THE Large Dog Thread.. (I hope)

[Duckyiam71]

I use frontline on my 110 lb golden retriever...he loves food, why today he manage to steal a container of butter off the counter and eat it all...yesterday he stole an entire bag of cookies off the counter...now I hide everything in the stove...but then he went in my office and found a printer cartridge and chewed the wrapper up...he likes the bathroom garbage too, if I shut all the doors, he finds my DD4's barbies and chews the hands off them...large dog ownership is SUCH fun! and no, he NEVER gets sick from what he eats...iron gut I guess...


This would be my biggest suggestion...keeps things away from the edges of counters and tables etc. We have a golden retriever and she can gently pull stuff off the counters and out the doggie door in no time. Also watch out for the tail! I had a candle burning on the coffee table and her tail knocked it off. I believe it is a characteristic of goldens to have an oral fixation so keep dog friendly toys around. Ours carries a rope with a ball attached to it around like it her baby. Such a difference compared to our Jack Russell...our golden loves to run around after the Jack grabbing its little stub of tail Have fun with your cute puppy.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

Last night we bought (cheaply) a 10 week old Golden Labmaraner (1/2 Golden Retriever 1/4 Labrador 1/4 Weimaraner). He is very smart and sweet and absolutely adorable. (Sorry, I have no idea how to post pics)

I have a few questions about large dog ownership, especially aboout keeping them in the house. I have done A LOT of research on the subject, but I really want to get some fellow Diser's opinions.

1. He has a mild case of fleas. I would like any advise on what is the best course of action on preventing them from spreading and what I should do in regards to treating him/ my carpet. (He isn't allowed on the furniture)

2. A good budget-friendly dog food. I have seriously considered feeding him homemade food, but am afraid "people food" doesn't have all the nutrition a dog needs.

3. Dog toys your dog loves.. I know puppies love to (need to) chew, and I don't want him to chew on my furniture or shoes!

Shockingly, he is already crate-trained. He slept in his crate last night with very little whining. He only had one accident and I blame myself for that one. I made the mistake of not taking him right outside when I got him out of the crate. He even whined really loud before he started to go on the carpet, like he REALLY wanted to go outside. This makes me very happy.

I really would like any advise anyone can give on this and any other dog related subject.. Let me know what you think you did to make your dog a "good" dog. TEACH ME!!!

TIA!

I have not read the other posts, sorry, it's late and I don't wanna! But, what a dog!!! Weimariners are my favorite, we've had two and although they are nut jobs I love them. We also have, used to breed and of course love labs. Anyway, food: we've found the best thing to get is from a feed mill. When we lived in Missouri, we got something called Black Gold. When we moved back to PA, it was JOY and now something else (it was just changed by the suppliers.) Check for a high fat and high protein food. They'll eat less and it's great for the larger dogs. We tried something else for a year and when people saw our Christmas cards the next year (one of our girls is always on our cards) they wanted to know who the dog was, she'd lost a lot of weight. Didn't notice seeing her daily, but they did seeing it once a year. A 50 lb bag lasts about a month with 2 labs for us and it's about $25 a bag, not bad.

Fleas, bath the dog in Dawn dish soap, kills them right away. If you can, keep the dog pretty much in one area and use borax on the surrounding areas. IE we had a bad flea problem one time, kept the dogs in a LARGE dog kennel for several days, they got out a few times a day to run in the yard. We put borax all over the carpet around the kennel. This dries up the fleas and eggs. Works great if you are in the position to do it. Being pretty new to the family and young, may not work for you though. Treat the dog with advantix or advantage (our favorite) something from the vet to be sure it's good. I've never found any of the stuff ya get at Walmart to work.

You are lucky he's kennel trained, it's a great thing. PLEASE PLEASE (my sister didn't listen and regrets it) don't "unkennel" train him. A Weimaraner is smart, sweet and, ummm, sneaky. Once they are allowed to not be in a kennel, they are likely to not EVER be willing to go in again. Sis has a part lab part Weim, a friend had full Weim. I told both of them, USE A KENNEL, both said "oh, but they're so good without it, it seems so mean, we'll let it go". Within a year they were both crying to me that the dog was destroying things in the house and ended up destroying any kennel they put it in. Take advantage of this benefit!

We were told by a trainer that a great toy for a Weim to keep their minds busy, is a Kong filled with peanutbutter and frozen. They'll lick and lick at it. We used pigs feet... not sure any more that's what they're called, also got them at the feed mills, hard hoof things... we used these when the puppies would really start chewing. It was great, they loved them and they stuck to them, never had issues with chewing on stuff they weren't allowed to.

