How to care for a Labrador – tips for keeping and caring for it.
The Labrador Retriever, despite its hunting purpose, is one of the most suitable dogs for families. After all, it has a friendly nature and the need to communicate with people. If you are considering this four-legged friend as your future pet, then it is important for you to know how to care for a Labrador, a puppy and an adult dog, what conditions are needed in an apartment and a private house.
This loyal and cheerful dog will be an excellent companion on long walks and when traveling, a friend for children, a faithful companion for a lonely elderly person. But in order for your pet to live a long and happy life, you will have to learn a lot about the breed. For example, from our article.
Are you ready to get a dog?
The decision to buy a labrador puppy should not be impulsive: carefully weigh the pros and cons, calculate the budget and think about the difficulties that await you.
What you need to be prepared for:
• You need to communicate with the dog and devote time to it. Even if you do not take into account walks, keep in mind that Labradors love to play and be near the owner.
• You will need to walk this pet at least twice a day, for an hour.
• Small puppies sometimes ruin things before the end of the training period – they chew shoes, furniture, carpets and blankets. At first, you will have to hide everything that can be damaged, and pay a lot of attention to training.
• It will be necessary to immediately set boundaries and adhere to them in the future, reinforce desirable behavior and suppress undesirable. And be prepared for the fact that from time to time the pet will “test the strength of” these boundaries, and you will again need patience and a reverent attitude to training.
• Do not forget about the financial side of the issue. Your pet needs food, periodic treatments for parasites, vaccinations, because you will need to take care of the Labrador throughout its life. One-time expenses cannot be avoided – for equipment and necessary things.
In order not to have to part with your pet, causing stress to the animal and family members, it is better to make sure in advance that all household members are not against such a decision and are also ready to make an effort to properly raise the four-legged one.
What do you need to buy for a Labrador?
Perhaps, you will have to spend a fairly large amount at one time to buy the puppy everything he needs.
What you will need to buy:
• A bed for the puppy to sleep on. Consider the size of the adult dog and buy a bed of the appropriate dimensions.
• Two bowls – for food and drink, preferably metal.
• Equipment – a collar and a leash. For a labrador puppy, it is better to take them from durable materials – tarpaulin or nylon. It is better to use a retractable leash on a walk only after the dog grows up, has completed a training course and can follow commands.
• A playpen or a cage to limit its movement around the house when you are not around.
• Toys – preferably not hollow or soft, made of solid rubber, strong plastic, ropes.
• Disposable diapers – for the time while the puppy is learning to go to the toilet outside.
• Food – the first weeks are the same as the breeder fed the puppies. Later, you can transfer the little Labrador to the food that you consider necessary.
Where should you start?
The first few days, the puppy may be stressed by the change of environment and separation from its mother. Do not leave it alone for a long time during this period, do not forbid it to sleep in your room, but do not take it to bed if you do not want to share it with a grown pet for the rest of its life. For the same reason, it is better to take a vacation for the first few days or, in extreme cases, take it to a new home on weekends.
Prepare the children, tell them how to care for a Labrador puppy. Do not shout, loudly express emotions, pull his ears or tail. Explain how to properly pick up the baby. Since his ligaments are still weak, he cannot be lifted by the front paws, it is best to take him with both hands on both sides in the chest area. Try to lift the puppy as little as possible, if you want to communicate – it is better to sit down at his level.
Safety in the house
Keeping a Labrador – Retriever is a responsible matter, and safety is one of the key factors of well-being.
Prepare the room for the puppy’s move:
• Remove all small objects that he can swallow;
• Hide electrical wires so that the baby cannot chew them;
• Put household chemicals, poisonous plants and everything that the puppy can poison himself with in an inaccessible place.
Separately, you need to consider toys: they should be difficult to chew. The puppy can tear apart soft, plastic, ordinary children’s toys and accidentally choke. The best choice would be solid balls, non-hollow bones, strong ropes. Never play with your puppy with rags – for a pet there is no difference between a rag and your clothes or a curtain. Also, do not allow him to play with old shoes, as the dog does not distinguish between old and new.
How to organize a personal place for a Labrador?
