# Any tips for a new Labrador Retriever owner?



## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

Hello! 

I bought a 40-day-old Labrador Retriever yesterday.

This is my first pet ever and I'm therefore not very experienced in this department.

If any experienced dog owner has any tips to share, please enlighten me. What sort of things should comprise a vegetarian diet, for example? And any other miscellaneous information that you feel I should know.

Thank you!


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## MetalheadGautham (May 20, 2008)

good luck with your dog.
how much did you pay for it ?



PS: and I thought Macintosh was all about cats


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## Hitboxx (May 20, 2008)

That's cool, a retriever, very nice. In my experience (..I had 2 dogs and 5 cats in my family..), as puppies go, 

1) Don't bathe them daily, not even when they're big enough, twice a week is fine.
2) Diet should be ok as you say veg, but you _should_ feed egg and meat, not overtly, but in calculated amounts during the growing days.
3) No sweets please, this is very important, don't let them to cultivate the habit of sweets, a little is fine, maybe once a month, but be sure to keep the feeding dates far apart. 
4) Oh yeah, don't forget milk, it is also important for the overall metabolism.

Hmm, don't remember anything else now but here's a link on some diets. But you should understand, you can't practically do everything to the T, rest is upto you.


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## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

Thanks, Hitboxx! I won't be able to follow the second suggestion, but the rest should be just fine. 



MetalheadGautham said:


> good luck with your dog.


Thank you! 



MetalheadGautham said:


> how much did you pay for it ?


Rs. 6,800.



MetalheadGautham said:


> PS: and I thought Macintosh was all about cats


LOL! Why? I never got that feeling.


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## xbonez (May 20, 2008)

congrats aayush..let me tell you, this is the best 6,800 rupees you have or will spend ever in your life..i have a labrador retreiver myself, and first hand experience says they are THE most affectionate dogs...mine's curled up around my feet at the moment

which one have u got? a golden one or a black...male or female?

anyways here are some of my suggestions...feel free to contact me whenever you want

1. start training your dog early...when its around 6 months old...start training it stuff. i prefer not to teach my dog tricks...i did not get it for a circus. teach it simple useful stuff like sit, stay, bark, and fetch. i request you not to teach it to beg, roll over, play dead etc. its downright demeaning

2. until the age of about 4-5 months, that is till its vaccination shots aren't complete, don't take it out of the house much

3. milk is very gud for your dog during its puppyhood...however don't give it cow's milk, that is more difficult to digest. dilute the milk you give it

4. labradors generally tend to put on weight very fast and easily. keep a careful check on its diet throughout its lifeitme

5. bathe it no more than 2 time a MONTH...ideally once  month is gud enough. there are certain oils secreted by its skin to its fur that shud not be washed off too soon

6. play with it a lot...labradors love human company. pet it and stuff...though it may seem very cuddly, avoid hugging it. dogs do not like hugging and find it stressful

7. from an early age of around 4-6months make it meet people and other dogs under supervision of course. that ensures it grows up to be a socialable dog..this is assuming you aren't looking for a guard dog, coz if u were, you got the wrong breed mate

8. NEVER EVER hit you dog. keep scolding to a minimum too. labradors are very sensitive creatures.

9. there's this food supplement available in the market by the name of 'Nutricoat'. i suggest you give it to your dog. you just need to add a tablespoon to its food. not now of course, when its grown up a bit. it does wonders to its fur coat

10. regularly, like every second or third day, groom and brush your dog's fur

11. exercise is as often as you can. dogs can be hyperactive and its best it vents out its energy walking. intitially until an age of around 4-5 years you may jog your dog, but after that you shud limit it to just walks. long walks are gud.

12. in its puppyhood, get it synthetic bones available in the market. they're gud during its teething stage

ummm....thats about all i can think of now. i'll add more when i think of them.

feel free to contact me whenever you want

congratulations once again. also, do tell us what have you named it.

EDIT

since you explicitly asked about the diet, i'll tell you my dog's diet.

in puppyhood it was mainly milk (diluted) with cerelac and after a little while bread etc. bananas are gud too since they're relatively easy to digest

now in her full grown state, her diet consists of two meals - breakfast and dinner

breakfast is a small helping of Pedigree dog food. it is very gud for the dog and shud be served atleast once a day

dinner is a mix of chappatis, dal, sabzis etc...you know all the stuff we eat ourselves. be careful not to overfeed it. its meal shud consist of lots of vegetables and lots of water too.

and an ABSOLUTE NO to any in between snacks. you may give it some dog biscuits or glucose biscuits during the day, but NOT and i repeat NOT when you are eating. while you are eating, it'll beg for food...resist giving in to those big round puppy eyes


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## Faun (May 20, 2008)

for 1st year it will be a curious george, so u will hav some really funny moments too


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## shashank_re (May 20, 2008)

Congrats dude.Please post some pics of it ....if you can.....


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## kalpik (May 20, 2008)

xbonez said:


> 4. labradors generally tend to put on weight very fast and easily. keep a careful check on its diet throughout its lifeitme.


I cannot help but stress that this is VERY VERY important! Being overweight is a silent killer for dogs. Feed it less and he'll be fine, but NEVER feed him more. (im assuming its he  )


xbonez said:


> 5. bathe it no more than 2 time a MONTH...ideally once  month is gud enough. there are certain oils secreted by its skin to its fur that shud not be washed off too soon


Again, very important, dont bathe him often.


xbonez said:


> 10. regularly, like every second or third day, groom and brush your dog's fur


This helps in keeping his fur and skin healthy, if he's not brushed properly, the skin does not breathe.

Above all advices, you should find a goos vet nearby your place and take the dog for a thorough checkup. The doc will give you more tips. And yes, im a dog owner too with two dogs (once lahsa apso and one pembroke weldge corgi), so lemme know if you need anything else


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## Pathik (May 20, 2008)

Pics please.


