Dogs only come in two colours, researchers say

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Life's Abundance Pet Food Sample

Hello All About Labradors blog readers. Hope all is well with everyone and your lovable Labrador Retrievers. Here is a new free dog food sample you can request.

It's from HealthyPetNet and they make the Life’s Abundance® brand of dog food.

"Life’s Abundance® is made using only fresh, human-quality ingredients such as premium all natural chicken and top quality catfish with the best fresh fruit, vegetables and select farm foods. Life’s Abundance® also contains a superior blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Contains no artificial flavors, colors, sugars, or chemical preservatives."

Included in your sample is:

1/4 cup of the Life's Abundance Pet Food of your choice (1/4 cup of each if you choose the combo)

One healthy treat

One pet supplement

*Shipping Costs

Free Life's Abundance Pet Food Sample offer valid for Unites States and Canadian residents over the age of 18 only.

To learn more about HealthyPetNet, their company, products ingredients visit

http://www.healthyanimaldiet.net/products-page/

To request your free sample of Life's Abundance Pet Food visit

http://www.healthyanimaldiet.net/freesamples/index.php

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Stop my eight week old Labrador from nipping - part II

This is the second part of a two part e-mail from Jenny.

To read part one visit: Stop my eight week old Labrador from nipping - part I

Reader's E-mail - Jenny Writes:

Thanks Fay for this i will let you know if this works. My local pet store told me that Ben (that is his name) is too young for Kong toys, is this correct? He is 10 weeks old.

He has also started to take an interest in the wall paper, he only licks it at the moment but i am concerned that he will start to bite the wall, is there anything i can do to nip this in the bud.

Apart from this he is adorable and very good. He is almost toilet trained, sits and gives his paw on command and loves to retrieve his toys. Now i am beginning to get him use to the lead, by walking him around the garden. He has his last injection on Saturday and microchiped, I have decided to have him castratred when he is 6 months old, this is on the advise of the vet. Can't wait to start walking him.

Jenny

All About Labradors Blog Answer:

Hi Jenny,

The information given here is to help you learn more about your Labrador Retriever and not to replace your veterinarian's advice. Disclaimer

Thank you for all the wonderful photos of Ben. He is so so adorable!!

In regards to the Kong toys, my Labradors both started with Kong toys, the day they were brought home (nine weeks), and I haven't had a problem with them. As a matter of fact, on the Kong website itself, it list Kong products for puppies in the seven through twelve week age.
Here is the link to the Kong website and a booklet on the site called Growing Up with Kong.

Just remember to supervise Ben's use of Kong toys until you are confident they can be used safely without supervision. Make sure you also provide the appropriate size toy for him and to inspect the toys daily for any broken or loose pieces. Any worn or damaged toys should be replaced immediately.

I have noticed with my two Labrador girls, as I am sure many other Labrador Retriever owners have, that they chew through toys quickly, that's why I buy the extra hard, and for power chewers Kong products.

There could be a couple of different reasons Ben is licking the wall paper. Ben could be lacking something in his diet (vitamins/nutrients). You want to make sure that you feed him a good, nutritious dog food (your veterinarian can recommend one to you) and that he is having normal stool production. If you do decide to change Ben's dog food, make sure you do it gradually so it doesn't upset his digestive system (mix some of the new dog food into some of the old dog food for a couple of weeks).

There is also a possibility that Ben could also have some sort of anxiety problems - phobias, separation anxiety, and obsessive compulsive behaviors. Possibly a cry for more attention, pent-up energy and/or boredom.

Our Labrador Retrievers need plenty of exercise and play time. Long walks, runs and plenty of play time everyday, may help to cut down some of the problem. When you do catch Ben licking continually you can try to provide a distraction (play toys, balls, etc.). Once again, I recommend the Kong chew toys filled with treats, which can provide him with plenty of challenge, and distraction. The Kong toys are excellent for providing physical exercise as well as mental exercise.