It is important to choose the right place for the rest area. It should be protected from drafts, not close to the radiators and away from the passages so that the puppy can rest peacefully and feel safe. To make it easier for you to care for the Labrador, you can place the resting place near your own bedroom. But, once you have chosen a place, it is better not to change it, because dogs quickly get used to certain orders and may not tolerate a change in their usual routine.
If you do not plan to change the bed often, take it into account that the puppy grows quickly. When buying a “resting place”, consider the possibility of its hygienic treatment, washing it entirely, or having a removable cover.
How to care for a Labrador puppy?
A puppy at different ages requires different care, because its development is rapid – literally in one year, it turns from a tiny puppy, completely dependent on its mother, into a self-sufficient, self-confident adult dog. But the pet always needs the owner’s attention, even as an adult. What does a small Labrador need? Let’s look at it month by month.
1 month.
Up to a month, all the care for the growing litter and the need to care for the Labradors falls on the shoulders of the mother and breeder. In this case, the owner of the bitch monitors not only the health of the dog and the offspring, but also hygiene in the kennel, protection from diseases and helminths, and also that all the puppies have enough milk for proper and intensive growth. If they need additional feeding, then a diluted and warmed special milk mixture, close in composition to the bitch’s milk, is used for this. After the puppies open their eyes, they begin to actively inhabit the surrounding space, at this point their movements can be limited to an enclosure for safety.
2-3 months.
At 2-3 months, puppies usually move to a new home. To reduce stress, during this period the new owner needs to communicate more with the pet and maintain the diet to which he was accustomed in the nursery for the first weeks. The breeder can share how to care for a Labrador at this tender age.
During the same period, the puppy receives basic vaccinations and after a two-week quarantine, you can start walking with him. Before this, you can only take him outside in your arms, or walk him in the yard of a private house, where other animals do not have access. By the time you start walking, the little Labrador must be accustomed to a collar and leash. To do this, introduce him to the equipment at home, teach him to follow the commands “Come to me”, “No”, and respond to his nickname. Up to 5-6 months, it is not advisable for a puppy to go up and down stairs, otherwise it may damage the ligaments that are still just forming.
4-12 months.
During this period, the puppy needs a lot of attention and games. Communicate with it more.
Around 6-8 months, dogs begin to mature sexually. Bitches have their first heat, and males begin to show interest in females. If you do not have a breeding animal, it is better to castrate or sterilize it.
From the very first day of the pet’s appearance in the house, you need to remember that, in addition to careful care of the Labrador, you also need to take care of its upbringing. The puppy requires training and socialization. If you have little experience in training dogs, you can contact a dog trainer who will help you build a relationship with the puppy.
Nutrition.
The best option is to choose a ready-made industrial diet developed specifically for Labrador retrievers, which satisfies all the needs of the animal in accordance with its age and activity. Or use diets that take into account the size category, based on the weight of the dog. For example, food for large dogs – as a rule, it has the mark “Maxi” on the package.
Care and maintenance of a Labrador in an apartment and a private house
A Labrador is a fairly large dog, which may be more comfortable in a private house. But even in a spacious apartment, you can keep representatives of this breed without problems. These are quite active pets, so if you live in an apartment, you will have to think about how to keep a Labrador in order to devote a lot of time to walking.
When living in a private house, it may be somewhat easier to provide sufficient activity, but keep in mind that a Labrador Retriever will not be satisfied with walking only on the site. In addition, the pet should not have access to the common street, fertilizers, chemicals and traumatic objects.
Organization of hygiene.
Dogs need regular hygiene procedures, which are important not only for maintaining a good appearance, but also for preventing the development of many diseases, because hygiene is one of the mandatory points of prevention. This includes care of the skin and fur, eyes and ears, claws, teeth.
Grooming a Labrador’s Coat.
The coat of this breed is short with a thick undercoat, and this is one of their advantages. In this regard, particularly intensive care is not required, but once every few days (and every day during the period of active shedding) the dog must be combed with a special brush or a comb like the “Furminator” to remove dead hair and dirt.
Eye and Ear Care.
