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Everyone who owns a Labrador retriever puppy knows training them is the very first thing you should do when you get your puppy. You may want to get your puppy professionally trained, but let’s face it, unless you are rolling in dough, you may want to consider training them yourself. Labrador retriever puppy training is not hard to do, and while saving you money, you will also bond with your puppy which is very important to do when they are young.

If you’re wondering where you should start, I recommend you start with house training. If your puppy is going to be living in your home, and in America alone 90% of our dogs do, then you will need to make sure your lab has good house manners. Labradors are a very loyal breed of dog and will listen to you well which makes training them a breeze… sometimes. Nevertheless, it still takes patients from you the trainer but if you set a routine and stick to it, you should have no problems.

Obedience training should also be on your list of things to teach your Labrador. After all, you don’t want your lab to grow up to be a big bully, jumping on guests, barking all night, it really becomes a pain. The easiest solution is to train them when they are young. It’s never too early to start training your lab; unless they are younger than 8 weeks, if that’s the case you may want to wait.

The Labrador retriever was bred to be a hunting dog retrieving game from the water and bringing it back to the hunter, so getting along with people is in their nature making them a great family dog. They do however require exercise regularly though; otherwise they may become bored and want to act out. Swimming is the best way to keep your puppy in shape. It’s easy on their delicate joints and will give them a good workout.

Exercise can be a bad thing to. While your puppy is still less than 18 months of age, the bones and joints in their legs are not yet fully developed. If they are taken for long walks on hard surfaces like a road, these joints may become damaged causing problems later like arthritis. Keeping this in mind is important and a good rule of thumb is to exercise your lab only 10 minutes a day until they get a little older.

As you can see Labradors make great pets… but you already knew that. While training them is important to do, don’t forget to spend some quality time with your puppy. As I mentioned before, bonding with your lab early on is important to do, your lab will respect you and listen to you better, and if you keep it up, you will have the dog you always wanted in no time.

A breeder is one who deals in pups and looks after the dogs to ensure he gets a good quality litter. It is important for you to be able to trust your breeder and his ability to provide you with a good pup. There are three types of breeders that one must know about.

Avoid pet shop or pet dealer and backyard dealers. At the pet shop the pups are raised strictly for their commercial value and not much attention is paid to their welfare – they are generally poorly bred and badly raised.

The backyard breeder is a person who has a pet Golden and breeds for fun or money. Not much attention is paid to history and standard of the breed. Proper care is not taken and the breeder is generally not aware of problems that he may face while breeding.

Your best option therefore is the serious hobby breeder. Now here is someone who is dedicated to breeding his dogs in the best and safest possible manner keeping all relevant details in mind.

Since the price difference is not much between the pet shop breeder, the backyard breeder and the serious breeder, one needs to know a few things before selecting the right breeder to know that they have someone they can trust.

Firstly, the breeder should be part of the Golden Retriever Club of America, a local Golden Retriever club, or an all-breed club and is up to date with rules and regulations.

The breeder must show his/her dogs in the breed ring, in hunting tests/field trials, the obedience ring, agility, tracking, or in a combination of all. This is so that the breeder is aware of how good his/her dogs really are. He is allowing his dogs to be tested so that he can better his efforts.

You know that he is not only dependent on pedigree. You may not want a competition dog but you would like you pup to be part of a carefully planned litter.

The breeder must also have some basics in place like a clean environment; healthy, well-socialized puppies; and a dam of good temperament. He must also allow you to have the puppy examined by a veterinarian and ensure that it is in good health.

Then the breeder must have a record of dates and types of vaccinations and de-worming done, feeding instructions, a 3-to 5-generation pedigree, and an AKC registration application so you can apply for registration of the puppy in your own name with the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Written instructions on feeding, training and care must be given. He also must be able to show you proof that the sire and dam have had their hips X-rayed, and evaluated as normal by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and/or PennHIP along with other necessary check ups. The breeder should be willing and able to answer your questions possible hereditary problems.

He must take the trouble to find out what kind of dogs you have had in the past, what happened to them; do you have a fenced yard; and will the dog will be allowed to be a house dog and a member of the family.

Sincere breeders will want the pups best interests at heart and will be reluctant to sell them if they have misgivings about you.

He should be able to give you references, a written contract benefiting all concerned, pedigree and registration papers, be there for advice should you need any and help you enjoy your dog to the fullest as much as he can.

Ensure that you ask all the questions you have and clear up each and every little doubt. Before selecting the right breeder, make sure he gives you a satisfactory response to all queries and he meets all the criteria. All the best!

www.sitmeanssit.com Labrador Retriever puppies can retrieve birds from a very young age as you can see in this puppy video. ‘Kohl’ was 3 months old at the time of this video. He will do hunt tests when he gets older.

Your new Lab puppy will worm his way into your heart in a flash and become a member of your family from day one!  The bond, love, and good times will grow daily.  You may not have stopped to think about it, but that cuddly bundle of happiness will grow up, grow older, and has a life expectancy just as humans do.  The life expectancy is based on averages and the average life expectancy of most dogs is from 10 to 12 years.  Your Labrador Retriever falls in those averages.  Much of your new Labs life span and quality of life depends on how you care for your dog.  Diet and exercise will play an important part.  Another extremely important factor is good breeding and genetics. 

The first 2 years in your Lab’s life is the growth stage.  Your best friend is developing physically and mentally.  Nutrition is important throughout the life of the dog.  However, in the first two years nutrition is critical.  It lays a foundation for a healthy life span.  Many people think a chubby dog is a happy dog.  Do not allow your pet to become over weight.  This will shorten the dog’s life span.  Exercise is important but don’t overdue it.  Moderate exercise is recommended.  Imposing extreme exercise on the dog prior to their second year can cause hip dysplasia, joint problems, and possible ligament damage later in life.