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## iMav (May 20, 2008)

i wonder if he eats apples


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## PcEnthu (May 20, 2008)

Congragulations for your new pet  Here are some tips from side, as i was a labrador owner myself once,

1. Keep the dog away from your living room and never ever allow the dog to sleep on your bed coz dogs carry some infectious viri in their skin which doesn't possess any danger to them, but are harmfull to the humans

2. Dogs tend to assciate only one person as their master. So decide amongst yourselves and let him alone train the dog

3. As dogs have poor eye sight, they recognise their master with his voice. So instead of visual clues for activities speak out a word. This way they will learn the tricks lot faster

Thats what i remember now. And as the early responders said, dont feed the dog sweets, especially the coco flavoured ones. They are highly hazardous to its health


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## MetalheadGautham (May 20, 2008)

yes one main point: *chocolate is poison for dogs.*


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## kalpik (May 20, 2008)

^^ True.. Very true..


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## xbonez (May 20, 2008)

avoid or in fact DON'T give the following things

chocolate - bad for heart
grapes, raisins - bad for liver or kidney...can't remember which one


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## neocon (May 20, 2008)

Ya Aryayush, some Hi-resolution pictures of your new pup will brighten up many people's evening today


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## saurabh kakkar (May 20, 2008)

sorry this Q is bit offtopic but someone plz help me :
I wana know where Can i buy a Good pure breed dog in South delhi 
and how much will it cost ??


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## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

I've read all the other posts only now, after typing my reply, so I'll reply to them in short order. Pics are coming soon too. 

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xbonez said:


> congrats aayush..let me tell you, this is the best 6,800 rupees you have or will spend ever in your life..i have a labrador retreiver myself, and first hand experience says they are THE most affectionate dogs...


Yeah, so I've heard. Mine is biting me a lot though and I can't honestly say it doesn't hurt. Gotta get it some toys to chew on.



xbonez said:


> which one have u got? a golden one or a black...male or female?


It's a fawn (golden) coloured male.



xbonez said:


> feel free to contact me whenever you want


Would you mind PMing me your name and phone number? 



xbonez said:


> 1. start training your dog early...when its around 6 months old...


You mean, not right away? I'd been thinking of starting when it was a couple months old.



xbonez said:


> i prefer not to teach my dog tricks...i did not get it for a circus.


Yeah, me neither. I'd much rather see it performing it's own tricks.



xbonez said:


> 2. until the age of about 4-5 months, that is till its vaccination shots aren't complete, don't take it out of the house much


OK, so how do you propose I teach it to excrete out of the house? And when it does it in the house (and it seems to do so every half an hour), is there any easy way to clean it, without getting down and dirty?



xbonez said:


> 3. milk is very gud for your dog during its puppyhood...however don't give it cow's milk, that is more difficult to digest. dilute the milk you give it


Oh, that's a useful tip. I'd been thinking of giving it pure cow's milk. Should I purchase those Himul packets for it instead?



xbonez said:


> 4. labradors generally tend to put on weight very fast and easily. keep a careful check on its diet throughout its lifeitme


Yeah, this is another oft heard anecdote. I'll keep it in mind (it's difficult to resist when you look at it's cute face though).



xbonez said:


> 5. bathe it no more than 2 time a MONTH...ideally once  month is gud enough. there are certain oils secreted by its skin to its fur that shud not be washed off too soon


Right. Noted for future reference.



xbonez said:


> 6. play with it a lot...labradors love human company. pet it and stuff...though it may seem very cuddly, avoid hugging it. dogs do not like hugging and find it stressful


Another very useful tip. I can imagine myself wanting to hug it when it grows to it's full size.



xbonez said:


> 7. from an early age of around 4-6months make it meet people and other dogs under supervision of course. that ensures it grows up to be a socialable dog..


Yeah, I know and have every intention to do so.



xbonez said:


> this is assuming you aren't looking for a guard dog, coz if u were, you got the wrong breed mate


Yes, I know. I wasn't looking for a guard dog.



xbonez said:


> 8. NEVER EVER hit you dog. keep scolding to a minimum too. labradors are very sensitive creatures.


So, how to teach it not to excrete in the house and all those commands and stuff?



xbonez said:


> 9. there's this food supplement available in the market by the name of 'Nutricoat'. i suggest you give it to your dog. you just need to add a tablespoon to its food. not now of course, when its grown up a bit. it does wonders to its fur coat
> 
> 10. regularly, like every second or third day, groom and brush your dog's fur
> 
> ...


Noted.



xbonez said:


> congratulations once again. also, do tell us what have you named it.


Happy.



xbonez said:


> since you explicitly asked about the diet, i'll tell you my dog's diet.
> 
> in puppyhood it was mainly milk (diluted) with cerelac and after a little while bread etc. bananas are gud too since they're relatively easy to digest
> 
> ...


So, are you a vegetarian too? Is your dog healthy and playful on a vegetarian diet?

Also, would it mind if I kept it in the shed below and not in our flat itself? We have our own two-storied house so space is not an issue but since my father doesn't want it roaming in the house (and spreading its smell), we want to make it stay in a crate below.

I have a lot more questions but this is it for now.


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## iMav (May 20, 2008)

i see aayush is In Pursuit Of Happypoop


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## Ethan_Hunt (May 20, 2008)

One question to the existing owners who mentioned this point constantly.Why is it not wise to bathe a dog daily? Fur fall issues? 

Congrats Aryayush.My friend's lab is now almost a year old now & seems extremely huge.These chums are the cutest when they are in their childhood.


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## Faun (May 20, 2008)

A good puppy has habit of not peeing or shitting on the place where it live. 

Make a schedule to take it out for 3-4 times a day after meal, in the morning is a must.

