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Well, none of ours get rawhides, but our vet told us dogs can chew them but when they shrivle up into like a small string type thing, to throw them away, I am not too sure, it makes our dogs sick anyway, well the smaller ones get sick, I've never gave them to Jasper.
Well I really don't think I can respond anymore to this.. I know your heart is in the right place but I simply don't think you are ready for the responsibility... not that you aren't willing, I just think you need to research more about THE dog and you and your family's commitment. This isn't a trial and this pup is not a goldfish. It's the pups life, from now on.
Why don't you think I'm ready for the responsibility??
Does anyone else think I'm not ready for the responsibility?:confused: I think I am. Could you give me reasons as to why you don't think I am?
We never got the puppy today. We were going to, but they were getting home too late so we had to go home. I was disappointed!!
Can I get any more opinions on rawhides? I know there are alot of kinds out there.
lbaker: I understand you don't think I'm ready for the dog, I just don't know why. You could comment on the rawhides, if not for me, then for the sake of the puppy. I'm sorry you feel this way but I don't understand :(
I am on lbakers side here.
How long have you been researching the Labrador Retriever? If you haven't been researching Labs for about a month or so, I guarantee you, you don't know that much about the breed. How much do you know about them?
You need to be EXTREMELY careful about where you get Labradors from, thanks to over-breeding they are prone to gazillions of health problems such as obesity, hip dysplasia, etc. If you go through a breeder, you have to make 100% sure the breeder is reputable, breeding to improve the breed, not to make money. You also need to make sure the parents of the puppies are CERF/OFA certified with a good grade- that is critical if you are getting a Lab from a breeder. You also have to check and see if the Labs are being bred more for hunting, show, or house pet. Their attitudes can vary based on what they are bred for.
Labradors require a HUGE amount of attention along with exercise- but you have to be careful if you over exercise a Lab it will increase their chance of joint/hip problems. If you cannot give a Labrador the attention it craves, you are going to be in deep trouble, they will develop bad manners to seek attention. They will turn destructive and destroy as much as possible. If you cannot give the Labrador the hour to hour and a half exercise they need, your Lab will get fat, fast- Labbies are known to become fat fast with improper diet and lack of exercise. Lab puppies LOVE to chew- that's all they do- chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew chew. Labrador Retrievers don't fully mature until they are about 3 or 4 years old, so you will be dealing with a "puppy" for quite sometime. Also, you cannot keep a Labrador housed outside year round either, they CRAVE human attention and will essentially die inside if they are housed away from their humans- it's torture for Labradors.
If you are still in school, there is no way you have enough time to give a Labrador puppy- it's impossible. If you got a puppy during summer vacation, that would be different because you most likely would be home to give it the proper attention, potty train it, leash train it, and start with basic commands/training.
As of right now, I do not think you are ready for the challenge a Labrador will bring upon you and your family.
$0.10
I agree that it doesn't seem too healthy to get a puppy that was dropped off at someones house....
Anyway...
I don't know if this is any help, but here is everything I knew about boxers and owning them before I got Jasper, hopefully you will know everything here about labs.(Also I researched for about a year and a half)
I knew.....
-Their temperment
-Their personality
-Their exercise needs
-Their cost(vet, food, neutering..etc) per month
-Their possible health conditions/things they are prone to
-How big they get
-Best food for them(boxers will not "tolerate" much corn in their food)
-All about socializing
-About crate training
-Knew about GOOD dog food
-And talked to tons of boxer owners about how raising a boxer is and for advice.
AND I also searched alot to make sure I got him from a very responsible breeder, and asked her tons of questions about her experience and about his parents, and he even came from a different province, but it seemed she was most responsible.
Just some tips, hope you know most of that ;)
Well, I have been researching all dogs my whole life, but if you want a number of days for a Lab, maybe, 20? I don't really know, but I do know alot about them, even if you guys don't think I do :(
I know they get fat easily(as you stated) and I know they crave attention, I know they can be hunting, pets, show and stuff. I know they can be anywhere from 50-100 punds. I know they need lots of excercise and all that as well. I know they are prone to hip displasia.
