Labrador Puppy

[chugo101]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and have never before had a dog.......

We are getting a female Labrador puppy which will be coming home in around 4 weeks. As I want to be prepared for its arrival I just have a few queries.

Which food do other Labrador owners consider to be a good quality food without all the rubbish ingredients in.

What is the 'right' amount of exercise for a Labrador? I have a Collins library book 'Labrador an Owners Guide' which suggests 3 daily walks of 30 mins each for a 4 month old, rising to 2-3hrs of walks when six months. However when I've looked on the internet it says that as their bones are not fully developed until they are 12-18months they should only have one 10 min walk per day rising to 30-40 mins when they are 9-12 months??

Lastly, I am buying from a reputable breeder and the puppy will come home having had its initial vaccination; how many more vaccinations will it need before it can go for a walk in public places and at what age, and can I take it to meet my friends Labrador whom I know is fully vaccinated (and puppy school) before this time?

Any advice is gratefully received! (additional advice other than my queries would be great too! )

Thanks Again!

[Alison]

Hi Chugo and welcome to the forum

I have a 7 month old Golden Retriever Puppy and I can imagine their growth and nutritional needs would be quite similar so will try to help.

Which food do other Labrador owners consider to be a good quality food without all the rubbish ingredients in.

Firstly, what sort of food do you want to feed? Do you want to feed kibble or a raw natural diet? What sort of money do you plan on spending and how much time are you prepared to put into preparing your pup's meals. Different people prefer different things, I feed 100% raw, natural diet, but it's all about what works best for you and your dog. If you are going to feed kibble, avoid a high protein food and make sure you get one that is well balanced with calcium and phosphorus. The only kibble I would ever feed is Eagle Pack.

What is the 'right' amount of exercise for a Labrador? I have a Collins library book 'Labrador an Owners Guide' which suggests 3 daily walks of 30 mins each for a 4 month old, rising to 2-3hrs of walks when six months. However when I've looked on the internet it says that as their bones are not fully developed until they are 12-18months they should only have one 10 min walk per day rising to 30-40 mins when they are 9-12 months??

3 walks of 30 minutes a day is way too much and would not be beneficial to a breed that is prone to hip displaysia at all. I walk my pup for 10 minutes daily and that's it. That is only to get him out and have a sniff. His exercise is based on play. I do walk him for a little longer along the beach though, as it doesn't have the same impact. Swimming is also very good.

Lastly, I am buying from a reputable breeder and the puppy will come home having had its initial vaccination; how many more vaccinations will it need before it can go for a walk in public places and at what age, and can I take it to meet my friends Labrador whom I know is fully vaccinated (and puppy school) before this time?

How many more vaccinations your pup will need will depend on how long immunity lasts from his mother. The immunity a pup gets from it's mother's milk fights the vaccines and stops them from being affective in your pup, so it depends on how long these last in your pups body. There is strong evidence that it better to wait (think it is until the pup is 8-10 weeks) for the first vaccination as it is more likely for the vaccine to work at this age. The best thing to do would be to talk to your vet. Rather than taking your pup to meet your friends Labrador, if it were me, I would have your friend come to you.

Edited April 16, 2008 by Alison

[sas]

Which food do other Labrador owners consider to be a good quality food without all the rubbish ingredients in.

What diet does your Breeder reccomend?

What is the 'right' amount of exercise for a Labrador? I have a Collins library book 'Labrador an Owners Guide' which suggests 3 daily walks of 30 mins each for a 4 month old, rising to 2-3hrs of walks when six months. However when I've looked on the internet it says that as their bones are not fully developed until they are 12-18months they should only have one 10 min walk per day rising to 30-40 mins when they are 9-12 months??

I would probably minimise exercise for a growing large breed puppy, do you have a Breeder you can speack to in this regard? I have a giant breed and he was on no more than 10 minutes until he was around 10 months of age and then slowly increased, at 13 months he's now on 30 minutes. I would most likely do the same with a Lab puppy as well given that you want to look after their joints and so forth.

Lastly, I am buying from a reputable breeder and the puppy will come home having had its initial vaccination; how many more vaccinations will it need before it can go for a walk in public places and at what age, and can I take it to meet my friends Labrador whom I know is fully vaccinated (and puppy school) before this time?

