Labrador Limp

Question:
My 9 month old puppy recently developed a limp about two months ago. She never seemed to be in any pain, always up for playing and running around. However, we were getting worried so we took her to the vet last week for x-rays. She told us that she limps to favour her left front leg, however the x-rays showed us healthy shoulders and elbows. Its been two days since the x-rays and she limps worse, hardly putting any weight on her foot - however the vet said this is normal and that the leg would be sore for a couple of days because of the x-rays. Is this limp just growing pains? Nothing to worry about?
Signed,
Ashley

Answer:
Ahh - we went through this with Cheyenne. I tell you - that dog can go through anything and never let on that she is in pain or uncomfortable! Play is play: no matter if they have a limp or not!

This problem can easily resolve on its own as it may just be a sprain. When our Lab was displaying this, it was her front elbow and the vet thought that she could have OCD. Now OCD can be corrected but even with her the problem went away on its own after following some simple at home care steps our veterinarian gave us:

- Crate rest for 23 out of the 24 hours in a day.
- Allowed out of the crate for bathroom (potty) runs.
- Must be taken outside to go to the bathroom on a leash only.
- No doggie daycare.
- No dog parks.
- No jumping and running with her sister, Dakota.
- Steroid/ anti-inflammatory medication once a day. (Metacam)
- Joint/hip supplements twice a day. (recommended)

This went on for 3 weeks before she was all better and I highly recommend it. If you don't have the anti-inflammatory medication, you can request some from your vet or just do without. Today she is still on the joint/hip supplement (Cosequin DS) but doesn't show any signs of ever having a problem.

Our Labbie prayers are with you!

Leash Pulling Puppy

Question:
Our yellow lab is three and a half months old and progressing wonderfully! She's extremely friendly, very eager to learn new tricks, and very active (exactly what we wanted in a lab!). We do have one small problem. She pulls a lot on the leash. Especially if there is someone/some dog that she feels that she needs to see. I almost half wish she were less friendly so she'd be less eager to go see other things. Right now it's fine, because I can handle her and pull her back. When she is a full grown dog, this will be not so okay. We are trying to teach her to stay next to us by using treats, but it doesn't seem to be working so far. I've gotten her to sit instead of pull, but then she will not move until the person/dog she wants to see is completely out of her line of vision and has been for thirty seconds. This can be a very big hassle. Do you have any advice for training her not to pull?

-Jessica

Answer:
Leash training such young pups is much different then training adult or larger Labradors. In your case, I will tell you what I did for Dakota when she was that young (she doesn't pull very much anymore).

1) Before starting your walk, make sure the collar is snug but not too tight. The collar should never come up to the dog's ears or over them.

2) When walking, keep your pup next to your side. If you need to wrap up the leash in your hand then do so. The pup should never be in front of you.

3) If the pup starts to pull in any direction, just give a quick tug on the leash and change your entire direction. If, for example, you are walking west, give a quick tug and start walking east. Do not drag the pup but just give it notice that you changed direction and it should follow you.

4) When people are coming towards you, move to one side of the walkway and put your pup in the sit position. The pup should be a good 2-3 feet from where the person is going to walk through. If she gets up, put her rear right back down. Once the person as fully passed, call her name and say "ok" while taking a step out with the leg closest to her and continue your walk.

These 4 points should get you started. Yes, you may look a little foolish with step 3 but it works in the end. The pup has no clue what you are going to do next so it will start to look at you for direction rather then everyone around you. Just remember to stay persistent and consistent with the training no matter who is walking her. At that age, I would even start doing this in your own yard with treats but leave the treats at home when walking on the streets as you want her to obey you - not the cookie.

Best of Labbie luck!

