Lovely Dog Supply

Archive for September, 2009

This training is all about behaviors that teach your dog to become a good canine citizen. It teaches him the nuances of learning what is acceptable and what is just not accepted in human society. Some etiquette that you can teach him to be a well behaved dog includes the following.

1. How to behave with other dogs and other people.
2. Behavior with other people.
3. Appropriate behavior when you take him out on a leash.
4. Housebreaking.
5. Food training which includes not to beg, not to eat off people’s plates, and not to ‘steal’ or ‘help themselves’ to food that may be lying around.
6. To resist running out of open doors or gates.
7. Refrain from chasing kids or cars.
8. Abstain from chewing or scratching household articles.
9. Not to bite.

All of the above training schedules will help in making him more acceptable and likable among your friends and family, as well as with other dogs.

The most basic training that you must provide your handsome Labrador Retriever with is definitely housebreaking. Bathroom manners rank very high on the list of required training. This is one very important guarantee of your puppy finding a warm and welcome place in your household.
Housebreaking teaches your Lab to trot outdoors to answer Nature’s calls. But if you have identified a place indoors for him to do his job, you can teach him to go there. But do remember that your pup must be at least 16 weeks old before he can be housebroken. He needs to reach a certain age before he can exercise control over his bladder and bowel movements.
There are numerous methods of training your dog. Your doggie will develop whatever housebreaking habit you provide him with. If he is trained to go outside, then that is what he will do. If he is given an indoor spot to pee or potty in then that is the habit that he will develop.
If you are teaching him to go outside to do his business, you can have a little bell rigged up near your exit door to the yard. Provide this bell with a long bell pull that your dog can also tug at. Whenever you take him out, just tug at the bell and then go out.
Soon he will learn that whenever he wants to go out, he must tug at the bell. This way whenever he feels the urge and wants to go out, he will go and ring the bell. This will be an indication for you to let him out.

When you adopt a Labrador Retriever puppy you do not know what kind of a dog he will grow up to be. He could turn out to be just anything!

1. Energetic or placid.
2. Sweet tempered or just plain hard headed.
3. A good-natured goofy or just plain serious.
4. An outgoing “I love everybody” dog or a shy away introvert!

However, a conventional Labrador Retriever’s nature and attitude towards life is by and large like this.

• A cheerful, tail-wagging dog
• A dog that loves athletic activities and enjoys dynamic exercise.
• A dependable dog that has an even temper.
• A dog that can co-exist peacefully with other animals.
• A dog that is eager to please you!
• An easy to train dog.
• A large, bouncy dog with giant-sized enthusiasm towards life.

You must also be aware of some aspects about Labrador Retrievers that may not suit your lifestyle.

• This dog has vigorous exercise requirements.
• It is a very high-energy dog with behavior that verges on exuberance.
• They can be extremely boisterous if not given sufficient scope to work off their energy.
• They can suffer from ‘separation anxiety’ if left alone for too long. This can lead to destructive behavior and excessive barking.
• They can exhibit “mouthiness”, i.e., mouthing your hands or picking up and chewing objects.
• This dig sheds quite a lot of hair.
• Some Labs have quite a few health problems
• Some Labs may be neurotic.

