Getting a Lab - Now What?

[Don Ro]

Oh, if you have a bath or laundry room close to the back door, you might convert it into a mud room...for obvious reasons.

[RWebb]

I got some info re puppies from a breeder for you - she is not a canid behavioral scientist but is a very good breeder - the last part is important -sorry re the formatting



Take a few days to come up with a call name. Think about this name with care,
your dog will carry this name for life. You will use it daily. I name my dogs
simple, easy to say names that do not sound like other pets’ names or family members or obedience commands. Here is an example: “Bo” and “no” sound too much
alike.
Your puppy's name should always relate to a positive. When you want to get his
attention, you will use this name and you will want him to come, tail wagging.
Never call your dog with anger in your voice. Go after him calmly, then
discipline him. Never do you want your dog to relate his name with
unpleasantness. Example: puppy gets out of the yard, headed for the street.
For his safety, you want to be able to call him back and for him to come tail
wagging, not for him to continue off into traffic

House Training
I am an advocate of crate training.
There are two types of crates, the wire type or the plastic, airline type
(Veri-Kennel). Either will be fine, however I prefer the Veri-Kennel. I
transport dogs by air on occasion and the wire type are not airline approved.
There are, however, advantages to the wire type that are worth consideration: In
hot weather they provide the best ventilation and in colder weather, you can
throw a blanket over the three sides. They do fold up for easy storage. I
never store a crate though, We have an open crate door policy. My dogs love
their crates; it's their house, their private place.
Once you have decided on the type you need to purchase, the proper size for a
full grown Golden. In the Veri-Kennel you want a 400 size.
In addition to potty training, you will find your crate handy for the times you
cant supervise your puppy. Dogs are den animals and feel a sense of safety in
confined spaces. It's an instinctive behavior for them to keep their den clean,
therefore they will not potty in their crate under normal conditions. They will
do everything within their power to keep their house clean. Later, when they
are older and more mature, they will respect your house as their crate. If a
puppy does excessively urinate in his crate and it is not from excessive water
intake or not being allowed to relieve himself properly, consult your vet. You
may have a urinary tract infection going on. It is common in puppies, but must
be treated.
When you take your puppy out of his crates, always take him outside to the spot
you have picked for his bathroom. Use the same door each time, as later, your
puppy will go to that door to let you know he needs to go out. I strongly
suggest you designate a particular part of the yard for potty. It makes clean
up easier if you know right were to find the mess, keeps the shoes clean at the
very least. Pick this area up often. Dogs do not like to go in a dirty place
and will use your entire yard if allowed. It is also important to keep the
area clean because puppies relish in poop pie, and it gives them bad breath and
is not particularly a desired trait.
To help your puppy feel at home in his crate, feed him there and allow toys in
the crate too. Water, however, is not a good idea. Your puppy is a water dog
and water bowls are swimming pools, you know. In addition, what goes in, must
come out. To begin formal crate training, whenever you cannot supervise your
puppy, crate him. When he becomes more trustworthy, start extending his time
out of the crate. As time goes by, he will gain your trust and you can
gradually increase his “loose” time (supervised, that is). Each dog is an
individual, how long the process of potty training will take will differ dog to
dog and trainer to trainer. Be consistent with the crate training and taking
him out. Correction and praise are very important and I cannot stress this
enough. It's how your puppy learns. You will need to watch your puppy. It's
very important you gradually increase the loose time or he will never learn to
be out on his own.
Accident are going to happen. This is how your puppy learns if he is pleasing
you or not. Accidents are good, they give you he opportunity to give that gentle
correction. Just remember you must balance the corrections with praise. After
correcting a puppy take him outside to his area. He just might finish his
business outside. If he does, praise him. If he does not, set him up to win
with something else, like a short game of fetch. Praise him when he brings the
ball back.
The crate method is really an advantage and gives you puppy a place to call his
own. I often go looking for a “lost” puppy and find him fast asleep in his
crate, with a ball between his paws. It's like seeing a sleeping baby in their
crib safe from harm.
Establish a pattern of in and out of crate time. The first place your puppy
goes when released from the crate is outside. There can be no exceptions. This
means you do not release him from the crate unless you have the time to take him
out and stay with him. Be sure he does his business, then praise him lavishly.
This stands true even in the worst of weather. Keep an umbrella handy and a
couple of towels to dry him off with. Fair warning: most Goldens love the rain,
and don't know when to come out of it. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Balance the time spent in and out of the crate. Be sure your puppy gets lots of
exercise. As he matures, he will be able to hold his urges to go. Give him an
opportunity to prove himself, by allowing extended time out for the crate
(supervised of course). Still, if you can not give your full attention, crate
him. When you are away from home, crate him. Alone with no one or anything to
play with (or get into trouble with) he will sleep. The crate is your friend
and your dogs bedroom.
Never correct your dog in his crate, this is his private place away from all
harm and intruders are not welcome. When he is out of the crate, leave the door
open. You just might find him in there when you “loose” your puppy. Puppies
have two speeds: on and off. They play hard and they sleep sound. Always after
a nap, they must be taken outside.
The keys to crate training are to be consistent, balance the time and extend
free time gradually. Firm, yet gentle corrections are equal amounts of praise.
Your first night or two can be restful, or you can be up all night with a
howling puppy. You choose. I choose to rest, so we can play with all the
energy of a puppy the next day. One hour before bedtime offer a drink of water
and a trip outside. Again, just before bed, we do the trip outside (no water
this time) and it is off to the crate. He may cry, he may howl, put up a real
good argument. However ignore him! I know it's hard, but don't give in. If
you give in, you have taught your puppy how to get out of the crate. He will
eventually settle in. I always plan on rising early when I have puppies. I
don't leave them in a crate for more than six hours over night at first. This
is just like teaching a human baby to sleep in their own crib overnight.

