6 Things To Consider Before Bringing Home A Labrador Puppy

Are you about to take a step into the world of dog ownership for the first time? Are you currently searching for your new puppy, or trying to learn as much as you can about the breed before the time comes?
 You are right to take this decision seriously, because there’s a price to pay for life with a Labrador – and it isn’t just the money!
In this article we are going to be looking at the pros and cons of owning a Lab.
Highlighting six important aspects of puppy parenting that you will need to take into account before you take the plunge.
 Are You Thinking Of Buying A Labrador Puppy?
If you are thinking of bringing a Lab puppy home, you probably feel rather bombarded with information.
You may be wondering how much it costs to keep a Labrador happy and healthy, and what price you’ll need to pay to buy a puppy.

Labrador Dog Price – The Costs Involved

Buying a Labrador is not just a question of the purchase price of a Lab puppy, though of course that is important. There are other costs involved, both financial, emotional and in terms of time and effort. So we need to look at those too.
You may be wondering whether you will have the time for a dog, and if you have the space and energy for a large and lively breed?
Nearly everyone has an opinion on whether or not you should ‘take the plunge’.
But this page will take you back to the fundamental considerations, to help you to make the right choice for you and your family.

6 Things To Consider Before Bringing Home A Labrador Puppy

Here are the main points you may want to consider before making that final decision on whether or not to bring a labrador into your life:

1. Do you have the right space for a large dog?
2. Do you have time for a dog?
3. Can you afford a dog?
4. What about your lifestyle?
5. Will a dog fit in with your family?
6. Is a Labrador the right dog for you?

1. Do You Have The Right Space For A Labrador?

Dogs need space, both indoors and outside. Even small breeds need room to stretch their legs and run about and Labradors as fairly large and lively dogs need quite a lot of space.

Labradors can be quite silly during adolescence, bouncing and cavorting in the home.Their tails are long and thick, easily knocking any fragile decorations you might have from shelves. If you have lots of ornaments then you will need to move them to higher shelves to avoid them getting damaged.
You will also need to move anything that could be easily damaged by chewing.
Labradors also need to go outside regularly for ‘bathroom breaks’.

With small puppies this will be very often indeed. Perhaps every 15 to 20 minutes during their first few days with you. If you live in a flat, or do not have a garden, this will be difficult for you. You’ll need to set up a system where the puppy can toilet indoors, using puppy pads or newspaper, then retrain him to go outdoors when he is older.

Some people successfully use a crate inside a puppy playpen for the first few months. Although this will take up a lot of space indoors, it can work very well for larger apartments with no easy outside access.
Ideally however you do need to have a garden, and a part of the garden which your dog can use as a bathroom, along with a good system for clearing up after him hygienically.

Puppies should also not be allowed to ‘toilet’ where children play,  as their faeces can pass on some horrible and dangerous parasites.

The right space for a Labrador includes large clear rooms in the house, with no breakable or fragile objects within his grasp, and ideally access to a garden where they can easily be let out to the bathroom and have room to play.

2. Do You Have Time For A Dog?
It is always sad to hear from new puppy owners that are struggling to juggle the needs of a puppy with their need to work.
These articles will help you to deal with this common issue.

• Should I get a Labrador puppy if I work full time
• Advice on raising a puppy when you work full time 

It may seem obvious to many of you,  but a lot of people don’t realise that you cannot bring a small puppy into your life and leave it alone in the house all day.  Even with a visit at lunch time.
An older dog may cope with being left for up to four hours in row on a regular basis,  but puppies need more attention than this.

The truth is, you can’t leave a young dog alone for hours on end and expect him to remain quiet and well behaved.  Lonely dogs bark and wreck things.

If you work all day,  can you afford to pay someone to come in and let him out to stretch his legs and empty himself?  Or do you have a relative or friend that would be prepared to do this on a regular basis.  Bear in mind that this is quite a lot to ask of anyone in the long term

The biggest long term time commitment in owning a dog is in the form of training and exercise.
All dogs need training in order that they can rub along in human society without being a complete nuisance.  This means a regular daily commitment  of ten to twenty minutes from you, in addition  to your regular interaction with the dog.

Training cannot be saved up for the weekend,  your dog will have forgotten most of what he learnt the weekend before,  and he does not have the attention span to concentrate on you for an hour and a half.
You can find out more about training your Labrador puppy here.

Exercise is required on a regular basis,  for some breeds of dog this means at least an hour a day of walking or jogging to keep your dog fit and healthy.

You can find out more about the exercise requirements of a Labrador puppy here.
Whilst your dog will not come to any harm if you miss a day occasionally,  a daily routine is often the best way to ensure that you build this important habit.

