First-time Labrador owner

Sukhpreet Aujla said:
I'm looking to get a Labrador soon, I have a few queries if anyone can help:

- Are barking dogs next door a problem, my neighbour has two dogs, which stay primarily in their back garden and have never been taken for a walk for all the years they've had them, whenever anyone steps into our back garden the noise sets them off (I know its not their fault the dogs must be bored out of their minds). Would this be a problem when it comes to training?

- Can I slowly introduce vegetarian dog food with a mind to raise the Lab vegetarian?

- When taking the puppy out for socialising how do I carry her around, in some sort of bag or in my arms?

- Should I avoid getting a dog in the winter months due to the cold weather? I wondered whether its harder to toilet train a puppy in cold weather and as I would be a first-time dog owner I'm not sure about this
All advice on any of these topics would be greatly appreciated
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No new advice to give thats hasn't been covered, although possibly look at which vets are local to you, visit them, and see which ones make you feel you would be welcomed as an owner.
But I'm really impressed you've taken time and effort to think this through, ask questions and do a bit of research, so well done and good luck! :)
 
Sukhpreet Aujla said:
On their website it lists the pedigree line but I cannot click on their names to see their health scores (I can for the mother) I have emailed the breeder about the elbow score anyway it seems foolish not too
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The breeder said the elbow score of 1 was probably due to the sire banging his leg around a few times when he was a puppy
 
Sukhpreet Aujla said:
On their website it lists the pedigree line but I cannot click on their names to see their health scores (I can for the mother) I have emailed the breeder about the elbow score anyway it seems foolish not too
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The KC Health checker does not keep records of dogs which are not KC registered, even if they did KC health tests on their foreign pedigree.

I do hear a lot, that higher scores are because of accidental damage, however in my own breed there's always coincidentally a dog or two in the pedigree implicated in high elbow scores ;) you have to do a lot of damage to effect genetically good hips and elbows, my own dog got his back leg trapped under a book case (don't ask) and was forever throwing himself vertically from a great height when he was a puppy, but his hips and elbows were completely clear at 13 months. An experienced vet, when taking the x-rays, should be able to tell if the dysplasia is genetic or accidental.
 
CorvusCorax said:
The KC Health checker does not keep records of dogs which are not KC registered, even if they did KC health tests on their foreign pedigree.

I do hear a lot, that higher scores are because of accidental damage, however in my own breed there's always coincidentally a dog or two in the pedigree implicated in high elbow scores ;) you have to do a lot of damage to effect genetically good hips and elbows, my own dog got his back leg trapped under a book case (don't ask) and was forever throwing himself vertically from a great height when he was a puppy, but his hips and elbows were completely clear at 13 months. An experienced vet, when taking the x-rays, should be able to tell if the dysplasia is genetic or accidental.
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The breeder said it was probably due to the sire banging his leg around a lot when he was a puppy, it is giving me a lot of pause for thought
 
dree said:
It is not misinformation at all. I have studied vaccines for years. If you go to the Lepto site, where the owner is gathering information to sue the manufacturers, you would then see the horrendous deaths that are occuring due to the Lepto jab. Lepto jab only lasts a few months anyway, so is a waste of time and a huge risk to take. Also, as the manufacturers point out themselves, the jab does not stop the dog getting Lepto, just allows it to get a "lesser" version of it....whatever that is. I am being deadly serious here. The risks from Lepto (particularly L4) are immense.
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Levrier said:
Oh dear..... since you clearly need me to, I’ll spell it out for you.... there are large numbers of forum users who know very well that I’m not a troll. There are an increasing number of forum users who think you are a troll due to your repeated offensive/argumentative/confrontational posts.

I guess you’ll go the same way as the rest and get banned....
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And you would like that, since your type of "offensive/argumentative, etc." is so subtle that ppl don't even notice it. Your type are on every forum and think you are above everyone else. The snob of offensive posts.
 
Goldenstar said:
Well wait it’s the best chance you have of getting a good puppy and backup from an experienced breeder .
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Or get a pup from further away. We have travelled from Scotand to Plymouth for the right pup. Be prepared to cast your net a bit wider. x
 
My concern regarding not getting the puppy the required vaccinations is that I haven't come across anyone else or any Kennel Club Assured Breeder who has said not to get the puppy all the vaccinations he/she requires
 
I spoke to a friend who's mum breeds show labs today. She said a 1-0 elbow is not ideal, but not a deal breaker.
Her mum also has a yellow show bitch due to pup next week, pups should be both yellow and black, but mum has retired recently and moved to Ireland. Although she said a pup can be easily transported it is of course more difficult to visit.
She didn't know if there were likely to be any not reserved anyway.
 
