[aj55]

Hi there, I recently got a black lab from a breeder. He is 6 months old and was being fed iams lamb and rice adult dog food (1.5 cups a day). My question is this the correct food for my dog. The vet said to switch him to a large breed puppy food. I am confused as to who's advice I should take. Any info would be much appreciated.

[labman]

Stick with a lamb and rice adult chow, Iam's or another brand. All the service dog schools put their hard working dogs on adult chow early, 4 to 7 months. They have complete records of thousands of Labs and other large breeds including X-rays. If a working dog has to retire early because of a physical problem, it costs the price of a new car to replace it. They don't mess with anything other than what is best for their puppies as they grow up.

The early switch to adult chow slows growth, and gives more time to develop sturdy joints. If you vet gives you too much trouble, refer him to [1] Kealy, et al. "Effects of limited food consumption on the
incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs." JAVMA, v201, n6 Sept 15
1992.

Keep him lean and discourage jumping if you can. This is an important time, and you don't get a second chance. Sticking to one protean source makes it easier to work around it if the dog ever develops allergies.

[aj55]

Thanks for the response labman. I got a few more :) , how many cups should I be feeding him and how often? He weighs 50 lbs. he looks like hs is going to be a big boy. When we got him he knew the basic commands (sit, stay, come), however the come command isn't really working anymore. Is this the puppy stages or are we doing something wrong? He was potty trained when we got him (still had a few accidents the first 2 days but now knows to go to the door so we can let him out) and gave him a treat every time he went outside. I want to get away from the treats but he seems upset and not responsive if he doesn't get one. What can we do to change that? Again thanks for all the info. During the week we keep him in his crate, it is approx 8 hrs. he gets a walk in the morning for about 15-20 minutes and about 1.5 hours in the evening/night. Should we be feeding him before we leave for the day? He was also in the crate at night for the first week. We have now let him sleep in the bedroom without the crate, good or bad idea? Is that too soon? No accidents yet, but we do get up at about 230am to let him out as we can here him walking around in the room. A lot of questions for new lab owner. Wanting the best for our new family member. Thanks

[aj55]

Anxiously awaiting an answer labman. Thanks

[labman]

1 1/2 cups doesn't sound like enough to me, maybe twice that. However, don't go by what I say, but the above guide. If he is 50 pounds at 6 months, he may not be real big, unless he is all skin and bones from only getting 1 1/2 cups of food. At 6 months we switch to one meal every morning. One of us has always been able to make it back a noon. It might be better to feed in the evening if you must be gone all day. Trouble is, it is hard to never miss coming home in the evening. I once had friends that if one of them made it home at the regular time, they had a house. If they were both late, the Lab trashed the house.

As for the come command, nobody can train your dog to obey you. The dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/.

Questions you may not have thought about yet.

What does a puppy need?

A crate. It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first. What the puppy wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the
Household, and any other pets. In our modern society, even if we are home,
Other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have. The
Only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. Skip the
Bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
Hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
Accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
Spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put
In a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select
A crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in. If he is behaving himself out of the crate, maybe leave him out of it. You might keep it around as a den to retreat to with the door left open.

Chew toys. The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not
There to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a
Close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in
Pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed.
These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive
Chewers such as Labs.

Food. Find out what the breeder is feeding. If it is dry chow you can buy readily, I would stick with it until the dog is 4 months old, at that time switching to a dry adult chow. If not, try to have the breeder give you a few days supply to use making a gradual change to a dry puppy chow.

Dishes. Empty plastic food containers are good enough. If you want something nicer, buy the spill proof? Ones. See http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...1078323611448À. I have found them at Big Lots too.

A collar and leash. You should stay with a flat fabric or leather collar until your puppy is 5 months old. Then you can go with the metal slip collar with the rings on each end. Otherwise you could damage its windpipe. Put it on like this for the usual dog on the left position. Pull the chain through the one ring forming a"P". Facing the dog, slip it over its head. The free end comes over the neck allowing the other end to release pressure when the leash is slack. A five
Month old's head will still grow some. If you buy one that easily goes over
The head, it still should come off leaving the ears when the dog finishes
Growing. I start the puppy out with a metal leash and switch to a leather one after the worst of the chewing is over and I need more control.

A brush. Start the puppy with a bristle brush. They don't shed much at first, and the bristle brush will remove dirt and help control odor. When shedding becomes a problem later, switch to a slicker brush with the wire teeth.

The number of a vet. It is very hard to evaluate them. Dogs need more medical care than in the past. Many new problems are wide spread.

A book. Any book is better than none at all. I like the Monks of New Skete and their The Art of Raising a Puppy, ISBN 0-316-57839-8.

Obedience training. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start obedience training the day you get the dog. Build on the foundation of housebreaking. The younger the puppy, the shorter you must keep sessions, only a few repetitions at a time. A few minutes here and there, and by the time the puppy is 4 months old, people will be impressed with what a nice dog it is.

An All Experts bookmark so you can come back for help as needed.

I didn't forget treats, shampoo, and bedding. I seldom use them. It sounds counter intuitive, but occasional treats is a stronger reinforcer than treats every time