If Ben continues licking the wall paper and starts licking other things continually (floor, doors, etc.), you may want to consult with your veterinarian to make sure that no medical condition exists. You might also want to ask for a recommendation for animal behaviorist in your area or you can find one by visiting Animal Behavior Society website at http://www.animalbehavior.org/.

Having Ben neutered is a great decision as well as having him microchiped. Sounds as though Ben is doing quite well with his training.

Hope this provides some more help to you Jen. Please keep me up to date on how Ben is doing and if you have any other questions, now or in the future, please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail.

Take care of yourself and Ben,

Fay

To see the wonderful photos of Ben visit: Ben 11/18/07

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Stop my eight week old Labrador from nipping - part I

Jenny (UK) sent in this e-mail in regards to Ben, her 8 week old Labrador Retriever who can not seem to stop nipping.

This is part one of a two part e-mail.

Reader's E-mail - Jenny Writes:

Jenny (England)

Hi I have just bought a 8 week old black lab puppy I have had him 2 weeks and cant seem to stop him nipping and his teeth are very sharp. Do you have any advice please?

All About Labradors Blog Answer:

Hello Jenny,

The information given here is to help you learn more about your Labrador Retriever and not to replace your veterinarian's advice. Please read the full Disclaimer

Thank you for writing and visiting the All About Labradors blog. Congratulations on the purchase of your new Labrador Retriever.

What is his name?

Is this your first Labrador Retriever?

Yes, I do have some advice for you. I have an article on the blog entitled Labrador Retriever - Training your puppy to stop biting and nipping, which you can read over at this link:

http://allaboutlabradors.blogspot.com/2006/04/labrador-retriever-training-your-puppy.html

Read the article and apply some of the listed methods and you should be on your way to nipping your Labradors biting habit in the bud.

Just so you know, in regards to the article, I do recommend Kong toys for your Labrador Retriever as they provide plenty of mental and physical stimulation. Make sure you buy the appropriate size for your Labrador and discard the toy when pieces start to break off. I am also a big supporter of using the crate for training.

If you don't understand anything in the article, please don't hesitate to write. If you have any other questions in regards to your Labrador Retriever just drop me an e-mail. You can send as many questions and e-mails as you want, I don't mind.

One last thing Jenny, with all the email questions I receive, I always ask a favor of the person writing. If you have any photos of your Labrador Retriever, that you could email me, I would love to post them to the Labrador Retriever Pictures blog.

If you do send a photo, and would like any caption to appear under the photo (Ex: Fido eating the garbage, my trip to the beach, dressed up for Christmas, etc.) make sure you let me know.

Take care of yourself and your new Labrador Retriever,

Fay

To read part two visit: Stop my eight week old Labrador from nipping - part II

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Labrador Retriever Mating

This question was sent to All About Labradors from Mohan (USA). Mohan has a question or two in regards to mating his female black Labrador Retriever.

Reader's E-mail - Mohan Writes:

Hello,

I have a question. We have a black bitch labrador . Is mating OK with a fawn (yellow) colored labrador male? Is there any chance of the puppies having spots or patches of two colors?

We think that the puppies can either be full black, or full yellow or full brown and can not have patches or spots of different colors. Is this understanding correct?

Regards
Mohan

All About Labradors Blog Answer:

Hello Mohan,

The information given here is to help you learn more about your Labrador Retriever and not to replace your veterinarian's advice. Disclaimer

Thanks for your question and please except my apologies on the delay in answering. I receive many questions (much more than I ever dreamed of) and it takes me some time to answer them all.

You are correct that you can get full black, full yellow, or full chocolate with the color all coming down to the genes carried by the Labrador Retrievers. This is somewhat hard for me to explain and I'm not quite sure I can explain it correctly, so I have listed a website below that can explain this in full to you and has a chart that shows you what you can expect.

http://www.lockeonlabradors.com/coat_color.htm

As for different color spots and patches:

The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives just 3 colors for Labrador Retrievers:

1. Black Labrador
2. Yellow Labrador
3. Chocolate Labrador

Any other color – or a combination of colors – disqualifies a dog for registration as a Labrador Retriever.