3. Can You Afford A Dog?

Dogs can be quite expensive to run.  You need to consider not only how much a Labrador will cost you to buy, but also how much it will cost you to keep.

How much do Labradors cost to buy?
The price of a Labrador puppy will vary from breeder to breeder, and from place to place.  At the moment (in 2016) in the UK you can pay anything from £650 to £850 for a well bred, health tested Labrador.  In the USA as a rough guide, you are looking at $800 to $1200.
Health screening is important, here are the tests your puppy’s parents should have had.
Perhaps you know a friend that has a litter of puppies and they are going to let you have one for free.  However, the purchase price of a dog is almost irrelevant.  It is such a small part of the final cost.

The cost of keeping a Labrador
The reality is, you are also going to need to fork out a chunk of your wages each week on keeping your pooch happy and healthy.

Obviously you will have taken the cost of food into consideration, but it is a good idea to budget for veterinary insurance too.  Modern veterinary treatment has simply gone ‘off the radar’.   Not because it is unreasonably priced, but simply because it is now so advanced.

You can fix a lot of problems these days.  No longer is ‘put to sleep’  the option of choice for most serious ailments.  We can do open heart surgery,  mend complex fractures,  treat cancer with radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Pretty much anything you can treat in a human,  you can now treat in a dog.  And the catch? It costs.
If you don’t have access to substantial savings, one way to avoid the burden of huge vet fees is to make sure your dog is insured.   Veterinary insurance will most likely set you back at least a week’s wages or so, each year.

The more comprehensive your insurance package the more it will cost. Watch out for very cheap deals, as they may not provide continuing cover for long term ailments.
You will also need to vaccinate your dog against common canine illness, and this will probably need to be done each year too. Especially if you are wanting to occasionally leave them in boarding kennels when you go away, as they require up to date vaccination certificates.
There will be a few other one-off costs such as a puppy crate for your home for when your dog is young,  another for your car if you have one, bowls, bedding, collar, leash etc. But you may be able to borrow a crate or get one second hand.
Here are some of the items you will need for your new puppy, and reviews on the best options for Labradors:

• Puppy crate
• Dog bowls
• Puppy bedding
• Puppy collar & leash
• Puppy toys
• Training products
• Puppy books

If you like to holiday abroad or anywhere that the dog can’t come,  unless you have helpful relatives, you will also need to think about the cost of putting him in boarding kennels for a week or two each year.
The purchase price of your Labrador is not the main consideration when it comes to his cost. You will need to be confident that you will be able to cover all of the above, for at least the next ten years.

 4. What About Your Lifestyle?

If you work away a lot, unless you can take your dog with you,  a dog is probably not a good idea for you right now.   Likewise if you if you travel a lot,  a dog may cause problems for you.  If you spend two months each year exploring the Amazon jungle,  a dog is almost certainly not for you.
Travelling with your Labrador is possible, but it will depend upon your destination.
What are you like at early mornings? And at getting up in the night?
Long lazy Sunday lie-ins will be a thing of the past once you have a dog.   In addition,  for the first few weeks when puppies are small,  they may need to be taken out side to toilet during the night.
Maybe more than once.  You need to be comfortable coping with that.
If you like to take day trips to places that aren’t dog friendly, are you able to organise for someone to care for them in your absence?
Your lifestyle will need to adapt to fit your Labrador’s needs, and you need to be happy with that arrangement.

5. Will A Dog Fit In With Your Family

 If you have three children under five and your wife is expecting twins, you probably don’t need me to tell you that you don’t need a dog right now.

But  it is surprising just how many people do take on a puppy when their kids are tiny and then struggle to cope.

Having a puppy is a bit like having a toddler,  and whilst some dogs and kids do rub along very nicely together,  it can be very tough in the early years.

Pushing a buggy whilst trying to lead train a large or even a medium sized dog is no joke.  And tiny puppies are easily broken by small children as they step on them,  climb on them,  and trip over them.
A toddler, expensive veterinary treatment, and a puppy with its leg in plaster is not a great combination.
However, if your kids are all over five, able to walk for an hour or so without needing to be carried,  and to understand what a dog’s basic needs are,  the chances are you will all enjoy and benefit from your new companion.

Make sure that you invest in a crate and puppy pen, so that your puppy has somewhere safe to go when he needs a break from the kids. And help to get them off on the right foot by teaching the children how to play safely with a Labrador.

