When Puppy Comes Home-- Intro.

Many of us feel that a family just isn't quite complete without a dog.  These creatures can truly add such joy and delight to our family memories.  Eventually, the dog becomes like a family member and you barely know that he's there.

However, that dog snoring on the hearth doesn't happen over night. Introducing a puppy into a home is a big adjustment, especially if the family is new to dogs.  Although a 6-month old puppy may look like an adult dog, it's NOT! It's very important to understand that dogs don't begin to lose their puppy status until they are TWO years old!  It is unrealistic to expect that older pup to behave like his three year old sire.  Thankfully, knowledge is power and knowing what to expect from your new friend can help ease the learning-curve (and hopefully preserve the furniture and carpet).

In an effort to help those who are anticipating a new canine addition, we are going to begin a series of posts that will explain expectations and preparation for this new adventure.  Items such as potty-training, feeding, sleeping, chewing, place, and training will all be addressed in separate posts.

Before your puppy comes home, you need to have your home prepped and ready for your new pooch.

YARD:  Your dog needs to be safe in your home and on your property.  Make sure the area you have for your dog is fenced adequately. Your curious creature will discover things that you didn't even know you had!  A few things to be aware of are poisonous plants, propane tanks and lines, the garbage containers, and other items that could present a hazard to your dog.

HOUSE:  If you intend to have your dog inside at all, then this area needs to be adequately prepared as well.  Minimize things on the floor (baskets, decorations, food storage, etc.).  Have a family meeting to discuss the importance of everybody doing their part.  This is a great motivation for family members to put things where they belong-- shoes, socks, toys, books, and so forth.  Dogs WILL eat socks and pass them through to the other side.  However, a sock tangled up in the intestine would amount to a very sick dog and a sizable vet bill!

Stay tuned for more about When Puppy Comes Home coming soon.

Jackie

what now?

Say hello to Jackie!  She is our petite, sweet, 14 month old, dark chocolate lab that we acquired from Chilbrook Labradors in West Virginia.  We chose to add her to our breeding program because of her great lineage. Jackie has 13 generations of service dogs in her history!  Her father Ranger, is an amazing dog. Being a champion in nearly every way possible, he is a spectacular dog!


Jackie is being trained as a DAD (Diabetic Alert Dog) service dog.  This training is great for intelligent Jackie, as it gives her a job to do. It also gives her a future as a possible DAD, because we can place her as a DAD when we are finished using her in our breeding program.   This training benefits everyone.  She has also learned helpful tasks such as getting a juice out of the fridge and bringing the blood glucose meter to her handler.

at the dentist

We are very proud of our hardworking agile girl and are looking forward to seeing her puppies in the future!

Bailey and Jackie

   

training

working

The importance of exercise

GO

Exercise is very important if you want your dog to be well behaved. There are many owners that have given up on their dog or puppy because they think  he has way too much energy, or they are frustrated with the amount of non-dog items he's destroyed.

Out for a walk

Generally, this is due to owners who have not devoted enough time to exercising their animal. Most dogs were bred to work. They need to have a way to funnel their energy into a good healthy job or game. This can be

Keep your eye on the ball

Got it!

done with a walk, a retrieving game, a run, or whatever the owner and canine enjoy doing together.  There is an endless amount of games and jobs that an active dog will do with zeal.  Nothing gives them greater joy than hanging out with you!
However, if these exercising games are done only once a day, or not at all, this puppy WILL find a way to relieve their excess energy. That might be your favorite slippers, the stuffing in your couch, or whatever the dog can get his mouth in or on. This can get expensive; that couch now needs to be replaced, those slippers must be thrown away, and whatever else that energetic puppy can destroy may need to be replaced.

Exercising your dog can be a great bonding time and very enjoyable for both you and your dog. It is very beneficial for both of you. Exercise (and a bit of training) can transform a dog from a mischievous trouble maker to a very enjoyable companion.

Cooling off in the water bowl