A small white spot on the chest of a black Labrador Retriever is permissible.

For further information on coat colors and disqualifications in Labrador Retriever colors visit:

http://www.akc.org/breeds/labrador_retriever/index.cfm

Hope this helps you out Mohan. If I can be of any other assistance to you, please don't hesitate to write.

Take care of yourself,

Fay

Reader's E-mail - Mohan Writes:

Hi Fay,

Thank you very much....!
I appreciate your help...!

-Mohan

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Chocolate Labrador Retriever with nose problem - part II

This is part two of a two part e-mail question.

To read part one of this e-mail visit: Chocolate Labrador Retreiver with nose problem - part I

Reader's E-mail - Bob Writes:

Hi Fay,

Thank you for the response, this is quite unexpected, i never thought anyone would actually answer and i thank you very much for that.

As you know Lexie has this nose problem i wrote to you about before. I will try to answer your questions as detailed as i can so there is no confusion at all.

Has the vet done any testing on Lexie? No our vet seems to think its not a big deal health wise and figures we shouldn't really worry about it, but naturally we think it is a big deal and we don't want our poor Lexie to have what must be such an uncomfortable and irritating condition, (even though she doesn't seem to notice it.)

What kind of foods did we try and what is she eating now? Right now Lexie is eating Timberwolf food if your not familiar with it, it is actually suppose to be some of the best dry dog food on the market ( but i may be wrong ). We also give her trippett canned food also probably 1 cup of trippett and 2 cups of Timberwolf a day. Also we have just recently started giving her fish oil pills with both of her daily meals. 1 pill per meal, and we feed her twice a day.

What else do we feed Lexie ? Well we don't ever feed Lexie table food and for treats we feed her Old Mother Hubbards dog treats. We sometimes give her carrots (heard that was good for them ) and we also sometimes give her compressed bones to chew on.

Is Lexie an inside dog ? Yes she lives in the house and never really spends more than 30 minutes outside unless we are with her.

How long has the discharge been going on ? Well we seem to remember it starting about the one year old mark, may have been sooner but I'm pretty sure it was around the one year mark.

She never lost the pigment in her nose ? No she hasn't actually, even when pieces of skin fall off her nose they are still Brown colored (chocolate Labrador).

What kind of bowls does she eat and drink from ? She drinks and eats from stainless steel bowls, i just read that stainless steel is the best thing for them and its just lucky that we have always given her food and water in stainless steel dishes.

Any discharge from the eyes, sneezing, coughing, itching, diarrhea, constipation (be specific with anything)? She has what seems to be the normal amount of eye crutts (i guess you can call them) but other than that she has never had a cough and she seems to sneeze normally. We do find that when she is on her back she tends to sneeze a little more than usual but this doesn't happen very often. Lexie does have allergies to most of the Yearly vaccinations. She reacts to the Rabies shot the lepto shot and annual shot which im not exactly sure what it has in it. Her allergy reactions are quite severe and we have had to bring her to the emergency dog clinic on two separate occasions. She swells a lot and we fear she may stop breathing. So now before we go to get shots we were told by the Vet to give her 3 benedril pills before she gets the shots now, to reduce the reaction.

Any redness or inflammation to nose? No not at all, she seems to have what looks to be a healthy nose except for the skin falling off and the raw skin where she licks a lot on the nose.

Any other medical problems now or in the past (problem with paws, mouth, etc)? Nothing except the allergies i mentioned before. There are two things i would like to add that might help you also.

We have talked to Lexie's Breeder and she has never seem this in any of her litters. The lady we bought the dog off of is a private breeder and is very involved with the puppies she has sold. When we asked her about it she told us that she has never heard any feed back from other owners about a nose issue and when we saw the dogs mother and father and grandmother none of the dogs had any type of nose issue.