I know this is long, and you probably heard it all already, but I couldn't resist, I do love my Weims and labs! I hope you enjoy your new family member!

 

[TupperMom7]

Last night we bought (cheaply) a 10 week old Golden Labmaraner (1/2 Golden Retriever 1/4 Labrador 1/4 Weimaraner). He is very smart and sweet and absolutely adorable. (Sorry, I have no idea how to post pics)

I have a few questions about large dog ownership, especially aboout keeping them in the house. I have done A LOT of research on the subject, but I really want to get some fellow Diser's opinions.

1. He has a mild case of fleas. I would like any advise on what is the best course of action on preventing them from spreading and what I should do in regards to treating him/ my carpet. (He isn't allowed on the furniture)

2. A good budget-friendly dog food. I have seriously considered feeding him homemade food, but am afraid "people food" doesn't have all the nutrition a dog needs.

3. Dog toys your dog loves.. I know puppies love to (need to) chew, and I don't want him to chew on my furniture or shoes!

Shockingly, he is already crate-trained. He slept in his crate last night with very little whining. He only had one accident and I blame myself for that one. I made the mistake of not taking him right outside when I got him out of the crate. He even whined really loud before he started to go on the carpet, like he REALLY wanted to go outside. This makes me very happy.

I really would like any advise anyone can give on this and any other dog related subject.. Let me know what you think you did to make your dog a "good" dog. TEACH ME!!!

TIA!

If your dog has fleas, you will need to get rid of the fleas on him and in your house. Ask your vet if he is too young for a Capstan (sp?) tablet. That will kill the fleas on him. Then you can spray or use a powder on your rug to get rid of the fleas in the house - and of course, change his bedding.

By "budget friendly" you mean cheap - just remember that the cheaper the dog food, the more you have to feed him. Think of it as junk food that people eat - if you eat potato chips you will be hungry again in an hour as opposed to eating chicken. There are several good quality dog foods - Canidae, Wellness, Blue Buffalo are a few of them. Don't overfeed your puppy - you don't want him to grow too fast, you will stress his skeletal system and joints. My full grown Golden Retrievers eat a heaping cup of food twice a day, to give you an idea.

Different dogs like different toys. My dogs love rope toys with a toy on the end, stuffed animals, latex balls - they don't really like tennis balls, but some dogs do. They also love to chew on Nylabones - they make them in puppy size too, but it's the kind that is durable, not the edible kind. And Kongs - stuff them with a little peanut butter and a little dry food and it will keep him busy.

Make sure you take your dog outside, don't just let him out in the yard. Take him to the spot in the yard where you want him to go and say "go potty" or some other command and wait for him to go and then praise him right away. This will teach him to relieve himself on command, great for when you are away from home. Praising him will let him know that he is supposed to "go" outside.

Have fun - I love puppies!!!

 

[HunnyPots]

Oh my gosh - he is so precious!!! I just want to hold him!

We have one large dog and three small dogs. The large one is a 12 year old German shepherd who we rescued as a stray about a year ago. His age is actually the vet's estimate because he won't tell us his birth date. He lived inside for a while but now has to be outdoors because of his persistent incontinence. He's had some serious spinal injuries that make it impossible to treat, even with meds. As far as fleas go, the only thing we found that works on him is a topical treatment, sort of like Frontline, only it's made from citrus oil instead of chemicals. We got it at Petsmart but I can't recall the name. Frontline did nothing for him at all.

Hope you have many, many happy years with your new baby! Go give him a hug for me!

Oh! I forget to add - we feed all our dogs Iams All Natural dry formula and they're doing great with it.

 

[Bastiansmom]

Don't skimp on your puppy's food. You can get a really cheap food but then your puppy eats and poops more of it than a good quality food. We are currently feeding a local food called Fromm's Gold but we have fed other foods in the past. You don't need to spend a fortune, but the garden variety grocery store/Walmart brand (like Old Roy mentioned above) will probably not be good enough. Heck, I'm not even a big fan of Purina One, but sometimes that's the best that can be bought depending on where you live. I would start feeding wahtever he was eating where you got him and transition to a new food.

As for the fleas, I personally don't think you need to treat anything for the fleas except for the dog since you just got him yesterday. We use Frontline but Advantix is good too. I assume that you are going to the vet soemtime this week for a check-up ... ask what your vet recommends while you are there and s/he should send you home with some.

