Enter the Devil Dog

You ever have one of those days where you are trying to get a bunch of stuff done and your dog just doesn't understand? Instead of giving you the space you need, your pup howls, jumps up and down, pushes your hands off your keyboard, pushes you over, or brings you every toy that exists in your house.

Last week Dakota pushed me to the edge. It was with every ounce of sheer will that I did not jump up and crate her in her room. Instead, I decided to take a more passive approach.

Being a graphic designer, I grabbed a beautiful picture of Dakota and did my magic artwork. As I created my masterpiece, I felt the annoyance leave my body and a smile broaden my face. It was like therapeutic art in which you paint a bulls eye or mustache on that annoying coworker when you have had too much.

All stress left my body during those final moments of creativity. I was left laughing my head off as I witnessed my own creation - DEVIL DOG!! *laugh*

(No, Dakota did not stop annoying me but my creativity allowed me to just laugh at her annoying self rather than get angry. After a while, she gave up.)

Balancing Work and Dogs

Dogs, especially Labrador Retrievers, have a ton of energy and many dog owners just don't how to balance their busy lifestyle while being a responsible dog owner.

Cesar Milan's popular show "The Dog Whisperer" teaches people how to be correct even the worst dog's bad behavior. However, many don't truly hear the deeper message that is being taught during the show. In order to be a responsible pet owner and give your pup the best life possible, you must first learn to balance your life and that of your dog's.

Taking care of a dog is not a full-time job but needs to have structure and balance. But how to do this when you already have a plate full with work, family, social activities, and so on?

Simple: Pen your dog into your schedule.

Dogs need rules, schedules, boundaries or else their energy and boredom get the better of them. This is easy to see when a human parent goes back to work after a few years staying at home, new kids are thrown into the pack which take up more time, or the human parent just becomes lazy after a while of having the dog.

Why does my dog chew the furniture? Why does it go to the bathroom all over the house? Why has it become aggressive? Why? Why? Why?

The key here is that if you want a well behaved and happy dog, then you need to maintain a balance of work and dog. Dogs need long walks at least twice a day - with you in control of the walk and not the dog. They also need some play time at least once a day to be a dog and run free. Meals, play, walks and so on all need to be on schedule. Sure, you pup doesn't wear a watch but it has a built in watch that never stops working.

To give an example of balance, here is our schedule for the Lab Brats:

5:30am - Long Walk

6:00am - Meal (their filled bowls are hidden in the house for them to find when they return from the walk)

7:00am - Settle down for a rest in the sun spots

11:00am - Playtime (30 minutes retrieving balls)

12:30pm - Snack time (small bit of kibble hidden in house)

1:00pm - Back to sun spots

4:00pm - Dinner

6:00pm - Long Walk

7:00pm - Playtime (weather permitting outside)

9:00pm - Bed

Keep in mind that I work from home at this time so this is my own weekday schedule with the dogs. My husband (who works outside the home) takes them for their walks and I do the rest. During the weekend, we go to the dog park on Saturday for at least an hour and Sunday is fun time at home (sometimes with their kiddie pool). Either way, we stick to the same feeding and walking schedule regardless of the day of week or the weather.

And you know what we got for it? Two very happy and well behaved Labrador Retrievers.

Balancing and keeping your pup to a schedule is the first step to building a healthy and happy life together.

How do you balance work, life and dogs?

My Dog Owns My Heart

I remember there was a time when I would sit up in the middle of the night crying my eyes out while listening to my young puppy whining every 5 minutes. The stress of owning a small Labrador Retriever puppy was getting to me and my thoughts wondered about how I could do such a thing to myself.

Fast forward 3 years and you will find a very content woman and dog owner. I can now look back on those days with a smile on my face. Yes, those days where difficult but they were the foundation on which to build my love and admiration for this dog breed.

Impressionable as Lab puppies may be in their youth, it is up to the human to lead it down the path that will make it the envy of the dog world. In those young days it is difficult to see that with consistent and persistent love and training, that precious little bundle of fur will one day become your best friend, your shadow, and the love of your life.

As I glanced into Cheyenne's eyes this morning, a wave of thoughts and feelings flooded my senses. She is much calmer today than she was just a couple of months ago. Still filled with loads of Lab energy, she is able to understand now when it is appropriate to use and when she needs to just follow my lead.

She has gone from my dog to my canine companion. My heart has never felt such a love before as she has now become the Labrador Retriever that all others stop, point to, and say "I want one exactly like that!"

