[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Thankfully the days of multiple shots, and diaries to keep track of them are gone. Go to any competent vetenary hospital, and the dog will be given a couple of "all in one" shots.
Just one visit to the hospital every year.
Labradors are extremely loving dogs, and with proper care they can make a dog lover out of the most stubborn dog hater.

I would not suggest the all in one shots for the puppy. Maybe after he/she is 3 years old. Until then follow the chart.

[varun911]

Originally Posted by adheesh

Also never ever give him chocolates, coffee, diet coke or any thing that contains caffeine since it is toxic for dogs. Also some vets advise against raisins.

Its not the caffeine that is toxic. Its the substance called Theobromine in chocolates that is harmful to dogs because dogs cannot digest Theobromine and accumulation of this can lead to cardiac arrest in dogs.

[venuraja]

For people living in a flat, Boxer would be a suitable dog.
Labrador needs more exercise. And you must take care of it by making it
fetch a ball etc., and walking.
As for Dog food , since dog's elementary canal is shorter and it is much shorter in GSD , it is always advisable to give non-veg food. If you do not want too much work and also a food which is somewhat balanced for a dog , you better go for a dry food available as branded in any super market,for example pedigree.

You have to give small quantities for a puppy and must be along with milk in the morning with a raw egg broken in to it.
Until pup grows it requires milk.

Once it grows up to 6 months age , give dry food about half-kg to three quarters of Kg only once. Dogs do not need food many times in a day.
About tit-bits ,which you can use small balls of dry food, only as a gift when it obey your commands.

In the morning regularly you can give some break fast like food for example
egg omlet plus one boiled egg plus one tea cup milk. that is all.

Please understand that one should not change dog's food, it is exactly reverse in case of human beings. Dogs health would spoil and it may even die if you change its food.
Human beings may get sick or may get uncurable deseases if they eat only one type of food regulary. Food and fruits have to be changed in case of humans but for dogs
you should never change food.

Human owners do not need vaccines to maintain a dog.
Govt.vet clinic is enough to advise you vaccine doses for your dog.

Your pet never shall develop possesiveness about its ball and other play toys and also about it's dish and bed. It should never be allowed to get a feeling that it is the master of the house. That is why you should move it's plate while it is eating since it's childhood. Otherwise it would develop very dangerous possesive intincts and attack the owner if he pulls its plate of food, it would prove perticularly dangerous
for children in a flat.

This means you should never allow it to sit on sofa,bed on chairs etc., and that you should make it clear in the begening as to who is master.

[straight6]

Here are some things I have personally experienced about the Labroador because of my best friend owning one.

1. They need a lot of attention and love. Without that they get depressed just like humans. I saw this when my friend left for the US.

2. Just like a human baby, do not touch and allow others to touch and pet the puppy on the head. Even their skull has a soft spot before it joins.

3. Labradors have a big portion of their brain dedicated to food . They don't know when to stop eating so you should know.

4. They need to play and run every single day or they are prone to some sort of hip infection if they don't exercise. As it is, they are hyperactive.

5. They are the worst guard dogs in the world. They will practically show a robber around your house.

6. They learn things quickly so make sure you start training early as well. You need to be strict while doing so because they have a bad attention span.

7. They shed quite a lot of fur so be prepared for that. It will be all over the house.

8. Don't leave him alone in the house because Labs are very restless and he will ransack the house. The need to be in contact with humans 24/7.

9. They would rather die than ever bite a human. They have amazing control over their jaws and teeth. You can put a babies hand in their mouth and there wont be scratch.

10. They have an unbelievable memory! My friend came back from the US after around 5 years and he was all over him in a flash. In those 5 years, he was sent to an uncles farm house where he could play freely with children.

I would never get a dog home because of the commitment you need to make towards them. I love Labradors because of my friends dog. This is the only breed I would ever want to own, along with a Golden.

[AlokSriva]

Welcome to the club mate!

Labs are adorable pets and they are as intelligent as you and me. If trained properly, they would not budge an inch without you telling them to.