Since the puppy is small and will be fed on milk for most of the days now, dont worry abt solid waste.



allwyndlima said:


> One question to the existing owners who mentioned this point constantly.Why is it not wise to bathe a dog daily? Fur fall issues?
> 
> Congrats Aryayush.My friend's lab is now almost a year old now & seems extremely huge.These chums are the cutest when they are in their childhood.


dogs dont love bathing  mine takes bath 2 times a week and he goes all bonker to rub put single drop of water. 

And summer days are the worst days for dogs.


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## phreak0ut (May 20, 2008)

Like MetalHead told, chocolates are poisonous, but I don't see my neighbour's dog showing any signs of heart attack  Well, it's VERY fat and it's so damn lazy to even bark!! They feed it all kinds of junk. If they don't know how to handle dogs, I don't know why people want to get them. Aayush, make sure you put a place somewhere outside the house with lot of newspapers. Dogs like to pee on 'em. I've heard a lot of people say this, though I personally don't own a pet, I constantly hear stuff from my cousin 

Labradors need lot of exercise. Take him for a jog or let him run in the evenings or mornings where there is less traffic. But make sure he doesn't interact with the strays in anyway.


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## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

WOW! This is like information overload. 

I can't take it out of the house right now. The vet advised me to keep it inside in its infancy.

For those of you who wanted to see some pictures, here you go:

*farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2509012336_2a2ae655cb.jpg

Click on it to go to my photo gallery. I have nine more pictures there. 

I don't have a good camera, so the indoor pictures suck. If I find him sleeping with sunshine falling on him, I'll snap a few decent pictures.


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## prasad_den (May 20, 2008)

^^^ Thats cho chweet....!!


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## Faun (May 20, 2008)

^^cute


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## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

Labrador Retriever puppies are some of the cutest. It's a shame that they grow so fast though.


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## iMav (May 20, 2008)

aryayush said:


> *I don't have a good camera*, so the indoor pictures *suck*.


 

o btw any plans of having an apple pendant dangling from his collar


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## eggman (May 20, 2008)

It looks cho chweet in the photo..............Congrats Ayush, thats a real sweet dog!!!!I wish i had one....


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## kalpik (May 20, 2008)

aryayush said:


> Mine is biting me a lot though and I can't honestly say it doesn't hurt. Gotta get it some toys to chew on.


You should discourage it from chewing or biting. Its your hands right now, will be foot accessories in no time 



aryayush said:


> You mean, not right away? I'd been thinking of starting when it was a couple months old.


You can start as soon as the dog starts responding to what you say (you will know when is the "right" time yourself  ) The earlier, the better.



aryayush said:


> OK, so how do you propose I teach it to excrete out of the house? And when it does it in the house (and it seems to do so every half an hour), is there any easy way to clean it, without getting down and dirty?


Scold him.. They understand when you are angry at them, and they also realize their mistake (they will even start apologizing to you in no time  ). If you wanna be more stern, use the newspaper trick.. Roll up a newspaper, and hit it on the floor next to the dog. Pretending to hit the dog also works (act like its a HUGE punch, and then just stop close to the dog, and just slightly touch it  )



aryayush said:


> Oh, that's a useful tip. I'd been thinking of giving it pure cow's milk. Should I purchase those Himul packets for it instead?


Make sure the milk is diluted.. Its actually the same kinda milk that is fed to human babies.. Ask your mom, she would know 



aryayush said:


> So, are you a vegetarian too? Is your dog healthy and playful on a vegetarian diet?


Both my dogs are also healthy on a veg diet. They are given chapaties with milk and some sugar (or horlics) and sometimes even some Jaggery. Also they are given one chewstick a day (ask your vet about this). The chewstick is good for fur and their teeth.



aryayush said:


> Also, would it mind if I kept it in the shed below and not in our flat itself? We have our own two-storied house so space is not an issue but since my father doesn't want it roaming in the house (and spreading its smell), we want to make it stay in a crate below.


Dogs live for affection, it will certainly not like it if he sleeps without company 

Once again, congrats on your new pet 

One more thing i noticed in the pic in which your sister is holding him. That's not the correct way to hold a puppy. You should ALWAYS keep his feet together (put your hands on his shoulders and sorta push em together while holding him) otherwise his legs would get deformed and it doesn't look good


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## Faun (May 20, 2008)

kalpik said:


> You should discourage it from chewing or biting. Its your hands right now, will be foot accessories in no time
> 
> You should ALWAYS keep his feet together (put your hands on his shoulders and sorta push em together while holding him) otherwise his legs would get deformed and it doesn't look good


let it chew your fingers  puppys got suckling habits and nothing satisfies more than that. I guess his teeth are too weak to harm you. Remember its a member of ur family and shares every right that you do.


yeah do care abt the legs.


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## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

Oh, its teeth may be weak but they sure are sharp, man. They'll definitely pierce my skin if I allow it to really sink them into it. So I just let it nip a little and then jerk my hand/foot away when it pricks.

Thanks to everyone for the congratulations and for calling the puppy cute. 

Thanks for the words of wisdom, kalpik. Do you think I should employ a dog trainer?


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## kalpik (May 20, 2008)

You should only employ a dog trainer if you need your dog to do circus tricks


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## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

I don't, but I'm not sure I have what it takes to train it to do the simplest and most essential of tasks, like sit, stay, heel, etc.

I don't want to keep trying for a few months and end up unsuccessful with an unruly dog. Also, I just wish I had someone who'd cleanup after the dog for me.


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## kalpik (May 20, 2008)

Lol! One more thing.. You are saying its crapping every half an hour.. I think something is wrong with him if he's doing that every half an hour


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## eggman (May 20, 2008)

By the way, what's the name of it? iPuppy, iDoggy, iTommy???


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## Faun (May 20, 2008)

^^lol


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## kalpik (May 20, 2008)

eggman said:


> By the way, what's the name of it? iPuppy, iDoggy, iTommy???


