Welcome Home Kirby!

Not only do we love to hear back from our blog readers but we love it when they send us new puppy announcements. Back on March 25th, I answered some of their New Puppy Questions and they have great news to share with us!

Kirby came home today (3/29). She is adjusting to her new home in NYC and we just can't get enough of her cuteness. Thanks again for all your help. We LOVE your blog.

~Nikki, Matt & Kirby

Please welcome Nikki and Matt to the world of Labrador Retrievers as Kirby is their first Lab puppy!

Major congrats to the new family!

Still a Sick Puppy

It is amazing how "healthy" Dakota looks on the outside. A bundle of joy, happiness and a willingness to play until she cannot catch her breath.

However, on the inside still lurks a very sick and very slowly healing stomach after her Canine Stomach Obstruction Surgery.

In the middle of Friday night, we awoke to Dakota scratching on her crate. She had vomited once again. Immediately I felt bad as I realized that I must have fed her a little too much of the bland beef/rice and bit of kibble mixture. I thought her stomach could tolerate her normal amount of food (broken up into 3 small meals 30 minutes apart) but I was wrong. So, back to the drawing board.

Then this morning we were greeted again by the same site inside her crate. This time it was dry as a bone and just the leftovers of last night's dinner. Sure, I gave her half of her normal amount of food (broken up again) but it seems the rice expanding in her stomach was too much for her. How do I know it was the rice? Simply because it was bone dry which means the rice soaked up all the moisture in her stomach.

So, this morning is it still half of her normal amount of food (broken up of course) but less rice/beef mixture and more kibble and baby food. I also plan on giving her a very small meal is afternoon so that she is getting the nutrients she needs but not overloading the stomach. In essence, we are back to the days of puppies - 3 small meals a day - breakfast being the largest and dinner being the smallest to allow for proper nutritional intake while being easy on the stomach.

The vet told us this may happen and that it is nothing to worry about as long as it is not continuous. She had a lot of damage to her stomach and even though she may want to eat the whole bin of dog food, we must do what is best for her and limit her intake - giving her stomach time to heal properly... even if she makes it the most difficult thing to do when she turns on those sad puppy dog eyes...

Puppy prayers are still most welcome.

Dakota's Diagnosis

Yes!! We finally have a diagnosis to Dakota's stomach ailment!!

The veterinarian called last night and read the pathology report verbatim. As he went on reading her pathology report, my head started swimming from all the large words and I felt once again like I was sitting in my mammalian physiology college course with a heavy British accented professor. (Alas, I was a marine biology major. :))

Luckily he gave me the synopsis at the end. It is not cancer but rather an "inflammation and irritation caused by a foreign body or substance". What does that mean? Well, she swallowed something she shouldn't have - plain and simple.

We still have no clue what the "foreign body" was but the doctor said he found no physical bodies in her stomach or intestines... so, if it was a material object, it passed through her system but caused damage along the way. However, it could have been a clear substance such as ice melter or such - which would not leave a trace except the damage.

So, we are stuck scratching our heads at the possible culprit and owning it up to the fact that she is a Labrador Retriever and it is all too common for this breed to ingest a "foreign body" or two. Needless to say, she will make a full recovery and we will be keeping an even more watchful eye on her from this point forward.

With only two watchful eyes, I am glad I only have two Labs! *laugh*

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.

Vote for Dakota!

Dakota has been entered in Bissell’s 2009 Most Valuable Pet Photo Contest.

Vote for her today at: Vote for Dakota!

Contest runs through March 31st so please make sure to vote!

Please feel free to cross-post. If we win the grand prize, we will be donating the $10,000 to the LEARN Lab Rescue!

New Puppy Questions

Question:
Hi - my husband and I adore your blog with all of its videos, info and 100s of pics on flickr. Our Lab puppy will be ready to come home in two weeks and I have a few questions for you.

1. What is the best puppy food?
2. Did you crate train and if so, what size crate did you buy?

We are trying to prepare as much as possible before Kirby arrives. My husband and I grew up with dogs but never raised a puppy. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. This is all so very exciting. We look forward to hearing from you.

Answer:
First, major congrats on the new puppy. This is definitely an exciting time and applaud how responsible you are to do research online before even bringing your new puppy home!