In case you missed it, the dog isn't from a breeder. The puppies were abandoned at a person's house. They are going to the SPCA if nobody takes them (and the chances look good for going the the SPCA) So getting one from their is like getting one from the SPCA, saving a life. And that's what I originally planned to do.
I know you all think the dog wouldn't get enough attention, but believe me, it will for the first few weeks. (from everyone) and then after that it will be summer so I can be with it all the time. And it wouldn't be home alone outside in the fall, my dad would be taking it to the farm.
I don't know how many times I wrote this but the Lab won't be outside all the time!
I hope that clears it up, and even if you still don't think I am ready for a Lab, can we not hold grudges?
:confused:
:rolleyes: My old black lab was just like that at first because my parents got him for me when I was way too young, about 8 or so, AND they also got him from just some Add, picked him out in someones garage and he had epilepsy(sp?)Quote:
Originally posted by YellowLabLover
If you cannot give a Labrador the attention it craves, you are going to be in deep trouble, they will develop bad manners to seek attention. They will turn destructive and destroy as much as possible.
But as I got older(but so did he), I got him walking good on a leash, he knew alot of tricks..etc, but him and I would have been alot happier if they waited until I could have taught him all that right away.
This has nothing to do with MariaM lol because well they arent 8 :p but I was just agreeing to how they can get without enough attention, not saying it won't be getting it..
I wasn't saying you didn't know alot about them, thats why I made the list ;) you probably know alot of whats on the list and could probably research what you don't.
Also I know you say the dog won't be outside all the time, but I'd just like to ask a couple questions, to test you :p ;)
-Where would the puppy sleep?
-All day(everyday) out of 12 hours how many would be spent inside, and where inside?
That's one of the best things you can do, is ask other owners about their dogs!! :DQuote:
Originally posted by DogLover9501
I agree that it doesn't seem too healthy to get a puppy that was dropped off at someones house....
-And talked to tons of boxer owners about how raising a boxer is and for advice.
I agree that it doesn't seem too healthy to get a puppy that was dropped off at someones house too. (The puppies could be loaded with parasites and worms- it is very possible, especially if they have been dumped off at someones house...)
MariaM, if you are going to get a Labrador you need to get it from either a reputable breeder, the humane society, or a Labrador Rescue. Humane Societies and Labrador Rescues assess the Lab's temperament, it's health problems, it's likes/dislikes, if it's good/bad with cats, if its good/bad with other dogs, if it's good/bad with kids, if it's good/bad with other animals, it's bad behaviors, etc If you take a Lab puppy that was dropped off at someone's house you'd really have no clue about any of these factors until it's too late. Right now the puppy may be really laid back and relaxed- well, that could be from all the stress it's under- and later on as it gets older it will become extremely hyper and rambunctious- would you be prepared for that!?
When someone wants to get a Labrador they have to be extremely careful where they get one from, I cannot stress that enough. Yes, I know everyone here supports going to the pound over a breeder, I do myself, but when it comes to Labs you ideally want to get one from a good breeder. All thanks to the health problems they are prone to due to bad over-breeding/backyard breeders. If you go to a breeder, you can look at the parents and get an idea what kind of pup your puppy will grow up to be. If the parents are certified with OFA/CERF and they have a good grade, that's pretty much perfect, because then you don't have to worry as much about hip and eye problems in the Lab. We have a family friend who has a yellow lab named Winston. They got Winston from their neighbor across the street, if I remember correctly, or one of their relatives, I can't remember which. Winston has to go to UW-Madison every year and have $3,000 surgery on his hips.
Instead of these puppies going to the SPCA, are their any Labrador Rescues in your area that could take them!?
I understand that you def. mean good, but in the long run you may be hurting the puppy.
I agree and disagree with the getting puppies that were dropped off issue. I'd ask if it was ok to have a vet check the dog before making a commitment.
