New Lab Pup Next Week! Couple ?'s

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12guns
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New Lab Pup Next Week! Couple ?'s

Post by 12guns » Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:27 am

Hello agian. I searched and found some good info, but had a couple specific questions. I'm picking up my pup next weekend! I know it's very important for the puppy to be a puppy. I don't want him to loose the interest in hunting/working ducks.

1. Should I go ahead and buy a large crate now, or crate train him w/ a smaller crate?

2. If the dog wants to "play" is it ok to play fetch (tennis ball) w/ no boundries/disipline at an early age? Will I form bad habbits?

3. My kennel is telling me to feed nothing but puppy chow for the first year, I've seen one of his pups and man she has a pretty coat. What to do?

4. Any suggestions on the first few nights in the crate? I know not to give him what he wants when he's whineing, but thought there might be a trick that will help.

Thanks for all the help! I'll have plenty of questions in the future. Just wanting to handle the critical "puppy" stages right.

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Calisdad
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Re: New Lab Pup Next Week! Couple ?'s

Post by Calisdad » Wed Nov 25, 2009 10:01 am

Congrats and Enjoy you new pup!

I would get the size crate you expect him to grow into. I buy lots of those mexican blankets and use them to keep my dogs comfortable and the furniture clean.

Play, play, play- but I quit using tennis balls years ago as they get obsessed with them and can't find the off switch. Get him a stuffed duck with a squeeker and some rawhide chew toys big enough that he won't swallow them.

Your going to get lots of feedback on food. I've been using Natural balance with a fish oil cap as a supplement and my 10 mo pups coat is fantastic. Thinking to changing to Orijen tho.

He's going to have to go out frequently at first. Get up and show him where you want him to do his business a couple of time a night. It won't be long until he lets you know he has to go out.

just my $.02- Enjoy !

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naperdog
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Re: New Lab Pup Next Week! Couple ?'s

Post by naperdog » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:56 am

I bought a cage that has a moveable divider and as my pup grew i just kept moving the divider further back. I would be careful with blankets, towels, etc..., if your new lab likes to chew as much as mine these items can be dangerours. i accidetently left a towel sitting on top of Kona's cage once and it was torn to pieces when i got home. He was crapping towel out for a week and we are very lucky nothing got caught inside him requiring surgery.

Unfortunately I can't really help you out with the rest, I can tell you what I did, but don't know if it is right or wrong. I also don't know how to treat a dog in its first few nights. We brought home a 4 mons old pup who never made a sound at night.

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naperdog
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Re: New Lab Pup Next Week! Couple ?'s

Post by naperdog » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:58 am

forgot to say:

Congrat's on the new pup and good luck! I miss the excitement of waiting for a new dog to come home!

12guns
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Re: New Lab Pup Next Week! Couple ?'s

Post by 12guns » Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:02 pm

I'll probably get a large plastic kennel if you guys think it's big enough for a full grown male Lab. If not I'll get one of the wire fold up kennel's that is bigger for house use.
let me know more opinions about playing fetch and puppy food, Thanks

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Sharon
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Re: New Lab Pup Next Week! Couple ?'s

Post by Sharon » Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:14 pm

A full size crate with a divider is the best. Must use a divider or pup will use half the crate as an outhouse. he should be able to fully stand and turn around but that's all.

I feed adult food to my new pups as the nutritional content is almost the same but you get a lot more for your money.

I've always played fetch. Never seemed to hurt retrieving birds later.

Remember pup is a baby. Don't punish pup for peeing etc. in the crate. It just means you left him in too long.I don't believe in withholding water. A pup can get dehydrated easily jmo.

For a couple nights pup will cry when crated overnight. I take the "tough" approach. I crate him as far away from me as possible so i can sleep. I get up every 4 + hours to take him out to pee. In a couple nights he's fine.

Don't be walking him up the street and letting him sniff other dog's pee/poo. Good way to get parvo. Definately walk pup/or go to the woods but no sniffing crap and no drinking from puddles/ponds etc. ( Giardia)

Enjoy . They grow up very fast. :)
" We are more than our gender, skin color, class, sexuality or age; we are unlimited potential, and can not be defined by one label." quote A. Bartlett

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