Generally it's safe to take your puppy to a friends home of a fully vaccinated dog. There are pros and cons to early socialisation before vaccinations have kicked in. With Dante I took him everywhere bar places dogs visited but his feet never touched the ground unless it was on a matt or a rug.

Edited April 16, 2008 by sas

[chugo101]

Thanks for your advice. I plan to give the puppy a complete dry food with bones as extras. The breeder recommends a natural rearing diet of bones & raw food. I feel this may take alot of time to prepare and I'm not really a fan of raw food. Regarding the walks its good to get the reassurance, I planned on the 10 minute walk with gradually working it up to the 30min walk at 9-12 months so its good to know that would be right for a Labrador pup.

Also, I spend most of my time in the house just popping out for school runs, swimming lessons and exercise classes. I'd planned to put the pup in the laundry room with lots of toys initially while I'm not around (generally I'm out for an hour or so each time) and then progress to putting her outside in a kennel when she's a bit older; do you know at what age I can do this? Friends have said as soon as she is used to the garden but I felt maybe they needed to be a bit older? Obviously when I'm in she'd be able to come indoors and I plan on her staying indoors overnight with us too.

I'll speak with the vet regarding vaccinations, I know she'll have her first at 8 weeks before I collect her.

Thanks again.

[Sezy]

There is nothing cuter then a lab pup.

If you are going for a kibble diet there are lots of great ones out there. Do a search on here and you will find lots of information. My favourite brands are Nutro (I feed this), Eagle pack, Iams and Nutrience. Pick one that is a a good quailty and easy to buy where you live.

My lab had 2 or 3 shots as a pup but I read lots of different things when I got my girl and I found that my vet was the best one to talk to. Your puppy school will also let you know when you are able to start taking her to classes as each one is different.

I would also be looking at getting lots of toys that will challenge the pup like kongs and buster cubes to keep her little brain working as labs love to chew.

Also set the rules from day one and stick with them. My lab is now 5 and still has some bad habbits from when she was young. She was never allowed on the beds and never tried until my mother showed her how to get up when she was 4 months old and to this day she still thinks that my bed is one of the best places to be!!!!

The Kiss Guide to Raising a Puppy also has lots of great tips.

So what name have you got picked out???

[chugo101]

There is nothing cuter then a lab pup.

If you are going for a kibble diet there are lots of great ones out there. Do a search on here and you will find lots of information. My favourite brands are Nutro (I feed this), Eagle pack, Iams and Nutrience. Pick one that is a a good quailty and easy to buy where you live.

My lab had 2 or 3 shots as a pup but I read lots of different things when I got my girl and I found that my vet was the best one to talk to. Your puppy school will also let you know when you are able to start taking her to classes as each one is different.

I would also be looking at getting lots of toys that will challenge the pup like kongs and buster cubes to keep her little brain working as labs love to chew.

Also set the rules from day one and stick with them. My lab is now 5 and still has some bad habbits from when she was young. She was never allowed on the beds and never tried until my mother showed her how to get up when she was 4 months old and to this day she still thinks that my bed is one of the best places to be!!!!

The Kiss Guide to Raising a Puppy also has lots of great tips.

So what name have you got picked out???

We visited the pups last week at 3.5weeks and they were so cute! Thanks for the advice, I'll have to make a note of the good food brands and check out my local stores to see which is easy to buy. I do plan on getting loads of toys, I've heard so many horror stories about bored pups destroying houses!

Yes, my husband keeps telling me I'm going to need to set rules and stick to them and not let the dog rule the house (as indeed my small children do!) its alright for him he'll be at work all day and I'll be the one having to set the rules!! I've already said it will be sleeping in my bedroom (but in its own bed on the floor hopefully ). I'll have to get to puppy school as soon as I can for helpful tips! And I'll keep an eye out for the book you mentioned too.

My 5 year old son has chosen the name Daphne (the girl out of Scooby Doo) as I said we couldn't call a girl dog Scooby. Daphne is a nice name though so I'm pleased with his choice.

Thanks again for the advice!

[blacklabrador]

If you want the pup sleeping in your room you're best to buy a crate. Otherwise you are going to have a hyper pup who runs around your bedroom at night tugging on the blankets and trying to jump up to be with you.... not to mention peeing on the floor It takes time before a pup is old enough to ask to go out to the toilet.

