The PT Savvy Center

July 3rd, 2008

Selecting a Labrador Puppy

Posted by admin in Pets and Other Animals

Labradors are one of the most well known and most popular choices for dog lovers across the nation. A Labrador puppy that is trained well will be a loyal and playful friend as well as a dependable hunter (if it is a retriever) for its owner. When choosing a Labrador, there are a lot of questions to consider. You have probably wondered if the color of the lab makes a difference in the quality of the puppy that you choose. You may also wonder how to find a Labrador puppy that has been bred well. To those questions and more, you will find the answers in the following article.

Finding a Labrador Puppy that Has Been Bred Well
One of the most important things to look for in a Labrador puppy is one that has been bred well. Authentic breeders will:

  1. Be members of the AKC (the American Kennel Club)
  2. Will provide you with health records for each puppy
  3. Will frequently handle pups
  4. Will socialize the pups (e.g. the puppies will not be afraid to play with you)
  5. Will in addition remove the puppies dew claws and provide them with their first shots at 6 weeks of age. Will also put the puppies through a 3 cycle de-worming program to eliminate parasites
  6. Will not allow you to take the pup until he or she is approximately 7 weeks old

Does Color Make a Difference?
The beauty of a Labrador is often an initial attraction for potential dog owners. Labradors are available as chocolate labs, yellows labs (lighter colored yellow labs often appear to be white), silvers or black labs. Some people claim that black Labradors make the best Labrador retrievers, but this is untrue. When purchasing a Labrador from a professional breeder you should pay more attention to the genetics or the disposition (see paragraph below) of the particular puppy than to its color. However, if you would like a Labrador puppy for purely aesthetic reasons, then feel free to choose the color of your choice.

Choosing a Labrador Puppy with the Right Disposition
When choosing a Labrador puppy, most potential dog owners want a dog with a mellow yet playful disposition. Many well meaning people offer advice such as, “Let the puppy choose you.” They say this assuming that the puppy which runs to you first will probably be the puppy that would get along best with you. This is not necessarily true. That puppy may be the most aggressive puppy in its litter. Aggressive puppies do not make the best pets. Here are some tips for choosing your Labrador puppy:

  • Evaluate the entire litter. If you notice that the entire litter is shy or overly reserved, then regardless of whether there are one or two ‘friendlier’ puppies, you should probably avoid that litter. The genetics found in that litter are not what you are looking for. The same goes for a hyperactive litter.
  • Look for puppies that are trusting. Well bred puppies are curious and trusting. Take out your car keys or make other noises. Do some of the puppies respond? Take this into consideration.
  • Look for personality traits in the puppy that you would look for in a human roommate. Ask yourself which puppies are bossy? Which ones are noisy? Which puppies are shy? Which are submissive? Chances are, you will opt for the puppy that doesn’t bite or claw when he interacts with the other puppies in his litter but can still interact and hold his own with other puppies.

About the Author: Boyd Norwood is a Web Content Specialist for 10x Marketing in Orem, UT. If you would like more information in regards to selecting a well bred Labrador puppy, please feel free to contact Mallard Lane Labradors.

May 25th, 2008

“Designer” or Mixed Breed Dogs

Posted by admin in Pets and Other Animals

Designer dogs are the up and coming rage among Hollywood and dog lovers alike. Dogs like the puggle (pug + beagle), the cockapoo aka cockerpoo or spoodle(cocker-spaniel + poodle), the labradoodle (Labrador retriever + poodle), the peekapoo (pekingnese + poodle) and the Schnoodle (Schnauzer + Poodle) are growing ever more popular today than ever before. Why are these “mutts” so big right now?

1. Cute Names - Designer dogs have cute names that people love and make the appearance of a new breed of dog that very few have heard of. For example: the puggle.

2. Great for those with allergies - Unlike some purebred dogs, designer dogs are often bred to reduce the amount of allergens they produce by not having an undercoat.

3. Sheds less - Some designer dogs are bred to shed less than other dogs.

4. Genetic advantage - Believed to be less prone to inbreeding, the designer dog is thought to have better temperaments and also thought to be smarter and more trainable than their purebred counter parts.

Controversy surrounding these dogs have made purebred dog owners enraged. It’s bad for there business and the qualities listed above only hold true in specific cases. The designer dog fad has also had its fallbacks.

1. Bad breeding - bad breeding leads to unwanted dogs. Many people want to produce a designer dog without doing back-ground checks and without the skills needed to do so.

2. Bad owners - Some believe that just because they bought a designer dog means that they don’t need to train, care for or love their pet as much. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Designer dogs need just as much care and attention as all other dogs do, if not more.

3. More expensive - the price for these dogs have sky-rocketed sometimes hit the $1,000 mark. Sometimes its better just to go to the humane society or animal shelter and find a perfectly fine dog. The shots and care for these dogs can make their prices higher as well.

Don’t get me wrong, these are wonderful pets. However, they need wonderful owners as well. Love and care and proper healthcare and grooming are essential for a happy life-long companion. If you would like to keep your costs and concerns down when purchasing a designer dog I suggest that you check its breeding history and do temperament tests as well as get them screened for certain common genetic disorders such as hip-dysplasia and retinal atrophy. Proper preparation and responsible habits lead to a great dog.

Gage Killian - pet enthusiast, web publisher

http://www.cockapoodog.info

http://www.puggleluv.com

http://www.caninefacts.com

April 15th, 2008

Discover: How to prevent dog bites case.

Posted by admin in Pets and Other Animals

——————————–
You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are
included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be
appreciated.
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Discover: How to prevent dog bites case.

Of all the aggressive behavior in dogs dog bites is the most
serious.
However no matter how serious it may be you can contain it
if you are
able to diagnose the cause of this aggressive dog behavior.

In the following 8 tips

1. Before you treat any illness you have to be able to
recognize
the type of aggression your dog is exhibiting. Bellow are
few aggressive
dog behavior you have to notice I will be expanding the
subsequent tips.

Fear aggression
Possessive aggression
dominant aggression
dog to dog aggression
aggression towards infants
punishment or pain elicited aggression
protective or territorial agression

2. Then you have to consult an authority like professional
trainner, veterinary behaviorist.

3. You need to avoid situations that elicit aggressive dog
behavior.

4. Lots of the aggressions are even fault of the dog owners.
Many employ punishment in teaching
obedience commands. All you have to do whenever you want to
teach obedience comman is to
use reinforcement methods.

5. Fit your dog with a head halter while training, a humane
way to treat and
control your og. Use this option only on a temporary basis.
Employ the service of
experience head halters to fit dog handler.

6. Fit your dog with a basket muzzle if restraint is
necessary for extended periods (about 3-5minutes).

7. A helpful technique for behavior modification is
obedience training, though this type of training
will hardly eliminate a dog aggressive behavior.

8. It is advisiable for you not to approach a dog that is
sleeping or unaware of your presence.

About the Author

Lateef Olajide is the author of “Aggressive Dog behavior
Training blog.” Visit his site to find out how you can get
a free consultation.
http://aggressive-dog-behavior-training.blogspot.com

http://www.dog-bite-prevention.com