To answer your questions:

1) What is the best puppy food? Well, people who read my blog know that I am head over heels in love with Eagle Pack Holistic dry dog food. They have a very well balanced and high quality Eagle Pack Holistic Select® Large & Giant Breed Puppy Formula that I would definitely recommend for the first 6 months to a year. If you find that your puppy has chicken allergies (which can happen in Labrador Retrievers), then I would recommend what we use: Eagle Pack Holistic Select® Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal Formula. Make sure though that you gradually switch the puppy from the food your breeder used to any new food you decide to go with. For more information, check out our article on Feeding Guidelines for Labrador Retrievers.

2) Did you crate train and if so, what size crate did you buy? When I was younger, I used to think crate training was barbaric. However, I have to admit that I now *love* crate training and will vouch that this is the reason our Labs were housebroken so fast and are so well trained/behaved. Our recommended crate is the Midwest Life Stages dog crate. We have the Life Stages - Single Door 42" as this is the perfect size to grow with your large breed Lab. Our main reason for choosing this crate: folds easily for moving, has a divider panel that allows the crate to grow with the pup, has a plastic pan on the bottom for easy clean up (especially during housebreaking), chew resistant metal (Labs can easily chew plastic crates) and loads of openness for airflow and to be part of what is going on around them. To help, check out these articles on Crate Training Your Labrador and Housebreaking Your Pup.

Best of luck and be sure to send us pictures of the new pup!

Dakota's Home!

Last night was the first night home for Dakota and we are so glad to have her back.

Right now she is on Beef and Gravy Stage 2 baby food and a couple of gulps of water broken up over time to not over-work her stomach. She came home with an e-collar (what we like to call a drunken lampshade *laugh*) because she still has a catheter in her left leg in case of a problem. You see, the vet sent Dakota home without trying her on baby food yet so he wanted to make sure there was a line should she get sick from the food.

Well, I am happy to report that she ate 2 small jars of baby food last night and two this morning - without a problem! :) Of course, we took the e-collar off of her while she was home but kept a strict eye on her to make sure she didn't try to pull her line. Once we headed to bed, both Lab Brats were crated and the e-collar was placed back on since there was no way we could guarantee that Dakota would be a good girl and leave her leg alone.

Right now she is enjoying a rainy day laying in front of the living room heating vent while Cheyenne is sleeping at my feet - using my foot as her pillow. *laugh* They are both very content as I work from my laptop on my living room couch (to keep an eye on Dakota) - both are home.

What's next? Well, later today Dakota goes back to the vet to have the catheter removed and get another shot of antibiotics and such. It will be a week until we get back the pathology reports - however, we humans and dogs alike at the Lab Brats house remain certain that all tests will come back negative.

Thank you all so much for all your prayers and well wishes. I will most definitely continue to keep everyone up to date on her progress and the test results.

{{{hugs}}}

Dakota's Coming Home!

The vet just said she is tolerating small amounts of water and she can come home tonight!!

He did mention quickly that she will be on baby food at least tonight but will discuss more when we get there at 5:30pm CT to pick her up.

I will post more after she is settled in. Thank you, thank you, thank you all!!!!

Dakota Day 3 Update

Got a call from the vet and he said that Dakota is awake, alert and doing well. He is going to give her a few tablespoons of water this morning and progress to baby food if all continues to go well. Still hasn't vomited since the surgery on Saturday but she is on anti-nausea medication so that is a given.

I am to call him around 3pm CT to see how she is doing. At that time, he will let me know if she can come home tonight. If so, we will pick her up around 5pm CT - if not, we will schedule a time to visit with her tonight before the clinic closes. (they schedule a time so they can unhook the IVs and such)

Of course, I remain optimistic that she is coming home tonight. I have boiled ground beef and rice already made and all her bedding washed for her return home.

It is amazing how much you realize the joy your pup brings into your life when they are removed from your home or life. I so miss her big mushy face!

Dakota's Monday Update

Got a call last night from the veterinarian. He said Dakota was doing very well 24 hours after her stomach surgery - she was up walking and going potty. At that point, he was still on schedule to give her a bit of food this morning and see if she handles it well. If so, she can come home later today!

On a side note - I was going to take the opportunity to visit her at the vet this morning but decided to do what is right rather than what is easy. Sure, I am positive she would be happy to see me but she needs rest, not excitement. So, instead of giving into what would make me happy, I have to think about her first and her health is more important of course.

So, no visit to the clinic this morning. Instead, I will be a good human and wait by the phone for our morning update and let my precious Dakota heal well without mommy getting her all excited.

