Labrador Retriever Puppies: A Salty Dog’s Guide

My human parents got their first yellow lab the first year they were married, and have been lab-lovers for almost twenty years. Both grew up with dogs: My mom's family had Saint Bernards, and my dad had a series of mixed breeds that his mom rescued. They fell in love with their first lab at the mall pet store (not recommended) back when they were young and naive, and the sadness of "puppy farms" was not well publicized. Despite their first little darling's origins, she led a healthy happy life, bringing them much joy and adventure. When she finally passed away at age twelve, they were heart-broken and felt like a little piece of them was missing. They were dogless for about three months, before they brought home my big sister, Macintosh.

Having the benefit of learning from all of our human parents' past mistakes from their first lab, Mackie turned out to be a little angel. She is so well behaved and wonderful to be around that they take her everywhere with them. My parents thought she would make an excellent big sister (and I totally agree!), so when Mackie was about six, they started looking for me. They thought a lot about the timing of bringing home a pup. They wanted to get me before Mackie got too old to run and play with me, and to tolerate my puppy exuberance.

I'm so glad they brought me home. I love playing with my big sister Mac. She tugs a rope toy with me, and plays chase the ball, and she's already taught me to swim! It goes without saying that swimming is my favorite thing in the whole world!

It's not surprising that Labradors are one of the most popular breeds. Ask any Lab-owner to describe their pooch, and you'll surely hear adjectives like: exuberant, joyful, happy, playful, enthusiastic, and friendly to a fault. We're great with children, just as soon as we outgrow our puppy teeth (more on that in a bit). We love other dogs, and want to play with large and small alike. My big sister Macintosh, and her predecessor, were both raised by cats. Mackie used to lie really still so the cat would wash her face. We're very generous hosts when other pets come to visit our home at the holidays, sharing toys and food freely. We love to ride in the car, and on the boat. If you start when we're young, you can teach us to behave admirably in crowds. We love to go for walks, or even better for off-leash runs through the woods. But as I may have mentioned, the thing we love most in the whole world is swimming! If you have us off our leash and there is water nearby, you will hear a splash!
Let me describe for you the ideal lab owner, and you can see if you fit the bill:
- Do you like to throw a ball?
- Do you love the water?
- Do you like to go for walks or runs?
- Do you have a fenced backyard we can play in?
- Do you have a big family with children, other dogs, or at least friends and relatives who will come to visit?
- Will you take me with you on car trips?
- Do you have a pick-up truck?
- Do you like to hunt ducks?
- Will you consistently and firmly teach me puppy manners (see below - this one is mandatory)?
- Will you take me to obedience class?
The more questions you've answered, "yes" to, the more suited you are for Labrador ownership. If you answered yes to seven or more questions (including the mandatory one about puppy manners), and if you truly understand the responsibilities of puppy parenting, and are really ready to make the commitment, then I might just be your new best friend!

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Lucky for us, Labs are one of the most popular breeds of dogs, especially in the U.S., so we are pretty easy to find. Where to look for us depends on what you're looking for in a dog:

Breeders: If you want a beautiful (even gorgeous) dog to show off in dog shows as a perfect example of the breed, or if you want to breed your Lab, then you probably want to go to a breeder. There are many very good breeders to select from in the U.S. and you probably won't have to travel far from home to find one. If you want to own an English-style Labrador with the blocky head and short legs, you can find breeders who specialize in this version of the breed. See below for a link to AKC Lab breeders in your area. If you get your Lab from a breeder, you should pay them a visit first, and see the parent dogs (some will have only the mother dogs in-house). You may need to put your name on a waiting list. The breeder might ask you for references, and to sign a contract. You could expect to pay $1200 - $1600 for a lab puppy from a breeder on the East Coast of the United States.

Families: If you're looking for a good-tempered family pet for love and companionship, there are lots of AKC registered lab puppies to be had from families who just have two registered labs and breed them. Pet-quality Labs are still beautiful. Mackie and I both came from this source. While the term, "backyard breeders" has acquired a negative meaning recently (primary objection is not carefully breeding to breed standards), my family has had good experiences. In these cases, you will be able to meet the mommy and the daddy dog, and see all the puppies in the litter. You will see where the puppies are kept, and whether they've been exposed to children (probably a good thing). To find lab puppies from a family situation, look in your local newspaper classifieds, and on the veterinarian and grocery store bulletin boards. If you have a hunter/sporting goods store in town, definitely check out the bulletin board there. The going rate for a Lab puppy in Eastern United States seems to be about $300 - $400.