OH THEY JOYS!!!!

[Embellish]

I agree with BL, the first thing I reccommend puppy buyers is a crate.

My labs are always locked in their runs (outside) when I am not home or unable to supervise, therefore they are safe and so is my backyard

[Joan of Arc]

Firstly congratulations on your choice of a Labrador as a lifetime companion. Given affection, rules and great care you will be rewarded with the unquestionable devotion of a wonderful breed.

Everybody has a different opinion on what to feed thier dogs and you really have to find what works for you AND your pup. All I can do is tell what we feed our dogs.

Each Lab gets a small cup of quality biscuit and a piece of neck or flap each night. On top of that they get at least twice a week, an egg each, a tin of sardines in oil, they often get some yoghurt on thier dinner and two get an evening primrose oil capsule every night.

As for exercise we allow play to be the major part of thier exercise until after their final injections. Then when they can safely go outside thier boundary fence to socialise we go to obedience classess once a week, a swim once a week - small pups have small swims and they grow together. Then they go for a couple of walks each week.

Of course we have more than one so to a certain extent they are self exercising in thier play. Althoughthey arenot allowed to run riot together all day - they are separated for a large part of the day.

I would suggest that a 30 minute walk is far far too long for a pup and would limit it to 5 - 10 minutes builidng by 3 - 5 minutes over a period of about 5 -6 months. I doubt you would be looking at a 15 minute walk until they are about 12 - 14 months.

If your pup is going to be alone for a period each day I recommend you purchase a Kong, fill it with peanut butter, mince and rice mix or anything you pup likes. Give this to him/her as you are leaving the house, it will keep him occupied for quite some time as he tries to extract every last piece of food from that Kong. If he is busy doing that then he is certainly being amused. You could hide bits of biscuit in the yard for him to find or scatter a handfull of bicsuits all through the grass. Our dogs love to forage for thier biscuits - its just like tracking for them, which for us is part of thier hunting skills for us to use in other sports.

One thing I can assure of is that Labrador puppies, any puppy really, if they are bored can be very destructive in your garden or yard. The Kong, along with any other devices you develop for him to play with will prevent that boredom.

Edited April 17, 2008 by mercedes

[joanne76]

OOOHHH I love baby labs sooo much.

I can highly recommend feeding your lab "Royal Canin, Labrador Retriever Puppy".

I didnt start my girl on this till she was 12 months, prior to that she was on Eukanuba puppy. Within 2 weeks her coat had turned so shiney and glossy and she got a lovely shape to her waist. She is now on the adult blend and her coat is still super glossy.

I have a friend who started her new lab pup on this and he is thriving also.

ETA: I also feed my girl chicken necks daily and about once a week she will have a tin of sardines and a raw egg , she eats the shell as well which ive been told is full of calcium so if your dog is silly enough to eat it dont stop her.

Edited April 17, 2008 by joanne76

[chugo101]

Thanks for all this advice; I'm making notes so I have it all to refer to when the pup arrives!!

Looks like I'll be investing in a crate, is it best to put the pup in this when I'm out for an hour in the day or best to use the laundry with a baby gate on the door? I've read some things about crate training but its all very confusing.

[chugo101]

Firstly congratulations on your choice of a Labrador as a lifetime companion. Given affection, rules and great care you will be rewarded with the undevoted love of a wonderful breed.

Everybody has a different opinion on what to feed thier dogs and you really have to find what works for you AND your pup. All I can do is tell what we feed our dogs.

Each Lab gets a small cup of quality biscuit and a piece of neck or flap each night. On top of that they get at least twice a week, an egg each, a tin of sardines in oil, they often get some yoghurt on thier dinner and two get an evening primrose oil capsule every night.

As for exercise we allow play to be the major part of thier exercise until after their final injections. Then when they can safely go outside thier boundary fence to socialise we go to obedience classess once a week, a swim once a week - small pups have small swims and they grow together. Then they go for a couple of walks each week.

Of course we have more than one so to a certain extent they are self exercising in thier play. Althoughthey arenot allowed to run riot together all day - they are separated for a large part of the day.

I would suggest that a 30 minute walk is far far too long for a pup and would limit it to 5 - 10 minutes builidng by 3 - 5 minutes over a period of about 5 -6 months. I doubt you would be looking at a 15 minute walk until they are about 12 - 14 months.