And yes, they are not guard dogs as some ignorant folks expect them to be (one such person is my neighbour whose lab is perenially left in compound outside the house). They are from retriever family which brings in them the following traits -
1) following the master everywhere;
2) excellent runners;
3) fetchers; and last but not the least
4) safe
Let me explain how - Labs used to accompany their masters for hunting and whenever a prize was shot down (bird, hare, etc.), it was the pet's duty to fetch it. While bringing the prize back, they were trained to delicately hold it in their jaws so as not to disfigure it.

My lab - Twinkle - is very playful, so much so that when out on walks, she expects everyone passing by on the road to spend at least a minute patting and playing with her (thankfully in a gated layout, everyone knows everyone else and therefore, people have got used to her expectations now and are more than willing to oblige ).

And as mentioned by others previously, Labs don't know when to stop eating, and therefore, you need to help them decide. Labs have a tendency to put on weight, therefore, you should take care of its proper exercise/physical activity. Other than taking out Twinkle on walk with other cocker spaniels that I have, every night after dinner, I take her out on a brisk walk where I would ride bicycle holding her leash. Because of her, I too am taking care of my fitness..

But to be honest friend, you should consider the following while you are bringing home a lab -
1) Dogs, especially labs, need a lot of free space to vent out their energy even when inside the house. Be prepared for things falling over, glasses being broken because of their (or their tail's) energetic movements; and
2) They are full time affair. They need to have their outings at least 4 times a day. And there would be occasions when in the middle of night, they would start making funny noises to let you know that they need an unplanned outing..

Not that I am trying to discourage you, but these are facts one should bear in mind before bringing home a pet. Failing which, in due course of time, pet would become more of a liability than a family member. How do I know - all 3 pets that I have brought home are those whose owners had given up on for some or the other reason after having them for periods ranging from 3 to 9 years..

[Cyrus43]

Put up his Picture Tejas. Guys, I assure you, hes one of the cutest pups I have ever seen!! Im sure we all shall miss Jazz after you take him!! And do get him here to meet Donnsie once a while!!

[jassi]

Congratulations !! we need to see pics of Jazz - i think Punto will be a good name seriously!

Dogs as pets always bring joy to the family. As everyone has given a lot of advice - all i will say is
1) read the book "the bad dog's diary" The Bad Dog's Diary: A Year in the Life of Blake: Lover... Fighter... Dog: Martin Howard: Amazon.co.uk: Books
2) watch the movie "Marley and Me" Marley & Me (2008)

Have fun and enjoy life with Jazz

[anilagdr]

First thing you got to do once you bring the pup home is to get it dewormed (if not already done). About 10 days of deworming you can get him vaccinated using a multivalent vaccine containing antigens protecting the pup from several diseases (distemper, hepatitis, Lepto, Parvo etc). Again the pup needs to be vaccinated against Rabies around 2 weeks after the first vaccination. If a booster is necessary your Vet would suggest the time gap. Vaccination schedule also depends on whether the mother was immunized or not and if she received a shot during pregnancy etc.

[absynthguzzler]

Dunno if this point has been mentioned , but if you want your dog to stop doing anything wrong such as

1 : jumping on you all the time
2 : chewing on slippers
3 : everything else that a human expects a dog to act human as well , lol .

DON'T hit/whack/kick/pull away/shout at the pooch, DONT even scare the dog with a paper roll as is common practice.

Have a 1/2 ltr coke bottle filled partially with stones and just shake the thing whenever a dog is doing something against your wishes. Dogs donot enjoy this sound and it also distracts them . 4-5 goes and the dog would understand that the irritating noise comes only when its doing something in particular.Do not misuse this tactic though like shaking it unneccasaryly . The dod would wonder what he's done wrong , lol.

Grooming: This is very very important! everytime you spend 2-3 mins petting the dog , just groom it with a comb. This helps blood circulation to a great extant and you'll be amazed by the results. The dog will enjoy your company more as well and this will help the daily check for ticks. Its not good to purely rely on medications and shampoos.

