When to Call the Veterinarian

Go to the vet right away or take your dog to an emergency veterinary
clinic if:
• Your dog is choking
• Your dog is having trouble breathing
• Your dog has been injured and you cannot stop the bleeding within
a few minutes
• Your dog has been stung or bitten by an insect and the site is
swelling
• Your dog has been bitten by a snake
• Your dog has been bitten by another animal (including a dog) and
shows any swelling or bleeding
• Your dog has touched, licked, or in any way been exposed to a
poison
• Your dog has been burned by either heat or caustic chemicals
• Your dog has been hit by a car
• Your dog has any obvious broken bones or cannot put any weight
on one of her limbs
• Your dog has a seizure
Make an appointment to see the vet as soon as possible if:
• Your dog has been bitten by a cat, another dog, or a wild animal
• Your dog has been injured and is still limping an hour later

Pet Food v/s People Food

Many of the foods we eat are excellent sources of nutrients—
after all, we do just fine on them. But dogs, just like us, need the
right combination of meat and other ingredients for a complete
and balanced diet, and simply giving the dog a bowl of
meat doesn’t provide that. In the wild, dogs eat the fur, skin,
bones, and guts of their prey, and sometimes even the contents
of the stomach.
This doesn’t mean your dog can’t eat what you eat. If your
dog is eating a commercial dog food, you can still give her a little
meat, dairy, bread, some fruits, or vegetables as a treat.
Fresh foods have natural enzymes that processed foods don’t
have. Just remember, we’re talking about the same food you
eat, not the gristly, greasy leftovers you would normally toss in
the trash. Stay away from sugar, too, and remember that chocolate
is toxic to dogs.
If you want to share your food with your dog, be sure the total
amount you give her each day doesn’t make up more than 15
percent of her diet, and that the rest of what you feed her is a topquality
complete and balanced dog food. (More people food
could upset the balance of nutrients in the commercial food.)
Can your dog eat an entirely homemade diet? Certainly, if you
are willing to work at it. Any homemade diet will have to be carefully
balanced, with all the right nutrients in just the right amounts.
It requires a lot of research to make a proper homemade diet, but
it can be done. It’s best to work with a veterinary nutritionist.

BLOAT

Bloat, or gastric torsion, is the acute dilation of the stomach, caused when the
stomach fills with gas and air and, as a result, swells. This swelling prevents the
dog from vomiting or passing gas. Consequently, the pressure builds, cutting off
blood from the heart and to other parts of the body. This causes shock or heart
failure, either of which can cause death. Bloat can also cause torsion, where the
stomach turns on its long axis, again causing death.
The first symptoms of bloat are obvious. The dog will be pacing or panting,
showing signs of distress. The dog’s sides will begin to distend. To be successful,
treatment should begin at once—
there is no time to waste. If the pressure
is not immediately relieved,
death can follow within an hour.
Get your dog to the nearest veterinary
emergency clinic.
To prevent bloat, do not allow
your Lab to drink large quantities of
water after exercising or after eating.
Feed two smaller meals each day
instead of one large meal, and limit
exercise after eating until a couple
of hours have passed. Feed a good quality
food, preferably one that
does not expand significantly when
wet and does not produce large
quantities of gas.
To see how much your dog’s food
expands, or to see how much gas the
food produces, take a handful of the
kibble and drop it in a bowl of warm water. After fifteen minutes, look at
the food. Some foods will be wet but
will not enlarge. This is good. Other
foods will triple their size when wet.
This can be dangerous if it happens
in your dog’s stomach. Some foods
will be producing gas bubbles,
almost as if they were carbonated.
Again, this can be bad news in your
dog’s stomach.

Puppy Essentials

You’ll need to go shopping before you bring your puppy home. There
are many, many adorable and tempting items at pet supply stores, but
these are the basics.
• Food and water dishes. Look for bowls that are wide and low or
weighted in the bottom so they will be harder to tip over. Stainless
steel bowls are a good choice because they are easy to clean (plastic
never gets completely clean) and almost impossible to break.
Avoid bowls that place the food and water side by side in one
unit—it’s too easy for your dog to get his water dirty that way.
• Leash. A six-foot leather leash will be easy on your hands and very
strong.
• Collar. Start with a nylon buckle collar. For a perfect fit, you should
be able to insert two fingers between the collar and your pup’s
neck. Your dog will need larger collars as he grows up.
• Crate. Choose a sturdy crate that is easy to clean and large enough
for your puppy to stand up, turn around, and lie down in. You will
need either a large crate that can be sectioned off for while your
puppy is small or you’ll need to get a couple of different crates as
he grows up.
• Nail cutters. Get a good, sharp pair that are the appropriate size
for the nails you will be cutting. A large pair of scissors-type clippers
work well for German Shepherds, but your dog’s breeder or veterinarian
can also give you some guidance here.
• Grooming tools. Different kinds of dogs need different kinds of
grooming tools. See chapter 7 for advice on what to buy.
• Chew toys. Dogs must chew, especially puppies. Make sure you
get things that won’t break or crumble off in little bits, which the
dog can choke on. Very hard rubber bones are a good choice. Dogs
love rawhide bones, too, but pieces of the rawhide can get caught
in your dog’s throat, so they should be allowed only when you are
there to supervise. Chew toys must be large enough that the dog
cannot inadvertently swallow them.
• Toys.Watch for sharp edges and unsafe items such as plastic eyes that
can be swallowed. Many toys come with squeakers, which dogs can
also tear out and swallow. The toys, including balls, should be large
enough so the dog cannot choke on them. All dogs will eventually
destroy their toys; as each toy is torn apart, replace it with a new one