Happy.


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## prasad_den (May 20, 2008)

eggman said:


> By the way, what's the name of it? iPuppy, iDoggy, iTommy???


h*Appy*....!! Thats what he's calling it..!


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## s18000rpm (May 20, 2008)

na matter what you give your pet as food, *NEVER EVER GIVE CHOCOLATEs.*

it cause long term liver damage & ulimately kills.


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## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

Yeah, I know. No chocolates.



kalpik said:


> Lol! One more thing.. You are saying its crapping every half an hour.. I think something is wrong with him if he's doing that every half an hour


It pees that frequently. The crapping is limited to twice daily. Every half an hour might be a slight exaggeration, but it sure pees more than ten times throughout the day.



prasad_den said:


> h*Appy*....!! Thats what he's calling it..!


LOL! You guys can spot even non-existent relations to Apple. 



eggman said:


> By the way, what's the name of it? iPuppy, iDoggy, iTommy???


Hey, it's not too late. I think I'll call it iHappy.


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## kalpik (May 20, 2008)

Peeing is OK..


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## jxcess2 (May 20, 2008)

Hey aryayush, your avatar shows a pic of half osama & half christ. what r u trying to say?


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## aryayush (May 20, 2008)

It's Steve Jobs in the centre of it (photoshopped into looking like Osama and the Christ) and I'm trying to say that he is half evil and half awesome. 

Don't worry. It's got nothing to do with Christianity or terrorism. It's just appreciation of the splendid Photoshop skills of Gizmodo readers.


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## jxcess2 (May 21, 2008)

Feed your dog pork atleast twice a week. This way it will grow up to be huge and look menacing, good for keeping burglars away.


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## aryayush (May 21, 2008)

Burglars aren't an issue and my dog is going to have a pure vegetarian diet.

And I don't want it to look menacing.


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## jxcess2 (May 21, 2008)

aryayush said:


> Burglars aren't an issue and my dog is going to have a pure vegetarian diet.
> 
> And I don't want it to look menacing.



Then u r depriving ur dog of required nutrition. I am not sure if vegetarian diets suit big dogs. It may start looking weak. Also your dog may not be happy with your choice. It's his life, after all.


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## xbonez (May 21, 2008)

PcEnthu said:


> As dogs have poor eye sight, they recognise their master with his voice. So instead of visual clues for activities speak out a word. This way they will learn the tricks lot faster



Dogs may not have an eyesight but that doesn't mean they're near blind. my dog responds to sit, stay, stand up and bark by hand commands as well as words.




PcEnthu said:


> Keep the dog away from your living room and never ever allow the dog to sleep on your bed coz dogs carry some infectious viri in their skin which doesn't possess any



untrue...my dog roams around freely around the house and on the sofa too, though not on the bed. never have i had a problem because of that. as long as your dog doesn't have a skin infection, it is perfectly safe to you.




aryayush said:


> Yeah, so I've heard. Mine is biting me a lot though and I can't honestly say it doesn't hurt. Gotta get it some toys to chew on.



yeah, i know...puppies have amazingly sharp teeth..get it some toys to chew on or its gonna start shredding stuff in ur house. waise, in misha's puppyhood (thats my dog), i never expresly scolded it for chewing on my hand. no that she grown up, if i put a chicken bone in her mouth with my hand, she refuses to bite the chicken bone. even sometimes when i play with her, and like really mock irritate her, she will bare her teeth and all (in a manner that can scare the sh1t out of anyone), and while playing she'll snap at me, but the moment her teeth touch my skin, she bites so softly i can't even feel it....as a dig grows up, it realises that its teeth hurt and it becomes very very careful.



aryayush said:


> It's a fawn (golden) coloured male.



thats nice...mine's black



aryayush said:


> Would you mind PMing me your name and phone number?



done



aryayush said:


> You mean, not right away? I'd been thinking of starting when it was a couple months old.



4-6 months will be fine...be patient though..don't expect miracles..overnight...simple tricks like sit, stay, bark etc will take 4-7 days for it to get the drift..it'll perfect over the time as the command becomes more clear and also as it starts respecting u more



aryayush said:


> Yeah, me neither. I'd much rather see it performing it's own tricks.



oh! beleive me, a dog, especially in its puppyhood, will perform such funny antics..you'll be ROFLing



aryayush said:


> OK, so how do you propose I teach it to excrete out of the house? And when it does it in the house (and it seems to do so every half an hour), is there any easy way to clean it, without getting down and dirty?





aryayush said:


> So, how to teach it not to excrete in the house and all those commands and stuff?


take it out every hr or so in the hope it'll releive itself when outside..make sure you keep it away from mud.
start toilet training at around 60 days..go slow and be patient. i taught my dog in this way - everytime it wud do 'it' in the house, take it to that spot, point its snout at the 'it' so it knows what u're intending to show it and scold it
no, there's only one way to clean it and that involves getting down and dirty. 
maverick340 once tried covering the poop with paper and lighting  it on fire...it didn't work



aryayush said:


> Oh, that's a useful tip. I'd been thinking of giving it pure cow's milk. Should I purchase those Himul packets for it instead?



avoid cow's milk...give it buffalo's milk diluted. not sure what Himul packets are, but nothing's better than natural milk. i suggest buffalo's milk + water



aryayush said:


> So, are you a vegetarian too? Is your dog healthy and playful on a vegetarian diet?


no, actually we're not vegetarians. intially we would give it chicken everyday, but then she got addicted to chicken and wouldn't eat food if there wasn't chicken in her food. somehow we weaned her off it. now we give her chicken and/or eggs every once in a while, but only because she likes it. when she grows up, as i had said, let her one meal consist of Pedigree (we give Pedigree adult Chicken and Vegetables). give the same flavour if its not a problem.



aryayush said:


> Also, would it mind if I kept it in the shed below and not in our flat itself?


ideally, no...labradors require human company more than any other breed. if you keep it secluded it might grow up to be not very socialable.
as for ur dad, don't worry. when my dad and i got misha, we didn't even tell mom...she was totally against keeping dogs. now, she loves misha as much as she loves me



allwyndlima said:


> Why is it not wise to bathe a dog daily? Fur fall issues?


bathe it no more than 2 time a MONTH...ideally once month is gud enough. there are certain oils secreted by its skin to its fur that shud not be washed off too soon



jxcess2 said:


> Then u r depriving ur dog of required nutrition. I am not sure if vegetarian diets suit big dogs. It may start looking weak. Also your dog may not be happy with your choice. It's his life, after all.



ok, thats seriously shi1tty advice...sorry. if u don't feed ur dog non-veg u r not depriving it in anyway, and it most definitely can be as healthy as any other dog on an all-veg diet. when it grows up, you can give it non-veg flavoured dog food if its not a problem once a day...Pedigree dog food is just small pellets - no matter which flavour u buy..so i don;t think it shud be a problem.


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## phreak0ut (May 21, 2008)

xbonez- The true dog lover


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## aryayush (May 22, 2008)

xbonez said:


> yeah, i know...puppies have amazingly sharp teeth..get it some toys to chew on or its gonna start shredding stuff in ur house. waise, in misha's puppyhood (thats my dog), i never expresly scolded it for chewing on my hand. no that she grown up, if i put a chicken bone in her mouth with my hand, she refuses to bite the chicken bone. even sometimes when i play with her, and like really mock irritate her, she will bare her teeth and all (in a manner that can scare the sh1t out of anyone), and while playing she'll snap at me, but the moment her teeth touch my skin, she bites so softly i can't even feel it....as a dig grows up, it realises that its teeth hurt and it becomes very very careful.


Well, I sure hope he does. If he kept nipping me like that even after becoming a full grown Labrador Retriever, I might as well just hack off my limbs myself and feed it to him. 



xbonez said:


> take it out every hr or so in the hope it'll releive itself when outside..make sure you keep it away from mud.
> start toilet training at around 60 days..go slow and be patient. i taught my dog in this way - everytime it wud do 'it' in the house, take it to that spot, point its snout at the 'it' so it knows what u're intending to show it and scold it
> no, there's only one way to clean it and that involves getting down and dirty.


Yeah, I guess so. I'm going to have a custom mop made for the peeing. I'll have a cloth tied to the end of a wooden stick. That way, I won't actually have to bend down and wipe it with my hands.



xbonez said:


> avoid cow's milk...give it buffalo's milk diluted. not sure what Himul packets are, but nothing's better than natural milk. i suggest buffalo's milk + water


The vet said that cow's milk and water mixed in a 1:1 ratio ought to be good enough, but he told me to start feeding it milk only after it was two months old.



xbonez said:


> when it grows up, you can give it non-veg flavoured dog food if its not a problem once a day...Pedigree dog food is just small pellets - no matter which flavour u buy..so i don;t think it shud be a problem.


It is. No non-vegetarian food is allowed anywhere near the Arya household, be it in any shape or form. I intend to keep it on a strictly vegetarian diet.


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## xbonez (May 22, 2008)

aryayush said:


> It is. No non-vegetarian food is allowed anywhere near the Arya household, be it in any shape or form. I intend to keep it on a strictly vegetarian diet.



thats no problem then.. a gud vegetarian diet will keep your dog as healthy as any other diet. diet shud consist of wheat, lots of veggies and water. once in a while u can add stuff such as soya or nuggets..its gud.


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## Faun (May 22, 2008)

Here is something for u all to enjoy 
*www.esmondrott.com/rott_fun.htm


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## xbonez (May 22, 2008)

^^ hilarious pics and so cute too


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## Pathik (May 22, 2008)

aryayush said:


> Yeah, I guess so. I'm going to have a custom mop made for the peeing. I'll have a cloth tied to the end of a wooden stick. That way, I won't actually have to bend down and wipe it with my hands.



ROFL, Dude, we can do without the details of how you are going to clean your dog's poop.


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## narangz (May 22, 2008)

I've heard Honey too is a poison for dogs.

Here's a forum for your questions:
*www.mysmartpuppy.com/community.html

Click on forums at the bottom.

It's a forum by Sarah Wilson. She's one of the best trainers around. She's registered as SW845 there.


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## drgrudge (May 22, 2008)

Anytime small is cute. I find Elephant, rat, pig, whale, bear, rhino and of course humans cute in their respective young age.  


Congrats on the dog. I always loved to have a dog (more of a dog person than a cat person), maybe someday I'll have one.


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## praka123 (May 22, 2008)

with cats no worry of p00ping!   
Dogs should be kept always outside the house.atleast thats what sane ppl does


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## eggman (May 22, 2008)

praka123 said:


> Dogs should be kept always outside the house.atleast thats what sane ppl does



??? What the point of having a Dag then, if you keep it outside always. Streets dags are those who always stay outside, not the pet dags. And Are you calling Arya _in_sane just cause he's a Mac supporter and not a Linux one? Is it?


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## phreak0ut (May 22, 2008)

^eggy-What is this dags?


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## eggman (May 22, 2008)

Yeah dags, do you like dags??


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## praka123 (May 22, 2008)

well,what I meant is normally dogs are kept outside courtyard in  a cage.
I hate those who keep dogs inside their houses  stinging you know!  I know a friend of mine who keeps the dog in toilet  !


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## Yamaraj (May 22, 2008)

Just one tip for the time being: stop treating him like a dog and yourself as the owner. Be a big brother or father to him instead. That alone should solve most of the problems.


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## hullap (May 22, 2008)

Yamaraj said:


> Be a big brother or *father *to him instead. .