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11-Year Old Lab OCD

Question:
my 11yr old yellow lab, Stoli, is OCD. He is licking his front legs to an out of control problem. He has had to be confined to the cone head device to prevent his licking himself to very bad open wounds and the minute it ever comes off his head to go to walk etc. I can hardly control my very obidient dog to get him to refrain from just going full force at those sores. The cone reduces him to almost 23 hrs of sleep/depression per day. It breaks my heart but bandage only attracts him. we have been through several skin treatments and if they help the sores will be right back upon removal of cone. i have even considered having to put him down rather that see him so demoralized by his cone restraint which seems to be my only way to stop that damn licking himself to death! i hope you may have some advice or perhaps your thoughts about such a final decision as euthanasia.
Greg

Answer:
Medical problems such as obsessive licking are usually difficult to handle for dog owners because it is nerve-wrecking and makes you worrisome. However, if your Stoli where one of my Lab Brats, here is what I would do:

1. Check your dog food. A good portion of skin allergies that cause such behaviors is caused by an allergic reaction to the dog food. Sure, your pup may have been on the same dog food for years but just like humans, dog's bodies change. Labrador are especially prone to food allergies so I would recommend slowly changing out the current dog food you are using with a dog food that is of high quality and does not contain any chicken in it. Now I like the Holistic Select® Senior Care® Formula but that contains chicken meal as the first ingredient so I would put my dog on the Holistic Select® Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal Formula. Actually both of my Lab Brats are currently on the latter because they have very bad skin reactions to chicken and will scratch themselves to death if they were eating a chicken-based diet. For further information on this topic, please read this article: Labs and Dog Foods. Remember that it could take a few weeks for you to see any results from changing the food as new skin needs to grow.

2. Bandage any sores that currently exist and spray the outside with Bitter Apple spray. You can pick up the spray at any pet store and a small amount should work on top of the bandage. Once he gets his tongue on it, it will taste horrible and should stop him from licking it any further. Of course, speak with your vet on how to properly clean and bandage the current wounds first before doing so. Many veterinarian offices will offer free advice over the phone so there is no need to bring your pup in.

3. Wash your Lab's bedding in hot water with allergen free soaps such as All Free. You will also want to add some Nature's Miracle into the wash to get out any dog stains and odors. It should be hot water and the his bedding should be washed weekly.

4. An oatmeal bath does wonders! When you can tell his skin is very dry and he is uncomfortable, give him a light bath with Oatmeal dog shampoo. Make sure there are no perfumes or additives in the shampoo that may upset his skin. Normally you can find them where the puppy shampoo is located.

5. Make sure he has plenty of clean water throughout the day. Just like humans, water replenishes the moisture in the skin of dogs. If he doesn't drink a lot of water, just drop a couple of bits of kibble in the water and he will drink up half the bowl just trying to fish them out.

These suggestions are what I would personally start with if it were either my Dakota or Cheyenne having this problem. From all my research and everything I have heard other Lab owners say, most skin allergies can be combated with dietary and environmental changes. Please don't give up hope on Stoli and please keep us up to date on how he is doing.

Lab smiles,
Shannon

How Embarrassing!

Ever have one of those moments that is both embarrassing and funny at the same time?

Yesterday the Lab Brats daddy and I took the dogs to the local off leash Dog Park after work. Normally we don’t go during the week but my husband thought it would be a great idea to let the girls get some Lab energy out since you never know what the weather is going to be like in the Midwest.

It was crowded! I haven't seen so many people in such a long time and the Lab Brats were in heaven. They went around to every dog in the normal pup greeting and trotted off next to us down the path.

That was when it happened. Cheyenne had to make a poop stop and I was right behind her with bag in hand ready to clean up. I was not more than 6 inches from my pup when this other dog came up and started to sniff her poop as she was going. All this time, I heard the owner behind me calling for his dog but he didn't budge.

Cheyenne was done and started to walk away. As I bent down to pick it up, the same dog took a closer sniff. I tried to tell him to leave and it all happened so fast that I am still in disbelief! He didn't eat it, he bent his head down and rolled his entire body onto the soft poop... making sure the "wonderful" odor was smashed deep into the fur on his head and back. OMG! Did he just do that???

I had no choice but to turn around and head back to my husband - empty bag still in hand. There was nothing left: well nothing left on the ground that is. *huge laugh* My husband was laughing so hard and shaking his head while I walked back stunned and quite embarrassed for the other dog owner.

