Labrador Info please

bribren2001

hey all,
i will be gettin a golden labrador retriever pup in the not to distant future.
i was wondering what is the appropriate amount of food to be giving a labrador throughout its life i.e. pup-teenager(1yr to 1.5yr)-adult?
and also what type of food is best-pedigre chum-dog nuts,scraps etc

any help greatly appreciated

ramius

we got a golden lab 7 months ago and did alot of research into how to look after her as not to mess her up. stating from the basics feed her some make of kibble complete as it is easier to monitor what you are feeding her but it is also better for her teeth as it doesnt stick to them like tin food causing later tooth decay. giving scraps when they are older is fine but when they are young it tells them that your food tastes better than theirs and they will end up begging at the table. and they dont really need it since all the nutrients they need is in the complete kibble
you need to be prepared before you pick up your puppy. firstly they need a designated sleeping area so that they have their area where they feel safe. in order for the puppy to feel safe when it is suddenly aone away from all its family it needs company in the form of a teddy bear (no i am not crazy) it worked with my dog and she carried it everywhere, also for the first few weeks it helps to have a hot water bottle under their blanket which helps simulate their mothers heat. get lots of chews of all shapes and sizes in order to save shoes and chair legs. and the biggest unspokeken rule is no matter what the puppy does never shout at it as it does not understand . if it pees on your favourite jacket just ignore it for a few minutes and if it goes pee outside praise like mad, it will soon get the message what is exceptable and whats not as they are extremely clever animals. any other questions just ask as i am a mind of seemingly useless information

Falkorre

Basically everything above is all u will need to know for the first while.
(No offence ramius, but when u type it like one huge sentence like that, its damn hard to read mate lol,... a few hits of the return key now an then is a good idea. )

B

Nala

IAMS have just introduced their new formula made especially for Labrador Retrievers! You can only get it in petshops, Wacker's on Parnell St have it. It's quite expensive though, you'd probab;y be better off with Pedigree Chum, start with their Puppy formulas.
Follow the instructions on the packet for a medium-sized breed.
Labradors are prone to obesity, make sure you don't feed too much.
Don't over-exercise the pup, until it's about a year old it's still growing and over-exercise can strain their muscles.

bribren2001

thanks a million ramius and neev for the info- really helpful .
just one more thing- how many times a day should i be feeding him/her based on the age they are at?

Nala

A puppy from the weaning time (6 weeks) to 3 months should be fed 4 meals a day. From 3 months to 6 months 3 meals per day. From 6 months to one year, 2 meals per day, or one large meal. Don't give it chocolate! There's actually a toxin in chocolate.

bribren2001

thanks for that neev, ye i read that recently in a labrador book!
didnt think chocolate had a toxin in it but there you go !

thanks for the help!

commuterised

lots and lots of play and walkies, gorgeous playful doggies, I'm very jealous

uberwolf

there is a difference between labradors and retrievers.

Nala

A labrador IS a retriever. There's also the Golden and Flat-coated retrievers.

uberwolf

Originally posted by bribren2001
golden labrador retriever

Nala

I think he means a labrador retriever in a golden colour.

bribren2001

thats exactly what i mean neev

some other people round here can get confused easily!

Nala

I know! My aunt in Australia breeds Labradors so I know wat I'm talkin about... I'm also dog-mad and am forever reading books about them...

uberwolf

Originally posted by bribren2001
some other people round here can get confused easily!

if you're refering to me, I was clarifying an issue to avoid confusion. Particularly as its a mistake I see/hear being made frequently.

bribren2001

point taken uberwolf

hey neev, wondering could i pick your brains on the following
a friend of mine has a two year old female jack russell. Sometimes he gives her her food in dog house which is bedded with shredded paper. On the odd occasion the dog scrapes the shredded paper with its nose into the dog dish covering the food!

have you ever seen anything like that before yourself and what may be the reason?

Nala

It's probably just her way of making sure *her* food is safe! Some dogs bury their bones etc for the same reason. Jack Russells are fairly territorial by nature so that could be it.

bribren2001

oh rite, thanks for that neev

Nala

I dunno if i'm right or not tho!

FRECKLES

I have a Labrador called 'Jude' who is now 2 years and he is just gorgeous!!! When we got him we did exactly as the 'large' posting suggested however for their puppy feed it is suggested to help them eat it that they are soaked in a bit of water and gradually reduce this until they are used to eating them without it.

Also a good idea is to rub the soft toy against the mother so that they smell her off of it.

Now that Jude is a 'BIG' dog I feed him twice a day. He is not obese as it gets loads of exercise. I feed him two mugs with 1/2 tin in the morning and around 6.00pm another 3 mugs with the other 1/2 tin.

They are gorgeous puppies and up to no good for the first 12 months but so worth it once they settle a bit - ....

dudara

My boyfriends mother has the most beautiful and good natured labrabor called Holly. She feeds her just once a day. She soaks a fixed amount of nuts in hot water until they've plumped up and aborbed all the water. She gives this to the dog along with 1 tin of pedigree chum meat. She says that by soaking the nuts beforehand, the dog eats less. If you give them to the dog dry, they'll eat as much as they can, and then the nuts will swell up in their stomach.

Holly is in great shape for a 10 year old dog, so I guess that she's doing something right in her feeding method. The dog gets meat scraps and roast potatoes on Sunday after dinner as well, and the odd hobnob/rich tea as treats.

Chocolate, especially plain, is risky for dogs.