OMG, then whose the mother


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## gary4gar (May 22, 2008)

hullap said:


> OMG, then whose the mother


You dirty mind


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## Faun (May 22, 2008)

praka123 said:


> with cats no worry of p00ping!
> Dogs should be kept always outside the house.atleast thats what sane ppl does


lol...man its all about upbringing.


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## eggman (May 22, 2008)

hullap said:


> OMG, then whose the mother


Probably some b!tch!!


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## aryayush (May 22, 2008)

I'll take big brother. I hate it when people call their dogs their babies and stuff like that. If your dog is your baby, then you've committed some serious moral crimes, man.


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## gary4gar (May 22, 2008)

aryayush said:


> I'll take big brother. I hate it when people call their dogs their babies and stuff like that. If your dog is your baby, then you've committed some serious moral crimes, man.


x x x x


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## Angie1313 (May 22, 2008)

be a big brother to my dog????  Actually I probably treat my dog better than I treat my little brothers.


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## Faun (May 22, 2008)

Lol...u were one of those 3 bosses in NFS carbon.

Give ur dog a ride to canyon


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## aryayush (May 23, 2008)

Guys, that little critter just ate some chocolate. It was playing in our little garden and apparently there was a bar of Kit Kat lying around. He was just getting started when I caught him, threw out the bar and cleaned up his mouth thoroughly.

Do I need to be worried?


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## Faun (May 23, 2008)

no, a little bit of anything doesn't hurt

remember every chemical can cause cancer in chemistry lab, but our body is able to resist a little bit.

Even I give a small pice of chocolate once or twice a month

and did i tell ya that onion is bad for dogs too, but wat if u hav them in vegetables

PS: Btw dont be too paranoid and dont do silly things like dog trainer etc, the dog needs care from its owner and not from someone else. 
And just check that his legs do not deform, its a common thing that can happen due to less calcium and do some massage to legs too.
And dogs usually show some signs and gesture i they want to pee or sh!t. Just observe them and do as appropriate.


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## confused (May 23, 2008)

@ayush - nice dag. hope to get one some day. i once brought home a street dag, but parents forced me to give it up.. 
btw - in the few hours that i had it for i gave it a bath two times, and it was february!!! poor dog. realized my mistake much later only...



eggman said:


> Yeah dags, do you like dags??


i like dags and i like snatch


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## kalpik (May 23, 2008)

Arya: I don't mean to hijack your thread, but here are some pics of my pets Fruity and Coffee: *www.flickr.com/photos/7801909@N03/sets/72157605209627306/

I hope you don't mind


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## aryayush (May 23, 2008)

Hey, why would I mind! I was actually going to ask you to post some pictures of them myself. Other dog owners in this thread are welcome to share their pets’ pictures too. I don't mind if it turns into a thread all about dogs or something. Maybe we'll even have the title changed. I don't think there are any other dog-related threads out there. 

Awesome dogs, by the way, kalpik. I particularly love Coffee, both the name and the dog (not the beverage though). You _so_ need to get a decent camera.

@Ayush, we'd love it if you could post a picture of your Labrador Retriever too.


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## kalpik (May 23, 2008)

Actually some of the pics are from N70 and some are from N82.. Try the ones from N82, they should look much better


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## aryayush (May 23, 2008)

Yeah, I can see that some of them look better than the others. You don't have a digital camera?


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## kalpik (May 23, 2008)

Nope.. I don't have a digital camera.. That was one of the reasons i got the N82. 5 MP is good enough for me


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## xbonez (May 23, 2008)

Here's Misha : 

*img210.imageshack.us/img210/5892/misha83ah7.th.jpg    *img68.imageshack.us/img68/7808/misha41wh5.th.jpg    *img210.imageshack.us/img210/7985/misha7ol1.th.jpg


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## thepirateboy (May 23, 2008)

hers my Jessy

*i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/rish1984/Image020-1.jpg


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## aryayush (May 23, 2008)

Whoa, thumbnails man, thumbnails.

Cute dog, though I'm not a big fan of the hairy type.


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## thepirateboy (May 23, 2008)

she back at home with my parents in Lucknow....was missing her thats why bought those two pups


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## goobimama (May 24, 2008)

THANK YOU GUYS!

[Rushes off to the store to buy lots and lots of Chocolate  ]


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## iMav (May 24, 2008)

^^  next what u gonna kill the vodafone dog


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## goobimama (May 24, 2008)

I've been trying to put our two dogs six feet under for a long time now. This method will be very efficient. I'll be the loving guy who gives chocolate to the dog


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## ArZuNeOs (May 24, 2008)

praka123 said:


> with cats no worry of p00ping!
> Dogs should be kept always outside the house.atleast thats what sane ppl does



Sorry for barging in so late ...was away ....to visit Mom & Dad & spend my Bday with them

Who says Cats p00p outside......a kitten away from its mommy cat won't
My mom once raised a kitten bcause its mom died ...& the lil one always p00ped inside the house & inside perfect hidden corners....



aryayush said:


> Well, I sure hope he does. If he kept nipping me like that even after becoming a full grown Labrador Retriever, I might as well just hack off my limbs myself and feed it to him.



Well arya ...there is one ol trick to wane any bad habit ....
My cousin bro's pup used to  chew my toes then later our shoes ,slippers....especially the rubber models & also ripped apart a sofa when we left her alone in the house for 18 hours...everyone had to go .....

Then my aunty told of one trick ....
Hold the puppy still after committing any bad habit...like catch it when it chews ur slippers......gently tap its nose .....they are its sensitive part & they dont generally like tapping .....

Also check whether its nose is dry...if so ...then they require water

Ur dog is a he ...so treat it like a kid brother.....i dont have any sisters nor brothers & my dog is my sister ...better yet she is my mom's First Child/Daughter.....