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Another thing is the fact that since our dog has such bad allergies we kind of thought that maybe Lexie was allergic to the two cats we have. I don't know if this is possible but we thought we would include this in here so you have all the information. We tried to separate the cats and the dog when we went on a trip to visit family , the dog came with us and the cats stayed home and during that week we didn't see any noticeable change in the dogs nose, so either it isn't the cats, or we just didn't separate them long enough.

Well here is all the info i could possible think of, i hope it helps and hopefully for Lexie's sake you might have the solution to her problems. If not we do appreciate the help and we would like to thank you for trying. Hope this helps.

Bob

All About Labradors Answer:

Hello Bob,

The information given here is to help you learn more about your Labrador Retriever and not to replace your veterinarian's advice. Disclaimer

Thanks for the response to my questions, Once again my apologies for the delays as I am far behind with all the questions I am receiving. Thanks for being so patient!

This is a tough one for me to answer as I don't see Lexie's nose and can only go on what you tell me. Even though it doesn't seem to bother Lexie and the veterinarian believes its not a big deal health wise (many dogs do have dry, scaly noses with no other problems), you might want to seek a second opinion. Remember, I am not a veterinarian and would never second guess any veterinarians diagnosis. Another veterinarian might recommend doing a skin biopsy, blood work, etc.

Some things you can use for the scaly nose:

Vaseline (which you are using) will help to keep the nose moisturized.

Oxyfresh's Pet Gel (contains Aloe Vera) and can be found at oxyfresh.com

Bag balm.com - been around for ever, also helps sooth and relieve dry, chapped skin conditions.

Aloe Vera - the natural 100 percent pure kind (found in health food stores), not the Aloe Vera mixtures.

Make sure the products are rubbed into the nose thoroughly.

As for Lexie's discharge from the nose, being that it's clear and watery, it is usually caused by colds or allergies. I'm sure we can rule out the cold being that you state this has been going on for a year.

Being that this runny nose has continued this long, a food allergy can be very possible, for it (runny nose) has been year round. Food allergies can be complicated to recognize and to treat, with testing being done with a special hypoallergenic diet.

This diet consist of a changing of the food to something Lexie hasn't eaten before, which is fed for a set period of time (usually it takes at least twelve weeks on the new food), to determine if this is the problem.

You have told me that you have changed foods, three different times and it hasn't worked. You have to remember to give it some time, not just a few weeks. The foods you mention are decent foods.

Another important thing to remember during a food trail is the specific food you choose, should be the only thing Lexie should be feed during the trial. No medications (unless absolutely necessary), no treats, nothing else. Just one food and that's it. I can recommend some other foods if you would like to try the food trial again.

Food allergies may occur with other allergies, such as atopy (inhalant allergy).

Inhalant allergies - allergy to something your dog inhales, such as pollens, grasses, dust mites, house dust, molds. Inhalant allergies usually involve a mild to intense scratching over the body.

Some things you might want to do around your home:

Keep Lexie out of rooms several hours when you vacuum.

Wash Lexie's bedding in very hot water

Try to avoid stuffed toys and letting her sleep on stuffed furniture

Keep Lexie out of carpeted rooms

Use dehumidifiers

Keep Lexie out of basement (if you have one)

Other allergy testing can be done by your veterinarian, such as blood tests or intradermal skin testing. The better allergy test is intradermal skin testing, which is usually done by a veterinary dermatologist. You may want to visit a veterinary dermatologist (you can ask for a referral from your vet) if he/she is not one themselves. Veterinary dermatologist are specialists that tend to see chronic and odd cases, and often recognize unusual syndromes a general practitioner may miss.

The fish oil you are using is very good for Lexie and I would continue giving it to her. Also, the stainless steel bowls are the best as some Labrador Retrievers do develop a contact allergy from the use of plastic bowls.

I hope this helps some Bob. Please keep me informed on Lexie's condition and anything else the veterinarian tells you, should you bring her in for more testing.

