Are all Labrador retrievers hyper?

Labs can be quite hyper and bouncy dogs. They’re often thrilled to find someone who will throw a ball for them so they can retrieve it over and over again. There are many labs that are hyper and absolutely need a lot of exercise. They usually come from hunting lines where they’re bred to be able to go all day without wearing out. If you prefer not to have a dog with life-long puppy energy, these are not the dog for you. If you run several miles a day for your own health and enjoyment, one of these dogs could be your ideal running partner.
Show type Labs on the other hand, can mature into real couch potatoes. They’re bred to be calmer, less needy of daily runs and can actually be very content as house pets. It is the more calm type of labs that I have and breed. I’m too old to be trying to keep up to a hyper dog. Mine can certainly enjoy a good run and love to play fetch, yet if they don’t get to do it every day they’re quite content to lay at my feet and follow me from room to room in the house instead.
Knowing up front what type you want and the energy level you can enjoy living with is a major factor in the selection process. Labs are wonderful dogs, but you do need to consider their energy level to get one that best suits you. A high energy dog in a low energy setting will quickly become noisy and destructive through their frustration. It is as predictable as if you were asking an active toddler to sit still all day and not act out. Neither of you would be happy with the results.
So do your homework and observe the parents… ask questions before you buy and be honest with yourself if you’re not going to provide the opportunity for the exercise they might need.

Why do some poodles have such funny “fru fru” haircuts?

Because most of us only see standard poodles in a dog show on TV or at the end of a leash in an old movie, we’ve developed a faulty perception of poodles. I’ve heard of many men who refuse to have a poodle because they’re viewed as a feminine dog; when in truth, they’re wonderful water hunting dogs. Can’t get much more manly than that!
The “fru fru” haircut, began when hunters wanted to remove some of the heavy coat from their dogs so that when wet, they weren’t so weighted down. The hair trimmed from the torso helped them not to hold as much water and to be more streamlined swimmers. The hair was left in places where the dog needed more protection and warmth. So the chest and back, brain, and joints of the legs were usually left untrimmed. The tuft on the end of the tail was left so that a ribbon was tied to it to be able to identify individual dogs when they came together for hunting events. With a raised tail, the ribbons were easy to spot so you could see which dog in a sea of poodles was your own even from a distance.
Since poodles have very little if any doggy odor, even when they get wet they’re more pleasant to be around than breeds that smell like a “wet dog.” Because their mature coats are wooley, poodles can shake themselves fairly dry and remain quite warm even when fresh out of the water. In Europe, Poodles are quite widely used as the hunting dogs they were bred to be. They make wonderful pets, but that’s not what they were bred for and not how they got their hair cut style.

How long is a dogs heat cycle?

Dams (female dogs) are in season (heat) for 3 weeks, but are usually receptive only during the 2nd week. Because there are individual variations, she must be kept confined from male dogs for the full 3 weeks unless you’re planning to have her bred.
Dogs generally have 2 “seasons” per year. If you want a litter, they’re usually bred on the 9th, 11th, and 13th days of their season. There are no reliable early tests for pregnancy in dogs, so it’s a wait and see situation. You may see no outward signs for the first 5 weeks.
Some dogs are very obvious about being in heat and leave small blood spots behind when they’ve been sitting. Others hide it very well and if you’re not watching closely for it, you might miss it altogether. Male dogs however WILL KNOW. So if you’re not planning to have pups, you can save your dog from risk to gender specific cancers and accidental litters while making her an easier dog to have around by spaying her at 6 months of age.

How long is the Dog Gestation period?

Once bred: The average gestation period is 63 days. Some will deliver healthy pups a few days early, some will deliver a couple days late… but if she goes past the 65th day, you need to have a vet examine the dam to see if there is a problem. Days are counted from the first hook-up with a stud.
1st week
2 cell embryos are in the oviduct.
2nd week
Embryo will be 4 cell at start of week and 64 cell by end of week.
Embryo enters the uterus.
3rd week
Embryos implant along uterus wall.
The main organs begin to develop.
Morning sickness may occur.
4th week
Morning sickness should improve and appetite increase.
The dam may need twice the usual amount of nutrition from this point on.
Development of eyes and spinal cord and faces take shape.
Moms may begin to shed some belly fur and crave more attention than usual.
5th week
Vet may be able to detect pregnancy (85% accuracy) by feeling the abdomen.
You may be able to feel the little puppy heads
Development of toes, whisker buds, and claws.
Eyes now close and gender can be determined.
The puppies are now considered fully developed miniature dogs.
She may be showing… She may gain a little weight particularly if she is going to birth more than 1-2 puppies..
6th week
You may need to feed small meals several times a day.
We feed puppy food through the end of lactation (nursing) and have it available full time.
Increased water consumption.
Enlargement of mammary glands as nipples darken and enlarge. Diagnosis by x-rays is usually possible after 45 days (95% accuracy for determining the number of puppies).
7th week
She may shred papers, blankets or bedding in an attempt at “nest building” in the last weeks.
During the last 2 weeks, Mom may become irritable and should avoid contact with small children “just in case”.
Neither forced rest nor strenuous exercise is a good idea. Short periods of gentle play and short walks are good.
You may feel the puppies now but counting them may be difficult.
You may feel only a very big, hard stomach that gives few clues as to how many are inside.
There should be definite abdominal enlargement.
8th week
Dam begins to spend more time grooming herself.
Her breasts become swollen as her milk forms. She may leak milk as early as 9 days prior to delivery.
Nesting begins as she looks for a place to have her puppies… Make sure you have her birthing spot ready and start getting her comfortable with it.
Appetite may decrease as her belly can be too crowded with puppies to have room for big meals.
You can feel the puppies move now.
9th week
Dams are wormed again.
She may leak milk from her nipples.
Watch for her temperature to drop. You may take it rectally if you want, but she’s just plain old cool to the touch compared to what she has been the last 8 weeks.
She may also become restless, seek seclusion and in the last few days, or even soil in the house.
She will be ‘nesting’ .
Shortly before starting labor it’s common for a dam to have loose stools to clean her system out. She may throw up and refuse food. She should be drinking more water than usual to build up her milk supply. She will be tired and restless. Once she’s in active labor someone should monitor her in case she has complications even if she’s an experienced dam. Pups can get stuck in the birth canal or she may bleed profusely and need to see a vet. While birth is a natural event and it’s best to leave her to her own devices as much as possible, you also need to be aware if there are complications or you could lose your dam and the litter.
Delivery usually takes several hours. Most dogs do not seem to be in extreme pain during labor or delivery and instinctively know what to do.