Oh & if u have the habit of toasting bread with butter .....puppies luv the smell of it & avoid giving it to ur temptations.....so goes for pasteries which have cream on it...like cake....

I will tell an interesting story..

My dad's friend came to see us & gave a large box containing 6 Black forest cakes...yea the same black forest  [from nilgiris...its on of the best bakery shops in the chennai ...yeah the superstore near mylapore]

we holed out 2 ....and left the box on the centerpiece & went to the garden for speaking .....my siesta [i call her rhyming it with sister.....get the meaning ...always asleep]pushed the box down & lapped up every tiny morsel in the box & licked it clean ...slumped down right next to it...when we came in Uncle was laughing a lot....we on the other hand felt ashamed.....she never ate 2 meals after that...no punishment ...rather !! the effect of Black forest

Yeah saw the photos man...too cute puppy...like grudge says every kiddo looks beautifull....

also veggy diet is good for the labrador pups man.....no hassles for it...except for the guard dogs......the big indigeneos Indian Dogs the korai ,rajapalayam etc.,


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## Faun (May 24, 2008)

Here's mine:
*static.howstuffworks.com/gif/how-scooby-doo-works-5.jpg


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## aryayush (May 25, 2008)

ArZuNeOs said:


> Well arya ...there is one ol trick to wane any bad habit ....
> My cousin bro's pup used to  chew my toes then later our shoes ,slippers....especially the rubber models & also ripped apart a sofa when we left her alone in the house for 18 hours...everyone had to go .....
> 
> Then my aunty told of one trick ....
> Hold the puppy still after committing any bad habit...like catch it when it chews ur slippers......gently tap its nose .....they are its sensitive part & they dont generally like tapping .....


OK, I’ll try that when he’s older. Thanks! 

I think Happy is herbivorous or something. He likes to eat grass and leaves.


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## narangz (May 25, 2008)

Those things eat grass and leaves when their tummies are upset


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## xbonez (May 25, 2008)

yeah...whenever they can't digest food or their tummy is upset, they'll eat grass...it helps them to throw up. don't stop it from doing so coz otherwise it'll be very uncomfortable


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## aryayush (May 25, 2008)

But it’s not even two months old yet and is being fed only cerelac mixed with water and a few medicines. Why would it have trouble digesting?

I think it doesn’t know that dogs aren’t supposed to eat grass…


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## confused (May 25, 2008)

aryayush said:


> I think it doesn’t know that dogs aren’t supposed to eat grass…


i am sure it knows, coz its an animal, and animals live by their instincts


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## xbonez (May 25, 2008)

well, generally dog eats grass due to indigestion and stuff....but currently its only a puppy and my bet is its eating simply out of curiosity...puppies like to put anything new in their mouth. especially since its vaccines aren't complete yet, you shudn't let it eat grass or mud


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## aryayush (May 25, 2008)

Yeah, that’s what I figured. I stuck my fingers into its mouth (I’d never been courageous enough to do that before but this is my dog, so I was pretty sure it wouldn’t bite me) and got out whatever I could, bit I guess it swallowed a little.

I hope it doesn’t mess up with his system or anything.


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## narangz (May 25, 2008)

Let it eat grass. It doesn't harm dogs. Just dont let him over eat food which will cause indigestion & vomitings.

Ask such questions also in the forum link I gave previously. You'll get professional advice


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## ArZuNeOs (May 26, 2008)

aryayush said:


> OK, I’ll try that when he’s older. Thanks!
> 
> I think Happy is herbivorous or something. He likes to eat grass and leaves.



Sheesh arya ....what others say its true

Doggies eat leaves....prefer [Arugampull] in tamil.....what lord Ganapathy Loves...try googling the name for its equivalent.....try to digest things...this is instinct

Try keeping 2 bowls...one for food & one for Water.....give it plenty of water...i guess ur pup hasn't drunk water a lot....

one more tip....sukkling is innate for puppies....miss their mom....guess what ...He will listen to u rather than others in the house....so go ahead for training


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## aryayush (May 26, 2008)

ArZuNeOs said:


> Try keeping 2 bowls...one for food & one for Water.....give it plenty of water...i guess ur pup hasn't drunk water a lot....


Not at all. The vet said that I shouldn’t feed it any water for a week, so I haven’t. Should I?


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## kalpik (May 26, 2008)

No water for the pup? :O I'm really not sure about that! IMO you should give him water! But im skeptical now since the vet has asked you specifically not to do it  Anyway, wait for others to respond


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## xbonez (May 26, 2008)

i'll just reiterate arya...while dogs naturally eat grass, and you shudn't stop a grown up dog from following its instincts, your is a pup at the moment, and it wudn't even have completed all its vaccines yet. So, DO NOT let it eat grass. my vet had told me not to take misha out on mud and grass until she was atleast 3 months old


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## ArZuNeOs (May 26, 2008)

yeah me too am confused with the vet

Observe Happy.....is he panting.....breathing abnormally ....sleeping with eyes open ...tongues out....

confirm with the vet ....also tell to him that Happy is feeding on grass & suckles ...ur observations on the above.....mostly would mean nothing but still check it out
Also check whether the food is warm and not cold....warm and not hot...

does the room temp is too hot or is he strolling in the AC room....

BTW how many times do u feed him..


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## narangz (May 26, 2008)

xbonez said:


> i'll just reiterate arya...while dogs naturally eat grass, and you shudn't stop a grown up dog from following its instincts, your is a pup at the moment, and it wudn't even have completed all its vaccines yet. So, DO NOT let it eat grass. my vet had told me not to take misha out on mud and grass until she was atleast 3 months old




Mud & grass don't harm a pup & I am amazed why the vet told Aayush to not give it water. Water won't hurt in summers & it's not that small! Aayush, please ask at that forum!
*familydog.yuku.com/directory


Just don't let it eat mud and don't let street dogs come near it. Playing in mud & grass won't hurt. Strange logic.