Take care of yourself and Lexie,

Fay

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Chocolate Labrador Retriever with nose problem - part I

This e-mail comes from Bob and Ericka in Canada. Their 2 year old chocolate Labrador Retriever named Lexie has a few problems in regards to her nose. This is part one of a two part e-mail.

Reader's E-mail - Bob and Ericka Write:

Hi,

My 2 year old Chocolate labrador Lexie has had a bit of a nose problem for the past year or so.

Description:

Basically her nose is scaly but still has the brown pigmentation. But in the area's where her tongue can reach the skin on her nose is moist but very raw from licking it alot. She always seems to have a runny nose and its a very clear liquid.

We thought at first she might have a cold, but she has never had any other symptoms of one. Then we thought she might be allergic to her food, so we change it for awhile, then the vet asked us to put her on non alergen food, that didn't help either. So now after trying maybe 3 different foods and also trying to add trippett dog food to her diet on a regular basis she still has the scaley runny nose. We are currently giving her fish oil capsules daily to see if they might work but it is to early to see any noticable effects.

We also have two cats and were thinking she may be allegic to the cats but we havent really been able to get Lexie in an environment away from the cats to be sure.

The weird thing about this whole thing is that it doesn't seem to bother Lexie in the slightest, she never tries to scratch it or rub it on anything and we constantly put vasaline on her nose to put a bit of a film on it so she wont be actually licking it raw.

We have been looking and asking all over the place for answers and have had no luck.

What ever insight you have would be appreciated. Thank you

Bob and Ericka

All About Labradors Answer:

Hi Bob and Ericka,

Thanks for writing and visiting All About Labradors blog. My apologies for the delay, as I receive many questions and with a full household and answering every question, it takes me some time.

A couple of questions I have in order for me to try to be of some help to you:

Did your veterinarian doing any kind of testing on Lexie?

What kind of foods did you try and what is she eating now?

Besides the dog foods, do you feed her anything else (treats, table scrapes) Be specific with anything else you feed her.

Is she an inside dog or outside dog (lives inside or out)?

How long has this discharge been going on?

She has never lost the pigment from her nose?

What kind of bowls does she eat and drink from (plastic, stainless steel)?

Any discharge from the eyes, sneezing, coughing, itching, diarrhea, constipation (be specific with anything)?

Any redness or inflammation to nose?

Any other medical problems now or in the past (problem with paws, mouth, etc)?

With all the email questions I receive, I always ask a favor of the person writing. If you have any photos of your Labrador Retriever, that you could email me, I would love to post them to the Labrador Retriever Pictures blog. You DO NOT have to send a photo to receive an answer to your question.

If you do send a photo, and would like any caption to appear under the photo (Ex: Fido eating the garbage, my trip to the beach, dressed up for Christmas, etc.) make sure you let me know.

Please get back to me with the answers to these questions, and we will see what we can do for Lexie.

Talk to you soon,

Fay

To read part two visit: Chocolate Labrador Retriever with nose problem - part II

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Male Labrador Retriever urinates in my house - part II

This is part two of a two part e-mail from Lyn in Australia who has a problem with her 12 week old Labrador Retriever urinating in her home.

Part one of this e-mail can be read here: Male Labrador Retriever urinates in my house - part I

All About Labradors Blog Answer:

The information given here is to help you learn more about your Labrador Retriever and not to replace your veterinarian's advice. Read full Disclaimer

Hello Lyn, Thanks for being patient and for the great photo of Tyson! He just so cute.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you this Lyn but the first thing you have to remember is that Tyson is just a baby and will have his accidents.

What I believe may be happening here is that Mr Tyson may be confused. Its harder to train an indoor/outdoor pup because of the change in environment. What I mean by this is when Tyson is outside, he can do anything he wants, eliminate anywhere he wants, but not so when indoors. This is making it harder for him to distinguish from inside to outside, and he is not learning where to eliminate.

