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First Dog - advice needed
- Thread starter Naughts
- Start date
Full kevlar body suits.
We have a now 5.5 month puppy, and while she is the sweetest creature on earth, she had to teethe. Those baby teeth are deadly.
Patience, setting of rules via body language, agreeing with others in the house on those rules, time to cuddle and lots of trips outside.
We have a now 5.5 month puppy, and while she is the sweetest creature on earth, she had to teethe. Those baby teeth are deadly.
Patience, setting of rules via body language, agreeing with others in the house on those rules, time to cuddle and lots of trips outside.
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
Staff member
Global Moderator ⚒️
Tank of the Month 🏆
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Consistency is key. Everyone in the household must adhere to the same rules so as not to confuse the pup. You MUST do obedience training, including recall, sit, stay and leave it. Using a clicker and high protein treats is very effective for training. Crate training is also, in my opinion, essential.
If its not house trained, you'll need to be making regular trips outside to start with. As you see the pup wee, say 'wees!' and reward with an excited 'good boy/girl!' Same with poos. Pretty soon you will have trained the dog to eliminate on command which believe me is a life saver
Patience and love is all you need
If its not house trained, you'll need to be making regular trips outside to start with. As you see the pup wee, say 'wees!' and reward with an excited 'good boy/girl!' Same with poos. Pretty soon you will have trained the dog to eliminate on command which believe me is a life saver
Patience and love is all you need
Last edited:
I've edited it to apply to relationships in generalConsistency is key. Everyone in the household must adhere to the same rules so as not to confuse the human. You MUST do obedience training,
Patience and love is all you need
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
Staff member
Global Moderator ⚒️
Tank of the Month 🏆
Pet of the Month 🎖️
That Lab pup is going to chew up everything you don’t want him to until he’s a year old and there isn’t a thing you can do about it .
Alice B
Fish Herder
Provide kong chew bones, the big rawhides are much loved until the dog swallows the whole thing and has to have surgery or a long vet stay until it passes.
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
Staff member
Global Moderator ⚒️
Tank of the Month 🏆
Pet of the Month 🎖️
Good point! Antler is very good for adult dogs but too hard for puppies, the puppy kong chews are a brilliant substitute for your slippers, table legs, briefcase, carpet, phone charger etc....I recommend you buy a billion and leave a couple in any room the puppy is welcome in
you might see if you can find a a group obedience class.. Group classes are much less expensive than private classes. The class will train you how to train your pup.
BEDS
You will need 2 beds or 1 big bed and some pillows to make it more cozy for the puppy. If you get 2 beds, one will be smaller and used for the first 6 months, then the second bigger bed will be the bed the adult dog uses. Get a trampoline bed. They are a metal frame with 4 legs, covered in a nylon or hessian cover and they sit about 6 inches off the ground.
Get a foam rubber mattress about 4 inches thick and wrap it in plastic. Then cover it in vinyl so the foam is not visible. The foam rubber breaks down over time and releases dust so sealing it up makes it safer for everyone. The mattress goes on top of the trampoline bed to offer some comfort. You can use a big pillow (or a couple of them) instead of a foam mattress. Put a sheet on the mattress or pillow cases on the pillows so you can wash them each week. Wash bedding with hot water (60C) to kill any worm or flea eggs.
You can also put rubber mats down on the ground with a towel on them for the dog to lay on when it doesn't want to use its main bed.
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WORMS, FLEAS, TICKS & RABIES
Puppies get dewormed regularly during the first few months of life. They are normally treated for round/ thread worms, which can be passed on to people and other animals so you need to talk to a vet or pet shop and get a puppy deworming medication. Most puppy dewormers are in a small bottle with an eye dropper in the lid. You suck some up and drip it into the puppy's mouth.
As the animal gets older they get dewormed less frequently. These days there are products that treat the dog for tapeworm, round worm, fleas and ticks all at the same time. Some also do heartworm, but that might not be necessary, depending on where you live. Talk to your vet about heartworm treatments for the dog. Adult dogs need a blood test before going onto heartworm medications to make sure they don't already have a heartworm infestation. If the dog does have a heartworm infection and it's given medication to kill heartworm, the worms can die and block up the heart or arteries and cause the dog to have a heart attack. Puppies are less likely to have heartworm.
The two main treatments I did for my dogs included a dewormer that was in a chew form. It is dewormer in a mixture of meat flavoured stuff and you give the dog however many chews they need (it's done by weight, 1 chew per 10kg). The dog eats the chew and medication in it. You can also buy deworming tablets and cover them in peanut butter, butter, cheese or ham and the dogs usually eat them. Some dogs don't like the hard tablet and will eat the butter but spit out the tablet. If you give the dog a little ball of butter, peanut butter, cheese, etc, each week as a treat, they get use to swallowing the food. Then each month you slip a tablet into one and the dog grabs it and gulps it down.
The other thing I used was a liquid flea and tick treatment that was applied to their back. They come in a small bottle with a dropper. You cut the top off and drip the liquid onto their back under the hair. The dog usually rolls about after that because it feels weird. You should wash the dog a few days before applying these types of treatment and don't let the dog get wet for 2 days after treatment so the chemical can spread over the skin.