She is no longer the puppy that made me pull out my hair and keep the tissue company in business... Yes, she is mine and my heart is hers... I now have the one I have always wanted!

Rain Won't Heal Dog Burned Grass

It has been raining non-stop for 3 days now and for some that would be depressing but, alas, I am a rain lover. The rain brings a clean feeling to everything around you and the growth that occurs from water is amazing; especially in the Spring.

Take for instance our grass - lush, alive, tall, green, yellow polka dots... err, yellow polka dots??

Yes, the greener our grass gets, the more predominant the yellow spots around our yard become. The markings left by dogs, especially large female dogs, during 10 months of a snowy winter pop up like an annoying mother-in-law in the Spring... they aren't so bad when you don't see them but then - BAM! - they not only visit but seem to multiply in the most annoying way!

That prompted a visit to our local pet supply store yesterday to check out the "urine supplements". Now, I am not one to give any medication to my beloved Labradors without having no other choice. I much rather give an herbal supplement or change their diet slowly but I have always been interested in these supplements and curious if they actually work.

Did we make a purchase? No, for a couple of reasons. First, I couldn't pronounce any of the ingredients on the bottle and that reminded me of an old ice cream commercial where they had people try to pronounce all the long complicated ingredients of their competitors. Second, both Lab Brats have already had stomach surgery in their short lives for ingesting a foreign material that came close to killing them. Do I really want to put some potential harsh ingredients, that I cannot even pronounce, into their sensitive stomachs?

So I will continue my search for a holistic treatment to help alleviate those ghastly yellow spots plaguing my beautiful lawn. Keep your paws crossed!

What is your take on "urine supplements" to stop your dog from burning your grass? Do you use them? What do you think about them? Do you have any recommendations to other dog owners?

Local Area Labrador Retriever Meetups

Question:
I regularly (daily in fact) check your website and will comment here and there BUT this question is about your lab get together that you have for lab and lab mix pups. I am just wondering if you can tell me or send to me what information you have on this. I would appreciate anything that you can share.

Answer:
Last year I created a local group called the Milwaukee Area Lab Meetup. The goal of this group was to get Lab owners and lovers together at least once a month to have a play date for the dogs while the humans socialized, traded stories and shared training secrets. It was a huge success and before long the group was so large in size that my schedule could not accommodate the group. So, I handed it off to another group member that has grown it beyond my wildest hopes and dreams.

Today the group is known as the Milwaukee Area Retriever (and large breed) Meetup. It has 202 Lab-loving members, has held 18 meetups so far and has helped raised money for a number of dog breed specific dog rescues. Although I am no longer the “Head Retriever” of the group, I am still a member and attend many of their events. It is a great opportunity to get together with other Lab and dog owners to finally have a place to boast about our dogs without someone thinking we are nuts for talking about the dogs more than most people talk about their kids. *wink*

To find out more about this specific meet-up group, please feel free to visit their group website at: http://www.meetup.com/milw-retriever/

You can also check out more dog meetups in your area by visiting: http://www.meetup.com/topics/pets/

8 Paws of Life

Spring has sprung in our little area of the great Midwest! Alright, 50 degrees and a brisk wind out of the north wouldn't signify "Spring" to most but believe it or not, this is perfect Labrador Retriever weather!

For almost 6 months the Lab Brats haven't been able to properly stretch their legs and get rid of all that doggone energy. So, we bundled our human selves up as best we could and headed down to the local dog park.

Sure, there were loads of mud puddles that Dakota could have bathed herself in again but this time we walked with leashes in hand to keep them far away from the spa-like intrigue. Thank chocolate we did because there were mud pools everywhere! I even felt bad for one owner who continued to call her American Bulldog away from the largest mud bath only to have the poor pup waddle in and get stuck in the middle with no way out. (Alright, I admit - I laughed a bit but only because the dog was so cute and it wasn't us.)

It was amazing though to watch Dakota run with Cheyenne. Only a few weeks ago, Dakota almost died from ingesting a foreign material and that day she ran like the wind. She paid no mind to the cold wind on her hairless belly as as traveled all four corners of the dog park. She was free. She was healthy. She was happy. She was alive!

5 Reasons Dogs Won't Eat

Question:
My 9 month old female chocolate Lab has stopped eating for the pass 2 days. I don't know what to do or why she has stopped eating. Can you please [help] me?

Answer:
Every so often dogs will decide to stop eating for a variety of reasons.

1. The food bowl is not clean. If there is any bacteria or subtle scents coming from the bowl, then dogs may refuse to use that bowl. It is recommended that you use a stainless steel bowl as this is the most sanitary and is not porous.