If your pup is going to be alone for a period each day I recommend you purchase a Kong, fill it with peanut butter, mince and rice mix or anything you pup likes. Give this to him/her as you are leaving the house, it will keep him occupied for quite some time as he tries to extract every last piece of food from that Kong. If he is busy doing that then he is certainly being amused. You could hide bits of biscuit in the yard for him to find or scatter a handfull of bicsuits all through the grass. Our dogs love to forage for thier biscuits - its just like tracking for them, which for us is part of thier hunting skills for us to use in other sports.

One thing I can assure of is that Labrador puppies, any puppy really, if they are bored can be very destructive in your garden or yard. The Kong, along with any other devices you develop for him to play with will prevent that boredom.

Thanks for the info, are the eggs and sardines additional to their biscuits or instead of? and can you feed these from 8 weeks?

[Joan of Arc]

Firstly congratulations on your choice of a Labrador as a lifetime companion. Given affection, rules and great care you will be rewarded with the undevoted love of a wonderful breed.

Everybody has a different opinion on what to feed thier dogs and you really have to find what works for you AND your pup. All I can do is tell what we feed our dogs.

Each Lab gets a small cup of quality biscuit and a piece of neck or flap each night. On top of that they get at least twice a week, an egg each, a tin of sardines in oil, they often get some yoghurt on thier dinner and two get an evening primrose oil capsule every night.

As for exercise we allow play to be the major part of thier exercise until after their final injections. Then when they can safely go outside thier boundary fence to socialise we go to obedience classess once a week, a swim once a week - small pups have small swims and they grow together. Then they go for a couple of walks each week.

Of course we have more than one so to a certain extent they are self exercising in thier play. Althoughthey arenot allowed to run riot together all day - they are separated for a large part of the day.

I would suggest that a 30 minute walk is far far too long for a pup and would limit it to 5 - 10 minutes builidng by 3 - 5 minutes over a period of about 5 -6 months. I doubt you would be looking at a 15 minute walk until they are about 12 - 14 months.

If your pup is going to be alone for a period each day I recommend you purchase a Kong, fill it with peanut butter, mince and rice mix or anything you pup likes. Give this to him/her as you are leaving the house, it will keep him occupied for quite some time as he tries to extract every last piece of food from that Kong. If he is busy doing that then he is certainly being amused. You could hide bits of biscuit in the yard for him to find or scatter a handfull of bicsuits all through the grass. Our dogs love to forage for thier biscuits - its just like tracking for them, which for us is part of thier hunting skills for us to use in other sports.

One thing I can assure of is that Labrador puppies, any puppy really, if they are bored can be very destructive in your garden or yard. The Kong, along with any other devices you develop for him to play with will prevent that boredom.

Thanks for the info, are the eggs and sardines additional to their biscuits or instead of? and can you feed these from 8 weeks?

Oh additional sorry I didnt make that very clear and like j76 I also use chicken necks but not all the time. Only because I use them to vary the diet a little so this week they might get a little bit of mince for a couple of days if I buy it and next week chicken necks. As you can see there is no hard and fast rule. Just remember that Labs do tend to chock on the weight so if you add one thing you might need to eliminate or lighten another.

And whole eggs, raw, shells and all, in the wild no one supplied the bitch or her pups with an egg separator and a pan to cook them.

As for crate training make it fun for him. So the first time he goes in the crate he gets a treat, now he might need the treat to tempt him to even enter the crate. But use the treat as a reward and eventually you should be able to say "in your bed" or similar and he sill just go to his crate. But it does take time and patience and what he gets right today he might forget tomorrow.

Edited April 17, 2008 by mercedes

[chugo101]

Firstly congratulations on your choice of a Labrador as a lifetime companion. Given affection, rules and great care you will be rewarded with the undevoted love of a wonderful breed.

Everybody has a different opinion on what to feed thier dogs and you really have to find what works for you AND your pup. All I can do is tell what we feed our dogs.

Each Lab gets a small cup of quality biscuit and a piece of neck or flap each night. On top of that they get at least twice a week, an egg each, a tin of sardines in oil, they often get some yoghurt on thier dinner and two get an evening primrose oil capsule every night.