The dewormer and flea treatments are applied monthly and if used correctly will prevent fleas and worms from causing problems. After the first year I only used the flea and tick treatment during spring and summer when fleas popped up. The rest of the year we didn't have fleas or ticks in the area.
Some ticks can cause mammalian meat allergies in people and dogs. If these ticks bite you or the dog and inject poison into you, whoever is bitten can develop an allergy or intolerance to mammal meat and won't be able to eat red meat again. Deer ticks can also be a problem in North America.
In Africa, America and Europe the dog might need to get vaccinated for rabies. This is especially important if you live in rural areas with bushland and wild animals nearby. If your dog gets rabies, it will normally be put down unless you can get treatment for it immediately.
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FOOD
When you get the puppy, find out what it is being fed and get the same food. If you change their diet suddenly, it can make them sick and they often require a visit to the vet. If you get the same food they are eating, you can gradually change it over a few months by adding small amounts of new foods to the diet. This way you reduce the chance of them getting an upset stomach and messing up the house. And believe me, cleaning up liquid puppy poo and puke first thing in the morning is not something you want to do.
Regarding feeding, use a puppy food for a large breed of dog. When the dog is an adult, get a normal adult dog food. Get a dry food with a low salt (sodium) content so the dog doesn't develop kidney problems.
You can feed the dog a variety of foods including dry food, cooked food and if you like, raw meat. However, raw meat does have drawbacks including more chance of bacterial and parasitic infections in the dog and people in the house. And raw meat is harder for the dog to digest compared to cooked meat. I always did cooked food for dogs. I would do a roast lamb, beef, pork and have some potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. The dogs got meat and some vegetables but no onions. Onions are bad for dogs, so are lots of other foods including grapes, chocolate and various nuts. Check online or talk to a vet about what plants and foods are poisonous to dogs. Other food I gave the dogs was stir fry, fish and chips, left over breakfast cereal when the kids didn't eat theirs. Basically most of the foods I ate, the dogs ate. They had a bowl of dry dog biscuits in the morning and they would eat that during the day. At night they got cooked meat and vegetables, sometimes with boiled rice. At least half the food they eat should be meat based.
*NB 1* NEVER FEED DOGS COOKED BONES. They can't digest the cooked bones and the bones regularly splinter and can get stuck in the dog's mouth, throat, stomach, intestine or bowel and require surgery to save the dog. Smoked ham bones are also cooked bones so don't give them to dogs either. The only bones given to dogs should be raw (uncooked) bones only.
*NB 2* Never feed any animal raw chicken or poultry products that have come from a commercial abattoir because they are contaminated with drug resistant bacteria that can kill you and the dog. Any poultry products from commercial abattoirs should be well cooked, and handled with care before it's cooked.
If you have chickens on your property and you kill them there, they are fine and shouldn't carry drug resistant bacteria, but anything from a shop will carry bacteria because they come from a commercial poultry abattoir. And all commercial poultry abattoirs around the world are contaminated with drug resistant bacteria.
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WATER BOWL
Have a decent sized stainless steel water bowl and a separate food bowl. The water bowl should be wider at the base so it's harder to tip over. Replace the water each day. You want several water bowls/ buckets/ containers around the backyard too so the dog can get a drink when it needs one. Have water bowls in the shade so they don't get hot.
Dogs can't sweat to reduce body heat so they drink and pant instead to cool off. They can also sit in a pond/ pool to help cool off, or under an air-conditioner or fan. If they don't have access to cool water and shade during hot weather, they can overheat and die. So have plenty of water around when it's warm/ hot outside, and if possible, bring the dog inside when it's hot.
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PECKING ORDER
Dogs are social animals and normally live in a pack with a pecking order. The alpha female is in charge and chooses an alpha male. The 2 of them rule the rest of the pack. If you let the dog become an alpha leader, you will have nothing but problems with it. The people in the house need to be higher ranking than the dog. The dog must be at the bottom of the pecking order.
The television shows you see about dogs behaving badly are about owners at the bottom of the pecking order while the cute little dog sits at the top.
To keep the dog at the bottom of the pecking order, you do the following.
1) Feed the dog after everyone in the house has eaten. The dog should watch/ see people eat first and then the dog gets fed. This simulates the alpha dogs eating first and the subordinate dogs eating last.
2) When you come home and the dog is jumping up and down at the back door barking away saying come to me, do not go to it. You come inside and unpack whatever you have. Put the car keys away and do whatever. When you have finished stuffing about, then go and open the door and say hi to the dog. The dog should have settled down and be waiting patiently before you go to it.
3) Don't let the dog jump up on you or anyone else when you come home. It's bad manors and not tolerated by an alpha dog.
4) Don't let the dog sleep on your bed. That is a definite no no no no no and no. The dog's bed should always be lower than the human's bed.