As soon as I reached my husband, I told him it was all his fault. "My fault?!?" he exclaimed. "Yes, it is all your fault because if you hadn't fed her all that delicious watermelon, her poop wouldn't have smelled so good that the poor dog had no choice but to roll in it." I laughed with a twinkle in my eye.

We continued our walk along the path with our two wonderful dogs at our side and an empty poop bag in my hand while silently thanking God for the dogs we have.

Signaling Potty Time

Question:
Hello, I was just wondering when puppies decide to let you know when they want to go outside. Our puppy is now 11 weeks old and he does not tell us by a whine or a bark. If we are not watching him we will not know and then he has an accident.
If you have any advice on traing him to let us know that would be great.
Thanks again
Chantale

Answer:
Each puppy has it's own way to let you know that it needs to go outside. The way that works best for you, your pup, and your family should be trained so that no one mistakes the signal. In order to train your new pup, before you bring it outside to do its deed, have a bell or something near the door that makes noise and hit its paw against it. Then give it praise and take it out to go to the bathroom.

In our house, Cheyenne would never tell us when she had to go potty and instead she would just stand by the backdoor. If we did not notice her, she would find somewhere to go in the house after a while. That was our sign that we needed to keep a better eye on her to see when she stood by the backdoor. It worked perfectly and as she got older, she started to let out a single high pitch bark by the backdoor to let us know she needed out. Dakota, on the other hand, will paw the backdoor or hit the spring doorstopper to signal her needs.

It will take time and if you want him to signal in a certain fashion, put something that makes noise by the backdoor and train him to use it.

Best of luck!

Sleeping Pretty

This is too funny not to share with the rest of the dog community!

Last night we heard snoring coming from the dogs' bedroom. It was still early as we entered the pitch-black bedroom and all I could see was a white area on Cheyenne. "A white area?" I thought to myself. "Cheyenne doesn't have any white areas... well... except her belly." 'Lo and behold, it was Cheyenne's belly and that wasn't even the half of it.

As I turned the hallway light on, I signaled to my husband to slowly follow me to their bedroom and he found it as hilarious as I did. There was Cheyenne sprawled out on her blanket spread eagle and twisted in a position that seemed somewhat unnatural. It didn't look comfortable at all but what do we humans know? To Cheyenne it was the most comfortable position ever and she was able to cool off her most private of areas at the same time. That was evident as she continued to snore through our laughter and the camera shutter noise.

That Lab cracks me up!

Correctly Intoducing a 2nd Lab

Question:
I am a fan of Lab Brats being a chocolate lab owner myself and have found your advice helpful. We are thinking of adding a 1 year old yellow neutered male to our household. Any advice on how best to make this work. Our chocolate lab is a neutered female about 6.5 years old and seems to be pretty dominate around other dogs--not aggressive just doesn't want to play. I know this one year old is playful and will need a lot of work with recall and help getting rid of his boundless energy. We live out in the country and will have a fenced in yard in place by the time we bring him home. Any advice on how to introduce him to the household would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
Paulina

Answer:
My breeder warned me - "One Lab is like one tornado and two is like ten!" Honestly though, I love having two Labrador Retrievers and couldn't picture life without either of the Lab Brats. However, bringing home a second dog can be tricky but wonderful if done correctly.

Whenever you bring another dog into your family pack, you need to help the dogs (and family) understand where the dog fits in. If possible, I recommend a few meetings of the two dogs off site before bringing them into closer contact. If you are rescuing, the Lab rescue's foster family may provide you with an opportunity to have the dogs meet at a local dog park or some other neutral area where they can get to know each other. This neutral field will take away the "property" dominance and help the dogs get to know each other better.

When you are ready to bring home the next dog, have them meet outside in some neutral area of the property. For most people, this would be their front yard as the dogs spend more time in the backyard. Let them get to know each other for hours if you can before even attempting to move them into the house.

