Newbie Advice

gartcork

Hi everyone, just looking for some advice, hints, tips etc. please.

We are adopting a dog very soon as, unfortunately, the owner has to emigrate. This is a decision we haven't taken lightly and are looking forward to being responsible owners but we haven't had a dog before so may need your knowledge!

She is a 14 Month Old Chocolate Labrador Retriever who has been neutered vaccinated and chipped. She seems to have a very good temperament ( she's been over to the house a few times to meet the kids etc.)
She has been cared for very well. She is fed Burns organic food 3x Daily. She doesn't like being in a dog collar but has a harness. She sleeps outside in a dog igloo (new to me!) but is allowed in the house for an hour or so daily. She is walked regularly.

We have a fairly large secure garden and have put in a dog run in the last week for her.

Here are some initial questions we have...
Is the dog food a good brand?
Is 3x daily a lot for a labrador?
Does she need anything else with this (other than water of course)?
Should we try to put a collar on her?
Is there anything we can do to ease her anxiety of being re-homed?
Do we bring her inside if it gets very cold or wet?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks a lot for reading. I'm sure when she arrives I'll have a lot more to ask. All advice appreciated. Thanks in advance.

ISDW

Well done for adopting her.

At that age, I would normally be feeding twice a day. Burns is a good food.

Its entirely up to you, but I believe that dogs belong with their family, so I would allow the dog in the house for most of the time, and certainly let her sleep in the house.

I would get her used to a collar, the harness may be the best thing for walking, but I wouldn't leave a harness on a dog, and you need her to have her tag on, so I think thats easier on a collar than a harness. Accidents do happen, and if a dog escapes, and doesn't have a collar on with its details on, you may not get it back safe and sound.

Best of luck, sounds as though she's landed on her paws with you guys as her new family.

MacOwen

I have a choco lab too, twice a day is plenty. Don't forget to re-register the microchip as it will have the previous owners name and address stored.

gartcork

That's great, thanks a lot for your advice. She's arriving on Saturday and we are all excited!

If I feed her twice a day, what would be the best times if any?
Is filling the water bowl at meal times enough or would they need more...obviously after a run/walk etc.?
How often in general would I need to groom her?

Thanks again, it's very reassuring to have this forum.

MacOwen

Feed morning and evening time. Groom them about every two to three weeks roughly. Keep water topped up all the time because they do drink a hell of alot of it!

yellowlabrador

My labradors are shedding for the moment, maybe due to the mild weather? So I brush at least once a day, but normally once a week. I'd also plan lots of exercise and long walks. As you have children, teach them to give the dog some space and also to take things slowly.

evilmonkee

You're doing a great thing, congratulations!
I just wanted to make a small point on the collar issue. It is illegal for a dog to be out in public (on / off lead, intentionally or not) without a collar which has the name and address of the owner on it or inscribed on a disc connected to the collar. From the citizens information website.
Also, I would always advise that the dog has contact info (phone /email etc.) on an id tag - if your dog goes missing its easy for anyone to phone a number, much more stress on your pet to have to be taken to a vet / warden etc. to have a chip scanned.

Vince32

Lovely animals those labs you'll have a great time with it.

I can't really add the to advice given, so I'll just say enjoy your new dog and congrats.

gartcork

Wow! Thank you all once again. Some great tips and advice.

Zapperzy

gartcork wrote: »

Here are some initial questions we have...
Is the dog food a good brand?

Burns is a good brand. Dog food is a tricky subject, if you want to know more about it there have been loads of threads on here to read through but for the time being to ease the transition keep her on the burns.

Is 3x daily a lot for a labrador?

As you will soon learn labradors are hoovers, bottomless pits, they will eat until they burst and then eat some more. Twice a day is the usual but if you want to keep it to three times a day (again keeping to routine might be no harm until she settles in) and it suits you'l be doing no harm so long as she still gets the same amount over the day. Labs are prone to weight gain so watch you don't overfeed her, it'l say on the back or side of the bag how much she needs for her weight. If you feel down her sides you should be able to feel her ribs without digging in and searching for them. Also don't feed her directly before or after exercise, labs are a deep chested breed and can be prone to a thing called bloat or GDV where the stomach gets full and flips around which is an emergency and can be fatal if not caught in time. About an hour between feeding and walking is what is recommended I think.

Does she need anything else with this (other than water of course)?

Need-no, can you add different things-yes so long as you reduce the dog food to compensate and watch her weight. Have a read through some of the food threads, some things like the odd tin of sardines are beneficial, then there's the whole raw diet but I won't confuse you!

Should we try to put a collar on her?

Yes and a name tag with your phone number on it. I got my name tags from here http://www.identitag.co.uk/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=5 About a fiver each and delivery was within a few days. The plastic ones are very light and the small ones are very small so she'l hardly notice it. You could try and find a light collar and just get her accustomed to it over time until she doesn't notice it. If she really resists it just start off with a light piece of ribbon and work your way up always rewarding her and don't leave her unsupervised with it on until she's comfortable with it.

Is there anything we can do to ease her anxiety of being re-homed?

Bring all of her own things, bed, toys, any blankets and anything else you can think of. Don't wash any of her bedding from the old house so at least she'l have familiar smells. Stick to her usual routine as much as possible for a while, so feeding and walking times stay the same. There's a plug in diffuser that you can get called DAP that releases a pheromone into the air that relaxes them in stressful situations but it is expensive (~€30) so I wouldn't be rushing out to buy it unless your having problems, it can be got from some petshops and vets as well as online.

Do we bring her inside if it gets very cold or wet?

Of course. Most dogs much prefer being inside with the rest of the family rather than outside on their own.

And most of all enjoy! And don't panic, their not that easy to kill by accident (or maybe I shouldn't say that ), in my house I can't keep a house plant alive yet all four legged furries are all alive and well!

Cedrus

You may need to do a bit of dog proofing in the house and in the garden, as you have children some of this may be done already.

Check and move any ornaments, plants etc. at tail height and by front windows, labs tails are WMD and invaders outside have to be barked at. Tidy up any power or phone leads, some puppies/dogs love chewing them and even when it's not dangerous it can be very inconvenient. Stow cleaning products safely, they can't read labels.

Some garden plants and products are noxious or toxic for dogs, mostly because they chew things and drink from sources that we wouldn't dream of. But if you can get an accurate list you're doing better than me, probably not a big issue if you have her in a run.

portgirl123

evilmonkee wrote: »

You're doing a great thing, congratulations!
I just wanted to make a small point on the collar issue. It is illegal for a dog to be out in public (on / off lead, intentionally or not) without a collar which has the name and address of the owner on it or inscribed on a disc connected to the collar. From the citizens information website.
Also, I would always advise that the dog has contact info (phone /email etc.) on an id tag - if your dog goes missing its easy for anyone to phone a number, much more stress on your pet to have to be taken to a vet / warden etc. to have a chip scanned.

sorry would like to just add, the law is your dog needs a collar at all times with a id tag even in your own home.

kakee

gartcork wrote: »

Hi everyone, just looking for some advice, hints, tips etc. please.

You can find some helpful advice and tips here http://www.dogsireland.com

gartcork

Again, thank you. Great advice from you all. I have three young boys, (7,5 and 3) so the house is fairly kid/dog proof..or at least what could be broken already was!

I have a nylon collar ordered, and I'm going to get a tag from where Zapperzy recommended.

Roll on Saturday. I'll keep you all posted!