Where should I start?

[Evolution]

I bought a lab pup yesterday. She is just about 3 months old and seems to be a little overweight. I took her for about a 20 minute walk yesterday afternoon and she made it pretty clear to me that she had gone far enough. I took her out for a pee this morning and tried to walk her to the end of my driveway(about 500 yards) she just sat down as if she had gone far enough. Is it normal for a young black lab to be lazy or am I just expecting too much out of a dog who came from a low-exercise home.

Also I bought some techni-cal puppy food for her and the bag recommends 2-3 1/4 cups. If I want her to lose some chub should I give her less food (2 cups or 3 1/4 cups). She does appear as though she wants to eat more. Should we split the decided portion into 2 and feed her morning/night or just night. Thanks for any advice.

[Evolution]

This is Jenny Jenkins on the day we brought her home.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/jenny1.jpg

[000buck]

she looks perfect, puppy fat is exactly that. If she had no exersize from the first place then perhaps your generous offer of a walk yesterday was a bit strenuous to start, she may be a bit sore. Introduce activities like walks and ball chasing in small amounts get her moving but don't cut here feed allotment yet. feed her in the morning if you can like us she she doesn't need to sleep on a full stomach, of course thats pretty much what labs do is sleep if they re not playing. try 2 cups in the am and 1 in early evening and edit that to suit her needs.

[lilhoss]

3 month olds ,yep she's still a baby.Walk,play,sleep,eat,piss,poop,repeat about every hour.I always took mine out every evening as late as possible to tire them out,so I could get a longer sleep in. As far as her weight,she looks normal.All pups should be chubby.As they get closer to 1 to 1 1/4 years old they will start to "fill out".Grow into their legs,etc.The feeding time is up to you,but whatever pattern you start now,once or twice a day, she will expect that always.I fed both my chocolates,once in the morning,and as they got older,they fed out of the bowls as they wanted,all day long.A pup will scarf it down,and would empty a dog food bag if you let 'em.She is a beauty though,I am jealous.The dogfood quality should match the dog's activity.I used to boost the feed ,and add in some venison,rice,etc,when I hunted the dogs,and then cut back the caloric intake when they were couch potatoes.Wish we could all do that.:-DGood luck,she's gonna be fun!

[bearhunter338-06]

I found the problem right of the get go. I have 2 female labs. I have the same problem, and that would be "SHE". LMAO.

Trust me when I say things will change.

Burke

[Kasomor]

I bought a lab pup yesterday. She is just about 3 months old and seems to be a little overweight. I took her for about a 20 minute walk yesterday afternoon and she made it pretty clear to me that she had gone far enough. I took her out for a pee this morning and tried to walk her to the end of my driveway(about 500 yards) she just sat down as if she had gone far enough. Is it normal for a young black lab to be lazy or am I just expecting too much out of a dog who came from a low-exercise home.

Also I bought some techni-cal puppy food for her and the bag recommends 2-3 1/4 cups. If I want her to lose some chub should I give her less food (2 cups or 3 1/4 cups). She does appear as though she wants to eat more. Should we split the decided portion into 2 and feed her morning/night or just night. Thanks for any advice.

What does the breeder say about the amount to feed and how many times per day until what age? They are the best resource for what your pup should be eating at this time.

Sorry I don't agree that puppies should be fat. Especially labs. Too much weight puts pressure on growing bones and joints which can result in environment induced joint problems. Such as HD. My puppy contract actually states if the pup is overweight all health guarantees are voided.

At 12 weeks old IMO a pup should be leaning out and getting away from that whole notion of a fat puppy = a healthy puppy.

I feed my pups twice per day at 12 weeks old. They have just moved from three times per day a few days before hitting 12 weeks old. Most people tend to feed how much a pup will eat in 10 minutes or until the dog walks away. If your only feeding once per day with a young pup that is an invitation for them to gorge themselves because they are so hungry and then bloat becomes a serious concern.

They stay on puppy food until they are 5 to 6 months old and stay with the twice per day feedings for life.

People I know with performance dogs feed twice per day. That be the ADULT dogs too. It is simply better for their over all health.

With your pup you may find she slims down if you switch to adult food instead of feeding Puppy food now. Puppy food is extra calories fat and protein which she may not be using. There is a growing trend among dog breeders NOT to feed Puppy Food from weaning on because of this.

