Welcome to The Labrador Club

At Home with Your Puppy

New Home for Your Puppy

The day you collect your puppy from his breeder is an exciting one for you, but for your puppy, it is an anxious time. He is facing a strange new life without the comforting presence of his mother, and the fun and company of his brothers and sisters. The establishment of the bond between dog and owner rests upon the measure of your reassurance to him and will also have a profound influence upon his future psychological wellbeing. Your puppy is like a human baby in that he is growing fast. He therefore needs plenty of sleep, recognition that he has little control over his bodily functions, and during his wakeful hours, he needs companionship.

A Place of his Own

The bone growth and the development of young puppies is rapid and they should not be roughly handled or picked up and cuddled too often, particularly by young children. Puppies need a place which they can regard as their own. This will become his refuge when he is tired or when he wishes to escape from unwanted attention. His desire for peace and quiet should be respected. A cardboard box with a piece of blanket is quite adequate to begin with. A playpen, (not to be confused with a cage) becomes a comfortable den where a puppy can be confined and secure but still be part of a household. Because they are easily transportable, this gives owners the options of taking their puppies outside their home environment to visit friends, vets etc. Playpens are a wonderful tool to assist with toilet training. An owner too sometimes needs peace and quiet and an over-excited, cheeky puppy should be put firmly to bed until he has calmed down.

In the intervals between sleep be prepared for plenty of action. It is a good idea for your puppy to have some toys of his own; something to chew on and something to shake and play with. Anticipate his mischievous ways by taking care that your best leather gloves, shoes, socks, etc are not left within his reach. 

Settling Down

Your puppy may well cry for the first few nights in his new home, so, when you are ready to put him to bed, make sure he has had some play time and that he has relieved himself. Be matter of fact about it, don’t fuss, fussing will worry him. Make sure he is comfortable and don’t put him into an area that is strange to him. Place him in his playpen or crate with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and a familiar toy. If all else fails, bring him into your own bedroom and then family and puppy should be able to sleep peacefully. Start again the next night with the puppy where you want him to sleep. After a few nights he will settle to this routine.

Try to establish a routine for your puppy so that he knows, within reason, what to expect each day. His clock is mainly his stomach so regular meals are important and are excellent times to commence simple manners training. Prepare the puppy’s food and then place the dish in front of him saying, “Wait”. He will wriggle but be firm and, when he is still and calm, praise him and reward him with his meal. Within a few days you will be able to put the dish down without restraining your puppy and, apart from this being a lesson well learnt, it has the added advantage of avoiding the food being knocked from your hand in the puppy’s rush to eat. Further simple training in sitting, lead walking, etc. can be commenced but should not be overdone or too lengthy and should always finish with a lesson the puppy will do so well that the all-important pat or stroke and praise concludes the session. 

Feeding

Make sure you have stocked up on the food recommended by the breeder before the big day. A sudden change of diet can lead to an upset stomach so any changes of diet must be made gradually.

This is one of the highlights of your Labrador’s day. This could be one of the responsibilities of a child. It is also a very good time to teach your dog manners, with which the child can help. You can teach your Labrador to sit in front of a full bowl and only to eat when you say OK. Teach children not to disturb a dog while he is eating a meal. Make sure the cat’s food is not accessible to the puppy. 

Your breeder will have given you instructions on feeding your puppy and be available for future advice if you are puzzled or worried in any way. Every dog has different needs so be alert to the appearance of your puppy and avoid extremes of weight. 

Puppies are very often born with roundworms; good breeders are aware of this and will worm fortnightly from about two weeks of age. Continue this regime until about six months. Some flea preparations treat for roundworms as well (but not tapeworm). Check with your vet for the best products. Worming is particularly important if you have children

Toilet Training

Your number one priority will, almost certainly, be house training. Here, as in all your dealings with your puppy, patience and alertness are the keys to success. Puppies given the run of the house, or a large area, are more difficult to train. Puppies urinate frequently, especially soon after waking and after meals. They will also have three or four bowel motions per day. Be alert for the key times and keep a watchful eye for sniffing or circling which probably means they need to toilet. When the puppy wakes from a nap take him straight to the grass area you wish him to use. Wait quietly until he has finished. Then praise him lavishly. His first few nights are best spent in a cardboard box beside your bed. When he disturbs, take him out and wait for him to toilet. Any further disturbances in the next few hours can usually be settled by reassuring words or a little pat. After a few nights he should be able to sleep in his playpen with hopefully only one or two necessary trips to the garden. He will naturally want to keep his sleeping area clean so long as someone responds when he indicates the need to go out. Most puppies sleep through the night after the first week or two. 