As for exercise we allow play to be the major part of thier exercise until after their final injections. Then when they can safely go outside thier boundary fence to socialise we go to obedience classess once a week, a swim once a week - small pups have small swims and they grow together. Then they go for a couple of walks each week.

Of course we have more than one so to a certain extent they are self exercising in thier play. Althoughthey arenot allowed to run riot together all day - they are separated for a large part of the day.

I would suggest that a 30 minute walk is far far too long for a pup and would limit it to 5 - 10 minutes builidng by 3 - 5 minutes over a period of about 5 -6 months. I doubt you would be looking at a 15 minute walk until they are about 12 - 14 months.

If your pup is going to be alone for a period each day I recommend you purchase a Kong, fill it with peanut butter, mince and rice mix or anything you pup likes. Give this to him/her as you are leaving the house, it will keep him occupied for quite some time as he tries to extract every last piece of food from that Kong. If he is busy doing that then he is certainly being amused. You could hide bits of biscuit in the yard for him to find or scatter a handfull of bicsuits all through the grass. Our dogs love to forage for thier biscuits - its just like tracking for them, which for us is part of thier hunting skills for us to use in other sports.

One thing I can assure of is that Labrador puppies, any puppy really, if they are bored can be very destructive in your garden or yard. The Kong, along with any other devices you develop for him to play with will prevent that boredom.

Thanks for the info, are the eggs and sardines additional to their biscuits or instead of? and can you feed these from 8 weeks?

Oh additional sorry I didnt make that very clear and like j76 I also use chicken necks but not all the time. Only because I use them to vary the diet a little so this week they might get a little bit of mince for a couple of days if I buy it and next week chicken necks. As you can see there is no hard and fast rule. Just remember that Labs do tend to chock on the weight so if you add one thing you might need to eliminate or lighten another.

And whole eggs, raw, shells and all, in the wild no one supplied the bitch or her pups with an egg separator and a pan to cook them.

As for crate training make it fun for him. So the first time he goes in the crate he gets a treat, now he might need the treat to tempt him to even enter the crate. But use the treat as a reward and eventually you should be able to say "in your bed" or similar and he sill just go to his crate. But it does take time and patience and what he gets right today he might forget tomorrow.

Thanks again I really appreciate all this advice!

[Joan of Arc]

Its cool, any advice is willingly given so that you and your pup are healthy and happy. Like most DOLers, we can only tell you what we would do, we dont have any formal qualifications of any sort just our own experiences.

[badboyz]

I'd just like to add regarding your choice of diet - you must start your puppy off on whatever the breeder is using, then make changes gradually if you choose. Puppies often have upset tummies due to the stress of moving to a new home and to change the diet straight off will make this worse.

Hopefully your breeder will supply you with full care instructions for your pup - registered breeders are required to at least supply a feeding guide. I usually supply enough food for about 2 days also. Raw diets or part raw are by far the best, and need not be difficult. With my dogs I just give them a chicken wing/turkey neck or similar for breakfast, and a combination of premium dry and raw mince and vegies (bought pre-prepared from a dog meat supplier) for their evening meal. Very simple and covers all the bases. If I run out or forget to defrost the meat, they can happily just eat the dry food or I may add some tinned fish/egg/leftovers.

[dandydog]

Congratulations on your choice of a pup, my boy Lab is 8yrs in July and very spoilt, yes they know how to twist you round their little toe, be prepared in the first year for a lot of telling off as Labs are very clever they love life and get bored very easily and therefore need a lot of stimulation, my boy is very gentle and not dominant but that first year I used the word "No" so many times I think he thought that was the only word I could say. Labs have a tendency to want to jump up on everything and everyone knocking them over in their excitement, however stick at it, it definitely gets better and as they mature at around 4-5yrs old most of them settle down and become well mannered adults. My sister had her Lab till it was 15 and her advice to me when I was on the phone to her in the UK crying as I was so stressed out in the first year with my boy bouncing around all over the place (I'd had 2 German Shepherds previously both over Rainbow Bridge who had been so well behaved and who I loved dearly) "remember in the first few years they're like babies, then naughty 2's, terrible 3's, teenagers then adults so be prepared" and you'll be rewarded a 1000 times over.