Feeding:

If you are planning on changing food, I suggest you purchase a five to eight
pound sack of the food the puppy has been eating and a twenty pound sack of your
desired brand. We used to feed high protein, high fat diets for the first year.
However, research on the larger breeds calls for us to at about four months of
age, decrease protein and fats, as puppies go through a growth stage and the
extra protein and fat can actually hinder them. So, you should use a high
quality food of about 28% protein ( but not above) for the first four months
then drop down to a 25% protein food for the rest of the first year. At the end
of the first year, you need to take a hard look at your puppy and his
requirements. If he is extremely active and lean, keep him on the 25% for an
additional year. If he is a couch potato, he should be placed on maintenance
food, 22% and put him on an exercise program. When changing feed, it is
important to mix in gradually the new food. When I know I am going to make a
change, I purchase a new bag when the old bag is half full.
When puppies first come home, I measure out their food each morning 3-3 1/2 cups
and divide it into 2 to 3 parts (three if you have the time to fee three times
per day for the first week). With the AM feeding, I mix a helping tablespoon of
cottage cheese in with the dry food. I also add some warm water. I leave the
food down for 20 minutes (if it lasts that long). Whatever isn't eaten, I
discard. Do not free feed Golden Retrievers. They do not know when to stop
eating, and this can create picky eaters. It just does not work with Goldens.
Optimally, feed your puppy three times per day till 3 months of age. Then, you
can go to twice per day depending on the puppy. Remember these are guidelines.
Consult me if you have concerns. Puppies that are fed only twice a day do just
fine, but you may have to increase their intake a bit faster than the three time
per day puppy. Also, if you are not able to come home and lunch and wish to
feed your puppy three times per day, just before you leave for work, leave some
dry food down. However, if you come home and the dry is still there, stop doing
it. You're then, in a sense, free feeding. Take note: Fat puppies are not
healthy and will not grow up health.

[RWebb]

