i might get a puppy next year and…?
i need help. i’ve done the research, and i think im ready but i need someone to prepare me for the things the books DON’T say. i’ve only ever owned adult dogs before, so i am unprepared for the unwritten things of puppies. could anyone tell me these things so i can be prepared.
is anything missing from my list:
crate, bed, automatic water dispenser, food dish, leash, collar, id Tag (i will also microchip), brush, shampoo, conditioner, nail clippers, dog first aid kit, cone for neck (in emergencies or accidents), exercise pen, clicker, winter coat, toys, food, treats.
teaching a dog: sit, lay, rollover, crawl, jump, paw, stay, come, speak, kisses!
i am aware on how to crate train, housebreak, properly walk a dog, discipline (i know NEVER to hit), and how to train. how tall should an ex-pen be for a lab puppy? i will be doing obedience school and socialization classes and am going to get a dog from a reputable breeder. 
thanks!!!
No need to get a winter coat for a lab. I have a lab too, he’s 5 now but we got him as a pup,2 months old, so I can tell you some stuff about it.
You will need a small cage for the night. We started off without the cage, and overnight he ripped the wallpapers away, chewed the chairs legs and ate all the ornaments he could get into his mouth.
The cage should really not be big, since he will stay in there overnight only, and he’ll sleep. _Also, the cage will get him used to the fact that during the night he has to stay on his sleeping place and not go strolling about the house. Sure, loads of people had puppies sleeping without the cage and the pup didn’t do anything, but when the dog is getting bored it will make up its own games, so it’s better not to risk.
It is also extremely useful to have your dog used to come when whistling from the first day on. We got our dog from a very serious hunting lab breeder, and my dog’s mother is like europe master in some hunting tournament, so the breeder had tought the puppies to come immediately when they hear a special dog whistle. Imust say that this was useful to me all through the dogs life. I learned to whistle myself in a rather high pitch, so the dog thinks i’ts the dog whistle, and he will come back IMMEDIATELY, no matter what he’s doing.
Also, if you want just a normal companion and you don’t want to show your dog in special exhibitions, i’d tell you to get a hunting lab, and not a show lab. Hunting labs are a little bit smaller, but since they are bred to hund (you would have to get him from a breeder that really uses his dogs to hunt) the breeders pay very much attention to the dogs character. Show labs have very often a loud and annoying character, because their breeders pay attention to the fur, to the body proprtions, and that stuff. But a hunting breeder doesn’t care about fur, or proportions (in fact my lab has pretty short legs and a rather long body, bu i think it looks really cool that way) They breed to get a clam dog, that is very intelligent so he can get the prey in tricky situations. A hunting lab is smaller than the much more common show labs. When my dog was 4, I met a woman with a lab that was 4 months old, and yet it was double the size of my dog. But hunting labs also are much more silent and they are very careful dogs.
Another thing is, you will surely have read that labs get fat very quickly. Now, the thing is no that they get fat quickly, but that they will keep eating until they burst. As a pup, my lab once bit a hole into the paper thingy whre we kept our rabbit food, it was really like an enormous container, half a ton of food pellets, and when we found him the container was half empty. My dog was ill for the next 3 days, we would have to go for long walks in the forest and he would vomit every 5 steps. So we feed our lab 2 times a day (but for a pup the times are different, but i don’t remember them) and, much more important, we always wage the dogs food on a balance efore he gets it, one handful more or less in dependance to how much exercise he’s had throughout the day.
Also, I would recommend you to get a trainer and to socialize your dog. When they are adult, labs are very very strong, and they are intelligent, we didn’t want to get a trainer, but when the dog was 2 years old we were on the point of giving him away, because ha was in puberty, he would pull on the leash until his tongue get no more blood and getsall white, he would steal whatever he could get, he was really a catatsrophy. Then we had a traier and much more fun everyday. But my lab is not socialied, and as it’s a male everytime he sees a dog he starts a fight, he growls and berks and gets excited.
Also, get the puppy used to scary but daily things like escalators, the subway, car rides, loud noises like trains or thunder, the lawn mower, the vacuum cleaner, that stuff. We go every year on every (long) holiday to italy, to my mothers family, and that means 14 hour of sitting quietly in the car with hardly space to move, since we have all our luggage too. We got the dog used to it, so it never was a problem. The dog tells us when he wants to stop and walk by scratching . The rest of the time he is perfectly calm, he sleeps off or chews on a toy or just looks out of the window.
So, good luck with your dog.
How to Open the Buster Cube Dog Toy
|
|
KONG Real Peanut Butter Dog Treat, 5-ounces $1.97 Kong Stuff N Real Peanut Butter Dog Treat Every dog likes and will savor the taste of fresh roasted peanut butter. Millions of KONG toy users all over have favored peanut butter as their filling of choice. KONG is now proud to present Kong Stuff N Real Peanut Butter Dog Treat, which is preservative free and a human-grade peanut butter. Packaged in an easy-squeeze tube with a long nozzle, it provid… |
|
|
KONG Stuff’N IQ Treats Baked Salmon, Dog Treat XG1 Size: 12 Ounces Features: -Dog treat.-Made from 100pct salmon.-Full of IQ boosting omega 3 fatty acids.-Perfect for our Kong genius toys, Kong Wobbler, or our Kong classic toys.-Irresistible salmon snacks are the perfect healthy treat for any dog.-Salmon. Options: -Available in 6 oz. and 12 oz. sizes…. |
|
|
KONG Pepperoni Easy Treat, Dog Treat, 8 ounces $3.48 Kong(R) Stuff’N Paste Dog Treats Kong(R) Stuff’NPaste makes Kong(R) stuffing easy! Simply apply a small amount to the inside surface of a Kong toy or in the grooves of a Kong dental toy to keep your dog busy and content. Also works great as a training treat or anytime treat. Kong(R) Stuff’NPaste comes in a convenient dispenser and contains no peanut allergens. Kong(R) Stuff’NPaste is made right he… |
|
|
The Kitty Kitchen Treat Machine Cat Gumball Machine $39.99 The very cool Kitty Kitchen Treat Machine is made from cherry red cast metal. The Kitty Kitchen uses a carpet covered wheel that spins easily. As it spins, out comes the food and/or treats. It is 13″ tall. Works great with certain small treats and it also vends most dry pet foods. Please note that there is a $5 handling charge for this item because it is fragile and oversized…. |
|
|
Littlest Pet Shop Playset – Tail-Waggin’ Fitness Club with Gym Playset, Treat Dispenser, Lockers and 2 Exclusive Pets : Kangaroo (#682) and Guinea Pig (#683) $120.99 Get your pets ready to feel the burn with this activity-filled playset! Pets are sure to get a workout – or at least a day full of play – when you get them geared up to hit the gym! Spin the thumbwheel or flower wheel to get your pets “jumping rope” and “leaping” hurdles. Meanwhile, take other pets for a spin on the hamster wheel while the kangaroo pet practices his one-two punch! While your pets … |
|
|
Hasbro Biggest Littlest Pet Shop Playset $39.99 The Biggest Littlest Pet Shop playset offers the ultimate playing and shopping experience. Kids can turn a wheel to walk their pets or ride them through the three-level spinning tower. Once the pets finish “playing,” kids can bring them to the treat center, which drops down special food pieces. And when playtime is over, the pets can take a nap in their very own pet hammock.Playset comes with two … |