I'm a volunteer with Sydney Dogs Home and we've just had 3 of them in there looking for homes since Christmas, its sad so many of them get off-loaded because people aren't prepared to put in some effort I think people get them thinking they're like Guide Dogs, very calm and docile. Labs are extremely quick to learn but are the types of dogs who would like your attention 24/7 if they could. My sister brought up 3 children with her Lab and had no trouble at all. Most labs seem to be driven in one way or another, i.e. ball, water or food, mine is both water and food driven and yes he's chunky and about to go on a diet yet again, but I couldn't imagine life without him he's such a character and is always happy, have a wonderful life with your Lab. As food goes I can't advise as my boy has an allergy to wheat so I have to be pretty careful what I feed him he'll be getting fish or meat and raw vegetables in the evening and a small cup of biscuits in the morning.

[chugo101]

I'd just like to add regarding your choice of diet - you must start your puppy off on whatever the breeder is using, then make changes gradually if you choose. Puppies often have upset tummies due to the stress of moving to a new home and to change the diet straight off will make this worse.

Hopefully your breeder will supply you with full care instructions for your pup - registered breeders are required to at least supply a feeding guide. I usually supply enough food for about 2 days also. Raw diets or part raw are by far the best, and need not be difficult. With my dogs I just give them a chicken wing/turkey neck or similar for breakfast, and a combination of premium dry and raw mince and vegies (bought pre-prepared from a dog meat supplier) for their evening meal. Very simple and covers all the bases. If I run out or forget to defrost the meat, they can happily just eat the dry food or I may add some tinned fish/egg/leftovers.

I have been looking into the raw food diet and thats what the pup is on at the moment with the breeder, I'm just concerned having small children if the pup has its meal then licks the kids isn't that like them handling raw food? I know my kids and they won't be organised enough to wash their hands everytime. We will start on the raw diet though, to gradually swap the pup over; or at least to have a mix. We're looking at Eagle Pack Holistic at the mo for our dry food.

Thanks for the advice.

[chugo101]

Congratulations on your choice of a pup, my boy Lab is 8yrs in July and very spoilt, yes they know how to twist you round their little toe, be prepared in the first year for a lot of telling off as Labs are very clever they love life and get bored very easily and therefore need a lot of stimulation, my boy is very gentle and not dominant but that first year I used the word "No" so many times I think he thought that was the only word I could say. Labs have a tendency to want to jump up on everything and everyone knocking them over in their excitement, however stick at it, it definitely gets better and as they mature at around 4-5yrs old most of them settle down and become well mannered adults. My sister had her Lab till it was 15 and her advice to me when I was on the phone to her in the UK crying as I was so stressed out in the first year with my boy bouncing around all over the place (I'd had 2 German Shepherds previously both over Rainbow Bridge who had been so well behaved and who I loved dearly) "remember in the first few years they're like babies, then naughty 2's, terrible 3's, teenagers then adults so be prepared" and you'll be rewarded a 1000 times over.

I'm a volunteer with Sydney Dogs Home and we've just had 3 of them in there looking for homes since Christmas, its sad so many of them get off-loaded because people aren't prepared to put in some effort I think people get them thinking they're like Guide Dogs, very calm and docile. Labs are extremely quick to learn but are the types of dogs who would like your attention 24/7 if they could. My sister brought up 3 children with her Lab and had no trouble at all. Most labs seem to be driven in one way or another, i.e. ball, water or food, mine is both water and food driven and yes he's chunky and about to go on a diet yet again, but I couldn't imagine life without him he's such a character and is always happy, have a wonderful life with your Lab. As food goes I can't advise as my boy has an allergy to wheat so I have to be pretty careful what I feed him he'll be getting fish or meat and raw vegetables in the evening and a small cup of biscuits in the morning.

Thanks for the reply, we have friends with a 9 year old lab and she has a lovely temprement however they have warned us of the initial few years being hard work. I think it seems that as long we give her lots of metal stimulation and training things should go ok. We are from the UK, just moved here 2 years ago and have family there with labs too; they have all warned us that it is going to be a long hard road! I'm hoping that as I'm around alot I'll be able to steer our pup in the right direction (fingers crossed). If its anything like bringing up my children (now aged 5 & 3) I'll need buckets of patience and even bigger buckets of wine to see me through! :D

[badboyz]

That sounds terrifying dandydog - they sound worse than my beagles were! Must appreciate my quiet, calm shar pei puppies more!!!!