Puppy Tips

INFORMATION TO HELP YOU WITH THE ADJUSTMENT
AND HEALTH OF YOUR NEW PUPPY

First and foremost we strongly recommend following these rules until your puppy is fully vaccinated.

You are subjecting your puppy to possible life threatening health hazards by NOT adhering to these rules.

Some diseases can occur within 1-5 days after exposure. Many start with diarrhea, fever, and/or vomiting.

The following precautions are recommended for puppies:

1. Do not take your puppy to the park, for a walk around the block, or to pet stores, or groomers. These are all places where infected dogs could have been or presently are.
2. Only have the puppy around dogs that YOU KNOW are current on vaccinations. They should have no contact with stray dogs or dogs that you are not sure of.
3. Do not let the puppy be exposed to any other puppies. These pups could be incubating the disease (and therefore be contagious) without showing signs of illness.

We recommend all Lab owners purchase a few good Lab books for reading and reference. The more you know about your lab, the easier it will be to understand his thinking and motivation in life.

Labs can get into destructive behaviors when they are bored, and unhappy. They need toys that are ok for them to chew on and rawhide chews at all times. They need these things their entire life, but especially in puppy hood.

Don't worry about any type of training other than
potty and crate training for the first 2 weeks of adjustment.

Allow your puppy to sleep in the home near a family member for the first 2 weeks (in his kennel/crate). Even if you plan for your lab to reside in the garage, please let it be in the home for the first 2 weeks of adjustment. Puppies feel abandoned and unloved if they are banned to an area alone during the transition and bonding time.

Do not expose him to a lot of people or take him to a lot of places (especially places other dogs frequent, like parks, lakes, etc.) until he has had all of his immunization shots, of which he will have only the first one when you get him. The best place for a young puppy until he is fully immunized is at home.

Until they're fully vaccinated (and until 2 weeks after the last one was given), they can pick up Parvo, and the other diseases that are out there.

The first 16 weeks of a puppy's life is IMPRINTING TIME. Anything that a puppy experiences with strong emotion (fear, happiness, terror, fun, love) he will remember, and be affected by the rest of his life.

Hip Dysplasia can be a double-edged sword.

The genetic component is only one side and cause of hip dysplasia in labs. Environmental Hip Dysplasia is another... that is probably responsible for more hip dysplasia than genetics. It is important for you to understand there are many factors and causes underlying environmental hip dysplasia...BECAUSE...with the exception of an accident that would damage your lab's hips... these are things that you have the power to control.

Labs should never ride in the back of a pickup truck, the jarring can damage the hips, joints, the jumping in and out can bring on hip dysplasia. A puppy falling down stairs or off a deck, jumping too much, being overworked, running too much and too hard, before the age of 18 months (which is the end of puppy hood - bones, joint and muscles are then fully formed), can all bring on environmental hip dysplasia in a lab that would have genetically perfect hips and joints. It may show up early in life when the environmental trauma takes place, or it could affect his hips in later life, when the worn joints start up with arthritis and hip dysplasia.

Lack of proper nutrition plays a big part in the development of hip dysplasia. He will need puppy formulated dog food with high levels of protein for the first 18 months.

We feed a high protein food. The puppy formula for the pups and the adult formulation after 18 months of age.

We recommend that you feed Purina Puppy Chow for the first week or two during adjustment time. If you would like to change your puppy to something else, please do it gradually adding a bit more of the new food into the Puppy Chow for about a week. Doing it gradually should avoid stomach and digestion upset.

Do not feed treats other than a few plain doggy biscuits at first. Any other treats will probably be too rich and cause diarrhea. Feed your 8-week-old puppy either one and a half cups of food 2 times a day, or one cup 3 times a day.

Puppies experience growth spurts every now and then, and need more food at those times. Increase the amount you feed (following instructions for amount on the dog food bag for age) and adjust to your individual puppy's needs.

Puppies need lots of fresh water available at all times. Puppies' bodies are comprised mainly of water, and can dehydrate very easily. Dehydration can do permanent kidney damage, or take the life of your puppy.

Puppies can only be worked, or trained for very short periods of time. Usually 10 minutes is the maximum attention span at first. They are babies.

Kennel train your puppy. This will speed the potty training and keep your lab safe. Never use a kennel for punishment (like time out). That will make him/her learn to hate the crate.

Kennel/Crate train your puppy from day 1. Your puppy needs its own little place within your home, which is his crate. Always carry your puppy out to its potty spot when removing from the crate. Praise lavishly after success. Do not scold for mistakes. Puppies are just like potty training toddlers.

Dogs learn by repetition, routine, consistency, and praise.

If your puppy is not having success...one of these components is likely missing from his lessons.

Leave the door to the crate open and accessible during the day when your puppy is out playing and in your sight. It will go in and nap at times during the day. You also can put it in for nap time and close the door.

Always crate your puppy whenever you cannot watch it. Never leave it out in the house alone when you leave (even for a short errand).

Provide a fenced yard and/or a nice sized outdoor kennel for your lab for daytime outdoor play. Do not put your lab (at any age) tethered on a rope, chain, or yard cord. The wrapping of the cord can be permanently damaging to their bodies. They belong in a fenced yard or in an outdoor kennel when outdoors at home, where they can move about freely in their safe environment.

Some people like the underground electric fences; however, I have read that many determined labs will take the jolt (which they are smart enough to realize will only last a second) for freedom.

Labs are so trusting and people-oriented that they have blind faith and trust in humans, and think, "They will never run me over with the car." Sadly enough, many Lab owners have run over their own labs, thinking their lab knows better than to go in front of the vehicle while it is moving.

PUPPY PROOF YOUR HOUSE

Put all cleaning supplies, soaps, poisons etc. up high. Make sure there are no electrical cords exposed and accessible for chewing. Position electrical cords so that your lab cannot access them for chewing. Many labs have died from chewing electrical cords. Analyze your lab's surroundings both in and outside the home for choking hazards.

Remember one last thing: "Think of your puppy as a toddler." Common sense tells you, that if you cannot keep your eye on him every second, put him in his kennel where you know he is safe.

We hope your Foothills Ranch puppy will bring you many years of happiness.