5) Don't let the dog jump up onto your lap when you are sitting down. Alpha dogs sit wherever they want including on top of other dogs if they don't move. If you let your dog jump up onto a couch or chair whenever it wants, that is bad. If you let the dog jump up onto the couch and lay or sit on you, that is really bad. That is the dog dominating an alpha position on you.
A subordinate dog should get up and move out of your way when you go to sit down or get up to walk around (assuming the dog is at your feet).
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INDOOR OR OUTDOOR DOG
The dog should live with people indoors but also have plenty of time outdoors. In a pack situation the dog would be with other dogs. Because you only have 1 dog, the humans will fill in as the other dogs and the new dog gets to be part of your pack. If a dog is kept outside on its own and the owners are inside, the dog will stress out. It's like keeping 1 Corydoras in a tank. Allowing the dog to live indoors or outdoors (when the weather is suitable) lets the dog be part of the pack indoors and have some independence by going outside whenever it wants.
If the dog has to live outside, have a decent sized kennel near the back door where the dog can see inside or smell the people through the screen door. Have the kennel in a shaded dry area. If it is really cold outside and you can't bring the dog inside, make sure the kennel is insulated and the trampoline bed has a foam mattress. You should also have a curtain over the opening of the kennel to help trap heat and reduce cold air getting in. Having said this, it's preferable to have the dog indoors as part of the family.
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EXERCISE
The dog must go for a walk every day. You should take the dog for a walk and feed it after you get home. This simulates the dog pack going hunting and eating after the hunt. The walk should be a minimum of 30 minutes and 1-2 hours (or more) is better. With younger dogs and puppies, several shorter walks of around 30 minutes each day might be sufficient. Increase the duration of the walks as the dog gets older. If the puppy is at a dog park running around with another puppy for an hour, that is fine. You will probably have to carry it home afterwards but it is fine for it to run around for that time playing with another dog.
During the walk the dog should be allowed to stop and sniff things. It's how they learn about the area they live in, through smells. They don't have to stop and sniff everything but they should be allowed to stop and sniff every 20-50 meters (yards). Most dogs are good and don't stop every few feet to sniff something but some do, and these need a little coaxing to get them moving. Most dogs only need 10-20 seconds to sniff something and if they are spending minutes sniffing, then say "come on" and give a gentle pull on the lead. Obviously if there's something interesting and the dog is having a good sniff, let it sniff for a minute, but that should be about maximum. Don't let it roll in anything, it's just gross to clean up. This can occur after a decent sniff of an area and when the dog doesn't pee on the area. Most dogs will pee on something other dogs have peed on so it's common for a dog to sniff something, then lift its leg.
The dog should also be allowed and encouraged to socialise with other people and animals when out on a walk. If you come across another dog, ask the owners if their dog is sociable before letting your dog run over to it. There have been plenty of puppies bitten because they ran to a strange dog that wasn't well socialised and the puppy was bitten because it didn't understand dog language and the bigger dog growling at it saying go away.
Don't let little kids come over and pat the dog unless you are holding the dog and you know how it interacts with other people and small children. Always have an adult with the dog whenever it's around children.
When the dog is really old, you can let it go to a park and sit down and watch the world go by. As they get older they still need exercise but you let the dog dictate the walk. If the dog walks to a park and sits down for an hour, that is fine. If the dog wants to walk a bit further, that is also fine.
You can check the local council's website for dog exercise areas. Take your dog there each day and meet the locals and their dogs. You can go at different times of the day until you find a group that works for your dog, then go at that time each day. Keep your dog on a lead until you know it's safe to let it off to run around with the others. Most dog parks have plastic doggy poo bags and bins for the waste. Grab 3 or 4 bags when you are there and carry them with you whenever you take the dog out.
You can vary the walks each day and that is good for the dog. They need a routine but they also need variation. I would take my dogs for a walk up to the shops and past the school in the morning. In the afternoon we went to the local dog park. At night we walked around a different area. Some days we would go to the beach, other days we would go to the CALM reserve (bushland). Sometimes we would go into the hills and spend a few hours bush walking (hiking). But every day at 5pm we went to the dog park where they ran around for 2 hours with their friends.
Taking them to a dog park at the same time each day (assuming weather and conditions are good) is a great way to have a routine in their life. The dog knows that at 5pm it's off to the dog park. They have an internal clock, which tells them the time and they are up and ready to go at 5 to 5. When they come home from the hunt (walk), the alpha dogs (humans) eat, and then the lower ranking dog eats. Then the dog sleeps. The next day they wake up and go through the same routine, preferably with a few other things like puppy preschool.
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BASIC TRAINING
The dog needs basic training as mentioned by CaptainBarnicles. It makes life a lot easier if the dog stops when you say stop, and comes when you say come. Food rewards work great for most dogs during training and you should take the dog to puppy school so it can learn basic dog language and so you can learn how to be in charge.
Most problems with dogs attacking other dogs or people are caused by bad owners. If a dog has issues with aggression, it is caused by the owners. Dogs are not naturally aggressive and don't normally go out of their way to attack people or other animals. Bad owners mess up the dog and then the dogs attacks things. Dogs that haven't been socialised can also be an issue.