2. The food is bad. Is it a new bag of food or a new brand of dog food? If so, your dog may not like it. If it is a new bag of dog food but the same brand, then it is recommended that you pick up a smaller new bag of that same dog food to see if the originating bag is contaminated with something. If it is a new brand of dog food then your pup may just not like the food at all.

3. The pup is pregnant or in heat. Although you have a young pup, is there a chance she may be pregnant? Pups in heat or pregnant can go through times of refusing to eat - which is normal for a few days here and there.

4. There is a bowel obstruction or digestive disorder. Is your pup still eliminating? Does your dog still take other food such as treats or human snacks? Is it vomiting? If your dog is even refusing the most delicious of treats and/or not eliminating, then there may be a bowel obstruction or it may have a digestive disorder. In this case, it is recommended that you get the pup to a vet ASAP.

5. The pup is just being stubborn. Have you brought a new person or animal into the home recently? Have you changed anything about the pup? Has the pup been through any trauma lately? If the answer to any of these is yes, then your pup may be going through emotional distress as it is unsure of its environment. Changes in lifestyle or routine can easily disturb a pup and cause it not to eat.

In the end, you know your pup the best and can best determine if your pup has a serious problem or not. My overall recommendation would be to call your vet if you notice any behavioral or physical changes in your pup. The veterinarian's office will give you free health advice over the phone and provide a more specific list of recommendations based on their past experience with your dog. If your dog has gone more than a couple of days without food, I would definitely seek professional assistance.

Best of luck and please let us know how it goes!

Getting a Discount on Vet Bills

You want what is best for your pet but with the current economy, it is important to keep as much of your hard earned cash in your pocket. So how do you cut costs on your vet bill without sacrificing the care of your beloved canine companion?

A well hidden secret all comes down the business sense. Given that I am a small business owner, a simply thing came to me when I was ready to pay Dakota's huge vet bill for recent stomach surgery.

Upon leaving with my beautiful Lab, I was greeted with my outstanding bill. It was a whopping $1,302.90! When I first heard the amount, I thought I may need stomach surgery!

Then I remembered something... all businesses tack 3% on their bills! Did you know that every business has a 3% per transaction fee that they must pay to the credit card processing companies every time you use your credit card or debit card to pay for something at that business? This is how they are able to process credit card transactions.

So, I put away my credit and debit cards when the bill came due and calmly asked the lady if they pay 3% per credit card transaction. Upon confirmation, I smiled and said "Let's make a deal! Would it be possible for me to pay by check or cash and get a 3% discount on my bill considering you do not have to pay a transaction fee for cash transactions?" Her response: "Sure! Not a problem"... and my $1,302.90 bill was discounted by $39.00 to $1,263.81!!

We have even used this "let's make a deal" with our local domestic control office when applying for the Lab Brats' new county dog tags - it saved us $0.70 for the two tags. Now some of you may think that is chump change but that can really add up when you have one or more pets and especially if you have such big ticket expenses such as animal emergency visits or surgeries. Hey! $39.00 is still $39.00!

The trick is to use this new gifted information when doing business with privately owned companies or non-profit organizations as they are able to strike such deals. Remember, it never hurts to ask - the worse they can say is "no". *wink*

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.

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!

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*

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}}}

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.

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.

Crazy Labs!

The arctic temperatures have turned my precious Labrador Retrievers into the hounds of hell. They are driving me absolutely batty!

There is only so much you can do in the house with high energy large breed dogs. It is like a having a can of Mexican jumping beans and shaking them up a few hundred times. The Lab Brats are jumping out of their skin with energy and the arctic blast has made outside fun impossible for both dog and human alike.

And, as some of you may remember from earlier posts - Cheyenne is supposed to be on "bed rest" to heal her stretched ligament. We have less than a month to get her to heal before we see the veterinarian for her regular appointment - at which time he is going to check her leg and if it is not better... well, it will be a lot of money for surgery. Not only that but if she has the surgery, it will be over a month with her in a cast. A cast!! She is already jumping out of her skin because there isn't much to do - can you imagine her in a cast too? And - to top it off - the hubby and I would have to bring her outside - in the arctic blast - and hold her hind quarters up with a towel while she does her business.

HA!

Oh for the love of chocolate Labs - spring better come soon and Cheyenne better learn to rest or the dogs won't be the only crazy ones in this house!

*peeks out the window for the men with the white coats*

Cutting Dog Costs

To expand on last week's post about the True Cost of Dogs, although dogs can be as expensive as human children, there are some ways to help cut costs. Here are some examples of how we cut down the cost of our dogs without sacrificing their health or happiness.