Sukhpreet Aujla said:
My concern regarding not getting the puppy the required vaccinations is that I haven't come across anyone else or any Kennel Club Assured Breeder who has said not to get the puppy all the vaccinations he/she requires
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Get the vaccinations. I dithered a bit about L4 last year but decided if my dog died of something I could have prevented I could not forgive myself. The chances of the pup dying from the vaccine is absolutely minute and I believe that most deaths have been found to occur in dogs that are already unhealthy.
Look what the antivaxxers have done for human health...
 
Clodagh said:
I spoke to a friend who's mum breeds show labs today. She said a 1-0 elbow is not ideal, but not a deal breaker.
Her mum also has a yellow show bitch due to pup next week, pups should be both yellow and black, but mum has retired recently and moved to Ireland. Although she said a pup can be easily transported it is of course more difficult to visit.
She didn't know if there were likely to be any not reserved anyway.
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Thank you very much for asking your mother, I think I will wait to find a puppy with parents who have elbow scores of 0. I know that 1 might be okay and for more experienced people who not what to do and what to look for they will be fine, but this will be my first puppy and I feel like I should be making it as easy as possible for myself, I know raising a puppy is not easy at all but I can certainly help myself but not taking a risk

I think visiting would be difficult to Ireland but I appreciate you asking
 
Levrier said:
Please don’t spread such total misinformation on social media 😳 I live in Gloucestershire and we have numerous recorded cases of lepto in dogs every year (cannot speak for other geographical areas of the country obviously) so I would be spectacularly negligent as a dog owner not to vaccinate my 5 dogs against Lepto....
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I was worried about the L2 and more especially the L4 vaccine after reading various opinions on the internet. Having spoken to my vet, she confirmed there were confirmed cases of lepto in our area and four dogs had died. I went with her recommended vaccination schedule and will do so again with my 8 week old pup.

It’s definitely a controversial subject and everyone should do their own research and make up their own minds.
 
Moobli said:
I was worried about the L2 and more especially the L4 vaccine after reading various opinions on the internet. Having spoken to my vet, she confirmed there were confirmed cases of lepto in our area and four dogs had died. I went with her recommended vaccination schedule and will do so again with my 8 week old pup.

It’s definitely a controversial subject and everyone should do their own research and make up their own minds.
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There isn't any question for me personally, for people more experienced in knowing what a dog does and doesn't need its different I guess. I'm not sure if I can post YouTube links but this video seems apt, although it is for a blood test

 
Sukhpreet Aujla said:
My concern regarding not getting the puppy the required vaccinations is that I haven't come across anyone else or any Kennel Club Assured Breeder who has said not to get the puppy all the vaccinations he/she requires
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The people who don't vaccinate complete (natural rearing) are few and far between, although there are far more than you would think. All of the pups I have bought from breeders have not been vaccinated at my request. (At 8 weeks old, the pups are still covered by the maternal protection of the mother....so any vaccines are a waste of time, and simply putting chemicals into a young body that is not ready for them. Many concerned breeders now are more up to date with how vaccines work.....one vaccine at 14 weeks (when mother's immunity has waned) will last at least 7 years.....if not a lifetime. (Check out Schultz's work.....just google him.) My pups are allowed to build up their own natural immunity. (Very carefully, let me assure you.) I understand that this is not for everyone......but one vaccine of DHP at 14 weeks, and then titre test two weeks later to make sure the vaccines have taken. And no Lepto. It is the most dangerous vaccine that has ever been given to a dog.
 

Please be careful[/QUOTE]

I have decided against going with this breeder, I would be arrogant to think I can take the risk given I have never had a dog, for more experienced dog owners maybe its not as big a risk but I would rather wait and find a puppy with 0 elbow scores from its parents
 
rabatsa said:
My vet told me that living on a farm with fluctuating rat populations vaccinating was essential.
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There are rats everywhere. I had rats in my kennels. I know ratters that are not vaccinated. Lepto *is* rare......vets always say they have seen dogs with Lepto.....in order to confirm that they would have needed to do an autopsy....which most owners do not want. And, in fact, most cases of Lepto are in vaccinated dogs. That's something else vets won't tell you. I've been studying vaccines in dogs for more than 20 years, which is why I won't have my dogs done. But many people now are just having the one DHP vax at 14-16 weeks, and not having any more than that. As an example of how my dogs are immune naturally, we had one of them titre tested at 7 years of age.....never, ever vaccinated, and came back with good titres for everything.
 
dree said:
The people who don't vaccinate complete (natural rearing) are few and far between, although there are far more than you would think. All of the pups I have bought from breeders have not been vaccinated at my request. (At 8 weeks old, the pups are still covered by the maternal protection of the mother....so any vaccines are a waste of time, and simply putting chemicals into a young body that is not ready for them. Many concerned breeders now are more up to date with how vaccines work.....one vaccine at 14 weeks (when mother's immunity has waned) will last at least 7 years.....if not a lifetime. (Check out Schultz's work.....just google him.) My pups are allowed to build up their own natural immunity. (Very carefully, let me assure you.) I understand that this is not for everyone......but one vaccine of DHP at 14 weeks, and then titre test two weeks later to make sure the vaccines have taken. And no Lepto. It is the most dangerous vaccine that has ever been given to a dog.
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I have been reading a book about Labs by David Craig, regarding Lepto he says it is not absolutely crucial in certain areas and the vet should advise whether its needed. Someone posted earlier that where they live there have been numerous cases of Lepto reported so it would be foolish for them not to vaccinate against it.
 