(will post with update as soon as Dr. calls)

Dakota Morning Update

Vet just called and gave us an update on Dakota.

She is alert, sitting up, and hasn't vomited since the surgery. Everything is going well.

He is going to keep her off food and water today to give the stomach time to heal from the inflammation as well as the surgery. If she still has not vomited by tomorrow, he will give her a small bit of water and some baby food in the morning (Monday). If it continues to go well, we can bring her home Monday evening.

From what he said, she is following the same post-surgery routine as a dog that ingested a foreign object. Right now the most important part is to let her stomach rest from all the trauma.

He also said that I can visit her in the morning so I will be there shortly after they open their doors. We all miss her terribly!

All the prayers are working - keep it up!

(next vet update scheduled for this afternoon/evening)

Difficult Night Without Dakota

No update this morning yet but it is not even 8am....

Cheyenne had a difficult night and we have been giving her loads of attention. Last night my hubby went to a mini high school reunion and I elected to stay home with Chey. Once I went to bed, I heard Chey roaming the house, knocking into things, looking everywhere for her sister before she would go to bed herself. She is quite lost but slowly adjusting.

We remain positive that tomorrow (Monday) Dakota will come home to us. She just needs to keep down some food and water today in order to get the green light. Of course, I will be making a load of boiled ground beef and rice to prepare for her return. :)

Thank you all for the well wishes, doggy prayers, and virtual hugs. I will post an update as soon as the vet calls today.

Dakota Surgery Update

Sorry for not updating sooner... between keeping Cheyenne busy and being too upset to even talk, I couldn't get to my computer.

So, the vet called and there was not an obstruction. What he saw was major inflammation of her stomach wall. Half of her stomach has loads of swelling and is one huge mass. He took a biopsy and sent it off - need to wait a week for the results on that.

He said it can be a few things.

1) It could be stomach cancer and, if it is, there would be nothing he could do for her. We won't know until the pathology comes back.

2) It could be something she ate that irritated her stomach - something very bad like getting into antifreeze or something. Who knows - her ball could have come into contact on the ground with ice melter at some time... we are always careful but we just don't know.

3) She has a virus/infection that isn't showing up on the blood tests.

Right now she is still at the vet where they are giving her IV fluids to rehydrate her, anti-nausea medication, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotics. The vet will continue to give me updates throughout the weekend and hopefully, with everything he is doing, he can get her to hold down a bit of food and water - which means she would come home the soonest of Monday. If she continues to have problems with eating/drinking, he will keep her until she does improve or finds out the results of the biopsy so we know where to go from there.

Needless to say, I am going to remain optimistic that it was either a virus or irritation and will be taken care of with the medications and some well deserved rest. We are not newbies to vomiting spells as just 2 years ago, our Cheyenne was in a similar mess after she ingested some microscopic yellow reflective material and had inflammation of her pylorus, which almost killed her. I believe that in a couple of days, she will be home with us and soaking up all the love and attention - just like Cheyenne did. And, like Cheyenne, she will be back to new in no time.

Again, we will happily accept all puppy prayers that Dakota has the same miraculous turn-around like Dakota. We miss her terribly and just want her home with us.

I will continue to post updates, as I get them.

Thank you so much for the well wishes - it means a lot to us.

Dakota Needs Prayers

Oh my poor puppy! Dakota has been throwing up once a night for the last week - until this morning. Upon cleaning up last night's mess, she began throwing up and wouldn't stop. An emergency run to our vet confirmed that Dakota was extremely sick and needed help immediately!

An x-ray showed something "U" shaped in her stomach. She is now dehydrated and still cannot stop throwing up. We had no option but to agree with the vet that she needed immediate surgery to get that thing out of her.

So, our sweet Dakota will have surgery in the next couple of hours to remove whatever it is. My heart is aching because our 4-year old Lab never eats anything without permission... how in the world did this happen? *sigh*

Please keep her in your prayers... the vet will call this afternoon with an update.

Puppy Love From Koa

We love feedback on the blog and hearing about new little bundles of Lab joy!

Love your blog! I'm a proud "new" Mom to my "furry" chocolate lab child, Koa, who will be 9 weeks old on Tues. He already plays "fetch", sits on command and sniffs to the door when he wants to go potty. This is my first Lab and I've always wanted one...now I know why!!

He is a wedding gift from my fiance's Uncle who breeds them and we have to say he is the BEST wedding gift!!