Our first vet appointment is Saturday.. will the vet be able to tell me how bad his fleas really are? I was afraid they might be pretty bad because he is constantly scratching, but I think I figured out last night that he is scratching at his collar, not at fleas. I have looked him over pretty well and have only seen a few live fleas, and a few more that alive, so hopefully its not as bad as I thought.

Might help your son...when we got Star (boxer/lab mix), we made DD8 (at the time) take her through the PetSmart obedience class. To this day, Star listens to DD12 the best!

[We might have to try this, DS7 is having a hard time understanding how to interact with Dallas

OH MY GOSH! He is adorable!

Thank you!!

We just switched our dogs over to Kirkland brand Lamb and rice. It is $25 for the BIG bag! And the dogs love it. I was buying them more expensive food but then thought if I am buying No name for my family my dogs can rough it too. I checked it out on the dog food rating site and it ranked well. (actually as good as the $50 a bag stuff I was buying)
So Kirkland it is(It's Costco)

My Lab was never into Kong. Not even with peanut butter ect. She likes these
http://www.jakesdoghouse.com/Dog-To...ctible/Toughstructables-Durable-p6768411.html

The toughstruckables are the ones that she plays with most often. Love to play fetch with them. And she also likes the frisbie shaped one too!
Congratulations on your new family member!

What a cutie!!!!

Thank you, I can't believe we almost paid hundreds of dollars for an AKC purebreed puppy! He is the sweetest, smartest dog (so far and IMO)

1. He has a mild case of fleas. I would like any advise on what is the best course of action on preventing them from spreading and what I should do in regards to treating him/ my carpet. (He isn't allowed on the furniture)

I found advantage worked better than the others on my dog. If you don't have ticks, you only need to apply the stuff every three months. it works for a month for ticks, and 3 months for fleas. And it'll save you money as that stuff is 50$ for 3 packets. Adams flea shampoo works real well for killing off current fleas, bit more expensive than the cheap hartz stuff, but still budget friendly and it works. You must wait 3 days or more after giving a bath to apply the advantage, or else it won't work.

This is such great information. I'm not particularly worried about ticks (yet) so this will be a huge cost savings

2. A good budget-friendly dog food. I have seriously considered feeding him homemade food, but am afraid "people food" doesn't have all the nutrition a dog needs.
I signed up at Pet Supermarket for the store card, you get 1 free bag/case of food for every 10 purchased. I also signed up for the monthly newsletter that gives a 5$ off coupon of 25$ or more.
I fed my pup Merricks brand food for the last few years of her life. When we were dirt poor and cheap, she was fed purina one, which she enjoyed. But I dealt with so many UTIs, and a vet bill could easily be over 100$ each time. I also found that with cheaper food, you have to feed them more because so much of it is fillers that does them no good. Even on merricks, that's a premium brand, I spent about the same amount of money on her food, topped with the 5$ off coupon.

3. Dog toys your dog loves.. I know puppies love to (need to) chew, and I don't want him to chew on my furniture or shoes!

Kongs are great... but I could not get my dog to do anything with toys. And she was very picky about treats. That's how i ended up finding out about merricks... it was basically the only treats she enjoyed and eventually the stores started carrying the dry dog food. So I tried it out and she loved it.

Mine wasn't a chewer, a fetcher, or anything other normal dogs would do. Her favorite thing in the world was pulling me on the scooter. So I would put her leash on the handlebar and let her fly. I also adopted her at about 3yrs old, so I didn't have to go through any training and she never liked to be up on the furniture, she would only get up if she was called.

soooo adorable!

Thank you! He has a lot of "extra" skin, so that makes him seem even cuddlier. We are paying attention to just pet and cuddle him on the floor, rather than holding him or we could eventually be holding a really large dog.

as for the Borax - you work it in so that you aren't vacuuming it all up. Worked for us, but as others said, you may not even need to treat carpets! Some places say to leave it on top for a long time, but I didn't like the idea of that and wanted to work it down in.

I sprinkled Borax on the carpets last night and pushed it into the carpet. Let it sit about 10 minutes, then vaccuumed most of it up. I didn't vaccuum the area in front of the couch where Dallas sits, I just made sure it was pushed in really well.

our big guy is part German Shepard and greyhound, as far as we know. We weren't lucky enough to get him as a puppy. He was one when we adopted him, and we were his 3rd owners. He still acted like a big doofus puppy though!!!!

I have a 10 month old golden, so I know you have your hands full!

How big was s/he at 5 months? I am trying to figure out when we will have to buy another crate.