What special care do newborn puppies need?

Most dams will give them the care they need without hesitation. At birth they need to have the birth sac removed, and be rubbed to stimulate them to start breathing on their own and to dry and clean them. If mom doesn’t do this, you may help by rubbing them with a towel. Mom will also chew off the umbilical cord. In rare instances it will continue to bleed and a newborn can bleed out quick, so if you must stop the bleeding, simply dip the cord in a bit of flour to help it clot.
Once the pups are born, they should be seen by a vet and have dew claws removed on the 3rd day.
Provide twice as much food as usual to Mom and have clean fresh water available at all times to help her in her milk production.. I keep my dams on daily vitamins, puppy chow and give them raw beef liver a couple times a week to keep their iron levels up. If they start to look thin, I top dress their food with puppy formula powder to help them.
The first 3 weeks, the dam will spend most of her time taking care of her puppies. She will lick them to stimulate urination and bowel movements and cleans up after them for this time frame.
Check the pups nails and trim them if they are scratching the dam during nursing.
For the pups:
Check on the pups several times a day to see that they are round, nursing, and seem content. Noisy puppies are generally hungry puppies. If they spend a lot of time crying you need to figure out why. Keep the puppy nursery warm, draft free, and dry for the pups’ optimum health. Don’t let a lot of people come in to see them until later as this may make mom nervous which can affect her milk production and how well she cares for her pups. She may also feel the pups are threatened by people she doesn’t know well and become aggressive to protect them. They should be seen by a vet and have dew claws removed on the 3rd day. The umbilical cords should fall off in a matter of days. Puppy eyes are closed at birth, and generally open between 10 and 14 days.
At close to 3 weeks you can offer a bit of puppy chow soaked in puppy formula to make it form a gruel type consistency. Make sure they’re getting plenty of liquid with it so they don’t become dehydrated and develop urinary tract infections while adjusting to the new diet. I worm the pups at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks with a liquid wormer I buy from my vet. Parasites can be devastating to a pups health, so it’s money well spent.
I strongly believe they should be allowed to nurse until their dam decides to wean them. I’ve had many pups still sneaking occasional snacks off mom at 7 weeks of age. It’s easier on her and the pups if this process is as gradual as possible. This is just one of several reasons why my pups don’t leave Mom until they’re 8 weeks old.

Poisons and dogs

What “people foods” are poisonous to dogs?
The food humans eat is not always the best choice for our canine friends. They tend to make them fat and don’t fulfill their dietary needs like a canine diet does. Even giving treats off the table is a very risky proposition. There are several things we enjoy that can actually poison your pup. They include: Raisins and grapes; macadamia nuts; yeast dough; onions or onion powder; mushrooms; chocolate; coffee and cocoa; sugarless candies sweetened with xylitol; alcoholic beverages; raw salmon; avocado; and broccoli. If they’ve eaten any amount of any of these things you should call your vet immediately. Or call :Animal Poison Control Center 1-900-680-0000
How do I make my dog throw up if he ate/drank something poisonous?
First of all, call a vet or the poison control center and ask if you should make them throw up. Some substances do as much damage coming out as they did going in… you don’t want to make the situation worse. A caustic product or substance being thrown up can cause internal tears that will make them much worse off if they vomit than if they didn’t.
If convulsions, seizures, shock or lethargy are present as symptoms, do NOT induce vomiting regardless of what they’ve ingested.To induce vomiting, give one teaspoon of Syrup of Ipecac, or two teaspoons of Hydrogen Peroxide. In a desperate pinch, a teaspoon of table salt will also have the desired effect. Vomiting only buys you more time to rush to the vet… it’s not a cure for the poisoning, so you still need to take them in.

What are the outward sings of a healthy dog?

A healthy Lab should have a shine to their coat that resembles velvet under a lamp. Their eyes should be clear and sparkle, their tale should act as a rudder while they trot. They should appear well muscled, look interested and excited about the world around them. You should never be able to see a labs ribs. Obesity isn’t healthy for them, and many do tend to be chow hounds, so you might have to watch for that. You should see some definition where the ribs end, and be able to find the ribs with your fingers by pressing on the dog.
A healthy Poodle has sparkling eyes, a bounce to it’s gait and seems to float when it trots. A poodle coat will not shine, but should be wool like in texture and free of mats and snarls. Their gums and tongue should be pink and ears clean and without odor. Their tale should be carried high and point toward the sky.