Grooming
Mr. Bubble
Goldens love to be groomed. Brushing is a real pleasure for them. Start
grooming, or, I mean, continue grooming your puppy right away. With puppies, I
use a pin brush with round points or rubber protective ends. I brush puppies on
a table and have them stand for their grooming. This will make grooming when
your puppy is full grown, easier, and should you take your dog to a groomer,
trust me, your groomer will appreciate a well mannered dog on the table. It
also makes the experience much better for your dog. Brushing while standing is
much easier said than done with a puppy. But, don't give up. He will learn.
Try having some one feed your puppy some peanut butter off their fingers at
first to get him to hold still.
Brush the entire dog: head, back, legs, chest and paws. You want to handle paws
often, as you will need to trim their nails approximately every 2 weeks. For
nail trimming, you will want to buy a trimmer for large dogs. Resco brand is
the best brand, and I recommend it. You will also need some “Stop Bleed” or
“Kwick Stop” just in case you cut too close. Never trim nails unless you have
some stop bleed by your side. Nails bleed a lot. If you do trim too close, do
not make a big deal out of it. Calmly apply the stop bleed and go onto the next
nail. I am sure it hurts some when we do this, but sometimes it just happens,
and they recover very quickly. Like, as soon as you are finished and let them
down off the table. I see dogs regularly that strongly object to having their
nails trimmed and I have to either muzzle them, or refer them to a vet. This is
pure silliness! Work on this care of your Goldens feet is very important.
Nails that are not trimmed can be injured, requiring a trip to the vet that
could be costly, not to mention painful for the dog.
When bathing, use only pH balanced shampoo for dogs. Puppies get dirty fast and
bathing them when they are young is easy and part of the learning experience.
Puppies can be bathed in the kitchen sink for the first month. Puppy coats dry
fast. However, you want to make sure your puppy is dried well and does not
catch a chill. This is a great time for some crate time with a towel to play
with, followed by a trip outside when he is dry and a playful brushing. Never
put shampoo directly on the coat. Use a bucket and a couple ounces of shampoo
diluted in water and a sponge to apply to your already wet puppy. It is very
important you get all the shampoo rinsed out, or you will have a puppy with
flaky skin. We call bathing a dog, giving the dog a “bath”. Actually, it's
giving the dog a shower. Goldens have double coats and it's almost impossible
to get all the shampoo out of the coat unless you use the shower method. I
never fill a bath tub with water and “bathe” a dog in standing water.
Adult coats have natural oils that make Goldens water repellent to protect them
when they are working in the field. Unless you are showing or field working
your grown Golden should not require bathing more than every other month, and
should not be over bathed, as over bathing can lead to poor skin and damaged
“lifeless” coat. If you must bathe more frequently, as a groomer, I suggest you
use skin conditioning shampoo, or shampoo that does not contain soap.
Ears. What did you say? Your Goldens ears must be kept clean and dry. Goldens
are prone to ear infections, mostly due to moist conditions related to the drop
ear flaps. If your puppy's ears smell foul, consult your vet. I clean ears
ever other week, but check them weekly. I only use real cotton balls, not
cosmetic puffs. The puffs have fibers that irritate the ear. You can use ear
cleaners that you purchase at a pet store for megga bucks, or you can do what my
vet has me do: Mix a 50% vinegar and 50% rubbing alcohol mixture. The alcohol
dries the ear canal and the vinegar changes the pH balance in the ear preventing
yeast growth. 99.9% of ear infections in Goldens are yeast infections because
the ears are a warm and moist place for yeast to grow. Please understand this
is a preventative only, not a cure for yeast infections. If you have problems
with the ears, do not assume anything. Take you dog to the vet. Never use
Q-Tips to clean ears, even though it's extremely hard to damage the ear drum due
to the construction of the canal. It is best left to the vet to stick things in
the ears. Q-tips can push wax or objects down into the ear, hence requiring a
vet visit. I flood the ear with cleaner and rub the ear canal, then clean out
with a cotton ball. This helps expel rather than force things down further.
Adult coat care during the “shedding season” requires brushing out dead
undercoat. For this, a handy tool to have is an undercoat rake. You can
purchase them at a good pet supply store. They really cut your grooming time
and when used properly are easier on the skin than a slicker brush. When using
an undercoat rake, be gentle. Pull away from the skin, do not rake the skin. I
am more than willing to train you in proper grooming of your Golden when the
time comes.
Learning to Learn
No!
No! Is the most important command you will ever teach your puppy. No means No.
No, “maybe” or “oh, well” or “just this once”. No gray areas! I do not hit my
puppies, I teach them “no”. Your Golden wants to please you. He lives to
please you. He will learn with the proper use of the command “no”. “No” is not
just a word. It is a command and the foundation of a loving pet. Hitting a
puppy can make him hand shy. I don't like to see a Golden who winces at a hand.

