[Tejas@perioimpl]

I've been an ardent animal lover since years. Unfortunately, my mom hates dogs. I remember that i had a fight with her ages ago and refused to sit for my ICSE exams till see got me a pup. We compromised on an aquarium then...

Anyways, i have convinced my dad to convince my mom to let me get a pup.
Thanks to a certain bhpian who introduced me to a friend who's labrador who delivered a litter of adorable pups.

So now i have choose a male pup from the litter and will take the pup home in July (he's 8 weeks old by then).

I have trawled through the net regarding puppy / dog care, etc. However, most of the advice is for european and american environments with people owning back yards, etc. There is very little advice for people residing in apartments.

If someone can answer my questions and give more advice, i'd be grateful:

- all the shots / vaccine required and the schedule

- any shots required by human owners?

- crate training...?

- good brands of toys / chews / leashes available in india

- food: regular or only dog food?

- the pup is called Jazz and i quite like it... more options of names appreciated

- other do's and don'ts

- essential dog care stuff required

- good vet in south bombay

- any other points you may think of...

Thanks.

[vkochar]

Jazz is a nice name - I like it personally !

All I'd say is one thing before you get a pup, please take care of it as you would of your child !

I have seen many people adopting a pup just for the sake of it and enjoy it initially, but when it grows up they just ignore them which is the worst thing to do.

I know you would know all these things but just reminding you again that keeping a dog is a very HUGE responsibility and not a small one.

The biggest problem of keeping a dog is ( personal experience ) while holidaying or going out of town. Do you frequently go out stations or no ? And if you do go then is there someone behind in the house who is willing to feed him and take him 3 - 4 times out for a stroll.

Also keep in mind space that your dog will have access to. Labradors are heavy dogs ( weighing upto 40 kgs at times ) and they need space to stretch their legs and play.

Happy Petting Mate !!

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by vkochar

Jazz is a nice name - I like it personally !

I like it too. But just keeping options open

All I'd say is one thing before you get a pup, please take care of it as you would of your child !

I have seen many people adopting a pup just for the sake of it and enjoy it initially, but when it grows up they just ignore them which is the worst thing to do.

I know you would know all these things but just reminding you again that keeping a dog is a very HUGE responsibility and not a small one.

Yes thought over it a lot before deciding.

The biggest problem of keeping a dog is ( personal experience ) while holidaying or going out of town. Do you frequently go out stations or no ? And if you do go then is there someone behind in the house who is willing to feed him and take him 3 - 4 times out for a stroll.

Not many trips outta town. Friends have dogs and are more than willing to take care.

Also keep in mind space that your dog will have access to. Labradors are heavy dogs ( weighing upto 40 kgs at times ) and they need space to stretch their legs and play.

Three parks near my house and they allows pets for limited hours which suit my timings as well.

Happy Petting Mate !!

Thanks

[hemanthisgreat]

Congrats on becoming a pet owner. You have chosen a very good breed which adapts to Indian weather quite well and also does not shed a lot.

Vaccination is a yearly affair. The vet would be the best to suggest you the medicines.

I don't think human owners need any vaccination, unless they are being bitten or they going to bite the dog.

About chews etc, its best you go to the nearest pet accessories store and pickup stuff according to your budget. Do not choose any heavy chains etc. Choose a collar of good quality,which is light and is not irritable to the pup.

You can give the pup regular food along with dog food. But do not give any spicy food and keep the salt less. Make sure the pup gets all the necessary nutrients. You can give him ragi malt, rice along with milk etc.

Daily walks is good, but do not overdo it when he is still a pup.

Best of luck to you and wishing your pup a long and healthy life.

[adheesh]

- all the shots / vaccine required and the schedule
The first time you take him (Jazz ?) to the vet, the vaccination would begin. This includes distemper, anti-rabies and a 7 in 1 vaccine. After a month from the first vaccine, he would be vaccinated for the second time. From this day onwards, you can safely walk him on roads, till then you need to carry him around in your hands to protect him from licking everything on the ground.


- any shots required by human owners?
None

- crate training...?
Wont he be free in the house ?

