Labrador Puppy

[revolutionconfirmed]

Hi all. I'm a long time lurker but first time joiner and poster.

I have three young children (ages from 16 months to 4 years) and we've just purchased a gorgeous gold pedigree labrador bitch. She is arriving on Monday and at the moment she is six weeks old. The breeders told us that she has been eating puppy food and drinking whole milk as well as feeding from her mother.

I've had dogs before but this is the first time I've had a labrador and the first time I've had a puppy of my own. What do I need to know? I thought I'd ask here as you all seem to be the most experienced I've read.

Thanks for any answers.

i think we tend to overthink and worry about everything these days! Too much exercise, not enough excercise?. To crate or not to crate etc?. Knowledge is power but it stops us using common sense (imho)

Allergic You hit the nail on the head. I overthink everything from my children to my animals and it drives me to the brink of insanity. Knowledge is great but I haven't learned to push it aside yet.

thats what's held me up with with getting in the first place! I know I can do it but then I think 'what if i want to go out for longer than 3 hrs...." What if I need to go to the dentist and then food shopping...", what if what if what if! I am qutie sure a dog would not expire if, on the odd occasion, I had to leave it for more than three hours! But then I panic about it and wonder if a dog would fit into our family. I drive myself mad too

I got held up a few days ago and ended up being out for three hours when I meant to be out for one. Pup survived but there were a few accidents in the hallway :o.

when my parents brought our lab puppy home at about 12 weeks weeks old she had been mistreated and we got her via a friend of a friends friends cousin etc. She had no papers, no information on her whatsoever other than that she had been neglected. She was fine, we all loved her, she lived toa grand old age and no one seemed stressed by routines, housetraining etc. We jsut all muddled through, I am not suggesting we go back to that exactly but there was certainly a lot more joy involved and a lot less worrying!

So agree with you all, its just like child rearing, its become such a "science" in recent years we drive ourselves potty (well, I do) stressing about the daftest things.....

I agree its great to think things through and research properly, it IS a big commitment. But I, too, need to take a chill pill revolution . I think its the curse of our generation tbh. My MIL was in stitches today listening to all my worries/questions about Amber. She has had dogs all her life and never came up with half the questions I have. Go figure

Having said all that its great to get advice from experienced owners warlin. and best of luck with the baby

i do agree that it needs to be thought through thorougly and the decision to get a pet, especially a dog, needs serious consideration etc. etc. There are so many dogs in rescue for a myriad of reasons but usually because of a lifestyle change or change in working circumstances. But a dog's needs are fairly basic from my understanding; love, food, boundaries, exercise, company and commitment. Outside of that, I'm pretty sure they won't care if you take them to the same park every day for a week or if you have to re-jig their walks for some reason or another. I'm sure that a couple of hours alone with a Kong or chewy toy is not going to be emotionally damaging. I think that because they are an animal who are so easy to love, we try to foist human emotions on them. That said, when my family finally has a dog I am sure I will be neurotic beyond belief!

Dogs, I find, are very much like children. They want attention, stimulation, rest periods, love, food, water, exercise and boundaries. You run around all day picking up mess, grabbing the dog before any accidents to take them outside...

It's never ending but always rewarding. At the end of a hard day when they sit on you and reward you with cuddles and love.

There will be a photoset up tonight :o

good girl Revolution!

Revolution how much is sadie eating? Amber is hungry all the time it seems and we are struggling to keep her within reasonable levels of grub (according to the puppy food weight/consumption guide)

She's eating a little more than recommended some days but mostly keeps within the limits. I went to the butcher yesterday and bought her a raw marrow bone which seems to have helped today as she's had something to knaw and taste. Are bones an option?

Brisket bones are apparently better as they can eat the whole bone.
As you were.

Ooh I'll get some. Thanks, lula.

Right, my gorgeous blonde labrador has black emulsion on her chest. Bath? Best way to get it out?

Sadie still has a few naps throughout the day but sleeps pretty much all night. She's out of her crate now but secured on the landing and does her business on the paper provided. She's growing more every day!

Hi all, we have had 5 great nights in a row now so feeling very chuffed with my lovely pup. DH and I going out for a while tonight for first time since she arrived, my sisters are babysitting boys and pup, so hoping the good streak continues : ) Amber still naps on and off during the day too, we still put her in her crate at night, probably plan to keep it that way for quite a while, the early nights that we didn't she was wandering around and much less settled. Trying to link to a photo of her

[IMG]i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg586/Gillybobs73/photo-2.jpg[/IMG]

can't see the pics

Ive added them to my profile page but now they appear to be upside down. I give up

gillybobs!

I know.

Is it possible to rotate them when on your profile? I dont know why theyve spun round?

I could see them in photobucket - she's ridiculously adorable!

May we have the link to your blog again? Thanks :)