My dog's not spoiled....I'm just well trained!! Anonymus

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The DocDog ...............The "Chef Dog"

The Teller of Tailes

 

Heat Danger / Weight Gain in Labs / How old is your lab?

Heat Danger by Marisa

With summer fast approaching we have to be prepare our canine friends for the hot weather.   All dogs, including Labs, cannot tolerate heat the way us humans do.  We also have many people wanting to take their Lab jogging.
 
Dogs have very few sweat glands and cannot adjust to heat like we do. Essentially, dogs cool themselves in three ways: through panting, through blood vessels on the face and ears, and through their footpads. If a jogger is running on the sidewalk or roadway, then one of his faithful companion's cooling methods has just been eliminated. The streets and walkways can become extremely hot and dogs can get small burns on their pads. Imagine running with sore feet! Dogs will generally continue to run, whether or not they're in pain, as they want to please their master.

A dog's internal body temperature is between 100 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. If it rises to 105 degrees or so, the dog can suffer from heat exhaustion, which can lead to heat stroke. Overheating in dogs is very serious and can result in death. Although many people think dogs can handle nearly all extremes, they cannot. Joggers can reduce the risk of canine heat exhaustion by running in the cooler times of the morning or evening, and wrapping a cool pad or wet bandana around the dog's neck before heading outside.  Make sure when you are outdoors with your dog that they have plenty of cool water available and shade.
 
If your dog is going to be outdoors for any length of time in this hot weather, please keep a close eye on him and if you notice that he is behaving strangely please check for any of the following symptoms. 
 
Rapid breathing
Rapid heart rate
Staggering around
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Glassy eyes
Excessive panting
Salivating excessively
No panting at all
Non responsive to your voice

If you do suspect that you dog is suffering from heat exhaustion the first thing you need to do is take him to a shaded area if he is outdoors. Then take a water hose and soak him down with cool water.   Do not use ice cold water because this will cause hypothermia to set in fast. You can also tuck an ice pack under both front legs and around the groin area.
Then call your vet right away!!!

Weight Gain in Labrador Retrievers by Marisa
 
As most of you know, Labs are rarely picky eaters.   My three will eat anything and everything dropped on the kitchen floor including spinach leaves, jelly beans and hot Chinese mustard.   This love for food and zest for life generally means that they also have the tendency to put on excess weight.
Is your dog overweight?
The best way to detect obesity is not to just weigh your pet, but to observe its figure as you would a human being (see diagram).  Does your Lab have a streamlined figure?  Or does your Lab have no figure at all?  Then, feel the ribs.  If you can pinch at least an inch of fat over the ribs (with the exception of dog breeds like Greyhounds), then there is a good chance that your pet is overweight.
 

The AKC standard for Labrador Retrievers is dogs 65 to 80 pounds; bitches 55 to 70 pounds.    Obesity in dogs is a serious medical problem. Fat dogs are more at risk in surgery, more prone to injury, and have more stress on heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and joints. Excess weight can worsen osteoarthritis, cause respiratory problems in hot weather and during exercise, lead to diabetes mellitis, and generally lessen the quality of life for a family pet.
 
1. Cut out treats, or cut back on treats .  Try using peeled baby carrots, frozen green beans, air popped pop corn or a piece of banana or apple as a treat.
 
2.  Use frozen green beans, or unsalted canned green beans as a substitute for some of your dog's food.  I can provide recommendations.
 
3. Provide some opportunity for prolonged exercise a couple of times a week. Long walks, play sessions, and strenuous training sessions help keep muscles in shape and bodies functioning. Time alone in a yard is not sufficient; although dogs will run fence lines if a person or animal happens by, they are generally as lazy as people and will not run for the sake of exercise. Two dogs, however, will often run, romp, and play together and thus exercise each other
 
4. Watch the fat content in the food you buy.   Fats are energy sources; if the energy isn't expended, fats merely add unneeded calories. Fat content of dry food for adult dogs generally ranges between 11-16 percent, with sedentary dogs needing a lower percentage than active or performance dogs.

How old is your Lab? by Julie

The first year of a pet's life is roughly equivalent to about the first fifteen years for a human and two pet years are equal to about twenty-four human years. After that, each year for a pet is equivalent to four years. This age comparison table provides general age comparisons between dogs and humans.

The Teller of Tales

My Foster Dog by Unknown Author

My foster dog stinks to high heaven.
I don't know for sure what breed he is.
His eyes are blank and hard.
He won't let me pet him and growls when I reach for him.

He has ragged scars and crusty sores on his skin.
His nails are long and his teeth, which he showed me, are stained. I sigh.
I drove two hours for this.

I carefully maneuver him so that I can stuff him in the crate. Then I heft
the crate and put it in the car. I am going home with my new foster dog.

At home I leave him in the crate till all the other dogs are in the yard. I
get him out of the crate and ask him if he wants "outside." As I lead him to
the door he hikes his leg on the wall and shows me his stained teeth again.

When we come in, he goes to the crate because that's the only safe place he
sees. I offer him food but he won't eat it if I look at him, so I turn my
back. When I come back, the food is gone.

I ask again about "outside." When we come back, I pat him before I let
him in the crate; he jerks away and runs into the crate to show me his
teeth.

The next day I decide I can't stand the stink any longer.
I lead him into the bath with cheese in my hands. His fear of me is not
quite overcome by his longing for the cheese.
And well he should fear me, for I will give him a bath.

After an attempt or two to bail out he is defeated and stands there. I
have bathed four legged bath squirters for more years than he has been
alive. His only defense was a show of his stained teeth, that did not hold
up to a face full of water.

As I wash him, it is almost as if I wash not only the stink and dirt away
but also some of the hardness. His eyes look full of sadness now. And he
looks completely pitiful as only a soap covered dog can.

I tell him that he will! feel better when he is cleaned. After the soap,
the towels are not too bad, so he lets me rub him dry.

I take him outside. He runs for joy . . . the joy of not being in the tub
and the joy of being clean.

I, the bath giver, am allowed to share the joy. He comes to me and lets me
pet him.

One week later I have a vet bill. His skin is healing. He likes for me to
pet him ( I think). I know what color he will be when his hair grows in.

I have found out he is terrified of other dogs, so I carefully introduce
him to my mildest four legged brat. It doesn't go well.

Two weeks later a new vet bill for an infection, that was missed on the
first visit. He plays with the other dogs.

Three weeks later his coat shines, he has gained weight.
He shows his clean teeth when his tongue lolls out
after he plays chase in the yard with the gang.

His eyes are soft and filled with life. He loves hugs and likes to show
off his tricks, if you have the cheese.

Someone called today and asked about him. They saw the picture I took the
first week. They asked about his personality, his history, his breed. They
asked if he was pretty. I asked them lots of questions.

I checked up on them.
I prayed.
I said yes.

When they saw him the first time they said he was the most beautiful dog
they had ever seen.

Six months later, I got a call from his new family.
He is wonderful, smart, well behaved, and very loving.

How could someone not want him?
I told them I didn't know.
He is beautiful.
They all are.