. Persistent and consistent training is the Lab way of life. The last thing you want is your 8-week old puppy to turn into a 2-year old, 80+ lb Lab, that is aggressive, takes over your house, and destroys anything in its path. A Labrador Retriever is only as good as the training it receives from you. If you have a poor mannered dog, it 99% of the time the fault of the dog owner. (see Lab Training Articles)

This is not to say that Labs are bad dogs because it is quite the opposite. It is just important that people know that Labs are only as good as their owners. Those seeking out the possibility of bringing home a Labrador Retriever really need to do their research first before bringing home this particular breed.

Sure, Labs are very cute and Lab puppies are downright adorable. But please, do not bring home a Lab unless you are 110% committed to the mental, physical, and monetary costs of this beautiful creatures.

Snow Brats

We woke this morning to over 6 inches of fresh snow on top of already packed ice/snow from last week. As my husband and I got prepared to head outside to shovel out our driveway, our Labs were getting more excited by the minute.


It is one thing for us to get on our normal pants and shoes but when Dakota and Cheyenne see us get on snow pants and boots, they know what lay outside waiting for them. Snow and lots of it! It wasn't just any snow but rather the light fluffy stuff that remind one of walking through baking flour. Perfect for packing into snowballs and for dogs to run with their head buried in the snow, pretending they are snow plows.



So as my husband and I tried to clean up the yard from our nighttime winter snow storm, the Lab Brats ran as fast as they can from one point of the yard so that they could slide head first under the freshly lay snow. Any dog owner can't help but laugh as they watch two large chocolate Labs frolicking in the snow.



Of course, being the instigator that I am, I got out their bright orange bumper and threw it across the yard so that it buried itself deeply upon impact with the snow. Both dogs ran head first and dug as fast as they could to get it before the other could. I just hope none of their daddy's grass was sacrificed in the process. (laugh)

Happy snow days!

Dog Art By Angi

Art is in the eye of the beholder and this artist has all eyes of dog owners and lovers on her.

Her name is Angi Laframboise and she is a dog cartoon artist. I happened upon her online store a couple of years ago and I just can't help but keep going back to see what new creative wonders she has in store. Angi's collection consists of Dog Breed-Specific Dog Cartoons, Holiday, Seasonal, Occasions, Funny Things Dogs Do and Think, Attitudes..., Jobs, Hobbies, Sports, & Interests, Dog Agility Cartoons, Dog Obedience Designs, Flyball Cartoon Designs, Other Animals, and Cat Cartoons.

The best, by far, is her dog breed-specific cartoons. She has taken dog cartoons to a whole new level and includes even the most popular (and unpopular) of dog breeds in almost every color they come in. Check's out Art by Angi today! You won't be disappointed!