Puppy Love from San Diego!

Koa is adorable! Major congrats to you and your family and thank you for the Puppy Love!

Lab smiles!

Removing Crates and Turning Heads

Question:
I enjoy your stories and it is nice to connect with some one who lives the "expressions, complaints, happiness, loyalty, and character of a lab". Our sweet lab is from Cricket Hollow Farms. Chris Anderson is awesome. Our Lab, Cody uses a large crate. We never close him in it, he uses it to retreat to and sleep in at night. I would like to graduate him not using the crate any longer. He is now 19 months. He very trustworthy when we are gone or at night. Is the crate something he should have the rest of his life because of the den like atmosphere? Should I not remove it? Also, when you doctor up your labs such as apply creams or ear solutions, does your lab look away from you? My Cody will turn his head from me and not look at me the entire time I am doctoring something on him. I was curious about this behavior.


Answer:
I love hearing from other Cricket Hollow Farm Labrador Retrievers families! Chris is an awesome woman and the most responsible dog breeder I have ever met! I guess that makes Cody cousins with the Lab Brats since they are all from that wonderful place. :)

When to remove a crate? Well, it is up to personal preference. Once you are done Crate Training Your Labrador Retriever Dog, you can remove the crate as you wish but I would recommend keeping it somewhere safe for future use should you need to crate Cody after surgery, when moving, when guests are visiting, and so on. The Lab Brats are now 3 and 4 years old and still have their crates. We keep them in a spare bedroom with the door to the room and crates open at all times. This is where the dogs sleep at night or go to rest when they just want to get away. We have placed fleece blankets on top of the crates to give them more of a den feel and they love them. Heck, we tried to remove them a few times and Dakota was so lost that we had to bring them back. So, it is up to you but I honestly would leave it if it isn't getting in your way so Cody can have his own space.

Now for the head turning... I have to laugh because the Lab Brats will turn their head and eyes away from us when we apply ear cleaner. Well, that is after we have hunted them down and dragged them out of the corner to clean their ears - just say "ears" in this house and they both run for cover! The turning of the head and not making eye contact is called "avoidance". It is their way of telling you that they don't like what you are doing. They kind of think they did something wrong to get on your bad side and cause you to want to do such things to them. So, if they avoid your eyes, they think they can get back on your good side. This is why we have a treat ready for the girls and show it to them before we clean their ears. Once we are done, they get the treat right away and hang around for more treats. Eye avoidance is nothing to be concerned about - as long as it is not coupled with any aggressive traits such as baring teeth, snarling, etc.

Lab smiles!

New Poll: Does your dog have food allergies?

Labs are notorious for food allergies - from dry skin and itchy paws to red ears and eye discharge. Toleration for allergens such as chicken, chicken by-products, grains, wheat, and other fillers run the gamut... so I thought it would be interesting to see exactly how many of our Lab families experience dog food allergies in their own pack.

So this week's poll (on the right sidebar) runs until midnight on March 23rd and is entitled "Does your dog have food allergies?". Again, if you don't have a Lab breed, I still welcome you to answer it for any dog breed (include the beloved mutts) you may have.

Lab smiles!

Wii is For the Dogs?

After months of scrimping and saving, we finally purchased the Wii and Wii Fit last week. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited we were when it was finally hooked up to our living room television and ready to go.

It seems we were not the only ones excited... Everything went well until I decided to try Tennis.

There I am working on my backhand when Cheyenne realizes there are balls flying all over the big screen. Immediately, she gets into her standing pose - ready to retrieve on command - and begins to bark at the balls.

On and on I play the game - which gets Cheyenne even more annoyed. So, what does she do? She tries to attack the balls on the television. Over and over again she goes on while I try to maintain my composure and not let down my little virtual Mii.

I had to tell her about 20 times to leave it before she got the hint and laid down right at my feet so I could not move to hit the next shot and lost the game. I guess she figured that if she couldn't play, then no one should play. What a goof ball! *laugh*

Best Food for Allergic Dogs

Question:
Hi! I was so excited to come across your site, it's very cute and informative. I am also completely in love with labs, in particular our (almost) 3 year old chocolate lab, Kaya. We have been going through several medications in attempt to resolve her itchiness only to have the vet conclude that it's likely a food allergy. The vet suggested prescription diet Z/D which has been fine as long as she is on the Trimeprazine. As soon as we lower the dose of that, the itchiness is back. So, I was wondering if there are any foods that you have come across that are Chicken, grain and soy Free? It's such torture to see her so uncomfortable so any help would be greatly appreciated!


