sandgrubber

How dogs could help eradicate malaria https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/10/29/how-dogs-could-help-eradicate-malaria/

I have 3 chocolate Labs, aged 14 (probably won't make 15), 9 (acts middle aged) and 5 (acts like a puppy). Grand dam, dam and pup. I don't dispute the findings, but it ain't necessarily so. The problem is poor breeding, not colour per se.

So why do so many breeders refuse to sell to people who may want to have a litter? That 1% could be a lot higher if breeders weren't so precious about who is fit to have a litter. And, BTW, modern evidence suggests that overly hygienic conditions result in weak immune systems... a litter in the house may contribute to kids being asthma free and less vulnerable to colds.

I'm not at all bothered that people have a preference for a relatively common color in a common breed. If there's too much to choose from, it's fine to use an arbitrary criteria to narrow the field. As for reading through the list of breeders, you can get a sense of what they emphasize in their descriptions. I worry if it's all about ribbons without much on health... and I look for specific mention of what they do to breed for health. It's good to find a breeder who can tell you about the health status of great grand sires and dams...if they are still alive, and if not, what they died of at what age, etc

Yes

You do need to be brave, no because of the dog, but because of laws and attitudes. No, make that 'stupid'. Getting a banned or restricted breed is NOT a good entrée into dog ownership.

I'd look into Bravecto.

She's a Labrador...chances are that she will like almost anything

Outbreak of antibiotics resistant disease tied to pet shop puppies (USA). Seems they have been using antibiotics routinely for prophylactic purposes. https://www.statnews.com/2018/09/20/antibiotics-resistant-bacteria-puppies-people/

I've found that confusing. First you click to choose, then you have to click on the + sign on the image to add it to your post.

I'd say rescue an adult. Staff types tend to be both cuddly and robust, and there are many in rescue. You do need to be cautious about dog aggression with any bull breed type...not always a problem, but common enough.

Forgot to mention: One common problem you may be able to fix. Check her toenails. Over long nails can make it hard and painful to walk...especially for oldies with other aches and pains. If too long, trim very gradually. As for blindness... generally not a huge problem for an inactive dog, and likely there's no good treatment.

Sounds more like an unplanned litter than a design. Similar outcomes are pretty common, though, with "oodles" when the pet shop failed to note that the poodle half was a standard poodle.

A vet, yes. Be prepared, though. If the old gentleman has tight finances, that must be made clear with the vet from the outset. Testing, xrays, etc. can run up a big bill very fast, and even the drugs for making the dog comfortable can come to $100/mo. It wouldn't surprise me if a strict diet, gradual introduction of exercise, and something for pain relief - with some vet supervision - would do a lot of good. If money is tight, I'd suggest proposing something like that and seeing what the vet says.

Agree with the above with some reservations. Some people, including breeders, have extreme ideas about diet. You do want to start the pup on food it is used to. But if after doing some reading, talking to your vet, and seeing what options are available locally, and considering your own lifestyle, you can change the diet. I used to breed labs. I've seen them thrive on a wide variety of diets... All raw, to all dry kibble.

I can't advise as I have not been there. There are two topics currently running in this forum relating to chemo... they may be helpful.

Merle is pretty rare in most breeds. I don't think it is accepted in any gun dog, hound or terrier breed. Not sure about other groups. Happy to be corrected.

Should add, unfortunately, some purebred pedigree dogs have hereditary health and/or temperament problems that could and should have been prevented by more careful breeding. In some cases (trendy high price breeds are especially vulnerable) the mongrel is the breeder, not the dog. Worse, still, in some cases judges reward unhealthy extreme type. There's plenty of blame to go around and, IMO, not enough of institutions taking responsibility.

It's also better if they don't advertise them as purebread . My pet peeve is selling puppies, full stop. You shouldn't sell unless the buyer wants a dog. They grow up pretty fast

Thanks for the correction... I wasn't thinking

That's a good thing. Blue Merle is an unhealthy recessive mutation. If both sire and dam carry the gene it's likely to have serious consequences for, on average, 1/4 of the puppies.

All I did was offer an alternative viewpoint...by a respected vet who reads extensively and critically. The OP seemed to be looking for mainstream veterinary advice. This book is far from mainstream

There is some disagreement about the above book. See http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/06/canine-nutrigenomics-by-dr-jean-dodds-science-as-windowdressing/

The gabepentin doesn't seem to be helping Jarrah much. .. or at best, it's masking a further downhill slide. I bought another 20 days worth, but I'm afraid she's heading toward the rainbow bridge . (don't like the new emoticons... Can't find sad with tears).

In the days when I bred dogs I had a few buyers back out in the last week or so... after time wasting...so I started take deposits. Refundable if there was a serious reason (health problems, divorce...one of my buyers got murdered) but non-refundable if they simply forget or got another pup and forgot to cancel. $750 is very cheap for a designer dog puppy, but as others have suggested, the bargain bin may not be the best place to buy a puppy. See what you can find out about the sire and dam's health (have they been tested for anything) and make sure they have temperament that suits you before making a commitment. Ask for recommendations from past buyers. Hybrid vigor may or may not be real, but it won't fix everything.