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Debster
Starting Member
United Kingdom
2 Posts |
 Posted - 02/02/2010 : 16:32:25
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Hi everyone
I've found the site through a succession of others - it looks fab and I can't wait to wander through it!!
We picked up our puppy black lab just over a week ago - Dexter is now 9 and a half weeks old and is just adorable. He is my first dog, although my other half has had them before. I never realised I'd fall in love this quickly or this hard!! I honestly can't imagine what life would be without him now!!
He came from a really good place and is already a very sociable puppy. He is 90% housetrained after just six days (please don't let me be tempting fate!!) and already sits, stays and comes when I call him. He just wants to be loved and to love in return.
Ha....I NEVER thought I'd be one of those people who talk about puppies endlessly but there you go 
I DO however have just a couple of questions that maybe some of you could answer..........
We live in a very large upstairs flat - we have a massive garden and live near a wood and a park so exercise won't be a problem once he has had his next lot of jabs in 3 weeks. However, for the time being, I'm just taking him out into the garden. My first question is this..........I was carrying him out into the garden, letting him do his business and then carrying him back upstairs. I think I read someone about not letting them climb stairs. However, Dexter has decided he wants to climb up the stairs - albeit very slowly. Is this okay? Also, I'm physically not going to be able to pick him up for much longer - is it necessary for me to continue with the carrying bit? I'm only tiny and he is growing an amazing rate!!
My other question is about leaving him. He loves me and just wants to be with me. Initially, I couldn't even leave the room without him howling - I've done what all the books have suggested and have increased the times very gradually - now he is happy to wait for me to return if he knows I'm in the house. Leaving him alone is another issue. I have a crate which he loves - he sleeps in the crate all night long - initially with the door open but he isn't fussed if it's shut. However, if I go out, he howls for England. Annoyingly, my friend had him at her house last week and went out for an hour and left him and he did NOT howl - he just curled up and went to sleep!! I'm guessing he's just pushing the boundaries with me maybe or just misses me more? Again, I'm doing it gradually but this does concern me as there are obviously going to be occasions when I do need to leave him. Any thoughts?
I look forward to hearing from you all and I'll try and sort out some piccies of Dexter for you to see.
Love Debbie |
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Gina
Moderator
United Kingdom
4015 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 17:28:48
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Hi Debbie and a big warm welcome to our great forum. I have 2 Labs, both rescue. Meg my yellow girl will be 11 in April and Toby, most commonly known as my barmy black boy if approx 7.
It's been many years since I had a puppy so will leave the questions to some of the other girls who have much more recent experience. Don't know about stairs but there is certainly a rule of thumb as to how far to walk till Dexter is fully grown. Again, I'm sure someone will be along soon to give you the info you need.
We love photos and we all love to chat and yes, we all adore our dogs so you are not alone.
Gina
xx
Hug a Labrador today |
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Angela
Average Member
1051 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 19:07:10
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Hello Debbie, Dexter sounds lovely, I do love black Labs. Both mine are rescue, we adopted our youngest as a puppy at nine weeks.
I was careful about Minnie using stairs until she was about six months old but I guess I was lucky in that she is teeny and so I could easily carry her up and down. In fact she's now two and I can still pick her up very easily, so that helped! I think some people do let their pups use stairs from earlier, but I wouldn't want a pup going up and down often. It's good that he is doing it carefully at least.
Gina mentioned a rule about exercise - I read up about the "five minute rule" before we adopted Minnie. It's basically a guide to make sure Lab pups aren't over exercised when young to try to help protect their joints as they're growing. The guide is that the pup has five minutes of forced exercise per DAY per month of age, so if Dexter started going for walks at 12 weeks (as an example) that would be 3 months, so 15 minutes of walking per DAY, increasing to 20 minutes per day at 4 months and so on.
I know not everyone follows it, I know not everyone has heard of it, or agrees with it, but it was recommended by very experienced Labrador owners and I chose to follow it with Minnie and would do so with another pup in the future. I found that taking her places to socialise her when she was very little helped as she would be out in the fresh air and getting tired, but she wasn't over-exercising. Also little bits of training help tire their little brains out.
I did include off lead exercise in the amount she could have, because she's never been a pup to plod along, she's very energetic and would go on as long as I let her, so I had to make sure she didn't over do it. Once she got to about 9 months, and was on 45 minutes of exercise a day, I started to relax things a little bit and then once she got to a year and was ok for an hour a day, I started gradually increasing her walks by a little, until I wasn't really keeping track of how long she was out.