Answer:
Ahh! We have run into a similar problem with the Lab Brats. Both of our girls were allergic to everything we fed them. Common symptoms were dull wire-like fur, loads of dandruff, itchy skin, rashes, gnawing at their paws, red itchy ears, discolored eye goop, and more. That was until we found the right food and have been recommending it to everyone we meet - and they all have seen dramatic differences as well.

Before I go any further, I must point out that I do not work for any dog food company nor do I get "kick-backs" for recommending any products. I am speaking from my heart and what I have seen with my own eyes. Good, now that is out of the way - let's continue.

Our best friend is the Eagle Pack Holistic Select® Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal Formula!!

Let me tell you why:

* Harvested from cold ocean water, they are put on ice, processed and preserved naturally (DOT & CG Permits on file). (No contaminated food here!)

* Ideal for less active dogs and for weight management. (Perfect for Labs since they can easily get overweight)

* Allergy affected dogs will benefit from our single source, hypoallergenic, animal protein. (Bingo! Easy on the stomach and no allergies!)

* Antioxidants - Vitamins A, C, E and Beta-Carotene are added to enhance the immune system and slow cell deterioration. (Everything a dog needs to stay healthy)

* Glucosamine - This nutrient occurs naturally in the joints of humans and animals. Guaranteed levels are added to this formula. (Perfect for keeping those large breed hips and joints healthy)

There is no chicken or chicken by-products which is what a good portion of Labrador Retrievers are allergic. No soy and no bad grains. Just the healthy stuff to get those allergies cleared and who knows - maybe get your Kaya off of any allergy medications down the line (with a vet's approval of course).

Best yet is that they have a Dog Food Satisfaction Guarantee. They even have a FREE Holistic Transition® offer to aid your dog in making the transition to their dog food as changing dog foods can upset a dog's stomach. Remember that the transition should be slow and it will take a few weeks to a couple of months to see improvements.

There is a wealth of information on their website that you can check out other testimonials and gather more information. I would recommend making the switch as I have seen the results first hand. Don't believe me, just look at the picture below in this post of the Lab Brats!

Best of luck and keep us posted!

Heartfelt Thank You...

Every so often I find myself wondering if people are truly getting anything out of the Lab Brats blog. Sure, I love to write and I even tend to entertain myself when I recall something goofy the Lab Brats may have done. However, I do wondering what impact this blog has on other dog and specially Lab owners. Are the readers laughing, crying, or wondering what the world I could be possibly talking about? Well, that was until I received the following in my inbox:

"I just am emailing to say thank you! Our Black Lab mix Sammy was almost homeless today...... My last dog Shelby was a pure bread Rottie and Sammy is my first Lab. Shelby was such a sweet dog and that is exactly what I looked for in my Sammy. He found us at the SPCA and I had to bring him home. He turned 1 in February....and now is starting to be what I considered defiant...he pushed me so far today....I saw that he chewed an oak chair and a leg of the oak table today...in less than 10 minutes.l This coupled with the massive amounts of fur in my otherwise very clean home....I almost went over the edge. I had to get on the internet and see if there is something going on that I could help....and just reading your blog did. I laughed so hard, and it put it all into perspective. All of a sudden the enormous amounts of downy fur all over my house that cause me to vacuum twice a day this past week are because he is "blowing out" who would have known? Nor did I know that Labs are the Olympic Gold Champions of the Chewers! So...at least he is just being him...and now I know how to help....he needs a new Kong...and a good brushing more than twice a day.

Sammy thanks you, I am sure, because he was on my bad side today, but now he is just laying here, being his goofy self and all is well!

I will be definitely checking back frequently to see how the Lab Brats are! Knowing that it is normal for my dog to be a goof makes it better! Thank you!"

My eyes teared and my heart did a leap! Thank you Melissa for reminding me of why I started this blog shortly after I brought my first Lab puppy into my own home. Thank you to both you and your Sammy! It will get better, I promise you that and you are most definitely not alone! {{{hugs}}}

New Poll: Does Your Lab Like Water?

Recently I wrote a blog post about "Introducing Pups to Water". In it, I wrote the line "But never fear - you have a puppy and if you play your cards right, there may come a day when you are begging her to get out of the water". Then I thought... what if a Lab didn't like water at all?