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## xbonez (May 26, 2008)

narangz said:


> Mud & grass don't harm a pup & I am amazed why the vet told Aayush to not give it water. Water won't hurt in summers & it's not that small! Aayush, please ask at that forum!
> *familydog.yuku.com/directory
> 
> 
> Just don't let it eat mud and don't let street dogs come near it. Playing in mud & grass won't hurt. Strange logic.



mud and grass contain a lot of germs and a pup's tummy is very sensitive...he can get a lot of infections


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## narangz (May 26, 2008)

_Arey_ that's why I am saying don't let it eat mud. Supervise when it's playing on grass or mud. 

It's horibble if it stays only on concrete floors!

Anyway I am not a vet but IMHO not giving it water(it's not that young) & not allowing it to play on mud & grass is screwed logic. Better ask another vet or ask on that forum. You'll get wonderful advice from Sarah & members there. I am telling you this again & again coz it'll benefit you. However it's upto you


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## shashank_re (May 26, 2008)

Still waiting for pics......


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## narangz (May 26, 2008)

^^ He already posted them 

*www.flickr.com/photos/aryayush/


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## xbonez (May 26, 2008)

yeah, i'm not very sure about the not giving water part too...but i think that since it drinks milk, it doesn't need water..there's no harm in it drinking water though


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## narangz (May 26, 2008)

Yes. It's not just a couple of days old. Also the weather is pretty much hot these days. Maybe it tries to cool itself by eating grass 

Aayush, have a look at it's nose. It should not be dry.


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## aryayush (May 26, 2008)

I’m a horrible owner. It turns out that I was feeding it less than it required, keeping it thirsty without any reason, giving it the medicines wrong and making it sleep improperly. Apparently, I’m lucky it has survived a week under my care. 

I’m trying to follow the vet’s advice more closely now.

@narangz,
I appreciate you pointing out that forum to me. Thank you! 

I’ll sign up if I ever need help with something and can’t find it here. I don’t really have time to visit another forum right now.


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## narangz (May 26, 2008)

aryayush said:


> I’m a horrible owner. It turns out that I was feeding it less than it required, keeping it thirsty without any reason, giving it the medicines wrong and making it sleep improperly. Apparently, I’m lucky it has survived a week under my care.
> 
> I’m trying to follow the vet’s advice more closely now.



What went wrong? Did you forget something?



aryayush said:


> @narangz,
> I appreciate you pointing out that forum to me. Thank you!
> 
> I’ll sign up if I ever need help with something and can’t find it here. I don’t really have time to visit another forum right now.



You are welcome  The forum members helped me a lot when I had a dog


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## aryayush (May 26, 2008)

narangz said:


> What went wrong? Did you forget something?


Yeah, well, I was supposed to gradually increase the diet but I didn’t. He isn’t supposed to be allowed to sleep on a gunny bag. And the vet apparently never asked me not to give it water.

I had it vaccinated today. One down, three more to go and then 21 days after that, I’ll be allowed to take it out of the house for walks and stuff.


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## narangz (May 26, 2008)

Oh. Okay. 
Anyway take due care of the pup. Be very careful from now onwards. 

This is the age when they develop habits & learn from you.
For the Pup, the whole family is the pack & you(I guess) are the leader. It'll learn more from the leader.


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## ArZuNeOs (May 27, 2008)

aryayush said:


> Yeah, well, I was supposed to gradually increase the diet but I didn’t. He isn’t supposed to be allowed to sleep on a gunny bag. And the vet apparently never asked me not to give it water.
> 
> I had it vaccinated today. One down, three more to go and then 21 days after that, I’ll be allowed to take it out of the house for walks and stuff.



Buddy relax man ....Its because u are too caring that u made some mistakes in the past...

Remember Happy suckled ur fingers...so he has taken u as his Boss/master...so he will listen to u only

If u are busy man ask ur sisters to take care of him ...because i guess they are now free ...guess its their holidays

Okay  planners to  go:
For the Box/Its Home
1) Find a old TV cardboard box.....or Monitor box....[ u can get one from  Paperwalla too ] Cut it into half.....i mean horizontally so one base of the box rests with the ground.
2) Fill it with old Matress/pillows ,top it with ur ol clothes like jeans ...make it sturdy  cloth materials
3) Allow passage way for Happy to get in and out....like this III_III

Put this in your room for now for 25 days ....after he goes outside for walk then put the setup in the garage...

As i said earlier 2 bowls for his food & water

when his teeth grows get some rubber toys for him...ask ur mum for advice ....they go for Duck toys....get sturdier rubber toys & not the el cheapo ones

Also check his behaviour with others...ur mom & Dad ,Sisters....check if he is afraid of anyone....this is because Labby pups are sensitive & may never get accusstomed to that person
More when appropriate time comes


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## xbonez (May 27, 2008)

hey, don't worry arya....no one's a perfect owner.

u know, the best advice i can give u is, once ur dog's a little older..say about 4-6 months, stop asking anyone anything, don't read any doggy parenting books...just take things according to your and your dog's instinct...they work the best. thats exactly what i've done and i have the happiest, healthiest and most play ful dog ever...and don't even get me strted on how affectionate she is


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## Faun (May 27, 2008)

aryayush said:


> But it’s not even two months old yet and is being fed only cerelac mixed with water and a few medicines. Why would it have trouble digesting?
> 
> I think it doesn’t know that dogs aren’t supposed to eat grass…


feed like you feed yourself, don't be too protective and caring, it can harm puppy unknowingly. And did I mention take the matter into your hands, no friggin vets and others, jus go by common sense. Vets are here to make profit, they even give your dog vaccine every year even if the single one of them is effective for 3 years, just to make extra bucks.

Imagine you are overfed or given a hell lot of vaccines just to make sure that u survive.


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