Fleas - we have never had a flea in our house in 12 years of dog ownership. Frontline ROCKS! Just a squeeze of a little package once a month and you will never see a flea or tick. We only use in the warmer months to save a little $

Food - Purina One is a good value food. A really good quality food that is a step up is Nurto. I love it because none of it come from China!

Toys - Toys are good. "Chewies" are better. My pups have always been fond of cow hoofs. They are cheap, (apparently) tasty, and durable. ALso, they do not stain carpet like some basted treats do. There was a recall last month, so stores are slowly starting to get them back in stock.

Other advice - make sure you are the boss - don't be mean, just don't be a push over! A tired dog has a happy owner! Try to find him a puppy playmate if you can. We have puppy playdates with a neighbor - I drop her off in the morning in their back yard and pick her up after lunch happy, dirty and exhausted.

Pre-emptively spray shoes, corners of rugs, and furniture corners, baskets on the floor (or anything else that may catch your dogs eye) with bitter apple spray. It tastes nasty and will save you a fortune in chewed treasures!

Good luck!

Thank you

What a cute puppy!

Thanks

There are some great foods out there priced pretty close to the big name brands, and so much better. As the previous poster said, you will find you feed less of a better quality food, a side benefit, less "presents" to be picking up in the yard.

I found this web site had alot of good information:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Congrats on your new baby, what a little cutie!!

Thank you for the link.. and the compliment!

Gail

I use frontline on my 110 lb golden retriever...he loves food, why today he manage to steal a container of butter off the counter and eat it all...yesterday he stole an entire bag of cookies off the counter...now I hide everything in the stove...but then he went in my office and found a printer cartridge and chewed the wrapper up...he likes the bathroom garbage too, if I shut all the doors, he finds my DD4's barbies and chews the hands off them...large dog ownership is SUCH fun! and no, he NEVER gets sick from what he eats...iron gut I guess...

Congrats on your new puppy! If he likes his crate, keep using it, it's a godsend when you need to get him in it for something or traveling...my last golden hated them but this one I adopted and he was crate trained, talk about a godsend...

Cesar Milan rocks...rent his videos for sure...you'll learn how to be head of the pack with your new pup...and put food in the oven when not in use!

I started DVRing episodes of the Dog Whisperer. Last night I was watching while petting/ playing with Dallas. I didn't notice but he was watching too. A very scared, aggresive dog came on the screen growling and barking, and Dallas growled back. We have a 46" TV that sits pretty close to the ground, so I'm sure the dog on the TV looked huge to him. It was really cute.

Yay thank you, I was going to post this! As for what I feed my two weimaraners, we feed only Bravo raw food. Supplemented with fresh fruits and veggies (once they start to turn and I won't eat them), some yogurt, eggs, whatever else is edible that would normally go in the trash. They couldn't be any healthier!

Do you buy the raw food or make it? Do you have to give them any supplements?

A note about tennis balls. I teach obedience classes (volunteer not pro) and have been a golden owner/breeder for about 20 years. The surface of tennis balls is actually quite abrasive and can damage your dogs teeth. Furthermore, many retriever breeds will "pop" the ball, chunk it and swallow the pieces. I know at least 2 people who have had thousands of dollars worth of vet bills as a result of tennis ball pieces stuck in their dogs digestive system. I strongly urge you to avaoid tennis balls.

We play fetch with a tennis ball, but then I take it away and put it up. Is this okay?

Best chew choce in my opinion is the wolf size nylabone - original. Not all dogs are interested in it.

He has a non-edible puppy version right now. Its brown, not white. What is the difference?

If your pup is like most sporting breeds, he will eat almost anything left arpund if board so be arful about socks etc. Mine are crazy for money and will even steal it off of counters.

Anyway best of luck with your new family member!

I use frontline on my 110 lb golden retriever...he loves food, why today he manage to steal a container of butter off the counter and eat it all...yesterday he stole an entire bag of cookies off the counter...now I hide everything in the stove...but then he went in my office and found a printer cartridge and chewed the wrapper up...he likes the bathroom garbage too, if I shut all the doors, he finds my DD4's barbies and chews the hands off them...large dog ownership is SUCH fun! and no, he NEVER gets sick from what he eats...iron gut I guess...


This would be my biggest suggestion...keeps things away from the edges of counters and tables etc. We have a golden retriever and she can gently pull stuff off the counters and out the doggie door in no time. Also watch out for the tail! I had a candle burning on the coffee table and her tail knocked it off. I believe it is a characteristic of goldens to have an oral fixation so keep dog friendly toys around. Ours carries a rope with a ball attached to it around like it her baby. Such a difference compared to our Jack Russell...our golden loves to run around after the Jack grabbing its little stub of tail Have fun with your cute puppy.