Harley was a stray from a shelter and I have no idea where he came from. It is true that the shelter checked him out before we adopted him, so if you take the puppy to the vet and they find out it has worms or something, then you can make your decision from that. Yes, you may be paying for services for a dog that isn't yours, but it's better than making a commitment and finding out you have to pay a lot more. Not to mention the heartache if the dog does have something serious and doesn't survive.
My cousin's got a puppy that seemed perfectly healthy, but came with no health guarantee. The poor little guy stopped eating and they found out he had Parvo. The little guy didn't make it, which is terrible enough, but my cousins had to deal with watching a puppy die. (a little side note-their mom had recently died and their dad got them the puppy to cheer them up.) To make matter worse, they couldn’t even get their money back because there was no health guarantee (even though the money wasn’t the issue). Maria, your heart is in the right place, but don't put yourself and the puppy in a bad situation.
Excuse me, but what is up with saying it's not good idea to get a dog that was dumped at someones house.
I'm sure many members here have dogs with an unknown pasts.
Anna_66's Honey was dumped at someone's house and she took her in. Was that a bad idea?
It's not like Maria is not having the puppy taken to the vet. I'm sure she's doing plenty of research. She's asking US questions, isn't she?
I didn't do a lick of research before adopting Kia. I just walked in one day and got her. Sure it's not the best way to get a dog, but I do know that animals are commitments.
Maria, I look forward to pictures and stories if you get the puppy. :)
And I do let Kia have rawhides. But she is a 5 year old dog and I got her when she was 3. I'm not sure if puppies should have rawhides.
ramanth- I agree with you. Some of the best things in life are unplanned and un-researched. I did no research when I got Harley. I have been a dog owner my entire life and have had purebreds and mix breeds, so I felt confident that I knew enough to take care of Harley. But if you read what I wrote above, things can get bad really fast. I'm not suggesting Maria not get the puppy, just have it vet checked before she is committed. When someone adopts a dog from a shelter certain tests are performed. For all Maria knows this pup has Parvo, heartworm, etc. I just hate to see her family go through what my cousins had to. It was truly heartbreaking and terrible.
She did say they were taking it to the vet the same day they are picking it up.
I'm sure if the vet discovers something wrong, they can then make the choice to keep the dog or not. :)
I know my heart raced the day I took Zam and Logan to the vet for the first time, not knowing if they were sick... thankfully they were not. :)
Maria I just wanted to say good luck and hope that you can get the puppy. I hope that everything works out with the puppy:)
I really do not see anything wrong with getting a dog that has been dropped off at someone's house or your own.
My parents had a couple different dogs that had been dropped off. We had a Terrier mix that was dropped off at my aunt's house. We took him to the vet's and everything and he turned out to be a great little dog. He was so friendly with everyone had the sweetest nature. He lived with us for about 4 years until one day unforuntely he was ran over:( My parents didn't have a fenced yard at the time. We are not sure why he went to the road that day since he never had before.
We also had a Bluetick hound that turned out to be a great dog. I remember when she first came to her house she was afraid of everyone. She would run if she seen you. Finally one day she finally let us pet her. She never did trust us complety though. She lived with us for 7 years or so then she passed away. She was a older dog when she showed up at our house. So we are not sure how old she was when she went to the RB.
I've had all kinds of stray cats come to my house some have been rehomed. I have one that we decided to keep Little Kitty. She is just now getting use to us. She is great little girl.
So I really do not see anything wrong with taken a dog in that someone decided they wanted to drop off.
My grandma and grandpa that has a farm has two dogs that were dropped off at there place. And they decided to keep them both. One is a cocker spaniel named Cody and a Lab mix named Sunny. And they have both been very great dogs.
Thank you everyone. We got the puppy yesterday and named him Shadow.
We took him to the vet and he had fleas so she gave him some stuff. I think it's cleared up though now (she said it would be by today)
Also they gave him a pill for worms and are gonna give him one more next month just in case.
They gave him his first shots (most likely) yesterday and he can't go for walks or meet other dogs just because they said the first one didnt' do much.
Also we can't wash/brush him till Friday because of the flea stuff.