Another place to find puppies in your area is petfinder.com. This site lists rescue pets available at local shelters. There are a lot of loveable puppies, including labs and lab mixes, who need a good home. Shelters may charge for the cost of vaccinations and spaying/neutering, which could run around $200. They may also visit your home and ask for references before allowing you to adopt.

In any case, you should make sure you can afford the cost of vaccinations and spaying/neutering during the first six months of puppy ownership, in addition to whatever you paid for the puppy.

I recommend visiting the breeder/family/litter when your puppy is about 6 weeks old. Interact with the mother and father dogs to see how they behave. Look at them to see how big your pup is likely to get, and how they will be built. Then observe the puppies. Is there a quiet one? Is there one that's jumping all over the place? Is there one who happily allows you to hold and pet her? Is there one who has the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen (like mine!)? Labs tend to be high energy as a group, and this can be a training challenge. If you see a healthy lab puppy who's on the quiet and tame side, and doesn't squirm out of your arms when you hold her, she would be my first choice. Male or female? Hmm . . My family has only experienced female dogs. We have the impression they're easier to train, but would love to hear other people's thoughts on this matter. Please post your comments below.

Before bringing home your new lab puppy, you will need to prepare an area for them to be safe. I have a cage that I sleep in. It's a place where I can be safe and not get into any trouble while my human parents are sleeping or away at work. You will also want to prepare an area for them to eat and play safely. Lab puppies are great chewers. We will find your shoes, electrical cords, towels, blankets, pillows, toilet paper, books, magazines, wood furniture, and anything else within our reach that can be chewed. We will knock over lamps, and pull things off of table tops. If you leave these things in reach, you won't be able to take your eyes off of us for a minute. When I first came home, I was allowed to play on the enclosed back porch, where I chewed through the cable for the TV, phone, and internet. My big sister Mackie is allowed the run of the house now, but when she was a puppy she shredded some pillows and a bedspread when she was allowed out of her cage before she was ready. More on crate training in a moment.

1. Find a Vet: If you don't already own a pet, you'll want to find a veterinarian before you bring me home, and set up a first appointment right away to check me out and make sure I'm healthy, and set up a vaccination schedule. Check with your friends who own dogs to find out which local practice is best for you.

2. I would like a collar with an ID tag, but if you're planning to take me walking on a leash, keep in mind that my head is smaller than my neck, and I can back out of that collar any time I decide to go a different direction than you. I recommend that while I'm small and untrained, you use a harness when we're out walking. There are a few different types. I have one that slips on over my front paws and buckles with a single closure on top of my shoulders. This is easier to put on squirmy puppies than models with two closures. You should know that if it's a little loose, and if you're trying to go forward, and I'm trying to go backward, I can still back out of this one.

3. You will also need a several chew toys. I'm particularly fond of rope-style tug toys because they feel good to chew. I also like Nylabones and heavy rubber chew bones. And of course, please don't forget to buy a ball or two for me to fetch. Just make sure it's sturdy, or I will shred it. Speaking of shredding things, I love to rip apart toys that look like stuffed animals. They won't last 10 minutes with me.

When you first take a puppy away from their dog-mommy and littermates, it's natural that they will be scared and traumatized. They may cry whenever you leave them alone. They might even cry all night, although Mackie and I both settled down and slept in our cage with our new human mom lying beside the cage. By the second night, we were fine. Things that seem to help are having the temperature warm enough (we're used to cuddling with our littermates), and being able to hear your breathing so we know we're not all alone.
We also have very small bladders at eight weeks old, and may need to be taken outside every 2 hours for awhile. You will want to bring us home at a time when you're able to take a couple of days off work, or work from home. My mom took a week off to be with me, then came home for lunch every day for the first two months, till I was four months old. More on house training coming up.