Once in the house, have certain areas blocked off to the new dog that your dog has major claims over. If there is a certain area is sleeps, block that off from the new dog and offer that area to be available to the existing dog at all times. For us, we brought home a puppy and had a baby gate in our hallway blocking off the bedrooms. When Dakota had enough of Cheyenne puppy biting all over her, she could easily make it over the fence to her sanctuary (and her bed). Cheyenne also had her crate in the living room and Dakota was not allowed to enter it. The crate was new and as far as Dakota was concerned, it came with the new puppy. Dakota would eagerly flee to get sanctuary as we never pushed the puppy on her and let them develop their own bonds at their own times.

On top of this, we also continued to feed Dakota first, give treats first, pet first, and let outside first. Cheyenne was to stay away from her while eating and was not allowed to demand our attention when we were giving it to Dakota.

Now it would take the Jaws of Life to separate the Lab Brats. The have their own crates side-by-side but when outside of them, they cuddle together on the floor, clean each other's ears (eww!), and play together as though they have always been. It takes time and if properly done, it can be the best doggy relationship ever!

Best of luck!

Possible Dog Ear Infection?

Once a week I give our Labrador Retrievers and complete once over; like they do in the veterinarian’s office. It is always a good practice in homes with dogs to check the external body over as well as the eyes, mouth, and ears. This not only helps dogs owners become familiar with what is "normal" for their pups but also flags them to anything that is "abnormal" before it becomes a huge problem.

Yesterday was that day in the Lab Brats house. I am sure that you can tell what problem we found by looking at the post picture and reading the post title. You guessed it: one of Dakota's ears is all red and inflamed on inside. Unfortunately, both of Cheyenne's ears are having the exact same problem. Figures that would be why they have been scratching them more the last day or so. It also figures that they would come down with an ear problem just a few days before Dakota is scheduled for her yearly vaccinations.

So what to do now? Well, we already did a deep cleaning on both of their ears last night and really didn't come up with much. That means that it is either an infection in the lower area of the ear canal (that we cannot reach on our own) or the dogs have an allergy.

Yes my friends, this type of reaction in the Lab dog breed is not uncommon when the dogs have allergies. Such allergies can range from food allergies to something they rolled in outside. I have noticed that Dakota's eyes have had a bit more "goo", which is normal for her spring-time environmental allergies but maybe it is something more. Needless to say, I will take my Lab mommy rear out of the house shortly to get some Benadryl to give to both of them. We normally give Benadryl the morning of their vaccinations (or they turn into the Hunchback of Notre Dame) but the vet said that we can give 1mg for every pound of dog whenever we thought they were having an allergic reaction to anything from a bug bite to carpet cleaner. It works wonders and we buy the no frills brand small tab pills to keep it cheap and easy for the girls to swallow. Heck, it beats paying extra at the vet on Saturday for the doctor to check Cheyenne as well and do a bunch of cultures if this will take care of it before we even walk through the door.

Please keep them in your puppy prayers and wish us luck!

WARNING! New flea & tick medicine

Just received an email from my contact at a local Lab rescue and knew I had to pass it on:

"This is Jo and this is a very important message to my family & friends who have dogs-cats--and to alert you to the hazard of using a new Flea & Tick Preventative called ProMeris http://www.promeris.com/consumer/.

This is a new product designed to be a more effective product than other flea/tick treatments that was just released this year. It is available thru a vet and not currently on-line. I got ProMeris this week for my 7 dogs (6 Huskies & 1 Golden-Airedale) , and the results were debilitating for nearly all of them-including me. Since my incident this week, my vet has pulled it from distribution and alerted the manufacturer, Fort Dodge.

Here are my results: Within less than 2 hours after applying, 4 of my dogs had vomited from 2-4 times, 3 were disoriented and stumbling, 1 was dragging his back leg, 1 was salivating. I had very similar symptoms like an allergic reaction-my lips were swollen, eyes very red, mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, and mouth were stinging. I was very disoriented- dizzy equilibrium and not able to drive. To make this a short story-all 7 of my dogs were admitted to the hospital for veterinarian care, and 3 of them remained for care, IV fluids and observation for 24 hours. I was in the emergency room. I'm home now and so are the dogs. We're all feeling much better. Vet bills were over $2,500 and Fort Dodge is paying for these. Not only can the product cause this reaction, it has a highly noxious odor that permeated the house and is just starting to dissipate after 3 days.