First off Tyson needs to have one spot to eliminate himself. If you consistently take Tyson to the same location, he will associate this as the place to go. If he constantly eliminates in that spot in the garden then make sure this is the spot he continues to go (even though I'm sure you'll want to change this location, otherwise you won't have a garden in that spot for long). Once the association is formed, he will be more likely to seek out the same area, whenever the need to eliminate arises.

What I didn't ask, and I'm not sure of from your e-mails is if you have him on a leash when you take him out or you just let him out into the yard to eliminate.

He must be on a short leash when he is taken out to keep him close. Believe me, he will become bored quite quickly with a small area to explore and will start sniffing around the ground (elimination behavior). If he takes a little longer, as one of my Labradors did, you can try walking him in a short tight circle.

You can also praise Tyson when you notice signs that elimination is coming, such as sniffing and/or circling. It doesn't have to be crazy, bang on the drums praise, just a soft "good boy" or "good Tyson" will be sufficient.

Make sure you pickup and discard of any stool immediately.

What happens when you take Tyson out and he doesn't eliminate himself ? Take him back inside, wait about 15 -20 minutes and take him right back out to his area. Make sure you keep constant watch of him when inside if he didn't relieve himself, for signs of elimination behaviors.

I do recommend the use of a crate. A crate provides a safe haven for your puppy allowing him to relax. It will help him rest, slowing down the body, reducing the need for water and relieving himself. It is also an effective housebreaking tool, because dogs have a natural reluctance to soil where they sleep.

If you do use they crate for Tyson, make sure it will be the correct size for him as an adult. Try to purchase a cage with a dividing panel so it will be the appropriate size for him now. You only want to have enough room for Tyson to stand up, stretch and turn. To much room, and Tyson could learn to sleep in half of the crate and relieve himself in the other half, which will just defeat the whole purpose of the crate.

Is there a possibility that someone can come to your house during your working hours to take Tyson out? Maybe you or your partner can come home some time during the day to take him out. This way you can do away with leaving him outside all day.

You can take him out first thing in the morning, then after he eats, and maybe just before the last person leaves for work. Then depending on how long your gone, maybe someone can come over (approximately every four hours) to take him out to relieve himself.
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You also didn't tell me if there are any accidents at night. I assuming Tyson doesn't have accidents at night or you would have said something. Which means he has learn pretty good control already.

Here's a PDF book on crate training that can be of great help to you: Crate Training Your Dog http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/crate-train.pdf.

For toys to put in the crate, I love and recommend the Kong toys. They provide plenty of physical and mental stimulation. Just make sure you get the appropriate size for your Labrador and discard when any pieces start to fall off.

As far as Tyson biting and destroying things goes, you must understand he is going through a critical period right now. Labrador Retrievers between the age of 12 -16 weeks go through a phase called Seniority Classification Period. It is during this period that Tyson will be to challenge you to see who the pack leader is going to be. He will bite you in play and as a challenge to your authority. What is important here is that you establish yourself as the pack leader or the Alpha.

Here's an article that can help you out : Establishing Yourself as Pack Leader

http://www.cbrrescue.org/articles/packleader.htm

Games such a tug of war, wrestling and any form of rough housing with Tyson should be discouraged. Such play is aggressive inducing. What you may see as having fun with your Labrador Retriever with these games, may be perceived by Tyson as a situation to dominate.

Also during this period, no biting or mouthing should be allowed. For more information on this, there is an article on the All About Labradors blog entitled Labrador Retriever – Training your puppy to stop biting and nipping , that will be helpful to you.

http://allaboutlabradors.blogspot.com/2006/04/labrador-retriever-training-your-puppy.html
Remember, take Tyson out to the same location to relieve himself. Closely watch him when inside for signs of the elimination behavior. Never scold him for accidents. If you observe him eliminating in the house, provide a distraction (such as a clap of you hands together) and interrupt the behavior. Pick him up and bring him outside to his spot and offer praise.

If you don't want to go the crate way, which I really do recommend you try, let me know as I do have another idea that may work even though I have never tried it.