And if your pup is hauling around extra weight she isn't being lazy. She is hauling around extra weight. That's hard on all of us! :mrgreen:

She's a baby, first day home there is a lot of info to take in. Give her time with the walks.

Enjoy and all the best,
Kasomor

[Evolution]

The breeder wasn't feeding her commercial food. She was a eating a homemade barf diet, which I dont wish to use just yet. On her first stool, which was huge and loose, I seen alot of seeds and eggshells. All the other adult dogs appeared to be overweight and under exercised. Im not an expert on dogs, but Im certain that when I brought her home she was bloated, and from the shear mass of unprocessed food in her initial stool( no worms!) I plan on putting her on a healthy and controlled diet. I walked her about 6 times today, not very far at once, but just enough for her to need a drink. Already her 2 stools today were appropriately sized and not loose like her first 2. I am a very active guy and I really want Jenny to be able to tag along with me on most of my ventures. So far today she seems quite happy to be here. Thanks for tips, time to feed her.

[Busterbrown]

A 20 minute walk with a 12 week old pup is about 15 minutes too long. She would not only lose interest she is likely experiencing some discomfort. I would knock off the long walks and begin a series of very short marks (less than 20 yards) and do this a few times a day. Limit the mnrks to three a session which is hard as we all want to watch an eager pup retrieve.
I do not know of ANY breeder of working dogs that would start a pup on adult food after weaning. Puppy food is designed to control growth rate of their bones and joints to ensure a stable frame in an older dog. We feed our pups three times a day untill they are 12 months old at which time we go to twice a day and begin the transition to adult food. They then go to twice a day for the rest of their lives. We have very fit and healthy dogs on this program. Take your time with the pup she is still an infant
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc9/Busterbrown_08/HayHarvest2006018.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc9/Busterbrown_08/Willow005.jpg

[Evolution]

Thanks buster, Ill take your advice on the walk length, I dont want to hurt her. Here she is eating dinner tonight.


http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/jenny2.jpg

[Angel]

Beautiful healthy looking pup! Has she been introduced to birds yet or feathers? Do you plan on hunting with her? Which breeder did you get her from?

Beautiful pup and have fun.

[Kasomor]

The breeder wasn't feeding her commercial food. She was a eating a homemade barf diet, which I dont wish to use just yet. On her first stool, which was huge and loose, I seen alot of seeds and eggshells. All the other adult dogs appeared to be overweight and under exercised. Im not an expert on dogs, but Im certain that when I brought her home she was bloated, and from the shear mass of unprocessed food in her initial stool( no worms!) I plan on putting her on a healthy and controlled diet. I walked her about 6 times today, not very far at once, but just enough for her to need a drink. Already her 2 stools today were appropriately sized and not loose like her first 2. I am a very active guy and I really want Jenny to be able to tag along with me on most of my ventures. So far today she seems quite happy to be here. Thanks for tips, time to feed her.

Sounds like your on the right track with her food.

Do what is right for you and your dog. By the way, what did your vet say about pups weight?

There are as many was to feed a dog as there is to train one. I know many breeders who don't feed puppy food and Busterbrown says they don't know any who do. Big eye opener for me on the whole puppy food debate was going to a Pat Hastings seminar and see actual pictures of pups with growth abnormalities who had been eating puppy food. When switched to adult the transformation was astounding.
Pat had nothing good to say about RAW either. But to each their own and I hate food fights.:tongue:

There are many breeders who still believe that feeding a pregnant bitch Puppy Food is optimum. I'm not one of those either. :-D

Kasomor

[born2hunt]

I can offer this to you for advice in labs ,beware of technical puppy food for labs as it contains so much protien that it can be detrimental to the growth plates and it causes the bones to grow faster than the legiments and muscle and of course this causes the dog to get very sore , it may seem that its being lazy but it could be the fact that he , she is sore from this , ive had labs all my life and i found the best food for them is the
"Now puppy" and then the "Go natural " adult food its all made in canada its fairly expensive at 66.00$ a bag at shar kare in campbell other places you'll pay up to 85 a bag. the main thing to remember too is that this is a pup its stamina is not very high the pup will go in high bursts for short periods then power out , as someone else said play with it run with it build its stamina Labs can be a very powerfull animal with good endurance if its properly trained just like an athlete, I hope you have good luck with it and alot of great hunting days ahead.