Your dogs/cats might not have the same reaction, but given my experience-I wanted to help you all become well-educated about the product."

Baking with Labradors

I love to bake anything from breads to cakes. When I decided to bake yummy banana bread last week, my dogs were eagerly waiting at my feet (and causing me to stumble here and there as I crossed the kitchen for another ingredient or baking tool).

Depending on what I am baking, my Chocolate Labrador Retriever girls get to join in on the tasting. It is a wonderful experience to bake with dogs at your feet (and drooling all over the floor) but it is even better when they help you clean up as my girls demonstrate in this latest Lab Brats home video entitled: Labrador Baking Help! Enjoy!

How much to feed Labs?

In a normal week, the Lab Brats receive at least a handful of emails specifically asking how much Labrador Retriever owners should feed their dogs daily. I remember that when I was a newbie to the Lab dog breed, there was a lot of confusion in our house because 1) Labs will keep eating until they explode if you let them and 2) too much weight on this large breed dog's hips and you can have some serious canine hip dysplasia. I read everything I could get my hands on online, read almost every single dog food label in the pet stores, checked with our veterinarian (who is owned by 2 black Labs himself) and solicited all the wonderful Lab owner friends I had made online. My head was spinning.

Alas, there was a light at the end of the tunnel when I learned about high quality and low quality foods in regards to feeding dogs. The less quality the food, the more you have to feed and the higher quality of food, then less you have to feed. It made perfect sense because the low quality dog foods are nothing but fillers so you need to feed your dog a lot more to get the nutrients it needs. The higher quality food is fed in fewer quantities because fillers are dramatically decreased so you are feeding your dog a nutrient-filled meal. Let's put this in human terms...

You know how you go out for fast food and you are hungry an hour later (not even to mention how fat, bloated, and yucky you feel)? Well, that is the low quality food. Now think of a well balanced meal that leaves you satisfied. That is the high quality meal. Same in dog foods.

So, how much to feed your Labrador Retriever? Easy! Read the bag and keep an eye on your Lab pup. For puppies, you want to stick with a high quality large breed puppy food and make sure she or he is getting what they need to sustain their large breed growth. Consult with a large breed veterinarian during the puppy stages to ensure the proper weight and nutrition of your baby. You do not want to go to a vet that specializes in small dogs as they do not have the same expertise.

Adult Labrador Retrievers are fed similar to the puppies as you must read the bag to know how much to feed and keep an eye on the dog. For adults specifically, you should use the "Ribs Rule" in determining if you are feeding you dog enough. The Ribs Rule states: Your dog should be lean enough that you can feel the individual ribs but not see them. If you cannot feel the individual ribs then your dog is too heavy and you need to cut back on the amount of feeding and treats. If you can see the individual ribs then your dog is too lean and needs to be fed more. This is a very simply rule passed to us by our breeder as well as our veterinarian and has worked perfectly in our own house to maintain the weight of both Lab Brats.

Need a visual of what a healthy weight Labrador Retriever looks like? Just look at the picture in this post of the Lab Brats' dame (mom). She was fed just right for her breed and size as seen in the lean lines of her body, muscle definition, lack of visible ribs, and well defined waist. These are all the same qualities you should remember while keeping an eye on your adolescent and adult Labs. Feeding of high quality food, large amounts of exercise and health checks are all crucial to having a happy and healthy Lab!

For more information on feeding Labs, check out Dog Food and Labrador Retrievers.

Velcro Dog

Question:
First, I just wanted to say that I love your blog and read it every day, usually with my own little chocolate lab brat lying on my feet.

I have a question about separation anxiety. My boyfriend and I have a 5-month-old chocolate lab named Boomer. He's very sweet and smart and we love him dearly. A couple days ago, Boyfriend had to go out of town for work and he'll be home in another couple of days. When he left, Boomer seemed to just mope around the house for an entire day. The second day, I tried to distract him by taking him walking on a nearby nature trail and setting up a playdate for him with one of my friends' dogs. This seemed to cheer him up a bit, but he's still being extra clingy to me and was very vocal last night about not wanting to go into his crate when I went to have dinner out.

