My Lab loves to howl at the moon This sounds really morose and dreary How do I
Dogs do not howl at the moon. If your Lab is howling, it is just a natural way for him to communicate with another of his own kind. You know dogs are descendants of wolves. And wolves communicate with other members of their pack by howling before they set out on a hunt. Dogs like the huskies of Siberia even get together for a group sing So if you find that your Lab is howling, check out whether he is ill or is feeling uncomfortable about anything. Once the cause of discomfort is removed a...
My dog has been house broken However he still has a number of accidents He
A dog has an instinctive trait of wanting to mark his territory. This is what instigates him to lift his leg and squirt urine in areas that he considers to be his territory. In order to prevent him from repeating this rather disgusting habit is to clean up the area he has messed up with an organic cleanser that leaves absolutely no remnants of smell. If even a little bit of smell remains, he is likely to be tempted to urinate there again. Do not use ammonia or bleach to clean the area, as they...
Correct your Labs bad behavior
An untrained dog with bad behavior can threaten, offend, and even hurt others. You must take adequate steps to curb such bad behavior. You must teach your Lab what to do by communicating and correcting him. Do not ever beat or punish him. Corporal punishment will not get your message across to him. It will only have negative repercussions and weaken your relationship with him. It will also take all the fun out of training and weaken your bonding with him. In order to get your Lab to listen to...
A Doorman Doordog
People are always leaving doors open and letting in the cold air and this can be really irritating It is time for you to use the services of your doggie and teach him to shut doors. Let us see how to go about it 1 Go to a room with a door that can be pushed shut. 3 Hold a treat that your Lab loves close to the door at the height of the dog's nose. 5 He will follow his nose and head for the treat in your hand near the door. 7 As you remove the treat, make sure that your act of removing the treat...
Leash handling
Leash handling is an important lesson for a potential trainer like you to learn. It will increase the comfort level for both you and your dog. The leash is the link between you and your dog, so learn to handle it properly. Stand with your arms dangling loosely by your sides with the palms facing inwards. Loop the leash over your right thumb and let the loose end cross your palm. Then fold the leash accordion style, allow the loose end to show under your little finger. Let the leash pass along...
Timing and body language
Your little Lab needs time to process your commands in his mind. So once you give a command, do not expect immediate response. Wait for about 5 seconds at the least. Soon the time lapse between your command and your pup's reaction will fall into a perfect synchronization. Constant interaction with your pup will keep increasing your rapport with him. He will soon be responsive even to your body language. Your smile will brighten up his day and set his tail wagging. Your sigh or cry will bring...
Commonly used hand signals
However listed below are a few commonly used hand signals. 1 Sit - Raise your index finger and point it downwards. 2 Down - Raise your hand with the palm facing outwards and bring it down. 3 Speak - Bring all 4 fingers of your hand to touch your thumb. Then spread out all the fingers at the same time. This action could be repeated a few times if you want your pooch to keep talking. Let us go into the details of how to actually go about teaching your Lab to follow and learn the commands you want...
y Shake yourself dry
This is a self-help measure for your Lab. It will save you the trouble of running after him to ensure that he has totally dried out. It is such a useful trick for those monsoon days when he will come back wet after almost every trip outdoors. Another thing to note is that all doggie drying should be restricted to only one designated spot. Otherwise you will have showers of water flying all over the house. 1 Dogs have a natural instinct to shake themselves dry every time they get wet. Say the...
Tell me just how often a little pup needs to relieve himself
A pup has to relieve himself very often. Listed below are a number of factors that influence this necessity. M If your puppy is a tiny tot then his intake capacity is also small so he has to be fed small quantities many times a day. And you must take him out so that he can relieve himself every time he finishes eating or drinking. Take him to the spot that you have identified he can use to relieve himself. The smells prevailing in that area will instigate him to relieve himself. M Taking him...
How to train your Lab
Training is all about communication. Your Lab must understand what you want him to do. Only then will he be able to act as you command him to. Communication has to be a two-way channel. Your dog has to concentrate and focus all his attention on what you are teaching him. You in turn, have to be considerate to your dog and standardize him on the following training commands. 1 Words you will use as commands. 2 Vocal modulation of your voice. 3 Hand or head signals you will use. Experts recommend...
Milestones in growth
1 A puppy opens his eyes when he is three weeks old. 2 From that time until he is 14 weeks old, he develops bonds with other people and animals around him. 3 This period is very crucial in ensuring that he has only good and positive experiences. 4 Breeders normally recommend that you take a pup away from his mother only when he is 8 weeks old. This way he is not very small or vulnerable and neither is he too old to fall into your scheme of life for him.
Barking for no apparent reason
Barking is a very natural phenomenon for a Labrador Retriever. It was a means of communication of the dog with his master when the dog was used to retrieve hunted game. Today a dog that is domesticated and brought home to be a pet and companion will bark for numerous other reasons. Some of these reasons could be as follows. 1 When he is bored, lonely, distressed or scared. 3 Barking when defending his territory. Excessive barking can also be accompanied by howling, which sounds really sad and...
Do Labrador Retrievers shed a lot of their coat
Yes. It is rather surprising, isn't it, that such a shorthaired dog can shed so much Well here is a surprise. These dogs actually have two coats. One is a soft undercoat and the other is a harder guard coat. These two coats help repel water when the dog swims. The outer coat keeps the dog warm. Labs normally shed their coats twice a year. This process is called Blowing. So at this time you will have a lot of hair on your hands At other times of the year they shed moderate amounts of hair.
My young Lab seems to have become an absolute brat all of a sudden What could
Suddenly turning into brat is an almost certain sign of your Lab having entered that awkward stage of adolescence. Brat-like behavior is a dog's way of saying, Look I have grown up now. And I am now independent. Leave me alone and do not fuss with me. Just like a human teenager, isn't it To keep him under control you will have to re-assert your position as the undisputed leader to whom he just has to listen and unquestioningly obey. So step up his obedience-training schedule and spice it up...
Necessary precautions
There are some other precautions that you need to take before you take your Lab to a training class. They are as follows. 1 Get a clean certificate of health from your vet just to ensure that your doggie is not infested with any parasite such as tics or fleas. 2 Do not give your dog a huge meal just before taking him to a class. For one, a heavy meal will make him slow and sluggish. Secondly, most trainers use treats rather generously to encourage dogs to learn. So let you doggie also have...
Digging holes
Digging is another very common doggie trait. Your Lab will dig to bury bones, chase and retrieve prey, or just for the sake of entertaining himself. Digging is a very inherent characteristic for a Retriever, so you really have to use your ingenuity to prevent him from doing so. It is also a trait that you, as a Lab owner, will not really like. After all, you do not want unsightly holes appearing all over your well-manicured or smooth, clean yard. So one good idea would be to provide one area of...