6. Is A Labrador The Right Breed For You?

If you are certain that the time is right for you to bring a dog into your family,  it is also worth considering whether a Labrador is really the right breed of dog for you and your family.
Check out this article.
You can also find lots more information through this link   Getting a Labrador Puppy.
Labradors are loving, intelligent and fun. They are also very often large, bouncy and as puppies very prone to biting and chewing.
Make sure that you know exactly what it is you are bringing into your home, get properly prepared, and you will hopefully be well set to have years of joy together.

 

 

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Top Four Reasons Girls Love Guys With Dogs: Why Dogs Make Men Sexy

After an extensive and exhaustive interviewing process, we here at the PetMD labs have finally come up with the top four reasons why girls love guys who own dogs. And no, we left no stone upturned! Read on …

 4 Dependability
A man who owns a dog is a man who’s dependable and reliable. This is because a dog's loyalty brings those characteristics out in their owners. Think strong, broad shoulders, a man who won’t let you down. Unfortunately, broad shoulders are optional …

3 Responsibility
We girls get it. We’ve been responsible since the beginning, what with the whole birthing babies thing … Guys, meanwhile, are often responsible for their video game collection and not much more! But a man who owns a dog? He gets it. He knows he has to walk the dog, feed it, groom it, and take care of it. He comprehends that being in charge of another life means he has to do a little nurturing. If we're lucky, he’ll probably do the dishes, too.

 2 Understanding
Think about it. There are going to be times when a man with a dog has to go outside into the freezing rain to let his dog pee. Then there are the times when the dog decides to poop on the expensive rug or eat his Italian leather shoes, and we girls know he’s not going to hit the dog or punish it for being, well, doggy. He’s going to understand. We love men who are understanding, especially when it comes to cute, furry creatures ... or non-furry yet lovely creatures who accidentally running up his credit card bill.

 1 Love
A man who owns a dog is a man who knows how to love. This is the kind of man girls love to date. After all, who wants to date a heartless man? And guys, there is nothing sexier than a man who loves his dog, especially if it’s a mutt. You get extra points if your pooch is a rescue.
 So there you have it. Our definitive list of top reasons girls love guys with dogs.

Why women love big dogs

When I saw my dog, Daisy, for the first time on the street in Brooklyn, she was tied up to a fence with a number of other pit bull mixes. She was the only puppy. She had a softer head, not as broad and chiseled as those of the other pits. She slept in the sunshine, the warmth of the sidewalk cradling her. A woman, whose name I cannot remember, deemed herself the neighborhood adoption center. Police officers and friends dropped off stray dogs to her in the middle of the night — mostly pits. That day she had 14 dogs in her tiny apartment. When I pointed to Daisy she cooed, practically lovesick. “She’s the kind of dog you want to run away with,” she said. “A lot of people want her.”

I could see why. Her tiny snout was white and angelic, her brow was wide and dark. A true mix of power and honey, her muscles contracted below her puppy ribs. In the past, I had owned Golden Retrievers and English Springer Spaniels, both breeds known for their passivity. It was 1998, a time when pit bulls were all over the news for being street fighters. But as I gazed at the line of dogs tied up to the fence outside of Borough Hall, I dreamt about this puppy looking for a home — and all I knew was that I wanted to give her one. Daisy died just last month at 15.

Daisy followed me through two marriages, one divorce, two children, two houses, graduate school and a major home renovation. At 56 pounds, she was my protector, my alarm system, my Brienne of Tarth. When Daisy ran to the door — even in her old age when she was basically deaf, her eyes were stricken by cataracts and she limped from arthritis — delivery men, the UPS guy, the plumber, moving truck dudes, all the strange men still wanted to know if my dog would bite. “Only if I want her to,” I’d say. Little did they know my nickname for her was “The make-out dog.” This dog only wanted to kiss.

In pop culture, we’re bombarded by images of women with small dogs — Yorkshires, Pomeranians, Maltese — dogs that can fit into a carry-on bag or a purse. Dogs that represent our feminine, delicate flower sides. A few famous women have managed to shake that image. Jennifer Aniston had a terrier, Norman, and inked his name on her foot after he died at 15. Grace Kelly had a Weimaraner. Jessica Biel owns at least one pit bull. Chelsea Handler owns two large-breed rescues.

A woman owning a big dog or a dog considered to be “aggressive” by the public was once thought of as a statement of dominance. Yet I spoke to a dozen or more women who agreed that their big dogs had nothing to do with a power trip. Their big dogs were “gentle giants,” or “gentle and kind” or described as sweet family dogs who were lazy around the house, or who took up most of the bed. My friend Eliza, a writer, says of her now deceased 110-pound German Shepherd-Great Dane mix, Maudsley, that she loved him in part because he was massive. “When we spooned he was substantial. He was a big, sturdy, muscular boy, which only made his sweet, inquisitive and gentle demeanor more amplified.”