Basic obedience and socalisation at a young age makes a world of difference to how the dog lives and interacts with others.
Socialisation also includes the dog learning dog language. Most puppies are taken from their mothers at 6-8 weeks of age, which is completely wrong. The breeders do it so they can get rid of the puppies earlier in life and don't have to feed them. The shops take puppies because they are cute little puppies and sell better than bigger dogs. Vets say it's good because 8 weeks is when the dog learns to bond to its new owners. They are all wrong. If you take a puppy at 8 weeks of age, it is the same as taking a 3-4 year old child from its mother. Yes, the kid can eat normal food and maybe use a potty, but it is not good for the mother or child.
In reality, puppies should stay with their mothers until they are 4 months (16 weeks) or older. This allows the puppy to learn socialisation from its siblings and mother. They learn dog language and how to behave around other dogs, including bigger dogs. They are independent and no longer need to be around their mum all the time. They join a new family and settle in just fine at that age.
The vets and breeders argue that puppies adapt to a new home better than an older dog. That is bs. Puppies suffer from major stress when separated from their mums and siblings at a young age. They whimper and whine and suffer from anxiety and stress. There are plenty of older dogs that get rehomed all around the world and they settle into their new homes just fine. My last 2 dogs were both adopted and both were over 6 months old when I got them. They settled in beautifully and became part of the family within days of being there.
If you haven't got the dog yet and it's only 8 weeks old now, see if you can leave it with the mother for a few more weeks. Just say the house isn't ready yet and you need a couple of weeks to finish some work being done there and you don't want the puppy getting injured. The breeder (if it's coming from a good breeder) probably won't mind holding it a couple more weeks. The backyard puppy farmer however, probably will mind and will want it gone now. The longer the puppy is with its mum, generally the better. So if you can get it when it's 10 weeks old rather than 8 weeks, that is better for the puppy.
You should also go to the breeders home (or wherever the puppies are) and spend some time there seeing how each puppy acts. Some are outgoing, some are shy. See if one appeals to you. Some of the shy ones can need more work when it comes to socialising, and some of the outgoing ones can be a little more challenging to train, especially during the first 6 months. Some people prefer male dogs, some prefer female. Spending some time with the puppies over a few days to a week or more before getting one, will help you choose the right one for you.
Most good breeders are happy for you to come and see the puppies before you buy and many encourage you to come and visit them several times over a week to see the dogs and interact with them. That way they can see how you act around the dogs and if you are doing something bad, they can say try doing it this way rather than that way. They can also ask you a few questions about who the dog will be around and may be able to suggest a particular dog that is more suited to you and your family. You should also take everyone in the house to see the puppies so you can see how kids get along with the dogs.
You should ask the breeder if the adult dogs have hip dysplasia, knee problems or any cancer (especially breast cancer if you're getting a female puppy). If they don't know, get a vet to check the puppy for hip and knee problems. A good breeder won't breed dogs with knee or hip problems because they are genetic deformities that cause problems to the dog throughout its life. Breast cancer is also hereditary in dogs and passed down from mother to daughters and sometimes to the sons. Breast cancer in dogs can be 99.9% prevented by having the dog desexed by the time it is 6 years old. Get the dog desexed when it is 2 years old so it has time to develop normally and turn into a normal adult before it is sterilised.
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LEADS & COLLARS
There are a number of leads and collars available for dogs. Avoid choke chains and ropes because they strangle the dog and can cause damage to the air ways.
If the dog is being difficult to control, get a Halti or gentle leader. They are a type of muzzle and you lead the dog from the front of the muzzle instead of strangling it with a collar. They are safe and don't harm the dog but do give you more control over a stubborn dog.
You can get a body harness for the dog and it fits around the body and you attach the lead to the harness. These are great for small dogs or dogs that don't drag you around the neighbourhood.
If you train the dog and look after it, give it regular exercise and don't let it take control of the house, you shouldn't have any issues with it and you will have a loving loyal member of the family who can read minds and facial expressions, as well as guard the house and bring many years of fun to the home.
You will need 2 beds or 1 big bed and some pillows to make it more cozy for the puppy. If you get 2 beds, one will be smaller and used for the first 6 months, then the second bigger bed will be the bed the adult dog uses. Get a trampoline bed. They are a metal frame with 4 legs, covered in a nylon or hessian cover and they sit about 6 inches off the ground.
Get a foam rubber mattress about 4 inches thick and wrap it in plastic. Then cover it in vinyl so the foam is not visible. The foam rubber breaks down over time and releases dust so sealing it up makes it safer for everyone. The mattress goes on top of the trampoline bed to offer some comfort. You can use a big pillow (or a couple of them) instead of a foam mattress. Put a sheet on the mattress or pillow cases on the pillows so you can wash them each week. Wash bedding with hot water (60C) to kill any worm or flea eggs.
You can also put rubber mats down on the ground with a towel on them for the dog to lay on when it doesn't want to use its main bed.