Yes, it is true that there are rare cases where a dog, or particularly a Lab, will not like water at all. May it be rain hitting them on the head, the sound of the ocean waves, or even just the idea of getting their paws wet - there are, indeed, some dogs that do not like water.

So this week's poll (on the right sidebar) runs until midnight on March 15th and is entitled "Does Your Lab Like Water?". Of course, if you don't have a Lab breed, I still welcome you to answer it for any dog breed (include the beloved mixed breed) you may have.

Enjoy!

Poll Results:
Yes: 92%
No: 4%
Sometimes: 4%
Some of Them: 0%

Introducing Pups to Water

Question:
Me my wife and our baby Lilly (Now @ 9 weeks) go to the beach every other day and I just noticed that she doesn't go near the shore line and runs when she hears water coming towards her. I want to know if this is normal ?

Answer:
Right now she is quite young to understand that water will not hurt her. It is a time when pups are learning what is good and what is bad. Whatever you do, don't try to coax her into the water or coddle her to protect her - this will only make her fear it more. Instead, go to the beach and ignore her when she runs from the shore. If you show her that it doesn't get your attention as something bad/scary, she will learn not to fear it as well.

To get her used to water, I would suggest introducing her to a slow trickle of a water hose (again, using the same method) and then build up to a kiddie pool without water, then with very little water, and build up the depth to a few inches over a few weeks (when she is able to handle each level with fun in her eyes).

But never fear - you have a puppy and if you play your cards right, there may come a day when you are begging her to get out of the water.

Email the Lab Brats!

After much debate, I have finally decided to open my brain to the rest of the world. Luckily, this is a virtual surgery for I need every last brain cell to remain sane with two highly energetic Labrador Retrievers and to remain happily married as well.

(Did you notice the dogs came before the husband? *laugh*)

Comments are great and I totally encourage posting comments to my blog posts. However, many people have been wanting a more personal communication form to ask questions about dog health, life, breed specifics, training or to just send some puppy love. Your wish is my command!

For our special virtual doggy family, you can now Email the Lab Brats family! Just click on the cool looking link in our sidebar to Contact Us and you will be whisked over to an easy to use email form where you can ask questions, leave feedback or send me pictures of your beloved canine companions.

So send us your dog mail and who knows, you or your dog related topic may just make our next blog post! *wink*


Special Thanks
Chocolate Lab "dog mail" graphic provided by Art By Angi.

2 Labs, 1 Dominate Player

Do you have more than one dog and can't seem to find a way to play with one because another likes to dominate the playtime? That's how it is in our house and for over 3 years, it has been driving us crazy!

Dakota is a ball hog but becomes very submissive during playtime because every time she has the ball, Cheyenne has to hump her. Now, don't get me wrong - I totally understand that this is not aggressive at all and it is just the canine hierarchy and an over-energized pup. Honestly, Dakota will not let another dog hump her - only her sister. And the love is both ways - Cheyenne will hump no other dog except Dakota and *only* during play.

The problem is that Dakota doesn't get as much exercise as she should because of Cheyenne's dominance during playtime in our house and out as well. It hurts Dakota's hips to have the weight of her sister on them so she will usually grab the ball then lean her rear end towards a wall so Cheyenne can't get on her back. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work.

I had enough of this - Dakota deserves to play without such nuisances and without risk to her hips. So, I put my feelings of possibly being a "bad doggy mommy" and began crating Cheyenne to get some one-on-one play time with Dakota. Heck, my big girl must be allowed to have an outlet for all that Labbie energy!

So, I played with them both at first - letting Cheyenne get the ball mostly to tire her a good deal. Then I crated her and while she barked her every-living head off, I played with Dakota - just "mano y paw".

After 10 minutes of Dakota running up and down our hallway for the squeaky ball (and Cheyenne spending all that time barking while I ignored her), Dakota was out of breath and happy as a Lab in mud. She was more attentive during play and I was even able to sneak in a little training while she lay the ball at my feet and begged for more with the smile only a Lab can give. All without her dominating little sister clinging to her back and making play more pain than pleasure.

Did I feel bad about leaving Cheyenne in the crate? The human part of me did originally but then I realized how important it is to maintain a one-on-one bond with any and all dogs in a household. That and the a smiley out-of-breath Dakota were well worth the ringing in my ears.