Hope that helps, look forward to photos,
Angela
x
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Minnie-Moo's blog: http://www.minnie-moo.com/
Shop online and help Oldies Club: http://www.oldies.org.uk/?page_id=534
Minnie-Moo's Just Giving fundraising page:
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StacyG
New Member
United Kingdom
165 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 19:59:32
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Hi. What a great name you picked for your little man not that I'm biased or anything, my Dexter was a big white fluffy german shepherd who sadly went to Rainbow Bridge in October last year. I missed him so much that when I saw some little black lab/collie pups in rescue looking for a new home we went and had a look and fell in love with little Jake. I know how you feel about being hit hard. Having lost Dexter so close to finding Jake I never thought I'd get that feeling again, but I've definatley been wrapped round Jake's little paw
We had problems with Jake howling, barking, whining, creating a mess and terrifying the cats for a while there. We had been crating him during the day when out as he was used to the crate and would sleep in it while we were in, but just a few weeks ago I decided to leave him out it, and have had some good suggestions on things to keep him occupied while we're out. Part of his problem was the cats, he'd hear them but not be able to get to them and I think this frustrated him. He's still a bit of a shadow at times, but he's much more settled. I thought there would be no end to the noise and mess, but everyone on here gave me the support and tips and ideas to get over the worst part. Now we have a little guy who runs about daft with newpaper he's pulled from a box trying to get his toys and treats and 2 cats that can sleep in the same room without fear of being pounced on
I don't know about the stairs thing either, but I do know that I was advised to not let Jake run up and down them just now while his bones are still growing, he's just 5 months old. He's up and down them quite a bit, but we always make him take it slow, even if he wants to go full steam ahead Good luck to you, enjoy your little guy
Stacy G |
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kirkby
Junior Member
United Kingdom
383 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 21:22:48
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Stuff a kong with moist food, freeze it, then when you go out he will use his nose and spend hours chewing the kong. Maddi my 4yrs Black lab slept in a crate and the kong was her dummy. Also helps with teething and chewing. Watch the corners of your units (thats where the kong is king)
Marlene
x x x x
M&M |
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Melita13
Administrator
United Kingdom
3721 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 21:41:41
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Hi Debbie
Congratulations on the new puppy. He sounds adorable.
Glad you found us and decided to log on.
You will get lots of helpful advice on this forum from people who have had dogs for many years.
Look forward to chatting and seeing some pics of your pup Dexter.
Melita..x
www.helpalabrador.co.uk
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cazmar
Administrator
United Kingdom
3073 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 21:59:37
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Hi Debbie and welcome. You will get lots of advice here, oh and fun too
would love to see a photo of Dexter.
carol ( owned by 2 choc labs and a JR ) |
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Mad Annie
Senior Member
3254 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2010 : 12:55:31
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Hi Debbie and Dexter and welcome
I have 2 Labs Lizzie (choc) and Paddy (yellow). You're in for a lot of fun! 
Anne-marie xx
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Always hold firmly to the thought that each one of us can do something to bring some portion of misery to an end"
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colliewoman
Administrator
United Kingdom
5484 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2010 : 13:03:03
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Welcome to Woof Beginnings Debbie and Dexter
I have 2 Labs Mac [Yellow]and Molly [Choccy] and a Border Collie
Look forward to seeing pictures of your little black boy 
Di xx
AREA CO-ORDINATOR
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liz
Average Member
United Kingdom
1117 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2010 : 07:30:17
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Hiya from here too...pleased that you have joined us, have got 2 girlie Labs Ebony (Black)& Lucy (Choc) and a senile cat Harrie. This is a brill site cos there is always someone around to give you good advice and a different take on your probs!!!! Look forward to seeing pics.
Liz,Ebbs & Lucy
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choccypaws
Senior Member
United Kingdom
2741 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 11:37:24
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Hi Debbie, welcome to this very friendly forum.
I would certaily not let a small puppy go up and down stairs on a regular basis, it is not good for their developing joints. If you stand behind a dog when it goes up and down stairs slowly you will see the acute angles their joints are forced into. Stairs are not natural for dogs. If you can, I would carry him for as long as you can, then do not let him race up and down them.
Exercise as Angela has set out, is good and should be increased slowly as Dexter gets older. Too much exercise again can put a strain on those developing joints. Labs are big, heavy dogs that grow rapidly, hence a lot of strain is already on their joints without having to cope with excess running around.
Enjoy your little pup and post us some pics please
Janet x
Deputy Area Co-ordinator
Labrador Rescue South East & Central
www.loveyourlabrador.co.uk
email: janet@loveyourlabrador.co.uk
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Debster
Starting Member
United Kingdom
2 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 14:28:18
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Thanks everyone for all your very kind replies!!
I'm sorry it's taken a while to get back here - as you can imagine, Dexter is very demanding on my time right now and "me" time is pretty scarce
An update anyway.............he seems to have just stopped his howling for me............I did nothing different and was planning on building up the amount of time I left him when suddenly, and literally overnight, he just suddenly stopped. I can now go out and know he'll just settle down and have a little play and a sleep. SUCH a relief!!!
So maybe that was an age thing or maybe he just finally realised I WAS always going to come back when I left! This last week he seems to have come on in leaps and bounds (literally!) - he has grown soooo much but all of a sudden he suddenly realises what everything is about - including his "kong"!
The whole stairs issue is still causing me major problems as he HATES being carried up and down them!! It's got to the point where he tries to sneak to the kitchen to wee on the floor rather than have me carry him outside..........I have to bribe him constantly!! He doesn't have any problem once he is outside - he'll happily go to the loo and play out there in our garden - he just hates being carried up and down them. And short of moving (which we can't!), I don't know what to do!! He's at the vets in another week and a half for his next jabs so I'll ask him then but in the meantime if anyone DOES have any suggestions...........
As to the photos thing...........I just need to get Dexter to keep still long enough!! I'll try and get some up here over the weekend!
Thanks again to everyone
Debbie xx |
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Gina
Moderator
United Kingdom
4015 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2010 : 13:39:05
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Good to hear Dexter has settled now.
If you're worried about letting him go up and down the stairs on his own I would give the Vet's a ring and take their advice.
Look forward to photos.
Gina
xx
Hug a Labrador today |
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Another Newbie