- good brands of toys / chews / leashes available in india
In Mumbai, Akvets (from Akbaralies) is a good brand that makes doggie toys and chews. He would be able to eat the chews only after he is six months old and gets all his permanent teeth (By this I remember you are a dentist, arent you ?).
If you are in Thane anytime I can take you to 2-3 good pet shops which stock everything you would like for him

- food: regular or only dog food?
Till he is 2-3 months old you need to feed him Cerelac which is given to human babies along with Royal Cannine pup food. You can also mix home food like curd rice, mashed bananas, mango, dal-rice, etc with it. By the time he is six months old, he would be able to eat Pedigree puppy food as well as all home made food. For good nutrition, my vet had recommended using pedigree (or other dog food) along with regular non-spicy food as listed above

- the pup is called Jazz and i quite like it... more options of names appreciated
Jazzz is a nice name, what about Ritz !!!
- other do's and don'ts
Before you bring Jazz home, please doggie proof you house by removing all wires, etc in his reach. You would also prefer to keep carpets, rugs, etc away till he is completely toilet trained (around six months of age)

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.

- essential dog care stuff required
A medium soft brush, A good doggie shampoo, a good collar and leash, a few toys, his personal mat, rug, etc

- good vet in south bombay
No idea on this front

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Adheesh Parelkar

[deky]

Congrats Tejas!!
As mentioned earlier pups require same amount of looking after as an infant does, so please try to devote as much attention as you can devote to him. Its a big responsibility.

Lab's are very affectionate dogs and are happiest amongst people. Hence you living in a flat I am sure your dog will come in contact with many other people in the same building. Some of them may not like dogs also. Labs usually in their enthusiasm try to get friendly with everybody and try to jump, lick nuzzle etc etc which some ppl maybe wont like.

All I want to say is that just like in kids, manner's should be a must in every dog , hence manner training should begin as early as possible. They should know the difference in being social and over-enthusiastic.

Big dogs usually have lots of energy so to spend the excess energy in them regular excersing is also a must. Labs are from the retriever family and they are happiest playing "fetching" games. So maybe, he could be usefull in fetching stuff around from the house for you or for your mom. This way maybe your mom may start to like him too.

Also dog grooming is very essential, apart from the things mentioned above, make sure the shampoo is a tick shampoo, also purchase a clipper for the nails as sometimes an in grown nails if not clipped can cause lots of problem.

I am sure you will do just fine. Labs are a wonderfull breed to have the best IMO. So good luck

[Akshay1234]

well the only pet shop i know of in south mumbai is under the peddar road flyover next to crosswords. they have pretty much everything.

[Blue_V]

My cousin has a Labrador, a very sweet dog. very obedient and children will be safe around it. The kids pull his ears, tease him, he finds it ..... irritating but he is accomodating.

But they tend to get fat after 1 year, so have an eye on what you feed and his exercise/stroll.

Sometimes people spoil their dogs with excess love. Dont take your dog's side if one of your family member happens to teach some manners or if they scold it. It should listen to any family member and not just to you, its their pet too. People will respect a obedient dog.

[bigman]

Labradors do enjoy their food and get a bit overweight. From day one don't share any of your meals with it as it will come to expect that and end up being a fat Labrador.

[V-16]

Congrats buddy for the Lab. You are now ensured undying love and affection till kingdom come.

These are highly intelligent dogs and very gentle with children and others. Also excellent watchdogs without being irritatingly ferocious.

I have had the opportunity of having two Labs earlier. They live long, hardly ever have any health problems if taken care of.

For their diet see a professional vet who will advise you better on his medication ad food requirements. There are excellent ready dog foods available like Pedigree etc which are complete meals, cant say, my dogs dont touch it but many dogs will eat it happily. Do not make the mistake of overfeeding a dog as he is always hungry. Also as far as possible, avoid salt and sugar in his diet which only causes problems. A treat once in a while is ok though.

Dogs dont sweat except from their tongues so they need to be in a cool shady environment. Make sure his quarters are well ventilated and not in direct sun.


- all the shots / vaccine required and the schedule
As Adheesh has pointed out, take him to a vet immediately, when you bring him home. HE will be vaccinated and prescribed a de worming schedule after which he will be vaccinated for distemper and various other diseases. I think for the various diseases,there is an all in one vaccine.


- any shots required by human owners?


Not unless you have rabies

- crate training...?


There is nothing like crate training. Toilet training yes. Have a small box lined with preferably a cloth kept close to his mother (to get her scent on it) so that the first few days he feels secure and comfortable.
His earlier quarters may be a cardboard box with a towel lining.