5 Ways to Cut Dog Costs

1) No need for 5 days of doggy daycare! Sure, it is great but in reality you are paying someone else to bond with your dog. Instead, take your dog for long scheduled walks in the morning before work, when you get home from work, and then before bed. On the weekends add in one or more trips to the local off-leash dog park and let them just run their hearts out with a few good tennis balls. This will help exert some of that natural pup-like energy while creating a bond between owner and dog.

2) If it is too cold to take your dog for a long walk, why not play a game of Find It at home by closing your pup in a room, hiding bits of kibble around the rest of the house and releasing the hounds to use their natural hunting ability while exerting energy. Read more about the "Find It" game here.

3) When giving dog biscuits, break them in half or smaller. Although the large biscuits are supposed to be for large breed dogs, we get the small bone-shaped Old Mother Hubbard Old Fashion Small Dog Treats and break them in half - one half for each large Lab. This helps to keep them nice and lean as well as helping to keep your pocketbook fat. Of course, you can use any treat of your choosing but it doesn't have to be big to be considered a treat to any dog.

4) Purchase your dog medications and supplies online. By shopping online, you are able to save a great deal as the companies usually don't have to keep inventory, they only have one or more employee to pay, they don't have to pay rent for their building, etc. The less cost to run their business, the less cost to their customers. We have searched high and low on the Internet for the best prices and found EntirelyPets.com to be second to none. We highly recommend signing up for their newsletter that comes full of coupon codes and Googling the phrase "entirelypets.com coupon codes" to find even better deals when placing your order. By doing so, we not only received free shipping on our last order but 20% off our entire order as well.

5) Clean your own ears and cut your own nails. Now, I know some dogs because very stubborn when it comes time to perform either task but they are usually easier to do in the comfort of their own home. Don't know how to clean their ears or cut dog nails? No problem - just ask your vet to show you how to do both properly. Most people don't know that if you ask to be shown how to do these things, the vet will easily walk you through it and demonstrate - some even give dog owners a pamphlet full of information as well. If you don't ask then how could you know if saving $12 per nail trim is in your future!

Best of luck and Lab smiles!

True Cost of Dogs

Too many newscasts about the overpopulation of pets at the local shelters have begun to make me sick.

I truly understand that with difficult economic times, people must make sacrifices in order to pay their bills but what gets me is that so many people take on the responsibility of a pet too easily. Although they may have more than enough room in their hearts and love to give these animals, they will usually walk into dog ownership with a blind eye. Indeed, dogs cost money and it is impossible to be a responsible dog owner without understanding this before taking one into your home and heart.

Do I sound upset? For the most part, yes, I am quite upset because I see too many people online and in person that are quick to dump their dog off because it may not be "cute" anymore, the breed may be too much energy, they didn't know the dog doesn't already come trained, etc, etc. That is why I am going to open up and share a recent purchase with everyone to show how expensive dogs can truly be.

Not taking into account dog food, toys, normal vet bills, etc, below is our normal 6-month purchase to EntirelyPets.com (really the cheapest place to buy dog medications anywhere):

1 Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution $7.50
1 12 MONTH Heartgard PLUS $55.99
1 12 MONTH Frontline PLUS $134.99
1 Cosequin DS CHEWABLE TABLETS $74.95
2 Proin 50mg FOR DOGS $71.98
1 METACAM (meloxicam) $55.95

Grand total: $401.36!! That's $802.72 a year for 2 Labrador Retrievers to have their medications and keep them healthy!

Now add in food, shots, licenses, collars, toys, treats, and so on and you have two very expensive animals to pay for. And remember, most Labs have food allergies so higher quality (and more expensive) foods are necessary as well. Sure, prices will vary from dog to dog and breed to breed... not all dogs are created equal nor cost equal.

Now I am not posting this to deter anyone from owning a dog but rather for people to have a reality check before bringing a dog into your home and heart. Yes, keeping one or more dogs is expensive and should not be taken lightly. Owning a dog is a huge personal and financial responsibility that can last up to 18 years. Think before you act!

Long Drool of the Midwest

People who visit our home continue to ask why we cover our beautiful wood floors with big black indoor-outdoor mats. Instead of answering, I figure a video is worth a thousand words. *laugh*

No, she doesn't have a glandular problem - she's a Labrador Retriever. Watch this chocolate Lab beauty (our own Dakota) drool 70% of her body weight while waiting to eat her cookie.