Sure, most women said their big dog made them feel more safe (though my friend said her 40-pound Brittany has intimidated people as well) when running outside or walking. But most women chose their big dogs based on their relaxed nature — not for protection. “[Our Great Dane] is very easy-going and friendly so we don’t hesitate to take her to the hardware store or the park,” says Rachel Berry of Boulder, Colo. “Big doesn’t equate aggressive.”

Same goes for Marci O’Connor, a Canadian writer who told me about her two 80-pound Labernese dogs. (Labernese is part Labrador Retriever, part Bernese Mountain Dog.) “I specifically chose big dogs because I wanted them to be robust for the kids’ sake and also offer the illusion of safety for me. I often run at night and usually take at least one of them with me. I have had strangers knock on the door and are hesitant to come inside because of my dogs and I never correct them by telling them how sweet they really are.”

The other popular “big” dog among women I spoke to is pit bulls. I use big in quotes because compared to a 140-pound mastiff, pits, which can range from 25 to 80 pounds, fall under the category of “big dog” purely by reputation. Though over the past 20 years we’ve seen all sorts of awful news stories about pits — just recently, a pit bull was shot and left for dead on an Arizona mountaintop until a female hiker found him, carried him down the mountain for an hour and then adopted him — pits were known as “nanny dogs” in the late 1800s. (Google “pit bull nanny dog” and you’ll find countless black-and-white images of babies, toddlers and their pits.)

Women I talked to were passionate about their pit bulls. One woman found her calling to be a pit owner after hearing about Michael Vick’s dog fighting case. Another owner/rescuer, Laura Gonzo of Greensboro, N.C., says that while volunteering after hurricane Katrina, she wanted to work with pit bulls because she noticed they were “having a harder time than other breeds.” There seems to be an undisputed element of caretaking that’s tied to a woman who owns a pit bull. I’m not suggesting at that men aren’t caretakers, but our maternal instinct is hard-wired — it’s not something we can just switch off. As Jody Sidote, a former animal control officer, told me, “A woman’s relationship with her pit bull is based on trust and loyalty. And I have come to know no other breed who exhibits the qualities named, who in most cases has no good reason to trust us at all any longer.”

But women also loved their pit bulls’ baby-like nature. As one woman who has owned at least six pit bulls told me, “They are chunks of muscle — sweet, kissable blocks of love.” Anna Jane Grossman, co-owner of the dog-training academy School For the Dogs in Manhattan (who currently owns a small dog) explains it best: “I feel like I’ve taken naps with pit bulls that I’d call epic. They feel so good to hold and get close to.”

I had always considered myself a big-dog person, but after speaking to so many women for this story, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a clearly defined personality trait that prompted a woman to want a big dog or choose a dog that’s (even falsely) deemed “aggressive.” Are women who love big dogs by nature more cuddly? Are they more active? Are they caretakers, as I touched on earlier? Maybe women who love big dogs are “strong by nature and not afraid to take on challenges,” says Lisa Cecchini, a board member of Big Dogs Huge Paws, a rescue dedicated to saving and rehabilitating giant breeds. I suppose I related to that sentiment when I found Daisy. Daisy was a little edgy when I adopted her in pre-hipster Brooklyn. Maybe I wanted to convey some of my own gritty feelings through her. Maybe I wanted to care for something that seemed so lost.

This is not to suggest that women who have small dogs should be taken less seriously or that they aren’t powerful. Some small dogs pack an intimidating presence (bulldogs, for instance) — so can petite women. (I’m thinking Noomi Rapace, who played Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish version of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.”) But some women, especially those who live in cities, like Grossman, for example, choose small dogs because a large dog is more challenging with limited square feet. There are also plenty of uber-business women who own miniature dogs, like Laura Wellington, CEO of The Giddy Gander. And of course, Oprah Winfrey has been dedicated to Cocker Spaniels for decades. Yet for some women, there’s something appealing about having a pet that looks scary, but is actually sweet. Says Jen Gronick of her 165-pound Bernese and Pyrenees mix, “We got him because [my husband and I] agreed on the breed and he was also a security factor. No one is gonna mess with the house with the giant!”

Just to further my curiosity, I took a dog personality quiz on Dogster, knowing each question would try to fit me into a somewhat restrictive algorithm. (Q: Which drink is your favorite? A: Margarita; Q: What’s your favorite work out? A: Yoga twice a week.) Big dogs, I thought, are of course associated with people who are laid back, environmentally conscious, gentle, kind, playful, sweet. I was all of those traits. Wasn’t I?
In a million years, I wouldn’t have anticipated the result: I was Chihuahua.

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