Your first training mission is to teach us to pee and poop outside. From my puppy perspective, here are a few tips for making this easier:

1. Take me outside every two hours till you figure out my body clock. Take me outside immediately when I wake up from sleeping.
2. Keep a written log of when I eat, pee, and poop. This will help you figure out my schedule and do wonders for your peace of mind.
3. Keep me in my crate/cage when you can't watch me.
4. Reward me with treats for peeing and pooping where you want me to.
5. Relieving myself should be the first order of business when we go outside, before playing. Then when I've peed and pooped, play with me for awhile before putting me back in my cage. If you put me back right away as soon as I finish my business, I'll learn to hold it to prolong the time out playing with you.

It may not seem obvious to humans, but I'm quite comfortable and happy sleeping in my cage. I get a cookie every time I go in there, and I have chew toys in there to make it feel like home. It's my safe zone. I can't get in any trouble when I'm in there. Yes, just like a toddler who doesn't want to go to bed, I sometimes cry and beg to get out when I believe I might be missing something. But when the house is dark and quiet, and my family is sleeping, there's no place else I'd rather be. Lab owners all have stories about things that an errant puppy destroyed when it was left to roam the house unsupervised. Your responsibility as my parent is to keep me safe. If you leave me alone in your house, I need to be confined to a space where I can't do damage to your property or get hurt myself.

With all the talk about positive re-enforcement, it's easy for new dog-owners to get the message that you shouldn't correct your puppy's misbehavior. I believe this is a mistake. Don't be afraid to say a firm, "No" when you really mean it. Just be careful that you reserve "no" for when it's really important, and that you correct immediately and consistently. The puppy must understand that certain behaviors are unacceptable. That means they are never allowed, ever.

Jumping Up: If it's okay to jump up on you, then it's okay to jump up on a four year old child. If it's okay to jump up now, then it will be okay when I weigh 75 pounds. Labs really want to please you, so consistent and firm verbal reprimands, followed by a re-direction to the appropriate behavior, are generally all that is needed. When I greet new people, my mom often reminds me gently with a hand between my shoulder blades, to help me keep all four paws on the ground. I appreciate her help, because it helps people want to pet me. If I do jump up on someone, she says, "NO jumping up!" and moves me away so I can't get petted. If a stranger wants to give me a treat, my mom asks them to have me sit first.

Nibbling/Chewing/Biting: Lab puppies greet the world with their mouths. Unfortunately we have very sharp little puppy teeth that can do real damage. This is perhaps the biggest puppy challenge and concern. We love children so much, and we're not aware that our sharp little teeth could scare and upset them. Then there are senior citizens, with their thin skin. We really don't want to hurt anyone, so you need to teach us from the very beginning that it's never okay to chew on a human - not you, or anyone else. This is difficult for Labs to learn. My human mom and dad have two approaches to dealing with biting. The first is to greet me by putting a toy in my mouth before petting me. To this day, my big sister Mackie runs and gets a toy before she greets people and wants to be petted. If they haven't been proactive with the toy, and I slip up, another approach is to yelp loudly as if you're really hurt badly, and withdraw and not give me any attention for awhile. It's important that everyone who greets me is consistent with this. The rule is no biting nibbling or chewing anyone, ever.

Barking: In my family, there is a "No Woofing" rule. This may not be critical for everyone, but in our neighborhood, nobody likes a barky dog. There is a poodle next door who barks constantly whenever we are both outside. Everyone thinks he's really annoying. It was tempting to woof back in the beginning, but now everyone thinks I'm so nice for being quiet. Labs aren't really pre-disposed to barking, and it's relatively easy to teach us that this is unwanted behavior. My big sister Mackie almost never barks. One little point of ambiguity on barking: While a sharp "No Woofing" is in order if I'm barking at the neighbor's dog, it's more complicated to figure out what to do if I'm barking to get your attention, but you want me to settle down and be quiet. You can make it clear you don't like the barking, but at some point, you probably have to ignore it, or you'll be rewarding it with negative attention. Just like with people, you get the behavior you reward.

I really want people to love me both now and when I'm a big dog. So please do me a favor and help me be my loveable best!