The ears must be cleaned as they become dirty. To do this, you will need a special solution or lotion and a clean cotton pad. First, clean the ear canal with a cotton pad, without going too deep, then, if necessary and if there is dirt, the inside of the auricle.
The eyes are examined and wiped daily with a damp cotton pad soaked in cold boiled water or eye lotion. If there is any excess discharge, the dog must be taken to a veterinary clinic so that the veterinarian can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
How often to wash a Labrador.
When caring for a Labrador – Retriever, you need to spend time periodically bathing it. You shouldn’t do this often, for example, after a walk it is enough to wipe the paws with a damp cloth or napkin.
You need to bathe the dog if its fur is very dirty. Use shampoo for animals. Try to prevent water from getting into the dog’s ear canals and eyes. After the bath, the dog is thoroughly wiped with a towel; if the house is cool, you can dry the fur with a hairdryer in the cold air mode.
Brushing teeth.
You need to carefully monitor the teeth and brush them at least 2 times a week with a brush and toothpaste for dogs. If you don’t do this, over time they will become covered with plaque, and later – tartar, which can lead to gum disease and oral cavity. Teeth are an important point in caring for a Labrador. They require special attention during the transition from milk to permanent teeth. If baby teeth do not fall out on their own and interfere with the growth of permanent teeth, they need to be removed by a veterinarian, otherwise the bite and position of the teeth may be damaged. Also, in order not to damage the bite, do not pull anything from the puppy’s teeth and do not allow it to play with a leash.
How to care for Labrador claws?
Claws are trimmed as they grow with a special claw clipper. For a Labrador, it is better to use a tool with sickle blades, guillotine claw clippers are more suitable for trimming the claws of miniature and small breeds. If the dog walks a lot, the claws are worn down, and they need to be trimmed less often, with the exception of the fifth toe on the front paws – the claw on it needs regular inspection and trimming.
If you are afraid to trim the claws yourself, the procedure can be done by a groomer or a veterinarian.
Toilet.
Usually breeders have time to accustom the puppy to a diaper, but sometimes the owner has to do this. The pet will go to the diaper until it has received all its vaccinations and starts walking outside. To do this, spread out 3-4 diapers in the “toilet” room. Usually the dog chooses one place, and it is left there, while all the other diapers are removed.
To train the puppy to go to the toilet in a certain place, you will have to observe its behavior. As soon as you notice that it has started to show anxiety, pick it up and take it to the diaper. You also need to “plant” the puppy in the toilet after eating and sleeping.
As soon as the quarantine is over, the puppy can be trained to go to the toilet outside. To make it easier to keep the Labrador during this period, at first you will have to take it outside more often, and then the intervals between walks can be shortened.
Vaccination of the pet.
Vaccinations form immunity to various infections. Vaccination is not a 100% guarantee that the pet will not get sick later, but even if this happens, it is very likely that it will have a mild form of the disease.
If you take a puppy at 3 months, then most likely it has already received its first vaccinations and has a veterinary passport with the appropriate marks. But in any case, it is worth asking the breeder what vaccinations have already been done and whether revaccination is required. In the future, vaccinations are done annually, and this is a necessary condition when caring for a Labrador.
Vaccination is done only to absolutely healthy dogs, and 10-14 days before the vaccination, the pet must be treated for parasites.
Treatment for parasites.
Treatment for external and internal parasites is carried out 10-14 days before vaccination and as a preventive measure – every 2-3 months, depending on the recommendations of the veterinarian, the type of food and the conditions of keeping the pet. Treatments are required throughout the year, not only in warm weather, when ticks and other external parasites are known to be most active.
Sterilization or castration.
Sterilization and neutering have a positive effect on both the behavior and health of the dog. Female dogs stop going into heat, and the risk of unplanned offspring disappears. Male dogs will not show increased interest in the opposite sex and will not run after a female dog in heat. Castration is also an excellent preventative measure against some reproductive system diseases.
After the operation, the Labrador will require special, but not at all complicated care, which your veterinarian will tell you about. Animals recover quite quickly. The only thing you need to pay attention to is that after the operation, the dog’s nutritional needs change, and to avoid gaining excess weight, a special diet for castrated pets will be needed.
Walks.