Other than that he is quite good.
Any suggestions on yapping?
He is on a cable (simply because we don't want him to run away) and because we haven't completely fixed up the fence yet. It is pretty good but there are some parts where he could get out (that we have to fix)
Everytime he can't reach us though he starts barking and I say "SHUSH!" and if he doesn't stop then I go over and say it again and hit him on the nose (not hard enough to hurt him or anything)
By then he stops but 2 minutes later he is barking again. Will he grow out of it? Or is there anything else I can do?
I know some people don't agree that I got the dog, but I'm glad a few people don't see it as a crime.:cool:
Oh and another thing about the worms. The vet said that they should be gone after he has his next pill.
Maybe he's barking for attention? If that's the case then going over him, even if you give him a little bump on the nose, will be giving him attention, so that might be why he's barking again. Maybe you could try runing around with him to tire him out. Try to focus his attention elsewhere. And then when he barks just ignore him, so he knows that barking won't get your attention.Quote:
Originally posted by MariaM
Everytime he can't reach us though he starts barking and I say "SHUSH!" and if he doesn't stop then I go over and say it again and hit him on the nose (not hard enough to hurt him or anything)
By then he stops but 2 minutes later he is barking again. Will he grow out of it? Or is there anything else I can do?
Or you could train him to do something else to get your attention, like go up to you and sit. It's probably hard now, since he has to be on a cable, but when you get the fence fixed he should be able to do it. Tell him to sit and give him attention and love and biscuits when he does and he'll get the idea, and come sit by you when he wants attention. ^_^
And congrats on your new pup!!!
Maybe, but I hope not, because then he'd be barking forever. I will go over there, pet him for 20 minutes, get up and he starts barking. Hopefully once the fence is fixed he can run laps and get all his energy out (I took him off the cable to untangle it and he started running, I was afraid he would get out!!)Quote:
Maybe he's barking for attention?
I don't yell at him if he's barking at the snow or anything just if he is whining. I wasn't sure if the ignoring approach would work (we tried that yesterday and it didn't really) or the command. We tried that today, it worked for a while, but then he just started yapping again.
I spent alot of time with him today so I hope attention isn't the problem.
Congrautulations on your new puppy! Its just going to take some time to teach Shadow the things he needs to learn. The key is just be patient, and keep learning.
Willie:)
Thank you and thank you lol. :rolleyes: He's being rather yappy at the moment. I'm just not sure the approach though to get him to stop. Ignore? Yell? YELL? See, if I am too mean too him, (yelling and stuff) he gets really afraid of me and I don't want that. But I want him to learn and I'm just not sure of the right approach.
Congratulations on the new puppy! Make sure to post tons of pics. Both Harley and Sylvia bark a lot. We are trying to correct it with a spray bottle full of water. It works really well on Harley; he has improved a lot. It works on Syl too, but not as well as it does on Harley.
Ok, I might try the spray bottle idea. I'll let you know how it works. I will try to get some pictures for you all! He really is the most cutest. The vet said he looked like a purebred lab except he has some white on him and she said they don't have that. Sometimes I get really frustrated with him but I know not to give up and keep trying!
Congrats on the new puppy, also :eek: Shadow was my black labs name!! Im glad you took him to the vet and stuff, And my Shadow NEVER grew out of barking, he didn't bark in the house(where he spent most of his time) and he didn't bark much outside, he had a full cable line right across the back yard, he would only bark constantly if the neighbors were outside or if we were outside and not in his reach.
Does he sleep outside?
Your going to have to have a new sig now!! You just be patient with Shadow, if this is your first dog, your going to love it! Your adventure begins, your learning and Shadow is learning. Who knows maybe you will learn from each other.
My chihuahua, Buffy, still hasn't learned to quit barking. Sometimes I think she barks if she see a bug fly by! But I love her just the same, and I know she loves me back. She sleeps with me of a night, and knows when I say, Buffy its bedtime. She is ready. For that matter so is Grover, and she's a cat. So I have one on each side of me sleeping with me, a dog on one side and a cat on the other.