Water : Have watering holes in different places around the house ( one behind and one in front of house). Pedigree and these latest dog foods are dry and they spend most of the research on making the poo "kickable" . Constipation is a common factor and hence let the dog have water available at all times.

....AVOID unknown dog food brands or home cooked meals!. Particularly SOYA based.There's a lotta people i know that feed soya meal with broken rice and many brands of dog food have come up with the same ingredients in the market. Soya causes flatulence and is bad for a pooch.

....If your staying in a flat/apartment, buy a dog nail clipper and learn how to use it. unless there is rough open ground (lawns down qualify) that a dog is continously running on , their nails grow long and become very painful for the poor things. You dont have to do a doctor visit for this.

....If pedigree or other brands are too expensive , you can treat your dog to Jowar ( dunno the english word for this) along with dog bones.

...If you'll are vegetarian at home, then carrots are a good option to keep teeth clean. Else mutton bones are best. DONOT feed a dog with chicken bones, they are too thin/sharp and can get stuck in the throat.

Think ive spoken enough on the practical yet doable(dont be lazy to leave everythin to a vet types, lol) side of owning a dog . add this to the other valuable comments online and Jazz would be a happy chappy and so will his owner. :-) .

[kavesh55]

Let the thread not die. Tejas pics of the puppy please ?

[shuvc]

Congratulations !
Be assured he will show you the meaning of unconditional love. It's a humbling experience and I feel blessed.

[jassi]

all i know is this gonna be one shiny white toothed dog

[Dippy]

Tejas, have you got him yet or should I come your place to see him?

[msbehave]

Wow. you have gotten some excellent tips! So lucky, getting a dog in the family! I consider myself a dog's human rather than the other way around. I suggest the pet store at Kemps Corner - the people who run it are these senior Parsi gentlemen who love dogs. It's infectious. Be careful with the sort of collar/leash you buy. I remember they guided me very ably when I was 8 years old and later too.

For a vet, I would suggest animal hospital at Parel [I used to volunteer there and vouch for the quality] or if you can make it to Shivaji Park - Dr Sangeeta Vengsarkar Shah. I wouldn't go to Bharucha in Gamdevi.

Also, do keep a file which houses records of INKC registration, BMC registration and all vaccines. Very useful. I used to take my dog to the racecourse when I lived in SoBo. He absolutely loved it. Just keep a lookout for wild horses who dump their riders!

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by kavesh55

Let the thread not die. Tejas pics of the puppy please ?

Soon... don't worry, i'm not gonna let this thread die. In fact i'll start a DogBlog thread once i get him home in July. I'm very inspired after reading Mad dog's Diary (a must read - although ofcourse, that diary was apparently written by the dog)

Originally Posted by jassi

all i know is this gonna be one shiny white toothed dog

lol

Originally Posted by Dippy

Tejas, have you got him yet or should I come your place to see him?

July

Originally Posted by msbehave

Wow. you have gotten some excellent tips! So lucky, getting a dog in the family! I consider myself a dog's human rather than the other way around. I suggest the pet store at Kemps Corner - the people who run it are these senior Parsi gentlemen who love dogs. It's infectious. Be careful with the sort of collar/leash you buy. I remember they guided me very ably when I was 8 years old and later too.

For a vet, I would suggest animal hospital at Parel [I used to volunteer there and vouch for the quality] or if you can make it to Shivaji Park - Dr Sangeeta Vengsarkar Shah. I wouldn't go to Bharucha in Gamdevi.

Also, do keep a file which houses records of INKC registration, BMC registration and all vaccines. Very useful. I used to take my dog to the racecourse when I lived in SoBo. He absolutely loved it. Just keep a lookout for wild horses who dump their riders!

Thanks. I went and saw the leashes at the kemps Corner store. Not at all happy with the quality though. Where do you get good quality ones?


Thinking of renaming the pup (currently jazz by the owner) to enzo.