I am scared to give him a lot of stuff because he is still so young. I would love to find something that he could use more as a "lovey" than "chewy" to make him feel safe when he is alone.

I have not read the other posts, sorry, it's late and I don't wanna! But, what a dog!!! Weimariners are my favorite, we've had two and although they are nut jobs I love them. We also have, used to breed and of course love labs. Anyway, food: we've found the best thing to get is from a feed mill. When we lived in Missouri, we got something called Black Gold. When we moved back to PA, it was JOY and now something else (it was just changed by the suppliers.) Check for a high fat and high protein food. They'll eat less and it's great for the larger dogs. We tried something else for a year and when people saw our Christmas cards the next year (one of our girls is always on our cards) they wanted to know who the dog was, she'd lost a lot of weight. Didn't notice seeing her daily, but they did seeing it once a year. A 50 lb bag lasts about a month with 2 labs for us and it's about $25 a bag, not bad.

I might have to check into feed stores. It is about a 45 minute drive to Petsmart/ pet specialty store, so I would prefer to find a good dog food closer to home if I can. Its one thing to run out of milk and be able to go to the grocery and pick more up, but a totally different thing to "realize" your out of dog food on a Sunday evening. I am not against Pet Store Food, I am just trying to get information and make a resonable decision. I also want to avoid getting a "specialty" food that is only available in limited, not easily accessible, locations.


Fleas, bath the dog in Dawn dish soap, kills them right away. If you can, keep the dog pretty much in one area and use borax on the surrounding areas. IE we had a bad flea problem one time, kept the dogs in a LARGE dog kennel for several days, they got out a few times a day to run in the yard. We put borax all over the carpet around the kennel. This dries up the fleas and eggs. Works great if you are in the position to do it. Being pretty new to the family and young, may not work for you though. Treat the dog with advantix or advantage (our favorite) something from the vet to be sure it's good. I've never found any of the stuff ya get at Walmart to work.

I bathed him in watered-down apple-scented Ultra Dawn last night. How will I know if its working/ has worked?

You are lucky he's kennel trained, it's a great thing. PLEASE PLEASE (my sister didn't listen and regrets it) don't "unkennel" train him. A Weimaraner is smart, sweet and, ummm, sneaky. Once they are allowed to not be in a kennel, they are likely to not EVER be willing to go in again. Sis has a part lab part Weim, a friend had full Weim. I told both of them, USE A KENNEL, both said "oh, but they're so good without it, it seems so mean, we'll let it go". Within a year they were both crying to me that the dog was destroying things in the house and ended up destroying any kennel they put it in. Take advantage of this benefit!

I think he is going to be quite a bit bigger than either of his parents, and am afraid he will out grow his current kennel. It is difficult for them to "switch." What is the best way to change out his kennel? I have no intention of not using it. He likes it, and I've never heard of any expert saying it is mean to kennel a dog, in fact, they say the opposite. Some dog owners think it is mean but that is because they look at it from a human perspective, not a canine perspective.

We were told by a trainer that a great toy for a Weim to keep their minds busy, is a Kong filled with peanutbutter and frozen. They'll lick and lick at it. We used pigs feet... not sure any more that's what they're called, also got them at the feed mills, hard hoof things... we used these when the puppies would really start chewing. It was great, they loved them and they stuck to them, never had issues with chewing on stuff they weren't allowed to.

I know this is long, and you probably heard it all already, but I couldn't resist, I do love my Weims and labs! I hope you enjoy your new family member!

If your dog has fleas, you will need to get rid of the fleas on him and in your house. Ask your vet if he is too young for a Capstan (sp?) tablet. That will kill the fleas on him. Then you can spray or use a powder on your rug to get rid of the fleas in the house - and of course, change his bedding.

By "budget friendly" you mean cheap - just remember that the cheaper the dog food, the more you have to feed him. Think of it as junk food that people eat - if you eat potato chips you will be hungry again in an hour as opposed to eating chicken. There are several good quality dog foods - Canidae, Wellness, Blue Buffalo are a few of them. Don't overfeed your puppy - you don't want him to grow too fast, you will stress his skeletal system and joints. My full grown Golden Retrievers eat a heaping cup of food twice a day, to give you an idea.

No, this is the "BUDGET BOARD" so I was looking for a GOOD budget friendly dog food. If we had been on the "LOOK WHAT I PAID TOO MUCH FOR BOARD" I may have phrased myself differently. I know you get what you pay for, but I also know that there is often a cheaper version of an almost identical or better product if you know where to look.

