A Funny Thing...

A Lab walks into a bar...

No, wait! That isn't how it goes...

A Lab lay at her humans' feet while watching television one day. Among all the noise of the daily news, she decides that now is a good time to clean herself as only a dog can.

While making sure her privates are all cleaner than a Lab puppy's breath, she pauses ever so subtly as the sound of a deflating balloon fills the air. She realizes at that moment that she has passed gas directly on her own face and up her nose. She continues to smell the air that has now wafted around her nether regions.

Shame does not come until she hears hysterical human laughter and looks up to notice her human mommy laughing so hard that tears are rolling down her face. It is at that moment that embarrassment comes as she gets up from her comfortable position and with head bent low sulks away while the fit of human laughter continues to roar behind her.

Yes, my friends, this was our very own Cheyenne just a couple of days ago... my face and side still hurt from the uncontrollable laughter that only our dogs can bring into our lives. Thank you my precious Lab for never ceasing to make me laugh!

Snow Games

The Lab Brats are full of energy this morning. It may be the freshly fallen snow or the fact that we can't even remember the last time we were able to get to the dog park (they don't snow plow well enough for a Saturn to get to it). What to do to get rid of all that Labrador energy?

Find it! Well, a version of our very popular "Find It! Game" with a twist. Instead of hiding the food around the house, I threw a handful of their dog kibble out into the fresh powder of snow. Talk about being in heaven! Both dogs took a head-dive into the snow and started to use their hunting (smell) skills and digging to find the kibble spread throughout the yard before the other could find it. With hearts pounding and noses smelling every area of the yard, they used their innate Lab skills to find every last morsel.

Did it work? Most definitely! Both dogs came into the house breathing heavy and after getting a small bit of water, they crashed on the floor out of breath. Score one for the Lab mommy!

(Please note: When throwing kibble into the snow, make sure that it is on soft snow that is far away from any ice melter or salt that may have been spread out to prevent ice. Consumption of such ice melters can be poisonous to dogs if ingested.)

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)

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)

Doggy Birthday Surprise

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

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




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

Dyson and the Lab Brats

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

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

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



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

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

The Lab Brats Swim!

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



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



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



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

Until next year! :)

Calling all Water Dogs!

The Milwaukee Off Leash Dog Parks Association is having their yearly Doggy Dips this weekend and we wouldn't miss it for the world! Last year was the first time our Dakota & Cheyenne went to the doggy dip and although it wasn't their first introduction to water, it was the first time they ever swam! So, the Lab Brats will be attending this year's Doggy Dip at the Sheridan Park pool in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Here is more information on the event:

• What: Annual Milwaukee Doggy Dip
• When: Sunday, August 19, 6pm - 8pm
• Where: Jackson, Sheridan and Washington Park pools
• Price: $5.00 per dog

All proceeds go to help fun Milwaukee off-leash dog parks. There is also one on September 3rd, Labor Day, Cool Waters, 6pm - 8pm. We will definitely be at the Sheridan Park Pool this weekend and will try to make the Doggy Dip at Cool Waters as well.

Hope to see you there!

Paws in the Park

On Sunday, we took took the girls to Paws in the Park. It was "Big Woof Day", which means that there were a number of vendors and events for the Lab Brats to get their paws into.

For the first few minutes, they pulled us every which way. Lucky for us, we had the prong collars on them or I would have ended up short one arm. *laugh* It wasn't so much the amount of activity; it was the fact that usually when there are those many dogs out in the open, they think they are at an off-leash dog park. So, Cheyenne had no clue why mommy was keeping her on the leash so long. Poor girl!

Our dogs liked the free dog treat samples that were being given out and didn't care much as mommy and daddy looked at the dog products. All the girls wanted was to sniff butts and rub against dead rabbit fur (being sold in one of the booths as a toy).

Although it was hot, it was a great day. And had Cheyenne not been pulling me all over the place, I would have had pictures to show as well. Alas, such is life with Labrador Retriever puppies surrounded by loads of food and doggy playmates.

Wake the Dogs!

As I was wandering the Internet, I happened upon a blog that said to go to Yahoo!, turn up your speakers, and click on the exclamation point in the Yahoo! Logo.

Oh my! Both of our dogs jumped a mile into the sky and ran around the house barking up a storm. As I clutched my sides and wiped the tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard at them, I gave each a warm hug (while trying to hide back more laughter) and told them I am sorry. Well, I don't know how sorry I was because it was hysterical! Needless to say, the Lab Brats were not as amused! Before you think I am a mean woman, go and try it yourself!