[huntergirl270]

She is beautiful and seems a normal weight in her pictures. Congratulations :D

I was noticing that the pup seems to have a bit of discharge from her eyes? Has she had this for long? Try wiping it with a warm damp cloth each morn and if it comes back during the day it may signal an eye infection.

[Vader]

She is beautiful and seems a normal weight in her pictures. Congratulations :D

I was noticing that the pup seems to have a bit of discharge from her eyes? Has she had this for long? Try wiping it with a warm damp cloth each morn and if it comes back during the day it may signal an eye infection.

Noticed the same thing.. mostly right eye.. concur with huntergirl..

[Evolution]

The vet says that her eyelashes are irritating her eye and that she may require a couple of stitches to correct this. She suggested that I wait for another month and see if it resolves itself. It doesnt really seem to bother her all that much, but it does weep. The vet gave her some eye drops but they actually seem to make it weep more. She's going to the vet tomorrow for another check up.

[Evolution]

Got her eyes fixed today. 2 staples in each eye, already her eyes look better and have stopped weeping. I took her to another vet for a second opinion. The second vet said that it wasnt her eye lashes but rather her lower eye lids, likely a hereditary defect. The vet went on to say that there was a chance that the cornea could be damaged if corrective surgery wasnt performed right away. It was a no brainer for me, even though I didnt want to have her sedated, I think the benefits of the surgery outweighed the risks of the sedation. She has to wear a cone for a week and has some funky looking hardware in her face, but Im glad she will be better because of it. Its amazing how fast one can become attached to a new family member.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/jenny3.jpg

[Angel]

Did your pup come from a breeder? There should ve some sort of insurance in place for these issue at her age?

[Lots'oLabs]

She is adorable! Black is such a stylish colour:)

You got her on Saturday and she had surgery on Monday for something that was possibly heriditery?
Hopefully you've informed the breeder and he/she is stepping up to the plate. $$

[Kasomor]

I thought lab breeders got all their litters CERF'd before they left for their new homes for an eye condition (which name I can't remember now:???:) that can't be seen after 10 weeks? What is that condition?

If this pup was CERF'd the ophthalmologist would have seen the entropion. I can't believe a vet would have not seen this at the 7 or 8 week check either. Who ever had care of this pup and did not see it, did nothing about it, when WE could see there was something going on with this pups eyes via PICTURES is just plan WRONG!!

My hat is off to you Evo for getting on this right away. Eyes are not to be messed with.

Your pup has a good home with you.

Regards,
Kasomor

[Evolution]

She( the breeder) knew about it, and according to a homeopathic vet it was something that would be treated by using aloe vera and witch hazel and should not be operated on. The breeder said she would not pay for this as her vet said it was not necessary and actually requested that I not go through with it. I told her that Jenny was a member of my family now and I would take responsibility for it. I also had her shots for kennel cough and 2cd booster as well as a general health check up. Yeah I mightve spent $600 more on my dog than "the breeder" thought was necessary but Im going to sleep with a clear conscience tonight knowing I have done everything I couldve. I would do the same for any member of my family. I also had her micro chip scanned just to make sure the papers I have match the dog I got, everything worked out.

Anyways the drugs have wore off and Jenny seems fine, and her eyes look way better already. I have to say that I never expected I would ever want to spend nearly 2k on a dog, but I guess I spent more than that going bowhunting for an Elk this fall in the EK

[vortex hunter]

Exercise then disapline then. Affection. I had a lab x akita and she would eat anything we grew on each other tho let your dog get use to your family let her come to you trust me I know dogs I like them better then people lol I also have a high drive pure breed dogo argintino their a bor hunting dog ... Try it exercise then disapline then affection it works you only get out of a dog what you put in and also one person gives comands

[Angel]

Awsome to see how Jenny is in a great loving home, that is going to be one happy dog. Do you min dropping the breeders kennels name, just good to know where members pups are coming from, or PM me. I am looking for a lab for the spring time so it's nice to know peoples opinions.