Different dogs like different toys. My dogs love rope toys with a toy on the end, stuffed animals, latex balls - they don't really like tennis balls, but some dogs do. They also love to chew on Nylabones - they make them in puppy size too, but it's the kind that is durable, not the edible kind. And Kongs - stuff them with a little peanut butter and a little dry food and it will keep him busy.

I think I read somewhere about about Nylabones coming apart to help clean your dogs teeth. Does this really happen? Do the bones have to be thrown away when that happens?

Make sure you take your dog outside, don't just let him out in the yard. Take him to the spot in the yard where you want him to go and say "go potty" or some other command and wait for him to go and then praise him right away. This will teach him to relieve himself on command, great for when you are away from home. Praising him will let him know that he is supposed to "go" outside.

Have fun - I love puppies!!!

We've been taking him out front, but need to start taking him into the fenced back yard. We would like to eventually leave him outside instead of in his kennel when he gets older (when we are at work, not at night) so I guess he needs to get used to it.

Oh my gosh - he is so precious!!! I just want to hold him!

We have one large dog and three small dogs. The large one is a 12 year old German shepherd who we rescued as a stray about a year ago. His age is actually the vet's estimate because he won't tell us his birth date. He lived inside for a while but now has to be outdoors because of his persistent incontinence. He's had some serious spinal injuries that make it impossible to treat, even with meds. As far as fleas go, the only thing we found that works on him is a topical treatment, sort of like Frontline, only it's made from citrus oil instead of chemicals. We got it at Petsmart but I can't recall the name. Frontline did nothing for him at all.

Hope you have many, many happy years with your new baby! Go give him a hug for me!

Oh! I forget to add - we feed all our dogs Iams All Natural dry formula and they're doing great with it.

Thank you. We were looking for a German Shepherd, but realized since we had no intention of breeding our new pet, a purebred wasn't necessary. I am so happy with my decision and glad they have come up with cute hybrid dog names instead of just "mutt" or "Heinz 57"

 

[Heidijs]

My golden has a HUGE oral fixation...when he runs to the door to go out, he grabs anything in his path, usually a shoe or boot since it's the back door...but if he starts from the bedroom, he grabs whatever he can, my last golden was that way too, if someone comes over...he runs for a woobie and then makes the most hilarious noises...he sounds like chubacca from Star Wars with a stuffie in his mouth. My poor daugter is always yelling, Tucker! Put my stuffed animal down!!! I have to wash her toys a LOT!

I do shove things as far back as they go, he figures out how to get them, so now all food items get locked in the oven!!!

I did go dig his kong out of the snow this morning..I put a bunch of PB in it and threw it on the kitchen floor before I left for work...he was going nuts...I just hope he doesn't start eyeing up my recliner for dessert...

 

[butiflfeet]

What a cute puppy! I have a 6 year old 85lb female chocolate Lab (who is finally starting to settle down), a 6-ish (she's a rescue) year old 70lb female Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix, and a 1 1/2yr old 23lb male Beagle so we have a pretty full and crazy house

We've never had a problem with fleas but that could just be the area where we live and the fact that our dogs spend most of their time in doors . When we take them to more heavily wooded areas we make sure to put a flea collar on them or apply Advantix or whatever else we have on hand a few days before.

Our dogs are now eating Wellness brand food, the Core variety. It has higher protein and no corn or other nasty fillers. The big girls each eat only 2 cups per day, our little guy eats just under a cup full of food so a bag (and it is a more expensive brand) lasts a relatively long amount of time. I highly recommend, as others have, to visit http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com. You can learn a whole lot about the good, bad and ugly of dog food.

My last word of advice is to make sure your puppy is supervised at all times with any new toy you give them. It may take a few toys and some trial and error to find what toys your pup likes best. All 3 of my dogs are different, though they all seem to like stuffed toys and kongs with peanut butter inside. I've frozen their kongs with peanut butter inside so they last longer.

 

[denise5374]

WHen I mentioned the tennis ball, it is only used to play catch/fetch, he doesn't chew on it and we put it away when not paying catch.

My one yearold chocolate lab also has a huge oral fixation, he will gab anything that is within distance, and that includes kitchen counters. We had to buy locking trash cans for the kitchen and bathroom. However, his favorite thing is underwear mainly mine and DDs, he eats them whole and then they pass through and DH picks them off the front lawn. He has gotten better as he gets older but it is still a challenge to keep things away from him. Actually, in the last week he has stated pulling the tablecloth off the dining room table which is funny unless there is stuff on the table.