This wouldn't concern me that much as Boyfriend is coming back in two days, except that I have to leave to work in a different city over the summer. It's about two hours away and I'm subleasing an apartment there for the summer, but I will be home on weekends. I was wondering if there's any way to sort of prepare Boomer for this, as I don't want him to be mopey all summer while I'm gone.

Thanks!
-Sarah


Answer:
Separation anxiety and Labrador Retrievers is very common as they are "people dogs". All they want is to be around people and please their owners.

To prepare for those long periods of absence, I would recommend that you begin to leave the house for long periods of time now. Leave your boyfriend in charge of Boomer and go off to a day out with friends. Show Boomer that is alright for you to be gone for long periods of time because you always come home in the end. And when you come home, bring Boomer something special such as a new treats or toy to show him that the waiting is well worth it. When you return home and act like it is a party just to see Boomer, he will begin to associate your leaving and returning with something good rather then dreading the day his mommy leaves.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Mud Swamps

Mommy surprised us with a trip to the off-leash dog park yesterday. The snow was finally bye-bye and daddy suggested she take Cheyenne and me there before the rain came. Now we have nothing against the rain but for some reason mommy and daddy think we get a bit smelly afterwards. Humans! They don't know beautiful doggy cologne when they smell it!

Anywho... me and the 'lil sis were so excited to go that we just ran and ran and ran and.. well, you get the idea. *dog laugh* So, we ran and all but then noticed something awesome down the path. It was a mud pool big enough for us Lab Brats to run in and out of numerous times. Mommy had her back turned to us so it was the perfect time to occupy ourselves with this new found treasure.

As mommy was talking to another dog mommy, the dog mommy (who was facing us) let out an "Oh my God!" and pointed to us. We are just so proud of mommy's response to the lady. As mommy turned towards us, she shrugged and said to the woman in a very calm and matter-of-fact tone: "Oh yeah. They are Labradors through and through. No use in getting upset about something that is in their nature. Just need to make sure to walk them around for a while in the dry areas until the mud dries and falls off before getting them into my car."

At this, the woman looked like she was going to fall over from mommy's response. Well, that was until mommy put up her hand and pointed to the dog lady's own Springer Spaniel that was rolling around in a separate mud swamp area not too far away. Without so much as a goodbye, the lady let out a shriek and ran towards her dog yelling and waving her arms.

Wonder what gots her all frazzled... humans can just be so weird sometimes!

Lab smiles,
Dakota (& Cheyenne)

Curbing Ball OCD

Question:
After read a few of your posts, I’m thinking we have identical dogs. Here’s mine.

She is currently only 10 months. I’m still trying to figure out a way for her to leave the ball alone. =) I came upon your site because I’m trying to “curb my lab’s ball OCD.” When we’re at a dog park, she won’t look at anything other than the ball. When we hide the ball she likes to take other dog’s balls. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Alex

Answer:
Toy obsession is something we live with on a daily basis in our own home and it is a long training process. The first thing that needs to be done with your pup is to teach her the "leave it" command. This is a crucial training step with Labrador Retrievers as they love to put almost anything in their mouths. This is best taught while on lead and during walks as you can give a quick tug on the lead away from the offending object while saying "leave it" at the same time. When she leaves the thing alone, give her loads of praise. If she does not, remove it from her mouth, put it back on the ground, and when she starts to get close to it again tug on the lead and say "leave it".

Another way of doing the "leave it" command is with her favorite treat. You get your dog to sit in front of you, put the treat in your hand, and close your hand. Put your fist in front of her but a few inches away. When she goes to sniff, tell her "leave it" and keep your fist close while repeating the command until she finally loses interest and leaves it. Then give her the treat. Our Lab Brats have gotten so good at this that we can put food down in front of them (even on their own paw when laying down) and tell them to leave it. They won't touch it until we say "ok" and point to the food.