[Kasomor]

I bought a lab pup yesterday. She is just about 3 months old and seems to be a little overweight. I took her for about a 20 minute walk yesterday afternoon and she made it pretty clear to me that she had gone far enough. I took her out for a pee this morning and tried to walk her to the end of my driveway(about 500 yards) she just sat down as if she had gone far enough. Is it normal for a young black lab to be lazy or am I just expecting too much out of a dog who came from a low-exercise home.

Also I bought some techni-cal puppy food for her and the bag recommends 2-3 1/4 cups. If I want her to lose some chub should I give her less food (2 cups or 3 1/4 cups). She does appear as though she wants to eat more. Should we split the decided portion into 2 and feed her morning/night or just night. Thanks for any advice.

How is Jenny's eyes?

Kasomor

[huntergirl270]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/jenny3.jpg
Should send this one in to Campbell's :)

[bopper]

Sounds like Entropion to me....good thing you took the pup to the vet. If not treated, entropion can lead to corneal scarring, ulcerations and ultimate blindness.
Kasomor is right; don't let your pup pack on any excess weight. Put the feed pan down, leave it for 3 or 4 minutes, then take it away. Pup will soon learn to eat what it needs quickly, and not overeat. Pup should be kept on the lean side to prevent damage to growing bone structure.
good luck!
Bopper

[dutchie]

I found that with my pup, I had to get a bowl with a bubble in it so Goose would not eat too fast.

I also make sure that he gets exercised really well. I have herd that pumpkin is good to mix into the dry foods because of the high fiber content.

dutchie

[Cdn-Redneck]

If all the pups were fed together then there would be quite a bit of competition at the food dish. It will take her awhile to realize that another dog isn't going to come along and eat the rest of the food. it will be there later.

[835]

how is the girl anyway?
how are her eyes?

[Evolution]

Shes going to the vet tomorrow to have some booster shots, but otherwise shes doing well. Amazing how fast she has learned to retrieve sticks and balls. Now if only I could teach her lay off the boots, she seems to have a taste for my Danners ( which come to think of it were the pair I was wearing when I skinned out that last deer)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/jenny1130.jpg

[835]

her eyes look alot better. and her face seems a little more trim.
my lab has cost me too many pairs of shoes and coats, gloves and socks to be proud of. but i love him

[Evolution]

She is growing very quickly, and in the short 2 weeks we have had her she has been well exercised everyday. When she needs to go out for a poop or pee I usually walk her down the driveway along the road and back up the access road into our fields(about 600 meters or 10 minutes). This really helps keep her mellow. My 2 year old Liv has a tendency of getting Jenny worked up, but Im alright with her playing a bit as long as she doesnt get too rough. Jenny is extremely gentle with our baby, even when Eve gets a handle of her ear or tail. I have taken her over to my buddies house a few times, they have a 2 year Golden Lab Kayla. Kayla and Jenny play very well together and I hope Jenny learns to retrieve from Kayla.

I went to Port Hardy last week for a work issue and brought Jenny with me. I took her down to the beach and let her play with the sea gulls. It was hilarious watching her bark at the waves. She loves the water already. She grabbed a big clam shell that had a piece of kelp attached to it and scared herself when she realized she was being attacked by it ( it was tangled in her feet)

Anyways I love having her, she makes me feel like a kid again sometimes, especially when I get to shovel up behind her.

[Evolution]

Told the vet about her getting into the Deer guts, he wasnt worried about ticks at all, but I did end up walking out with a double dose of Droncit to take care of any tapeworms she may have picked up. I thought the worm meds dealt with that but apparently those were for Heartworm. Oh well another $150.00 vet bill. On the plus side she got one of those little blue tags signifying she has her rabies vaccine complete and she gained 2.2 kg in 2weeks (obviously tapeworms arent an issue yet). Now she is 16.6 kg and healthly as a horse.

[835]

i have a love hate with the vet as well. Dont get me wrong i go there allthe time. My dog had tape worms once, 35$ for 1/2 pill ??????
some thing i learned though most dog meds are human meds as well if you have a good doctor and the vet perscribes you something pass it by your doc see if he will write you a prescription for it. In the latter years of my dads lab she needed pain meds. The vet wanted a fortune turns out it was a regular med for humans and he got it for like 12 bucks a bottle instead of 60