 As the puppy grows, the frequency of bladder and bowel movements decreases. Toilet training will take a little time, but it is a dog’s natural instinct to be clean and, once your puppy realises what is expected, he will soon learn to exercise control over himself.

Handling

Children must be taught how to handle dogs. It is not enough to tell them what not to do. They must be shown which parts of the dog’s body can be touched and how to gently pet them. Unless children are strong enough and know how to carry a puppy, do not let them carry a puppy around. It is a good idea especially when you have a puppy, to get it used to having its ears felt and tail touched. Your child can help gently massage the dog’s paws and look at its ears. Do this daily with a pup and once a week with an older dog. If your dog does not allow you to touch it without playing up, seek advice from your vet.

Training

Dogs do not understand if a behaviour is expected sometimes; it is either always or never. This is a rule that the parents need to make very clear to the children, because life can be very confusing for the dog if different rules exist for different times or days of the week. For instance, do not let the children share their old toys with the dog. A dog cannot distinguish between old and new and might one day take the new toy. The dog should have its own toys, that are not like the children’s toys, and be encouraged to play with those. Put all the dog toys in a box which is easily accessible for the dog. If everybody in the family sticks to the same rules for the dog, it will learn very quickly. If not, he will have a very hard time making sense of his new pack. Decide before the dog comes home what commands you want to teach, and which words will be used, so everybody uses the same words!

Go to the library with the children and find dog-training books with lots of photos so your child can become involved in helping with training.

If your puppy is not doing what you want it to do, it means that it does not understand your command and he needs more training, with lots of praise for the right response.

Exercise and Socialisation

There is no need to give a young puppy prolonged exercise, but it is important that he is socialized in the period between six and 14 weeks. What he experiences during this time will stay with him forever. There are some excellent preschool classes, your local veterinarian will know of any in your area. Although you must be very careful to not introduce your puppy into a high-risk health area, it is possible to socialize him in a safe way. Visit friends who have fenced sections and a good-natured dog of their own. Have friends with children come to visit. Sit in a main street with him on your knee and watch the traffic going by. Let sensible strangers stroke him as you sit there. Where possible, a short on-lead walk at the beach, using the low tide zone is a relatively safe and valuable experience. There is no situation that is without risk. (You can bring a virus back from the shops on your shoes) But by being sensible, you can utilize low risk areas to socialize your puppy. High risk areas are public parks and areas where other dogs can roam free. At this age, playing at home is all the exercise he needs; socialization is far more important. The single biggest reason for death in dogs under 12 months is inappropriate behaviour, and THIS is avoidable. You can take the children when the dog needs to go to the vet. Make a list of the questions the children have asked you about the dog that you have not been able to answer. A good vet will be more than happy to answer your children’s questions.

Risks can be minimized by vaccinations. Currently pups are vaccinated against Parvo virus, hepatitis, distemper, kennel cough and leptospirosis but check with your veterinarian as to when they are to be given, considering vaccines that he may have had with the breeder.

General care

Hygiene

Your puppy will begin to lose his milk teeth at about four month of age and may experience some discomfort. Make sure he has a hard bone to chew occasionally and include some hard biscuits in his diet. These not only relieve the discomfort but also aid in loosening the teeth. The puppy’s toenails should be checked and, if necessary, trimmed with nail scissors at first. There are special tools available for this purpose should this continue to be necessary as he grows older. Once the puppy can be road walked, the nails should wear down of their own accord and this has the added benefit of helping to form the neat cat-like foot which is correct for a Labrador.

A daily brush will stimulate your puppy’s skin and, apart from the fact that this is enjoyed, it will remove loose hair and keep the puppy clean and free from dust. Most Labradors seem to love water and a swim in a river, or the sea is greatly enjoyed. However, when it comes to a bath, the water is not so popular. A bath is advisable occasionally to keep your dog clean and pleasant to live with. Getting used to being bathed is another important socialization experience. Make sure he is dried off well and kept warm until completely dry. Brushing and bathing helps to be alert for signs of fleas, ticks, or other parasites.

Your Reward

Owning a dog of any breed requires a daily commitment on the part of the owner. Dogs relate to people and need company and attention daily from their owners, but the reward is the unique bond which develops between them. Labradors have an immense capacity for loyalty and their willingness to please and their happy dispositions make them the best and most faithful of companions. It has been said many times, once a Labrador owner, always a Labrador owner.

The basic principles suggested on these pages are meant as a guide to new owners and should help form the base on which to build future enjoyment of the companionship of your Labrador. It is hoped that this companionship will be long and happy, and that its inevitable conclusion will be peaceful.