When you first bring home an eight week old puppy, everything is new for us. We've only known our littermates, a whelping box, and whatever our breeder has exposed us to. Chances are we've never experienced concrete, asphalt, stairs, vacuum cleaners, and much of the ordinary world that you typically take for granted. It's important to get us used to new experiences when we're young, so that we're not afraid of them when we're grown. If you socialize us well, you can take us with you everywhere, as we grow into confident happy dogs. Some things you want to expose us to as early as you can:
- Children
- Old people
- Stairs
- Riding in the car
- Bicycles, skateboards
- Music, Loud Noises (guns or firecrackers, if you're a hunter)
- Crowds
- Other dogs that you're sure are healthy and vaccinated (no dog parks till we've had all our shots and are big enough to fend for ourselves)
- Cats (carefully supervised)
- Getting our toenails trimmed and ears cleaned

Meeting new people is really fun for me. Everyone thinks I'm so cute. I've noticed that whenever girls or women see me they automatically say, "aww, a puppy!" I'm what they call a "chick magnet". Also, children love me and want to pet me. My mom holds me still so I don't jump on them, and keeps a hand near my mouth so I don't nibble on them. She always warns them first about my sharp little puppy teeth. I can't wait till I learn better about the biting so I can be trusted with little kids.

Mackie and I both love to ride in the car. Our daddy opens the hatchback, then lets Mackie outside, and she runs straight out and jumps into the car. I'm not quite big enough to jump into the back of the car by myself yet, but someday soon I will be right there with my sister! We go for a four hour car ride every Friday and Sunday. We both settle right down and sleep until we are almost there. Then as we reach our destination, Mackie wakes up and starts squeaking with joy and excitement.

Also, my human parents like to play little games with me while I'm eating, to make sure I'm not possessive about my food. Mom and Dad make me sit for my supper, and pick the dish up once after I've started eating. As soon as I sit, they give it back. Sometimes they scratch my ears while I'm eating. Other times they rub my paws one at a time. The goal is that if a toddler came into your house and crawled up to my dish while I was eating, I would let the child have my food. I'm sure my big sister Mackie would. She lets me steal her food sometimes, but she never steals mine, even though mine tastes much better than hers.

With good training, there is virtually no limit to what a Labrador can learn. Labs can be trained to be duck hunters, seeing-eye dogs, airport security sniffers, rescue dogs, and all manner of useful occupations. We are eager to learn and will try our best to please you.

In this discussion, we will focus on helping your Lab grow into a great pet. If you've already owned and trained several dogs in your lifetime, then possibly all you need is to pick up the magazine-style guide on training your puppy, and review each section. However, if your schedule permits, taking us to a weekly obediance class can be fun and rewarding for all. The social aspect of learning in a group is a real treat for Labs. And having a regular commitment will help you stay motivated to practice with me regularly. The bonding experience of going through training together will cement our relationship and help us to be best friends forever.

I recommend two family members attend the classes with me together as much as they can. My human mom and dad go with me to class, and take turns working with me on new commands. If you have a larger family then perhaps one of the older children wants to share responsibility for my training with one of the grown-ups. There is a boy in my obedience class who comes with his mom. He appears to be about ten years old, and is a model student.

Dog trainers have different styles, so you may want to talk with some other dog owners to find a good trainer in your local area. Over the years my human parents have been through classes with four different instructors. Their styles ranged from tough and demanding all the way to positive to the point of ineffective. I believe labs respond well to positive re-enforcement, but sometimes you need to look them in the eye and make it clear who's boss. My parents don't have time to ignore an unwanted behavior and hope it goes away. I believe an experienced trainer, who's owned retrievers or other larger-breed dogs, will use a balance of rewarding the positive, and gently but firmly correcting the negative.
The basics are easy. We will quickly learn "sit", "down", "give", and even "stay", with basic techniques and practice. Our biggest challenge seems to be walking on the leash without pulling. You will appreciate having professional help to coach you through "walk with me".

To find a dog training class in your area, check with the local pet store (the large chains often sponsor classes), your veterinarian, other dog owners, or a local kennel.

As I may have mentioned, swimming is my favorite thing in the whole world! Labs are born swimmers, with our webbed feet and short water-resistant coat. Water calls to us. If it's nearby, we will be in it! We can fetch whatever you throw in the water, and we can swim farther than you can throw. Our preference is for you to throw floating toys, balls, or sticks, however we will swim after rocks if you throw them. My sister, Mackie, taught our Grampa's German Shepherd, Babe, to swim. They are about the same age, and best friends. I don't think Shepherds are really natural swimmers, but what Babe lacks in aquatic physique, she makes up for in determination!