Lack of physical activity has a negative effect on both the proper development of the puppy and its behavior. While the puppy is small, you need to walk with it as often as your free time allows. Walks should not be too long and tiring. As the dog grows, the number of walks decreases and their duration increases.
It is better to arrange walks before feeding to avoid gastric dilation and volvulus. If the conditions of keeping the Labrador allow, let the dog off the leash, but it is better to do this in special fenced areas or outside the city, but only if your pet is sufficiently trained and listens to your commands.
Communication with other dogs is an important part of socialization. Playing with peers, the puppy learns to interact with them.
Rules of education and training.
Training a lab puppy begins from the moment it appears in your home. First of all, you need to accustom the dog to the behavior that you need. Do not allow the puppy to do what you do not want to see in the behavior of an adult dog.
Be consistent in the education and care of the Labrador, and not only you, but also all family members. If the puppy can do something today, then it will be very difficult to explain why it cannot be done tomorrow. There will also be no result if one family member forbids you to do something, and another allows it.
The first commands that a puppy should learn are “Come” and “No”. He should also clearly know his name.
Never call the dog to punish him.
If you call the puppy to you only to fasten the leash, he will quickly learn that “Come” means the end of the walk, and will stop coming to you. Reward your pet with a treat for each correct execution of the command.
Be sure to take a general training course with your dog – this way your Labrador will become much calmer, more balanced and well-mannered, and coexistence with the dog will be more comfortable. It is much easier to take care of a trained Labrador.
Sports with a pet.
Labradors are distinguished by their intelligence, devotion to the owner and love of games. And if you have the time and desire, you can make your pet’s life much more interesting and varied by doing sports together.
What is best for a Labrador Retriever:
• Pitch and Go is a retrieving competition. Representatives of this breed have a love of running for objects and bringing them back to the owner in their blood.
• Obedience is a standard based on a general training course with complex exercises that are performed for a while.
• Bikejoring – do you like to ride a bike? The Labrador is the breed that will be happy to join you on a bike ride.
There may be contraindications for professional sports – you should consult a veterinarian, dog handler or fitness trainer about this.
Health and disease prevention.
It is easier to prevent any disease than to treat it. And preventive visits to a veterinary clinic and regular check-ups with a doctor will help to cope with this.
There are several rules of general prevention:
• Vaccinate your dog on time and treat it for parasites;
• Maintain sufficient activity through games and sports;
• Monitor portion sizes and do not exceed them, regularly assess your dog’s condition;
• Pay attention to behavior and notice the slightest changes in it;
• Train your dog so that it listens to your commands in any situation.
Special cases.
There are special conditions in which the approach to the animal should change. This applies to nutrition, hygiene procedures, and walks. During these periods, the four-legged friend may require more attention and care, since they are characterized by complex processes for the body. Let’s consider the most common cases.
Caring for overweight dogs.
Excess weight is a fairly common occurrence for Labradors, which is explained by their high appetite. Therefore, the nutrition of such dogs must be monitored especially carefully – observe the portion sizes, adhere to a strict regimen, and exclude any treats between meals. This approach may seem too strict, but it is necessary first and foremost for the health of the animal.
Labrador Care Checklist:
1. Make sure you are ready to get a dog: financially and physically. A dog will require quite a lot of expenses, but more importantly – a lot of attention and time.
2. The dog will need two bowls, a bed, toys, and walking equipment.
3. Make sure the house is safe, remove wires, small objects, chemicals, and poisonous plants.
4. Nutrition is an important part of caring for a Labrador. It should be appropriate for its age.
5. Representatives of the breed can be kept in a house or in a spacious apartment, but in any case, you will have to walk them a lot. And it is better for the walks to be active.
6. Caring for a Labrador is simple: comb the coat and brush the teeth daily, clean the ears and eyes as needed, on average a couple of times a week.
7. Until the end of the quarantine after vaccination, you cannot walk the puppy, so you will have to accustom it to a diaper before you start walking. From about 3 months, puppies can already go outside, so you can accustom them to walking.
8. The Labrador Retriever needs to undergo a training course. Also, representatives of this breed will be happy to do sports with you.