Let me know if you don't understand anything here Lyn or if you have questions on anything else. Please keep me informed with how his training is coming.

Take care of yourself and Tyson,

Fay

Reader's E-mail - Lyn's Response:

Hi Fay

Thank you so much for all that information and advice. I might be biased but yes he is cute.

He seems to have designated a spot in the garden where he relieves himself during the day and heads for that same spot at night just before bedtime. Last night he went straight to the back door and hit it so he could be let out, which I praised because it is the first time he has done that without giving any signs that he was ready to relieve himself. You asked about nighttimes, he does have the occasional accident which is again near the back door, so I know he is at least getting the idea that outside is the place to go.

Last time I wrote to you I think I mentioned that he was weeing as soon as he came inside, he hasn't done that this week.

As far as his dominance of the household goes, he was trying to dominate us, for example going in and out of doors, but he now waits for us to go out first or in first and then he follows, also when he is outside and demanding to come inside by hitting the door, I have been making him wait by letting him see me doing something first such as loading the washing machine or putting the jug on and making a coffee before letting him in. Also when we got home from work we used to open the gates and go inside through the back door, this week we have been leaving the cars in the driveway and going in through the front doors, getting changed and then going outside and playing with him. I don't know if this is the right thing to do, but it is making him wait for what he wants instead of jumping everytime he wants something.

He has been going to Puppy Kindy for the last 4 weeks and has learnt all the basic commands including stay which we reinforce every chance we get. He is very attentive and responsive with me especially.

I will read all the information you have given me and will keep in touch and let you know how he is going, thank you again Fay your advice is greatly appreciated.

Lyn

All About Labradors Blog Answer:

Hi Lyn,

Your welcome, but don't thank me yet, wait until we get Tyson's problem solved. There is no problem being biased as I am with my two Lab girls!

That's great that he is found a spot to go (like I said before, it might not be a garden for to much longer). The hitting of the back door is also an excellent sign. I have actually known of Lab owners who had attached a bell to the door and have gotten their Labrador Retrievers to ring the bell when they had to go out.

Sounds as though he is starting to realize his proper area to relieve himself.

Good job with the door work, as you are always first to do things, not him. You establish the Alpha position.

Yes you are doing the right thing by going in through the front doors and not letting him control the playing and what he wants. Keep it up!

Have you owned a dog before? The reason I asked is because you have a good knowledge of what to do in regards to training.

The puppy classes are excellent for him. He will learn obedience and the much important socialization.

Read over the info I sent and keep me informed of how everything is going.

Will talk to you soon,

Fay

To see photos of Tyson and his new housemate Bindi, click: Tyson and Bindi 01/15/08 (Updated)

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Nature’s Recipe Devoted Dog Parent Kit

Hello Everyone! Hope all is well. Great hearing from some many different people. As always, e-mail questions are taking some time answering all of them. Thank s to everyone for being patient.

Over at the Labrador Retriever Pictures blog it is Halloween month, so if anyone has any photos of your Labrador Retriever(s) in regards to anything Halloween related (in costumes, parades, with pumpkins, etc.) please send them in and I will post them. You can upload them at the link on the top of the Labrador Retriever Pictures blog, e-mail them, or join our group over at Flickr entitled Our Lovable Labardors.

For those interested, Nature's Recipe is offering a free Nature’s Recipe Devoted Dog Parent Kit. The kits got some nice useful things in it to help teach you about nutrition, product benefits and great ways to care for your dogs.

Quote from Nature's Recipe website:

The Nature’s Recipe® Devoted Dog Parent Kit – Helping you do what's best for your dog.