What does this have to do with ball obsession? Easy! If you view our video from Dakota's birthday, you can see that we are now able to place toys in front of them and get them to leave them alone. When we are at parks and either of our pups try to go for other dogs' toys, we give them a stern "leave it" or "not yours" command and they don't touch it. No matter how much Dakota may want that ball or stuffed duck, she will not touch it until we give her the "ok".

Just remember that Labs want and need training so spend at least 15-30 minutes a day performing these training exercises and in no time, you will be able to "curb" your lab's ball OCD to a point where it is no longer a headache.

Morning Tea with Labs

I am a woman of refined taste and only drink special teas that I must cool off the boiling water with an ice cube before adding to the tea itself. The process is a bit more involved then dropping a tea bag in a mug but who can blame me when the tea is awesome and the company while making the tea is never short of bringing a smile to my face.

No, I haven't gone off the deep end my friends. The smile that I enjoy every morning is on behalf of my wonderful Cheyenne. You see, when I go into the freezer and she hears me take out an ice cube, she runs to my side and gives me a huge Labrador smile. If you remember from earlier posts, she has a fascination with ice and loves to chew/eat ice.

It doesn't matter if the ice chunk is over 20lbs or a tiny ice cube; Cheyenne will enjoy it just the same. So, when I put my hand in to do my own retrieving, there is Cheyenne by my side waiting for her own ice cube. Of course, I oblige and off she trots to the indoor/outdoor mat (where they eat most of their messy treats) to give it a good chomping.

Within seconds, the ice cube has vanished and so has Cheyenne... back to lay next to her sister Dakota in their morning sun spots.

That is what life is all about. Two of the finest things in life; awesome tea and an awesome dog that always makes me smile.


PS - Thank you to all those that sent well wishes during my time with the flu. It seems that they worked as I am starting to feel much better. Again, much thanks!

If It's Not a Lab...

I came across these products and knew they would be a perfect addition to 8Pawsup!

A beautiful silhouette of a Labrador Retriever is circled by the words: "If it's not a Labrador, it's just a dog". The design on the products come in 4 different Lab-lover flavors:

~ If it's not a Retriever, it's just a dog.
~ If it's not a Chocolate Labrador, it's just a dog.
~ If it's not a Yellow Labrador, it's just a dog.
~ If it's not a Black Labrador, it's just a dog.

Now you can see why I just had to post them. They look great on t-shirts, mugs, buttons, tote bags, children's apparel, and more. Get yours today!

Lab Brats Mommy Down!

So what's been up with the Lab Brats Mommy? Why has she been posting so much advice and so little on her own funny stories about the Lab Brats?

Answer: The Lab Brats Mommy has had the flu for almost 2 weeks now!

Yes, sadly, the Lab Brats Daddy shared his lovely bug with me and I have been too sick to really even be on the computer much, let alone be creative enough to blog about my lovely Lab girls. If you think the blog has been lacking in attention, then you should see the Lab Brats themselves in the last couple of weeks.

Sure, both dogs were sympathetic to my illness but that didn't mean that they liked staying inside much. The weather is getting nicer here in the Midwest and they want to run outdoors, play at the dog park, and lay out in the driveway in the sun. The energy level kept steadily increasing in our house and thank goodness we are heading to a birthday BBQ at a friend's house this weekend where the Lab Brats can run around her yard with their doggy cousins. Not a moment too soon for I fear Cheyenne's heart is about to burst from her chocolate furry chest if she doesn't find a way to release all that energy soon!

So, my apologies on all the Lab advice posts as they were written prior to my falling ill and much more easier to post then something out of my mushy flu brain. But not to worry - I have given the flu bugs 48 hours to pack their bags or I am sending the Lab Brats after them. That will teach them to mess with the Lab Brats Mommy! *laugh*

Sleep Walking Dog?