Introducing your puppy to the leash

• Start soon after you get the puppy. At first, let the puppy lead you.
• Stop any attempts to pull by using small pop-and-release corrections with the leash as
he leads you around.
• As you follow the puppy around, get the puppy's attention by sweetly talking to him
and walking close to him. Little light touches on his body as you talk in an animated
tone will encourage him to be interested in you and what you are doing.
• Once you have his attention, walk a few steps at his side as you continue to use your
voice and little touches to keep his interest in you.
• Encourage him to follow you by moving away from him at an angle.
• Remember to continue to use your voice and touches to keep his attention focused on
you.
• Praise him as he follows you.
• Do not scold him for not following you.
If he resists following you:
• Step in another direction.
• In an excited tone, encourage him to follow you.
• Bend over to his level and use your face to stimulate him to move toward you and
follow you. Remember also to verbally encourage him.
• Lightly clap your hands as you coax with your voice.
• Use encouraging body language or movements such as wiggles or skips while you
verbally encourage.
• Lightly tap the ground in front of him with your hand as you encourage him with your
voice or use little light touches on his body to encourage him to move toward you.
• As he begins to get the idea that he is supposed to follow you, work to increase the
distance he will follow.
• Praise him when he follows you and leash and collar correct for any attempts to pull.
• Repeat and continue to praise. Keep the exercise fun for the puppy.
Leash and collar corrections
Now that the puppy is getting used to the leash, let's introduce you to the effective use of
it before he decides he can drag you down the street. This information is only to get you
started. The proper use of a collar and leash will be detailed more in individual exercises.
Use leash and collar corrections for pulling as soon as your puppy will walk on a leash.
When he attempts to pull, use the following correction:
• Slide your hand(s) down the leash closer to the collar.
• Keep the leash loose between your hand and the collar.
• Time your correction to occur as the puppy starts to pull, but the leash is still slack.
• Use a snapping or popping motion with the leash while the leash is still slack. An
effective correction will snap or pop and then immediately release.
• Do not give a verbal correction.
• Give only one correction at a time.
• Try to give the necessary correction the first time.
• If the puppy doesn't stop trying to pull, correct again with stronger snap.
• Strengthen each correction until you have the puppy's attention and he stops trying
to pull.
• IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PRAISE ANY TIME THE PUPPY TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO
YOU AND STOPS PULLING.
INCORRECT collar and leash techniques are:
• A TIGHT LEASH - this leads to constant pressure or pulling
• Dragging the puppy or allowing it to drag you
• Light, repetitive and ill-timed yanks
• Improperly timed snaps
• Hitting the puppy with the leash
• Yanking on the leash without watching the puppy’s reaction
Giving effective corrections is an art. If your dog is not responding to your corrections,
practice correctly using the pop-and-release technique without the puppy, i.e. hook the
leash to a chain link fence and practice your technique on the fence. It's also important
to remember to praise effectively. Your puppy will never respond appropriately to leash
and collar corrections if you are not praising him for correctly travelling on a loose leash.
The procedure is not easily described in writing.

Few Sites To Know More About Canine Health

Canine Health
American Veterinary Medical Association
www.avma.org
A wealth of information for dog owners, from disaster preparedness to both
common and rare diseases affecting canines. There is also information on choosing
the right dog and dog bite prevention.
Canine Health Information Center
www.caninehealthinfo.org
A centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the American Kennel
Club Canine Health Foundation and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
Justamere Ranch: Health Problems in Labrador Retrievers
www.justamere.com/newsletter/problems.asp
Descriptions of most of the most common disorders and diseases found in Labs.

LAB AS A PET

The Lab was originally bred to be a versatile dog, and was developed from hardworking
dogs who performed many jobs, including retrieving both birds and
fish. Most Labs, to varying degrees and depending upon their individual bloodlines,
retain some of these working instincts. This has a definite effect on the
dog’s ability to be happy as a family companion and pet.
A dog from American show lines is usually a good choice as a pet, while field
dogs may be too intense and driven to relax as a family pet. However, if a family
member wants to participate in dog sports that require an intense, energetic
dog—such as agility, flyball, dock diving, or search and rescue work—or if you
plan to hunt with your dog, then a
dog from field lines might be just
right. Let’s take a look at the breed
as a whole, though, because all
Labrador Retrievers have many
traits in common.

THE WORLD OF LABRADORS

A Labrador Retriever puppy is a bouncy
bundle of black, yellow, or chocolate fun
and energy. Versatility is the breed’s middle name.
A Lab might be a guide dog, an assistance dog, a hunting
companion, a therapy dog, or work in law enforcement.
If you decide to show your dogs in conformation or to compete in obedience
or field trials, once again, Labs are a very popular choice. Because of their happy go-
lucky attitude, Labs are great with children and adults. When it’s time for
your family to choose a pet, you probably can’t go wrong with a Labrador
Retriever if you are an active family on the go and want a dog who will be on the
go, too. A Lab is never happier than when he’s with his family or his person.