Do not feed your pet table scraps, chocolate, or other foods intended for humans.  Choose a high quality food with a balance of nutrition and stick to it.  You can add flax or fish oil to the dogs diet.  This will increase the beauty of their coat and is great for their joints.  In addition, using a glucosamine supplement after the age of two with your pet helps insure good joint health and quality of life for your dog.  A good pet vitamin with antioxidants is wise to consider too.  These are suggestions that will lower risk factors, improve the quality of life, and possibly increase the life expectancy of your Labrador.

Your dog will be with you for a short span of time compared to human life span.  Love and enjoy every moment with them.  The Pointing Labrador Retriever’s most dominant trait is their desire to please you.  Your lab will bring to you and your family unconditional love and joy!

This is Sunny, my precious 6 month old Golden Retriever puppy! He’s showing off all the tricks he’s learned so far… well almost all of them. He also knows “Come” and “Find”, where a member of the family can hide and he will seek them out! The tricks he does in order are Sit, Down, “Bang” which is Play Dead, Shake a Paw, Stay, and Leave It! He’s very smart, I can’t wait to teach him more! I’d love to hear comments! *No rude ones please* Thanks, Enjoy!

Did you know that if you have purchased a Lab puppy with good breeding you should not see any hyperactivity?

Just like humans, dogs are unique.  You will find some more active than others.  You will find that the lab pup is full of energy. Start obedience training and guidelines with your puppy from the start.  Don’t allow kids to tease the dog.  By about the age of 18 months your puppy will phase out of the active stage and you will experience a more mature settled dog.

Did you know that Labs shed?

Labs have two coats.  The undercoat is soft and downy and acts like insulation for the dog.  The outer coat is coarser and called the guard coat.  The guard coat has a natural oil that helps to repel water.  Normally the Labrador will shed in the fall and spring.  They shed in the fall so that they can produce a heavier coat for the cold month and then in the spring to get rid of the heavy winter layers and prepare for warmer weather.

Did you know that you do not need to bath a lab except when absolutely necessary?

Brushing your Lab once a week will help to prevent the shedding and keep your dog clean and looking great.  You should also keep their toenails clipped.  Put the dog shampoo away and only bath your Labrador if it is absolutely necessary!

Did you know that Labrador retrievers make a great family dog?

Labradors are excellent with kids and are the country’s most popular family dog.  Because of the Labs gentle nature they are chosen year after year by families.  The Lab is also a good guard dog. They will normally be protective of their home family.  As with all pets you want to always exercise caution and have an adult present.

4 minutes in the life of Gemma, the puppy Labrador Retriever back in June 1999

Labrador Retriever puppy retrieving tennis ball from swimming pool.

Lexi girl’s dog tricks! Proud to be Pinay! Watch it in high quality para mas bongga! Hehehe for more of lexi’s tricks, click here: www.youtube.com

All of us who have pets, find them sitting next to its favorite member of the household, who is at the dining table eating human food. The Golden Retriever looks longing at you, and often utters a small woof, especially when it smells a delicious piece that you are picking up and putting in your mouth.

What should you do? Is it advisable to feed the Golden Retriever, your pet, what you are eating? You have bought the recommended dog foods, but it has become a human almost, living day and day out with you. And it acquires the same tastes as you do. So there’s a dilemma here.

The best would be to consult with the Vet what kinds of human foods you can feed safely to your Golden Retriever. A bite does not matter, but going the whole hog? That’s a very different cup of tea, and care has to be taken.

So without substituting the Vet’s advice for your particular Golden Retriever – every dog has its own allergies and digestive system, and the metabolism may vary, we give some tips on what can be given generally.

Chickens, raw vegetables, turkey, brown rice, furits, oatmeal, are as good for them as they are for you. All animals have taste buds just like you and me. Some may prefer the oatmeal or chicken, ignoring the brown rice or the raw vegies, some the other way around. You can’t tell, just as you can’t tell for your children. If you are a child, you too ignore what your taste bud doesn’t like or you are not in the mood! And the dogs love to eat with the family; if you see a litter, and you have, they all eat together, just like us!

Well, if you open the frig, and your golden retriever runs up and sits there with his tongue hanging out, you can take it as a compliment! its not that it is asking you for a piece or a slice, it’s just that what you have cooked smells great to him! And he would love it if you gave him a piece.. how many of your family members do that?

There are some don’t does. And do follow them, and be firm about it.

1. Egg whites

Feeding large amounts of egg whites is spoiling the golden. Too much of it creates an excess of avidin, which results in Vitamin B deficiency. But if you give him egg yolks, it’s okay; egg yolks contain higher Vitamin B levels which will neutralise the avidin. The best is to give him the whole egg – raw – including the shell. That gives them lots of proteins. To vary it, you can choose to mix up the three, egg whites, whole egg, and the egg yolk. That means you have a choice of 9 varities you can use. (3 to the power of 3)!

2. Chocolates

Chocolates are a big NO. it contains Bromine, very toxic to dogs and cats. Unsweet chocolate is even worse: the Bromine content is much larger, and even more toxic. And is fatal if not checked right from the beginning.

As we said earlier, generally most human foods are acceptable for your pet, except chocolates. However, it is always best to consult your Vet who can guide you properly, which human foods can be used, or not used, what should be the ratio, and so on.

It’s just like your asking your physician for a healthy diet for yourself. The same applies to your pet. After all, it’s your best friend. Would you not take that precaution for your human best friend?

So take care. And, yes, by the way, this article is an illustrative one, and is not meant to be a substitute for professional advice. Never act on it without consulting your Vet first.

Yes, we do so emphatically, NO CHOCOLATES for your pets, come hell or high water!