--------------------
WORMS, FLEAS, TICKS & RABIES
Puppies get dewormed regularly during the first few months of life. They are normally treated for round/ thread worms, which can be passed on to people and other animals so you need to talk to a vet or pet shop and get a puppy deworming medication. Most puppy dewormers are in a small bottle with an eye dropper in the lid. You suck some up and drip it into the puppy's mouth.
As the animal gets older they get dewormed less frequently. These days there are products that treat the dog for tapeworm, round worm, fleas and ticks all at the same time. Some also do heartworm, but that might not be necessary, depending on where you live. Talk to your vet about heartworm treatments for the dog. Adult dogs need a blood test before going onto heartworm medications to make sure they don't already have a heartworm infestation. If the dog does have a heartworm infection and it's given medication to kill heartworm, the worms can die and block up the heart or arteries and cause the dog to have a heart attack. Puppies are less likely to have heartworm.
The two main treatments I did for my dogs included a dewormer that was in a chew form. It is dewormer in a mixture of meat flavoured stuff and you give the dog however many chews they need (it's done by weight, 1 chew per 10kg). The dog eats the chew and medication in it. You can also buy deworming tablets and cover them in peanut butter, butter, cheese or ham and the dogs usually eat them. Some dogs don't like the hard tablet and will eat the butter but spit out the tablet. If you give the dog a little ball of butter, peanut butter, cheese, etc, each week as a treat, they get use to swallowing the food. Then each month you slip a tablet into one and the dog grabs it and gulps it down.
The other thing I used was a liquid flea and tick treatment that was applied to their back. They come in a small bottle with a dropper. You cut the top off and drip the liquid onto their back under the hair. The dog usually rolls about after that because it feels weird. You should wash the dog a few days before applying these types of treatment and don't let the dog get wet for 2 days after treatment so the chemical can spread over the skin.
The dewormer and flea treatments are applied monthly and if used correctly will prevent fleas and worms from causing problems. After the first year I only used the flea and tick treatment during spring and summer when fleas popped up. The rest of the year we didn't have fleas or ticks in the area.
Some ticks can cause mammalian meat allergies in people and dogs. If these ticks bite you or the dog and inject poison into you, whoever is bitten can develop an allergy or intolerance to mammal meat and won't be able to eat red meat again. Deer ticks can also be a problem in North America.
In Africa, America and Europe the dog might need to get vaccinated for rabies. This is especially important if you live in rural areas with bushland and wild animals nearby. If your dog gets rabies, it will normally be put down unless you can get treatment for it immediately.
--------------------
FOOD
When you get the puppy, find out what it is being fed and get the same food. If you change their diet suddenly, it can make them sick and they often require a visit to the vet. If you get the same food they are eating, you can gradually change it over a few months by adding small amounts of new foods to the diet. This way you reduce the chance of them getting an upset stomach and messing up the house. And believe me, cleaning up liquid puppy poo and puke first thing in the morning is not something you want to do.
Regarding feeding, use a puppy food for a large breed of dog. When the dog is an adult, get a normal adult dog food. Get a dry food with a low salt (sodium) content so the dog doesn't develop kidney problems.
You can feed the dog a variety of foods including dry food, cooked food and if you like, raw meat. However, raw meat does have drawbacks including more chance of bacterial and parasitic infections in the dog and people in the house. And raw meat is harder for the dog to digest compared to cooked meat. I always did cooked food for dogs. I would do a roast lamb, beef, pork and have some potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. The dogs got meat and some vegetables but no onions. Onions are bad for dogs, so are lots of other foods including grapes, chocolate and various nuts. Check online or talk to a vet about what plants and foods are poisonous to dogs. Other food I gave the dogs was stir fry, fish and chips, left over breakfast cereal when the kids didn't eat theirs. Basically most of the foods I ate, the dogs ate. They had a bowl of dry dog biscuits in the morning and they would eat that during the day. At night they got cooked meat and vegetables, sometimes with boiled rice. At least half the food they eat should be meat based.
*NB 1* NEVER FEED DOGS COOKED BONES. They can't digest the cooked bones and the bones regularly splinter and can get stuck in the dog's mouth, throat, stomach, intestine or bowel and require surgery to save the dog. Smoked ham bones are also cooked bones so don't give them to dogs either. The only bones given to dogs should be raw (uncooked) bones only.
*NB 2* Never feed any animal raw chicken or poultry products that have come from a commercial abattoir because they are contaminated with drug resistant bacteria that can kill you and the dog. Any poultry products from commercial abattoirs should be well cooked, and handled with care before it's cooked.
If you have chickens on your property and you kill them there, they are fine and shouldn't carry drug resistant bacteria, but anything from a shop will carry bacteria because they come from a commercial poultry abattoir. And all commercial poultry abattoirs around the world are contaminated with drug resistant bacteria.
--------------------
WATER BOWL
Have a decent sized stainless steel water bowl and a separate food bowl. The water bowl should be wider at the base so it's harder to tip over. Replace the water each day. You want several water bowls/ buckets/ containers around the backyard too so the dog can get a drink when it needs one. Have water bowls in the shade so they don't get hot.