Nature's Recipe has teamed with renowned veterinarian Dr. Michael Rubenstein and other experts to provide you with the knowledge and advice to help make your dogs healthy, happy and safe. The Nature's Recipe Devoted Dog Parent Kit will teach you about nutrition, product benefits and great ways to care for your dogs. The Kit includes:

Educational dog care videos
Diagnostic wheel to help diagnose common symptoms of food intolerance
Sample of Nature’s Recipe® Farm Stand Selects®
Pet relaxation music
Informative dog health articles
Great product discounts
Helpful newsletters

If you want your free kit, visit: http://www.naturesrecipe.com/nature_app/

** When you get to the question, "How many pets do you own" make sure you answer each one, or the form will not go through. **

Better hurry, as I'm sue these won't last long.

Have a great weekend!

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Got a Photogenic Pooch? This Costume Contest Is for You!

To all the my readers of the All About Labradors blog, here's your chance for your Labrador Retriever to win Pet Butler's annual Howl-O-Ween pet photo contest.

You have to have your photos entered by October 12, 2007

For those of you that do enter your Labrador Retriever in this contest, please let me know by e-mail or comment on this blog, so we can all get a look at your photos and vote.

Good luck to all!!

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Male Labrador Retriever urinates in my house - part I

This e-mail comes from Lyn in Australia who has a problem with her 12 week old Labrador Retriever urinating in her home.

This is part one of a two part e-mail.

Reader's E-mail - Lyn Writes:

I have a 12 week old male lab who seems to only go to the toilet when he is inside. He spends most of the day outside and goes when he has to go with plenty of praise, but as soon as he comes inside the door he will urinate again.

Is this marking his territory or is it just a case of being a typical puppy who is making mistakes?

Lyn

All About Labradors Blog Answer:

Hello Lyn,

Thank you for writing and for visiting the All About Labradors blog.

In order for me to try to be of some help to you, I will need you to answer a few questions for me.

Has you Labrador Retriever had a thorough checkup from you veterinarian?

Does you Labrador Retriever have a certain spot she goes when outside?

Does he urinate in the same spot when he comes in?

How long have you owned him?

Does he live inside or out?

How does he react when in the house (besides the urinating, any strange behaviors)?

Has he had any training?

Do you own a crate?

What is his name

Anything else you can possible tell me about him will be helpful.

With all the email questions I receive, I always ask a favor of the person writing. If you have any photos of your Labrador Retriever, that you could email me, I would love to post them to All About Labradors and/or Labrador Retriever Pictures blog. You DO NOT need to send a photo to get a reply to your question.

Get back to me at your earliest convenience Lyn, and we will see what we can do for your Labrador Retriever.

Talk to you soon,

Fay

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Reader's E-mail - Lyn's answers to my questions:

Hi Fay

In answer to your questions, my labs name is Tyson he is 13 weeks old.

He spends his days outside while we are both at work, and sleeps in his own area at night.

When I get home I play with him outside for about an hour and then come inside to get dinner. My partner does the same when he gets home although he probably doesn't spend as much time with him as I do. He goes to Puppy Kindy and is learning obedience which is something we practice when I get home and again throughout the night with things such as sit, shake, drop, come etc. He is fed each night at around 6pm.

We have been house training him since we first got him which was when he was approx 6 weeks old. He started off quite well, letting us know if he had to go outside by whimpering, but once he had settled in that seemed to have been forgotten and now he lets us know by running around and sniffing, on seeing this we take him outside and after about 5 or 10 minutes when we are sure he has finished whatever he has to do, he is allowed back inside again, this is when he urinates. There are times when we see him sniffing around that we open the door and he just refuses to go outside, which makes us force him out or use rewards to get him outside.

I have noticed that during the day he will urinate etc on the garden, but when he comes inside at night he will also urinate near the back door.

When he is inside he plays with his toys and enjoys having our attention. He gets very naughty when he is really tired, (just like a child) and either runs around the house (literally) like a lunatic or does something destructive such as chewing on furniture or biting playfully, when he is reprimanded he puts himself to bed.

We don't own a crate.

I think thats about all I can tell you, except he is a great little guy in all other ways and we both love him a lot.

I have attached a photo as you requested.

Lyn

To read part two of this e-mail visit: Male Labrador Retriever urinates in my house - part II

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