A dog’s coat is easily damaged by rough handling and improper grooming techniques. Each strand of hair has tiny scales that lie flat against the hair shaft. As the hair is pulled and stretched (which is not desirable), the scales project out like barbs. Adjacent hairs become snarled and eventually break during the unsnarling process.
Dry hair attracts static electricity, which causes individual hairs to stick together. It is a good practice to use an antistatic coat conditioner before brushing. A number of popular products are available as pumps, aerosols, and rub-on creams. You can also simply spray the coat lightly with water.
The coat should be brushed with tools that pass smoothly through the hair. In general, a pin brush can be used safely without stretching the hair. To avoid stretching, do not pull forcefully on a rake, slicker brush, or comb—except when removing dead hair during the shedding stage. If you find that you are pulling hard, you are either trying to groom too deep into the coat with each stroke or you are using a grooming tool with teeth or bristles that are too stiff or too close together.
With longhaired dogs, insert the bristle or pin brush all the way into the coat and twist it slightly. Using short strokes, brush against the lay of the hair. Avoid using long strokes, as this can break the hair. You can also line brush— working up the side of your dog, brushing short sections at a time. You push the hair up, then brush small sections down at a time. This way, the hair underneath is brushed out as well as the top coat. It always makes sense to talk to your dog’s breeder about the best grooming techniques for the breed.
For shorthaired breeds, brush with the lay of the hair, starting at the head and working back toward the tail. In all breeds, pay particular attention to the hindquarters and backs of the thighs, where dead hair is likely to mat. Carefully check behind the ears, as the soft hair there may also mat.
If the dog is blowing her undercoat, remove loose hair with a rake. Start on the underside of the dog and work layer by layer up to the topside.
Hairless dogs can be wiped with a damp towel, then carefully dried. They may need a bath to remove excess skin oils and to prevent the buildup of sunscreen (necessary to prevent sunburn).

An animal who is immune to a specific pathogen has natural substances in his system called antibodies that attack and destroy that pathogen before it can cause disease. When a dog becomes ill with an infectious disease, his immune system makes antibodies against that particular pathogen. These antibodies protect the dog against reinfection. The dog has now acquired active immunity.
Active immunity is self-perpetuating; the dog continues to make antibodies long after the disease has gone away. Any time the dog is exposed to that particular pathogen, his immune system will produce more antibodies. The duration of active immunity varies, depending on the pathogen and the dog.
Following natural exposure, active immunity often persists for life. In general, immunity to viruses lasts longer than immunity to bacteria. Active immunity also can be induced by vaccination. The dog is exposed to heat-killed pathogens, live or attenuated (antigens that have been treatedto make them less infectious) pathogens rendered incapable of causing disease, or toxins and pathogen products that will also stimulate a response by the dog’s immune system. As with natural exposure, vaccination stimulates the production of antibodies that are specific for the particular pathogen in the vaccine. However, unlike natural exposure, the duration of protection may be limited. Accordingly, to maintain high levels of protection, booster vaccines are recommended. How frequently a dog will need boosters depends on the antigen used, number of exposures to the pathogens, the dog’s own immune response, and the type of vaccination used. Vaccination schedules need to be customized for each individual dog.
Vaccinations may not be successful in all dogs. Rundown, malnourished, debilitated dogs may not be capable of responding to a disease challenge by developing antibodies or building immunity. Such dogs should not be vaccinated at that time, but should be vaccinated when they’re in better health. Immunosuppressive drugs, such as cortisone and chemotherapy agents, depress the immune system and also prevent the body from making antibodies.
Another type of immunity is called passive. Passive immunity is passed from one animal to another. The classic example is the antibodies newborn pups absorb from the colostrum of their mother. Puppies are best able to absorb antibodies from their mother’s milk during the first 24 hours of life. The immunity persists only as long as the antibodies remain in the puppies’ circulation.
The duration of immunity depends on the concentration of antibodies in maternal milk when the pups were born. Dams vaccinated just before they were bred have the highest antibody levels and are capable of protecting puppies for up to 16 weeks. However, some veterinarians believe this additional booster is unnecessary.
Puppies younger than 3 weeks old may be incapable of developing antibodies in response to vaccination because of physical immaturity or interference by passive maternally acquired antibodies. Maternal antibodies can bind the antigen in the vaccine and keep it from stimulating the immune system. These passive antibodies disappear at between 6 and 16 weeks of age. Therefore, when vaccinating very young puppies, the vaccine must be given more frequently to ensure that the vaccine will stimulate immunity as soon as maternal antibody levels decline and can no longer interfere with the vaccine.
Another source of passive immunity can occur with a transfusion of blood products with antibodies into a dog with a serious infection or immune problem. This is not done frequently, but can be a life-saver for some dogs.