Dogs can't sweat to reduce body heat so they drink and pant instead to cool off. They can also sit in a pond/ pool to help cool off, or under an air-conditioner or fan. If they don't have access to cool water and shade during hot weather, they can overheat and die. So have plenty of water around when it's warm/ hot outside, and if possible, bring the dog inside when it's hot.
--------------------
PECKING ORDER
Dogs are social animals and normally live in a pack with a pecking order. The alpha female is in charge and chooses an alpha male. The 2 of them rule the rest of the pack. If you let the dog become an alpha leader, you will have nothing but problems with it. The people in the house need to be higher ranking than the dog. The dog must be at the bottom of the pecking order.
The television shows you see about dogs behaving badly are about owners at the bottom of the pecking order while the cute little dog sits at the top.
To keep the dog at the bottom of the pecking order, you do the following.
1) Feed the dog after everyone in the house has eaten. The dog should watch/ see people eat first and then the dog gets fed. This simulates the alpha dogs eating first and the subordinate dogs eating last.
2) When you come home and the dog is jumping up and down at the back door barking away saying come to me, do not go to it. You come inside and unpack whatever you have. Put the car keys away and do whatever. When you have finished stuffing about, then go and open the door and say hi to the dog. The dog should have settled down and be waiting patiently before you go to it.
3) Don't let the dog jump up on you or anyone else when you come home. It's bad manors and not tolerated by an alpha dog.
4) Don't let the dog sleep on your bed. That is a definite no no no no no and no. The dog's bed should always be lower than the human's bed.
5) Don't let the dog jump up onto your lap when you are sitting down. Alpha dogs sit wherever they want including on top of other dogs if they don't move. If you let your dog jump up onto a couch or chair whenever it wants, that is bad. If you let the dog jump up onto the couch and lay or sit on you, that is really bad. That is the dog dominating an alpha position on you.
A subordinate dog should get up and move out of your way when you go to sit down or get up to walk around (assuming the dog is at your feet).
--------------------
INDOOR OR OUTDOOR DOG
The dog should live with people indoors but also have plenty of time outdoors. In a pack situation the dog would be with other dogs. Because you only have 1 dog, the humans will fill in as the other dogs and the new dog gets to be part of your pack. If a dog is kept outside on its own and the owners are inside, the dog will stress out. It's like keeping 1 Corydoras in a tank. Allowing the dog to live indoors or outdoors (when the weather is suitable) lets the dog be part of the pack indoors and have some independence by going outside whenever it wants.
If the dog has to live outside, have a decent sized kennel near the back door where the dog can see inside or smell the people through the screen door. Have the kennel in a shaded dry area. If it is really cold outside and you can't bring the dog inside, make sure the kennel is insulated and the trampoline bed has a foam mattress. You should also have a curtain over the opening of the kennel to help trap heat and reduce cold air getting in. Having said this, it's preferable to have the dog indoors as part of the family.
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EXERCISE
The dog must go for a walk every day. You should take the dog for a walk and feed it after you get home. This simulates the dog pack going hunting and eating after the hunt. The walk should be a minimum of 30 minutes and 1-2 hours (or more) is better. With younger dogs and puppies, several shorter walks of around 30 minutes each day might be sufficient. Increase the duration of the walks as the dog gets older. If the puppy is at a dog park running around with another puppy for an hour, that is fine. You will probably have to carry it home afterwards but it is fine for it to run around for that time playing with another dog.
During the walk the dog should be allowed to stop and sniff things. It's how they learn about the area they live in, through smells. They don't have to stop and sniff everything but they should be allowed to stop and sniff every 20-50 meters (yards). Most dogs are good and don't stop every few feet to sniff something but some do, and these need a little coaxing to get them moving. Most dogs only need 10-20 seconds to sniff something and if they are spending minutes sniffing, then say "come on" and give a gentle pull on the lead. Obviously if there's something interesting and the dog is having a good sniff, let it sniff for a minute, but that should be about maximum. Don't let it roll in anything, it's just gross to clean up. This can occur after a decent sniff of an area and when the dog doesn't pee on the area. Most dogs will pee on something other dogs have peed on so it's common for a dog to sniff something, then lift its leg.
The dog should also be allowed and encouraged to socialise with other people and animals when out on a walk. If you come across another dog, ask the owners if their dog is sociable before letting your dog run over to it. There have been plenty of puppies bitten because they ran to a strange dog that wasn't well socialised and the puppy was bitten because it didn't understand dog language and the bigger dog growling at it saying go away.
Don't let little kids come over and pat the dog unless you are holding the dog and you know how it interacts with other people and small children. Always have an adult with the dog whenever it's around children.
When the dog is really old, you can let it go to a park and sit down and watch the world go by. As they get older they still need exercise but you let the dog dictate the walk. If the dog walks to a park and sits down for an hour, that is fine. If the dog wants to walk a bit further, that is also fine.