Question:
Hi Shannon - I've been enjoying your Lab Brats blog and reading about Dakota and Cheyenne. I also appreciate your links to helpful lab information. I have a 3 year chocolate lab named Gracie. Several times last year she fell out of bed in the middle of the night (yes, she does sleep with me). Occasionally, this year, she will jump off the bed in the middle of the night. When I turn on the light to see what she is doing, she is just standing in the middle of the room. I'll call her name and she'll look at me, blink a few times and then crawl back in bed. I wonder if she is sleep walking. Do you know if dogs sleep walk?

Answer:
Gracie may be jumping out of the bed for fear of falling out of it. For example, when I make any movements in my recliner, Cheyenne will jump up no matter where she may be lying. This is because the recliner had come down on her paw a couple of times when she was younger. To make sure it doesn't happen again, she is quick to get out of the way - even if we aren't bringing the foot of the recliner down.

It seems to me that your Gracie may be doing the same thing. You may move in a certain way while in bed that makes her believe she is going to fall out or be pushed out of the bed. Instead of risking it, she gets out of the way - just like our Cheyenne.

As for sleep walking... it seems the common consensus from all my resources that dogs do not really sleep walk. Is it possible? Sure, anything is possible. However, it is very unlikely. *smile*

Maybe Gracie needs her own bed on the floor next to yours in order to feel close to you but safe at the same time. *wink*

Labrador Bonding

Question:
I just brought home an eight week old lab pup. She is wonderful, but I have been hearing that I should limit the amount of time she spends with my older lab so that her primary bond will be to me and not our older dog. Whille others have said as long as I have time alone with the puppy she will bond with me. How much time do you recommend your pup spends with your older dog?
Thanks!
Shauna


Answer:
First, congrats on the new puppy! How exciting it must be to have an older Lab and a Lab puppy!

The bond between dogs is strongest within the same litter and tends to funnel out from there. So, if you were to bring home two siblings from the same litter, it would not be wise to let them spend a great deal of time alone together because they will then set an alpha role between them and it would be more difficult for the human to gain that role. However, you have two Labs that are not from the same litter, were not raised around each other, and have a good difference in age. Therefore, there is no reason to limit the amount of time she spends with your older Lab.

In order to help you maintain your alpha role and allow for the new pup to properly bond with you, here is what worked for us and what I highly recommend:

1. Each Lab should have its own bed, crate, food, and water bowls. This way they are not sharing and are able to be individual dogs in their own defined space.

2. If they are being crate trained, make sure each dog has its own crate. It is fine to have them next to each other but they need their own "den".

3. Treat and pet in succession of the hierarchy in your "pack". Although you may think the older dog should be the alpha out of the two, remember that you are alpha and they will let you know which one of the two ranks higher then the other in the coming months.

4. Do things separate with the dogs as well as together. Bringing home a new pup can make the older dog get confused about its place in the pack. Allow the older dog (as well as the pup) one-on-one time. If you have another person in your house, this is a great time for one of you to take one dog for a walk while the other one stays home and plays - then change up the roles from time to time.

5. If you are going to bring either of your dogs to training, make sure they are in separate classes. Otherwise, the dogs will concentrate on each other and not on the training. (Trust me on this. This was a mistake we made and it wasted our money and time having them both in the same class.)

The bond between your pups can be one of the most wonderful things to witness if done properly. Both of the Lab Brats are so loving to each other that if one even cries in her sleep, the other one will wake up out of a sound sleep, go over to the other, and nuzzle her to wake her up and make sure she is ok. Then she will walk away and go back to where she was. They also clean each other's ears, play lovingly, and so on. However, it was difficult to separate them in the beginning because we didn't do enough alone time. I am happy to report that it is different today. Although one will look for the other when she is gone from the house or from site, there are no tantrums or problems.

Today they do almost everything together... it is just getting through the beginning stages to ensure that they know the alpha role lay with you and not the other dog.

Hang in there and enjoy the puppy age while you can! They grow up so fast and before you know it, you have an 84lbs baby that loves to use you as a napkin after she is done drinking her water! *laugh*

Lab smiles,
Shannon

PS - I would read this article on Labrador Retriever Sibling Rivalry should you every need it in the future.