He is smart though and he will listen if I (we) catch him in time and say "no".

I wanted to add, we bought Cayman two stuffed toys when he was a puppy and he still has them, he won't tear them abpart but he has eaten the stuffing out of two bed comforters and destroyed numerous other toys. We can't figure out why he doesn't destroy these two little toys, its like he "knows"

 

[Bastiansmom]

I saw knock off Kongs at Walmart. Are these as good? I'm guessing they would be okay for a puppy w/ baby teeth, but not when he gets bigger.

I am trying to teach DS7 that its not what you say, but how you say it when you are teaching Dallas. Saying "no" in a soft, pleasant voice won't do the trick.

Also, how do I know how bad the fleas really are?

 

[Bastiansmom]

Another question:
What tools/ brushes are necessary for grooming. I want to be able to keep his fur from clumping/ matting and reduce shedding. It would be nice to be able to brush away the loose fur in a controlled location rather than vaccuum it up later.
Thanks

 

[robinb]

However, his favorite thing is underwear mainly mine and DDs, he eats them whole and then they pass through and DH picks them off the front lawn.

 

[lucigo]

This is a great tip! Both our boxers are bell trained - except Mack now rings the bell anytime he wants ANYTHING (right around 5pm every single night he rings the bell - ready for dinner!)....once we figured out he didn't really want to go outside every single time, we found it pretty funny (he'll ring the bell and run to where we keep the "cookies" )

Aww thats cute! Smart dog!!

 

[ceecee]

Another question:
What tools/ brushes are necessary for grooming. I want to be able to keep his fur from clumping/ matting and reduce shedding. It would be nice to be able to brush away the loose fur in a controlled location rather than vaccuum it up later.
Thanks

He is so CUTE!!!!!! Gives me "puppy fever"!!!!!!!!!

Furminator! Love it, it's lasted for years and does a great job although we still have lots of fur bunnies with 2 labs! I got it from Ebay and it was a lot cheaper than the pet stores.
Petmart and other stores also have a pet food thing where you buy 12 and get one free. Watch the Nylabones if you get one, our strong chewer had it chewed to pieces in 15 minutes luckily she threw it up! She also can't eat rawhides because she will get big chunks and could choke. We do give them C.E.T. chews to help with the teeth, they are a lot cheaper thru 1800petmeds than at the vet, also check their prices and Frontline and Heartguard.
Kong makes a Puppy Kong as well, frozen peanut butter with some kibble added makes a great treat. Also carrots and green beans are favorite snacks and they must have a can (no salt) every night before bed!
Dog.com has great prices on toys and beds, they just had a great sale! We have 2 largest sized crates that the girls still sleep in at night, they seem to like them and it keeps them off our bed. We put memory foam in a dog bed like pillowcase and a fluffy washable crate pad on top ($14.99 from Dog.com instead of $40 at the pet store). During the day they have the run of the house but spend most of their time on our TempurPedic bed!

 

[SandrA9810]

i don't know the age restrictions on flea stuff for the coat, but you should start tackling the problem now with shampoos. Fleas multiply fast and can take months to get back under control. It got bad enough they started biting us. We had to use a flea bomb more than once. Of course when we got kiani, she was from the pound and covered in fleas and ticks the size of your thumb. And with her long coat, it made it hard to see them all. She must've been miserable that first night after picking them all off.

I prefered shopping at pet supermarket rather than petco or petsmart. The staff seems to stay the same, the stores are smaller and are very helpful. The also sell a good shampoo/conditioner called veternarian something, comes in a clear bottle with a pump on top. I hated using sqeeze bottles as i could only work in small sections at a time. Occasionally I would use nova pearls coal shampoo if her skin started getting dry and itchy. I used a slicker brush on her, and could go over ten times and have a bag full of fur to make another dog out of. And everything i wore turned to white around her. But it's one of those things you get used to.

Once you find a brand of dog food he'll like ask the store if there's a card or email sign up. I often got coupons for 2$ off 10$ purchase in the mail and would use that to buy treats and canned food. Along with my monthly email coupon and 11th bag free.

Merricks makes a good brand of dog treats like jerky sticks, bones, cow hooves, pigs ear. Stay away from too much raw hide, it can cause upset stomachs and runny poop. So can too many treats, so don't give a milk bone just cause he went potty after a year old.
Kiani also learned to go pee on command, even if it was a little, she'd still squat for me.

Good luck you have lots to learn. And there's nothing wrong with a good ol mutt. They usually have fewer health problems that purebreeds have.