You can check the local council's website for dog exercise areas. Take your dog there each day and meet the locals and their dogs. You can go at different times of the day until you find a group that works for your dog, then go at that time each day. Keep your dog on a lead until you know it's safe to let it off to run around with the others. Most dog parks have plastic doggy poo bags and bins for the waste. Grab 3 or 4 bags when you are there and carry them with you whenever you take the dog out.
You can vary the walks each day and that is good for the dog. They need a routine but they also need variation. I would take my dogs for a walk up to the shops and past the school in the morning. In the afternoon we went to the local dog park. At night we walked around a different area. Some days we would go to the beach, other days we would go to the CALM reserve (bushland). Sometimes we would go into the hills and spend a few hours bush walking (hiking). But every day at 5pm we went to the dog park where they ran around for 2 hours with their friends.
Taking them to a dog park at the same time each day (assuming weather and conditions are good) is a great way to have a routine in their life. The dog knows that at 5pm it's off to the dog park. They have an internal clock, which tells them the time and they are up and ready to go at 5 to 5. When they come home from the hunt (walk), the alpha dogs (humans) eat, and then the lower ranking dog eats. Then the dog sleeps. The next day they wake up and go through the same routine, preferably with a few other things like puppy preschool.
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BASIC TRAINING
The dog needs basic training as mentioned by CaptainBarnicles. It makes life a lot easier if the dog stops when you say stop, and comes when you say come. Food rewards work great for most dogs during training and you should take the dog to puppy school so it can learn basic dog language and so you can learn how to be in charge.
Most problems with dogs attacking other dogs or people are caused by bad owners. If a dog has issues with aggression, it is caused by the owners. Dogs are not naturally aggressive and don't normally go out of their way to attack people or other animals. Bad owners mess up the dog and then the dogs attacks things. Dogs that haven't been socialised can also be an issue.
Basic obedience and socalisation at a young age makes a world of difference to how the dog lives and interacts with others.
Socialisation also includes the dog learning dog language. Most puppies are taken from their mothers at 6-8 weeks of age, which is completely wrong. The breeders do it so they can get rid of the puppies earlier in life and don't have to feed them. The shops take puppies because they are cute little puppies and sell better than bigger dogs. Vets say it's good because 8 weeks is when the dog learns to bond to its new owners. They are all wrong. If you take a puppy at 8 weeks of age, it is the same as taking a 3-4 year old child from its mother. Yes, the kid can eat normal food and maybe use a potty, but it is not good for the mother or child.
In reality, puppies should stay with their mothers until they are 4 months (16 weeks) or older. This allows the puppy to learn socialisation from its siblings and mother. They learn dog language and how to behave around other dogs, including bigger dogs. They are independent and no longer need to be around their mum all the time. They join a new family and settle in just fine at that age.
The vets and breeders argue that puppies adapt to a new home better than an older dog. That is bs. Puppies suffer from major stress when separated from their mums and siblings at a young age. They whimper and whine and suffer from anxiety and stress. There are plenty of older dogs that get rehomed all around the world and they settle into their new homes just fine. My last 2 dogs were both adopted and both were over 6 months old when I got them. They settled in beautifully and became part of the family within days of being there.
If you haven't got the dog yet and it's only 8 weeks old now, see if you can leave it with the mother for a few more weeks. Just say the house isn't ready yet and you need a couple of weeks to finish some work being done there and you don't want the puppy getting injured. The breeder (if it's coming from a good breeder) probably won't mind holding it a couple more weeks. The backyard puppy farmer however, probably will mind and will want it gone now. The longer the puppy is with its mum, generally the better. So if you can get it when it's 10 weeks old rather than 8 weeks, that is better for the puppy.
You should also go to the breeders home (or wherever the puppies are) and spend some time there seeing how each puppy acts. Some are outgoing, some are shy. See if one appeals to you. Some of the shy ones can need more work when it comes to socialising, and some of the outgoing ones can be a little more challenging to train, especially during the first 6 months. Some people prefer male dogs, some prefer female. Spending some time with the puppies over a few days to a week or more before getting one, will help you choose the right one for you.
Most good breeders are happy for you to come and see the puppies before you buy and many encourage you to come and visit them several times over a week to see the dogs and interact with them. That way they can see how you act around the dogs and if you are doing something bad, they can say try doing it this way rather than that way. They can also ask you a few questions about who the dog will be around and may be able to suggest a particular dog that is more suited to you and your family. You should also take everyone in the house to see the puppies so you can see how kids get along with the dogs.
You should ask the breeder if the adult dogs have hip dysplasia, knee problems or any cancer (especially breast cancer if you're getting a female puppy). If they don't know, get a vet to check the puppy for hip and knee problems. A good breeder won't breed dogs with knee or hip problems because they are genetic deformities that cause problems to the dog throughout its life. Breast cancer is also hereditary in dogs and passed down from mother to daughters and sometimes to the sons. Breast cancer in dogs can be 99.9% prevented by having the dog desexed by the time it is 6 years old. Get the dog desexed when it is 2 years old so it has time to develop normally and turn into a normal adult before it is sterilised.