Toys
That's a Woobie, Mom! I'm sure!
Goldens are very oral and relish in a good chew. Puppies don't know the
difference between a discarded tennis shoe and a two hundred dollar pair of
boots and will chew on anything they are allowed to. This includes, furniture,
electrical cords, house plants, etc. Puppies don't know electrical cords can
bite back with a deadly result, or that house plants can be toxic, or that piece
of furniture is a 200 year old antique. They are just into oral gratification.
Supervision and the “No” command are a must. Make an investment in a few, safe
toys. I never purchase cheap toys for my dogs. I only buy nylabone, gummybone,
or natural hard rubber toys. The less expensive toys can be destroyed easily
and cause life threatening situations. Squeaky toys or toys with bells are best
for supervised play only. Goldens will make a project of getting the squeaky
out and eat the remains: not good. I do not give rawhide, cow hoofs, pigs ears,
etc. As they can cause intestinal blockages. In short, all toys should be
industrial strength.

[RWebb]

Training
Bozo is Learning to Train
Training your puppy to respond to “No” and the firm tone are the foundation to a
well behaved Golden, as well as a lot of praise. Use common sense with your
puppy. There are a number of books on training as well as classes you and the
puppy can attend. I suggest you do both. A good book to start with is: How to
Raise Puppy You Can Live With, by Rutherford and Neil. It is easy reading and
good, common sense.
I cannot stress enough the command, “no”. Never let your puppy do something one
time and then tell him “no” the next. He will be confused and rightfully so.
Be consistent with what you will allow and what you will not. Praise is equally
important. Give him lots of praise when he gets it right, even if it's
something really minor. Try very hard to balance your corrections with praise.
Set the puppy up to win when he is having “bad” days. It can help to turn him
around.
Training starts on day one, with the crate and learning quiet time. The
foundation of learning to learn has begun. Young puppies have very short
memories. When a puppy does something wrong: wets, chews, retrieves wrong
items, pick him up, tell him no, he has been bad. At this time you have
punished the puppy. Hopefully, he will have learned. However, if this is a
first offense, it will be repeated. It takes time to learn, your firm guidance
is the key. A note about retrieving wrong items: Tell him no and give him one
of his own toys and tell him it is his, and okay.
Don't make a big deal out of it. Usually, if the original item is out of sight
he will be just fine with his toy. Your Golden is sensitive to your feelings,
he wants to please you, give him that chance, he will get it right he is a Brier
Golden and he is very smart.
Collars and Leashes. Adjustable nylon collars are great. You can buy one
collar that will fit your puppy for six months. Then purchase a larger one that
he can wear out. Leash, I only buy leather. Never nylon or chain. Six feet is
the proper length for training. No thicker than 3/4”. Leather will not burn
your hand if the dog pulls hard. Buy a sewn leash, not riveted. The sewn ones
are much stronger.
Obedience classes. I strongly urge you to get involved in a group class. Why
group classes over private? Simple: socialization. The socialization with
other dogs and people is training in and of itself. Classes are everywhere,
starting all the time. Puppy Kindergarten begins usually at 12 weeks and is
mostly just socialization. At 6 months, is when we hit the real books or bricks
with formal classes: Beginning Obedience. It's a lot of fun. It's how I
started in dogs. At six months a Golden can be a total Bozo, but in a short six
to eight week basic class with daily work, you can turn things around. Don't be
surprised if you end up with a high score and a trophy at graduation. Goldens,
because of their inherent nature to please, do very well in obedience. You
might even find yourself interested in competition in obedience trials. At the
very least make it a goal to obtain the dogs CGC (Canine Good Citizen
Certification) many obedience trainers offer CGC testing at the end of their
classes or contact me and I will find you a test when your ready. Visit the AKC
site on line and check out the CGC program.
Exercise
Working out with Richard:
Goldens, by nature, need a lot of exercise, but puppies should not be pushed
beyond their limits. It is very important not to jog or run your puppy for long
periods until they reach 18 months of age (read more in depth info in Grandmas
Notes. You are asking for orthopedic problems if you are not moderate with your
puppy. Running and playing at their own pace is fine. Walking is great. The
pressure that is put on the skeleton in repetitive movement such as running or
jogging is really hard on any immature skeleton.

it all applies well to labs also