All around that box for a few feet, have newspaper lined. A dog will almost certainly not wet or soil his sleeping quarters. He takes a leak or a poop on the paper. This solves the cleaning problem as well as he gets the drift that hes supposed t relieve himself on the paper. As time passes on, in a week or so, reduce the spread of papers closer and closer to his sleeping quarters. Then when hes perfectly using the paper to relieve himself , start moving the paper away from his quarters to where you want him to pee. Presto!! He is toilet trained.

As he grows older, he will learn to relieve himself during his walks.



good brands of toys / chews / leashes available in india

Any pet shop will provide that. There are a few in and around Crawford market and one next to Chinese Room under the Pedder Rd & Kemps Corner flyover. Get a few chewie bones which he will enjoy chewing and will keep him away from chewing footwear and furniture legs.

- the pup is called Jazz and i quite like it... more options of names appreciated
A name is personal. Keep what you like. A Labrador is a mild manered dog, highly intelligent, sensitive and a great watchdog. I have yet to see a Lab who is ferocious like a GSD or other such breeds. Excellent with humans and especially children, they are very playful and need a lot of exercise. Beware they are prone to gaining pounds if not exercised properly.

- other do's and don'ts

De bug him before you get him. After every walk make sure his feet (under paws) are throughly cleaned and checked for ticks and fleas, as that is generally where they are picked up from.

Have fixed meal times, as that will ensure fixed relieving times. Take him for a walk regularly and get a trainer to teach him the basics. one does not need an attack or police training for dogs.

Get him used to being tied up for a short time every day, possibly within view so that he does not start barking endlessly whenever anyone arrives.

- good vet in south Bombay

There must be a few. Look up the directory. The animal hospital at Parel is an excellent option

Remember to have always a large bowl of fresh water (not cold) available at all times for him to drink. Dogs hydrate themselves regularly so keep changing the water every few hours even if not touched. During summer days give him half and half water and milk (cold but not chilled) once a day. He will love it. Once a week i give my dogs a small cup of Vanilla ice cream but dont overindulge. They can catch a cold and develop whooping cough (Dogs cough) almost instantly

When they are old enough (six moths or so) and almost fully grown, get them a bedding which would be their side of the area. I have a mat made from a bean bag which they enjoy sitting on.

Enjoy the new member of your family and when you do get him home, let us have some pica of his. Hope this has helped.
Ciao.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Thanks to all for your inputs!!!

I'm very excited and can't wait till July till he arrives.

I read somewhere that labs are the most loving dogs and the only danger they pose to people is that they may lick someone to death!!!

What is a good and safe doggie treat to reward the dog while training or for exceptional good behavior...?

[adheesh]

What is a good and safe doggie treat to reward the dog while training or for exceptional good behavior...?

There are packets of tiny pieces of chews (as tiny as a finger nail) meant as rewards available at pet shops. Else, simple things like small cashew pieces, etc does the job.

Regards,
Adheesh Parelkar

[normally_crazy]

Tejas,

Congrats !! I guess all your points are covered here - just show me his pics

[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.

[kavesh55]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

If someone can answer my questions and give more advice, i'd be grateful:

- all the shots / vaccine required and the schedule

- any shots required by human owners?

- crate training...?

- good brands of toys / chews / leashes available in india

- food: regular or only dog food?

- the pup is called Jazz and i quite like it... more options of names appreciated

- other do's and don'ts

- essential dog care stuff required

- good vet in south bombay

- any other points you may think of...

Thanks.

I guess the information provided by Adheesh & Gogi are exhaustive (I too have learnt new things inspite of having a pet for the last 15 yrs). I would like to address a few queries-

Regarding shots to human owners they are not required, incase your dog scratches you,leading to bleeding just take a tetanus shot. This has applicablity for a year, apart from that no medications required.

Good brand products can be shopped at two places in S.Mumbai. One is petcorner in Kemps corner next to Crossword, other option is a pet shop in Crawford market forgot the name but its next to sadanand restaurant.

Regarding the Vet, you could take the dog to BSPCA at Parel as Gogi said. The administrator there Col. Khanna is a thorough gentleman.

Please avoid your pet to be examined or administered by Dr. Drona, his negligence costed me my pet.


Other options are Dr. Kirit Doshi behind Tejpal Hall, Gowalia tank and Dr. Bharucha, Laburnum Rd. Both are extremely fine doctors.

Labradors need a good amount of exercise, approximately 20-30 mins everyday. dont over feed the puppy as they may tend to get obese. feed them at regular time intervals.

Please do post pictures of your pet. If you stay in town, we could meet up anytime, please let me know if you are taking it for a walk at marine drive, i can join you.