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LEADS & COLLARS
There are a number of leads and collars available for dogs. Avoid choke chains and ropes because they strangle the dog and can cause damage to the air ways.
If the dog is being difficult to control, get a Halti or gentle leader. They are a type of muzzle and you lead the dog from the front of the muzzle instead of strangling it with a collar. They are safe and don't harm the dog but do give you more control over a stubborn dog.
You can get a body harness for the dog and it fits around the body and you attach the lead to the harness. These are great for small dogs or dogs that don't drag you around the neighbourhood.
If you train the dog and look after it, give it regular exercise and don't let it take control of the house, you shouldn't have any issues with it and you will have a loving loyal member of the family who can read minds and facial expressions, as well as guard the house and bring many years of fun to the home.
CaptainBarnicles
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One last thing from me (maybe, I may think of something else 
) ...
Research your breed, knowing the characteristics and what it was intentionally bred for will help with training. Labs were traditionally bred as gun dogs, specifically to retrieve the fallen birds....and they love water!
Colin made a great point about socialising your puppy, in my opinion this is probably the kindest thing you could do for a dog. Take your puppy everywhere with you where possible. The more it can experience while it's little, the more balanced and calm the adult dog will be. Loud noises, big crowds, large bodies of water and trees, shops and towns, as many people and dogs and smells and sights you can manage. Our Dachshund puppy went with me everywhere and absolutely nothing fazed him. Our Jack Russell rescue is a mess, she's afraid of everything! She flees the room when someone sneezes too loud and it's very sad to see. She lived most of her life in a bathroom and was never socialised. She didn't even know how to play with toys, simply heartbreaking.
) ...Research your breed, knowing the characteristics and what it was intentionally bred for will help with training. Labs were traditionally bred as gun dogs, specifically to retrieve the fallen birds....and they love water!
Colin made a great point about socialising your puppy, in my opinion this is probably the kindest thing you could do for a dog. Take your puppy everywhere with you where possible. The more it can experience while it's little, the more balanced and calm the adult dog will be. Loud noises, big crowds, large bodies of water and trees, shops and towns, as many people and dogs and smells and sights you can manage. Our Dachshund puppy went with me everywhere and absolutely nothing fazed him. Our Jack Russell rescue is a mess, she's afraid of everything! She flees the room when someone sneezes too loud and it's very sad to see. She lived most of her life in a bathroom and was never socialised. She didn't even know how to play with toys, simply heartbreaking.
No strenuous exercise for the first year of so while the bones are still growing but a tired puppy is a well behaved puppy, so plenty of walks and play (controlled by you - not just chuck him in the garden). A bored puppy will find something to relieve the boredom. Labs are quite extremely greedy and wolf everything down - get a bowl that forces him to eat slowly to avoid trapped wind / bloating. Or a snuffle mat (check Amazon). They will literally eat anything. FWIW grapes, onions and chocolate are poisonous. One of the first things I train is "Leave it" and only to eat when given permission. Easier than you think - lots of resources on Google.
Our labs both slept in their crates for the first 2 years, between 2&3 we left the door open and it was optional. Once they reached 3 we removed the crate. Main reason for that was so we could put the kitchen cupboards back - the crate we use fits exactly in the space used by a double cupboard
Our labs both slept in their crates for the first 2 years, between 2&3 we left the door open and it was optional. Once they reached 3 we removed the crate. Main reason for that was so we could put the kitchen cupboards back - the crate we use fits exactly in the space used by a double cupboard
Some great points (as are the other posts). While everyone seems to panic about their pets when its bonfire night mine goes along with us and is completely unfazed. Why?: As a puppy I always made a point of taking her out on the night to play her favourite game (fetch) and a bag of extra special treats. Conversely my mother (who was afraid of thunder) used to call the dog in and let it hide under the bed every time there was a thunder storm. Not surprisingly her dog was afraid of thunder and mine isn't. In my mother's case she (unknowingly) taught that behaviour to the dog.One last thing from me (maybe, I may think of something else
Research your breed, knowing the characteristics and what it was intentionally bred for will help with training. Labs were traditionally bred as gun dogs, specifically to retrieve the fallen birds....and they love water!
Colin made a great point about socialising your puppy, in my opinion this is probably the kindest thing you could do for a dog. Take your puppy everywhere with you where possible. The more it can experience while it's little, the more balanced and calm the adult dog will be. Loud noises, big crowds, large bodies of water and trees, shops and towns, as many people and dogs and smells and sights you can manage. Our Dachshund puppy went with me everywhere and absolutely nothing fazed him. Our Jack Russell rescue is a mess, she's afraid of everything! She flees the room when someone sneezes too loud and it's very sad to see. She lived most of her life in a bathroom and was never socialised. She didn't even know how to play with toys, simply heartbreaking.
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
Staff member
Global Moderator ⚒️
Tank of the Month 🏆
Pet of the Month 🎖️
It may lick the intruder to death?Sorry @Colin_T - guarding is not going to happen with a lab. Good post otherwise.
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