 

[need2cruise]

Congrats on the new puppy--he is a cutie!!!

We just got a puppy a few weeks ago--he had a few fleas on him--so I took him to the vet and the vet gave him Comfortis (pill) that starts killing fleas within 30 min and is in full effect w/in 4 hours. The vet also started him on Sentinel--it is a heartworm med that works for a mth--but it also kills fleas at the egg and larval stages--so it breaks that cycle.

I agree w/ the poster about getting cheaper food---the dog does do #2 a lot more with a cheaper food--and they eat more of it since it isn't as filling. Our vet suggested Pro Plan Puppy for Toy breed (we got a chihuaha-but have raised german shepherds in the past). He said Pro Plan is a good type of food that isn't as budget breaking as some of the others and has the same nutrients.

Socialize him everywhere you go---people, other dogs, etc. It will make for a better tempered dog!!

Good luck w/ your new addition!

 

[dansyr2514]

We have a German Shorthair ...they have the same basic temperament as a Weimerainer.(sp?) All I have to say is good luck...if that temperament is dominant. Actually our dog is very sweet....she is a 55 lb lap dog.....but man does she have alot of energy...and if bored will chew anything. She has even chewed the plastic tray at the bottom of her crate into pieces. Then only thing she can't chew through is her Kong. Just to get her energy out sometimes....she runs on the treadmill for awhile to tire her out. Although as much destruction as she caused I couldn't imagine being without her.

 

[I Believe n Fairies]

For grooming, I recommend a Furminator for your little guy. Labs/goldens are big shedders and the Furminator is a great tool to help take loose hair off the dog.

Fleas may not be the only reason your dog is scratching. We switched our dogs to a less expensive dog food (dumb move!!) and noticed their coats were dull, skin was flaky (like dandruff), and overall, they coats felt rough. Food makes all the difference and I will NEVER by cheap dog food. Once we changed to Iams their coats and skin dramatically improved. Some foods just do not work for some dogs. Changing their foods can also cause similar reactions. For my dog, Iams works well.

My labbie is 12 and has been the best dog. She is very healthy. I considered getting a small dog next time, but I love my big dog.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Also, how do I know how bad the fleas really are?

You can stop by a vets office and pick up a single dose of Frontline. I belive Petsmart or Petco also carries this. I would recommend doing this ASAP, you do not need to wait for a vet to tell you this. Stop the flea issue, quick!

It's too bad you don't have a Costco, we use their food. It is really good quality and it's such a great price. Food is SO confusing, there are just too many out there. Your vet will likely recommend Science Diet, but I think the main ingredient is corn. I would stay away from corn, it's a filler and does not digest well. I would look for a food that does not contain corn and has a meat as the primary ingredient.

I would invest in a real kong, it will last a long time. Also a Nylabone. I'm sure you will find toys that your pup will like.

Continue crate training.

Count on A LOT of exercise once all puppy shots are done.

Don't forget heartworm medicine. This is prescription only, from your vet. You can choose one that covers the heartworms as well as fleas. That is why I recommended just purchasing a single dose of Frontline.

Very cute!

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

Yeah, I'm still skimming but noticed the above quoted the "how do I know how bad the fleas are?"

You know they're BAD when they're all over the dog and you Man, we've only had BAD maybe twice, but it's awful! But seriously, I'd also seen you said you bathed him with Dawn... that will kill the fleas on the dog only. You'll still have to treat the home if you are still finding them. I don't know the condition of the pup (who is the cutest thing by the way) flea wise when you got him. I'd get some front line or whatever on him, go over him at least every day thoroughly. Check real good around the eyes, ears, belly, "arm pits" and the crooks in the legs... fleas LOVE these areas. See if you are finding more fleas on him. I pick them off and kill them when I find them. If he's not got a terribly bad case you should be fine. The frontline stuff will work pretty quick. We always used advantage as soon as we'd see a flea on the dog and within 2 days the worries were over. Be sure not to bathe him again for several days after applying the stuff.
If you are finding them on your family quite a bit, you'll need to worry about treating your home before they start getting out of control.

 

[robinb]

I just want to point something out about the fleas again.

She bought the dog on MONDAY. It's now THURSDAY. She probably doesn't have an infestation in her house in only 4 days. Especially when she bathed the dog in Dawn. I guess what I'm saying is that the OP shouldn't worry about her house until she still sees/feels fleas a couple of weeks after she treats the dog with Advantix or Frontline. My animals have had fleas a few times and I have had to treat my house only once.