Let me tell you, when I got Grover, I had never raised a cat that age before, it was scarey! But, hey I got through it! So will you. Don't give up, and don't get discouraged. It takes time! So good luck with shadow, and to all the love you are going to receive from Shadow!
Willie:)
Well, I have always liked Shadow ever since I saw Homeward Bound (I cried in the first movie every time I saw it when Shadow fell down in the pit near the end)
Last night he slept outside because of the fleas and stuff. We put him in a box with a blanket in the garage. He got out:rolleyes: but was still in the garage.
I think we are getting him an insulated dog house.
To sleep in?Quote:
Originally posted by MariaM
I think we are getting him an insulated dog house.
trayi52: Sorry, I replied to the other post but you must have replied before me, I never saw yours lol.
And yes, you are right, I will have to have a new sig! I just have to take some pictures first :D
And yes, Shadow is my first dog, my first pet, ever.
Well, I know I will get discouraged, but I won't give up. I know it will take a lot of time but he is so cute you can't help but not love him. I can't wait till he is a bit better behaved, but until then, I have my whole schedule planned out lol.:p :p
Yes, to sleep in.
I thought he was going to sleep in the basement/kitchen?? I don't think it's a good idea to keep him outside all night, insulated dog house's may be warm, not always, but thats besides the point, he'd also rather be inside in more warmth and with his human pack, none of our dogs have ever slept outside.
Well, I am trying to convince my mom and dad to let him sleep inside. I don't know though:( If it gets too cold though, he'll definately be inside.
I want him to sleep inside but I just don't think they will let me. I know its disappointing to you all, it also is to me.
You can get him a dog crate to sleep in (then he can't get out! :)). Maybe one of the airline types would be better, since all the stories of dogs getting injured with metal ones.Quote:
Originally posted by MariaM
We put him in a box with a blanket in the garage. He got out:rolleyes: but was still in the garage.
here's a good plastic crate - it might seem expensive, but if you get it big enough for him as an adult it'll last his whole life.
oOo I like those crates lol, how big do you think I'd need for Jasper? Medium or large?? He's not getting much bigger, right now he is about 22 inches at the shoulders and weighs about 45 pounds...But maybe he will get bigger because hes only 7 months old and I think boxers grow and grow until like 18 months?? Or maybe all dogs do lol
Forgot to add, I have a HUGE(WAYYYYYYY too big) wire crate that Im going to sell, my uncle is going to buy it off for me $60 which is what I payed for it(second hand) and it has zip locks on it so the wire cannot seperate and everything, but it was way too big for my room and way too big for Jasper anyway, and I think the plastic type ones aren't as bulky, he really needs one, as hes getting the habbit of sleeping with me in bed, and as he gets bigger...that gets harder, I only have a single bed :eek:
Hmmm, maybe so. I suppose that is all in american dollars:rolleyes: I have some american money, enough probably, that I have been saving. Which one do you think would be best? He is 15 pounds as of almost 3 months, labrador cross. I have to go rake leaves though lol
Wow was he the one in the picture that your mom was holding?? He looked bigger than 15 pounds! Jasper was about 20 pounds at 3 months.
Yeah, that was the one my mom was holding. Here are some pictures. (they aren't very good, he didn't really want to stay still and I don't think he's gonna be very photogenic. :Phttp://img47.photobucket.com/albums/...p/PDR_1046.jpg
http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/...p/PDR_1047.jpg
http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/...p/PDR_1048.jpg
http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/...p/PDR_1049.jpg
http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/...p/PDR_1051.jpg
Sarah and Shadow.
http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/...p/PDR_1052.jpg
Shadow is so adorable! Congrats on your new addition!!
Thank you...:confused:
Shadow is Beautiful!!!!!!!!
Take Good Care of him!!!!!
Keep Him Warm,Healthy & Happy!!!!!
Look at That gorgeous Face of His!!!!!!
He is Just GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!
What a Wonderful Dog You Have There!!!!!!
Give Him A Big Warm,Hug for Us!!!!!!