Moobli said:
I was worried about the L2 and more especially the L4 vaccine after reading various opinions on the internet. Having spoken to my vet, she confirmed there were confirmed cases of lepto in our area and four dogs had died. I went with her recommended vaccination schedule and will do so again with my 8 week old pup.

It’s definitely a controversial subject and everyone should do their own research and make up their own minds.
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The problem is that no-one does any research. They just assume that their vet knows what they're talking about. Sadly, vets spout what the vaccine manufacturers tell them. Merck's testing on Lepto 4 included the death of 2 pups, which they said they didn't know why the pups had died....but it wasn't the vaccine!! Hello?? Two pups in the testing of a vaccine die, but it's nothing to do with the vaccine? Are we supposed to just accept that? Just as we are supposed to accept the growing number of dogs which start fitting soon after the vaccine is given, or fall ill with kidney problems, or are paralysed and eventually put down....or they die anyway. Don't take my word for it. I'm not typing this for fun. It is a dangerous vaccine. Look up Merck, and look up their testing. How this vaccine passed safe to give to dogs is beyond me.
 
Sukhpreet Aujla said:
I have been reading a book about Labs by David Craig, regarding Lepto he says it is not absolutely crucial in certain areas and the vet should advise whether its needed. Someone posted earlier that where they live there have been numerous cases of Lepto reported so it would be foolish for them not to vaccinate against it.
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There is a rat within 10 feet of every person in this country.....you just don't see them. I've had my (unvaccinated) dogs kill a rat in their run....I had one dog try to present (as in obedience) the rat to me to take. As much as I was pleased with the present, I was not so happy with the article!! :p I did manage to get him to drop it and I could then pick it up in a plastic bag and remove it. Yuck!! Btw, Lepto is easily treated with the correct antibioitic....something else vets won't tell you.
 
dree said:
There is a rat within 10 feet of every person in this country.....you just don't see them. I've had my (unvaccinated) dogs kill a rat in their run....I had one dog try to present (as in obedience) the rat to me to take. As much as I was pleased with the present, I was not so happy with the article!! :p I did manage to get him to drop it and I could then pick it up in a plastic bag and remove it. Yuck!! Btw, Lepto is easily treated with the correct antibioitic....something else vets won't tell you.
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That last line is untrue, having lost a dog to Lepto and he presented sick on a Sunday morning,seen the vet, back Sunday afternoon and he was admitted and he was on everything you could think of but he had to be put down Monday afternoon to stop him from suffering. This was a young 4 1/2 year old dog fit as a fiddle who looked a million dollars and he had first class care yet still died .
 
dree said:
There is a rat within 10 feet of every person in this country.....you just don't see them. I've had my (unvaccinated) dogs kill a rat in their run....I had one dog try to present (as in obedience) the rat to me to take. As much as I was pleased with the present, I was not so happy with the article!! :p I did manage to get him to drop it and I could then pick it up in a plastic bag and remove it. Yuck!! Btw, Lepto is easily treated with the correct antibioitic....something else vets won't tell you.
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I personally have know 5 people who got leptospirosis. Two of them died. Occupations were farming, electritian, plumber x2 and kennel huntsman. It MAY be treatable with antibiotics but it still is a KILLER.
 
rabatsa said:
I personally have know 5 people who got leptospirosis. Two of them died. Occupations were farming, electritian, plumber x2 and kennel huntsman. It MAY be treatable with antibiotics but it still is a KILLER.
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Good to see someone say this..! I thought I was going mad, unless human/canine Lepto is different, i'd definitely not call it rare, its on of the main risks of my job!
 
dree said:
I did manage to get him to drop it and I could then pick it up in a plastic bag and remove it. Yuck!! Btw, Lepto is easily treated with the correct antibioitic....something else vets won't tell you.
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I absolutely acknowledge your right to not vaccinate, but if lepto is no problem at all why did you not want to handle the rat directly from your dog?
 
Clodagh said:
I absolutely acknowledge your right to not vaccinate, but if lepto is no problem at all why did you not want to handle the rat directly from your dog?
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I have done some more research into lepto, and it appears that the vet will recommend whether its needed in the area. However it really does appear necessary for people who live near water, farms or the countryside, everywhere I have looked recommends it highly for those areas and optional for others
 
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